Dusk.
Within the Elden District, several shadowy figures moved stealthily through the lockdown zone.
"Huh? Are they really not noticing us?"
Eous followed behind Tsukishiro Yanagi and the others, peeking out halfway from beside Yanagi's leg. Her springy ears twitched, suspicion flickering in her eyes.
Why did it feel like that heavily armed soldier nearby had definitely spotted them?
Though the quarantine zone wasn't large, it wasn't small either. As the ruins of a Hollow, it was filled with abandoned, crumbling buildings—perfect for hiding.
But still... Belle's instincts told her that their infiltration hadn't gone completely unnoticed.
"Probably not... If they had spotted us, dressed like this, we'd already be arrested."
Harumasa hid in a corner, peering through a cracked window at the surroundings. The patrolling Falkenhayn didn't seem to have noticed them.
Inside the video store, Wise stood beside Belle, assisting her as she followed the members of Section 6 remotely.
"Miss Shin said that the people sealing this special Hollow aren't under her command. Logically speaking, if you really had been discovered, things wouldn't be this quiet."
Wise spoke softly. Shin had first contacted them through a mysterious Inter-Knot account, which led to their connection with Zane. Since Phaethon's identity had already been exposed to the other side, he and Belle had also learned who Shin truly was.
Before this impulsive operation, the two had consulted Shin for advice. In the end, she couldn't provide any assistance, and recommended stealth as their best option.
"Of course, there's also the possibility you've been seen but the Falkenhayn are just turning a blind eye. After all, they're not amateurs, and this isn't inside a Hollow—we don't have much of an advantage here."
"If that's the case... it's hard to say whether that's good or bad."
Wise thought for a moment, then reminded Belle, "You have to consider every possibility."
"I understand, Brother."
Belle nodded, her eyes glinting faintly blue.
Within the lockdown zone, Tsukishiro Yanagi prepared to lead the two of them—and a Bangboo—through the changing of the guard between two Falkenhayn patrols, continuing deeper into the restricted area.
Just as the three stepped out of the house, about to head toward a nearby alley, Harumasa suddenly raised a hand to stop Yanagi. The latter immediately sensed something was wrong, and the group quickly slipped back into the house.
Snap. Snap. Snap...
The sounds echoed clearly through the still air. Curious, Soukaku peeked out from the edge of the window—then her pupils contracted sharply.
Tsukishiro Yanagi immediately grabbed one of Soukaku's horns and pushed her head down, pressing a finger to her lips before crouching by the wall, signaling the others and Eous to keep silent.
They held their breath. Eous lifted her tiny hands to cover her mouth, hiding quietly behind Yanagi's legs.
The footsteps drew closer, every step echoing clearly in the silence.
As the sounds grew louder, Belle's nerves tightened. Even though her real body was in the video store, she didn't dare to breathe.
Suddenly, the noise stopped right outside. The three of them knew the thing was very close. Soukaku instinctively held her breath, her body tense.
A red grid of laser light swept through the window, scanning every corner of the room and every object it could reach.
Fortunately, because of the angle, the three crouched beneath the window—and Eous—escaped detection.
A few breaths later, the red beam retracted. The mechanical whirring resumed, fading gradually into the distance.
Yanagi cautiously stood and glanced toward the retreating machine.
"Looks like that thing's one of the new models developed for the Falkenhayn," she murmured. "It's a lot like the mechanical bio-weapons the Defense Force used back during the Hollow suppression."