Charlotte never imagined she'd miss her chance to report on the events in Poisson, only for an even more explosive story to break in Fontaine.
Yet she would rather this weren't true.
Although the culprit behind the Serial Disappearance Case had already been apprehended—and later, due to some unexpected circumstances, was hospitalized—another young girl had gone missing in Fontaine. The intact clothing left at the scene suggested her fate was grim.
Once again, Primordial Sea Water was involved, and the modus operandi remained identical.
This time, the crime was even more terrifying because it was a pre-announced act.
Only someone with absolute confidence in their abilities would dare to announce a crime in advance.
Such criminals are often unfathomable and extremely difficult to deal with.
Even if not committed by the same individual, these crimes were likely orchestrated by the same organization. The shadow that had finally lifted from Fontaine now loomed over the city once more.
Charlotte reported on the case while pondering its implications.
"Charlotte, hurry!"
"I heard the killer has struck again!"
"The Maison Gardiennage received another announcement letter!"
Seeing Editor-in-Chief Euphrasie rush over, Charlotte's heart sank.
"So soon?!"
The frequency of these attacks far exceeded anything they'd seen before!
"That's right! Let's go investigate immediately!"
Without waiting for a response, Euphrasie grabbed Charlotte's arm and hurried her toward the Maison Gardiennage Headquarters.
-
"Waaah! Someone save me! I don't want to die so soon!"
As Charlotte and Editor-in-Chief Euphrasie arrived at the Maison Gardiennage headquarters, they heard heart-wrenching sobs from afar.
The voice sounded incredibly young, almost soft and sweet. Judging by the sound alone, one could tell its owner must be quite attractive.
Sure enough, when they approached the source, they found a strikingly beautiful and adorable young girl.
However, her face was streaked with tears, and the shock had drained the color from her cheeks, stirring a sense of pity in anyone who saw her.
Several Maison Gardiennage officers surrounded her, each offering words of comfort.
"Don't worry, Miss. As long as we're here, the culprit won't lay a finger on you!"
"You're absolutely safe as long as you stay here!"
"If the culprit dares to step foot into Maison Gardiennage Headquarters today, I'll make sure they never leave!"
-
The Maison Gardiennage officers' reassurances seemed to have worked. The young girl wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, and after a long moment, she managed to calm herself slightly. In a soft, gentle voice, she thanked the officers before her.
"Thank you. With you here, I feel much safer..."
Hearing the girl's soft, sweet voice, the officers' hearts melted. They couldn't help but feel a surge of anger toward the criminal who had targeted such an innocent and adorable young girl.
The officers pounded their chests, making resounding thumps, and swore solemnly to the girl, promising her absolute protection.
"Greetings, Miss Charlotte, and Editor-in-Chief Euphrasie."
Upon seeing Charlotte and Editor-in-Chief Euphrasie arrive, the Garrison Captain quickly explained the situation.
As soon as the Maison Gardiennage received the new crime notice, they immediately brought the victim mentioned in the notice to headquarters and placed her under strict protection.
The officers were also prepared for a direct confrontation with the criminal and had contacted the Court of Justice to request additional Gardemek units.
Seeing the Maison Gardiennage's swift and efficient response this time, Charlotte felt a flicker of relief.
With so many officers providing protection, she believed the young girl should be safe.
Charlotte then questioned the Garrison Captain about the details of the threatening letter. The letter stated that at 8:00 PM tonight, the young girl would vanish from the public eye forever.
The handwriting in the letter was impeccably smooth and elegant, making it hard to believe that such a crazed individual could describe a murder plot with the casual grace of inviting people to dinner.
"We're already having the handwriting analyzed to see if we can narrow down potential suspects," the Garrison Captain said.
"We've also questioned residents in the area to see if anyone witnessed the person who delivered the letter."
"Furthermore, we've activated all surveillance systems at the Maison Gardiennage Headquarters. If the killer dares to show his face again, he won't escape this time!"
