Femme Fatale — Love is the fourth chapter of Jun Mochizuki's The Case Study of Vanitas.
This article contains plot and/or ending details for The Case Study of Vanitas.
Read at your own risk.
Synopsis[]
Dante and Johann race across the rooftops of Paris, arguing all the while. Johann yells at Dante for allowing their other comrade Riche to do something so dangerous as to trail a curse-bearer. Dante brushes it off, claiming that Riche insisted on helping so he gave her the job, to which Johann snaps that she only did so out of worry for Dante. Johann himself is greatly distressed with worry, literally weeping at the thought that she might be hurt. Dante scoffs that she can take care of herself, making Johann scold him for being a callous brute. Elsewhere, Luca is panting as he stands in an empty alleyway. He recalls Jeanne’s words to him, her plea that he hide in a safe place. Luca clutches the strap of his bag—he can’t make her fight on her own and run away all by himself. Luca raises his head, face hardened with determination, and he calls to Jeanne.
Jeanne chases Noé
Jeanne is deep into her fight; she dashes at high speed along the walls of the factories lining the streets, raking the claws of her Gauntlet into the bricks as she goes. On the ground Noé runs as fast as he can away from her. Jeanne leaps into the air and strikes down at Noé, who just barely evades as the ground explodes underneath. Jeanne growls out a demand to know where Vanitas went. Noé says nothing. One of the windows nearby explodes—Vanitas crashes through with a kick and announces himself loudly. Jeanne whips around in the blink of an eye and grabs him by the ankle with her free hand. He goes pale, and she yanks him sideways and throws him into the opposite wall. Noé leaps up and catches Vanitas smoothly. Vanitas is relieved. Noé asks if he can throw Vanitas back at her. Vanitas says no. Vanitas whips out his dagger, and the wire connected to it flies out to strike a stack a crate next to Jeanne. The crates collapse onto her, allowing Noé and Vanitas in his arms to escape.
As they flee, Noé marvels at how amazing Jeanne is, her sharp reactions and wide range, preventing him from getting too close or being able to touch her Gauntlet. Vanitas agrees, but notes that she is “tamer” than he thought she would be. Noé is confused, but Vanitas brushes him off and reminds him of their plan. Jeanne behind them rises from the crates and growls. She charges up the Gauntlet once again, power surging out of its claw, and rushes to attack the two. Noé whips around to engage with Jeanne while telling Vanitas to advance without him, which the human does. Jeanne snaps at Noé to get out of the way, Noé refuses. And so, the two of them engage; with every furious swipe of Jeanne’s Gauntlet Noé dodges out of the way smoothly. Jeanne is surprised at her opponent’s speed. Noé notes that she’s strong, but then he recalls being “taught” by way of a cane by his Teacher, whom he knows is stronger than her. Jeanne slams her Gauntlet downwards again. Noé leaps up into the air in a somersault, hovering upside-down behind her, and he knows he can do this even on his own—
Jeanne turns around. She glares fiercely at him from beyond her short pale hair, golden eyes striking in their ferocity. Noé flushes, his heart skipping a beat. In that moment of his hesitation, Jeanne jumps into action. She spins around using her Gauntlet as a pivot and sends a powerful kick at Noé. He braces himself against the force of it with his forearm, but is sent crashing into the opposite wall as a result. The wall crumbles through the hole left behind by Noé, which Jeanne watches for any sign of movement. When she finds none, she turns and leaves in pursuit of her target. In the rubble behind that hole, Noé rises and holds a hand out in front of him. He stares at his own palm, confused by his hesitation. He pulls his hand back and gets up, getting ready to perform his part of the plan. Elsewhere, Riche is sitting on a rooftop, where she is soon joined by Johann and Dante. Johann grabs her in an embrace, planting kisses all over her in his relief, but she shoves him off and tells him to be quiet. Her two comrades look over at the sight she’d been witnessing, down on the ground below. The street is completely torn up, half turned into rubble, the destruction spreading out in a clearly one-sided manner. And at the center, Dante identifies with shock, stand Vanitas and Jeanne facing each other down.
Jeanne as a Bourreau
Vanitas wryly comments that she’s already finished with Noé. Jeanne reassures that she hasn’t killed him, and Vanitas holding and clicking a pocket watch identifies those to be her “Master Luca’s” orders. Jeanne’s eyebrow twitches. Vanitas says darkly—what a disappointment she is. Jeanne stares at him. Vanitas would often be told stories about the “Hellfire Witch” by the Vampire of the Blue Moon. The “young warrior maiden” who single-handedly ripped apart battlefields and stained the skies red with the blood and bodies of her own race. Long white hair stained red—she was so beautiful it made them shudder. She had been put into an induced slumber after the War, and was awakened only recently after so long by Lord Ruthven. When Vanitas heard the news from Dante he was excited, but now as he sees her in person… Vanitas laughs mockingly that she’s degenerated to such an extent. Jeanne glares at him and asks what his point is.
