The alarm still echoed through the Villa, but it was muffled enough in this part of the building for Jigen to catch the sound of hurried footsteps and raised voices in the hallway. The person they'd been waiting for was finally arriving. The gunman, who had so far done nothing but swipe the boss's cigarettes and watch the commotion outside the window, raised his head.

The door burst open, and Giulio Tregatti, the leader of the Circle of Judgment, stormed in, followed by two scribbling lackeys scurrying behind him.

"Turn off that damn alarm! Those intruders must be miles away by now! There's no way they—!"

His words trailed off as his gaze locked onto the improbable scene before him.

Sitting there, in his own chair, with his feet comfortably propped up on the desk, was Lupin, a cocky smile plastered on his face. Beside him, Jigen lounged casually on the desk, hands in his pockets, a cigarette dangling from his lips.

Giulio froze, his eyes widening in shock.

"WHAT?!"

The two lackeys, though visibly shaken, drew a gun with trembling hands. But before they could properly aim, Jigen had already fired. The bullet ricocheted, and their pistols flew out of their hands. The sharp crack of the gunshot was muffled by the blaring siren that was still blaring through the villa.

The boss stepped back, fear etched on his face. He had expected his two lackeys to provide better protection than this, but Willy and Nilly over there, now disarmed and stunned, could do little more than clutch their hands and stare helplessly at Lupin.

"Well, Mr. Tregatti," Lupin said, folding his hands behind his head, "I must say, I was expecting a slightly warmer reception. Still, it's a pleasure to finally meet you in person."

The boss tried to collect himself. He tugged at his jacket nervously, attempting to mask his unease, an obvious attempt to regain composure. Finally, he straightened up and pointed a trembling finger at the two intruders.

"Lupin… Zorin warned me about you. Do you really think you can infiltrate the Circle and leave here alive? There are too many guards for you to fight your way out!"

Lupin burst out laughing. The threat barely registered. Calmly, he set his feet back on the floor and straightened up slightly.

"I had questions for you, so I needed to come and ask you. And after what the Black Dawn did to my dear partner, I believe you owe us some answers."

Giulio paled slightly.

"So, tell me… why do you need that treasure, hmm?"

Giulio began stammering, clumsily attempting to mask his intentions under a poorly crafted veil of lies.

"Well, uh… it's primarily a… a cultural preservation project, you see. We're deeply invested in history… and the wars against France represent, well… a priceless heritage."

Lupin raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. The feigned politeness slipped from his face as his expression hardened.

"Oh, really? That excuse doesn't work on me, Giulio. I think you and your little extremist group have hated France ever since your defeat to Napoléon, and now you're planning a coup to get your revenge."

Lupin pulled out the papers he'd been reading earlier and slammed them onto the table. They were official documents—detailed meeting reports, evidence of payments made to the Black Dawn… basically everything needed to incriminate the Circle of Judgment.

"What better way to exact revenge than by using the war treasure amassed by Napoléon, right? Oh, and don't bother denying it," Lupin continued, "Everything has already been sent to the police."

Giulio paled even further, nearly blending in with the white of his curtains.

Lupin stood, circling the desk with a provocative nonchalance, his fingers trailing idly over the polished mahogany surface of the desk. He stopped next to Jigen.

Lupin was absolutely dazzling when he was like this. He radiated a level of self-assurance that seemed almost otherworldly. He knew perfectly well that he had the upper hand, and every movement, every word he spoke, oozed confidence. A sort of boyish mischief laced his tone, amplifying his arrogance even more, which was infuriatingly charming to Jigen. Lupin had absolute control, and he knew it.

His flamboyant red jacket burned as brightly as the feathers of a phoenix. Lupin seemed invincible, capable of taking on any challenge. The Black Dawn had tried to get rid of him, and he had come out of it without a scratch. Now, he was striding through the Circle of Judgment's HQ, deep in enemy territory, as if he owned the place. Not a single thing in his demeanor betrayed the slightest hint of worry.

It was a sight to behold. Watching Lupin command a room with such ease stirred an overwhelming sense of admiration within Jigen. His partner wasn't just confident—he was unstoppable.

Lupin radiated confidence, controlled every parameter of the situation, and the big boss of the Circle of Judgment looked like he was about to wet himself in front of him.

Jigen couldn't help a blissful smile. He had the best partner in the universe.

"The truth is," Lupin continued, with an air of playful superiority, "you're going to be disappointed. That treasure you were so desperate to find…"

Lupin reached into his pocket and pulled out the medallion. Giulio took a step forward past his lackeys as though to grab it, but wisely decided to stop. The medallion glinted faintly under the light.

"This famous treasure of Napoléon… it's not a pile of gold. His treasure was this medallion."

All eyes turned to the medallion—except Jigen's, brimming with admiration, which remained fixed on Lupin.

"But…" the boss stammered, his voice faltering, as though unsure whether to direct his defiance at Lupin or not. "The treasure?"

"Doesn't exist," Lupin finished. "Napoléon used it all for the war. The only treasure left was this medallion, and you've had it all this time without even realizing it."

The medallion spun once more around Lupin's fingers. Giulio frowned, only now grasping the true nature of this so-called 'heritage'. His eyes remained desperately fixed on the medallion, which dangled hypnotically from its chain.

Perhaps Lupin was hinting that the medallion held other secrets. They had seen enough in their careers to know that even the smallest trinket could hide a thousand mysteries. But Lupin made no mention of it, and Jigen couldn't have cared less.

Secrets didn't matter to Jigen. It was the thrill of the adventure that made his heart race, and this one had been particularly unforgettable.

