Then, to put the bow on an unfortunate present, Janus’ signature fountain in the town's center vanished with no one having a clue.

It was like a mischievous fairy took a liking to the fountain and whisked it away.

…

Caislean knew where that fountain went. She was heading to its new owner with the briefcase holding Betty’s newest equipment.

Caislean walked through the shiny, varnished wooden floor of the Harriet House and found herself facing the sliding door. She walked through the entrance into another world.

The room was Betty’s domain. A castle’s balcony overlooking the clouds filled with pools of water, flanking a stone walkway. A fountain of Janus — transformed by the Residence — stood in its new golden forms. The golden wolves’ head — a symbol of La Louve’s family — carried the marble basin. A globe of pure water hovered above the fountain, drawing waters from the surrounding pools and displaying flashes of images.

It was Betty’s Domain and the Residence of Lord’s eyes to anywhere — the Fountain of Divination.

Betty was on the walkways, observing the real-time feed of Montgomery’s Pure Army camping outside a valley. Several zoom-in of the image showed the artifact of the anchor and the coffin.

“How is your new Domain?” Caislean asked.

“Well, it can observe anywhere with a third-eyes view,” Betty said. “It is a shame it couldn’t penetrate the area with the presence of a Lord or see into the past. That would make things way easier.” Betty swiped her hand, bringing the image of the strange artifact to focus. “Those weapons look dangerous and Amy’s [Instinct] called them trouble.”

“What is the plan?” Caislean said. “Stealing the artifact.”

“The anchor is Oleg-Regina,” Betty said. “I read about it in Holmes’ book. I believe that isn’t a priority. The coffin is the real problem. I don’t know what it is, and Amy doesn't like it.” Betty saw Caislean’s briefcase. “Is that what I think it is?”

Caislean raised her eyebrows, “Yes, it is your very complicated toy delivered right to the door-step.”

She opened the case and a gelatinous black blob flowed out of the container.

…

Triperna

Rank: *****

Option [1]: Defense +5

Option [2]: Red/Black/Blue Magic + 5

Option [3]: Magic Nullification

Option [4]: Liquid Metal

Awakening: Living Armor

…

Betty picked the blob approaching her. “Cute,” Betty said. “Is it up to my specification?”

“Are you perhaps drunk when you made the theory behind this,” Caislean was pissed. “That thing took us ages to make. It is a miracle it only takes two artifact slots.”

“How could it be harder than churning out high-grade artifacts made from fake Accel?” Betty innocently asked, causing Caislean to blow-up.

“Triperna is the most advanced creation in Acceltra,” Caislean screamed. “Even Etaceh couldn’t make this thing. We have to create the right liquid-metal alloy, then etched in the runes onto the string of ether covering it.” Caislean recalled that nightmare of a process. “Ciel needed to DIY a machine to do this, using the same principle we used to create the Helios Ring. Do you know we invented the runes for Tricolor amplification from the ground up? The number of trials we took is mind-boggling. You are lucky the awakening gave that thing sentience because automatic control on that kind of over-technology is impossible.”

“Thank you, Caislean,” Betty petted her new artifact, and ran her Mana into it.

The blob — Triperna — exploded in a shower of goo, flowing around Betty and weaving itself into a seamless A-Line gown of black metal.

“Yeah,” Caislean huffed. “Congratulations, Betty. Your smart gear is nearly immune to Magic, can auto-repair itself, universally compatible with your Magic, and can operate autonomously. Ciel must be spoiling you a bit too much.”

“Aww,” Betty said. “What about Hikari’s new gear?”

“We are still on the drawing board,” Caislean said. “Ciel needed to prepare for tonight's battle, but we needed to run the new equipment for you and Hikari.” 

…

Hikari received her secret weapon with a mild disappointment.

“No new battle-suit,” Hikari said, miffed.

Caislean understood Hikari’s disappointment. “I know it is unfair, but our sis here,” she pointed at Betty, “hogged all the prep-time.”

Betty looked at the gears being given to her, “Isn’t the grade much lower than Xia’s newest gear?”

…

Witch Step

Rank: ****

Option [1]: Black Magic +4

Option [2]: Haste +3

Option [3]: Noise Reduction

Awakening: Air Walk

…

Bangle of Chaos 

Rank: ****

Option [1]: Self-Explosion (Bead)

Option [2]: Red Magic +4

Option [3]: Black Magic +4

Awakening: Hellfire

…

Fabric of the Witch

Rank: ****

Option [1]: Illusion + 3

Option [2]: Blue Magic +4

Option [3]: Black Magic +4

Awakening: Sealing

…

Betty absorbed the selection of a leather boot, a black-red amber bangle with a hole fit for a bead, and a blue sash.

“We don’t have an endless source of high-grade material, Betty,” Caislean said. “Xia got off easy because her domain keeps spoon-feeding us endless White Mana-rich material.”

Xia, eating newly baked cookies nearby, cheered, “I am great, aren’t I?”

Caislean ignored the first wife, “Sadly, Cave of Grace couldn't supply other material. But we still gave it our best.”

