New Eridu's afternoon sun was ruthless—hot enough to sting the eyes. The mirrored glass of skyscrapers threw the light back in blinding sheets, turning every glance upward into punishment.
Near Lumina Square, the streets were packed: pedestrians flowing like a river, vehicles streaming without pause. City noise—shouting, engines, and the constant hum of urban life—merged into one endless backdrop.
"Almost there," Wise said, wiping the fine sweat from his forehead. A few damp strands of his pale hair clung to his temple. His long-sleeved inner shirt felt unpleasantly sticky against his back. He glanced over his shoulder at the few steps of distance between him and his sister, and tried to sound casual, even encouraging.
"Just a few hundred meters to the Security Bureau building. Hang in there."
Belle trailed behind with the unmistakable aura of someone whose soul had already left their body.
Her short navy hair drooped slightly from sweat, and her green eyes were filled with the dead, resentful stare of a person enduring suffering that should not exist in a modern city.
"…No way. We've walked this long and there's still three hundred meters?" she groaned weakly. "If I'd known there wouldn't be a single parking spot nearby, I would've taken the metro!"
Her sneakers scuffed the sun-baked pavement with a soft, scraping shhk-shhk.
Wise laughed helplessly, apology written plainly in his eyes.
"My fault. I forgot to check parking availability in advance."
Then his mouth tilted into something foxlike. His eyes narrowed with light mischief.
"But… have you maybe not been exercising much lately? Today can count as rare outdoor training, yeah?"
"Brother!" Belle puffed her cheeks, eyes flaring. "Even if I've been slacking, that's completely separate from your mistake! Don't try to swap the concept and wriggle out of it!"
She even lifted a small fist in what could only be described as a symbolic threat.
Wise immediately raised both hands in surrender, laughing.
"Okay, okay. You win. I can't talk my way out of this."
He slowed to walk beside her. His tone softened, sincere now.
"Belle, didn't you say a few days ago you wanted to go out for a good meal? How about this—after we finish at the Bureau, we have dinner nearby. You choose the place. I'm paying."
Belle's eyes lit up instantly, like a treasure hunter spotting gold. All fatigue vanished, replaced by bright calculation.
"Oh? Brother's being unusually honest today. If that's the case, then—"
Wise cut in with the speed of a man defending his life.
"Except buffet."
He knew her "buffet combat power." He had seen the devastation.
"Ugh…" Belle's face collapsed into immediate disappointment, like a cat denied its fish snack.
Wise silently thanked himself for that timely amendment.
"Fine, fine," Belle said quickly, recovering at astonishing speed. "I'll just check my phone for nearby places!"
She began humming some tune, her steps turning lively, almost bouncing. She pulled out her phone and started flipping through restaurant menus and dish photos with visible delight.
Two swipes later—
The images blurred. The loading circle spun and spun.
"Huh? Is the signal bad?" Belle tapped the side of the phone like it was a stubborn old device that could be fixed through ritual violence. "Why is it so blurry?"
No improvement.
She unconsciously quickened her pace, drifting toward a more open patch of street under brighter sun, as if that would magically improve reception. Her entire attention narrowed to the tiny bars of signal on the screen.
"Belle? Wait—Belle!" Wise sighed and started to speed up.
Then—
A razor-sharp screech tore through the city noise.
Tires.
A violent, dragging squeal against pavement—followed by panicked screams, and the chaotic eruption of horns.
Wise's heart clenched.
A bad premonition—cold and immediate—spiked straight through his spine.
He snapped his head up—
A green sedan, out of control like a maddened animal, lurched onto the sidewalk and hurtled straight toward Belle.
She was still staring down at her phone.
The distance was nothing.
"BELLE!!!"
Wise's shout broke, raw with shock and horror. His brain went white. His body moved before thought, launching forward in a desperate sprint.
He felt his muscles tighten to the limit. Wind roared in his ears. The world slowed—everything stretching into agonizing frames.
Too slow.
Still too slow.
That lethal green shadow was about to swallow that small blue figure—
"Could my phone actually be broken…?" Belle muttered, finally registering the sudden noise. She lifted her head and turned—
Her pupils shrank to pinpoints.
A hulking green mass filled her entire vision. She could see the scratches on the hood. The smell of burning rubber hit her like a fist.
Cold death breathed in her face.
…Ah.
I'm done.
Her thoughts, absurdly, became crystal clear.
So this is why you don't walk and stare at your phone.
This distance, this speed… even if Qianye were here, he'd probably just shake his head.
If I don't die, I'll be a vegetable.
So people really do think faster right before they die. Like an overclocked processor…
Why can't my brain do this when I'm solving math or arguing with my brother? Why now—when it's useless?
Wise's voice sounded far away. She could imagine his face—twisted in terror.
Sorry, brother… I made you worry again… I really messed up this time…
Terror seized her. She squeezed her eyes shut, lashes trembling violently.
At least don't let me see myself fly.
At least let me keep the last shred of dignity—
But the impact never came.