Vanitas is tired of playing with her—and he drops the Book of Vanitas. Jeanne is shocked as he does so. As the Book tumbles to the ground, Vanitas goes on to introduce himself properly. He is a human who inherited the name and the Book from the Vampire of the Blue Moon. He is someone whom that Vampire once drank from. Vanitas has had his body imbued with the Vampire’s power—he is a part of the Clan of the Blue Moon. Behind Vanitas, as he grins menacingly, appears a specter; the Vampire of the Blue Moon, claws snaring the human, a terrible wicked grin on his face, the moon hanging heavily in the air and dripping its blue color. Jeanne stares. Vanitas speaks lowly. He wanted to avoid using “this power” as much as possible, but this time…
Vanitas makes to take off his left glove. He announces to Jeanne that he will show her his “true form.” Jeanne shudders, a dreadful chill running down her back. Dante, Johann, and Riche above are similarly in shock as they watch. Jeanne’s mind goes into overdrive. This “power” Vanitas possesses, granted to him by the Vampire of the Blue Moon, there’s no telling what it could be. She can’t figure out why he dropped the Book either. Jeanne is completely lost and has no idea what to anticipate or expect. She heightens her guard, takes several steps back, prepares herself for anything, keeps her eyes on his every move. Luca appears out of a nearby alleyway and he tries to call for Jeanne, but two arms ensnare themselves around him in a trap. Jeanne’s eyes stay solely on Vanitas, Vanitas whips his glove off, something explodes—
Berneux bites Jeanne
Thomas Berneux bursts out of the wall behind Jeanne. Dante, Riche, and Johann looking on are shocked. Jeanne’s eyes are wide as his wolf-like form descends his claws and fangs onto her. He bites down on her shoulder, the junction right at her neck, and Jeanne grits her teeth as he starts to drink up her blood. Jeanne launches herself backwards and slams Berneux behind her into the wall, dazing him momentarily. As all of this happens, Vanitas steps forward and picks his Book up off the ground. He smirks victoriously and remarks that fighting monsters should be left for fellow monsters. Jeanne can’t react in time. Vanitas activates the Book’s power, and a surge of blue energy explodes at Jeanne, launching her backwards, sending her collapsing on her side to the ground. She finally realizes his ploy; dropping the Book and putting on an act as if he were to perform some awe-inspiring feat of power was nothing more than a bluff, made to keep her attention solely on him. Dante, Johann, and Riche above are shocked at what they just witnessed. Buying time until Thomas Berneux recovered enough to jump into action, using a curse-bearer like him as a pawn for his plans, hitting a woman without a hint of remorse or mercy. All of them conclude the same thing: Vanitas is a jerk.
Vanitas steps before Jeanne’s prone form, lying paralyzed on the ground. He scoffs at the idea of having such a convenient ace up his sleeve. Impassively he tells her, the “fallen witch” to just sit and watch, and then turns to face the curse-bearer. He addresses the transformed man, the “Ninefold Murderer” and begins listing his symptoms. The lupine appearance reminiscent of a werewolf, the way he goes out on moonlit nights to hunt for the blood of young women with which to feed on. The Malnomen this is can only be one—Loup Garou, Wolf Who Hunts Crimson. Vanitas initiates the inverse operation, preparing to return the man’s True Name. The Book in his hands shines a blinding blue light, constellations surging out into the air before Vanitas. Blue energy like lightning engulfs Berneux’s form, who screams as he is overtaken by the power. Vanitas identifies his True Name. And in a flash of light that consumes Berneux’s entire being, it is restored—“Bucolicus,” He Who Composes Idylls.
Dante, Johann, Riche, and Jeanne all watch as that light fades and leaves behind, collapsing to the ground in exhaustion, a normal man no longer lupine restored to his true form. Johann and Riche are amazed at what they just witnessed, while Dante clicks his teeth unimpressed. Then Vanitas curses. He realizes with dread: he was supposed to cure Thomas Berneux before Orlok’s eyes. He’s interrupted by a voice on the opposite rooftop. Nox and Manet are there, and they’ve witnessed everything. As they serve to be Orlok’s eyes and ears, they intend to tell the Count everything they saw. Vanitas grins in relief. There’s a sound behind Vanitas. He turns around, eyes wide in shock. Jeanne is standing again. She’s panting heavily, visibly exhausted, struggling to stay upright, but still she stands strong. Vanitas is stunned. Not only did she get poisoned by Loup Garou, but Vanitas inflicted her with paralysis immediately after. And yet, Jeanne stands, grits her teeth, and growls, “Not… yet.” Eyes glowing a fierce red and fangs baring in her vigor, Jeanne yells—she can still fight.
