Furina, Please Let Me Steal Your Heart! (Genshin Impact)

"Fire!"

At Chevreuse's command, the Special Task Force opened fire in unison.

Luna whirled, her sword light dancing nimbly through the air, scattering sparks across the darkness. The volley of bullets proved completely ineffective against Phantom Thief White Cat.

But Chevreuse had anticipated this outcome.

In battles against Phantom Thief White Cat, firearms served only to distract and contain her.

Could I actually hit her with this gun?

Impossible.

Firearms were useless; the true battle lay solely with one person—herself!

Chevreuse transformed into a blazing streak of light, hurtling toward Luna with such speed that she closed the distance in the blink of an eye.

Then, a sudden thrust!

Her flame-infused piercing strike was about to strike Luna when a crisp metallic clang echoed.

It was a sword. Luna had raised her blade, precisely blocking the attack.

"Looks like Miss Captain has gotten stronger," Luna remarked.

"Of course. Don't think I'll always lag behind you," Chevreuse retorted.

Chevreuse gripped the spear, thrusting it forward with all her might and unleashing her accumulated Fire Element power in a sudden burst!

Bang!

Flames erupted from the tip, but a fierce wind surged upward into the sky.

The impact felt hollow.

Chevreuse narrowed her eyes. Luna's foot was planted firmly on the spear's tip, forcing the tip upward.

So she could react after all?

Chevreuse realized Luna had used a Wind Element-enhanced kick to forcefully redirect her attack. As troublesome as ever, she thought.

"To possess such power and yet choose to become a Phantom Thief, a criminal..." Chevreuse muttered, her voice low.

Chevreuse's mouth moved as her hands and feet danced in relentless motion.

The firelight from her spear's tip danced without cease, each arc through the air punctuated by bursts of explosive force.

Without a doubt, Chevreuse's mastery of Elemental Power had reached new heights.

Luna's Sword shimmered with Hydro energy, and Luna pressed forward instead of retreating, parrying each strike with unwavering precision.

Despite Chevreuse's immense growth since their first encounter, she still couldn't breach Luna's defenses.

Chevreuse gritted her teeth. Why can't I break through?

No, stay calm... I must remain composed. Impatience would only expose her to vulnerabilities.

She couldn't afford to lose this fight.

She leaped backward.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! A hail of support fire from the Special Task Force enveloped Luna in a fiery net. But against the Greatsword of Passion, which sliced through the darkness with burning zeal, the bullets simply melted away.

Still, the diversion had worked.

Now!

Chevreuse surged forward again, faster than before. Midway through her charge, she abruptly changed direction, leaving trails of fiery afterimages in her wake.

"Fire!"

The Special Task Force launched their loaded special grenades, which tore through the fiery illusions and split apart mid-air.

Countless miniature bombs detonated in quick succession, engulfing Luna within their blast radius.

"Did we hit her?"

"No... not yet!"

"She's above us!"

Looking up, they saw the Phantom Thief.

Luna swung through the air above the Special Task Force, suspended from a chandelier by a silken thread, a pistol in her other hand.

Flickering purple electricity coalesced into a new gun barrel around the pistol.

She pulled the trigger.

Instantly, a barrage of Electro Bullets flashed and swept across the floor!

Why is she deliberately aiming at the floor? The Special Task Force members exchanged puzzled glances.

But in the next moment, their expressions changed dramatically as the Electro Bullets ricocheted off the floor, ceiling, and walls, assailing them from impossible angles.

"Ah!"

Each Electro Bullet struck their firearms with pinpoint accuracy.

The surge of Electro Element coursing through their weapons made them cry out in pain, their instincts screaming to drop them.

But they couldn't.

They couldn't let their Captain fight alone! Regaining their composure, they suppressed the pain with sheer willpower.

However, they soon discovered their firearms had malfunctioned.

"Move! Why won't you fire?!"

"Weapon malfunction! Weapon malfunction!"

In that instant...

Ice Threads flowed out, swiftly binding the limbs of the Special Task Force members.

Luna raised her hand and snapped her fingers.

The threads tightened.

One by one, the Special Task Force members collapsed to the ground, their limbs entangled. No matter how hard they struggled, they couldn't move.

"Captain!" Turenna cried out, flopping around like a beached fish. "The Electro Element... can she really wield all Seven Elements of Teyvat?"

Chevreuse pressed her lips into a firm line, her unwavering resolve unshaken.

