Sixth Street — inside the video store.
The afternoon sun carried that drowsy, honey-warm languor that made you want to sink into a nap. It drifted lazily through the glass display window of Random Play, slipping past the posters taped to it and cutting across the slightly cramped shop in slanted bands.
The light carved mottled shadows over stacks of VHS cases piled like little mountains, game cartridges scattered carelessly about, and several bags of chips that had been torn open and were still breathing out their irresistible, oily aroma.
The air itself was steeped in the smell of old times—film dust, ink and paper, and the salty sweetness of snacks braided together into the signature scent of this place.
Belle was currently locked in a fierce "campaign" against the snack pile.
She was almost swallowed by the worn couch, with the coffee table in front of her completely occupied by opened bags of chips, shrimp crackers, and assorted puffed snacks. Her cheeks were stuffed so full they bulged, bobbing with every chew like an overenthusiastic squirrel hoarding for winter. Her dark green eyes were fixed on the half chip in her hand as though it were the most precious artifact in the world, while a steady chorus of crisp crunch-crunch sounds filled the otherwise quiet shop.
"Belle."
A gentle voice—warm, but laced with helplessness—broke the peace of the "battlefield."
Wise stepped around a few cardboard boxes full of tapes waiting to be sorted. His gray hair was neatly enough arranged, and beneath the signature M-shaped fringe, his eyes were the same deep green as Belle's. He reached her side and patted her shoulder in a soothing, brotherly way.
"Look who's here."
Belle jerked her head up from the snack pile like a startled animal.
The moment she saw who it was, her eyes widened with pure delight, bright and sparkling—
Only the mountain of food in her mouth made expression… difficult.
Her lips worked urgently, but what came out was a thick, sticky, half-mumbled blur:
"Koleda… y'body okay now?"
Wise drew a deep breath, then let it out slowly, the sigh heavy with the particular fatigue of an older brother staring down a hopelessly shameless younger sister. By habit, he lifted his hand as if to wipe the crumbs clinging to the corner of her mouth, hesitated, then lowered it again.
"…Belle. Maybe swallow first before you speak. It's—really not a good look."
His tone was mild, but the exhaustion practically seeped from the slight furrow in his brow and the droop at the corners of his eyes.
"It's fine. I can understand her."
A crisp, decisive voice cut in—one that carried a natural air of command.
Koleda waved a hand, telling Wise not to worry.
Today, she seemed to have deliberately toned down her usual bite. The iconic red headband shaped like animal ears was gone. Her flame-red hair was tied simply into two low ponytails, revealing a smooth, full forehead. She held her chin up slightly; her ruby eyes were clear and bright, carrying a steadiness that didn't match her age.
She cleared her throat, and her voice—clean and strong—chased the shop's lazy haze away.
"Proxy, you don't need to worry about me. Back at the memorial plaza, Doctor Qianye gave me a thorough checkup right on the spot, didn't he?"
The way she spoke made it obvious she trusted the silver-haired doctor.
"Honestly," Koleda continued, then frowned, a very real, bone-deep fatigue surfacing—an odd contrast against the mature front she forced herself to maintain, "the scratches I got from fighting those brainless pests in the Hollow weren't half as exhausting as dealing with those two sharp-eyed ladies from Public Security afterward."
She acted out her frantic explaining with her hands, voice exaggerated with helpless frustration.
"I practically talked myself hoarse—at one point I was two breaths away from swearing on my life—just to barely convince them we only stumbled into that Hollow because the Bangboo navigator carrying corrupted 'Faulty Radish' data went off-course."
She heaved an overdramatic sigh, shoulders slumping for a moment. Then she slapped her cheeks twice—smack, smack—like she was chasing the fatigue away and forcing her ruby eyes to sharpen again.
"Anyway. Enough of that depressing mess."
Her tone turned serious. She stepped forward, standing straighter, gaze steady on Wise and Belle.
"Proxy, I came to report I'm safe—so you two can stop worrying." She opened her right hand, which was covered by a fingerless mechanical glove, the motion careful and almost reverent. "But I also came to ask for something."
Resting in her palm was a chip about the size of a fingernail, gleaming with a cold metallic sheen. The afternoon sunlight hit it perfectly, revealing the precise engraving of Belobog Heavy Industries and its faint emblem.
