the reason this one is called 'endless' is because almost every night, they keep repeating this pattern of chase, flirt and escape! truly, an endless cycle of love. will tasuku or gao ever break it?!
"For someone who calls himself Phantom Thief Sol, you sure do love crawling around in the middle of the night."
Tasuku hears laughter as a reply. He quickens his steps in pursuit of the masked vigilante, determined to end the other's antics once and for all.
"You know what they say, Detective!" the voice of the phantom thief echoes through the stone mansion's halls, seemingly more ghost-like under the moonlight from the windows. "You can't have two Suns in the same sky!"
Tasuku turns around corner, his eyes catching sight of shadows moving in and the grip he has on his gun tightens. The hallway is a dead end, but not an empty one. Old furniture and covered up relics from a time long ago litter the floor. The burglar could be hiding anywhere.
The detective steadies his breathing after the long run. He advances slowly. "Return the artifact you stole, and I'll see to it that your punishment would be lessened."
The phantom thief chuckles and the detective hears it coming from everywhere.
"Can't do that, Tasuku."
And suddenly, the voice is behind him.
Tasuku pivots, aiming his gun directly at the culprit's forehead. The nuzzle barely leaves space between metal and skin.
Phantom Thief Sol doesn't even look fazed.
Tasuku lets out a breath. "You never fail to surprise me."
"That's the idea." The thief grins, his golden eyes bright and filled with mirth behind the mask that hid his identity. Tasuku can see the artifact, an ornate gold necklace that once belonged to the land's first empress from at least a thousand years ago, held tightly in the thief's hand.
"Are you going to surprise me again by surrendering?" he asks.
"Hmm... Let me think. Nope!"
"Didn't think so."
Before Tasuku can land a blunt blow with his gun to knock the thief out, Phantom Thief Sol twirls in one place with his red cape and disappears, before reappearing again a few feet away from Tasuku, nearby a window that's swung open.
"Thank you again for the exciting chases, love!" the thief winks. "But alas, here we must part, for the night is coming to an end!"
Tasuku sputters, feeling blood rush to his cheeks. "Love?! H-Hey, wait, how dare you distract me! I'm not letting you get away!" he breaks into a run towards the other, but can only groan in frustration at the windowsill when the thief laughs and jumps out the window.
True to Phantom Thief Sol's words, a ray of morning sunlight sneaks in past the mountain ranges, blinding Tasuku momentarily in its wake.
From somewhere in the heavy vegetation of the forest eating away at the mansion's garden after years of neglect, Phantom Thief Sol's voice echoes through to reach him.
"Don't worry, Tasuku! We'll have a date again another night!"
"Date?! I don't go on dates with people whose names I don't even know!"
Tasuku gets another bout of laughter fading away as a response and he feels his frustration rising.
Damn that cute phantom thief, always getting on his nerves.