At last, they had captured someone connected to the princess's kidnapping. Now it was time for the interrogation.
Sophie: "Hmm..."
Fiona: "Well? Princess? How about you finally start talking, hmm?"
Saint Louis Member: "No."
Sophie: "Hmm?"
Saint Louis Member: "Hmph... They'll kill me if I talk."
Fiona: "Buddy, do I look like I'm standing here with a stick of cotton candy? Don't worry... we'll kill you too if you don't start talking."
Sophie: "Mhm... We're not heroes, my friend. We kill too."
Fiona: "And people like you... who film others dying and enjoy it... I'd be happy to kill."
Sophie: "Not just her. Me too. Probably every one of us. So... what do you say?"
Meanwhile...
Lina: "Hmm."
Violet: "Should we go in?"
Siegfried: "Nah... Let's leave it to those two."
Rosika: "Yeah."
Meliodas: "I just hope they don't overdo it."
Dong!
Saint Louis Member: "AAAAAAAAAAARGH!!"
His screams echoed from behind the door.
Sophie: "Talk!"
Fiona: "Does this look like fun to you?"
Meliodas: "Oh dear..."
Rosika: "Hmm."
Siegfried: "(Yawns)... I'm going to take a quick nap."
Rosika: "I'm going to take a shower."
Lina: "Um..."
Violet: "They're surprisingly calm..."
Meliodas: "I'll be in my office."
Three days later...
Sophie: "Hah..."
Fiona: "Hmph..."
Saint Louis Member: "A-Alright... I'll talk already... Kidnapping the princess... wasn't part of the plan."
Sophie: "Huh?"
Fiona: "Hmm?"
The two looked at each other.
Saint Louis Member: "Several... months ago... we received a strange letter. It said we had to kidnap the princess. If we refused... our families would die. They even knew exactly where they lived... At first we ignored it... But then... four of our members... were found dead... together with their families. Brutally murdered. Written in their blood... was a message.
'If you fail to do this within two months... I will kill every one of your families... and even everyone who has ever spoken to you or your relatives.'
The letter was signed with one name...
The Night..."
Both stared at him.
Sophie: "What...? But who is that supposed to be?"
Fiona: "Where is the princess?"
Saint Louis Member: "Here... in San Madrid... On Old Street... Number 9... Kakania..."
Sophie: "Kakania... The street named after the knight Kakania Gomez..."
Fiona: "Move! Now!"
Sophie: "What about him?"
Fiona: "Him?"
She glanced at him.
Fiona: "Hah... Take him to the hospital."
Sophie: "Okay. Siegfried."
He opened the door.
Siegfried: "Holy shit... What did you do to him?"
Fiona: "What was necessary."
She said as she walked past him.
Siegfried: "O...kay?"
Fiona: "Sophie, come on. Rosika, you too. This time we're taking the train... to Kakania."
Sophie: "Alright."
Siegfried: "Hmm..."
Fiona: "Siegfried, stay alert. There's a chance his people will come looking for him."
Siegfried: "Got it."
Rosika: "I'm ready."
Sophie: "Me too... although I'm soaked in sweat."
Fiona: "Same here. We can shower later... Come on... Let's find the princess."
Sophie: "Right."
They set off.
Choo...
Sophie: "Hmm..."
Fiona: "I hope we're not too late."
Rosika: "Mhm."
Ding!
Train Announcer: "Next stop... Kakania. I repeat... Next stop... Kakania."
Sophie: "Alright."
Fiona: "Mhm."
Rosika: "Looks like we're here."
They got off the train.
Sophie: "Number 9."
Fiona: "Hmm."
Rosika: "Hah..."
Sophie: "There. I see it."
Fiona: "Okay... Quiet now. We'll sneak in. Rosika... can you go first? You're the best at sneaking around, right?"
Rosika: "Of course."
She leaped upward and climbed onto the balcony.
Sophie: "(Whistles)... Wow... Nice."
Fiona: "Indeed."
Rosika: "...Huh?! Uh... Fiona... Sophie..."
Fiona: "Huh?"
Rosika: "You can come in... It's... safe."
Fiona: "What?"
She opened the door.
A corpse immediately collapsed onto the floor.
Thud!
Sophie: "Ugh!"
Fiona: "Whoa... What the hell?"
They rushed inside.
Everyone... was dead.
Sophie: "What happened here?"
Fiona: "...Ugh..."
Bodies torn apart...
A massacre without mercy.
Sophie: "Huh..."
Rosika: "Hah..."
Rosika walked downstairs.
Rosika: "...I... I can't find the princess."
Fiona: "Damn it."
Sophie: "Huh... Let's check the basement."
They headed downstairs.
Sophie: "Hmm."
Lantern lights up.
