[City of Steam, Upper City, Steam Branch]
[Half an hour after the fugitive Vivian was detained]
"Captain Ink Wash! Something's wrong! You need to come out and see this!"
The sudden shout startled Tendo, who was diligently practicing calligraphy. The character "quiet," almost finished, now had a slight deviation in its final stroke, making it somewhat messy..
However, Tendo didn't dwell on it. He silently set down his brush and looked up. A Fifth Squad member stood before him, drenched in sweat, his expression as anxious as an ant on a hot griddle.
"Don't rush, tell me what's going on first."
Tendo's voice was calm, gentle like the afternoon sun. Under the soothing tone, the Fifth Squad member quickly calmed down. He took a deep breath, then reported the events happening outside rapidly yet clearly.
Before long, Tendo understood the situation. It turned out that the Gear Church, upon hearing that Vivian had been apprehended, had eagerly rushed to the Association to demand her release. However, the Association, or rather, Vice-Captain Yuchen, was unwilling to release her. As a result, both sides were now in a standoff, the atmosphere highly charged.
"I see…"
Tendo nodded, then picked up his captain's robe hanging nearby. He slipped one arm into a sleeve, effortlessly donning it. The moon-white captain's robe traced a soft arc in the air, its hem gently settling by Tendo's side after a brief flourish.
"…Let's go see what kind of little troubles our dear Vice-Captain Yu has stirred up for me."
Despite his words, the Fifth Squad member heard no anger in his tone. Instead, it sounded as calm as if he were going to an ordinary calligraphy gathering. This nonchalant demeanor seemed to convey to him, and to everyone watching the dimensional screen, that no matter how thorny the issue, once it reached his hands, 'Ink Wash' he would smooth it out one by one, just like a calligraphy brush.
To remain unperturbed when Mount Tai collapses before you—that was precisely the impression he gave.
'Damn, I'm suddenly feeling a bit fanboy-ish for Ink Wash!'
'"He's clearly elegant and easygoing, yet somehow incredibly cool"'
'I'm saying it now, Ink Wash is Ink Wash and Tendo is Tendo. These two are complete opposites! One is utterly still, the other utterly dynamic!'
On the dimensional viewers' bullet screen, the series' camera followed Tendo, now clad in his captain's robe, as he passed through the gear-patterned tiled corridor outside and arrived at an open area within the Fifth Squad's headquarters. From afar, the dimensional viewers could hear voices echoing from within the area.
"Vice-Captain Yu, our Church is taking away our own traitor. Is this something your Star Envoy Association intends to interfere with?"
Amidst the grating sound of armor and weapons clashing, Silver Knight Pell's cold, rigid voice reached everyone's ears. Across from him, Yuchen leaned against a wall adorned with the Fifth Squad's emblem, a silver-white pistol with intricate patterns spinning gracefully between his fingers.
"Matters of ordinary people belong to the Federation; matters of Star Envoys belong to our Association."
"Pell, this is the Star Envoy Association, not your Gear Church. Understand the rules here. Without the Branch President's or our Captain's command, no one is to touch a prisoner of our Fifth Squad."
Hearing this, Pell said no more. He took a decisive step forward. The heavy Heavy Knight Combat Mech: Silver Gleam IV caused the entire ground of the area to tremble slightly with his single step, immediately conveying the terrifying destructive power contained within the combat mech. At the same time, the Brass Knights behind him uniformly grasped the steam pistols at their waists. The pistols, connected to the steam tanks on their backs, continuously emitted faint white smoke, clearly indicating they were operational and ready to attack at any moment.
Seeing this, the members of the Fifth Squad, despite not wanting to antagonize the Gear Church, their pride as Association Star Envoys still compelled them to raise their respective weapons. In an instant, two massive waves of star energy collided within the Fifth Squad's garrison, with Yuchen and Pell as the dividing line. The commotion was so great that cracks of varying degrees appeared on the ground beneath their feet. The scene was fraught with tension.
"Vice-Captain Yu, are you truly so unyielding?"
Yuchen narrowed his eyes, stopping the pistol from spinning in his hand. With a forced smile, he said, "We can be reasonable, but the Association's rules cannot be broken."
"As long as you can get the Branch President's nod, or convince our Captain, then I'll let you take Vivian away."
"Is that so?"
Pell placed his hand on the 'Steam Sawblade' on his back, saying in a low voice, "It seems Vice-Captain Yu is determined to protect that traitor."
"Traitor?"
Yuchen's face twisted into a sneer, as if he had heard a joke. "I don't know if she's a traitor until the matter has been thoroughly investigated."
"But I do know that she was brought back by our Captain. For your Gear Church to simply demand her release with mere words, it shows a clear disregard for our Fifth Squad."
"What if I insist on taking her today?"
Watching Pell slowly draw his Steam Sawblade, Yuchen also slowly raised the silver-white pistol in his hand.
"Then it depends on whether your Gear Church… has the ability."
"After all, the main gate of our Fifth Squad is easy to enter, but leaving, is not so simple."
"Oh?"
Pell was not intimidated by Yuchen's words. Instead, he fully drew his Steam Sawblade. "Then I'm quite curious to know just how difficult it is to leave the Fifth Squad's main gate."
With the sawblade in hand, Pell's aura suddenly changed. At the same time, the silver pistol in Yuchen's hand also began to emit a peculiar glowing pattern.
Just as the two were about to clash, the other squad members who had been watching from the sidelines grew restless. This was no longer a simple minor dispute. If Pell and Yuchen truly fought, not only would they be in trouble, but the entire Steam Branch would be dragged into it! Thinking of this, some members immediately ran to find their captains, preparing to have them come out and control the situation.
But at this moment, a clear, gentle voice came from the depths of the garrison.
"It seems that my recent arrival has led to the esteemed residents of the City of Steam having little understanding of me."
Everyone looked towards the sound, seeing Tendo slowly emerge. His gaze behind his black-rimmed glasses, though gentle as jade, carried an undeniable presence. The star energy around him transformed into flowing ink, spreading through the air and releasing a faint ink fragrance, diluting the tense atmosphere and the heavy scent of machine oil unique to the City of Steam.
"Everyone, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Ink Wash an ordinary calligraphy enthusiast from the Deep Blue Metropolis."
Upon Tendo's sudden appearance, Pell immediately became wary, as the rumors described him as someone who avoided conflict and prioritized harmony in all matters. However, the 'Ink Wash' before Pell now presented an entirely different picture. The dark, ink-like star energy flowing around him, spreading like water in the air, gave Pell a powerful sense of impending danger. So much so that he instinctively activated his Heavy Knight Combat Mech: Silver Gleam IV.
The moment the mech's engine roared, numerous mysterious patterns emerged on the surface of this silver mech, which was full of both technology and fantasy elements.
"Captain Ink Wash do you also intend to interfere in Church matters?"
In response, Tendo smiled and raised his hand. A drop of black ink began to gather at his fingertip, completely covering his index fingernail. Just before that drop of ink fell to the ground, Tendo spoke.
"Knight Pell, it's not that I, Ink Wash want to interfere in Church matters, but rather that your Church's reach is too broad."
"Although I am merely an ordinary calligraphy enthusiast, in the realm of Star Energy Arts, I… also know a thing or two."
As Tendo's words fell, the ink drop on his fingertip burst open!
"Star Energy Art—Ink Coffin."