In her mind, the battle between following discipline and pocketing illicit goods raged on. Angel felt the cellar with its newly opened skylight was becoming somewhat stuffy.
Clement didn't notice his teammate's abnormality. He frowned, leading Andrew around the cellar in circles, trying to discover some clues, but apart from scattered rubble and bloodstains, they found nothing.
"It seems there's nothing useful here. Let's head back to headquarters first and see the results from the other two squads. Rupert Norman also needs treatment as soon as possible to eliminate potential contamination."
Finally, the Nighthawks captain gave up the search.
"Alright, and also, Captain Clement..."
Angel hesitated for a moment, but still called out to him.
"What is it?"
Clement turned back puzzled.
"Um, I'm giving this sealed item to you..."
Angel took out the sealed item "2-031," the Hand of Declaration, which she had previously pulled from Clement's hand to prevent Thomas from using flame teleportation. This sealed item, shaped like a leather glove, had now returned to its harmless appearance, folded into a bundle, resting quietly in Angel's palm.
"Ah, yes, I almost forgot."
Clement shared similar symptoms with other "Nightmares." He tapped his head, as if just remembering such a sealed item existed, reached out to take it, and casually put it in his pocket.
This "Hand of Declaration," though greatly affecting the user's mind during battle, was a rare sealed item that didn't produce negative effects upon contact. As long as one didn't wear it, it was no different from an ordinary glove.
I wonder what negative effects this pocket watch has... According to mystical experience, the stronger the effect of magical items, the more severe the negative effects. It allows the user to gain several "Magician" supernatural abilities, so the negative effects must be quite shocking.
Angel touched the bullet box in her pocket through her clothes but ultimately couldn't make up her mind to give the pocket watch to Clement.
Even if I hand it over, it would be returning it to the "Mechanical Heart"...
She comforted her slightly troubled conscience.
Andrew needed to stay behind to command the police in cleaning up the scene and also to prevent them from coming into contact with mystical items including the "Aurora Society" statue. Angel could only accompany Clement and the now-awakened but still dazed, answering questions incorrectly Rupert Norman, taking a police carriage back to the "Silver Bullet Detective Agency."
The one who opened the door to greet them was surprisingly the already-returned Daley Simone. Her clothes were somewhat disheveled, but she remained spirited. The two Nighthawkss who had followed her to deal with the sugar factory in the West District sat in the hall drinking coffee, looking composed. It seemed the battle at the factory had gone smoothly.
"Why are you only just... What happened to him?"
Daley was about to ask why they returned so late when she caught sight of the vacant-eyed Rupert being supported on both sides. She immediately frowned.
"He activated spirit vision and saw the statue of the 'True Creator' worshipped by the 'Aurora Society.' He showed signs of losing control. I did some basic treatment, but he needs rest and further examination for hidden contamination."
Clement and Angel worked together to lay Rupert on a corner sofa before quietly answering Daley.
He seemed unwilling to be overheard by the other team members.
"Alright, I'll make some preparations and check him once my spirituality recovers. Let him rest for now."
Daley's expression became serious upon hearing "True Creator."
Angel also recalled the information she had seen about this.
The "True Creator" was the object of worship for several secret organizations active in the last two to three hundred years, such as the Nighthawkss' main opponent, the "Aurora Society," and the "Iron Blood Cross Society."
But in reality, this image of an inverted male figure on a cross had been circulating for thousands of years. Although the image sometimes changed, it always pointed to the same belief.
Even if it was an evil god, it was a historically established evil god.
After settling the unfortunate Rupert on the hall sofa, Daley took the two injured members to the underground area of "Silver Bullet" to provide treatment using a pre-prepared ritual magic.
This was a simple ritual site enclosed by candles and Hermetic text written on the ground. The ritual controller—Daley—consumed spirituality and used some common materials to allow those within to quickly recover strength and heal shallow injuries.
Compared to "Goddess's Gaze," which acted like a stimulant and painkiller, this "healing spell" had more of a mystical atmosphere...
Angel evaluated as she entered the ritual site to receive treatment.
Her injury was on her right forearm, not affecting the bone, but the bullet had pierced through some muscles controlling finger flexion.
For such an injury, even as a supernatural being, it would take at least half a month to fully recover. But after standing in the healing ritual for just half an hour, she found the pain in her right arm had completely disappeared.
She tried moving the fingers of her right hand and found that although there was still some stiffness, it wouldn't affect normal activities.
Clement's biggest injury wasn't from getting covered in dust when avoiding the "flesh bomb," but rather from being struck when Thomas detonated the bomb, collapsing the cellar ceiling. Though his waist and abdomen only showed some external bruising, his internal organs had likely been injured as well.
By the time Angel's injuries had fully healed and she walked out of the ritual magic range, he was still holding his stomach standing in place, and eventually simply took a chair to sit while receiving treatment.
"You two go up first. My injuries will probably take a while longer. Daley, please help check Rupert as soon as possible. I'm worried he might have some aftereffects. Ah, if it weren't for me..."
He looked guilt-ridden as he spoke.
"What's wrong with Clement?"
The underground area of "Silver Bullet" was structured similarly to the Nighthawkss' headquarters in Tingen City, with a secret passage running under the street to St. George's Church, a hidden door connecting to "Chanis Gate," and facilities such as an alchemy room, armory, and archives. They were now ascending back to ground level via a straight staircase.
Daley stopped at the last few steps, turning back to ask Angel.
"To avoid being affected by the negative effects when using the sealed item '2-031' Hand of Declaration, he assigned it to Rupert. Unexpectedly, as soon as Rupert entered the cellar..."
Angel briefly told Daley about the battle in the harbor district warehouse cellar, omitting the part about her picking up Thomas's magical item.
"'Rose Bishop'? The documents in Enmat Port don't record this potion name. He might have learned it from his last collaboration with 'Red Glove.' I didn't expect you to resolve another Sequence 6 supernatural being. I really regret not snatching you from Dunn's hands last time."
"I didn't resolve it; he still escaped in the end... Besides, it's not too late now. I can come to Enmat Port anytime, as long as the captain agrees."
Angel joked.
"Let's not. Changing Nighthawks squads requires layer upon layer of approval, and he certainly wouldn't agree. He would think I..."
Daley's eyebrows lowered, her eye shadow covering her eyes, as if she had fallen into some memory, but she recovered after a few seconds and changed the subject.
"But there's a reason Clement is unwilling to use this sealed item. Last year, he fell into a kind of frenzied state because he overused the abilities of the 'Hand of Declaration.' We paid a considerable price to remove the glove. Since then, he has been unwilling to wear it again."
Angel now understood why Clement had given "2-031" to Rupert to use.
If it hadn't been for Thomas's sneak attack, detonating the ceiling and knocking out Clement who was already in a negative state, perhaps last year's accident would have recurred...
Angel suddenly felt somewhat frightened.