Sophie: "Good thing I brought a lantern."
Fiona: "Oh... Ugh... Look."
Rosika: "Ugh."
Melissa: "Mmm... Mmm..."
Fiona: "The princess!"
Sophie: "Come on! Let's help her."
They untied her hands and removed the gag.
Melissa: "Hah... Thank you... Thank you... Thank you..."
Sophie: "It's okay. We've got you."
Fiona: "Let's get you out of here."
Sophie: "Yeah."
Rosika: "Hah..."
They brought her outside.
Sophie: "What are you doing, Fiona?"
Fiona: "I'm staying here... Maybe I'll find something..."
Rosika: "Ugh... I'll stay with you."
Sophie: "Good. It's dangerous. Rosika should stay with you."
Fiona: "Alright. Rosika, stay. Sophie... hurry and get her somewhere safe."
Sophie: "Got it."
She took a wagon that apparently belonged to the dead Saint Louis members.
Rosika: "Hah..."
She drove away.
Sophie: "We'll see you later!"
She hurried off.
Rosika: "I wonder what happened here."
Fiona: "We need more answers."
They went back inside.
Rosika: "Hmm... I can... smell it through the flowers... Blood."
Fiona: "Yeah... A lot of blood... I don't feel sorry for them... especially not after watching that video of the woman being murdered."
She examined the bodies and even touched the blood.
Fiona: "Ugh... It's fresh... Not even an hour old."
Rosika: "Oh... If we'd arrived earlier..."
Fiona: "Then we'd have been in danger. Whoever did this... didn't use a weapon. It was an ability... or a curse. A powerful... brutal one."
Rosika: "Hmm."
Fiona: "Was it... The Night...?"
Rosika: "Strange... I'm sure I noticed another body on the stairs earlier."
Fiona: "Hmm... Another body? You're certain?"
Rosika: "Yes... But maybe I imagined it."
Fiona: "Hmm..."
Thirty minutes later...
Celia: "Ugh... Princess!"
Melissa: "Big Sis!"
They embraced.
Celia: "Are you alright?"
Melissa: "Yes... Yes... I was so scared."
Celia: "...Thank you very much... Dark Umbrella detectives... Tell me... how much should I pay you?"
Sophie: "Oh... Our payment comes from the organization itself, not from our clients. Hehe."
Celia: "I see... Where are the others? Fiona, Rosika, and Siegfried?"
Sophie: "They're busy..."
Radio crackles.
Sophie: "Oh? Fiona?"
Fiona: "Sophie... can you hear me?"
Sophie: "Yeah."
Fiona: "...I found nothing. Every Saint Louis member has been found dead."
Celia: "What?"
Sophie: "I see... Strange... What do we do now?"
Fiona: "Investigate. Whoever did this planned it for a long time... Oh, right... Call Siegfried immediately. He could be in danger."
Sophie: "Right... Right..."
She ended the call and contacted Siegfried.
Radio crackles.
Sophie: "Siegfried...? Hello?"
Siegfried: "Hello...? Um... Sophie... I don't know how to explain this... but... the guy committed suicide."
Sophie: "What?"
Siegfried: "Yeah... As soon as he heard his people were dead... he screamed 'The Night, Lady!'... and jumped out the window while the officers and I weren't paying attention. He's dead."
Sophie: "Hah... It's alright, Siegfried... Come back... Saint Louis has been wiped out... None of this is your fault."
Siegfried: "Okay."
Several hours later...
Sophie: "Hmm."
Fiona: "Ghh!"
Fiona kicked a chair across the room.
Fiona: "Damn it... I can't believe it..."
Sophie: "Fiona..."
Siegfried: "Hmm?"
Fiona: "How is this even possible... Hah... I don't deserve my paycheck."
Sophie: "That's not true, Fiona..."
Fiona: "Hmm... I need to think... Please... Just let me think."
Sophie: "Of course."
They left Fiona alone.
Fiona: "Hah... Quiet... Calm down... I have to think."
She closed her eyes.
Fiona: "Hah... How is this possible..."
Knock. Knock.
Fiona: "Hmm?"
Sophie opened the door.
Fiona: "Hmm?"
Sophie: "Sorry to interrupt... but I have good news. Sandy was discharged from the hospital today."
Fiona: "Oh... That's... good... Yeah."
Sophie: "Hmm."
She closed the door.
Fiona: "Hmm... That Saint Louis member said they received a message from The Night... They had three months... So that was three months ago... Ugh!"
Thump... Thump!
Fiona: "Wait a second... Sandy... was admitted to the hospital three months ago... And they received the warning three months ago... No... I know her... Hah... Today she was discharged... Three days before her release... they were murdered..."
She stood up.
Fiona: "That can't be true!"
