"Zane, you're playing dirty!!!"
Belle scrambled out of the snow pile, immediately launching into her complaint. This was supposed to be a snowball fight—yet Zane had gone and built an entire snow mountain.
That wasn't even the same dimension of attack!
"Huh? So you do want to keep going?"
Zane raised an eyebrow, giving her a faint, amused smile.
The pure joy of their reunion had been diluted somewhat by her antics, but it was replaced with a comfortable familiarity—which wasn't so bad.
"Fine—but you're not allowed to use that much snow again!"
Belle didn't answer him directly, but her meaning was obvious. Zane nodded in agreement.
Perking up immediately, she was just about to rally the others into a united front when she saw Zane raise his hand ever so slightly. Ether crystals began condensing in an instant.
Six hollow crystal tubes, each the width of a bowl, locked together. Zane gripped the newly formed handle with one hand, gathering a torrent of Anomaly energy.
The crystal barrels began to rotate slowly, releasing ripples of elemental power. Belle's expression froze.
"You're still playing dirty!!!"
...
"Anything special happen while I was gone?"
Outside the cat café, Zane stood beside Wise, casually batting away a snowball as he asked.
As members of Phaethon, Belle and Wise had plenty of information sources—about the Shepherd and other allies...
"Nothing major," Wise replied. "Just a few unusual commissions, and we've been continuing to work with Belobog Heavy Industries to investigate that matter..."
He spoke plainly, leaving nothing out.
Zane nodded, piecing together the recent developments. Looked like his absence hadn't affected Belle and Wise much. Next up would probably be the Twin Hollows...
They chatted for a bit longer, but nearby Nicole finally gave up. Tossing away the half-formed snowball in her hands, she waved.
"I'm done—can't land a single hit on him. Not fun anymore."
Anby nodded in firm agreement. The door to the Tanuki House was nearly buried in snow, yet Zane stood there completely untouched...
That kind of effortless composure sucked the fight right out of you.
Belle grit her teeth at him, reluctant to concede, but after looking at her frozen, reddened hands, she finally gave up.
She had barely stuffed her hands into her pockets for two seconds when a snowball zipped through the air and smacked her squarely between the brows.
"What are you doing? Don't slack off."
Belle rocked back slightly before dropping into the snow with a plop. The icy sting on her forehead and Zane's teasing tone made her eyes glisten.
She bit her lip and forced herself upright. Nicole, sensing this could go bad, started to speak up to calm her down—
But before Belle could act, Zane walked over, waving a hand.
"Alright, alright—any more and someone's going to be out of commission."
He chuckled softly, then rested his palm on her head, gently ruffling her hair. The air around them grew warmer as threads of fire-aspected energy spread outward.
Looking at her still-sour expression, Zane sighed and said quietly,
"You're not built for the cold. Keep this up and you'll be a runny-nosed, teary mess—like this..."
He raised his other hand, conjuring a palm-sized ice sculpture in perfect detail, matching his description exactly.
Belle felt the heat around her and eyed the sculpture, frowning.
"Ugly."
"Haha, fair enough."
With a flick of his wrist, the sculpture vanished. He lowered his hand, met her gaze, and continued,
"You're terrible at this but love to play anyway. I was a bit over the top, so... how about I follow your lead for the rest of today?"
"Really?"
Belle eyed him suspiciously.
"Mm."
Zane nodded. Belle's mood eased, though she knew he was just humoring her—still, a promise was a promise.
With a small smile, he turned and waved for everyone to follow, heading toward the cat café.
"Come on inside. I've got something important to discuss, and I want to hear... your thoughts."
When they reached the café, Zane exhaled lightly, sweeping the snow away from the Tanuki House in an instant. The area was spotless.
He pushed open the door and stepped in. Belle's gaze flicked to a snow-covered little car nearby, her eyes narrowing before she hurried after him.
The others quickly followed them inside.
...
"So—will Hares' House take the deal?"
"Nicole, hasn't making a name for yourself in New Eridu always been your goal?"
Inside the Tanuki House, Zane asked with an easy smile. Nekomata's eyes went wide with excitement as she glanced at Nicole, waiting for her answer.
"I think it's a great fit, Boss Nicole. Sure, it's not exactly our original aim, but this is the perfect chance to model ourselves after the Starlight Knights!"
"Think about it—drawing attention in the open while clearing out the bad guys? That's awesome!"
Billy, ever the live wire, was quick to voice his approval, in stark contrast to the otherwise serious atmosphere.
Across the room, Anby simply looked to Nicole. Whatever her choice, she'd go along with it.
Belle and Wise, however, frowned in thought. Risky as it was... the higher the risk, the greater the reward.
"Zane, you seem... different."
Nicole's calm expression suddenly softened into a smile, her quiet words easing the tension in the room.
"But... I like it."
She took a deep breath, her expression sharpening into resolve.
"Hares' House is here to make big moves!"
"So, we're buying in."
Her tone carried both weight and edge.
"You're sure?" Zane asked, his gaze narrowing slightly. "The crisis you'll face is bigger than you think—"
"I'm sure," Nicole cut in, firm.
Zane studied her for a couple of seconds before nodding, his eyes brightening.
Then he turned to Belle.
"Belle, the Hollows Forum should be stronger than ever by now. It's been a focal point for Fire Pickers for ages, and it's still standing. That says plenty about its reach."
Belle nodded. These days, the Hollows Forum was the central hub in all of New Eridu for anything related to the Fire Pickers.