A thick, ink-like torrent appeared out of nowhere, instantly engulfing Pell. Even though Pell's mecha steam engine roared at full throttle, emitting an ear-piercing shriek, it still couldn't withstand the erosion of the dark inky liquid surrounding it. In just a few seconds, a dimly glowing ink coffin tightly locked Pell, preventing him from moving even a single finger.
"Captain!"
Seeing their captain suddenly trapped, the Brass Knights roared, raising their weapons, their steam pistols aimed at Tendo. However, Tendo merely glanced at the Brass Knights' actions, then said in a gentle tone, "Gentlemen, are you sure you want to attack a squad captain on the Association's territory?"
Tendo's words were soft, but the warning contained within them struck each Brass Knight like a heavy hammer, instantly restoring their composure. Looking at Captain Pell, trapped in the ink coffin, unable to break free even with the Church's latest mecha, the Brass Knights deliberated for a moment, then silently lowered their steam pistols, choosing not to act rashly.
Seeing this, Tendo raised a hand to smooth out the wrinkles on his moon-white captain's robe, changing from his previous confrontational tone, and said with a smile, "Alright, it seems everyone has calmed down. Now we... can have a good talk." With that, Tendo snapped his fingers with a smile. In an instant, the black ink coffin transformed into countless ink dots, dissipating into the air.
Suddenly released, Pell stumbled back two steps. His slightly pale expression and the traces of ink corrosion remaining on the mecha's surface silently spoke of the pain he had just endured while imprisoned by Tendo's ink coffin. With just one person, he had defused the powder keg that was about to explode. The dominance of a captain was fully demonstrated in Tendo at this moment.
However, what the dimensional audience didn't know was that the dominance was never about being a branch captain; it was about Tendo himself. Although Tendo treated Ink Wash as a 'smooth-talking' villainous man in glasses, unlike the villain's need for centuries of hidden planning, Tendo's plans in Steam City didn't require that long. Therefore, while he needed to be patient, he didn't need to be overly so. Appropriately displaying his capabilities would also benefit his future plan to stand at the pinnacle.
[Steam Branch, Fifth Squad Captain's Office]
"Come, Knight Commander Pell, have a cup of ginseng tea."
Tendo pushed a steaming cup of ginseng tea forward. Looking at the faint white mist rising from the white porcelain cup, Pell drank it all in one gulp without a second thought. Thanks to his steel body, enhanced by intelligent mechanical modifications, Pell didn't even frown as the scalding tea slid down his throat.
"Good tea." Pell set down the empty cup, his words clearly polite. Tendo smiled and shook his head in response. Who said intelligent machines were unfeeling lumps of iron? They simply hadn't encountered anyone worth their careful consideration.
After refilling Pell's teacup, Tendo directly stated, "Knight Commander, you've made such a commotion this time. You must have conclusive evidence, right?"
"Otherwise, you wouldn't be so confident about taking someone from here."
Pell didn't beat around the bush and placed a data terminal in front of Tendo. "You should look at this first, Captain Ink Wash."
Tendo picked up the data terminal, feigning curiosity as he began to look. What was recorded in the data terminal was clearly surveillance footage. In the video, Vivian, wielding her iconic silver-white 'Second Hand Rapier,' led a group of Grey Rat Gang members into the Church's core area. After cutting down a large number of Church guards, she and the Grey Rat Gang members took Danica and the 'Mechanical Bible: Gears' from inside.
"!!!"
Yu Chen suddenly sat upright, his eyes filled with disbelief. At the same time, the dimensional audience in Station 13 were all shocked.
"No way, Vivian really stole the Gear Church's holy relic?"
"Old Jack, who I thought was a good guy, is now identified as a bad guy, and now you're telling me the Church has surveillance evidence of Vivian's crime. Is 'Stars' a shonen anime or a detective anime?!"
"I can't tell, I really can't tell!"
"It's just a surveillance video, it shouldn't represent anything, right? After all, in a superpower world like 'Stars,' anything can happen."
Just as the dimensional audience's minds were in turmoil from the evidence Pell presented, Yu Chen, who was beside him, seemed to notice something and pointed at Vivian in the video, saying, "Captain, pause it."
Tendo nodded. The moment the screen froze, the details in the surveillance video appeared before everyone. The 'Vivian' in the video was wearing the Silver Gleam II combat mecha, and her entire face was covered by the mecha's full-face helmet. Therefore, the only way to identify her was the Clock Knight's 'Second Hand Rapier' in her hand, and her brown short hair.
"Pell, did Vivian in this video ever show her face?"
Pell shook his head and said, "No, but I believe you are also aware of the uniqueness of Star Source."
"I don't think there's anyone in this world besides Vivian who can wear our Church's exclusive combat mecha while wielding the Second Hand Rapier of Star Source: Cast Iron Clock."
"These two points alone are enough for us to determine Vivian's identity as the thief."
"But what about the motive?"
Yu Chen's question went straight to the core. Indeed, what was Vivian's motive? What exactly was her motive for stealing the Church's holy relic?
Pell was silent for a moment: "That's something we'll only know after we personally interrogate her."
At this point, even if Yu Chen wanted to say something, he had no suitable reason. After all, Pell had already presented the evidence to them. Insisting on not releasing the person would only make the Association seem unreasonable. Therefore, he turned to Tendo, his gaze filled with inquiry.
In response, Tendo seemed to have guessed Yu Chen's thoughts beforehand and spoke his mind. "The person was captured by our Fifth Squad, so she should naturally be handled by our Fifth Squad."
"However, considering the importance of this wanted criminal to your Gear Church, how about this: the final verdict regarding suspect Vivian will be decided by the Twelve Brass Council one month from now. What do you think?"
Hearing Tendo's words, Pell pondered for a moment before finally agreeing. "Let's do as Captain Ink Wash says. It's just that, in this case, the Church's reputation might be completely lost."
To this, Tendo smiled and said, "We can't let the Fifth Squad's achievements fly away just for the sake of the Church's face, can we?"
"I'm planning to accumulate more contributions and then apply for a transfer to the General Association."
Although Pell knew that Tendo was just making an excuse, he was tactful enough not to expose it. "I hope Captain Ink Wash can keep a close eye on Vivian during this time and ensure no mishaps occur."
"Don't worry, with me here, no one can cause trouble on my turf."
Pell picked up the ginseng tea from the table and drank it all. "Thank you for your hospitality, Captain Ink Wash. We shall take our leave now."
After seeing Pell off, Tendo raised his hand to stop Yu Chen, who was about to speak, his tone calm but undeniable. "I'll give you a maximum of one month. If you can't find evidence to prove Vivian's innocence after a month..."
"Then I'll have no choice but to send her to the Twelve Brass Council according to the Association's rules."
"But once things reach that point, I guess her fate will be irreversible."
Yu Chen gave Tendo a complex look, then said from the bottom of his heart, "Thank you."
Tendo waved his hand and said, "As the captain of the Fifth Squad, this entire team should rest on my shoulders. You are a member of the team, and as long as you don't violate the rules, I have no reason to stop you. However..."
Tendo paused, a hint of deep meaning flashing in his eyes behind his glasses: "...this time, the Gear Church seems to have been well-prepared. I'm not very optimistic about your investigation results."