CHAPTER 444: ARC 6, CHAPTER 60: WAR ON THE ARTS

In the split-moment of something crashing into the wall somewhere in the building, Jotou’s entire form sparked up.

Yelps and gasps resounded throughout the space they stood in as Hotaru turned her head towards a wall behind a vase encased in glass—Fumeko’s and Rosemary’s eyes following suit.

The crystals of all the chandeliers shined with prismatic magic and shifted like molten glass; they merged together, spikes jutting out as it crawled up the chandelier’s skeleton and began vibrating.

"WOBWOBWOBWOBWOB."

A steady boom reverberated between each chandelier and sent the same vibrations below. The visitors were sent into a panic, the sound not pleasant to the ears, but not damaging either.

Guards dressed in bright reds and golds, and armed with dress swords, began corralling the guests they could see. None seemed to know what the situation was; they kept looking at each other, hoping for an answer.

"That bang sounded like it came from further in, that way," Hotaru pointed in the vase’s direction and then shook her head. She held the top of her blonde hair, "Eugh! This weird noise’s so annoying!"

"I’m guessing it’s not construction," Fumeko remarked.

"The alarms wouldn’t be going off for that," Rose replied. "It’s someone; best to get out first and assess."

Tiffany scoffed, "How dare any being violate the sanctity of these halls teeming with arts and literatures!? Nay, the void shan’t tolerate such insubordination! Hark mine word, for the playwright of this anarchial production is none other than the Deuctus Cult!"

"Yeah, we’re gonna go check it out," Fumeko added.

"Aww, no more disguises?" Asobi’s usual voice came out sad.

"At this point, we’re better off being ourselves so we don’t get escorted out," the blonde Hotaru stated.

The crystals of the chandelier above them formed into a jagged shard downwards. While guests jogged or fast walked past them, a loud buzzing came from above.

A prismatic beam of light shot out towards Jotou within a second. "Tfing." It hit her forehead and dissipated some of her sparks, which patched itself up just as quickly. Her cat-like ears flickered and she looked up, "Ow?"

"Magic darling, they’re meant to stop anything of the sort," Detective Rosemary told.

"Their best response was like someone flicking a coin at my head? And it’s taking ten years to fire the second shot?" Jotou was severely disappointed in governmental security systems.

"Are you expecting significantly high-level magic from a chandelier? Nothing in here even went off against Sobi’s illusions," the redhead replied.

"That’s cause I haven’t done any magification inside yet," Asobi raised her fan and dispelled the illusions off of three of them—her fan popping back into her wand.

"Tff."

"Aooow-" Asobi got shot in the forehead instead and a red bruise formed before her entire body froze up.

"Excuse me, I’m deeply sorry, but we’re having an emergency and will need to escort you to leave the premises," a guard approached the group while dozens of people walked past them.

"What exactly’s the emergency?" Detective Rose put on a smile and leaned forward slightly.

"Sorry madam-"

She flipped a booklet from between her chest and displayed a symbol of her station—a magnifying glass over the Burntish emblem. "I’d really like to get to know you handsome, but we’re in a bit of rush~

Detective Rosemary Chesire, Investigations Cooperated, fifth greatest detective in Burnetrout."

"Uhm, I understand, but-"

"Jotou Howllett, Thundering Blade of Kria and Cravolta," Jotou unsheathed her sword.

Hotaru sighed and faced the guard politely, "Hotaru Kinoshita, the Azure Firefly. I promise we don’t usually throw our weight around this much..."

"So," Rose pocketed the booklet back. "I’m gonna need you to tell me what’s going on around here."

"-woawah," Asobi’s paralysis came to an end and she blinked a few times.

"Aegis-Aura," Hotaru casted on the five of her party and the present detective before she healed the bruise on the magician’s forehead.

"Tfping!" Before the next chandelier shot fired off at the wolf-girl, Jotou batted the beam with her sword. "Can you turn that thing off? It’s not gonna be useful, I promise you," the blonde scowled at the guard.

