The Underground Library Part 2
"Who the hell are you?" Lucrecia growls at him.
"That is not your business to know my name." He sneers at Lucrecia and Hana. "Now hand that book over."
"That's not going to happen." The young swordswoman pointed her sword at the man.
The man sneers at her as his sword appears out of thin air. His sword was long and bronze with a gray hilt. He quickly disappears and appears in front of Hana and punches her hard in the stomach that sent the detective flying into the wall.
The detective bounces off the wall and lands on the ground with a thud out cold.
"You bastard!" She yells at him. Lucrecia lunges at him with her sword.
The man blocks it with his sword and the two began to duel. Lucrecia leans backwards from the sword and lunges to him with a thrust.
"Hmph!" The man smirks as he blocks the attack.
Lucrecia blocks his attack and rolls on his back to get to the other side of him. She saw an opening and got him in the back with a slice.
"Gah!" The man grunts in pain. He broke through her defense and kicks her across the face.
The swordswoman skids on her feet across the ground. "Gods School Secret Technique!" Lucrecia cried out. "Stone Slice Sword!" She attempts to slice him in half. Her attack missed and slices a bookshelf in half.
"Take this!" The man shouted.
Lucrecia dodge out of the way in the nick of time. She saw one bookshelf was stab instantly. The man growls in a little annoyance and jumps high above her. She blocks his attack before kicking him in the stomach that sent him flying into several bookcases.
"Hmph!" The man grunted as he pushes a few books cases off of him.
Lucrecia was about to attack until several flashbangs was thrown into the man's face and went off. She saw Haruto standing up with Zoey. "Haruto! Zoey! Protect the others!"
The two of them nodded and rushes to their unconscious friends. They grabbed their friends and went into the records room as the swordswoman started to hide from the swordsman.
The man shook his head several times as he regains focus and his sight. "You think hiding will save you? It will be pointless to hide. I'm only here to destroy that book!" He started walking through the shelves.
"Not until you tell us why you're attacking us and want to destroy the book." Lucrecia calls out.
"Not until I destroy that book." he sneers, coming around the corner. "You have no idea what you're up against."
Inside the records room, Hana, Ruri and Kanami started to come around.
"Wha... what happened?" Ruri coughed.
"We were unconscious by that swordsman out there." Zoey lowers her voice.
"I was able to throw some flash bangs to stop him for a few moments." Haruto explains to them.
"Who the hell is this man, by the way?" Ruri wondered.
"He didn't tell us his name until I was knocked out as well just like you four." Hana replied.
"I just need to get in front of him and ask him for his name. Once I have the name, we should have an advantage." Kanami whispered.
Hana started thinking for a moment until she a got a good plan to beat this man. "I got an idea."
Meanwhile, the man was still searching for Lucrecia. He wasn't going to let her win this fight. As he kept walking, Lucrecia lands silently behind him. The man quickly turns around and slashes her, only for his sword to be blocked once again.
The young swordswoman kept attacking as he dodges her attacks and blocks. Grabbing a nearby bookshelf, the man pulls the bookshelf towards them, causing Lucrecia to stop her attack dives forward out of the way. It was the man's turn to attack.
Lucrecia was doing her best to block his weapon. She had to block quickly to his stab, and she lets out a painful grunt. Looking down at her forearm, she saw there was a small hole that was letting blood run down on her arm.
"Tch." The man snickered. "How do you like that? That was my Instant Stab move. You're not the first person to avoid the attack. Now try this on for size!" He disappeared in an instant.
Before Lucrecia can guard herself, the man reappears behind her and delivers a strong kick to her back that sent her flying.
The man quickly appears and started slicing her.
"Gah!" The young swordswoman shouted in pain. She was grabbed by the neck and was slammed into a nearby bookshelf.
He stares down at Lucrecia defeated. The man was about to impale her until he was hit behind the head. The swordsman turns around to see Haruto and Zoey standing several feet behind him with a couple more books in their hands. A book caught his eye that was next to him by his feet.