"Don't worry," Luna said with a gentle smile. "I haven't harmed them."

"I know."

"Will you yield?"

Chevreuse shook her head.

"I told you—"

She raised her spear.

Her Vision blazed with a radiant light, as if responding to her will and desire. Flames surged upward, enveloping them both in a fiery embrace without igniting anything else.

Amidst the roaring inferno, Chevreuse's gaze burned with unwavering conviction.

"From the moment I received this Vision, I understood: this is the justice I must uphold."

Images flashed through her mind.

Her father's friend lay motionless in a pool of blood, his eyes vacant.

Nearby, the assailant writhed on the ground, his pistol clattering away as he clutched his wound and howled in agony.

"I had countless reasons to pull the trigger and execute the man who murdered Uncle Grisetti. He lay there helpless, writhing in pain, with only me to witness it."

"Even if I had killed him, I could have justified it with righteous indignation."

"No one in the squad would have questioned why the perpetrator met his end."

"An eye for an eye—it's a truth people cling to, and I once believed it too."

"But the true arbiter of justice, the one who determines the fate of guilt and the punishment of sinners, isn't you or me."

Chevreuse tightened her grip on her spear.

"It's the Law."

"We are merely its voice and its hand, not justice itself, nor can we ever become it... Stop now, White Cat."

She whispered, "You're a Phantom Thief."

"Don't stain your hands with the blood of evil men."

Chevreuse had never spoken to her with such tenderness before.

It wasn't an order, nor a warning, but a plea.

Chevreuse desperately wanted Luna to avoid crossing that line, to prevent the story of the Maison Gardiennage versus the Phantom Thief from turning into a tale of the Maison Gardiennage versus a murderer.

"Miss Chevreuse, do you find my hands beautiful?" Luna asked.

"Yes," Chevreuse replied.

Luna raised her hand and gently stroked Chevreuse's cheek. "Would they disgust you if they were stained with a villain's blood?"

"...Promise me, White Cat," Chevreuse said, her voice strained. "Leave this place and hand over the evidence to me."

"I'll give you a satisfactory resolution," Luna replied calmly. "I guarantee the culprit will receive the punishment they deserve."

Luna whispered, "But what if I told you... the ending I desire can only be written by my own hand?"

Chevreuse fell silent for a moment.

"Then I'll simply continue to fulfill my duty and responsibilities," she said.

Luna withdrew her hand, a gentle smile gracing her lips.

She stepped back once, twice, three times... then raised her sword.

The unspoken meaning hung heavy in the air, forcing Chevreuse to close her eyes tightly, her breath trembling slightly.

It was born of resignation, yet fueled by simmering rage.

"Come, Miss Captain," Luna said, her voice lilting. "You'll be my dance partner tonight. Let's see who can last until the final waltz."

"Whether you win or I do, I'm eager to see it," Luna added.

Chevreuse silently leveled her long spear.

Their gazes locked, but words between them had long since vanished.

Only this battle would determine what came next.

In the blink of an eye, gun flashes and sword light crossed paths as their figures blurred.

"Ugh..."

Chevreuse struggled to regain her footing, but her legs refused to obey.

She collapsed to one knee, bracing herself with her hands, gritting her teeth as she desperately tried to stand.

I have to get up, she thought. Otherwise, White Cat will... The thought spurred her, and she clenched her jaw even harder.

But she couldn't rise.

Just then, gentle hands covered her eyes, and a familiar warmth brushed against her ear.

"You've lost, Miss Chevreuse."

I haven't lost! Chevreuse tightened her fists.

"I can still stand..."

Luna's voice softened. "No, the ball is over. You're exhausted. You need to rest."

"It was my fault you got caught in the rain tonight... But please, allow me to take my leave first."

"I won't let you..." Chevreuse grabbed Luna's wrist, but her grip lacked strength.

Don't go, White Cat.

Luna's voice grew even gentler. "Look at you—you have no strength left. Just close your eyes and sleep."

Consciousness slipped away like sand through her fingers.

Clinging to her last shred of awareness, Chevreuse forced out the words: "Go back, White Cat..."

This isn't what a Phantom Thief should do!

"...Good night, Miss Chevreuse."

Don't refuse...

"If you despise my hands after tonight, I'll be more careful," Luna murmured, leaning close to Chevreuse's ear. "But the truth is, I had countless reasons not to pull the trigger."

