While Leo did find all these thoughts and facts interesting, it was not like that was what they came here for.
"I'm sorry, Charlie, but we have to stop the sightseeing and get closer to another teleportation circle. Beca I really don't want to be here when the staff comes back that is supposed to work in this, according to you underground, facility."
"Alright, alright, relax. I think I figured this whole thing out."
"Did you now?"
"Yup. You hired me for the brains, remember?"
Out of her coat pocket, Charlie pulled out a pen and small notebook, in which she began taking notes, or rather adding to already existing notes which she must have taken on her stroll.
"What are you writing?"
"Y'know, this whole thing follows a clear structure. I truly admire whoever designed this place, through and through. If I had one wish, I'd be to meet them."
"Okay… How does that help us right now?"
"It doesn't, really. But Clara here can sense mana, yes?"
"Roughly… Any mage can.", Clara said a bit unsure if she could help with whatever Charlie wanted.
"Yeah, yeah, great. Now, drink this."
Charlie handed her a suspicious looking test tube with purple liquid. Aside from the lack of explanation, the liquid being in a test tube made it even less safe to consume.
"Do I have to…?"
"If you wanna get out of here."
"…What does it even do?"
"It boosts your mana circulation, and in theory helps you detect mana as well by heightening your senses."
"You're coming with this now!? And what do you mean, in theory?"
"I wasn't done exploring the place. And I never intended it to be used this way. It's more like a potion for battle or whatever. But it should have a positive effect and allow you to track down the magic circle more easily."
"Give me that! We could have been out of here already!"
She took the test tube and gulped it down in one go, though the taste was more pleasant than she expected.
"Is that… Blueberry…?"
"Personal preference. It's the only option I have on me so deal with it."
"I wasn't complaining… Just didn't expect something functional to taste good."
"You're welcome. Now, how do you feel? Fuzzy? Maybe a headache? Or maybe lighter? Do you need to pee?"
"I feel fine, enough with the questions!"
"Well, and the circle?"
Clara looked around, and sure enough, in the corridor to their left was a room that emitted the same mana levels the circle from early had.
"I see it! This is amazing, Charlie! You can give me this all the time!"
"Yeah, no, you're probably not gonna think that way in a few hours but I appreciate the enthusiasm."
"What's that supposed to mean again…?"
"Nothing, focus on the objective! Teleportation circle here we come!"
"Uh… Okay then."
Clara lead them to the magic circle, and immediately began trying to manipulate it again. Though, this time she found it a lot easier than before. Partially because of experience maybe, but most of the credit definitely went towards Charlie's mixture. In less then ten minutes, the circle flashed again, though this time they were in a room with many pedestals and carbinets.
"Finally…", Leo said relieved.
"Yeah, sorry for the delay.", Clara responded rolling her eyes.
"That's not what I meant. You did great, everyone of you did. Now look for the book."
"That's more like it. You better look too, because if I find it first, I'm gonna remind you of it for at least a month."
Clara gave Leo a couple of head pats before looking through the various encased items. The arm of shining armor, as big as a person, the shard of a broken mirror, a fragment of a stone engraved text, a ripped in half ticket of sorts as well as a wodden music box, where items displayed in the room. None of these items struck the group as particularly important, valuable or powerful, aside from the massive armor maybe. But then, Leo found what they came here for. A book, it's display case titled "Book of Abilities".
"Now, how do we get it out of there?", Charlie asked.
"Cindy, Boyle?"
Boyle put down the backpack he had been carrying with him the entire time, pulling out a strange looking apparatus, of which the purpose became clear almost immediately after inspecting it.
"Behold, the true pinnacle of craftsmanship!"
It was a hammer, with the pointy side pointed at the glass, and the pointy bit being extremely pointy. There was also a spring loaded mechanism, attached to the hammer through an rotating axis.
Turning a handle rotates a screw, smoothly drawing the spring back. The screw acts as a continuous, wrapped inclined plane. By trading a lot of rotations for a small amount of linear movement, you gain a massive mechanical advantage, providing you with a lot of energy to be released into one extremely pointy bit concentrating the force onto a single spot on the glass.
"Clara helped is with the pointiness reaching its peak through advanced fire magic! We were able to cut it to perfection with microscopic precision!"
"Yeah, thanks, Clary!"
"You're welcome… But will this really work? You still need a lot of force for it to be fast enough to break through this kind of glass…"
"You just watch and learn, Clary! Boyle, load the thing!"
"Hell yeah!"
Pointing at the glass, Cindy looked confident at first. But then she took many steps back and took cover behind another pedestal, in case something went wrong or glass began flying through the room. After a minute of heavy turning on the handle, Boyle was done loading the spring loaded mechanism. Cindy jusz yelled fire, and Boyle did, not even noticing her having taken cover without him. The hammer moved nearly instantaneous, piercing into the glass and making it crumble all at once.
"Yay, Boyle, you survived!"
"You sacrificed me as a dummy!"