"Heh." He snickered, bending down to pick up the book. "Finally."
"What is your name?!" Kanami pointed at him from behind, causing him to turn around to her. There was a silver book floating in front of her. On the cover it says Picture Commentarius with a diary in the center of the cover.
The pages on the inside started to glow. Words started to appear on the pages of the book.
"Hm. Does she really think she can beat me, the swordsman Lars, with a book? How stupid is she? Once this book is destroyed, the people of this world shall belong to The Great One!"
"The Great One? And your name is Lars?"
"How did you learn that name?!" Lars gasps in shocked. He couldn't believe that girl said his name and The Great One. Then he notices the silver book that floated in front of her. "I see, it must be that book she has. She must've read my mind because of that book. That woman shall die after I kill her friend-"
But his thoughts were interrupted when he felt his arm sliced off. "Argh! Ngh!" He screams in pain, clenching his arm as he knelt down. The man looks over his shoulder to see Lucrecia standing behind him with her sword pointing at him with barely a scratch on her. "How?!" He quickly looks back at the Lucrecia he defeated, and the body exploded in a white puff of smoke. In the body's place was a piece of paper.
"The only thing you defeated was a Shikigami." She said sternly.
Hana bends down to pick up the book. "Now why don't you tell us about this book and The Great One?"
"I'm not telling you anything." He growls at them.
"You should. Because even if you don't tell the truth, she can read your mind with that silver book right there." Ruri pointed behind her while she was smirking at Lars.
"Tch. Do you really think this world is safe from The Great One...?" He asked with a sneer, panting. "...The Great One will find this planet... and invade it like all other planets, once it breaks free from Lab Discovery."
"Invade it?" Haruto questions him.
Lars smirks at him.
Kanami gasps. "Don't let him bite down! He has an electric capsule in his mouth!"
"The Great One will come here someday!" Lars shouted.
Lucrecia quickly knocks him out with the hilt of her sword. She knelt down to search for the capsule. Once she found it, the young swordswoman pulls out a blue and yellow capsule then she crushes it with her hand.
"I'm going to call the League and tell them they're going to have to have visitor right now." Haruto said as he takes out his phone.
Hana and Kanami wraps up Lars's arm to stop the bleeding. Once they stopped the bleeding, Lars's body teleported in a blue light for almost fifteen minutes later.
"Okay, the League has Lars in custody right now." Haruto tells them. "Batman is already up there and he'll start interrogating Lars soon."
"Good to know." Kanami smiled.
"Where's Zoey?" Hana tilts her head.
"I'm up here." Zoey said from the stands. She was waving at them with several pages in her hands.
"Zoey, did you tear those pages off?!" Hana calls out to her.
"No, but a couple of these pages mentioned Lab Discovery!" Zoey calls back to her.
"You found them?!" Kanami smiles in joy.
Zoey was close and jumps off the stands to land on the ground. "Here you go, Hana."
"Thanks." Hana said.
The pages and the book started to float above their heads. Everyone watches the pages float to the open book as the ends started to glow yellow and merges into the book. The book was fixed.
"Wow. I didn't think anyone saw that one coming when the pages fixed itself with the book." Ruri said.
Hana caught the book in her hands. "Now let's see what these missing pages says about Lab Discovery." She started reading the remaining pages.
"What does it say?" Kanami asks her friend.
"Hm. It says that Lab Discovery was built a long time ago. That all it says." Hana finish reading the pages.
"Damn." Ruri cursed.
"Now that we found the pages, Lucrecia, you said you found a file that included the pictures of Sying's helicopter before we were interrupted by Lars." Hana looks at her.
They followed the swordswoman to the table where the pictures were.
"That's definitely the insignia of Sying's family. But what's that in the smoke?" Ruri pointes at the two silhouettes in the smoke.