"I don’t have that kind of authority- The, well, there’s supposedly a break-in in the northern wing and suspicious individuals were seen in Saruleus Hall. I’m stationed here in the eastern wing, so nobody here knows the full goings-on."

"Boom!"

All the chandeliers swung as the ceiling shook and sent some quakes onto the ground floor. Those who were walking with haste started outright sprinting as fast as their dress shoes and fancy attire would allow them.

"Where was that then?" Fumeko looked up at the source of the explosive sound.

"Could be any floor-"

"What are you doing here? Come on, we need to evacuate the building, so stop dillydallying around!" another guard yanked the guard by the arm and he complied, shooing the visitors in the right direction.

The rest of them glanced over to the right which would lead further towards the northern wing, only to see the hallway becoming more baron by the second—cries and shouts for panic behind them.

Rose stared at the ceiling for a moment, "No, the floorplan wouldn’t be so sturdy if a blast was right above this floor. The impact sound might’ve been much higher in the building...

I don’t know the time of the initial explosion, but judging by the sound and quake, I’d say it’s in the fly lofts."

"I didn’t know flies like opera," Asobi rubbed her forehead.

Tiffany half-closed her eye, "Surreptitious to any grand play, tis the land atop the theatre weaving the tale told below. The riggings of rope lie hidden from thine mortal eyes to keep the spectacle alive."

"So the attic," Jotou summarized. "With an opera house this big, in a place where rainfall’s consistent, I’m assuming the ventilation and insulation’s kept in a massive space, which is a perfect place for the cult to get some privacy to set up an explosion."

"Which’d be true, except there’s probably people there around the clock to perform maintenance and run a play when they need to; which means," Rose gestured unamusedly.

"We’re gonna find some corpses up there," Fumeko crossed her arms.

"Well then, what’s the plan, and are you even recovered enough to do something?" the redhead turned to Jotou. "It might be better to wait it out and gauge what’s going on."

"I’ll be fine," Jotou pinged another beam of the chandelier away with her blade. "The first blast in the northern wing, the individuals in Saruleus Hall and the explosion in the fly loft. Are there multiple exits from any of those places?" she looked at Rose.

The detective lifted the hem of her dress and pulled out a crossbow loaded with a purple-tipped bolt, which she flicked her wrist to assemble in an instant, "Palais Celneir was renovated with that in mind; so yes, any room’s got multiple entry points. Except the loo of course."

"No cornering anyone then," Jotou’s mind recalculated. "We’re gonna have to split into pairs. Aru, take Tiffany up to the loft and see what happened there."

"I’d be able to get there faster," Fumeko interjected.

"But you’re not gonna be able to heal anyone in case they’re not yet dead; if Hotaru can get any survivors we’ll have more details on what happened once the situation’s over. Tiffany, since I’m assuming you know how a fly loft works and is?" Jotou winced an eye.

"Thy postulation indeed holds water oh maiden of gold."

"Use your echolocation to keep her safe and find anyone or anything hidden on the way and in there. If anyone attacks you or is about to, go wild," Jotou told them both. "Worst case, get out of there if there’s too much."

"Loud and clear," Hotaru exhaled. "Luckily I’ve been working on my cardio walking all around in Tourenshire..." she frowned at the thought of stairs.

"Detective, you and... Ms Detective-? Meko and Rosemary can investigate Saruleus Hall for the individuals. They might’ve left something behind or anything would help really," Jotou told.

Fumeko unsheathed her dagger and twirled into her grip. Detective Rose raised a brow, placing her hand with the crossbow against her hip, "I didn’t expect to be ordered around like a junior today, but okay. Anywho, what’s with this blue spell over me?"

"Just a defensive spell, but it’s not going to matter since I’ll probably be too far from you all in a minute," the wolf-woman replied.

"Does that mean me and you are gonna go see what’s in the northern wing?" Asobi tilted her head.

