As the butler of Victoria Housekeeping, Lycaon often led the maids into various Hollows to carry out missions, gaining extensive experience with all kinds of them.
He could tell at a glance.
The void disaster before them had already reached Level 1—extremely difficult to deal with. Left unchecked, it would inevitably grow into an S-Class Hollow.
Even if Hoshimi Miyabi, the Chief of Hollow Special Operations Unit 6, were here in person, she would find it hard to stop its expansion at this stage. At best, she could only slow it down.
And yet—
Those two birds and a deer had not only stopped the Hollows' expansion but even rammed into it, forcing it into decline.
Lycaon couldn't comprehend it. What kind of power could accomplish such a feat?
Beside him, Rina was equally shaken.
"Who on earth are they?"
Ellen, still sucking on her lollipop, frowned.
"Where did these birds come from? Where did that deer come from?"
Corin spoke timidly.
"I... I passed by the cinema last week and saw a poster with a crane on it. I think it was from an old movie..."
Ellen waved her off impatiently.
"That was just a movie. Gods aren't real."
Just then, the familiar sound of a harp drifted into the air.
The group immediately recognized it. The temporary maid from Victoria Housekeeping had arrived.
Clutching her chainsaw, Corin quickly turned—and found Venti standing behind her.
Venti sidestepped the chainsaw and chuckled.
"Careful now. I'd rather not get sawed in half..."
Corin apologized in a flurry.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Corin didn't realize Mr. Venti was behind her..."
Seeing her so earnest, Venti quickly reassured her.
"Hey, no need to apologize so much. It's fine—the chainsaw didn't touch me."
At the side, Rina sighed.
"Venti, you didn't even wear the maid outfit today."
Lycaon shook his head helplessly.
"Forget it..."
It was a trivial matter. The real concern was the Hollows—and those two cranes and the stag.
Lycaon spoke seriously.
"Venti, look at them. Just now, that stag forced a newly emerged Level 1 Hollows into decline with a single charge."
Hearing this, Venti walked up beside him. Without even needing binoculars, he could clearly see the situation on Ninth Street.
Her expression was calm, as though none of this surprised her.
"They've arrived. Things will be fine now. We don't need to worry anymore."
"You know them?"
"Uh... ahem, of course not. But it's obvious they're incredibly powerful—far stronger than this wandering bard."
Venti sighed softly, as if lost in thought.
But Lycaon and Rina didn't buy her words. It was clear from her expression, her tone, and the way she spoke—Venti definitely knew the two cranes circling above Ninth Street and the stag half-submerged in the Hollows.
Exchanging a glance, Lycaon and Rina dropped the matter.
If Venti didn't want to admit it, there was no point pressing him.
But Lycaon decided he would investigate the origins of the cranes and the deer himself.
...
At that very moment, on Ninth Street—
With Cloud Retainer, Mountain Shaper, and Moon Carver arriving on the scene, the three Adepts swiftly unleashed immortal arts to suppress the Hollows.
The methods they used were staggering—unheard of, unseen before.
As the Hollows entered decline, the surrounding citizens—some recording on their phones, others livestreaming—finally let out sighs of relief.
Inside one of the livestreams, viewers clamored excitedly:
"Streamer! The Hollows is fading! Get closer—we want to see that ten-meter-long crane..."
"Damn! That collision just now was insane! Zoom in—I wanna see that giant stag, it's unreal..."
"Unbelievable. They actually forced the Hollows into decline."
"The other two cranes are incredible too—one spat out wind, the other water. They completely suppressed it."
"Please, streamer, get closer! Show us the stag!"
...
Spurred by the chat, the citizen mustered his courage and stepped a little closer toward Moon Carver.
Even from a hundred meters away, looking up at the towering creature was breathtaking. The stag stood like a mountain.
With the three Adepts revealed and livestreamed to the world, news spread across the internet like wildfire.
...
Meanwhile, on Fifth Street—
Hoshimi Miyabi had just received orders from headquarters and was driving at full speed with Asaba Harumasa and Soukaku toward Ninth Street.
Halfway there, Asaba Harumasa shoved his phone toward her, face full of shock.
"Section Chief, look at these pictures!"
Hoshimi Miyabi frowned as she took the phone.
"You photoshopped these?"
Asaba Harumasa quickly shook his head.
"No, I found them online. Someone claimed to have taken them near Ninth Street."
Hoshimi Miyabi's brows knit as a thought struck her.
"Could it be... them?"
Just yesterday, after Tsukishiro Yanagi and the others returned from Liyue, Liyue's high officials had convened a meeting—one she had attended.
There she had learned: the Liyue Adepts were two cranes and one stag. Their true forms were said to tower a hundred meters high, capable of blotting out the sky itself.
Asaba Harumasa added, "It also says the Hollows were forced into decline by that stag's single charge."
At this, Soukaku grew ecstatic.
"Perfect! No need for the mission anymore. Let's take a detour to Sixth Street for ramen!"
Hoshimi Miyabi drew a deep breath.
"No. We're going to see for ourselves what's happening..."
The moment the words left her lips, she pressed harder on the accelerator, speeding toward Ninth Street.
Before long, they were close.
From a distance, they could already see two cranes soaring across the sky. Clearly, the photos online were real.
Upon entering Ninth Street, however, Hoshimi Miyabi, Soukaku, and Asaba Harumasa found no trace of the towering stag—only the two cranes and the crowd of citizens.
Hoshimi Miyabi was about to ask the onlookers when another stretch limousine pulled up.
Out stepped Tsukishiro Yanagi, Sam Li, Nicole, Hu Tao, Xiangling, and the others.
The moment they saw each other, Tsukishiro Yanagi hurried over.
"Miyabi, you're here too."
Hoshimi Miyabi nodded.
"Yes. I heard a severe Level 1 Hollows Disaster had erupted here and came to handle it..."
But before they even arrived, the Hollows had already declined—brought low by a single strike.
Glancing at the receding void, then at the colossal cranes circling in the sky, Hoshimi Miyabi drew a deep breath.
"These are the Adepts you brought back?"
Tsukishiro Yanagi nodded.
"Yes. Once they learned of the Hollows disaster, the three Adepts rushed here at once."
Hoshimi Miyabi frowned.
"Three?"
Tsukishiro Yanagi smiled faintly.
"Over there—that is the Adeptus Moon Carver. He has already taken human form. The giant stag spreading online is his true body."