"I'm not sure, but it's tough to see what's in that smoke." Haruto said. "Even the next picture."
"This third picture here is showing a map of a town and a stronghold." Hana looks at the three pictures.
"I think we're looking at Sying's plans to attack the town and stronghold." Ruri folded her arms.
"Hm." Lucrecia looks back at the room and went back inside. She takes out a couple more files with several more pictures. Buildings were destroyed. Sying's soldiers training in a field. The next picture shows people laying on the ground dead with a bag over their face and arms tied behind their backs.
In the next photo was the exiled prince following a dark shadowy figure inside his tent. The dark shadowy figure had two dual swords on the back. In the last picture, everything was destroyed and there were giant paw prints. She could see the townspeople and the soldiers crushed to death where the giant paw prints lie. Lucrecia sets them on the top of the cabinet and went through the drawers. There wasn't any more files than the ones she found just now.
The swordswoman walks out of the records room, and she places the new pictures on the table. "And I just found these pictures in another file." She watches them looks at the new pictures and their expressions on their faces. Zoey was surprised. Hana, Kanami and Ruri lowers their heads as Haruto looks away.
"Is this...?" Hana lifts her head up.
"Yes." The young swordswoman slowly nodded in response.
"Oh my god." Ruri cover her mouth with her hand.
"We need to head back to Mana's place and tell them what we found." Kanami said.
"Let me take a few more pictures of this place and we'll be good to go." Zoey walks away and started to resume taking pictures of the place.
Several minutes later, Zoey was finished taking pictures and they all climbed back to the surface.
Jody folded her arms as she looks through the new pictures that Lucrecia and the others found in the underground library on the laptop from Zoey's camera. She was in the living room with Kevin and Lucrecia while the others were having Katsudon for dinner.
"So, The Exiled Prince and his army murdered the townspeople while fighting whatever these two figures were during the battle." Jody examines the pictures carefully.
Lucrecia nodded.
"And you encounter the swordsman, Lars. Sounds like all of you had quite the adventure down there in the underground library." Kevin said. "While the three of us found nothing."
"I agree." Mana agreed.
"You did well for this mission." Jody said, looking at Lucrecia.
"Thank you."
"But I'm greatly concerned about everything in these photos. The Exiled Prince, the shadowy figures, the giant paw prints, the town and the mountain stronghold. Why didn't anyone report about this? And who took these photos?" Lucrecia wondered.
"Your guess is good as ours right now, Lucrecia. But we can all agree that Sying attack and killed these people." Jody said.
"I hope they find that bastard one of these days." Haruto said.
"They will." Hana said to him.
"He was last seen escaping from his base that night five years ago after Leo destroyed the whole damn place." Jody replied.
"If Sying ever returns to any of the countries, he'll be arrested on sight." Kevin said.
"I'll be glad if Syng gets served with justice after what he's done." Haruto nodded.
"We all want to see that, Haruto." Ruri nodded.
"So what do we do about the photos and the book?" Kanami wondered.
"I'll bring the book to Bruce and tell him what we know so far. Zoey can keep the ones she found before this mission took place. The pictures can be with you or Crow, but the decision is yours, Lucrecia." Jody looks at the swordswoman. "You've known Leo when you were six. Panther gives you updates about Leo every day. Leo and Crow grew close to one another in these past five years. The time will come when the two of you will meet after fourteen years."
Lucrecia lowers her head to think for a moment and looks up at her. "You can take the first file to give to Crow. I'll hold onto the second file."
"Fine." Jody nodded.
After dinner, Lucrecia walks into the bathroom and started to undress herself. She turns on the hot water and steps into the shower. The water ran from the top of her head and ran down to her feet. Lucrecia wasn't ready to speak to Leo when they were kids after the incident. What the hell would she say to him if she did meet her childhood friend after all these years?
