"So smooth… looks like someone's been taking care of it. Zhu Yuan would be so jealous if she saw this."
Qingyi lifted a strand of Zane's hair between her fingers, a faint smile curving her lips. Her fingers kept moving as she teased him.
As an Advanced Automaton, her hair wasn't real, so she had no such troubles. Zhu Yuan, however—and even Seth—often fretted over their hair.
"Maintained? Not really. It's probably just due to my body's unique properties..."
Zane had changed into his casual clothes and sat sideways on the sofa, letting Qingyi do whatever she was doing behind him.
This time, he wasn't even sure what kind of style she was trying this time, but he trusted her sense of style.
Of course, even if it turned out badly, he wouldn't care much—he never put much thought into his appearance anyway.
"Hmm... your hair color is quite special. You could pull off a lot of styles. Have you ever thought about cutting it shorter?"
Qingyi brushed aside a strand, studying it carefully before asking softly.
"I'll leave it to you, Senior."
Zane replied without much thought, his mind wandering elsewhere—to hollows and to time.
Time was a formidable force, one that surpassed even space. Naturally, mastering it was exponentially more difficult. Back in that small world, he'd only borrowed its power for an instant.
Zane himself still knew almost nothing about time. It was very different from when he first encountered spatial energy.
Back then, he had possessed it but couldn't use or control it. But with the power of time—he didn't even possess it at all.
He didn't even know what temporal energy looked like—he'd never seen it.
"Listen to me?"
Qingyi raised an eyebrow at his absentminded response, easily noticing that his thoughts were elsewhere. She decided not to press further and simply focused on braiding his hair.
Time passed quietly. The cats padded lazily around the cat café when suddenly, the sharp ring of a phone broke the calm inside the Tanuki House.
Zane's gaze drifted toward the sound. Qingyi instinctively paused her work, watching curiously as he stood up. She didn't say anything, but curiosity flickered in her eyes.
Who would call at this hour?
Zane walked over and picked up the phone. Before he could speak, a familiar voice came through the receiver.
It was Shin.
"Zane?"
Recognizing her voice, Zane replied,
"It's me. Are you calling about the Mobile Hollow, or is it something else...?"
He had planned to tell Shin about the Mobile Hollow first, since it was tied to Tyce—and Shin was familiar with him.
But because of certain suspicions in his mind, Zane had held back. He'd wanted to see how Shin would react first—to the incident, and to Tyce's involvement.
However, to his surprise, Shin didn't bring up the Mobile Hollow at all. She avoided the topic entirely, speaking instead about something else.
As she went on, Zane's brows furrowed. His surprise deepened, and his thoughts began to tangle.
A few moments later, he hung up the phone.
Qingyi, watching from the sofa, tilted her head and asked,
"What is it, Zane? Something serious? You don't look too good."
She crossed her legs casually, her expression curious but not worried. As long as Zane was around, she rarely felt the need to be.
"Life's full of surprises… a big Hollow swallowing a smaller one."
Zane sighed and shook his head helplessly before explaining,
"Senior, the Scepter Regiment found another large hollow inside Hollow Zero. The situation's unusual, so they haven't dared to act yet. Shin wants me to go take a look."
"What? A large hollow inside Hollow Zero?"
Qingyi frowned. Even her database had no record of such a thing—a hollow forming within another hollow.
It was absurd. Had Zane not said it himself, she would've never believed it.
Such a thing had never happened before.
By their very nature, Hollows weren't supposed to contain each other.
Of course, Zane entering other hollows through his own hollow was a different case entirely.
"So what will you do?"
As Qingyi's question fell, Zane's expression steadied again.
"Of course, I'll go check it out. And while I'm there, I'll tell Shin about the Mobile Hollow too."
His eyes flickered slightly. He could already sense that this incident might be connected to the Mobile Hollow.
Maybe it was Tyce's doing again.
Hearing that, Qingyi could only nod. But instead of leaving right away, Zane sank back into the sofa.