Vanitas stares at her. He calls for Noé to come out. On the other side of the street, a figure steps out into the light. Jeanne’s eyes widen in horror. Noé stands there and, with one arm trapping him still and the other clamping his mouth shut, holds Luca hostage. The boy squirms in the man’s hold. Vanitas approaches Jeanne slowly, making her back up until her back meets the wall. He grins wickedly, almost laughing, relishing in the threat he gives. He declares that any false step she takes will result in him having Luca’s neck be snapped. Jeanne’s expression grows more and more full of dread with his every word. Dante, Johann, and Riche above watching with pale faces once again repeat their collective conclusion: Vanitas is a jerk.
Noé, holding a squirming Luca still, watches as well. He’s too far to be able to hear what they’re saying. Noé recalls earlier, when he and Vanitas formed their plan. Vanitas ordered Noé to get Luca and collar him. Noé asked why, and Vanitas answered to keep the boy safe. Vanitas claimed to intend to negotiate with Jeanne, and was going to create an area that prohibited Vampires from fighting using the Book. Noé was amazed that he could do such a thing. Vanitas explained further that the Book’s power would be too much for a child to bear, so Noé needed to keep Luca still and observe from as far away as possible, even instructing Noé to hold Luca as if he were a hostage. Noé asked why he couldn’t just take Luca away from the area entirely, but Vanitas asserted that the boy needed to witness their negotiations from beginning to end. Noé thus follows Vanitas’s instructions as exactly outlined, believing that Vanitas can defeat Jeanne without even having to fight. He puts his full undisputed faith in Vanitas.
Jeanne grasps Vanitas’s arm and begs him, “Don’t!” She immediately surrenders. She even promises that she won’t do anything further, that he can do whatever he wants to her, and begs him to not hurt Luca. Jeanne is completely different from herself moments ago. While in the throes of the fight she was fierce, powerful, deadly, almost terrifying to behold in all her power, in moments she has completely flipped countenance. Fearful, desperate, tears in her eyes, completely weakened and vulnerable to whatever follows. From powerful to powerless in the blink of an eye. Vanitas stares at this sight. A shudder shakes Vanitas to his core, vicious and potent. He bursts into laughter. His guess that the child was her weakness was right on the mark. He mocks her relentlessly; her tear-filled eyes, her sudden weak disposition, her desperation at the mere idea that Luca could be hurt. Vanitas slams his hand on the wall behind her, trapping her between himself an the wall. He grins with delight as Jeanne stares back at him petrified.
“You gave yourself something to protect. That’s why you’re weak.”
Jeanne’s tearful eyes stare at him. Vanitas stares back, eyes dark and lidded. He muses that this is good. He leans in closer to her, presses his knee up between her legs, to Jeanne’s shock. He takes back what he said earlier, when he called her “disappointing.” She may be weak now, but she seems all the more beautiful to him for it. Vanitas grabs the back of her head. The Gauntlet drops to the ground, Jeanne suddenly unable to keep it upright, her strength leaving her in an instant. Vanitas cups Jeanne’s face between his hands. He leans in closer to her. He tells her, she’s come to interest him greatly.
Vanitas kisses Jeanne
Vanitas kisses Jeanne.
Noé watches blankly. Luca goes into shock. Dante chokes on nothing.
Jeanne goes bright red as she is kissed. Vanitas has his other hand on her waist, gripping her tightly keeping her in place. He deepens the kiss, causing Jeanne to flinch. She starts pushing him, moaning desperately as she tries to shove him off. She elbows him in the chest making him pull away, and immediately slumps to the ground on her knees. Vanitas keeps a tight grip on Jeanne’s hand. He looks down at her from above, licking his lips with satisfaction, watching her as she pants breathlessly at his feet. Jeanne looks up at him, eyes teary, face completely red and flustered, the most vulnerable and defenseless and weak she’s looked thus far. He considers this expression of hers to be “terrible enticing.” Another shiver wracks through Vanitas’s form, his eyes dark like vitriol and smirk sharp with satisfaction. He rejoices, wondering about the throbbing in his chest as he brings her hand up to lick her fingers. Jeanne squeaks. Vanitas declares that he wants more, he wants to see every different side of her. Jeanne is completely out of it, on the verge of passing out. Vanitas says he finally understands what this is and declares—he feels “love”.
Noé is confused and leans in, trying to listen better. Dante’s face is curled up as if he’s just eaten a lemon.
Vanitas clasps Jeanne’s hand with his and he tells her passionately: “I love you!” He wants to love her dearly, he wants all of her—he asks her to be his and marry him.
Noé leans in further, even more confused. Dante snaps if Vanitas has lost his mind. Johann and Riche both have their hands to their mouths in shock.
