Neuvillette explained the previous defense process to Marcel.
Luna and Navia had no objections. This was the embodiment of a fair trial, and it served as powerful proof of their complete defeat of the enemy.
Marcel gritted his teeth.
That damned Special Task Force, that cursed detective, and Callas's daughter...
He's already dead, yet his daughter still forces him to this extent!
But there was still room to maneuver.
"...I wasn't the only one who went upstairs at that time," Marcel said. "There's no evidence pointing to me as the culprit who dissolved the 'third party' you speak of."
Luna let out a soft laugh.
"You've heard the entire process, yet you're still clinging to this point? The real key isn't here."
Of course, to completely crush him, they naturally needed to answer all his questions.
But for now, they needed to change the subject.
Luna's smile vanished. "I'll make sure all the crimes you deserve come back to haunt you."
Navia nodded.
"First, we've established the corrosive properties of the Primordial Sea water. The Tears of a Maiden are the byproduct of this dissolution. Now let's revisit the Serial Disappearance Case," Navia said calmly.
The audience gasped in realization.
"Of course!"
"All those missing girls... could it be..."
Navia nodded. "Exactly! These girls were dissolved! Chiori!"
Chiori, who had been waiting patiently, finally heard her name called.
She nodded and brought her evidence to the witness stand.
"Recently, we infiltrated the true crime base—the place where the girls actually went missing."
Chiori produced several photographs.
The images showed a vast cavern filled with ancient ruins and massive mechanical doors. Piled beneath them were mountains of crates and bottles.
But the most striking feature was the pool at the center.
Paimon gasped. "What is that?"
"Primordial Sea water," Chiori said.
"This place is also the origin of Sinthe. The formula for Sinthe is precisely Primordial Sea water mixed with ordinary water."
Luna picked up several photographs and examined them carefully.
"And this one contains relics from victims of the Serial Disappearance Case. All of them were found inside boxes," Chiori explained.
Makeup cases, dance shoes, hair ornaments... they lay silent in the boxes, their very presence whispering tales of vanished lives.
Every member of the audience paled.
Though they saw only inanimate objects, it was as if they gazed upon corpses themselves.
"And this."
Navia lifted another photograph displaying a message:
["We haven't yet determined what critical intelligence Callas distributed to gang members."]
["Send someone to kill him. As long as we don't touch Navia, the old dog won't bite."]
"This proves there was a third party involved with my father at the time!"
"And this next!"
The following photograph revealed a research report.
["Experiment failed. No human emerged from the Primordial Sea water. Young girls 22, 23, and 24 dissolved."]
The icy words recorded the fate of all the young girls.
And the mastermind behind it all was none other than the author of this report.
His purpose was simple: to save his lover "Vigneire," who had been dissolved by the Primordial Sea, by repeatedly reenacting the process of girls being dissolved.
"Vacher. He's the true mastermind behind it all, and he's also the current president of the Confrerie of Cabriere, Marcel!" Navia's voice rang with conviction.
At the mention of "Vacher," Marcel flinched involuntarily.
But he quickly composed himself.
"Navia, your powers of association are truly remarkable. Why would you connect me with this 'Vacher' you speak of?"
Navia had anticipated this response.
"Because your lover Vigneire wrote this page in her diary."
This was the final illustration.
In the drawing, a diary was filled with names—clearly attempts at naming a child, but all crossed out with horizontal lines. Only the last name remained untouched.
That was "Marcel".
Furina had a sudden realization. "So that's how it was! After witnessing his lover being dissolved..."
"He kept abducting young girls, replicating the dissolution process for his research!" Navia declared sharply.
How utterly revolting.
The audience frowned deeply, shivers running down their spines.
Only Luna smiled faintly. "What must it feel like to watch your lover dissolve before your eyes?"
"You saw this liquid for the first time and became curious."
"Vigneire reached out gently, but before your eyes, she dissolved into a pool of water and vanished..."
This was clearly a psychological ploy.
"You didn't even hear a scream. She disappeared right in front of you. You wanted to follow her, but you couldn't. Because you're not a Fontainian."
Marcel pressed his lips together. This damned detective...
Stop talking!
"Does it hurt? She loved you so much, yet vanished without a trace. But you have no right to suffer," Luna said, her expression cold.
"You have no right to shed tears."
"Nor do you have the right to hate others."
The balance tilted again.
It had completely swung toward Luna and Navia's side. The Oratrice had made its judgment.
But it wasn't over yet.