Lucrecia knew that the others are right. But she gave Panther some Shikigami to protect Leo. It was the least Lucrecia can do. After what happened with the incident fourteen years ago, Lucrecia began her kendo training. The young swordswoman grabs some shampoo and starts washing her hair.
Lucrecia did hear of her two-childhood friend's disappearance several months ago. And their Shikigami has not been touch since Leo and Panther's disappearance. Sheila and Rick have been updating Lucrecia if they learned anything new about Leo and Panther. It was good to know they're safe in Gongmen City. Hopefully they'll both return.
The young woman turns the water off and steps out of the bathtub to dry herself off. She dried herself off and looks into the mirror. Lucrecia is proud that she kept her body in shape over the years because she trained hard. It was good. She started thinking back to her days in middle school when she and her class had to measure their bodies before Leo and the others came to Japan a week after their bodies were examined.
Lucrecia puts on her pajamas after brushing her teeth and exits the bathroom where Jody was waiting for her at the desk. The commander sets her laptop and opens it up to call Sheila. Sheila appears on the screen with Rick and Crow.
"Morning Jody." Rick said.
"Good morning. The reason why I'm calling you right now is because of these." Jody holds up the book and the two files.
"You found more pictures?" Sheila raised her eyebrows.
"Correct."
"And what about the book?"
"The book contains a tiny bit of information about Lab Discovery. The lab is also containing some being called The Great One, according to Lars who knows something about Lab Discovery and The Great One." Jody replied. "Until we know more information, that's all we know for now. Moving on to these two folders, these pictures contain Prince Sying attack a town. Along with giant footprints." She held two pictures to show them.
"Oh no."
"Sying's handiwork along with these two shadowy figures. It's tough to make it out." Jody shows them the next picture.
"Did you find these at the underground library and the shrine?"
"Lucrecia's group found the pictures and the pages in the underground library where Mana, Kevin and I found nothing at the shrine."
"I'm glad that you found some new information."
"Kevin and I will return two weeks. To deliver this file to you, Crow, when Leo and Panther return someday. Lucrecia decided to give these to you while she holds on to the other file."
"That's fine then." The Empath nodded. "And thank you for finding these pictures, Lucrecia."
The swordswoman nodded her head. "We'll need to be ready when we show these to Leo."
"I understand."
"Kevin and I will see you in two weeks. Enjoy your day." Jody said to them.
"And you enjoy your time in Japan." Sheila smiles before ending the call.
"Good night, Lucrecia." Jody said to the swords woman before exiting the bedroom.
"Wait a minute, Jody."
The commander turns around to her. "What is it?"
"You still worry about them?"
"Every day."
"I know. He views you as a best friend and a mother figure." Lucrecia said.
"All of us know Leo wouldn't admit me as a mother figure, but a best friend." The commander walks over to sit on the edge of the bed with Lucrecia. "Especially when it comes to Master Lee. Leo never said "Father" to him after Lee adopted him for fourteen years."
"You think he'll ever call Lee "Father"?"
"I don't think Leo will, but maybe one day in the future. I remember I met you all at Tao Palace when you were six."
"I remember that."
"He didn't show any fear on the missions I gave him and there were times that he froze in fear when he sees a feline like a tiger or a cat, but he does complete the mission. I can always tell Leo has something on his mind and I do by best to give him advice. It's good to know those two are safe and looking out for each other, as I look out for him when he helps Task Force 493 on several missions."
Lucrecia nodded her head.
"I'll see you in the morning, Lucrecia." Jody stands up.
"Good night." Lucrecia said as she watches the commander walks out of the bedroom. Before she went to bed, Lucrecia took one last look at night sky. She wonders what the future would bring if she and Leo meets again after fourteen years.
Author's Note: I'm glad where I went with this chapter. It was about time for Lucrecia and her friends to find some clues. So I hope you all enjoyed this chapter everyone! Don't forget to Follow, Favorite, PM and leave a review! See you all in the next chapter of this excellent story!