"Not much. Just help me clean out the parasites in the current municipal administration, back me up at the upcoming trial assembly, and help filter candidates for the next term. The old guard on your side and mine will be fine with that."
"I don't want rats holding us back anymore."
"Also, the Falkenhayn Mercenary Troupe needs upgraded equipment. Reassign some personnel to assist the Vision Corporation. I want control over the remaining Hollows. On matters concerning the Outer Ring, you'll need to take my side. Oh, and—I'm running short on funds..."
"On top of that, your research data has to be shared. Don't worry, I'll share information on Hollow Zero in return."
After firing off this long list in one breath, Shin paused, raised her head slightly in thought, and then said,
"That's all for now."
"That's all?"
Tyce's face darkened.
This was what she called "not much"? Taking everything, demanding it all? Then he might as well...
"Don't forget, Fire Picker..."
Seeing Tyce's refusal, Shin wasn't fazed, bringing up Fire Picker as if it were already part of her plan.
"Hm? Fire Picker?"
Suddenly, a pretty face appeared beside Shin. The woman in the wheelchair smiled faintly and asked curiously.
Shin's heart skipped a beat. Forcing herself to stay calm, she frowned slightly at the woman.
This one... Triggered the keyword, didn't she?
Shaking her head lightly, Shin looked at Tyce and smiled.
"Fire Picker stands with me."
Her tone brimmed with confidence, as if it were undeniable fact. But in truth, if she wanted Fire Picker on her side, she'd still need to convince Zane... For now, though, she simply skipped over that detail.
"Fire Picker stands with you? Hard to believe."
Before Tyce could even respond, the woman in the wheelchair voiced her skepticism. She knew Shin had crossed paths with Fire Picker, but standing together...
"Believe it or not."
Shin wasn't about to prove anything. She simply turned her gaze back to Tyce. The one making the decision here was him.
Still, a strange feeling rippled through Shin.
Zane shouldn't mind... right?
It should be fine. Borrowing a tiger's might wasn't such a big deal. Worst case, she could make it up to him later... That guy was easy enough to coax, anyway.
Tyce stared at Shin silently for a few seconds before turning toward the door. As he moved, his words reached her ears.
"It's late. We'll discuss the detailed terms another time."
The cooperation between them was too complicated to settle with a verbal exchange. To work together, proper follow-ups and handovers would be necessary.
Hearing this, Shin smiled faintly.
Hmm... turning enemies into allies? Not exactly. More like equals. As for the old grudges, she'd jot them down in her little notebook and settle them later.
After Tyce left, only two remained. The woman in the wheelchair looked at Shin and asked curiously,
"You're close with Fire Picker?"
She had planned to approach through Tyce, but now it seemed Shin might actually be the better option... Past conflicts didn't matter when Fire Picker was involved.
"What? What are you planning?"
Shin raised an eyebrow, her eyes narrowing at the woman before her.
"What do you think? You haven't left yet—you're clearly waiting for me to speak, aren't you?"
The woman tilted her head, a few strands of hair falling across her face. Her bright eyes blinked, but she didn't fall for Shin's bait.
"You mentioned being short on funds... I suspect you said that for my benefit."
"But... name your price."
Her voice was cool and sharp, carrying an imposing weight.
Shin was used to it by now. After all, this woman wasn't just comparable to Sunbringer in terms of combat power—her wealth went even further...
She was the richest woman in New Eridu.
Shin wasn't surprised her intentions had been seen through. Exposed or not, the result would be the same. Fire Picker was the perfect bait for certain people...
Of course, she wouldn't expose Zane directly. She'd take another route...
Under the night sky, everything was silent.
...
The Jade Rabbit sank in the west, the Golden Crow rose in the east.
Mars District.
"Click—been quite a while since I last came here."
Zane stood atop a tower, gazing over Mars District. Weeds had spread from the cracks in the stone beneath his feet, painting patches of green against the snow.
Many plants wither in winter, but New Eridu wasn't in winter—just snowfall... This snow, still unmelted to this day, existed only because of some special reason...
"Yeah."
Beside him, Soldier 11 nodded. The last visit was still vivid in her memory.
Only now, their relationship had shifted a lot. The humiliation from back then had turned into little more than embarrassment when she thought about it now.
She suddenly felt an urge to draw her blade and slash at Zane. But knowing she couldn't win, she quickly killed the thought.
"Zane, when are you going?"
In another corner of the tower, Trigger leaned lazily against the wall, chewing on candy while playing a game. Who knew what was going through his head, coming all the way up here just to take a look...
"Just reminiscing a little. Won't take long."
Zane stretched lazily. Soldier 11's lips twitched at his words, and she snorted.
Reminiscing? It hadn't even been half a year—three, four months at most—and he was already calling it the past?
Glancing at Trigger, Soldier 11 puffed a breath upward, blowing stray bangs off her forehead. Trigger didn't seem to care either. So she was the only one still brooding over what happened, huh...
Zane, oblivious to Soldier 11's thoughts, glanced back once more before heading down the tower.
Trigger stood up to follow. Soldier 11, still lost in daydreams of "beating the crap out of" Zane, snapped out of it and hurried after them.
Soon, the three were filling their stomachs again at Yellow Springs Restaurant. Under Soldier 11's firm insistence, even the last drop of soup was finished before they headed into the Defense Force headquarters of Mars District.
For the Defense Force base, it was simple: two of them were top brass of the Falkenhayn Mercenary Troupe, and the third was someone they'd been instructed to look after. No one dared stop them. They passed straight through.
This was Zane's first time taking a proper look at the place since wrecking it last time.
Its combat strength was actually pretty solid.
That last time had only gone so poorly for them because his strength had been overwhelming, and he had taken them by surprise. There had been too many factors at play...