Night cloaked New Eridu as a Public Security patrol car tore through the streets toward HAND Headquarters.
Inside the car, the cabin was dim—only the instrument panel cast a ghostly blue glow, outlining Zhu Yuan's tense profile and Qingyi's calm, unreadable electronic eyes.
"To uphold the righteous path even against the crowd's will; to enforce the law even against private feelings."
Qingyi spoke slowly, breaking the silence. Her tone carried a faint, teasing edge.
"Zhu Yuan… without realizing it, you've grown into a remarkably mature officer."
Zhu Yuan gripped the steering wheel with both hands, eyes fixed on the road lit by the headlights. She didn't dwell on the deeper meaning—only answered briefly:
"Sorry, Senior. That's a bit… roundabout. I don't really understand."
Qingyi adjusted her posture and watched neon streak past the window.
"It means: a person who insists on the right path will defy the majority's wishes, and a person who enforces the law will set aside personal preference."
"Think about it—doesn't that describe you right now?"
She paused, then turned her green gaze toward Zhu Yuan.
"For the 'justice' and duty you believed in at the time, you personally arrested Qianye."
"And now, to uphold the spirit of law that protects civilians, you're willing to defy internal Bureau rules—possibly even disobey Director Bringer, whom you once revered—by acting on your own."
Qingyi could feel it: Zhu Yuan's body gave a tiny, involuntary tremor—like a needle prick of pain.
But Zhu Yuan's hands on the wheel, knuckles whitening, remained steady. No hesitation. No drift.
"Senior," Zhu Yuan's voice came out clear inside the enclosed cabin—quiet, controlled, the calm of someone who had crushed emotion down until it stopped spilling.
"I've already made one critical wrong decision."
"I can't stand by and watch a second one happen."
She inhaled, then continued.
"And to be honest… Director Bringer lately…"
"He feels unfamiliar. Even…"
"…I feel a disgust I can't suppress."
Her tone carried struggle—pain and refusal to accept what she was saying.
"I've tried countless times to convince myself he has unavoidable reasons, a greater plan…"
"But in my heart, that little girl he once pulled from the Hollow keeps screaming—"
"That hero, the man who would abandon his own protective gear without hesitation to save a stranger child… wouldn't truly fall."
"But…"
Zhu Yuan's voice sank, heavy with a slow, collapsing disillusionment.
"When I force myself to step out of the halo, strip away the filter of worship, and look at reality coldly…"
"I have to admit…"
"That 'Hollow-conquering hero' seems to have quietly disappeared on some unknown day."
"What remains is a shell with the same face—filled with hunger for power, flowers, applause, and money."
"I tried to find traces of who he was."
"But no matter how bright the flashbulbs… they can't reflect that purity anymore."
"And that's when I knew… he might truly…"
Her words cut off—as if she couldn't bear to seal the sentence with a definitive verdict, still clinging to the last thin thread of hope.
Qingyi listened without interrupting, absorbing the grief, the pain, the helplessness, the mourning.
She turned her gaze back to the city night outside and tossed out a question that sounded casual—too casual.
"Zhu Yuan… if one day—no. Forget it. It's nothing."
She stopped mid-thought as if she'd changed her mind instantly.
"Focus on driving."
That half-spoken question brushed Zhu Yuan's nerves like a feather and left her irrationally irritated.
"Senior!" Zhu Yuan raised her voice, unable to hold it in. "If you want to ask something, ask it directly!"
"If you're holding back because you think it'll make me uncomfortable—don't."
"I'm not a child who needs to be protected with kid gloves anymore!"
"Aiya" Qingyi chuckled, teasing. "Our little Zhu Yuan has grown such courage now? How delightful, how delightful"
"Senior!" Zhu Yuan huffed, cheeks puffing slightly.
Seeing her like that, Qingyi was reminded of feral little street cats that tried to rub against Zhu Yuan—then hissed and fluffed up when they didn't get the cuddles they wanted.
But Zhu Yuan wasn't a cat.
Her world was infinitely more complicated. Too many secrets. Too many truths she might not be ready to face.
Qingyi silently sighed, thinking of that dangerous woman's insinuation.
Even I didn't expect things to reach this point…
Bringer… Bringer… I hope that woman's words were only malicious guessing—anger dressed as accusation because her disciple was put on a wanted list…
Because if it's true…
Then Zhu Yuan may have to prepare to arrest you with her own hands… or, if it comes to it, stop you from continuing to do harm.
For her, that would be a cruelty beyond measure.
To shift away from that heavy path, Qingyi changed the topic.
