Chapter 333: Cooperation
However, when she learned that Wise was currently trapped in a vice-like grip, his wrist held hostage by none other than Hoshimi Miyabi, the atmosphere between them growing so stiff it could practically be snapped in half, Belle felt a strange mix of emotions. Even through her genuine worry for her brother's safety, she could not help but find the mental image of this standoff a bit... amusingly awkward.
[Zenless Zone Zero · Belle]: "Big brother, your current situation... sounds a bit troublesome. But keeping up this staring contest isn't going to solve anything."
She paused, her fingers flying across her interface as she formulated a plan.
[Zenless Zone Zero · Belle]: "Look at the facts. You are both trapped inside a Hollow right now. There are still enemies lurking in the shadows outside, and the whole mess with Bringer hasn't been resolved yet. At the very least, when it comes to escaping this Hollow, your goals align perfectly, right? So how about..."
[Zenless Zone Zero · Belle]: "You try to talk things out with Miss Miyabi? Form a temporary truce, cooperate, and focus on finding a way out first. As an elite from Section 6, she definitely wants to get back to the surface as quickly as possible to handle the crisis outside."
Wise stared at the glowing text on his retinas. His sister's logic was flawless. Wasting time in this oppressive, Aether-corrupted environment, banking on a rescue team that might never arrive, was a fool's errand. Taking the initiative was their only real option.
He drew a slow, steadying breath, mentally closing the Chat Group interface. He shifted his focus back to the fox-eared swordswoman standing beside him. Miyabi remained entirely expressionless, her grip on his wrist unyielding. It was time to break the suffocating silence.
"Miss Miyabi," Wise began, forcing his voice to remain perfectly level despite the tension. "Can we really afford to just stand here? Doing absolutely nothing and just waiting... is that really the best course of action? I mean, if we actually want to escape our current predicament."
His words seemed to flip a hidden switch. Miyabi's face remained as placid and unreadable as a frozen lake, yet she suddenly began to speak. Her voice carried an unusually calm, almost unnervingly analytical cadence, muttering her thoughts aloud.
"Are you referring to a scenario where, at a highly critical juncture, an individual burdened with vital tasks and classified information finds themselves unexpectedly trapped within a hazardous Hollow? A situation where they experience severe internal anxiety, yet are rendered entirely helpless by environmental constraints, forcing them into a state of passive waiting?"
She delivered the sentence as if reading a sterile textbook definition of a crisis. Then, without missing a beat, she provided her own firm conclusion. "No. I do not believe so. This is by no means an efficient method for problem-solving."
She paused, her fox ears twitching slightly, before continuing in that same unruffled tone. "However, as of this exact moment, I have not yet formulated a strategic solution superior to the tactic of 'holding fast and awaiting reinforcements'."
Her gaze remained fixed forward. "Therefore, the only productive action I can take right now is to undergo specialized training. Specifically, the training of 'maintaining a cool, composed facial expression, even while experiencing internal anxiety and psychological torment akin to a raging inferno'."
Wise stared at her. "..."
He was completely dumbfounded. A dry cough caught in his throat as he nearly choked on his own saliva. He had absolutely never expected this outcome. This seemingly cold, peerless martial arts prodigy—an elite operative feared by Ethereals and criminals alike—was actually the type of person to earnestly, calmly, and entirely deadpan narrate her own internal panic and bizarre 'training' regimens out loud?
The sheer absurdity of the contrast hit him like a physical blow. The flawless image of a cool, untouchable, and unapproachable warrior that she had built up in his mind instantly fractured, a massive crack running right down the middle of her stoic facade.
"Uh... Miss Miyabi," Wise finally managed to scrape his voice back together, offering a wry, slightly strained smile. "Regarding your assessment that 'holding fast and awaiting reinforcements' is not the optimal solution, I completely agree. So, I have a counter-proposal. How about we cooperate? I can take responsibility for surveying the area and calculating the spatial data of this Hollow to locate a stable exit."
He gestured toward the dark, shifting corridors of the Hollow. "And you can take responsibility for clearing out any Ethereals that might spawn along our path and interfere with the operation. If we join forces and actively carve out an escape route, that has to be significantly more efficient than standing here doing... well, 'expression management training', doesn't it?"
Belle's suggested strategy was clear, logical, and struck right at the heart of the issue. Miyabi fell silent. Her striking red eyes narrowed slightly, scrutinizing Wise from head to toe as she rapidly weighed the pros and cons of trusting a stranger.
Deep down, as a dedicated elite of Section 6, she wanted nothing more than to escape this corrupted space, secure Perlman's safety, and identify the unknown attackers who had ambushed them. Sitting idle in a hostile environment was fraught with dangerous variables, and her mind was already plagued with worry regarding the ongoing battle her colleagues were fighting on the outside.
"Alright," Miyabi finally agreed, her voice crisp and concise. However, the slender fingers clamped around Wise's wrist did not loosen their iron grip.