Betty read through the artifact's abilities with her [Analysis] skill. “The boot can walk on air and possesses noise reduction. The fabric is a Black/Blue booster with Illusion amplification, and a suicide attack.” Betty was more impressed with the bangle. “Wow, Ciel really put an effort into this. A special awakening effect  for Red/Black magic and…”

Betty turned toward Ciel who was sharing the cookie with Xia.

“You made a breakthrough in Self-Explosion?”

Ciel nodded, “Yep, it was one of my favorite additions; boosting the performance at the price of artifact destruction. Romantic but impractical. Thankfully, I invented a work-around.”

Caislean picked up from Rem by producing a bead charged with a rune. “These beads acted like ammunition. Self-Explosion worked by overtaxing the runes’ performance, but Ciel monkeyed with the formula and managed to create a detachable stress absorber for the circuit in this bead.” Caislean rolled her eyes. “Testing the prototype left a mess in the [Training Room].”

“Thank you, Caislean,” Betty said. “But where is my main weapon?”

Caislean summoned a long, thin bag from the [Workshop] and unzipped it. She took out a long staff, armed with a rotating cylinder and capped red gemstone.

“May I introduce you to the Blasting Wand,” Caislean announced the weapon.

…

Blasting Wand

Rank: *****

Option [1]: Self-Explosion (Bead)

Option [2]: Red Magic +5

Option [3]: Black Magic +5

Option [4]: Fusion Core

Awakening: Heat-up

…

Caislean began explaining the Blasting Wand’s properties as Betty tested its weight.

“Without the necessary material we need to push engineering to its limit to produce the highest rank of artifact,” Caislean said. “Aside from the usual boost in the Red and Black Magic, we implemented a Fusion Core system to maximize the ability of your [Compound Magic]. We even attached in the Self-Explosion system for output. The awakening ability also played to this. It took the power produced from firing the artifact on the weapon’s core, storing them for a massive blast later.”

Betty twirled her new weapon, “It is a bit on the heavy side, but excellently weighted. We are attacking at night, right?”

Ciel answered, “Yes.”

He got up and addressed the room, “Our goal is to steal the weapon they used to pop Etaceh’s barrier. Be warned. We are facing several archangels plus the Pure Army of Montgomery. The intel granted to us by Betty’s Fountain of Divination indicated our greatest threat will be Apolline and the Green Archangel.”

“I am going to deal with Geneva,” Xia volunteered.

“I will handle Apolline,” Betty said.

“Okay,” Hikari said. “So that left me the Black Archangel, right?”

“No,” Ciel said. “Hikari, you have a greater duty. Remember, we need to take down both Maximus and Etaceh, which means pushing them into a mutually assured destruction. Using the Fountain of Divination, I have a plan to make an event transpire as we want.” Ciel then made the declaration. “However, this means I have to personally fight the Black Archangel.”

Everyone looked at Ciel like he had a death wish.

“Ciel, that is a fight you can only win if the Archangel overdosed on crack?” Caislean said. “That guy is a Rank 6 Black mage and Aura user.”

“Ciel, I must warn you against this,” Xia said. “Do you even look at your Skill sheet? I don’t think [White Allegiance] and [Blade Mastery] will help you close the gap.”

…

Ciel

Unity Lord Authority: [Caislean], [Amy Ramiro Seyfert], [Xiahana La Louve], [Elizabeth La Louve], [Hikari]

LV: 35

Skill: [Elemental Resistance], [Calculative]. [Construction], [White Allegiance], [Divine Awakening], [Blade Mastery]

…

“Guys, trust me,” Ciel said. “I have a way to take him down.” Ciel also took out the notepad. “Plus, I believe this fight is necessary for me to complete a certain project for my eventual showdown with Maximus.”

No one argued. Everyone in the room knew the battle between the Lord of Worship and the Unity Lord was inevitable.

…

After their victory, the Montgomery force cornered Etaceh inside the Valley of White Plains and set camp to watch her.

In an ideal world, they would resume their assault, but reality had a tendency to ruin people’s expectations. The Execution of Miharl required a brief rest period before being used again. While Montgomery's soldiers possessed the all-time high morale, attacking a cornered enemy was often an ill-advised move in war. None of the Archangel believed Etaceh couldn’t bite most of them down in her struggle to the death.

The best they could do was lock her down with the Oleg-Regina again, and setting watch outside until their secret weapon refreshed its cooldown.

The camp was nothing fancy. The Valley of White Plains was a White Mana hot-spot, featuring  the isolated rocky valley surrounded by fields of pale grasses. Circular tents provided sheltered and improvised fences were made to serve as the army’s protection. Night shifts were erected to observe the valley unless Etaceh made a funny move.

The funny move happened, but not in the way the watchmen had prepared for.

A certain woman in white hooded and knee-high boota approached the camp, holding a sign written in neon red.

It read:

‘HELLO, BRAINWASH BUFFOONS, THE UNITY LORD FORMALLY DECLARES WAR ON MAXIMUS THE CLOWN. WE WILL GIVE YOU FIVE MINUTES TO PREPARE. LET’S RUMBLE! P. S. WE WILL BE ROBBING YOU GUYS.’

It was the most audacious declaration of war in the history of Acceltra.