"Anby, why did Zane ask us to come to this banquet? It feels so inappropriate..."
Elegant music drifted through the grand hall. Nicole sat in a corner, resting her cheek in one hand, clearly restless.
"Yeah, compared to everyone else here, the four of us look like country bumpkins..."
"Billy, what do you mean bumpkins! Hare's House has seen plenty of the world—can't you be a little more tactful?"
Because of his careless words, Billy immediately received a merciless smack and slumped into the corner with a sigh.
In this world, robots really were just punching bags...
Meanwhile, Nekomata didn't feel the slightest discomfort. Even though the setting was elegant and refined, it didn't stop her from happily stuffing herself with food.
Anby sat with her. She blinked, swallowed her bite, glanced around, and said,
"Nicole's right, we really don't fit in here... But Zane must have called us for something important."
"I know it's important, but I have no idea what. And look at those two over there—those stares are so annoying..."
Nicole waved a hand and sighed helplessly. If not for Zane's request, she wouldn't have lasted a minute in a place like this.
"It seems... the host of this banquet has a close relationship with Zane. Otherwise, there wouldn't be such a huge turnout."
Anby thought for a moment, then quickly realized the key point. She looked at Nicole and said,
"Maybe he wants to use this banquet to solidify Hare's House's reputation. Even with the endorsement of the Hollows Forum leader, plenty of people are still skeptical."
"If this banquet proves our credibility, it'll rise sharply. People will believe Hare's House really has the power and means to eliminate Hollows—that all those past incidents were our doing."
"And in that case, it's only natural they'll connect us to the Fire Pickers... which means we'll be under even more scrutiny than we already are."
As she spoke, Anby unconsciously set down her food, her expression growing more serious.
Just one day had already shown them how difficult this task really was... and there was still a long road ahead.
"I think that's exactly what Zane has in mind."
Billy nodded solemnly, as if he'd already predicted Anby's conclusion.
The banquet dragged on slowly, music flowing at a steady, unhurried pace. No one seemed to think it strange that the host still hadn't appeared.
And indeed, that was the truth—this banquet was less about celebrating Shin and more about providing a platform for different sides to mingle and connect.
The host's absence didn't matter.
Guests whispered quietly within their own circles, and no voice ever rose above the music.
The banquet remained hushed.
...
"Zane, are you really going through with this?"
"This is going to cause too much of a stir... I don't know if I can actually help you. Maybe... it's better to play it safe?"
Inside the video store, Shin spoke with concern. She had already changed into another gown, while Zane beside her now wore the black suit she had custom-made for him.
"Haha, if you call avoiding everything in the name of safety, that's not being cautious—that's being cowardly."
"After everything that's happened, I know I can't waste any more time. That's why I changed my mind. Better to go all in—there's really no harm in it."
"Of course, if you're worried I'll ruin your banquet, I can do it another way."
Zane smiled faintly, crouched down, and rubbed Panta's head. Belle watched the two of them with open curiosity.
Tsk, now she was interested...
She knew Shin, of course, but they weren't particularly close. From the sound of it, these two were planning something big.
"No need. Just do what you want. This banquet only exists because of you and me anyway. Honestly, if you hadn't accepted my invitation, I probably wouldn't have bothered coming."
"Hypocrisy is what I hate the most. And besides, it doesn't change anything. Enemies will still be enemies—a banquet won't make them otherwise."
"Go ahead, Zane."
Shin's voice was calm, but her support was absolute. After all... what he intended to do was what she had always wanted, but could never accomplish herself.
Zane looked up at her and smiled slightly.
"Mm. People must always pay for their actions. I'll weigh this judgment with the scales in my hands."
"Oh, right—Belle, I'll need your help, as well as Wise's and Fairy's. I'll explain everything in detail, but whether you take part or not will be your choice."
His gaze shifted to Belle, but she only nodded before speaking curiously,
"I'm in. Now hurry up and tell me what it is..."
Belle didn't wait to hear the details before deciding. She knew Zane well enough—if he was going to do it, then it wasn't wrong or meaningless. And if that was the case, why would Phaethon refuse to help?
As for danger, she and Wise had already chosen a path where safety wasn't an option.
"I'll tell you later. There's something else we need to handle first."
Zane nodded, his eyes falling on Panta.
"Little one, the Hive Master Hollow is still with you, isn't it? Maybe... you can hand it over to me?"
Ether energy spread from Zane's body as three small black spheres appeared, making Belle and Shin instinctively step back half a pace.
At the same time, something inside Panta seemed to resonate with the spheres. Zane could feel it.
Panta blinked at him, confused.
"Huh? Huh? (Boss, what's the Hive Master Hollow?)"
The moment it spoke, Panta's body twitched violently. The lights in its eyes dimmed and its body stiffened.
Two breaths later, it recovered—but now it was no longer the same. Its gaze held a strange mix of curiosity and relief as it looked at Zane.
Zane raised an eyebrow.
This wasn't Panta anymore... He had only meant to extract the Hollow, but clearly, something else had been triggered.
"The program activated... such a strong connection. I think I know who you are. Looks like Professor Arche really succeeded..."
Panta's soft body quivered. It seemed unfamiliar with its new control.
"You are..."