"Don't listen to his nonsense, Charlotte!" Mycroft shouted anxiously. "Surrender, Moriarty!"
"What a decisive action. It's only natural that he is praised as the embodiment of the British government itself."
The moment Russell said this, Charlotte leaped in front of him once more. Meanwhile, Mycroft unhesitatingly launched an attack from Russell's opposite side.
"Two against one—isn't that a bit unfair?" Russell slightly raised one eyebrow beneath his mask. "In that case, I won't bother pretending any longer."
Just as the two were about to close in, Russell dropped the smoke bomb he was holding onto the ground. Thick black smoke instantly filled the area, causing both Charlotte and Mycroft to frown.
"He's gone," Charlotte said.
"Is this one of those techniques introduced in the newspapers?" Mycroft looked around, sensing the movement of the air.
The dense black fog spread rapidly like a drop of ink in clear water, swallowing all light and visibility. The phantom thief's figure vanished silently, like pencil marks erased by a rubber.
"Everyone, stay alert! Don't let him escape!" Mycroft growled.
The guards behind him immediately understood and carefully watched the smoke, remaining vigilant at every corner.
Charlotte stood completely still. She did not nervously scan her surroundings like the guards, nor did she shout orders like Mycroft. She simply closed her gray-blue eyes, gently placed her cane on the ground, and stood there like a quiet statue.
She was listening.
After removing all visual obstructions, she relied on her hearing to catch the faintest sounds hidden within the chaos. The movement of air, the swirling dust, even the rough breathing of the tense crowd—all of it heightened the atmosphere.
But there was nothing. The man had disappeared without a trace, like a real ghost.
"Damn it…" Mycroft stared at the fading black fog and the empty corridor, his face twisting into a deep scowl.
Just as everyone believed the phantom thief had successfully escaped and the frantic search was about to fail—
"Are you all looking for me?"
Suddenly, a languid voice came from above their heads. Everyone looked up toward the sound in alarm.
On the towering dome, a figure had appeared as if out of nowhere. Russell was hanging upside down from the crystal chandelier on the ceiling. His feet were hooked onto the cold brass frame, and his body swayed gently in the air in time with the chandelier's slight movements.
"The view is nice up here."
Russell swung his legs casually, standing there and slowly looking down at the shocked, stunned crowd.
"There he is!"
"How is that even possible…?" Charlotte frowned, her expression one of disbelief. "How did he climb all the way up there… without making a sound?"
"Your mental fortitude is better than those at Lloyds Bank. Not bad at all."
Russell nodded in satisfaction, then elegantly descended from the chandelier to the ground. Through his mask, he gazed in Charlotte's direction. "So, can you see through my methods, my lady?"
Charlotte said nothing and simply stared intently at the black, ghost-like figure before her.
It's impossible to see through. Completely impossible. This was something ordinary people could never do.
Charlotte's thoughts halted abruptly. This isn't the time to think about that. First, capture him. I'll figure out the method later.
With that, the girl shook her head, and her eyes regained their clear sharpness.
"Mycroft, you take the left. I'll take the right." She raised her cane into a ready stance.
Mycroft was initially surprised but then nodded.
"I knew it."
The moment those words were spoken, the two figures shot forward like arrows from a bow, attacking Russell from both sides simultaneously. Two jet-black canes traced sharp yet different trajectories through the air, cutting off all of Russell's escape routes.
Despite never having cooperated before, their blood-related implicit understanding was fully displayed in this moment.
Interesting.
Faced with the pincer attack from both sides, Russell's lips curved into an excited smile beneath his mask. Instead of retreating, he advanced, spinning the cane in his palm and blocking both attacks at an astonishing angle.
"Clang!"
The three canes collided violently in mid-air, ringing with the sound of metal clashing. Immediately after, Russell gave a light flick of his wrist. A clever force transmitted through the cane, simultaneously neutralizing both attacks.
Charlotte and Mycroft each took a step back, faint surprise showing on their faces.
"You two have wonderful teamwork."
"Mr. Moriarty is the one who has left the strongest impression on me." Mycroft smiled, but his eyes grew even sharper.
"Thank you for the compliment." Russell waved his hand modestly, but before he finished speaking, Charlotte's second attack had already begun.
The match quickly turned into a heated battle. For a moment, the empty corridor echoed only with the sounds of clashing canes and muffled yet rapid collisions.
Russell fought two opponents at once, using items purchased from the system shop to barely hold his own. Mycroft, perhaps worried that Russell might pull out some strange device or wanting to keep outsiders away, ordered the guards to secure the surrounding passages. He and Charlotte fought Russell directly.
Russell dodged attacks while mindful of the time, fighting and retreating repeatedly.
"Game time is over, you two." Russell pushed Charlotte aside, spun around, and swung his cane in a perfect arc through the air, forcing Mycroft back. "If the fight continues, dawn will soon be upon us."
As the countdown nearly ended, he raised his hand again, threw another smoke bomb, and then hurled his cane forcefully toward the window at the end of the corridor.
"Crash!"
With a sharp sound of shattering glass, the cane pierced through the thick window like an arrow. Without hesitation, Russell turned and rushed toward the broken window.
Charlotte and Mycroft burst through the smoke and chased after him.
As Russell rounded a corner in the corridor, his eyes met Louise's, who was peeking out.
"Mr. Moriarty?"
"Peeking is not a good habit, Your Highness." He smiled, then slipped past the watchful eyes of the three men, stepped onto the windowsill, and leaped out.
In mid-air, Russell pulled out a grappling hook and fired the rope toward the top. Defying gravity, he soared upward and landed directly on the tower's summit.
He stood at the highest point of Buckingham Palace. The moonlight shone on him like a spotlight lit especially for him.
"All wonderful times must come to an end, everyone."
The phantom thief's voice drifted on the night wind, clearly reaching everyone's ears with the elegance and composure of a final curtain call. "I hope you enjoyed tonight's performance."
Like an actor who had just finished his curtain call, he gave a light bow to the crowd below, accepting their silent applause and gazes.
Charlotte and Mycroft stood before the broken window, looking up at the figure on the moonlit tower summit, momentarily speechless. Louise also peeked out from the corner, her beautiful amber eyes filled with admiration and reverence.
"And so—" Russell straightened his back and spread both arms wide, as if embracing the entire night sky of London. "Good night, everyone."
The moment he finished speaking, three Mist Arrays quietly exploded at his feet. Black smoke completely enveloped his figure, blooming like an ink lotus. When the smoke cleared, the tower summit was completely empty.
Only the cold moonlight quietly illuminated the aged bricks and stones, making the events that had just occurred seem like a brief yet magnificent dream.
…
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