"Pretty much; healing and some firepower up in the loft, the two who can gain the most information from the place of least obvious information and... whatever we’re doing," Jotou knitted her brows.

"Yay, whatever we’re doing!"

"Everyone knows where everyone else is, so if things go wrong get to someone else. In the worst case scenario, get outside by any means necessary. Let’s go!" Jotou split off with a swing of her sword towards the northern wing.

"Good luck!" Asobi wished and skipped behind her.

"One surmises the swiftest route to be that of ascension utilizing the rigging," Tiffany planned.

"I’m not climbing ropes, let’s go find a staircase," Hotaru walked away with the pale blonde following suit.

With only two people left, the brunette glanced up at Rose, "D’you know where Saruleus Hall is?"

Detective Rose pondered for a moment, then pulled out a folded brochure from between her cleavage and opened it up for the map, while Fumeko’s eyes glazed over.

_

Down the northern wing was more of an art gallery than a theatre—the more museum side of Palais Celneir was in display. "Crash!"

The sound of shattered glass rained from an auditorium both Jotou and Asobi ran into. Every chandelier was nothing more than a swinging skeleton of metal and the marble floor was not all littered by any crystal remnants of them.

Natural daylight that usually lit up the hall through the windows was refracted and dim aquamarine light hit the floor as if it were an aquarium.

Two cuboids made of water several metres high lined two opposing walls, stagnant and shifting at the same time, with no container. Within the water were dozens of people—visitors of the opera house and some guards—were on the verge of drowning.

They squirmed and tried to swim, but they were met with resistance against the water’s surface, unable to escape; some bodies were already unconscious—perhaps even dead? Crystals, glass, podiums and various art pieces were also trapped within.

"Crash!"

A thwack of water surged against a pedestal and broke the thick glass case. The water rushed past, without ever tampering with the musical score inside.

A hand made of aquamarine slime took the sheets and examined them, "Mhhh, not this either," the papers scattered as she flung them away.

"Whatever you’re looking for, you can forget about it," the blonde shouted out.

The slime-girl’s head turned and she beamed brightly. "Wah! My, my, if it’s not the elf so delectable that fate brought you back to me!" her eyes turned into hearts at Asobi’s direction.

"Oh, uh, hi..." Asobi took a step behind Jotou and peeked over her shoulder.

"Owhhh and the object of Ceridwen’s fascination!" her hands held her own face in excitement, and her fingers quite literally melded into her cheeks. "Hhhwoh, that noble beauty and powerful magic~ Oh, I would love to take you for a ride!

To see that face all flustered and that blonde mane all ruffled~" she squealed in glee. "Alas, I’m not the type to steal someone else’s claim... No, wait, yes I am! Care to be mine?"

The sparking Jotou fluttered her lashes. ’Am I blushing? Hopefully I’m not.’

"She flirts with me and wants me, then suddenly she just switches to asking you to be hers; right in front of me?" the magician was offended.

"I’m so sorry for your heartache," Jotou’s voice was dead. She faced the slime-woman, "Beauregard, right?"

Her slime-eyes widened and she sprung around in joy, "You know your master’s name!? Awhhh, you remember me?"

"What’re you looking for and can you please let these people go?" the blonde tried to assess her expression. ’The more time I can use confronting a new god without the fighting them, the better. This one at least seems... not reasonable, but trickable? If I just play along.’

The slime-girl tilted her head, "I can’t say." She glanced around at the people possibly drowning and looked back at the blonde, "What do they have to do with what’s going between us~?"

"Exactly, so they can leave."

Beauregard pouted, "I don’t mind if they watch."

"No, that’s not," Jotou knitted her brows even more. "What if, you let them go and you get full ownership of Asobi," the blonde pointed to the elf.

"What!?" Asobi jumped and recoiled.

"Truly?" the slime-girl perked up.

"NO!" Asobi cried out.