...
In the blink of an eye, the outpost operation drew to a close.
Though the lockdown zone's reinforced defenses were formidable, their side—clearly aided by Phaethon—proved superior. The final Hollow was secured without incident.
Incidentally, they also intercepted the data they needed.
After packing their belongings, Wise and Belle left the outpost. Later, Shin took her share of the information to the video store.
Meanwhile, because the Hollow retrieval operation couldn't be carried out quietly, the organizations involved immediately went silent afterward to avoid drawing attention.
Beyond maintaining just enough daily activity to appear normal, everyone avoided unnecessary movements or disruptions whenever possible.
But silence did not mean idleness.
They were waiting. Some within the city council were waiting. Others within the military were waiting. Across New Eridu, countless people were waiting for that moment—
That signal.
...
Late at night.
Under the broken moonlight, amidst the uneven skyline, an ancient tower stood in silence.
Time had carved mottled scars into its stone, like a weathered elder gazing into the distance, or a quiet knight standing guard over his homeland.
No matter what became of the Mars District, the tower had always remained.
The cool night breeze brushed against her face, strands of dark hair swaying softly to its rhythm. Her clear, captivating eyes gazed toward the distant horizon.
She had already met the professor.
Zane had once told her about this, though at the time, she hadn't paid it much mind. She'd kept it in the back of her thoughts, knowing she didn't need to concern herself with it yet.
She had long grown used to her life as a criminal investigation Advanced Automaton.
But now...
"Human emotions really are strange..."
Qingyi lifted her hand, lowering her eyes to her palm, her expression distant.
She raised her arm higher. Moonlight streamed through her parted fingers, spilling across her face and illuminating the faint confusion buried deep within her eyes.
It wasn't confusion about what she should do.
Hoshimi Miyabi had found her again the previous night. This time, it wasn't to ask her for assistance with an operation—it was to have her visit the professor in Mars District, to carry out what Zane had once spoken of, and then to go to Hollow Zero to join him.
Zane was planning to seize Hollow Zero from that entity, and such a struggle would inevitably involve a clash of spirits.
He needed an emotional anchor by his side.
Hoshimi Miyabi had said that, in this respect, she—and only she—could fulfill that role.
They had kept it from her until now to avoid any unforeseen complications.
Qingyi hadn't hesitated.
Nor was she lost about the future.
Everyone was doing their part, and she believed wholeheartedly that they would not fail.
At her feet, fresh blades of green grass sprouted through the cracks between the bricks—new life taking root atop the ancient tower.
She lowered her hand, eyes once more fixed on the horizon, where a faint line of pale light had begun to bloom.
The sun would rise.
The night would end.
Her uncertainty now came only from within herself...
Was she really the only one who could do this?
Hoshimi Miyabi's words echoed softly in her mind.
Somehow, she and Zane had forged a bond stronger than she had ever realized. The boy who once called her "senior" and "teacher" over and over was now carrying out deeds that shook the world.
It all felt so natural, as if written by fate itself.
But Qingyi had never believed in such things.
Just how deep had this bond between them grown?
When it came to feelings like these, she was utterly clueless.
As an Advanced Automaton, she could recite endless definitions and analyses about emotion, but when it came to feeling them herself, every line of data turned meaningless—just empty code.
She wasn't even... truly alive.
Fragments of the professor's words surfaced in her mind, followed by scattered memories of her time spent with Zane.
Perhaps... it was time to face her own heart.
"Zane..."
Qingyi whispered his name softly. Then, a faint smile crossed her lips. She closed her eyes, exhaled a quiet sigh, and when she opened them again, her gaze was as clear as glass—the confusion within them gone.
She had changed her mind.
Originally, she had planned to leave a data backup with the professor, another with Zhu Yuan, one with Phaethon, and one with the official archives. That way, even if something uncontrollable happened within Hollow Zero, she could still be reconstructed afterward.