"Senior, finish this first. I can't show up like this, can I?"
He didn't care much about having no hairstyle or an ugly one—but going out with half a hairstyle done was another story.
Hearing that, Qingyi's gaze softened. She looked at his half-styled hair and let out a small laugh.
...
Inside Hollow Zero.
Falkenhayn Mercenary Troupe Headquarters.
"There... that should do it."
A cold, mechanical voice echoed amid the clamor of the base. Shin stood in a tent, issuing orders. Upon hearing the words, she turned toward Yano.
Yano met her gaze. His expression was calm, but a faint light shimmered in his eyes. The remaining half of his human face looked strangely out of place on his otherwise mechanical body.
Looking at the devices embedded in him, Shin pressed her lips together, then gave a small nod.
"I'm leaving it to you."
At her words, Yano nodded slightly.
"The operation is fully underway. Tyce has entered the final stage."
Tyce's voice was composed, but Shin's mind was filled with unease. Her thoughts drifted back to Zane.
Hollow Zero... I hope he's ready.
"There's no turning back now."
Tyce's gaze shifted from Shin to the tent's entrance. Beyond it, in the distance, a faint black shell loomed into view.
It was a massive hollow.
"Yeah... there's no turning back."
Shin nodded firmly, her expression resolute. Watching the orderly data unfold across the nearby monitor, she said quietly,
"Win or die."
"We'll win."
Tyce replied without hesitation, his tone calm but sure. Then he turned and walked out of the tent.
Shin watched his back, saying nothing.
Once he was gone, she turned back to the monitor. Countless glowing points pulsed on the screen, their rhythm steady and alive.
Her eyes deepened.
"This time... we'll take everything back."
...
At noon, the sun blazed overhead.
After the snow and rain, New Eridu finally basked in warm sunshine—perhaps a bit too warm this time. Many pedestrians on the streets had already switched to short sleeves.
Odd weather always got people talking—and lately, it had been especially strange.
"The Criminal Investigation Special Response Team should be here…"
Hoshimi Miyabi stood at the entrance of the Janus District Public Security Substation, her blade held loosely in one arm. Tilting her head toward the sign, she murmured to herself.
"Zane's master, Qingyi… she should be stationed here."
Before she could linger long, two officers approached her with cautious expressions, asking for her identification.
Snapping out of her thoughts, Miyabi's hand went automatically to her chest—only to find nothing there. She froze for a moment.
"Ah… I forgot again. I could've sworn I was wearing it…"
She sighed quietly, a bit exasperated, before giving the officers an apologetic smile. After explaining her identity and purpose, she offered an alternate method of verification.
A few minutes later, once her credentials were confirmed, Hoshimi Miyabi was cleared for entry.
She didn't mind the formalities—she respected the Public Security Bureau's procedures.
Her purpose today was clear: to meet Qingyi, Zane's teacher. Part of it was to confirm a thought she'd had for a while, but another part was simple curiosity—she just wanted to meet her.
The last thing she wanted was to cause trouble or draw attention to herself. Making a bad impression on Qingyi was the last thing she needed.
They'd only exchanged polite greetings in the past—but now, things were different.
This was Zane's senior!
Once her ID was cleared, her Section 6 credentials let her move freely through most of the bureau. After asking for directions to the Criminal Investigation Special Response Team, she made her way there.
Turning down two hallways, Miyabi stopped before a door and knocked. A few seconds later, it opened—revealing Seth.
Seth blinked in mild confusion, scratching his head as he asked,
"Hello? Who are you here to see?"
She looked familiar somehow—but also not quite. And then it clicked. Oh right, wasn't this the friend of Superior Officer Zhu Yuan?
It had been a while since their last meeting; he'd nearly forgotten about her.
"Section Chief Ya, Superior Officer Zhu Yuan isn't here today. If you're looking for her, you can probably catch her tomorrow."