"This is…?" Belle finally managed to swallow, leaning in with curiosity. Her dark green eyes studied the chip closely. She glanced at Wise as if looking for confirmation, then ventured her guess with caution.
"Is that… the prototype's external storage unit? The one you mentioned before?"
Koleda nodded. "Yeah."
When her eyes fell on the chip, the familiar spark—so bright it felt like fire—dimmed under a thin shadow, as if she'd touched something heavy in her memory.
But the shadow was quickly burned away by something stubborn and determined, leaving a quiet acceptance deep in her gaze.
"Back then… my father. Horst Belobog."
Her voice lowered almost imperceptibly when she said his name.
"He probably… realized ahead of time that there was something dangerous hidden in the Pioneer Memorial—something that could draw the rebels. A 'thing.' A 'monster.' That's why he went there alone, without anyone knowing, driving the Gloy prototype—still in testing, not something that should've been deployed."
Koleda's narration was calm, but her fingertips gripping the chip's edge had turned slightly white, betraying what she was keeping tightly sealed inside.
She lifted her head and looked the siblings in the eye. Her ruby gaze held sincerity—and a fragility she couldn't quite hide.
"If that's true, then this storage unit might still contain… some clues. Something that explains why he vanished. Why he… left behind that kind of impression."
She paused, throat tightening just a little.
"But my dad probably anticipated something. Or he did it to protect what's inside. The unit has an extremely specialized encryption layer. With Belobog's current tech, we can't crack it at all. We can't read a single byte."
For once, embarrassment surfaced on Koleda's face. She scratched her cheek awkwardly—an unmistakably teenage, vulnerable gesture that dulled the edge of her usual force.
"I know… I know it's shameless to keep asking you for help," she said, lowering her head briefly before looking up again, eyes full of hope. "But could you do it? Proxy… your skills might actually unlock it."
She extended the chip toward them, as though she were offering up something far heavier than metal—something like hope itself.
"You don't need to be polite, Koleda," Wise replied, voice warm but firm, taking the lead before the weight in the air could settle any deeper. His dark green eyes carried understanding and quiet resolve.
"Actually, for reasons of our own… we're also very interested in that 'monster' and what it's tied to."
His tone dipped, the seriousness threading through.
"And to be honest, the truth behind it probably isn't just Belobog's past. The threat it poses to New Eridu could be far beyond what anyone's imagining."
His fingers began tapping the wooden counter in a steady rhythm—tap, tap—as if sorting thoughts into clean lines. Then his expression tightened with both caution and regret.
"But the other path of clues… seems to be blocked too."
Wise and Belle exchanged a look—a wordless agreement full of helplessness and quiet worry.
"Qianye was generous," Wise continued, "and even handed over that absurdly high-capacity bag of his to Victoria Housekeeping, so they could take the monster's remains back for analysis."
He paused, choosing his words carefully.
"But after interacting with them… I can't help feeling that Victoria Housekeeping themselves—whatever secrets they're wrapped in—are at least as complex, and as dangerous, as the monster was."
"And the only reason we could even make contact last time was because of some connection between Qianye and them—something we don't understand." Wise frowned slightly. "Even though they showed surprising restraint while probing our identity as Phaethon…"
His gaze sharpened.
"I don't know if that restraint is normal for them, or if it was a one-off. If we meet again, I honestly can't say they'll keep the same boundaries."
Koleda blinked, confused. "Huh? But couldn't you just ask Qianye? He should know Victoria Housekeeping better than we do."
Wise and Belle looked at each other again.
This time, their expressions were… complicated. Awkward. Helpless. A little absurd, in a way that made you want to laugh and groan at once.
Wise lifted a hand and rubbed hard at his temple, like something there actually hurt. Then he gave Koleda a crooked, exhausted smile—one that screamed you are not going to believe this.
"Koleda… I know this sounds ridiculous, but the truth is…"
He spoke slowly, as if even he found the sentence hard to say.
"Qianye hasn't been home these past few days. And when we ping him, he doesn't reply."
"…Huh?!"
Koleda reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. Her ruby eyes went round enough to pop out, her face full of shock—and a kind of betrayed disbelief.
She pitched forward, voice shooting up several octaves.
"Not home?! Where did he go?! He—he—he still clearly owes me eight times!"
