Chapter 148: The Final Victor
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 148: The Final Victor
"Stop right there!!"
"You’re certainly persistent today, aren't you..."
Treading through the empty air with Adler cradled in her arms, Lupin glanced down at the girl in the uniform. The inspector was chasing them from the ground, sprinting at an unbelievable speed. A frustrated, almost troubled sigh escaped Lupin’s lips as she realized the girl was actually keeping pace with her.
"She doesn’t even seem tired. She isn't a mana user, nor does she wield a curse, yet she showcases such preposterous physical capabilities..."
"Is she even a normal human?" Adler asked.
"...Why? Are you still interested in her even after my warning?" Lupin’s eyes narrowed slightly, her voice turning chilling.
"No. It’s just personal curiosity. You mentioned she has no special abilities, yet she seems to be a formidable nemesis of yours... that’s quite intriguing."
"In truth, you—or rather, the entirety of London—are the oddity. Generally speaking, mana users are a rare breed."
At her reasonable retort, Adler could only scratch his head with an awkward smile.
"I... I know that, but you see... when you’re destined to face mysteries at every turn, that fact tends to slip your mind."
"...That’s inevitable, I suppose."
"Besides, if she has no abilities, shouldn't she pose no problem for the Great Thief Lupin?"
As Adler tilted his head in query, Lupin let out a wry chuckle.
"Frankly, I’m more annoyed by that woman than frightened of her. However, if I truly have a nemesis, it would be Inspector Julia Ganimard of the Paris Police."
"...So it was Ganimard after all."
"Eh? What did you say?"
"Nothing. But you seem to respect her, don't you?"
At his question, a sigh escaped Lupin’s lips as she gradually began to slow her pace.
"In this world, there might really be no one who can beat her in sheer persistence and tenacity."
"...Why slow down all of a sudden?"
"And you know, there’s something eerily peculiar about that woman."
Just as her pace was about to come to a complete halt, Lupin abruptly kicked the air and shot upward in a fraction of a second.
"I told you to stop!!!"
Seemingly out of nowhere, Inspector Ganimard appeared, swinging her baton through the space where Lupin and Adler had been standing less than a second ago. She missed the fleeing duo by the barest of margins.
"Ah, didn’t you say she had no abilities?"
"...Yeah, she indeed doesn’t wield any magic or powers."
"But then, what was that just now...?"
"That’s what makes her remarkable."
Barely dodging the heavy strike, Lupin gazed down at Ganimard—who had landed on the ground, kicking up a massive cloud of dust—and murmured with an annoyed expression.
"She’s just too damn strong."
"...Pardon?"
"Not only was she already stronger than a gorilla, but ever since her travels to Japan and China, where she picked up all sorts of esoteric martial arts, she has surpassed the limits of humanity."
Adler blinked in astonishment, a stunned expression plastered on his face.
"That... is that even possible?"
"You know, Adler... a devil standing at the center of an age of mystery and the unknown shouldn’t be saying such things, should he?"
"......"
"Personally, I find it far more astonishing that a devil from literal fairy tales is blatantly flirting around, seducing the women of London."
"Enough already..." Adler lowered his head, dejected by Lupin’s blunt statement.
"...Ugh."
"Hm? What’s wrong?"
"She’s coming this way."
"What? Even for Ganimard, recovering that quickly should be impossible." Lupin muttered, her voice faint with bewilderment.
"No, it’s not Ganimard..."
As if on cue, before Lupin and Adler could react, a girl in a familiar police uniform appeared before them out of thin air.
"...It’s Lestrade."
"Ah."
A flashing light followed a second later, causing Lupin to lose her balance.
"Ugh..."
"Did you think you could wreak havoc in London twice and still be safe?"
Having already struck the thief’s head with her baton, Lestrade elegantly shifted her weight and grabbed Lupin by the scruff of her neck, kickstarting a rapid descent straight toward the ground.
"Why isn't my magic working all of a sudden..."
"Anyone who comes into contact with me returns to normalcy," Lestrade replied coldly.
"What...?"
"Even the world-renowned Phantom Thief is no exception."
Hearing the angry policewoman’s reply, a hazy look flashed in Lupin’s eyes.
"Both Ganimard and you... how can ordinary people untouched by mana be so strong...?"
"...It’s the application of medieval European and Chinese martial arts. Sword energy and internal qi are innate abilities; they don’t disappear even if I touch them. That is why I never lose my power, whereas magical beings are powerless before me."
"Aha... I’m learning something new today..."
For a moment, Lupin struggled in Lestrade’s grasp to free herself. Soon, however, she realized escape was out of the question and began whispering in a subdued voice.
"But if you slam me into the ground like this, your lover will die too, won't he?"
"...Ah, that’s alright."
Lestrade shot a frigid glare toward Adler before responding in a similarly low tone.
"He’s not my lover anymore."
"...Ah."
At those words, Adler hid his face in Lupin’s bosom. Peeking through the gap in her shirt buttons, he looked at the expressionless policewoman with a blank gaze.
"We’re screwed."
Lupin closed her eyes in resignation, admitting defeat.
—Boooooooooooooooom!!!
The speed of the fall, paired with the strength with which Lestrade hurled them, sent the Great Thief crashing into the pavement with tremendous force.
"...Ahh."
A cloud of dust—much larger than the one Ganimard had created—swirled around the impact zone. Lestrade gasped for air as she rolled across the ground.