"Nuh uh!"
"That's your excuse!?"
"Well, whatever, look we did it! Wasn't it awesome!?"
"…Heck yeah, it was totally awesome! To experience it up close, it felt like I could literally feel the force behind our creation!"
"Good thing you didn't, huh?"
"Nah, I bet I could tank that if it really came down to it."
"…Maybe you were a bit too close, huh. Dumbass."
"What!?"
"Maybe you do need to be hit directly, just so your brain can get send back into your head!"
"My brain is perfectly fine and genius as always!"
But Leo did not bother trying to stop them from fighting, as they usually stopped by themselves eventually. Instead he just spoke in between them, not that they listened but just kept fighting.
"You guys did it! Amazing!"
Leo excitedly said as he took the book and blew the glass crumbs off it, now holding what he believed to unmistakably be able to bring down the Absolute Empire as they knew it.
"I can't believe it, it actually worked! This is it, guys!"
"Yeah, there's just one problem still…"
"Right… Natsumi isn't here… But we need to leave as fast as possible. She might've left already anyway! Or at worst, she can leave at morning by sneaking out the open door."
"She doesn't even know we made it… Won't she keep looking until she found us? Like that time in the storage room… She said she waited there for hours."
"…We need to get the book out of here. But can't you find her with your heightened senses or whatever? Like you did the circle?"
"It was already close… She could be everywhere in a almost 1 kilometer radius. The stuff was good, but not that good."
"Well, then what do you wanna do? Search the whole Citadel? Do you know how many floors there are?"
"Alright, I get it, but are you okay with just leaving her behind?"
"I told you already. I believe that she will make it on her own, but there is nothing we can do if she doesn't. Use the circle to get us back into the Cube."
"Okay then…"
With that decision made, the rest was straightforward and simple enough. Just the way back they came, and out the front door which boosted Clara was able to teleport everyone through one by one, after having learned teleportation magic from the circles, or at least the basics of it. She was even well versed enough to teleport them back in front of the mineshaft all the way back in Ponca, though she did not feel comfortable enough to target the inside due to the tight spaces. But soon enough she would get the hang of it, she was certain.
Arriving back at their camp, they were both surprised and overcome with joy to find the distinct and familiar white hair of someone poking up behind a chair. She was sitting their with their back to them, making them think Natsumi might be angry at them. So they did not immediately approach.
Her long her made it difficult to even see her posture, it covering her entire sitting figure from behind, so body language was impossible to read as well. But Leo was still the first to gain the courage to speak.
"We are sorry for losing sight of you, Natsumi… It was entirely my fault for having distracted Clara, otherwise things would have been much more straightforward… I didn't mean to lash out at you as well, and I'm truly sorry for that either. It was only because I didn't tell you the full truth… But I will try and catch up on that, if you will let me… But, if it helps, we did it… With this book, we can read the emperor's title and all the supposed angels. Then their titles can be publicly viewed and everyone will see the emperor has no title or ability corresponding to godhood! We did it, Natsumi."
But Natsumi did not respond.
"I get that you are angry, but please say something… I don't want you to ignore us… To ignore me… There, I said it, Clara! I like you Natsumi! Your kindness struck me as truly beautiful right away!"
His emotions had been bottled up because of the mission, but this sudden reunion had made if difficult to keep it together. After all, he had only himself to blame for the separation. Clara was proud of him though, for being so open and straightforward. But it was then when she first found the time to wonder how Natsumi made it here before them in the first place. They teleported, after all.
"Well, well, well… That certainly took a turn for the unexpected~!"
The chair spun around, Yuki smiling innocently at the five in front of her. Clara immediately drawing a knife and jumping in front of the paralyzed Leo at the unknown persons reveal.
"Who the hell are you, and where is Natsumi!?"
"Hey, now that's not very nice! I went out of my way to get a chair that can spin in here, since they weren't any! Imagine how lame the reveal would have been if I haf to make little jumps with a regular chair to turn. Super lame."
"What are you talking about? Answer the question!"
"Honestly… Bravo! I am truly impressed with what you came up with! Though it took me allowing you to teleport, clumsy as it may, take all the personal off your sights and what not for you to feel successful. But you got there in the end! Congratulations! Such a dangerous prize too! I never even thought about someone using the Book of Abilities that way. Though, against me, it would have just called me an angel anyway. But my boo… Well… The book just isn't that well versed in what defines true perfection and godhood, which is why it probably wouldn't have called him that. A mistake, of course! Still, could have worked, your little plan… Too bad it's all for nothing now! Well, except me being able to improve my security system~!"
"I'm going to ask this only one more time! Who are you!?"
"Where are my manners, you are so right to be upset for having to repeat yourself! Yuki Hikari, Head of Church, de facto Empress of the Absolute Empire and personal angel of my beloved, soon to be only, God~!"
"I knew I recognized you from somewhere… Everyone, be careful and— No, Leo, wait!"
