Chapter Text
The clicking of keyboards fill the room as a woman approaches the front. The room is filled with computers and people typing endlessly. In front a huge display showing the status of the world. The true one.
Ever since the ancient age where magecraft started it has always been a hidden secret of the world. Even billions of years later despite the advances in both technology and humanity the side of magecraft remains hidden.
“What happened? “ The woman reached the front and asked the man managing the display. She carries an authoritative voice, despite looking like an early adult.
“We have three major incidents all happening within the span of an hour! “ The man finally noticing the woman says with a careful tone along with a salute.
The display suddenly shifts, showing the globe and highlighting three different continents.
“We have reports from the Clock Tower. Christine Von Sladia, leader of the Clock Tower has been assassinated! They're asking the rest of the world for answers and are threatening retaliation! “
The Clock Tower of the European Continent is one of the three major powers in the magician world. They take pride in their innovation of merging magecraft with technology.
‘Impossible! The Clock Tower is heavily guarded with even higher level mages finding it impossible to enter without authorization!’ the woman thought of her head.
The Clock Tower being one of the most heavily guarded places in the Magecraft World is by no means a hyperbola. The place itself is surrounded with three layers of concealment magecraft, prohibiting non magecraft users from seeing any abnormalities. Its also surrounded with a hundred layers of protective barrier labeled (The Queen’s Umbrella). In the history of the Clock Tower the most layers penetrated in The Umbrella has been 20 layers.
‘For the leader to have been killed, its either one of them or….someone from the inside. ‘ She thought trying to find an answer but to no avail
The globe suddenly spins to a different place. The next crisis.
“Emergency Report from the Vatican! A major robbery has taken place its the…” The man reading the report stutters, seemingly finding what he read as implausible.
“What was stolen? “ She didnt have the patience to wait for the man to continue and directly asked him.
“The Holy Grail? “ The man looks at her with a shocked expression…
The Holy Grail is one of the (Three Unsolved Mysteries). They say that whoever can use it will be granted with a wish. Anything and Everything can be granted by the Holy Grail and yet for thousands of years no one has figured out how.
‘Are the people who stole it full of idiots? That thing has never been used for thousands of years nor has there been any documentation of its usage. But then…. Why steal it?’
“We can ignore the Vatican for now, what's the third crisis? “
The Vatican has never been on good terms with any of the major powers in the world. Due to their ways all of them clashed with their beliefs.
“Maam It's-! “ The man never gets to finish his words as the room suddenly explodes. The debris and shockwave destroys and kills everyone in the room leaving no one behind.
There was nothing to react to. No clicking nor beeping. The entire building hidden inside a mountain exploded causing an earthquake on the nearby town.
The people nearby was alerted and woken up from their sleep. The mages nearby alerting anyone else still alive to check for any survivors.
Their efforts were for naught. The only thing remaining in there was burnt flesh and the bones of the dead. The explosion was quick yet destructive.
In a hotel somewhere in Paris, a man is quietly skimming through reports. Hazelnut hair, a thick beard and a Scottish accent describes the man as he drinks coffee and sighing.
A third crisis appeared after the Wall That Hides The Dragon’s main headquarters got bombed. As if things couldn't get any worse after the previous two crises.
“What a wonderful day to wake up to. "The man grumbles as a soft breeze makes the curtains to his room fly through the air.
“And yet all is a distraction, is it not? “ the man, surprised, looked back at the window, seeing a girl standing. Shadows of wings retract as the wind calms down.
The albino haired girl, wearing a layered vest, dressed in black like it's a funeral. A smile on her face that scared any normal person. But not him.
“You are-!” The man exclaims but stops and changes as he realizes what the woman said. “A distraction?”
“I assume so.” The woman approaches and sits in his desk.
“But you based your assumption on something you found out, didnt you?” He knew her enough to know that she never guesses. Or at least her guesses are never wrong.
Her smile widens. “An hour ago, before the Wall That Hides The Dragon got bombed there was a third crisis alerted to them. Something so minor to every single major power and yet they knew what it was”
“And what is that crisis?”
“Somebody stole the (Technologia).” Her smile fades as she wore a more serious face.
“But that's….”
We both knew what that relic meant. We never told anyone the true meaning when we discovered it three years ago. Because it would cause war itself to wreck havoc on everyone. Something more sought after than the Holy Grail itself.
Hidden within the obnoxious name and with their simple explanation of ‘it's something that can send messages to anywhere’ was the first half of the key to the (Akashic Records).
“No wait (Detective) even if what you said was right how did you know that they knew about the crisis? No that's the wrong question, how did you know? “ I never doubted once that she is on the side of humanity, but there was still doubt in my heart. Not doubt that she was lying but doubt about how she knew everything despite me not getting a single report about it.
She sighed and smiled once again, “I put backdoors into the Clock Tower's system about a year ago, if something happens in Europe and the West I would know. As for the Vatican however… “ Her smile softens “I was contacted by Clarice about the thievery the moment the news came out. We were drinking evening tea when she called so Key was still awake. I asked her to access the (Wall That Hides The Dragon)’s systems and caught both the alert and the explosion. I was too late to stop the latter however. “
The fax machine in my room suddenly started printing. Even in the modernity of current technology the Clock Tower still uses this old technology.
I take a look at the printed document and my heart had drop lower than ever.
‘Level 5 Alert! The (Detective) is wanted for the murder of Christine Von Sladia! The subject was last spotted in London. Dead Or Alive! ‘
“I didnt kill her, I was in Japan. “ She was quick to respond before I could even speak
“I believe you… But they won't .”
The Clock Tower never liked her aside from a few mutual discussions. Her mysterious identify and power leads most to question everything about her. She similarly doesnt like them. Yet she still works with them at times.
“They had to. They needed someone to blame for her death and I was the best one to blame. Tsk. “
She bites her fingernail, clearly annoyed by the development of the situation. I realize why she's so worried.
“I'll take care of the girls. “
She recently established the (Detective And Murderers Club) a group of murderers that she's for better or for worse trying to help. I suppose that there's no need to worry about her but the other girls would get dragged in the crossfire.
“And I give my thanks to that. “ She walks away to the window. Probably moving to move to a different location to avoid dragging me as well.
“What will you do (Detective)?” I call out to ask a question I already know the answer to.
“Find out whoever did all of these. And kill them all.” The last line reminding me that even with her personality…shes still a monster inside.
Nothing is standing there the moment I blink. The only trace of her ever being here is the strong wind.
“Good luck to you, (Detective).”