The urgency, indignation, and debt-collector obsession in her tone made the entire shop seem to tremble. Even the tape shelf up top felt like it wobbled. She stamped her sneakered foot in agitation, the rubber scraping lightly on the floor.
"Eight times?!" Wise and Belle gasped in unison, bodies stiffening as their brains latched onto exactly the wrong detail.
They spoke at the same time, with the exact same hungry suspicion, eyes snapping to Koleda's suddenly flushed face.
"What do you mean—eight times?!"
"N-nothing! Haha—Proxy, you must've misheard! I—I have a supplier meeting! I'm leaving!"
Koleda bolted.
She didn't just leave—she fled, disappearing out of Random Play with the speed of someone escaping a crime scene.
Belle narrowed her eyes at Wise.
"Brother… what exactly does Qianye owe Koleda?"
Wise hesitated.
Belle's eyes narrowed further, dangerously curious. "Don't tell me it's that."
"It can't be." Wise's voice turned sharp immediately.
Belle slapped her palm on the armrest like it was a gavel. "That's mine!"
"…Alright. Alright." Wise hurried to calm her down, clearly choosing survival. "Let's put whatever that is on hold for now."
Then he turned toward the terminal.
"Fairy, can you crack this chip?"
Fairy's tone came back smooth and unamused.
"Assistant Three, please do not insult me here. A mere chip is nothing more than a flick of my metaphorical finger."
A beat of pause—cool, deliberate.
"However, in light of the owner's recent discretionary expenses on capsule toys, and Assistant Three's spending in pursuit of Yao Jiayin concert tickets, a five-times electricity fee will be insufficient."
Wise's face went still.
Fairy continued serenely, as if reciting weather.
"Therefore, I recommend a hacker operating on Inter-Knot under the codename Raine. Based on her past record, she matches your needs. Additionally, she has conducted business with Nicole of the Cunning Hares."
"Raine?" Wise's eyes shifted, thinking. "Yeah. I've heard of her. When it comes to cracking encryption systems and digging data out of locked boxes, she's top-tier on Inter-Knot."
Then his mouth curled into a cold smile, and something eerie flashed in his dark green eyes.
"And if she knows Nicole… then this becomes easy."
He tapped the counter once, softly.
"Because Nicole will never miss a chance to use her connections to pay off a debt."
"Ah-choo!"
In blazing sunlight, Nicole still sneezed several times in a row.
"Damn it. The sun's basically trying to roast me alive—how am I catching a cold?"
She muttered while giving a few solid kicks to the pile of lowlifes on the ground who'd tried to dodge their payments. Then she sighed dramatically.
"I'm not a devil, you know. It's just a tiny little debt—how are you people still not paying?"
"That's because—"
"Don't start whining about interest rates!" Nicole snapped, pointing like an executioner. "Every single Denny that leaves my hands is calculated to perfection. You're not 'unable' to pay. You're just trying not to!"
Her eyes flicked to the side.
"Anby! Anby!"
"Oh. Sorry."
The apology came lightly—almost lazily—as the blade pressed against someone's neck didn't waver for even a second. The man on the ground jolted so hard he nearly levitated. His companions followed suit, frantically pulling hidden Denny out from everywhere—
From belts. Jacket linings. Shoe soles. And—
Nicole watched one guy reach down toward a place that should have remained sacred.
That was it. Her patience snapped clean.
"Billy! Knock them out. You search them. This bunch is rank in both behavior and character, and I'm not getting my hands dirty."
Billy's voice rose in pure outrage.
"…Boss, even if I'm a robot, you can't make me do this kind of work! If Star Knight finds out, he'll cry!"
"Fine," Nicole said instantly. "I'll raise your ammo budget."
"Understood!" Billy replied, switching gears so fast he should've sparked, already moving to "work."
Nicole sighed again, then looked toward Anby.
"Anby, what were you staring at just now?"
"…Knock-Knock." Anby's tone was flat, but the quiet concern beneath it was unmistakable. "I was checking Qianye's status. He hasn't been online for days."
"…Qianye." Nicole rolled the name around in her mouth, then lifted her eyes to the wide, cloudless sky, expression turning oddly wistful.
"What on earth are you doing out there?"
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 80
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 74
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player 48
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 50
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 47
Uma Musume: From Beginner 42
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