Miyabi glanced past him into the office, then shook her head slightly.
"I'm here to see Senior Qingyi."
Because of Zane, Miyabi had changed her tone of address, now respectfully calling her Senior.
Hearing that, Seth's confusion deepened. Senior Qingyi? Since when were Section Chief Hoshimi Miyabi and Senior Qingyi so close…?
Could it be through Zhu Yuan? That must be it. Given how close the two women were, it made sense that Miyabi and Qingyi would have become acquainted as well.
Once he understood her reason, Seth didn't ask further. He turned back to his desk and resumed his work.
At the far end of the room, Qingyi was arranging a tea set, seemingly preparing to brew a pot. The sound of Miyabi's arrival, however, drew her attention.
Their gazes met.
Qingyi looked on with faint curiosity, while Miyabi swallowed hard, tension tightening her chest.
She'd rehearsed this encounter countless times in her mind—yet standing here now, she couldn't stay composed.
Knowing that the sword techniques she'd inherited might have originated from Qingyi, passed through Zane, then to her—it made her shoulders feel heavier.
Though she'd met Qingyi before, the feeling this time was entirely different. This was the weight of standing before someone of higher standing.
Her thoughts tangled together in a blur." ou "Her mind whirled with thoughts. Before Qingyi could even speak, Miyabi gripped the hilt of her sword with one hand, drew it slightly, and pointed the blade toward Qingyi.
"Let's have a duel."
The room went still.
Qingyi froze, staring blankly at her.
Wait. What?
Had she heard that right? What was this Section 6 Chief doing—challenging her to a duel out of nowhere?
Completely dumbfounded, Qingyi blinked in disbelief. Not far away, Seth's eyes had gone wide as well.
Wasn't she supposed to be here for a visit? Her tone had sounded so polite! How had this suddenly turned into a duel?!
He'd thought today would be uneventful as usual—but apparently not.
Even Miyabi looked just as startled now.
This was what she'd come here for… but how had she blurted it out like that?!
She'd meant to phrase it more delicately, maybe as a "sparring match" or "a request for guidance." But somehow, the words "Let's duel" had just slipped out.
Now that it was said, there was no taking it back.
She pressed her lips together. She could always explain after the fight.
As for why she didn't explain now… well, she hadn't thought that far ahead.
"Forgive me, but may I know the reason?"
"After all, for an Advanced Automaton like me to spar with a Void Hunter—it's quite an honor."
Qingyi calmly tidied up her teaware before standing to face Miyabi.
At her words, Miyabi replied evenly,
"Zane."
After a brief pause, she added,
"Only a pure martial arts contest."
Hearing that, Qingyi frowned slightly. She didn't know what had happened, but she still nodded in agreement.
If it was just hand-to-hand combat, that was fine by her.
Still… what had her good disciple done this time, dragging this Void Hunter into it?
She made a mental note to ask later—and maybe settle the score.
Moments later, the two headed toward the training grounds.
...
Meanwhile, deep within Hollow Zero, another "duel" was taking place.
"Really? Not even a hug?"
"We finally meet, and you're being so cold? You're going to break my heart…"
Inside the Falkenhayn Mercenary Troupe's base, a woman sat in a wheelchair, her gaze soft and unwavering as it locked onto Zane. One hand rested delicately over her chest, her tone carrying a hint of playful pleading.
She looked pitiful—almost endearingly so.
Beside her, Zane's brow furrowed slightly. His gaze drifted toward Shin, who stood off to the side pretending to be uninvolved, and his frown deepened.
Then his eyes returned to the unfamiliar woman before him. Hearing her repeat her request, he silently took two steps back.
What in the world was this?
He was supposed to be here for serious business—so why was this happening?
This woman clearly knew who he was, and Shin was definitely behind this.
"Really… not even one hug? Just one…"
Her voice came again, soft and pleading.
Zane gave her a puzzled glance, said nothing, and turned on his heel to leave.