The Garrison Captain boasted extensively about the resources the Maison Gardiennage had deployed. After all, their previous negligence had led to the wrongful deaths of an innocent young girl and her family. Coupled with a series of past blunders, he was determined to redeem the Maison Gardiennage's image in the public eye at all costs.
As the deadline approached with no activity detected, the Captain's confidence grew.
He then issued a stern warning.
"The culprit must be terrified! Under our protection this time, he won't have the slightest chance to harm the young girl!"
"Trust the Maison Gardiennage. We will always be the people's steadfast shield!"
The Garrison Captain nodded, utterly satisfied with his words, then turned to Charlotte with anticipation.
"Miss Charlotte, I'm grateful for your help in polishing this statement. I hope you can do your best to promote the positive image of the Maison Gardiennage. Fontaine has been so turbulent lately, and the public is deeply afraid. We need the Maison Gardiennage to reassure them."
Charlotte nodded. "I'll report the facts as they are."
"If the Maison Gardiennage fully protects the young girl's life this time, I'll do my utmost to promote your efforts."
The Garrison Captain's face lit up with a smile.
"I need to interview the victim."
"Of course, Miss Charlotte. I'll take you there."
Without hesitation, the Garrison Captain led them directly to the young girl.
The interview proved difficult. The girl seemed to know nothing, having been inexplicably chosen by the culprit.
As Charlotte pondered the commonalities between the previous victim and this one, she waited for time to pass.
With each second ticking closer to the time specified in the criminal's warning letter, even the fully prepared Maison Gardiennage officers couldn't help but nervously scan their surroundings. A fine layer of sweat had inexplicably beaded on their foreheads.
The Garrison Captain, who had previously exuded confidence, couldn't help but swallow nervously. After all, they were about to face a madman audacious enough to send a crime warning letter directly to the Maison Gardiennage!
When the predicted time finally arrived, and the surveillance screens showed no abnormalities, the group breathed a collective sigh of relief.
But then a sudden gasp of horror drew everyone's attention. What they witnessed next would be forever etched in their memories.
The young girl they had sworn to protect had half her body completely transformed into water. Yet the girl herself seemed oblivious, a flicker of relief still on her face.
Only when she noticed everyone's eyes fixed on her did she realize something was terribly wrong.
"Don't look down!"
A Maison Gardiennage officer let out a sharp cry of alarm, unaware that the surest way to make someone do something is to tell them not to do it.
Unable to suppress her curiosity, the young girl lowered her head to look. A look of pure terror flooded her face.
"Aaaaaah!"
Her scream echoed through the Maison Gardiennage Headquarters, piercing everyone's ears.
Yet they could only stare, paralyzed, at the unfolding tragedy before them.
"My... my body!"
"No! Why me? Why did it have to be me?!"
"I don't want to die!"
The girl dissolved into water, bit by bit, until her body could no longer support itself and she collapsed onto the floor. No one dared catch her, fearing they might also turn to water if they touched her.
Not having witnessed the killer's attack, a chill crept into the officers' hearts. Only now did they fully grasp the kind of monster they were facing.
The girl's cries persisted, but without a trace of resentment—not even toward the Maison Gardiennage officers who had sworn to protect her but utterly failed.
Yet this lack of blame only deepened the officers' guilt and sorrow.
The Maison Gardiennage Headquarters remained in stunned silence long after the young girl had completely dissolved into water, leaving behind only a set of fully submerged clothing on the floor.
Then, Charlotte's body suddenly shuddered violently. In the final moment of the girl's dissolution, she seemed to have heard the whisper, "I don't want to go home yet."
A crucial clue seemed to have clicked into place in Charlotte's mind. Memories from the past resurfaced vividly.
Charlotte recalled Lofan's final words: "We merely chose to break free from the shackles of our bodies and return to the Homeland with the current."
