At the Scott Outpost, Section 6 stood over two Bangboos lying on the ground, and fell into silence.
In the end, Tsukishiro Yanagi forced out the words with some difficulty.
"Asaba… so the Bangboo at that kid's side is actually this strong?"
"Well, that's something I've wondered myself." Harumasa Asaba glanced down at Nsergia—collapsed on the ground after slaughtering far too many Ethereals, flopped there like a salted fish—and spoke with a pleasant, catlike smile. "When I went out for a breather with Doctor Chiya before, this little guy would occasionally glare at me with this… extremely resentful look. It genuinely made me feel like I was a kitten being stalked by some predator hiding in the bushes."
"…Or like I was being watched by a sniper who could kill from a hundred meters away."
"Just presence alone, enough to make you shiver?" Hoshimi Miyabi gave a small nod. Her eyes never left Nsergia's motionless body—still hungry for a fight. "Back at Doctor Chiya's place, I already felt something was off about this one. So its combat capability is actually higher than Agent Gulliver's in our section?"
"If Chief's hands are itching, why not wait for it to recover and spar with it?" Harumasa's smile turned wickedly amused—an awful suggestion delivered with perfect innocence.
Nsergia's entire little Bangboo body jolted on the ground.
"M… neh… (B-burned out…)"
Cursing that shameless "sick cat" in its heart, Nsergia immediately committed to the performance—full I'm totally out of battery mode.
In the blink of an eye, it let out a single "mm-neh," staggered like its head was too heavy, and collapsed with theatrical finality—then fell into a deep, dead-pig sleep.
Miyabi could only regretfully withdraw her gaze, never noticing that after Nsergia rolled over, it quietly exhaled a long breath of relief.
Heaven help Nsergia: if you asked it to beat up Ethereals, sure—it could show a neat little trick, easy.
But if you asked it to fight the youngest Void Hunter in New Eridu?
That was just bullying.
Unfortunately, Eous couldn't read Nsergia's inner monologue. It only saw its best buddy yell once and drop like a rock, so it anxiously patted Nsergia's belly with its round little hands.
"Mm-neh? Mm-neh-neh? (Nsergia? Duct-tape-bro? You out of power?)"
Nsergia offered no response—only slept harder.
After all, you can't wake a human who's pretending to sleep.
And you can't wake a Bangboo who's pretending to sleep, either.
Eous's fussing finally pulled Section 6's attention off Nsergia and onto it.
"Come to think of it," Yanagi said, adjusting her glasses as she crouched down and gently patted Eous's head, "this operation ending without disaster had a lot to do with this navigator Bangboo."
Harumasa folded his arms and watched with a smile. "Route planning, adaptability—this one's better than the standard-issue Bangboos in the Anti-Air Department. Is it running some secret Society 'radish' dataset? Or was its core trained in a special way?"
"Or…" Harumasa's gaze slid past the crowd and landed faintly on Belle, who'd just stepped out of the tent. The more cheerful he was, the more malicious his curiosity became—like a sly cat batting at a ball of yarn. "Maybe this Bangboo belonged to some legendary Proxy, and after its owner fell, the Society absorbed it."
Soukaku, as always, was a beat behind. She fidgeted, fingertips touching as she swayed uncertainly.
"Harumasa… if the Bangboos in our section hear you say that, won't they be sad?"
Meanwhile, Ray—the researcher who had just finished retrieving the data—frowned and answered bluntly.
"A Society Bangboo? This unit isn't Society property. It's private equipment belonging to the leader of this Independent Investigation Squad."
Yanagi adjusted her glasses again without speaking.
But Belle could already feel it—the inspection-grade gaze that seemed ready to peel her clothes off, examine her from skin to marrow, and file the results under "Suspicious."
So this is what a Section 6 executor feels like… Belle shivered. That stare is terrifying. Section 6's job description… shouldn't include arresting Proxies… right?
If it wasn't a Society Bangboo, then was the person connected to that kid the leader of this Independent Investigation Squad?
That meant Yanagi's previous assumptions might be wrong. She needed to rethink her approach.
And… what exactly was this woman's relationship to that kid?
When Yanagi had been—ahem—quietly keeping tabs on the kid's condition, she'd never seen her.
If Belle could hear what Yanagi was thinking, she'd be shouting I'm innocent! and spewing all kinds of nonsense.
Because sure—Doctor Chiya was close with Belle and Wise, but he was practically never home. Otherwise their place wouldn't be nearly empty of ingredients, and he wouldn't have picked up that energy-bar habit thanks to a certain bad influence.
That was why the sibling duo had developed the habit of waiting like farmers for a nocturnal hare—camping at home until Chiya eventually showed up on his own.
Honestly, if Belle could find him, she'd have painted Doctor Chiya's whole shop in Randomn colors a long time ago.
But Belle wasn't a mind-reading alien. Yanagi couldn't see her thoughts.
So, with her internal alarm fully blaring, Yanagi did the only reasonable thing:
She launched into a thorough, mother-in-law-interrogating-the-daughter-in-law style household registration check.
