Yanagi's concerns were perfectly reasonable. If the enemy reacted now and changed positions, they could still end up trapped here.
Tracking down the enemy would also become much more difficult. However, it wasn't impossible that Wise had said those things deliberately to create psychological pressure.
"Please don't worry about that. I made some adjustments to the way the enemy monitors us. What he sees is simply us discussing our next course of action. However, this isn't a long-term solution. Given enough time, the inconsistencies will eventually become noticeable."
Wise's explanation immediately put Yanagi more at ease. The enemy's earlier words had worried her enough that even her stomach had started to hurt.
"Then without further ado, let's continue!"
Thanks to Wise, the four members of Section 6 were in high spirits. After all, they only needed to hold out a little longer before bringing the enemy to justice.
However, before entering the next checkpoint, Yanagi reminded Soukaku and Miyabi to avoid taking direct action in the upcoming battle whenever possible.
Although Wise could restore them to their original state, allowing the enemy to analyze their data was still far from ideal.
If they could manage without exposing themselves, it was naturally better to do so.
Soon, everyone transformed into streams of light once more and set off in pursuit of the second fish that had slipped through the net.
But upon entering the checkpoint again, Harumasa, who had originally been restored to human form, unexpectedly transformed back into a Bangboo.
It seemed the enemy still refused to give up and had tampered with the data once again.
This time, he had specifically reinforced his defenses to prevent any loopholes from appearing.
For Wise, however, it wasn't a major problem—merely a minor inconvenience.
After helping Harumasa recover once more, they resumed their pursuit of the monster within the checkpoint. With Wise's assistance, the task was naturally completed with ease.
"Damn it!"
The enemy's furious yet helpless roar echoed throughout the area.
Clearly, after seeing two monsters already eliminated, he could no longer remain calm.
"Oh? Are you already throwing a tantrum because of your own incompetence? Data manipulation, terrain manipulation, backend manipulation... You've used every trick at your disposal, yet you still can't defeat us. I think knowing when to give up is a form of wisdom as well."
The moment the enemy appeared again, Yanagi seized the opportunity to attack his psychological defenses while simultaneously buying time for Wise to locate him.
"Hmph! Don't think you've already won! But this time, I agree with you. Giving up is indeed a kind of wisdom..."
The enemy's tone returned to calm.
Hearing this, Yanagi feigned surprise. Despite maintaining a serious expression, she continued her mockery.
"Oh? It's been a long time since I've met such a sensible villain. I'll help you fight for some prisoner rights. Maybe I can even get you a pork cutlet bowl during interrogation, one that Soukaku hasn't already eaten."
"Hehehe. When I said give up, I meant giving up on you. Without you around, even with Phaethon helping them, those three would be much easier to deal with. So I've decided to temporarily stop targeting you and focus on the real problem instead..."
For the first time, Yanagi's calm expression cracked, replaced by a hint of panic.
"...Wait... what are you planning to do?"
"Get out of my world and stop getting in my way!"
As the enemy's words echoed through the space, Yanagi's vision suddenly went blank. When she opened her eyes again, she found herself back in the HIA Club lobby.
"Miss Yanagi?! You...! You...!"
The staff member beside her burst into tears of joy the moment she woke up, becoming too emotional to speak properly.
"I... I'm... Could it be...!"
Yanagi looked around and immediately realized she had returned to reality.
At that moment, the staff member finally managed to shout, "Miss Yanagi! You're finally awake! That's great! That's great! You're back! You're back in the real world!"
"...I see. The others haven't returned yet."
Yanagi glanced at the three VR pods beside her, all of which were still active. Quickly regaining her composure, she explained everything that had happened in the virtual world to the staff member.
She then instructed her to immediately contact HAND headquarters and request both electronic warfare specialists and a medical team.
At the same time, she ordered the HIA Club sealed off, with all entrances and exits secured and no one allowed to enter or leave.
Meanwhile, outside the building, Belle noticed that her brother had been gone for quite some time. The members of Section 6 had also yet to emerge.
She couldn't help but wonder if something had gone wrong. After all, her brother hadn't looked well when he left.
Though worried, Belle continued waiting patiently.
Back in the virtual world, the remaining three immediately noticed Yanagi's disappearance. They cried out in surprise before turning worried gazes toward Wise.
"Don't worry. Yanagi... Miss Yanagi is fine. Just as that person said, she was sent back to the real world."
"So the Deputy Chief is safe?"
Wise nodded confidently in response to Harumasa's question.
The three of them visibly relaxed.
"Yanagi is fine? Then I'm relieved!"
"I see. That's good."
None of them seemed particularly concerned about their own situation. They were simply relieved that Yanagi had escaped safely.
Meanwhile, in the real world, after finishing her explanations, Yanagi immediately attempted to log back into the VR world.
Every attempt ended in failure.
"Damn it! Ever since the enemy kicked me out of the system, I haven't been able to log back in. After several attempts, even the login link disappeared..."
Because he couldn't beat her, he simply locked her out.
Could there be anything more shameless than that?
Yanagi's anxiety continued to grow. So much time had already passed. Even with Phaethon's assistance, the situation inside had to be difficult.
And she could do nothing from out here.
Meanwhile, in the virtual world, the enemy wasted no time launching another offensive after Yanagi's departure.
The sheer number of enemies was exhausting just to look at.
Although Miyabi seemed excited by the challenge, Wise could only sigh and prepare himself seriously for battle.
In the past, he had relied on his charm to prevent enemies from resisting before eliminating them. But now he was facing nothing more than manipulated, unconscious data.
With his current Charm stat, that approach was obviously ineffective.
Unless he increased it even further and unleashed its full potential.
But the consequences...
Wise glanced at Soukaku, Harumasa, and Miyabi beside him before immediately abandoning the idea.
Besides, this was a good opportunity to improve his actual combat abilities.
At the same time, before the battle began, he continued competing with the enemy for control of the system, further weakening the opponent's influence.
Of course, there was something even more important.
'System! Give me some Charm Points!'
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Zenless Zone Zero: The Almighty Incubus of Sixth Street
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