Could this be the common thread between the two victims? Were they both individuals who had remembered fragments of their past?
But how could the killer have identified them? And what motive drove the killer to target such individuals?
A flood of unresolved points overwhelmed Charlotte, pushing her mind to its limits.
She lost track of time until what seemed like a familiar voice called out: "Charlotte? Charlotte?"
Snapping back to reality, Charlotte glanced around.
The two had already left the Maison Gardiennage Headquarters, as the crime scene had been completely sealed off by the Maison Gardiennage. They were now frantically investigating every possible clue related to the case.
They preferred to believe they had overlooked something that allowed the culprit to succeed, rather than accept the possibility that the killer could strike from a distance. The latter theory was far too terrifying; if true, Fontaine would be shrouded in the killer's menacing shadow for a long time to come.
"Charlotte, are you alright?"
Seeing Editor-in-Chief Euphrasie's concerned gaze, Charlotte shook her head.
"I'm just thinking about a few things."
Only then did Euphrasie relax.
"To think the culprit still managed to succeed under those circumstances... What a tragedy, another innocent life lost."
Euphrasie sighed heavily.
However, having dealt with similar cases throughout her career, she remained relatively composed.
Turning to Charlotte, Euphrasie asked, "Charlotte, can you handle the news report on this case?"
Hearing Euphrasie's request, Charlotte nodded.
"No problem at all, Miss Euphrasie."
This would give her another opportunity to review the case details and search for any overlooked clues.
-
Two consecutive new cases had plunged Fontaine back into shadow.
The streets were noticeably emptier. Even those outside the murderer's target demographic hadn't forgotten the recent incident where over a thousand people had dissolved in broad daylight, with no investigation results yet.
The victims in that case had included men, women, the young, and the old alike!
Neuvillette received news from Fontaine, but showed no inclination to return with the Marechaussee Phantom. He deduced that the cases were orchestrated by the same group, their aim being to force his return to Fontaine and abandon the search in the Poisson region.
However, this very tactic confirmed his initial assessment: the enemy hadn't yet moved the hostages beyond the blockade he had established.
Thus, Neuvillette not only refrained from recalling the bulk of the Marechaussee Phantom to Fontaine but intensified the search efforts. At regular intervals, they dug large holes in the ground, using this crude method to check for hidden tunnels or secret chambers beneath the surface.
Admittedly clumsy, this method proved surprisingly effective.
At least, Lofan never imagined that a cheap System item worth only a thousand points could handle such a situation.
Of course, Neuvillette's refusal to return to Fontaine came as no surprise to Lofan. After all, this was the man who had defied all opposition to enact legislation protecting the Melusines.
Through repeated rebirths in new bodies, Lofan had gradually come to recognize Neuvillette's extraordinary nature.
First, no matter which memory he reviewed, Neuvillette always appeared as young as he did today, the passage of time leaving no visible mark on the Chief Justice's face.
Second, Neuvillette had held the position of Chief Justice for centuries.
Lofan had heard the rumor that Neuvillette was the only male Melusine, but he couldn't verify the truth of this popular belief. Nevertheless, he sensed an aura of mystery surrounding the Chief Justice.
Though Neuvillette possessed no Vision, Lofan's various observations suggested that he was a figure of considerable importance, prompting Lofan to test him.
The previous actions had merely been appetizers.
Now that the laboratories across Fontaine were largely established, Lofan was ready to get serious.
He planned to increase the victims of the Serial Disappearance Case a hundredfold in short order!
With this in mind, Lofan immediately began exchanging for multiple bodies, wasting no time.
Soon, Maison Gardiennage Headquarters across Fontaine received numerous crime forecast letters. The sheer volume of simultaneous cases sent shockwaves through the entire nation.
When every young girl named in the crime forecast letters vanished without a trace, public panic reached its peak!
What is the perpetrator planning?!
Is this a declaration of war against Fontaine's official authorities?!