At the Vision Corporation press conference, two women, each harboring ulterior motives, were stalling for time in perfect sync.
But for Nicole, the longer this dragged on, the more disadvantageous it became.
'Damn it, I don't know how Anby and the others are doing. If we delay any longer, everyone will...'
However, Nicole had already done everything she could. The only thing she could pray for was that the Public Security officers would arrive a little faster.
"Woo-woo-woo-woo~"
The bright and piercing sound of sirens rang out. Nicole's suspended heart finally settled down, but Sarah was not in such a good mood. Her face instantly turned gloomy; she couldn't afford to be arrested at a time like this.
"Seize them!"
"What?! But..."
Sarah's sudden command stunned the Vision Corporation guards for a moment.
Public Security was already here, yet she still dared to make a move? Did she have a death wish?!
However, not everyone remained indifferent. A guard in the crowd raised the weapon in his hand, aimed at Nicole, who was currently in the limelight, and pulled the trigger.
"Watch out!"
Eous (Belle) spotted the sniper shot and hurriedly slammed into Nicole, knocking her to the ground.
The bullet flew past Eous's ear, scaring the irritable reporter who had been talking non-stop half to death.
And this single shot seemed to flip a switch. Gunshots instantly erupted across the entire venue, with a dense rain of bullets shooting toward Nicole's direction.
Terrified, the group of reporters hurriedly fled toward the outside of the venue.
Seeing this situation, the Public Security officers who had just arrived didn't have time to ask questions. They hurriedly signaled the SWAT team members to raise their riot shields and enter a standoff with Vision Corporation.
After a bout of commotion, the Public Security officers, relying on superior equipment and professional quality, caught the Vision Corporation guards in one fell swoop.
"Sir, all the rioters have been subdued, but the primary suspect, Sarah, is nowhere to be found."
After rounding up Vision Corporation's forces, the officers discovered that the culprit who issued the command had vanished without a trace.
Moreover, when they subsequently asked who fired the first shot, no one admitted to it, nor did anyone know exactly who had fired it.
The incident suddenly became confusing and complicated. Afterward, the Public Security Bureau detained the Vision Corporation suspects and established a serious crimes unit to investigate the details of the matter.
Of course, that is a story for later.
Right now, Nicole had resolved Vision Corporation's atrocities, but the condition of the residents in Canvas Alley was still unknown.
Contacting the Public Security officers, the captain immediately utilized Vision Corporation's special frequency to attempt a negotiation with the rioters in Canvas Alley.
"Hello, Victoria Housekeeping, dedicated to serving you."
"Miss Rina! Now isn't the time for that!"
"Oh my, I am truly sorry. Force of habit."
Hearing the unfamiliar voice coming from the other end of the phone, Nicole and the others were bewildered. But soon, a familiar voice came through.
"Apologies, my colleague was a bit rude. Please do not worry; we have successfully rescued the residents of Canvas Alley from the hands of the rioters. Please simply send a squad of Public Security comrades over to take custody of them."
As soon as these words came out, Nicole and the others instantly breathed a sigh of relief. Eous went limp on the spot.
If not for the fact that it had to play the role of an ordinary Bangboo right now, it would have definitely shouted out loud.
Only the Public Security captain who answered the phone had a complicated expression, looking as if something unacceptable had occurred.
You're saying that a gang of rioters armed with heavy firepower was solved by a few housekeeping staff?
Are you kidding me!
However, after Lycaon added a few more sentences, that Public Security captain's expression instantly relaxed, and an excited smile even appeared on his face.
Nicole and the others, however, didn't care much about that. They were currently only concerned about the status of their companions in the Hollow.
"Did Anby, Billy, and Geno go back to find you?"
"Geno? Didn't he leave with you guys?"
Hearing this, the expressions of Nicole and Eous sank once again. That meant those two were currently still in the Hollow, their fate unknown.
Just then, Fairy's path calculation was finally completed.
[Implementation of path calculation complete. Target individuals detected—Hollow coordinates for Geno and Nekomata are being navigated in real-time.]
"Great! Quick, let's go."
A pleasant surprise fell from the sky; the completion of Fairy's calculation was undoubtedly a shot of adrenaline.
After sharing the coordinates with Lycaon and the others, they dove into the Hollow once more.
Inside Canvas Alley, hearing the sound of the communication hanging up on the other end, a look of gravity floated onto Lycaon's face.
"Lycaon, what's wrong?"
"Two people are trapped in the Dead End Hollow. Calculating the time, they have already exceeded the officially recommended safe exploration duration."
Rina's face also became serious as her floating feet touched the ground.
"Please give your instructions."
"Victoria Housekeeping, heading out for support."
On both sides of the Hollow, two groups of people stepped into the Hollow once again for the same goal.
And at this moment, the targets they were searching for were facing the greatest challenge of their lives.
"ROAR!!"
BOOM!!!!!
The rain in the sky was still dripping down, and thunder echoed amidst the ruins.
The Dead End Butcher at this moment was no longer in its initial form. It had thrown away the weapon in its hand, and two more arms had grown from its shoulders, looking exactly like a four-armed tyrant.
The Ether energy on its body was extremely active, constantly circulating and emitting colorful light.
But looking closely, its face seemed to hold a very human-like irritability. Its four arms were constantly destroying the surrounding environment, venting its rage.
The reason was simple: it had lost its 'ingredient'.
Time rewinds to ten minutes ago.
When Geno was already prepared to fight to the death against the Dead End Butcher, Nekomata followed him up from behind, standing shoulder to shoulder with him, facing the pressure of the Dead End Butcher.
Although she was still very afraid in her heart, the cat didn't intend to abandon her companion.
"What are you coming over here for? Didn't your knives break?"
"Yeah! So, make me a pair!"
Nekomata's tone was calm, but looking at her constantly swaying tail, one knew that her heart wasn't as composed as she appeared on the surface.
"You... aren't afraid of me?"
"Afraid of what? Are you as scary as that big guy opposite us?"
That's true, but why do I feel like I'm being despised in some aspect again?
In reality, Nekomata simply hadn't recognized Geno's identity as an Ethereal. She just assumed it was the same as the so-called 'Knight Form' from before—some kind of rare Ether technology.
Geno, meanwhile, urged his Ether, condensing a pair of short blades made of Ether crystals. The style was exactly the same as the two Nekomata had broken.
"Just make do with these for now. When there's a chance later, I'll make a better pair for you."
"You call this making do?"
Nekomata sized up the short blades in her hands, which were sharper and lighter than her original pair, and the corner of her mouth twitched.
This guy was definitely humblebragging, wasn't he?
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