"Or perhaps aiming for his legs would have sufficed."

Given Lefèvre's temperament, even a gunshot wound to the hand would have shattered his resolve, leaving him writhing and howling in pain.

"Yet I still fired."

Who did you shoot? Chevreuse tried to ask.

"Because I knew someone like him couldn't be allowed to remain in this world."

"You..."

Chevreuse seemed about to say something more, but in the next instant, she lost consciousness.

She was merely knocked out; she'd awaken soon enough.

And she'd find the dust had settled.

"It will all seem like a dream, Miss Captain," Luna whispered, gently laying Chevreuse down.

As Chevreuse collapsed, the flames that had encircled them vanished without a trace.

The Special Task Force officers stared in shock at their fallen comrade.

What happened? They had only seen the wall of fire, unable to discern what had transpired within.

"Rest assured, I had no intention of harming Miss Chevreuse."

Though perhaps a nibble later...

Luna smiled. "I suggest you all take a moment to rest as well."

Those were the last words they heard before their world faded to black.

Ronat hid under the desk, clutching his head.

Was the coast clear outside?

Did the Special Task Force win or lose?

A voice called from beyond the door, "Monsieur Ronat."

"W-who is it?"

"The Special Task Force."

Ronat sighed in relief, patting his chest.

Looks like the Special Task Force won. Ha, just as I thought. If Chevreuse could hit Phantom Thief White Cat in the shoulder, she definitely stood a chance against her.

"Well done," he said, nonchalantly crawling out from under the desk and straightening his clothes. "As expected of the most elite unit... Come in. There's something I need to tell you—or rather, confess."

The door creaked open.

"I've committed an unforgivable crime..." he began, turning his back to the doorway and gazing out the window, his voice heavy with remorse. "I ruined my secretary. I deliberately saddled his parents with crushing debt, then offered to settle it in exchange for his life and reputation."

"As a result, that promising young man lost his life."

"And even after his death, I failed to keep my promise."

"I'm the one who embezzled over a hundred million Mora. I'm the one who leaked his address to the newspapers, drawing their attention and inciting them to harass the Wilger family."

"I even considered using Phantom Thief White Cat to plunge all of Fontaine into chaos..."

"Everything I did was for my own selfish reasons."

"I was afraid of being arrested, afraid of facing Judgment. But now I understand the full extent of my sins... I want to atone, to apologize to everyone."

Ronat turned his head.

"I'm ready to face Judgment."

He froze at the sight of the figure standing in the doorway.

"Who are you?"

Luna drew her pistol and aimed it at Ronat.

Boom! A lightning bolt, as if tearing the sky apart, illuminated her silhouette.

"Phanto—"

Before Ronat could finish, Luna pulled the trigger without hesitation.

Bang! The gunshot blended seamlessly with the thunder.

The bullet pierced Ronat's heart, shattered the glass behind him, and sent shards of glass and blood flying. Ronat's last vision was of Luna's eyes beneath her mask—clear, bright, like flawless gems.

Her gun didn't fire for her own sake, Ronat thought as his consciousness faded. Then... who was it for?

With a thud, Ronat collapsed to the ground, quickly falling silent.

Luna holstered her pistol and glanced at her hand. "...What a pity, Miss Captain. You wouldn't want me to kill anyone." She turned away. "But long ago, I personally killed Lefèvre." Of course, Luna had never regretted that decision.

I've secured the three treasures. Time to return, Luna thought, noticing the thunder outside seemed to be fading and the rain was easing.

Meanwhile, at the Wilger residence:

"Dear, look at this..." Wilger's mother trembled as she handed her husband a card.

The man, who was cleaning his gun, glanced at the card, then froze.

Countless treasures glitter across this world, yet only one radiates eternal brilliance—the unbroken soul.When the Tears of Heaven dry, and the Wail of the Departed fades into the night sky...I shall arrive.Your obsessions. Your future. Your hopes. All shall be mine.

Signed: Phantom Thief White Cat.

The next day, a shocking headline rocked all of Fontaine:

Phantom Thief Who Steals "Life" Strikes? The End of the Villain Ronat

After reading the article, Wilger's mother wept uncontrollably, yet a sense of catharsis was evident amidst her grief.

The man silently folded his newspaper and placed his gun back in its case.

"Looks like we won't have to get our hands dirty after all," he said.

Phantom Thief White Cat...

What a remarkable individual.