"I see," Yanagi said smoothly. "I've heard the Association has opened recruitment for civilian investigation teams."
Harumasa was just about to slip in a sarcastic jab—
and Yanagi cut him off mid-chant.
"Thank you for your assistance to Section 6 in this operation," she said, formal and sincere. "I apologize for dragging you into the dangers of our mission. Your courage in the operation is deeply admirable. Without your support, this task would have been far more difficult. Please accept our respect."
Belle had braced herself for an arrest.
Instead, she froze—then relaxed, and laughed awkwardly with a shy little twist.
"Uh… it's really not that big a deal. I just did what any good citizen of New Eridu should do. You don't need to praise me."
"No." Yanagi's smile didn't change. "Words alone are not enough. Those who carry firewood for the people must not be left to freeze in the snow. Those who carve roads to freedom must not be left trapped in thorns."
"This… Squad Leader—your efforts deserve gratitude. And such conduct should be recognized."
Miyabi thinks highly of her, Miyabi mused, ears and expression seemingly unchanged—though a careful observer would notice the tiniest twitch, as if her brain were arguing with itself.
Harumasa, meanwhile, was quietly suffering.
Yanagi's in info-gathering mode again… I mean, intelligence collection is good, sure—but if she keeps probing people like this every day, one day someone's going to shout "Stop!" and hit her with a "How dare you!"
Soukaku, pure-hearted as ever, understood none of the subtext. All she got was:
Yanagi wanted to repay this round-faced "dumpling" squad leader.
Yanagi watched Belle—who was clearly getting a little dizzy from praise—and lowered her suspicion level by a notch.
Still, she remained vigilant.
Maybe she's acting.
Until I have her information fully in hand, I can't drop my guard.
"If you don't mind," Yanagi said, still smiling, "could you visit the Anti-Air Department as our guest? We'll need some basic information as a prerequisite for delivering an appropriate token of thanks."
"Hehe… sure—wait—" Belle's smile froze. "S-sorry, what did you say?"
Thank goodness years of hardship with Wise and Chiya had forged Belle's survival instincts into something with teeth. It seized the last shred of her rationality and yanked it back from the cliff—otherwise she would've agreed on reflex.
She snapped fully awake a beat later, terrified.
Are you kidding me?!
Most Proxies already panic at the idea of getting their identity checked at the Public Security Bureau.
And she and her brother weren't just any Proxies—they were the legendary Phaethon.
Sure, their accounts had been wiped, but Belle was certain an organization like the Anti-Air Department kept files.
If they went into a restricted facility, they'd be vetted.
And if—if they uncovered anything…
Wouldn't that turn into "Doctor Chiya goes looking for bad women—never comes back"?
If the other side laughed and said they could rack up performance points without leaving home… then Belle and Wise would be the ones who couldn't laugh anymore.
"I said," Yanagi repeated patiently, "please come to our department as a guest. Don't worry—we always prepare excellent tea for visitors. Did you hear clearly this time?"
Belle had heard clearly.
And there was no universe where she accepted.
She cleared her throat, then her watery eyes hardened into something rock-solid. Her round cheeks sharpened into stern lines—so stern they could've been carved in marble.
Even her voice dropped into a solemn register.
"Don't talk to me about compensation, ma'am. 'The things a human soul requires are not bought with money.' Without your hard work, how could ordinary citizens like us greet New Eridu's sun each day with a smile?"
"Compared to your contributions, what I've done is—cough—contribution… only a tiny spark. No reward is needed. For me, being able to contribute to you—to the hollow cause of New Eridu—is the greatest reward."
"And I believe a person's life should be lived like this: when they look back, they will not regret wasted years, nor be ashamed of a meaningless existence. So that at the moment of death they can say—"
"'My entire life and all my experience were devoted to the most magnificent cause in the world—fighting to reclaim this world from the Hollows for humanity!!!'"
Silence.
Section 6.
The Bangboos—Nsergia playing dead, Eous preparing a Bangboo CPR miracle.
The Defense Force under Captain Roland.
The Society researchers led by Ray.
All of them stared at Belle, slack-jawed, as she finished her heroic monologue.
The wave of silence lasted so long that Belle—finally realizing how catastrophically embarrassing her speech was—began to shrink in place.
"W-what? D-did I say something…?"
"Defense Force—assemble!"
"Huh?"
Belle's heart started pounding in time with the soldiers' boots as the massive Defense Force troops formed up.
Then Captain Roland stepped in front of them, turned, and raised his hand.
"To Belle—and to all noble citizens like Squad Leader Belle—our highest respect!!!"
"Salute!!!"
Roland—the man whose face always looked like old tree bark—now had tears glittering in his eyes.
Belle stared, dumbfounded.
Then her earlier panic transformed into a tiny spark of pride.
She couldn't help planting her hands on her hips and humming smugly.
Seeing that everyone's attention was now on Belle, Yanagi understood this was not the moment to push further.
She sighed.