She raised her index finger. "It's not over! We said we would crush you."
"Miss Chevreuse, please come to the witness stand."
Chevreuse glanced at Luna. She had never seen this star and detective's will so strong before. Could it be that the Phantom Thief White Cat also...
No, that girl probably isn't her.
While thinking this, Chevreuse nodded and stood at the witness stand.
"In the Callas case, you discovered that the culprit could only have watched Callas and Jacques from a second-floor window. There were three people who could have gone to the second floor: Marcel, Mungoth, and an unknown third person."
Chevreuse nodded. "Yes."
She adjusted her hat.
"Recently, we stormed a base called the 'Phantasmal Jeweler' run by Mungoth. There, we uncovered the truth about Primordial Sea water—and discovered he was involved in Sinthe's trafficking operations."
"The dissolved young girls were sent to him, becoming 'Tears of a Maiden'."
"Yet Mungoth himself is suspected to have been poisoned by Vacher."
"Further investigation revealed his Primordial Sea water was acquired recently. Prior to that, he had no reserves of the substance—he merely knew of its existence."
"At the time, using Primordial Sea water to remotely control a third party from upstairs seemed highly unlikely."
Chevreuse continued speaking.
"I also investigated the identity of the third party on the second floor, but found nothing. It's as if they vanished into thin air."
Luna smiled faintly. "Thank you for your answer."
Just as expected from her captain.
Chevreuse suddenly felt a chill creep up her spine, as if the Phantom Thief White Cat had set her sights on her.
She scanned the audience, but found no one exuding the aura of a Phantom Thief.
Perhaps it's just my imagination, or... she's hiding her presence exceptionally well.
Luna announced in a clear voice, "It's not difficult to descend from the second-floor window to the first floor's exterior. The intruder first ascended to the second floor, then dropped down to reach Callas and Jacques."
"After shooting Jacques, Callas seized the gun and killed him. Yet under precise control, the corpse dissolved into a pool of water."
"Having witnessed this firsthand, Callas understood the future's trajectory."
"He had long battled Sinthe Industries, and only the true source of that corporation—the mastermind behind the shadows—could have orchestrated this."
Humans dissolving into liquid? Such a truth would never be accepted by the world. Even if he were to stand trial, his fate would be inevitable defeat.
"Thus, he requested a duel."
Navia took a deep breath. "What Father never told anyone was... at that time, he was already suffering from a terminal illness with little time left."
Furina exclaimed in shock, "So that's how it was?"
Clorinde remained silent.
Navia and Luna turned to look at Clorinde. Since she had faced Callas directly, she must know the truth.
Clorinde nodded slowly. "I can swear that Monsieur Callas had no intention of surviving."
Death had been his resolve and desire.
Thus, Clorinde had swung her final sword.
Of course Navia understood this, and hearing Clorinde's willingness to testify, her expression softened slightly.
"Thank you," Navia murmured.
Clorinde pressed her lips together. "...This is what I should do."
Luna continued to reveal the truth to everyone.
The resistance against Sinthe and the struggle against Sinthe Industries' power was for the people;
Holding evidence without revealing it was to maintain stalemate with the enemy, thereby protecting her daughter.
"Navia is not the daughter of a criminal, and her father should never be branded as 'unfaithful'!" Luna declared, her forceful words stirring the audience to their core.
Furina began clapping slowly.
Scattered applause followed, then swelled into thunderous applause.
This wasn't just praise for Luna and Navia, but also admiration for the Callas of that time. Clorinde joined in with soft applause.
At that time, Callas had asked her to care for Navia.
But now it seemed unnecessary.
...Because someone else was already by her side.
Snap. Luna snapped her fingers, and the applause vanished instantly, restoring the silence.
"It's not over yet."
Luna removed her hat and spoke softly, "You forged Marcel's identity and even framed others for your crimes..."
Marcel... or rather Vacher. He let out a cold laugh before bursting into wild laughter.
"Ha ha ha ha! And what about you?! Has any of you experienced my suffering?!"
"Silence!"
The quiet command completely suppressed Vacher's madness.
Luna's voice turned indifferent, "You have no right to speak of your suffering, nor do you deserve anyone's understanding. All you can do is stand there and listen clearly to every word we say."
"The final case - this very case - will also have its truth revealed by us."
Chevreuse's eyes lit up.
Such commanding presence, an unshakable inner resolve, and this clear will...
Indeed, she was perfectly suited for the Special Task Force.