After the Vanquishers left and Caesar expressed her gratitude, Zhong Yan did not linger long in Blazewood Town. He immediately activated Kamui and departed, returning to where Airi and Chi were waiting.
Zhong Yan's return prompted Airi, who had been sitting on the ground, to spring up instantly. She pointed at the dejected Chi beside her and said, "Boss, look at him. He's been moping like that for ages. No matter what I say, it's useless!"
At first, Airi had been extremely excited about the task Zhong Yan assigned. But once the novelty wore off, she realized Chi was practically a block of wood—completely unresponsive and refusing to eat or drink. At this rate, he would starve himself to death.
That was why she came to complain, hoping Zhong Yan would take over. After all, she couldn't handle it anymore.
"Your patience is seriously lacking. I wasn't even gone that long, and you're already throwing in the towel," Zhong Yan said, a little helpless, looking at the pouting Airi.
Hearing this, Airi pouted even harder but didn't argue—because he was right. Her patience... wasn't exactly her strong suit.
After that, Zhong Yan walked over to Chi, who was sitting at the edge of the cliff, staring blankly into the distance.
Just yesterday, his comrades had been joking about what to eat for dinner. Now, only a day later, they had been reduced to the Exaltists' test subjects.
The overwhelming contrast left him unable to fully accept reality. Thankfully, Zhong Yan had used Tsukuyomi in advance to show him what would happen, preventing him from completely losing his will to fight.
He just needed time to calm down.
"I've found some information related to the Exaltists," Zhong Yan said in a calm voice as he stood beside the hollow-eyed Chi.
Hearing that, Chi's eyes flickered. He raised his head, looking at Zhong Yan with a spark of desperate hope.
Maybe it wasn't too late. If he could catch those Exaltist bastards, he might be able to save his comrades.
However, this time, Zhong Yan disappointed him.
"The Exaltists' informants in the Outer Ring told me they've already left New Eridu. It'll be at least three months before they return—maybe longer. There's no way to pin down an exact time. Catching them now would be nearly impossible."
This was the undeniable truth Zhong Yan had gleaned from the memories he had read.
"So... there's no saving them..." Chi muttered, his expression darkening.
He didn't think Zhong Yan was lying. He had experienced firsthand how cunning the Exaltists were.
And besides, given that he had wounded two of the Twelve Shields, it made sense they would need time to recover.
"If you don't feel comfortable being alone—or living with her—there's a place called Blazewood Town, still in the Outer Ring. There's a biker gang there called the Sons of Calydon. You might want to try fitting in with them. Maybe... you'll find a way out of the darkness."
The idea of sending Chi to the Sons of Calydon had occurred to Zhong Yan after his visit to Blazewood Town.
Caesar, Burnice, and even the hot-tempered Lucy were trustworthy companions. To move past the trauma of losing comrades, the best solution was to find a new circle of companions.
The Sons of Calydon were the perfect choice.
"So, you're trying to find me... replacements?" Chi lifted his head slightly and said slowly, "But if that's an order, I'll obey. Also... I really don't like that pink-haired girl. Her voice is too loud—it gives me a headache. At least, I don't like the way she talks."
Chi seemed a little more alive, though his words quickly drew Airi's fierce glare.
"Hey, you ungrateful jerk! I spent hours comforting you, and now you're complaining that my voice is too loud?! Fine, go find someone else to babysit you! I'm done! Ugh, you're so infuriating!"
Zhong Yan didn't know how to respond. He had worried about internal conflicts within the organization, but from the looks of it... this was just harmless bickering.
After a moment of silence, Zhong Yan patted Chi's shoulder and said, "You'll get used to it. From now on, you two are stuck together."
After that, he gave them a new task—to live in Blazewood Town for a while, their mission being to secretly protect the Sons of Calydon.
As Pompey had said, the Vanquishers wouldn't let this go easily, and Zhong Yan couldn't always be there to shield them.
Thus, sending his own people was the next best solution—and maybe, in the process, Chi could heal his heart.
With nothing else to do, Zhong Yan activated Kamui once again and returned to New Eridu.
It was already evening.
Having not rested for an entire day, Zhong Yan barely made it through his front door before collapsing into bed.
When he finally woke up, it was already noon the next day—and his life returned to its usual rhythm.
...
In the blink of an eye, more than a month passed.
Everything in the Outer Ring went smoothly. The Exaltists never appeared, and Airi and Chi successfully protected the Sons of Calydon.
Incidentally, Chi's mood had improved quite a lot. He and Airi were getting along surprisingly well—still arguing, of course, but unmistakably friends now.
As for Zhong Yan... unfortunately, his summer break had ended.
Back to school life—early mornings, late nights, the whole grind. It was agonizing for someone who had just gotten used to vacation.
But there was no helping it. Being a student was his cover in this world. Abandoning it would mean giving up his peaceful life.
Still, to say Zhong Yan's life was completely peaceful now wouldn't be accurate either. For instance, just that afternoon, after returning home from school, he received a sudden phone call from Anby.
Normally, Anby wouldn't call directly—she'd send a message first. So, if she was calling, it had to be something urgent.
Without hesitation, Zhong Yan set down his backpack and answered.
But to his surprise, the voice on the other end wasn't Anby's—it was Nicole's.
And her tone was filled with urgency... and a hint of accusation.
"Zhong Yan, what exactly did you do to Anby?!"