"Oh, right. Zhu Yuan—have you decided who to ask for help?"
"The Bureau can't—won't—spare extra manpower to support this kind of unauthorized action."
"And Seth… that kid's mouth is about to blister from the overenthusiastic new trainee chewing his ear off. He can't get away."
Zhu Yuan was quiet for a moment, gaze still locked forward, then finally spoke a name.
"…Senior."
"Did you forget the counterpart unit we've always had a… subtle relationship with?"
Qingyi's eyes flickered. "Oh? You mean…"
Cold white lights washed over the high-tech office, stark against the city's nightscape outside.
Zhu Yuan stood before the desk, earnest and urgent.
Tsukishiro Yanagi sat opposite her, pink hair neatly tied back. She adjusted her rimless glasses, violet eyes composed—professional, and faintly tired.
"Officer Zhu Yuan, I understand your concern," Yanagi said gently, yet with distance. "But I'm sorry. A single message of unclear source and meaning—received only by Officer Qingyi personally—cannot serve as sufficient grounds for Sixth Division to mobilize urgently."
She folded her hands, tone firm.
"Six Division has specific responsibilities. We can't deploy on information of questionable reliability."
"If we act rashly every time something like this appears, then when New Eridu faces a true major crisis… how do we respond?"
"But if there's even a potential risk, we can't ignore it!" Zhu Yuan stepped forward, palms pressing to the desk edge, voice rising.
"Ms. Tsukishiro—on that airship are all key suspects and witnesses for the Yuanjing demolition case!"
"It's attracting the entire city's attention!"
"If anything happens to it in the air, the resulting public shock and panic would be incalculable!"
Yanagi's brows tightened. "But—"
"Alright, alright." A voice slid in—lazy, amused, badly timed.
"Deputy Chief, and this anxious Officer Zhu Yuan—if two beauties keep arguing, the atmosphere's going to get colder than Hollow frost~"
Asaba Harumasa had wandered in at some point, wearing a sleepy grin as he tried to smooth things over.
"Why don't we pause and drink something… hmm, say, a 'stabilizer'?"
"Drink medicine?" Zhu Yuan blinked.
"Asaba," Yanagi sighed, "is this really the time to joke?"
"Hey, I'm boosting morale," Harumasa shrugged. His tone sobered slightly as he looked between them.
"Seriously, Deputy Chief—don't we have a helicopter in the hangar that finished maintenance and is on standby?"
"Why not apply for usage authorization and do a simple recon flight along the airship's planned route?"
He spread his hands, logic neat and clean.
"If the route is normal, then Qingyi's signal could've been false alarm or interference. We waste a little time—no harm done. Call it routine training."
"But if…"
"If the route has deviated, then Zhu Yuan's concern is validated."
"Either way, a recon sortie is better than sitting here arguing."
Yanagi still hesitated. "Even if you say that, the procedures and risk assessment—"
Harumasa exhaled, realizing normal persuasion wouldn't cut it.
A glint of mischief slid into his eyes.
Sorry, Qianye. Didn't want to use this, but to convince our overly serious Deputy Chief… I'll have to sell a tiny piece of your secret.
When the wanted notice is over, I'll apologize. I swear.
He offered a completely insincere apology in his head, then quickly pulled out his communicator and sent a short message.
A few seconds later, Yanagi's device vibrated on her desk. She picked it up, puzzled—
and the moment her eyes scanned the message, she froze.
A faint blush crept up her ear.
She cleared her throat and slid the communicator away quickly.
When she looked up again, her face was composed as ever—yet her tone had softened, subtly.
"Ahem…"
"Officer Zhu Yuan."
"Our Chief… has stepped out to buy honeydew melon."
"But she should return soon."
"As her classmate from academy days, perhaps… you could invite the Chief to accompany you for this 'reconnaissance' mission."
"She has the proper authorization, and extensive experience with Hollow environments."
"Huh? Oh—yes! Thank you very much!" Zhu Yuan nodded quickly, confused by the sudden shift but grateful for any opening.
As for Qingyi—
she narrowed her electronic eyes slightly, looking at Harumasa's desk, where a thermos sat. The pattern on it matched the same motif as the teapot Qianye had once gifted her.
Mnynph had been forced back. Ether particles drifted from its retreat, and the platform was littered with frost traces, burn marks, and chainsaw scrapes. The air stank of scorched energy and the cold rot unique to Ethereals.
Victoria Housekeeping finally let out a breath. Corin checked her chainsaw. Rina's Bangboos hovered close. Ellen leaned against a broken pillar, exhausted, reaching for her lollipop—
only to realize the last one had vanished during the fight.
