"I get it now! Brother Zane went to call for reinforcements, didn't he?"
"Haha! I knew it! He's totally reliable!"
Anton quickly came up with a convenient explanation, and upon hearing it, Koleda and Grace immediately caught on.
"Nicole, yelling won't help. Did he tell you how long he'd be gone?"
Koleda asked seriously.
"How long?"
Nicole, kneeling on the ground, looked up in confusion.
"Reinforcements!"
"What reinforcements?"
"Zane went to get backup, didn't he?"
Nicole tilted her head.
"Huh? He told you that? Why was I the last to know?"
At that, Koleda gave up.
"Whatever…"
She didn't notice Anby and Eous still calmly chatting nearby, completely unfazed.
Belle trusted Zane completely. If he said he'd protect her, then there was nothing to worry about.
As for Anby—she trusted him for no reason at all.
She couldn't help it—he was just that dependable.
The rebels had closed in and were now within firing range. At the leader's command, all weapons were aimed.
Just when things looked their bleakest, Nicole shouted again,
"Zane! You're seriously gonna let them bully me like this—"
"You're ridiculously loud."
A voice cut her off mid-sentence.
Nicole stopped and turned—just in time to see a figure land beside her from above.
"Zane! Finally!"
She made a move to throw herself into his arms, but he sidestepped her without a word. She paused, shrugged it off, and said quickly,
"Zane, they're picking on me—go teach them a lesson!"
Now that backup had arrived, Nicole straightened up like she owned the place.
"Don't you think you're overdoing it?"
Zane glanced at her tear-streaked face and curled his lip. He had originally planned to go straight after the rebels, but Yano's words had convinced him to return first.
Getting back hadn't been easy—if he hadn't improved his spatial movement, he might've been lost for good.
"Huh? Overdoing it?"
Nicole blinked, dropping the act and returning to her usual self.
At that moment, artillery fire began to rain from the distance.
Up front, Anton and Ben noticed Zane had returned, but with the incoming barrage, they focused on defense.
"You two aren't even a little bit worried?!"
Koleda's eyes widened at the sight of Nicole and Zane chatting casually.
"How can you act like it's nothing when we're about to die?!"
"Relax, kid…"
Zane smiled, tapped Nicole's head to shut her up, and drew in the dense Ether energy around them.
In an instant, a crystalline wall enveloped everyone, shielding them from the assault. Gunfire pounded from outside—but nothing broke through.
"Holy crap! Bro, that was you?!"
"Dude, how the hell are you this strong?!"
"Controlling Ether Crystals—that's insane!"
Anton was the first to shout. The others just stared, stunned by the sudden crystal dome.
Can't blame them—none of them had ever seen anything like this.
"Zane always shows up like a Starlight Knight. I'm used to it by now. Right, Anby?"
Billy swung his weapon and glanced over.
In the corner, Anby and Eous were still casually chatting, completely unaffected.
Inside the crystal dome, Zane noticed all eyes on him. He turned to Koleda and spoke softly,
"Stay here. What happens next isn't exactly family-friendly. Just wait a moment."
Koleda instinctively nodded, watching him leap from the barrier—then snapped back to reality.
So he wasn't the Proxy's assistant after all...
He was their secret weapon!
If only Zane had arrived a bit earlier...
And that "kid" comment? Koleda decided to let it slide. After all, Belobog Heavy Industries had been saved. Being called a kid a few times—who cared?
As long as it wasn't in front of a crowd, she could deal with it.
Inside the dome, they couldn't see what was happening outside. Only the roar of explosions could be heard. Grace's gaze turned thoughtful.
That kind of power... it wasn't something ordinary people could do. With strength like that, Zane had to be using some kind of advanced mechanical tech...
Maybe even tech she'd never seen before.
As everyone mulled over their own thoughts, outside the barrier, Zane's hands flared with blue-white flames as he prepared to wipe out the last of the rebels—until a voice called out.
"Please, spare them!"
Zane paused and turned, spotting several people from Victoria Housekeeping sprinting toward him, Ellen at the front with a weapon in hand.
Their eyes met—and Ellen froze.
"You?!"
How could she forget the guy who had once threatened her, pulled magic tricks, and even snatched her lollipop?
"Why not me?"
Zane replied coolly.
Ellen was speechless. Rina, Lycaon, and Corin arrived right behind her.
At the back, Corin was panting. When she looked up and saw Zane, she also froze.
"Mister?"
"Still remember me, little Corin?"
Zane smiled.
Corin nodded quickly.
"You helped me last time—I could never forget!"
Hearing that exchange, the rest of Victoria Housekeeping was stunned.
He knows Corin?
Ellen narrowed her eyes. Was he targeting Corin on purpose?
She still held a grudge from before—so thinking the best of him wasn't easy.
To the side, Lycaon and Rina were confused. This guy clearly knew both Ellen and Corin—but the atmosphere between them was completely different.
Lycaon shook his head. Now wasn't the time to think about that.
"Honored sir," he said with a formal bow, "these people are your rightful spoils. But may we humbly request that you turn them over to us?"
"They are of great value to Victoria Housekeeping, and we're prepared to offer equivalent compensation."
Ellen stayed silent, watching Zane's face closely.
If he refused, they'd have to fight.
Rina sensed Ellen's tension and subtly raised a hand to calm her, wearing a weary expression.
Ellen was so worried about her friends, she wasn't even considering the state of the battlefield.
The place was strewn with rebel corpses—this wasn't something they could just sweep under the rug...
Victoria Housekeeping might not even be able to handle it.
If it could be resolved peacefully, that was definitely the better way.