Very quickly, Sol and the others arrived at Nicole and Baal's side.
"Long time no see, everyone from the Cunning Hares."
Qingyi and Zhu Yuan greeted Nicole and the others, though their gaze lingered on Baal.
"Yeah, long time no see."
Nicole smiled a little awkwardly at the PubSec officers.
This time she had entered the Hollow on Nekomata's commission, unlike last time at the Cretan Hollow where she held a Hollow Entry Permit.
In other words, right now she was standing in front of Qingyi and Zhu Yuan as a Hollow Raider.
Fortunately, after exchanging greetings, Qingyi and Zhu Yuan didn't press further, allowing Nicole, who was feeling guilty, to breathe a sigh of relief.
"Hello, may I ask how Miss Bangboo should be addressed?" Qingyi asked Baal curiously, then added, "I'm Qingyi, a Model-01NGVI automaton, scientific designation: Prototype Origin Type, Sixth Generation Frame."
She had a small scheme in mind—by revealing her own designation, she hoped to draw out Baal's Bangboo model.
After all, she was very curious about this powerful Miss Bangboo.
An intelligent construct like herself, yet somehow advanced to the point of cutting down Notorious Ethereal with a blade—it made Qingyi feel like a relic left far behind by the times.
In this new era of New Eridu, could the Public Security Bureau even still have a place for her?
"My name is Baal, model is…."
Baal looked uncertainly toward Sol Mercer.
She didn't even know what model she was. This body was a puppet crafted with painstaking care by Ei, while her consciousness came from a fragment of soul left behind five hundred years ago.
"Model is Raiden Shogun," Sol said casually.
"I suppose… that's not wrong."
Although Baal felt it sounded a little strange, she nodded anyway.
She was, after all, the former Raiden Shogun—that designation could never be wrong.
Still, to think the dignified Raiden Shogun had ended up as someone's Bangboo… her feelings were complicated.
But to live again, even like this—it wasn't so bad.
"Raiden Shogun… sounds like some kind of top-secret specialized model," Qingyi murmured thoughtfully. "A general who commands thunder and lightning… truly fitting."
That golden lightning that filled the heavens, that commanding aura of judgment—the name Raiden Shogun was indeed apt.
Zhu Yuan silently committed the name to memory, then looked to Nicole and the others. "How did you end up running into the Dead End Butcher? Don't tell me you were out specifically to take it down?"
"No," Nicole shook her head honestly, then pointed at Nekomata. "It was this bad cat Thiren. She deliberately led us toward the Dead End Butcher, forcing us into a fight with it."
At those words, Sol, Zhu Yuan, and the others turned their eyes to Nekomata.
At the moment, Anby Demara had one hand clamping Nekomata's arms behind her back, the other gripping her by the nape.
The hold was very professional, the strength precise, and carried a faint air of personal grudge.
"Easy, easy, poker face!" Nekomata's face flushed red as she protested. "I can't breathe!"
But when she noticed everyone's attention had landed on her, her voice shrank smaller and smaller.
Her usually tanned, delicate face seemed to pale several shades.
That terrifying Bangboo who cleaved apart the Dead End Butcher… Sol Mercer, whom she had deliberately tried to avoid… and two public security officers…
She felt like she was about to be split in two—half grilled alive, half thrown in jail. Terrifying!
Sol thought back to how he'd seen Nekomata hiding in the corner before they'd set out. Suddenly, everything clicked together like a detective revelation.
Most likely, the cat still wanted revenge for Miguel Silver, but knowing his strength, she chose to stir trouble for the Cunning Hares while he and Zhu Yuan, Qingyi were away.
At that moment, Baal stepped up to Nekomata.
"By every means you lured us toward the Dead End Butcher, even exploiting our goodwill. Punishment is due."
Her small Bangboo hand, flickering with blue and white sparks, pressed against Nekomata's head.
An immortal layeth her hand upon thy crown; thunder descendeth into thy soul.
Under her precise control, the current coursed only through Nekomata's body, sparing Anby who still held her tight.
