Zane had more or less figured out what the twins were trying to do, but that didn't stop him from hesitating.
Dance?
He didn't know the first thing about dancing—utterly clueless. No one had warned him that meeting the twins would come with an invitation to dance.
The scattered Ether energy gradually gathered, and under the glow of light, the place resembled a real stage.
The Gray Veil Marionette glided past him, circled to his back, then to his front, her fingertips brushing lightly across his cheek. Without pausing, she took his hand and drew him along.
With spatial power guiding their movements, even though Zane didn't move on his own, he was carried smoothly, gliding with the Gray Veil Marionette through the dim light and shadows.
As she drew near the Black Veil Marionette again, she glanced at the one still standing motionless, lifted Zane's hand playfully, as if teasing her with unspoken words. The meaning wasn't hard to guess: the right partner, the right way.
The Black Veil Marionette, stiff as a wooden doll just moments ago, slowly straightened in response. Her arms rose gracefully, swanlike as she rejoined the dance.
And with her movement, the once-silent floor—where only the soft scrape of footsteps could be heard—was now filled with strange, delicate music, echoing gently.
...
The lights came back on, illuminating the interior of the building. Eous led the way, glancing back at Zane.
"Were you standing there the whole time? Didn't you get bored? That doesn't really sound like you..."
Belle's voice came through Eous. When she had gone to meet Zane, she found him still standing quietly in place, and now she couldn't help but feel puzzled... and uneasy.
"Hm? Doesn't sound like me? My apologies then. I'll make some adjustments..."
Zane's tone was calm, his face half-shrouded in shadow, making him look eerie, unsettling.
Hearing this, Eous unconsciously picked up the pace, her small body weakening.
Meanwhile, in the video store, the Belle in front of the HDD system was trembling. Though the shop was warm, she felt as though she were out in a snowfield, cold biting from all directions.
This is bad!
She hadn't thought much of it earlier—she'd sent Ellen and Corin to the control room to back up Lycaon, while she had gone to fetch Zane. With him, there shouldn't have been anything to worry about...
Halfway there, she remembered an ion-type Ethereal she'd run into before, one that could mimic human form, so she'd thrown in a half-joking question.
But now... this was no joke at all!
Her greatest support had become her deadliest threat, and she—a mere Bangboo—had no way to fight back.
Wrapped in a thick sense of dread, Belle could only pray silently that this was just Zane's idea of a joke, that none of it was real...
She picked up her pace to rejoin the others.
But as she hurried forward, her legs suddenly gave way—and she was lifted into the air, her feet no longer touching the ground. The unease inside her spiked sharply.
And then she realized—
She was being restrained.
By just two hands.
This is bad... This Zane really must be a fake... The real Zane never held her like this. Even if he did, he would hold her against his chest, not carry her around like a parcel...
Where was the real Zane?
Running off was one thing, but not even saying a word?
The creeping terror of being in the grip of a "fake" spread through Belle, freezing her stiff. Eous, too, seemed frozen solid.
At that moment, Zane walked in silence, gaze falling on the Eous in his hands, brows slightly furrowed.
Feels heavier than usual...
Tch... looks like he's scared.
Forget it. Nothing better to do anyway—might as well let Belle imagine things on her own.
He casually set Eous back down, watching its stiff little steps with a faint smile, then turned his thoughts back to the twins.
From the twins' reaction, and Nineveh's case in the past, it seemed likely he had some special influence over the Ethereals—perhaps enhancing their intelligence, or causing other changes.
Of course, that influence also shifted with his intent. If he bore hostility toward an Ethereal, it would grow more savage, even slightly stronger. He'd already suspected as much.
But if his intent wasn't entirely hostile, the influence was different—like with Nineveh, or like the twins now.
Thinking back, Zane couldn't help but sigh at how fate played out.
Back in the Zero Hollows, if Nineveh hadn't acted strangely at the start, if Hoshimi Miyabi hadn't intervened later, and if he himself hadn't been grounded...
In short, even a single misstep could have led to an entirely different outcome for Nineveh. Whether she would have survived to this day was uncertain.
Well... he wasn't even sure if she was still alive.
Next time he went to the Zero Hollows on business, he should take the chance to check. After all, Nineveh's secrets were tied to the Hollow's depths.
Lost in thought, Zane didn't notice how terrified Belle truly was.
But to him, it was all in good fun.
Belle really was more entertaining when flustered—though in her eyes, this was hardly "playful."
From the control room came the sounds of battle. Eous hurried in on short legs, spotting the group locked in combat with Ethereals.
It almost cried out instinctively, but remembering the "fake" trailing behind, quickly clamped its mouth shut and ran toward the others. Still too close. Too risky.
The Ethereals invading the control room were no match for Victoria Housekeeping and were quickly dispatched. Ellen closed her shark scissors, her expression calm, while Lycaon and Rina moved toward the equipment.
"I didn't expect the control room to be breached by Ethereals. Mr. Lycaon, is the equipment still intact?"
Rina asked with some concern. Lycaon glanced at the panel and replied,
"The backup power light on the console is still on. I'll begin checking immediately."
Rina nodded softly.
"Mr. Lycaon, let me help."
Not far away, Ellen and Corin stood relaxed after the fight, watching as Eous and Zane hurried in.
"Ellen, Ellen!"