"This is under the strict premise that you operate entirely within my line of sight. You will not leave my field of vision until my subordinates locate us, or until we successfully breach the Hollow's exterior."
"No problem at all," Wise agreed without a second thought.
He had deliberately avoided suggesting that Belle guide them remotely via the HDD system. His current connection to his sister relied entirely on the anomalous, multidimensional Chat Group. Maintaining a perfectly stable communication link with the outside world from deep within a Hollow—without the use of any heavy, specialized external equipment—was simply too miraculous. It would be impossible to explain away to a high-ranking official investigator like Miyabi without raising massive red flags.
Fortunately, as a veteran Proxy with an incredibly solid foundation of skills, Wise possessed a wealth of firsthand experience in manually calculating evacuation routes. He knew exactly how to harvest raw data from within a Hollow's shifting geometry. As long as he could locate one of the standard Hollow Data Observation Nodes established in the area and extract its environmental parameters, he was entirely confident in his ability to map out a relatively safe path to the surface. It would undoubtedly be faster than waiting for a rescue squad to stumble upon them.
With a preliminary truce established, Miyabi finally released her vice-like grip on his wrist. Wise rubbed his skin discreetly as the two immediately set off, handling the distorted, fragmented ruins in search of a crucial data node.
Hollow Data Observation Nodes were typically anchored in zones boasting relatively stable physical structures and clear visibility. When manually activated, these mechanical beacons emitted specialized frequencies, pinging the surrounding environment to harvest critical metrics: spatial stability, ambient Aether concentration, and the ever-shifting topological pathways of the Hollow.
But, as any seasoned Proxy well knew, activating one of these nodes came with a severe catch. The signal pulse was the equivalent of igniting a massive, blazing bonfire in the dead of a pitch-black forest. It acted as a dinner bell, instantly drawing the attention of every wandering Ethereal in the vicinity.
Naturally, the violent task of exterminating the resulting welcoming committee fell squarely onto Miyabi's shoulders.
The initial phase of their operation proceeded with surprising smoothness. They located the first observation node nestled within a ruined plaza. Wise quickly bypassed the security locks and activated the beacon. Mere moments after the signal pulsed outward, the distorted groans of corrupted monsters echoed through the ruins. A dozen low-level Ethereals, their bodies twisted into jagged, crystalline forms, shambled rapidly toward the plaza.
However, these mindless cannon fodder did not even manage to breach a fifty-meter radius around the data node.
Miyabi did not even bother to draw her signature katana, Tailless. Her hands remained empty. Moving with the fluid grace of a predator, she used devastating hand-to-hand combat. Her palms struck out like forged blades, and her swift, sweeping kicks shattered crystalline armor with terrifying kinetic force. She eradicated the entire pack of Ethereals in the blink of an eye. Her movements were brutally clean, stripped of any wasted energy, and astonishingly lethal.
The true challenge, however, arose during the extraction of the second data node.
This particular beacon was situated in a much wider, exposed expanse of fractured concrete. As soon as Wise triggered the activation signal, the environment reacted violently. Perhaps due to the significantly denser Aether concentration pooling in this sector, the sheer volume of Ethereals drawn to the pulse utterly dwarfed the previous wave. The ground trembled under the weight of the approaching horde. Among the ranks of the shambling grunts were several highly agile, mutated variants—enhanced, high-risk Ethereals radiating volatile elemental energy.
Facing the surging, monstrous tide, Miyabi's crimson eyes sharpened into dangerous slits. The time for holding back had passed.
"Clang—!"
A crisp, ringing metallic chime echoed across the open expanse. The legendary katana, Tailless, was finally unsheathed! The blade was exceptionally long and narrow, forged with flawless, sweeping lines. The polished steel gleamed with a cold, almost eerie luminescence under the Hollow's unnatural sky.
In a fraction of a second, Miyabi's silhouette blurred, transforming into a streak of azure light as she launched herself directly into the heart of the Ethereal swarm.
Her swordsmanship was a masterclass in lethal efficiency. There were no theatrical flourishes, no wasted momentum. Every single strike was mathematically precise, carving directly through the hardened carapaces to sever the Ethereals' glowing cores and vital energy nodes. Amidst the blinding flashes of her blade, the corrupted Aether wailed in agony. Chunks of crystalline debris and severed limbs rained down upon the concrete. She moved like a relentless autumn gale sweeping away dead leaves, systematically and brutally purging the massive wave of monsters from existence.
As the final Ethereal dissolved into glowing dust, the chaotic battle ground to an abrupt halt. Breathing evenly, Miyabi habitually flicked her wrist, shedding the residual Aether from her blade in a smooth arc. She raised the katana, preparing to slide Tailless back into its dark scabbard.
However, the very moment the razor-sharp tip of the blade brushed against the opening of the sheath—
"Click."
A faint, yet unnervingly distinct mechanical snap echoed in the quiet air.
To her absolute bewilderment, the scabbard was suddenly forced open by an inexplicable, invisible pressure, causing her flawless sheathing motion to forcibly halt in mid-air.
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