Did someone named Christine truly exist?
Just as the Phantom of the Opera existed within the stage play, Christine too existed within the stage play—and corresponding to both of them, there were so-called "prototypes."
In the London Singularity, where they had once encountered Phantom Spirits, Chaldea had experienced something like that before—a man named Jekyll had overlapped with a Phantom Spirit named Hyde. Jekyll was a real human being, someone who had truly lived in London, while Hyde existed only in Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, merely the second personality of a man who shared Henry Jekyll's name. Yet in that environment, he had indeed existed deep within the consciousness of the real Henry Jekyll.
Perhaps the Phantom of the Opera had not originally been insane, but after merging with the one from the stage play, he had unquestionably become a madman.
He had become himself, yet not himself. Even his true name was something as mismatched as "Phantom of the Opera."
Compared to that, Christine Daaé had at least retained her real name. That seemed somewhat better, didn't it?
What a joke.
Christine, why did you weep?
Christine, why did you suffer?
You were not innocent. You aided evil; in this mad city, you became madness itself. You were the beginning of evil, the source of hatred. Everything you did was infuriating.
How ironic.
Squelch—
A banner-like lance pierced the Phantom of the Opera's shoulder, drawing a miserable howl from him.
Clang—
Black light flashed across the knight's longsword as it slammed into the Phantom of the Opera's body, sending him staggering forward.
"Ahhh, Chris... tine..."
The Phantom of the Opera was never a particularly powerful Servant.
He lay sprawled on the ground, sorrowfully watching Christine, who had likewise been pierced by the longsword.
"Erik..."
Perhaps