But Leo already stormed forward, his silver knife in hand and thrusting it in Yuki's stomach, where it snapped in half on impact, not even scratching a layer of her white robes. She just stared at him with a blank expression.
"W-what…? I don't understand… This was supposed to kill you…"
"Oh, so you did read it!"
"H-huh…?"
"The book! The one I had this town search for. "Angelica", in which conveniently the only ever historical incident of a killed angel is documented! Through the hands of a regular silver blade, they were slain in battle by the hands of a true warrior! Yeah, no sorry to disappoint. But that book is bullshit. I made it up~! Y'know, for funsies. And for some dumbass like you to come along and try their luck, with a completely useless weapon too! Hilarious, isn't it? Oh, and I will be taking that back, thank you~!"
She kicked Leo in the face, finding him a bit to close after he went on his knees in despair, while the book levitated from his hands into hers. Clars of course immediately tried to intervene, and shot a fireball at her, but it did literally nothing to her, or the book, and as she continued to charge and prepare a knife attack, Yuki suddenly became extremely irritated by Clara's loud behavior and manner of attacking. And the next moment, Clara exploded into little pieces. There was no visible attack, nor a chance to dodge Yuki's attack. It was simply instantaneous, contactless and gruesome death. Her blood spilled everywhere, and Leo who was now closest to her after she had been running towards him was covered most by it. Yuki, not so much, or at all, as she did not even change expressions for this act.
"…Anyway, where was I? Ah, yes, my great plan. Remember those plans you found?"
But no one was listening anymore. Charlie, Boyle and Cindy were all slowly backing off, while Leo was screaming and crying, crawling toward where Clara had existed, just the blink of an eye ago. Again annoyed, Yuki forced everyone else on their knees with Absolute Gravitation magic of the 15th tier, overkill no doubt, but one her favorites. She also froze the movement, so sound would no longer travel, freeing her from Leo's unreasonably loud whining. Only her own voice, traveling on mana waves, was audible.
"Ahem, as I was saying… Those blueprints you conveniently had, I leaked on purpose. Some dumbass was playing spy on the Citadel, asking around with some shady guys, which of course, where some of mine only pretending to be shady. Because no criminality is present in glorious Yukimato~! Now, you may be wondering… "But gorgeous goddess Yuki, how come you knew of us in thr first place? And you are so great, how come you didn't obliterated our minor existences the moment we began plotting?" To which I say, great question, minor existences number 3! The truth is, it all began with Natsumi and her dumb investigation of a new system I approved of. Which caused her travel to this, actually rather nice town. I feel like making a vacation here soon. I heard there's a hot spring. Yay, bathing with boo~! Well, back to the topic. I of course immediately noticed my little sister trying to make problems where none were, so I sent Lucy to investigate and talked with boo about it. Turns out, he found it interesting and wanted to see where it was headed. So I gave you guys a bit of a major lift in the right direction, so you wouldn't completely disappoint him. Which is basically how we got here! Isn't that a fun coincidence~? No? You're right, nothing was by chance here really… But hey, wasn't there five of you left?"
Just then, Yuki barely dodged a blade passing by her neck from behind by leaning backwards. Fred had sneaked off at the start and hidden his presence perfectly the entire time, but…
"Just kidding~ I saw you sneak up, you creep. But I expect more of your attack… Didn't you see your friends blade broke in two? Or did you think that was because he hit my clothes and so you went for bare skin on my neck? Well, doesn't matter…"
Fred was grabbed by an invisible force, amd thrown on the ground and through the entire equipment of the camp, the structures table even the workshop and lab, which exploded after he was dragged through the walls repeatedly at high speeds due to chemicals being thrown into the smelter of thr workshop. Fred of course getting hit by all of it, and only broken bones remaining in the rubble. While this happened in the background, Yuki just kept on talking over it.
"Now, I got from your earlier statement you are in love with my sister. I guess she is somewhat lovable…
Her eyes sharpened and darkened, as she looked down directly at Leo's motionless, in terror drowning face.
"…For worthless nobodies just like her. But maybe I can use you for one thing or the other. So you are coming with me. You three over there! I saw what you did during your little stunt, you aren't innocent either…"
"I-I'm sorry, I bear no hatred towards the Absolute Church, I swear! I was only in it for the lab and recourses Leo promised me, nothing more! I saw what you had down in your lab, and I'd be happy to assist you in any way you need! Just please don't—"
"Shush. I'm gonna assume you spoke for the three of you…"
Charlie looked back at Cindy and Boyle, unsure if she made the right decision but it seemed they had no better plan.
"In that case… I will think about it. You come with me too for now. As for this place… It's gross and reminds me of garbage. Get rid of all of it."
"I will get on it right after your departure, Mistress.", Petrisha who immediately materialized behind Yuki spoke.
With that, Yuki teleported herself, Leo, Charlie, Cindy and Boyle out of the cave, and Petrisha sealed the entire cave system behind her one section after another, leaving no traces behind.