She rushed out.
Fiona: "Hah... The Night... The Night... I knew I recognized that nickname... There was someone... a member of the Hunters... who used to call herself The Night... but later... she changed it... to... The Joker!!"
Crash!
She burst through the hospital door.
Nurse: "Hey!"
Fiona: "Out of the way! Sorry!"
She sprinted toward Sandy's room.
Crash!
Fiona: "Hah... Hah... Ugh..."
A letter rested on the bed.
Fiona: "...Hah..."
She picked it up.
Letter:
"Hehehe... Got you.
I'm sure you've finally figured it out... that I'm the Joker.
Sadly... too late, my dear.
With love...
Sandy...
Oh no...
The Joker."
Fiona: "Ugh... Sandy... is The Joker... a member of the Hunters."
Nurse: "What's going on?"
Fiona: "You there! When did that woman leave?"
Nurse: "What?!"
Fiona: "Answer me!"
Nurse: "F-Fifteen minutes ago!"
She ran.
Meanwhile...
Footsteps.
The Joker: "...You've probably figured it out by now... my dear Fiona... that I'm the Joker. You're smart... but not smart enough... to catch me.
Catch me if you can... Ms. Detective."
She kept walking.
The Finger: "And?"
The Joker: "I distracted her. You were right... The key really was hidden inside Princess Melissa's jewelry."
The Finger: "That was risky, Joker. You attracted far too much attention. Do you think Fiona discovered you?"
The Joker: "Yeah... definitely. She probably connected the dates. The day The Night gave them three months... was the same day I entered the hospital and started planning everything. I gave them three months. They failed... so I ordered Theodore to do it. Things will go much smoother now that Theodore Blacksmith... and Satella Momo... are with us. Much better than the Glove. By the way... is it true the Boss killed him?"
The Finger: "Yes."
The Joker: "Good. I would've done it myself anyway. Still... I have to be more careful now... because Dark Umbrella knows. Sophie might hesitate... but Fiona... I'm sure she'll want to kill me."
A few minutes later...
Crash!
Sophie: "No... Impossible... Are you sure, Fiona?"
Fiona: "Think about it... Damn it... The dates... the letter she left... She never intended to hide it. She planned to leave anyway."
Sophie: "Hah..."
She collapsed into a chair.
Siegfried: "Hmm."
Rosika: "Um... So now we have to find her."
Fiona: "Yeah... Hah... The Joker is dangerous... and she was right in front of us the whole time. I never imagined The Joker... would be such an innocent-looking woman."
Sophie: "So the Hunters were behind all this... But why?"
Fiona: "I don't know. That's why we need to visit the princess... Tomorrow."
Sophie: "Why tomorrow?"
Fiona: "She only just returned. It wouldn't look good if we questioned a traumatized girl immediately after everything she's been through. Hah... Besides... The Joker probably only kept her alive because she wasn't important enough to kill."
Sophie: "Hmm."
Lina: "She's... unbelievably good at hiding herself."
Sophie: "Yeah... Damn it... Even Fiona, with all her experience, was fooled... So were Marcus and Rosalie..."
Siegfried: "And Master Meliodas."
Sophie: "Anyone can fool him."
Meliodas: "Thanks... for your honesty."
Sophie: "You're welcome, Master. That's what I'm here for—to annoy you. Assuming you still have any nerves left. Your ex certainly didn't leave many."
Meliodas: "Hey..."
Siegfried: "(Sweats)... Uh..."
Rosika: "Well... I never knew her. I wasn't with you back then."
Fiona: "That's true. But you'll still be able to help us."
Rosika: "If I can... I will. For Lily Moon."
Siegfried: "Hehe... Of course. This time... we won't be fooled."
Rosika: "Yeah."
Sophie: "Hah... Alright, you bunch of troublemakers. Go to bed already. I'm going to sleep too."
Lina: "Okay."
Fiona: "Yeah... I'm going too."
Meliodas: "At least you didn't destroy your bed."
Fiona: "Oh... Sorry, Master."
Meliodas: "It's alright... Things happen... Though honestly... I expected Sophie to do something like that because she's chaotic... but you..."
Sophie: "If anyone here is chaotic, have you looked in a mirror lately? Your hair is messier than a maze."
Siegfried: "(Sweats)... Wow."
Rosika: "Hehe... And you keep forgetting where your glasses are, then ask, 'Who stole my glasses?'"
Meliodas: "Oh... My glasses... Who stole my glasses?"
Siegfried: "(Sweats)... They're right in front of you. You just took them off... Ah, forget it. I'm going to bed."
Rosika: "Me too. It's easy for me... I don't even have to close my eyes. I'm already blind."
Sophie: "(Sweats)... O...kay... Good night."