Luca's rage
Vanitas flinches as a sudden roar from afar catches his attention. Noé has been taken over and shoved out of the way, and there stands Luca, radiating with absolute rage. He screams at Vanitas for what he did to Jeanne. A wave of fire bursts out and flares in between Vanitas and Jeanne, separating them as they both lean away from the heat. Dante, Johann, and Riche flinch back from the flames, which sprouted out of nowhere. Noé identifies this as a large-scale Formula revision from Luca, and the wave of power from such knocks him backwards. Jeanne calls out to Luca and runs, grabbing her coffin as she makes for him. She dashes up the walls and lands on the rooftop, Luca cradled in her hold, and declares they’ll withdraw for now as she wipes her mouth with a flustered expression. Jeanne yells to Vanitas that next time she swears she’ll kill him. Despite the genuine threat of death, her intimidation factor is completely snuffed by the way her face is bright red in embarrassment. Vanitas simply grins brightly in response, celebrating that they’ll be able to meet again. Jeanne screams in frustration. Luca hisses that he’ll kill Vanitas, making Jeanne restrain him and remind him of his orders not to kill. Together, they leave, leaping off the rooftops to elsewhere.
Nox and Manet realize with panic that the Ninefold Murderer is gone, having escaped in the previous fight. The two siblings start running in pursuit of the man. Meanwhile, Vanitas waves goodbye to Jeanne and Luca. He begins to laugh. As a mildly injured Noé approaches and a pale Dante watches, Vanitas erupts into gleeful laughter. He flops on the ground onto his back and smiles upwards, eyes like crescents as he lays spread out on the cobblestone. He tells Noé, kneeling right beside him, that things are getting entertaining. Noé stares at Vanitas in utter bafflement. As the moon shines brightly down upon them, all he can say is, “Seriously. What are you…?”
Thomas Berneux has escaped, and he’s running desperately through the streets. He’s pale and terrified. He’s realized that his True Name is restored properly, but either way he needs to run. He’s killed humans in his previous rampages, and he’ll be in serious trouble if he ends up at Orlok’s hands. A strange sound rings near him. Berneux turns around in the dark alleyway he stands in. There’s someone in the shadows with him. He looks at them, and recognizes them. They are—snap.
Nox and Manet arrive at the scene. There, they find a corpse. Thomas Berneux is dead, limbs and neck and tangled mess. The two siblings look around for the culprit but find no one there. They make to hurry back so they can report their findings to Orlok, as Berneux’s body steadily turns to ash and blows away in the wind.
Giggling like a delighted child mixed with the jingling of a bell. A shadow walks through the street. It announces—the parade of “Charlatan” is about to begin. As it rakes its clawed hand across the brick walls, leaving behind long slashes along its path, it bemoans that it warped his True Name “so nicely for him.” The shadow continues giggling in delight as it wonders,
“Whose True Name shall I take next…?”
Characters[]
- Dante
- Johann
- Riche
- Luca Oriflamme
- Jeanne
- Noé Archiviste
- Vanitas
- The Teacher*
- Vanitas of the Blue Moon (Mentioned only)
- August Ruthven (Mentioned only)
- Thomas Berneux (†)
- Parks Orlok (Mentioned only)
- Nox
- Manet
- Naenia
(*) - Denotes that the character did not appear physically, but as a part of another character's memories.
Terms[]
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Femme Fatale refers to the common stock character archetype found in many forms of literature and art. It refers to a mysterious, beautiful, and seductive woman whose charms ensnare her lovers, often leading them into compromising, deadly traps. It originates from the French phrase "femme fatale" which translates literally to "deadly woman" in English.[1]
- This chapter's alternate title, Love, is the exact same as the alternate title for Mémoire 42: Encore une Fois.
References[]
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| v - e - t | The Case Study of Vanitas Chapters |
|---|---|
| Parisian Excursion Arc | 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 |
| Bal Masqué Arc | 6 • 7 • 8 • 9 • 10 • 11 |
| Hunters of the Dark Arc | 12 • 13 • 14 • 15 • 16 • 17 • 18 • 19 • 20 • 21 |
| The Beast of Gévaudan Arc | 22 • 23 • 24 • 25 • 26 • 27 • 28 • 29 • 30 • 31 • 32 • 33 • 34 • 34.5 • 35 • 36 • 37 • 38 • 38.5 • 39 • 40 • 41 • 42 • 43 |
| Amusement Park Arc | 44 • 45 • 46 • 47 • 48 • 49 • 50 • 51 • 52 • 53 • 54 • 54.5 • 55 • 55.5 • 56 |
| Miel Incident Arc | 57 • 58 • 59 • 60 • 61 • 61.5 • 62 • 62.5 |
| Intermissions | 15.5 • 46.5 • 51.5 • 60.5 |
| Volumes | 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 • 9 • 10 • 11 |
| Other | Vanitashu no Karute • Author's Notes |