Back with Caelus and the Gang
"...excuse my rudeness, but may I ask why a famous Void Hunter is looking for me?" Caelus asks with a slight nervous tone as Miyabi sits right in front of him, with Phil and Mem sitting next to him.
After confirming that Miyabi is not here to arrest him for breaking the law several times, he shouldn't have any reason to be nervous around her. Despite being the Void Hunter, she is still a normal Thiren in the vast world of ZZZ. It also helps that Miyabi is one of his favorite characters in the game. Not for her being a Void Hunter, but her personality and the memes surrounding her.
Anyway, he's being completely nervous due to how much attention she has attracted with her mere presence. And since she's now talking with him, he also receives an equal amount of attention she got.
"First of all, I am sorry for coming unannounced," Miyabi apologizes. "I hope I didn't catch you at a bad time."
"No, I-it's fine..." Caelus responds.
"As for my reason for looking for you, I am here to seek potential H.A.N.D recruits, and you are at the top of the list." This causes Caelus and the gangs to freeze in surprise.
"...hold on, I am pretty sure I didn't hand any job application to H.A.N.D., only to H.I.A. There must be a mistake," Caelus says in confusion.
"...apologies, I didn't mean to confuse you," Miyabi apologizes once again. "But, this isn't a mistake. Our organization has some unconventional methods of seeking potential recruits, one of which includes providing reports on certain individuals. You're one of them."
"...so, you guys are spying on other candidates and me?" Caelus asks accusingly.
"It's more of the H.I.A agents recommended you and other candidates to our agents, before it was submitted to us," Miyabi explains.
"...is that even legal?" Caelus mutters. Judging from how Miyabi's long ears twitch, she heard his muttering but chose to ignore it.
"I am here to inform you that you have been given a chance to join our organisation through intense trials and exams. Would you like to try?" Miyabi asks.
"...is there a reason why I got the chance, besides being recommended by H.I.A?" Caelus asks as he subtly glances at Phil, who tries his best not to show any sign of jealousy, causing the young man to grimace a bit.
"Your feats are not a very well-kept secret to the TOPS and any organizations," Miyabi says bluntly. "The Canvas Street incident, assisting the Obol Squad, and the fall of the Legwork Family. Those are not something we could ignore."
"...oh, Aeons, the consequences of helping the DF, they just spill everything..." Caelus groans.
"Please understand the Defense Force is simply doing their jobs by reporting to their higher-ups," Miyabi says with an apologetic tone before glancing away. "And the higher-ups didn't train themselves in self-restraint."
"..." Caelus hears her mumble, and he feels his left eye twitch uncontrollably. Trying to keep a secret in ZZZ is basically useless when TOPS has ears and eyes everywhere. He merely sighs and glances at Miyabi.
"Then, what about my friend over here?" Caelus asks, causing Phil to snap his head towards him in disbelief. "He's a good candidate as well; surely he was recommended by your agents."
"Unfortunately, no," Miyabi says apologetically. "We...tend to avoid young people from joining, especially when they have yet to graduate."
"...what if I say no?" Caelus asks, causing Miyabi to widen her eyes a bit while Phil's jaw drops.
"...may I ask why?" Miyabi asks in confusion.
"Look, I have no motivation in joining the H.A.N.D, and this sounds stupid, but getting the chance of joining H.A.N.D feels like a punch to the gut for him. My friend over here wishes to join, specifically your squad, for a very long time, and I receiving the chance like it was handed on a silver platter feels a bit unfair." Caelus says as Phil continues to stare at him in disbelief before hitting him.
"You bloody idiot! You finally receive a chance to join one of the most sought-after organizations from a Void Hunter of all people, and you refuse it right in front of her face with zero hesitation? What is wrong with you!? Are you an idiot!?!" Phil exclaims as he hits Caelus, but due to Preservation, he didn't feel a single thing.
"...you seem to care for your friend," Miyabi points out, a small smile tugging at her lips.
"Of course," Caelus says with no hesitation, didn't bother to stop Phil from hitting his arm. "When I first arrived in New Eridu, I...was alone. My life has gone messy since that, and Phil here is the first friend I ever made here. I value friendships, and I wouldn't take his friendship for granted."
"..." Phil stops hitting Caelus as he lowers his head.
"Then what if I told you that your friends over here could get the chance of interning with us?" Miyabi asks as they both look at her in surprise.
"...I'm listening," Mem can't help but snort before shaking her head in exasperation. Before Miyabi could continue, Caelus' phone started ringing, causing everyone to blink.
"...I'm sorry, but may I pick this up?" Caelus asks sheepishly.
"Of course," Miyabi nods as Caelus nods before picking up the call.