No bone-crushing collision.
No tearing pain.
Instead—
A powerful arm snapped around her waist, fast and precise, pulling her out of the car's path with brutal efficiency. She spun backward under the force, thrown into a firm body that took the brunt of the fall.
She hit the ground hard—
—but most of the shock was absorbed by the person shielding her.
At the same instant, a thunderous crash detonated in her ears.
BANG!!!
Metal slammed into something solid. Glass exploded in a spray of shards.
Belle shook, then opened her eyes with trembling disbelief.
The first thing she saw—
A pair of eyes, close enough to burn.
Red, like a dusk sky on fire.
They held the fading edge of lethal focus… and unmistakable concern.
Below that—
A sharply handsome female face, heroic in its lines. Strands of black hair with red highlights had slipped loose near a headband. The woman was breathing hard, sweat at her brow—clearly that split-second rescue had cost real effort.
Not far away stood a smaller figure: twin ponytails, green eyes, watching with curious amusement.
The second officer held a peculiar three-section baton, finishing the follow-through of a movement that had clearly ended the threat.
The green sedan now lay useless, its momentum broken, slumped at an angle like a beast that had been put down.
Belle's brain fully crashed.
She sat there, stunned, like an animal too shocked to flee.
Then another set of hands—ice-cold with fear—grabbed her shoulders.
"Belle! Belle! Are you okay?! Are you hurt?! Talk to me!"
Wise had nearly dropped to his knees beside her, face pale, breathing ragged. He checked her from head to toe in frantic seconds, fingers shaking.
"Uh… ah… I—I'm fine…" Belle stammered, reality slowly returning. She moved her limbs. Aside from a sore backside and a scraped wrist, she was intact.
Relief hit her late, heavy and dizzying.
Wise didn't loosen until he was certain—certain—she was safe. Then his body sagged as if the strength had suddenly left him.
Thank gods. Thank gods…
Belle finally looked properly at the officer who had saved her.
Maybe because she'd just visited the edge of death, the "filter" in her brain was completely offline.
Staring at that face—more familiar the longer she looked—she blurted the first thing that surfaced.
"…Have we… met somewhere before?"
The red-eyed officer froze for half a beat. Confusion appeared—perfectly measured, perfectly natural.
Beside her, the green-eyed one tilted her head, curiosity bright as glass.
Wise's stomach dropped.
No. No, no, no.
He stepped forward immediately, sliding between his still-dazed sister and the two officers, forcing a polite smile onto his face.
"I'm so sorry, Officer. She's probably in shock and just saying nonsense. We must be mistaken. Definitely mistaken."
At the same time, he shot Belle a sharp, urgent look.
Belle's brain finally rebooted.
She realized what she'd just said—and the danger of saying it.
Her face went scarlet. Heat rose like steam.
"Ah… s-sorry…" she murmured, head lowered. "I… I really think I'm just shaken…"
The siblings didn't know it.
But beneath the two officers' outwardly calm, professional expressions—
Two hearts were roaring with exhilaration.
Zhu Yuan and Qingyi exchanged a glance so fast and subtle it barely existed.
Yet in that single look, everything was said.
"Zhu Yuan, beautiful work."
"Now you don't even need me—you've got a 'life-saving favor' as your perfect reason to visit Qianye."
Qingyi's gaze carried the tiniest hint of impish satisfaction—like a little devil proudly admiring a flawless setup.
Inside Zhu Yuan's red eyes, a bright, unwavering sharpness flickered—the look of a hunter finally seeing the path open.
Saving this quick-witted girl—and the striking young man beside her—
This "favor," this "coincidence," was a stepping stone carved by fate itself.
A justification too clean to refuse.
And more importantly…
When they'd asked earlier, Zhu Yuan had almost panicked—thinking her previous contact alongside Miyabi had been discovered. That would've made everything harder.
But now?
Now she was simply a Security officer who had protected civilians.
And those civilians just happened to be intimately connected—according to her files—to Doctor Qianye.
So—
Why wait?
Strike while the iron is hot.
Go to Sixth Street again.
There's no way someone else is thinking the same thing, Zhu Yuan told herself, smiling politely at the pair while hiding her trembling fingers behind her back.
How could that kind of coincidence happen twice?
Her breath steadied, her mask flawless.
Qianye… I'm coming.
At the same time, elsewhere:
"Captain, you can't be willful again today. These documents—you must process them yourself. I'm leaving."
"Yanagi, can't you—"
"Sorry. But I have a reason I must act. Delay invites change."
And just like that, Tsukishiro Yanagi walked out of Section 6 without hesitation—moving in the same direction as Zhu Yuan.
One had to file a report.
One had distance to overcome.
The variables balanced—
So in the end…
Who would arrive first?
Or—
Would they arrive together?
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 115)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter116)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter82)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter144)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 118
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 111
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass 80
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 112
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 95
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 89
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player 53
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 61
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 65
Uma Musume: From Beginner 61
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 37
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