"Meow?"
The little black cat poked its head out from Zane's arms. Thanks to its small size, it had remained hidden beneath his coat, unnoticed until now.
"Tsk. Nocturne, you've got way more guts than most."
Zane glanced at the Cretan Hollow in Nocturne's paws and couldn't help but mutter.
Nocturne's Ether compatibility wasn't low, but just to be safe, Zane had summoned the Cretan Hollow to help buffer any Ether corrosion.
He hadn't expected the little guy to start playing with it.
To bystanders, it looked like the cat was just toying with some fancy object.
Like right now—Soldier 11.
"Zane, you're so sweet. You even brought it a toy."
Hearing her "genuine" admiration, Zane smiled faintly and, with a flick of his hand, produced another black orb out of nowhere like a magician.
It was the Lamia Hollow.
"Feeling jealous of the cat? You want a toy too?"
"Here. Catch."
He tossed the Lamia Hollow to Soldier 11. Reflexively, she reached out and caught it, the small orb landing perfectly in her palm.
"I'm not jealous... and I don't want a toy..."
Soldier 11 blinked at the black orb in her hand, then shook her head softly.
"Then why are you still holding it?"
Zane cradled Nocturne in one arm, raising his other hand in mock confusion, clearly amused.
"Hmm... well, I guess it's not so bad."
Soldier 11 weighed the orb in her hand, curiosity piqued. It was light, and the way it moved felt incredibly smooth.
Honestly... it kind of was a great toy.
"Haha. Then hold onto it."
Zane's eyes flashed with a hint of intent. Giving her a Hollow wasn't just for show—he could preemptively handle unexpected variables and reduce any risks to himself.
Especially considering that while the mission details were vague, the lead roles here were Obsidian Squad and Soldier 11...
"Um... thanks."
Soldier 11 blinked, looked up at Zane, and said softly.
A toy, huh... what a weird sensation.
Regaining focus, her expression turned serious again. She moved ahead, then turned back and instructed,
"Stay close."
A long blade appeared in her hand. Her eyes sharpened beneath her goggles, while the small black orb was tucked safely into her pocket.
Zane nodded, matching her suddenly quickened pace. Nocturne jumped down without needing instruction, the Cretan Hollow floating by its side.
The two—and the cat—rushed toward the Hollow's mid-layers. Inside Hollow Zero, the sky was dark as ink, thick and oppressive...
...
"No unauthorized personnel allowed beyond this checkpoint. Those with clearance may remain at the outer perimeter of Hollow Zero."
Soldier 11 eyed the security gate ahead. But before she could speak, the masked figure beside her brushed past and ran straight forward.
"Hollow Special Operations Unit 6! On a classified assignment—stand aside!"
Zane's voice rang out, cold and commanding, instantly stunning the guards into uncertainty.
Without hesitation, he pulled out Hoshimi Miyabi's ID.
"Move it! If something goes wrong, you're the ones who'll pay for it!"
Startled, the guards quickly accepted the ID with both hands. After verifying it, they waved him through.
Though clearly confused, none dared question further.
After all, the man had spoken forcefully. Delaying or scrutinizing him would only provoke trouble—better to let him through and avoid accountability or job risk.
Their monthly salary wasn't worth heroics.
This was Unit 6 business. If something went south, it was their mess—not the concern of low-tier grunts like themselves.
Zane nodded and gestured to Soldier 11, leading her through the checkpoint and into the mid-layers.
Following behind, Soldier 11 looked a bit stunned.
Just like that?
"Zane... what's your connection to Hollow Special Operations Unit 6? You actually have Hoshimi Miyabi's ID..."
She sounded wary. She'd never interacted much with Unit 6, but from what Trigger had told her, these people weren't exactly saints.
And more importantly...
Zane was an Ethereal.
He was a Fire Picker.
Unit 6 was literally created to eliminate Ethereals.
Fire Pickers were a special category of Ethereal—well within their jurisdiction.
And yet these two sides were... working together?
It was even more absurd than Obsidian Squad partnering with a Fire Picker.
"Relax."
Zane chuckled under the mask, casually flipping the ID between two fingers.
"I stole it."
...Stole?
Soldier 11 blinked, even more confused.
He stole an ID from the youngest Void Hunter?
And that Void Hunter hadn't canceled it?
That sounded beyond fake.
She lowered her gaze. Honestly, it was probably more believable that the Fire Picker and the Void Hunter were... cooperating.
There had to be something going on between those two...
While silently leading the way, Soldier 11 frowned in thought.
She didn't forget that she'd been beaten before—and sure, it still annoyed her. But if she looked past that...
Zane's humanoid form was... surprisingly good-looking.
Even in Ethereal form, he wasn't bad by her standards.
Could it be... Hoshimi Miyabi?
But an ID? From her? That was seriously important.
And for it to be in the hands of an Ethereal—the sworn enemy of Unit 6?
Duang!
Soldier 11 stopped abruptly.
"Hey! What are you spacing out for? We're on the move here."
"I thought I held back last time. You didn't actually get brain damage, did you?"
Zane frowned at her. She'd just walked right into a stone pillar, and was now crouched down, cradling her red forehead with both hands.
What the hell was going through her head?
"I-I'm fine..."
Soldier 11 crouched silently, eyes misty—but hidden beneath her goggles, no one could tell.
She slowly got back up, her head still throbbing.
That really did hurt.
After a short pause, she resumed the lead, taking Zane toward their target. But this time, she stopped overthinking it.
...
Unexpectedly, the path was eerily quiet. They hadn't encountered a single Ethereal so far, which puzzled Soldier 11.
When she left Hollow Zero before, she'd faced numerous fights along the way.
What she didn't notice was the faint glow coming from the black orb in her pocket—and from the one floating beside the little black cat.
Just as she and Zane rounded the corner of a crumbling building, Soldier 11 suddenly came to a halt, eyes narrowing as she looked ahead.
A piercing whistle echoed through the air. A signal flare shot skyward, exploding into a burst of brilliant red light.
In the pitch-black night, it was impossible to miss.
...