"Nyaaah! I'm gonna break!"
Nekomata's eyes rolled back, drool dripping uncontrollably from her lips.
She thought she saw little winged figures circling above her head, her soul nearly shocked out of her body.
"Beautifully done!"
Seeing the cat who had nearly gotten them killed being electrocuted, Nicole felt a surge of satisfaction.
Yet even as she felt vindicated, a shiver ran through her body, phantom pain gnawing at her nerves.
Too scary… better never try sneaking a hand at Baal again.
Meanwhile, Sol didn't stop the scene—on the contrary, he pulled out his phone to take commemorative shots.
Every angle, every position, close-ups included.
Not until he had a hundred-odd photos did he finally stop.
Looking at the phone filled with images of the flushed, wide-eyed little cat, Sol felt very satisfied.
After a while, Baal finally ceased. She hadn't gone for the kill, only a pre-interrogation punishment.
Nekomata collapsed bonelessly like liquid, crystal tears glimmering at the corners of her eyes.
Once such a sly little catgirl, now she looked like a neutered tom, utterly lifeless.
Private punishment was against Public Security regulations.
Zhu Yuan, standing aside, wanted to say something.
But remembering this had been an attempted murder, she somewhat understood Baal's actions—and chose silence.
Nicole turned toward the half-dead Nekomata. "Now talk. Why did you post a false commission and trick us into running into the Dead End Butcher?"
Nekomata's voice was weak and lifeless. "I was once taken in by the boss of the Red Fang Gang. Though I later left them, I still had feelings for him."
"Recently I heard he'd been killed in the Hollow by the Cunning Hares, and since your reputation wasn't great either… I thought I'd lure you into a Hollow too, and kill you the same way to avenge Silver."
"But… sigh…"
What she hadn't expected was that the Cunning Hares were nothing like the rumors outside. They risked their lives to save a little girl.
Especially at the end, when they let her carry the girl out for help while Nicole and the others stayed behind to hold the line. That sight had left her shaken, confused.
And then, there was that deceptively cute Bangboo who was actually terrifying—strong enough to overpower the Dead End Butcher itself.
She'd been wrong. Completely wrong.
"Oh? So, it was all for foster father's revenge!" Billy Kid suddenly realized, then said to Nekomata, "But that fake-crying uncle was blasted into the Hollow along with us by a riot-control helicopter. We didn't trick him in!"
Qingyi rubbed her chin, searching her memory. "If I recall correctly, yes. Some hot-headed reporter grabbed Bringer's radio and ordered maximum-caliber bombardment."
"As much as I hate to admit it, Senior Qingyi is right. That was a serious accident."
Zhu Yuan looked embarrassed but nodded earnestly.
Officer Bringer had once saved her life—such an error should never have happened.
Sol added, "If you want to say we killed him, that's not exactly wrong. After all, he did turn into an Ethereal, and we were the ones who put him down."
"Huh?"
Nekomata froze.
Miguel Silver wasn't lured into a Hollow by the Cunning Hares, but blasted there by Public Security's riot-control helicopter.
So what revenge was there to take? Wasn't that simply Public Security executing justice against gang violence?
Her reasoning had always been: the evil Cunning Hares backstabbed Miguel, leading to his death.
But after traveling with them, she knew the Cunning Hares were kind-hearted, capable—not evil at all.
And in fact, Miguel hadn't even really been finished off by them.
Nyaa… Nekomata's mind went blank.
She'd almost gotten the innocent Cunning Hares killed, been electrocuted into a limp mess, and had countless compromising photos taken. What the hell was she even doing?
"Fine, fine, I admit it. I was wrong." Nekomata sagged in despair, her cat ears drooping. "Kill me, lock me up forever, I'll even give up eating mackerel… whatever you want, I'll accept it!"
"Whatever we want, you'll accept?"
Nicole rubbed her fingers together, golden light flashing in her eyes.
"Whatever we want, huh~"
Sol's lips curled into a smile, his eyes glinting.