"...Huh?"
Surprisingly, just before Lupin hit the ground, Lestrade had pulled Adler from the thief's arms and taken him into her own embrace.
"M-Miss Lestrade...?"
"...Cough, cough!"
"Why?"
Fully expecting his body to shatter from the impact, Adler was shocked by Lestrade’s last-second action. He asked with a stunned expression as Lestrade—after coughing up blood from shouldering the full brunt of the impact in his stead—avoided his gaze and replied in a faint voice.
"...Because I love you."
The moment the words left her lips, she began dusting off her clothes and stood up.
"Although we are no longer a couple with a budding romance."
"........"
At her frigid tone, laden with unquestionable disappointment, Adler had no choice but to lower his gaze in silence.
"Why are you making such a sad face? It feels nonsensical when the great Isaac Adler makes such an expression."
"Miss Lestrade..."
"Just die already."
With those words, Lestrade started walking away, leaving Adler behind. She looked down at Lupin, who was in tatters from the fall, with a dispassionate gaze.
"Are you still conscious?"
"Guh..."
"Well, at least you’re alive. Lucky for me; a few pages of reports will suffice to put this incident to rest."
"The inspector... w-will arrest..."
"I remember telling you to stop!" Ganimard’s voice boomed.
"...Ugh."
Ganimard approached Lupin with staggering steps and promptly cuffed her hands.
"You’ll be extradited to France just like this. Don’t even dream of escaping. Dozens of mana users have been hired just to prevent your breakout..."
"...A-And half of those will be my men in disguise," Lupin wheezed.
"Heh! Spare me your foolish jokes!"
As the French policewoman dragged Lupin—who was on the verge of fainting—away from the scene, Adler sat on the ground, staring blankly.
"Ah, is the kidnapping quest still not finished...?"
"If you don't want to end up like that woman, it’s best not to move a single step."
"Yes, madam."
He immediately shut his mouth at Lestrade’s chilling remark.
"Now, follow me slowly."
"...You just ordered me not to move."
"You need to be interrogated as a witness in this case."
"I’m a bit busy right n—"
"Failure to attend the interrogation will lead to a high likelihood of you being considered an accomplice, Mr. Adler."
Lestrade’s emphasis on his name made him sigh, prompting him to follow the policewoman wherever she was taking him.
"Over there!"
"Lestrade! Look over here!!"
"We request an explanation!!"
".......?"
Suddenly, a crowd carrying mana-stone-embedded cameras started pouring toward them from across the street.
"Oh... so it’s you guys, huh?"
Lestrade, who had already assumed a defensive stance, soon realized the sudden influx of people were actually the reporters who had been following her since the announcement of her relationship with Adler. Her brows knitted, and she spoke with a voice dripping with undisguised annoyance.
"I clearly told you not to cross the line. I am on official duty now, so if you interfere, I will arrest—"
"Is the statement you made on the front page of Strand Magazine true?"
At the reporter's sudden question, Lestrade was forced to pause, tilting her head in confusion.
"What statement did I issue?"
"The declaration of your marriage to Isaac Adler!"
At that reply, both Isaac Adler and Gia Lestrade froze simultaneously.
"We’ve even received confirmation from the town hall that your marriage registration has been completed!"
"".........""
"We are curious about the reason for this sudden decision! You only started dating two months ago, not to mention the fact that your partner is a notorious figure surrounded by negative rumors and controversy...!"
Ignoring their shock, the reporter continued to press on with an animated tone.
"...Adler."
Lestrade could only give the reporters a blank stare. Finally, she subtly turned toward Adler and began to whisper in a faint voice.
"Was this... your plan all along?"
".....???"
Adler could only offer a clueless look at the nonsensical question.
"You had already chosen me among the three and just wanted to see my surprised face in front of everyone, didn't you?"
Quietly avoiding Adler’s gaze, her head bowed, Lestrade’s mind was already jam-packed with irrational conjectures and nonsensical fantasies.
"Then, what should I do about the declaration I made just now?"
—Click, click...!!!
"...Well, he is indeed no longer my lover now. So I guess it doesn't matter anymore..."
As she whispered those words to Adler, her face flushing a deep red, that particular scene went on to become the front page of every single newspaper in London that fateful day.
.
.
.
.
.
In the heated atmosphere that had engulfed the city, there was one person who had not quite adapted to the earthshaking change.
"...Huh?"
That person was none other than Professor Jane Moriarty. She had provided Ganimard and Lestrade with Lupin’s escape route, pursued the inspector duo at a leisurely pace, and had now appeared at the scene to retrieve Adler.
"Having a dragon as a vault keeper is a bit too much, even for someone like me, you see."
"..."
"So, to get a bit of revenge for the last incident, I swapped the marriage certificate halfway through."
The overwhelmed professor heard the chuckling whispers leaking from Lupin’s mouth as the thief was dragged past her by Inspector Ganimard.
"Don't resist, just come along nicely!" Ganimard barked.
"...Sorry about that, Miss Crime Consultant."
With those final words, Lupin disappeared along with Ganimard into the bustling crowd, leaving the Professor behind. The light in Moriarty's eyes faded into nothingness.
"Inferior vermin..."
That was the spark. In that instant, dark clouds started covering the skies all over London—clouds that would not retreat for months on end.