"CAELUS!!!" Caelus winces as Miyabi's eyes widen upon hearing the familiar voice. "HELP!!! Your readers are after your head, and they're tearing the entire arcade apart just to get us!!!! Please!!!"
"...what is going on?" Caelus winces upon hearing a loud shatter at the background.
"What do you think!?!" Nicole asks in disbelief as Miyabi slowly approaches him.
"Caelus, may I ask why Nicole of the Cunning Hare is contacting you?" Miyabi asks, her voice turns cold. Caelus grimaces, and he could hear Nicole stiffen.
"...oh god, you ain't joking..." Billy mutters in shock.
"TL: DR, I am currently publishing a book to share a story with everyone, and I seek the Cunning Hares' help to sell it while also keeping them away from doing more crimes and helping them with their debts. And now, I receive reports of people after my head," Caelus says as Miyabi blinks at the explanation.
"...no amount of training would allow me to expect such answers," Miyabi says in surprise.
"...hi," Nicole greets shyly.
"I would say it's nice to meet you, Nicole Demara, but that would be a lie," Miyabi says in a dry tone. "I still remember how you scammed me for the Tailless."
"H-hey, let bygones be bygones, please. I'm turning over a new leaf now, doing honest work. Just ask the PubSecs here, they would vouch for me." Nicole says defensively.
"Um, but boss, didn't-?" Billy was cut off by Nicole, who let out a primal roar, and they all heard loud clanks from the other side, making them sweatdrop.
"Caelus, please help us control your fans. They have gone crazy," Anby says in a monotone voice.
"The PubSec is doing everything they can to stop the crowd from getting into the Arcade, but I fear they won't hold on much longer," Zhu Yuan says from the other side. "I couldn't contact the HQ for backup since they're busy dealing with their own issues. A help would be appreciated,Miyabi."
"...it seems we have to delay our conversation," Miyabi says as Caelus merely nods as they hang up the call.
"...Miss Hoshimi-," Caelus was immediately cut off by Miyabi, who shook her head.
"Call me Miyabi, Miss Hoshimi is...my late mother," Miyabi says in a somber tone as Caelus grimaces.
"Sorry, Miss Miyabi," Caelus apologizes. "Just wondering, how much trouble would I get for creating a fake account and spreading misinformation?"
"...what exactly is your plan?" Miyabi asks, wondering why Caelus is asking such things. Miyabi didn't want to admit it, but she couldn't help but shiver as she looked at the ugliest grin she had ever seen in her entire life.
Clearly, the H.A.N.D. and H.I.A. agents may have missed a few details on their reports regarding this man.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
With the Cunning Hares and PubSecs
"...Nicole, Billy, if anything happens to us, just so you guys know, it's a pleasure to work with you guys," Anby says, choosing to copy a scene from a movie.
"...yeah, it's been fun, Anby, boss." Billy decides to join in.
"...why am I not included?" Nekomiya mutters.
"And Nekomiya, we may not have worked for a very long time, but it's...nice working with you," Anby says hesitantly.
"Why are you hesitant to say this to me!?" Nekomiya asks in disbelief.
"Would all of you knock it off with the 'last moment' tropes, and think of a way to get out of this mess!?!" Nicole exclaims in frustration.
"...how are we having a hard time arresting them before, with how dysfunctional they are?" Seth mutters with a sweatdrop.
"Sometimes, people with unique talents tend to have a unique...quirk," Zhu Yuan sweatdrops. Then, to their surprise, the crowd outside the arcade has gone silent.
"...did the crowd somehow get their hands on a military weapon?" Anby asks, causing everyone to look at her in disbelief.
"Why in the world did you ask that?!" Nicole asks incredulously.
"Whenever things go quiet for us, it's always chaos follows suit," Anby explains, as if it were the most obvious thing ever. Nicole tries to argue before pausing and widening her eyes in realization. Then, she starts hitting Anby.
"Will you not jinx us!?!" Nicole exclaims as Anby merely sits there, taking every hit while Billy and Nekomiya pull her away. Seth nervously takes a peek through the window and blinks in confusion.
"Guys? They're gone..." Seth's words cause the Cunning Hares to grow nervous. Taking a leap of faith, they choose to walk out and try to find the enraged crowds. After a while, they have yet to find any signs of them.
"...where did they go?" Zhu Yuan mutters in confusion. Nicole pulls out her phone, planning to ask Caelus about it, before she notices a notification from the Inter-Knot. She planned on ignoring it, but the title on the notification makes her pause.
'Post: Trailblazer's exact location.'
This makes her anxious and opens it before her mind goes blank upon seeing the content. It was merely a link to sharing location, and it led to the PubSecs.
"..." Everyone curiously takes a peek at Nicole's phone, and their minds go blank as well.
'...why didn't we think of that?!'
To be Continued