But the respite lasted less than a heartbeat.
A shriek of air tearing apart sounded from the shattered upper bridge.
More than a dozen rocket rounds—trailing hot fire—screamed down like a swarm of vengeful hornets, blanketing the platform.
"Down!" Lycaon's warning and the attack arrived almost simultaneously.
Through Eous's sensors, Rin saw the incoming streaks of death growing rapidly.
Her mind went blank. For an instant she was certain she and Eous were about to be blasted into scraps.
Then—
"Tch… annoying as hell!" Ellen snarled, voice thick with irritation and rage.
The girl who'd looked half-dead against the pillar exploded into motion.
Her lazy red eyes sharpened into a predator's killing glare.
She didn't even fully straighten. Her feet slammed into the ground hard enough to crack it, and her small body launched upward against the rockets like an arrow.
The massive shears in her hand seemed to come alive.
Ice energy condensed at unprecedented intensity—visible spirals of frost crystal forming along the blades.
She didn't dodge.
She swung.
With terrifying precision and speed, she hacked into the incoming warheads—
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM—!!
Explosions bloomed in midair, turning into fireballs and shockwaves. Ellen's silhouette flickered through flame and smoke, each cut detonating a rocket before it could hit.
Ice shards and fire interwove into a brutal, beautiful tableau.
The platform shook under the blast pressure; stones rattled loose and fell.
Ellen intercepted most of the barrage—
but the shockwaves and sonic blasts still punched through Eous's sensors and slammed directly into Rin's linked consciousness.
Rin's real body—far away—let out a muffled groan. It felt like someone had rung a giant bell right beside her head. Her skull buzzed, dizziness and nausea surging; the link stuttered for a split second.
If Eous had been at the center of that blast, the outcome would've been catastrophic.
After the attack, the platform was a ruin of smoke and debris.
Ellen landed, breathing hard. Her shark tail whipped irritably. The prolonged high-intensity fighting had drained her. She stared coldly toward the launch point.
At nearly the same moment, Lycaon and Rina moved like ghosts onto the upper bridge.
A few short clashes followed—grunts, impacts.
Then Lycaon and Rina returned, dragging several armed men in mismatched gear—faces fearful or stubborn.
They threw them down hard.
Rebels.
Rin fought through the discomfort of the link, fury burning hot. She marched Eous forward.
"Hey! What do you want?! Why attack us?!"
Lycaon stepped in, steady and crushingly imposing. His shadow swallowed the captives.
His red eye was ice. His voice was lower than frozen stone.
"Rope-maker," he said to Eous, tone absolute, "step back and rest. The interrogation is Victoria Housekeeping's task."
He flexed the hand in his fingerless glove. Joints cracked softly.
His gaze dropped to the prisoners—cold and merciless.
"We have ways to make them speak."
"…The process, however, may be somewhat… primitive."
"And not especially 'elegant.' It may not be suitable for you to watch."
"Huh? O-Okay. I'll… rest for a bit."
"Thank you for your understanding."
Lycaon looked down at the trembling rebels.
And smiled again.
"You—what are you going to—"
A stifled whimper.
Then—
"Hh—hh—HHH—AAAAAAAHHHHHHH—!!"
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 147)
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 (Chapter185)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter105)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter215)
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 185
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 170
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass Volume2/1
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 206
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 190
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 154
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player Volume4/23
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 106
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 67
Uma Musume: From Beginner 125
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 85
Uma Musume: I Want All 105
I Can Copy Unique Skills 90
Summoning an Evil God, but the 70
Supernatural Multiverse 90
My Harem Is Indescribable 80
Jujutsu Kaisen: Heroic Spirit 86
"I'm just a Valkyrie passing through." 68
Uma Musume: Today Is Another Romantic Battlefield 81
Still playing traditional Honk 65
The Most Filial Son Under Heav 65
What Should I Do After Switchi - Volume2/3
Reincarnated as a Demon, Skill 57
Hell-Difficulty Dungeon? 45
Transmigrated as Sukuna 59
Checking In in Demon Slayer 59
The Reincarnating Trainer of Tracen Academy 73
I Refuse to Become a Heroic 45
My Best Friend Into a Slime? 36
A Saiyan Stands Above Marvel 40
What Do You Mean by Using a Lab Mod to Be the Hero? 60
Tanya Starts from Re:Zero 30
Why did they assign me to Uma 35
MYGO Beauties 43
DanMachi: Emiya the Giant Hero 30
The Gacha Merchant Who Started 31
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