"Very well. Thank you for your help. We have official duties and must return to report. We'll take our leave."
"Oh, sure—go ahead! Don't let me stop you!" Belle waved.
Only then did she truly relax.
And then—
a far-off voice floated over, unmistakably familiar.
"Gone for five minutes and you've turned into the owner of the place? 'Don't let me stop you'—so we're not going home for dinner?"
"Brother!"
Belle spun around.
At the guard post stood a man. Green eyes. Gray hair. A sharp M-shaped fringe. Long sleeves under a short-sleeve top, pants and sneakers. A small smile.
A strong NPC vibe in full bloom.
If it wasn't Wise, who else could it be?
Belle launched herself at him.
Wise opened his arms with a smile—and when she crashed into him, he leaned down and murmured:
"That speech just now? Absolute cinema. The kind of line you'd keep in the script as a classic."
"Heh. Of course. Who do you think I am?"
"Oh, right." Wise's eyes glittered. "On the way here, I saw Doctor Chiya and Trigger heading out—looked like they were going to Lumina Square. Smells like a huge scoop. Want to go?"
"Yes! Wait—who?"
Tsukishiro Yanagi—who had been about to leave—stopped dead the moment she heard that name.
Her brows drew together as she looked toward the sibling duo, who had absolutely no idea their "Yanagi radar" had just locked on.
Wise lowered his voice urgently.
"Shh—keep it down. If we're going, bring Nsergia and Eous. If we hurry, we can still catch them. I've got Fairy tracking their location in real time—keys are still in the car, so let's—"
"Excuse me, sir." Yanagi's voice appeared behind them again. "Are you and your sister going to Lumina Square for dinner?"
Belle and Wise lifted their heads.
Section 6—who had supposedly left—stood there smiling.
Smiling in a way that made your scalp crawl.
"Uh… Ms. Tsukishiro…" Belle began carefully. "Aren't you still—"
"No." Yanagi's smile was perfect. "If you refuse to accept the Anti-Air Department's reward, then allow us—personally—to treat you and your brother to a meal. Consider it a small repayment."
What, free food? Wise's brain lit up—then immediately shut it down.
No. Free food wasn't worth missing Chiya's gossip.
He was about to refuse—
when Yanagi added, casually:
"And if I'm not mistaken, you and your sister are close with Doctor Chiya as well. Otherwise, you wouldn't have brought a Bangboo named Nsergia here."
"Please rest assured. Every member of Section 6 has been inside Doctor Chiya's residence. We're trustworthy."
Wise's internal response was immediate and extremely unfiltered:
What the hell—why didn't you say that earlier?! You're connected to that brat too?!
Chiya had dropped one surprise after another lately, and Wise's brain didn't even bother thinking in depth.
He just turned to Nsergia—who instantly "revived" from playing dead the moment it saw them—and after receiving Nsergia's reluctant confirmation…
Wise believed Yanagi.
Because if you knew Chiya, you usually weren't a bad person.
And honestly…
Eating gossip alone was delicious.
But eating gossip in a group?
Also pretty good.
Chiya! Wise cackled darkly inside. You will pay for your secrecy!
Only Belle—weakly—managed to ask:
"Um… Ms. Tsukishiro… didn't you say you had to go report—"
"That can be handled by Harumasa." Yanagi's smile sharpened. "He doesn't need to get in the car."
"And you agree, don't you…"
"…Harumasa."
Harumasa truly wanted to go. He wanted to eat gossip—and maybe protect his benefactor if things got weird.
But looking at Yanagi's eyes—filled with unmistakable "killing intent," and then thinking about his precious leave slips—
Harumasa chose the call of survival.
"Leave it to me, Ms. Tsukishiro."
"Good. The official car is yours. Drive it to the meeting later."
Then Yanagi turned back to Wise.
"And you are…?"
"My name is Wise."
"Very well." Yanagi nodded. "Mr. Wise—please drive."
Behind them, the Scott Outpost grew distant. Captain Roland's lecturing voice faded away into the wind.
In the back seat, Yanagi closed her eyes, gently stroking Soukaku's head as Soukaku slept with her head in Yanagi's lap.
Soukaku's hair was soft.
But that kid's hair…
was even softer.
And he smelled good, too.
And his body was… very soft. Tender. His neck looked…
…very edible.
Yes.
That kid carried some kind of magic.
Just a few meetings, and even a battle-hardened soldier like Yanagi couldn't help but feel something wicked stirring inside.
As Section 6's deputy chief and intelligence officer, Yanagi had sensed something abnormal about Doctor Chiya the moment she met him—and she had resolved to investigate.
Because if she let this continue…
New Eridu's women would absolutely fall to his poisonous hands!
Mm.
This wasn't her fault.
It was that naturally wicked little demon Chiya's fault.
For New Eridu, she had to collect intel, find the source of his "magic," and figure out a way to restrain it!
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 120)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 100)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League (Chapter 100)
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter89)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter86)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter63)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter75)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 53
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 57
From Junkman to Wasteland 35
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