The boss, however, didn't seem to share Jigen's perspective. During their conversation, he had slowly inched his way toward the cabinet. From within, he secretly pulled out a shotgun and now stood pointing it directly at Lupin.

It was adorable that he thought he even stood a chance.

Jigen had been following Giulio's every move out of the corner of his eyes. The Magnum was already drawn and aimed before Giulio had even reached the cabinet. Two gunshots shattered the silence: the first pierced Giulio's hand, while the second sent the shotgun clattering out of reach, ensuring it no longer posed a threat to Lupin.

The boss crumpled like an old rag, clutching his bleeding hand, while his two lackeys scrambled to his side to support him.

Jigen clicked his tongue disapprovingly, a mocking smirk playing on his lips.

"T-t-t-t-t… Thought I'd made myself perfectly clear."

Lupin let out a short guffaw, sharp enough to draw all attention back to him.

"Well, Jigen. I think we've said our piece. It's time to say our goodbyes."

As soon as Lupin finished speaking, a distinct rumble pierced the air, drawing everyone's attention to the window. There, rapidly approaching, was a helicopter speeding toward them. It hovered just outside the office window. It was piloted by none other than Fujiko. Outside, Goemon clung to the landing skids, deflecting bullets aimed at them with his katana.

"Here's our ride!" Lupin exclaimed, his grin stretching from ear to ear. "Perfect timing, Fuuujiko-chan!"

The helicopter edged closer, bringing the side door within jumping distance. Fujiko cast a glance into the office, completely ignoring the boss and his two lackeys.

"Are you getting in, gentlemen? I don't have all day."

Lupin and Jigen leaped, landing inside the helicopter. Lupin touched down gracefully, followed closely by Jigen. Furious, Giulio ran to the window, shouting threats, but his words were drowned out by the deafening roar of the rotors.

Goemon stayed on the skids just long enough for Jigen to take control of the mounted gun. With a predatory grin—the bigger the gun, the wider Jigen's smile—Jigen neutralized the primary threats in mere seconds. Once satisfied that the worst of it was over, Goemon jumped inside.

With a final volley aimed at the unfortunate Villa Rosa, which hadn't done anything to deserve this chaos, Fujiko tilted the helicopter and sped away. The guards below were no longer a threat. Jigen burst into laughter. A good shootout always had that effect on him.

He was in such a good mood that he even ignored Fujiko. Ever since the ruins, she'd left a bad taste in his mouth. Not having to deal with her for a while had done marvels for his state of mind, and he intended to keep it that way as long as possible.

Someone had stashed his sniper rifle in the helicopter, and Jigen used it to fend off stray potshots coming their way.

Bit by bit, the helicopter flew farther away, leaving the villa shrinking into the distance. Jigen wasn't sorry to no longer hear that incessant alarm. The Villa della Rosa Nera faded from view, and the peninsula of Porto Ercole became nothing more than a distant shadow. Finally, Jigen allowed himself to relax. Even Goemon had lowered his guard some time ago.

The helicopter sped away from the Italian coastline, and Jigen couldn't help but feel a sense of closure. The Black Dawn was dealt with, and the Circle of Judgment would soon be out of the picture thanks to the police.

And yet, Lupin didn't seem preoccupied by the Villa in the least. He kept throwing soft sidelong glances at Jigen. The gunman couldn't help but wonder if Lupin was troubled or simply wanted more cuddles. Now that they had cleared the air about their feelings a week ago, they had more than made up for lost time during their week of rest.

Lupin had promised him a good time, and he'd certainly delivered. He might have been an incorrigible womanizer, but in bed, Lupin was nothing short of a maestro.

"Well!" Fujiko suddenly interjected, all smiles, unknowingly breaking the romantic exchange of glances between Lupin and Jigen. "You're so amazing, Lupin. I assume you retrieved the medallion without any trouble?"

Lupin pulled it from his jacket pocket, twirling the chain around his finger.

"Just as you said, Fujiko. Nothing escapes me!"

"OoooOOoOOh! And you're going to give it to me, aren't you? The medallion isn't very ladylike, but I have a contact who would pay a small fortune for it."

Lupin didn't respond immediately. For a moment, the medallion spun, the sound of the chain drowned out by the hum of the helicopter rotors. Then, as if abruptly snapped out of a daydream, he jolted slightly.

"Of course, my dear Fujik—Oops!"

The medallion slipped from his fingers, tracing a perfect arc before plunging into the Mediterranean. It vanished beneath the waves with a glint of light.

The helicopter suddenly lurched to the side. Fujiko had let go of the controls to lunge at Lupin with a cry of protest, as if she might have caught the medallion in time.

Jigen immediately leaped to the cockpit, grabbing the controls to steady the helicopter and keep it from plummeting.

Fujiko, helpless, had no choice but to watch the medallion disappear beneath the waves. Even Goemon glanced curiously out the window.

"Nooo, Lupin!" Fujiko screamed. "Again?!"

"Oops!" Lupin said with an exaggerated shrug. "Darn butterfingers."

She slapped at him with her small, weak arms. "I'm so sick of you tossing treasures away whenever it suits you! You know, some of us would actually like to keep them for a change!"

Lupin shrugged, his expression unreadable. Even Jigen couldn't tell if he was being serious or just toying with her nerves.

The helicopter sped away, carrying Fujiko's continued laments along with it. Jigen let Lupin handle Fujiko and focused on piloting.

His gut told him that Lupin wasn't done with this story yet. He'd probably wait for Fujiko to lose interest and for Goemon to go his own way, but there was something in the look Lupin had given him—a look that hinted at something more.