One was from the Hollow Special Operations Unit 6, and the other from the Defense Force.
Although the two sides didn't know each other,
Hoshimi Miyabi had heard of the Obol Squad.
And judging from Soldier 11's equipment and uniform, it was clear she was from the Defense Force, quickly earning Hoshimi Miyabi's trust.
As Hoshimi Miyabi studied Soldier 11,
Soldier 11 also observed her.
"I've heard of you. The new section chief of Hollow Special Operations Unit 6, the youngest Void Hunter in New Eridu's history. You're just as impressive as the rumors say."
Hoshimi Miyabi replied calmly, "I've heard of you too. The Obol Squad, the Defense Force's most elite unit, stationed year-round at the frontlines of Hollow Zero."
Their brief exchange of compliments ended.
To get a better understanding of the current situation in the Hollow,
Hoshimi Miyabi explained the mission to Soldier 11, including the rescue of the Defense Force and the goal of eliminating the High-Level Ethereal, hoping to gather more information from him.
After listening,
Belle, Billy, Anby, Nekomata, and the others all looked surprised.
Hoshimi Miyabi asked, puzzled, "What's wrong? Do you know where the High-Level Ethereal is? Please tell me—we're here to eliminate it."
Belle hesitated, "I, uh..."
Soukaku asked in confusion, "What's going on?"
Nekomata quickly spoke up, "The High-Level Ethereal you're looking for has already been defeated by us. Didn't you notice? The Hollow has already started to collapse, meow."
The members of Hollow Special Operations Unit 6 froze for a moment, staring at Nekomata in shock.
At the same time,
they recalled the data they had observed earlier. Judging by the declining Ether activity and the steadily dropping Ether concentration, the C97 Hollow was indeed collapsing.
They hadn't made the connection until now.
Only after hearing Nekomata's words did they realize it.
Hoshimi Miyabi said thoughtfully, "I see. Thanks to you, the Defense Force stationed at the test site was spared from the Ethereal attack."
Standing nearby, Asaba Harumasa stepped forward. "Could you explain what happened in a bit more detail? Even though the High-Level Ethereal has been defeated, we still need to write a report and need information about it..."
Seeing Asaba Harumasa,
Nekomata nodded. "Here's what happened..."
Before Nekomata could start,
Billy jumped in, "Let me tell it! I watched the whole thing, so I know best..."
Billy, still lying on a stretcher,
began recounting everything from when they entered the Abandoned Skyscraper: the ambush, escaping the lobby, and capturing Mr. Mole...
Then he described destroying the Ether collection device, and how Soldier 11 fought solo against the half-finished Notoriety Ethereal...
then the birth of the fully-formed Notoriety Ethereal and Soldier 11's fierce battle with it...
Before Billy could finish,
Tsukishiro Yanagi raised an eyebrow and interrupted, "Isn't Soldier 11 your client? Why was it always Soldier 11 fighting while you from Hare's House were just watching?"
Billy protested, "What do you mean just watching? We were all injured! Isn't it reasonable to rest a little? Besides, Hare's House played a major role too! Just listen patiently—the best part is coming up..."
Billy continued, describing Soldier 11's fierce battle.
At the most critical moment, a golden stone pillar fell from the sky and smashed the Notoriety Ethereal half to death.
"That's right! That golden stone pillar was launched by Sam Li from afar! If it weren't for Hare's House, this mission would've totally failed!"
Seeing Billy's righteous and confident expression,
the Hollow Special Operations Unit 6 members doubted him deeply. Was Billy bragging?
Could someone really fly into the sky stepping on a stone pillar?
Could a stone pillar really crush a Notoriety Ethereal?
As professionals,
they knew exactly how strong Notoriety Ethereals were, and Billy's story sounded way too suspicious—like he was making it up on the spot.
Hoshimi Miyabi seemed distracted and didn't expose Billy's exaggerations. Instead, she seriously said, "Thank you for the information."
Billy grinned, "No problem! Next time you run into us in the Hollow, just cut us some slack, okay?"
Hoshimi Miyabi: "..."
Tsukishiro Yanagi: "..."
Belle glanced at the gradually darkening sky. "It's getting late. It'll be dark soon. Let's hurry and get out of the Hollow."
Nekomata eagerly added, "Yeah! I'm starving—let's go eat mackerel, meow."
Billy hurriedly said, "Hey, hey, don't forget to take me to the Intelligent Robot Repair Center first..."
Soldier 11 nodded. "Let's go."
They said goodbye to the members of Hollow Special Operations Unit 6 and disappeared into the streets of the small town.
After they left,
Hoshimi Miyabi stood still, deep in thought, muttering about the golden stone pillar. There was something strangely familiar about it.
After a moment,
seeing that Hoshimi Miyabi was still lost in thought,
Asaba Harumasa asked, "Section Chief, did you discover something?"
Hoshimi Miyabi thought for a moment, then her eyes lit up. "I remember now. A month ago, during the Hollow disaster at Sixth Street, a golden meteorite also fell from the sky."
Was it a coincidence?
Or was there a connection between the two?
After hearing Hoshimi Miyabi's words,
Tsukishiro Yanagi said slowly, "Section Chief, are you suggesting this has something to do with the mysterious new attribute? They haven't gone far. Should we chase after them and ask?"
Hoshimi Miyabi shook her head. "No need. Since we know they're from Hare's House Universal Agency, we can find them any time."
After a brief pause,
Hoshimi Miyabi continued, "Let's head to the Abandoned Skyscraper. If this really is connected to the new attribute, there should still be remnants left behind."
After speaking,
Hoshimi Miyabi pulled out her carrot device to check their current location,
then led the Hollow Special Operations Unit 6 members toward the Abandoned Skyscraper at full speed.
Half an hour later,
in front of the Abandoned Skyscraper.
Though night had fallen,
under the faint moonlight, the traces of battle around them were still visible,
especially a massive crater in the center of the square,
as if something had smashed down from above.
Hoshimi Miyabi walked to the center, picked up a stone fragment, and used her portable device to scan it.
Sure enough,
it detected traces of the residual new attribute.
Hoshimi Miyabi mused, "Just like the meteorite that disappeared before, the fragments of the stone pillar have also vanished."
She had a hunch—
the golden stone pillar that fell from the sky was likely related to the previous meteorite incident.
Tsukishiro Yanagi thought for a moment and said, "So the person who controls the new attribute might be among them?"
Hoshimi Miyabi shook her head. "We're not certain yet, but we can't rule it out. I'll investigate."
Tracking down the new attribute
wasn't originally part of Hollow Special Operations Unit 6's mission.
But ever since she first saw that golden shimmer,
Hoshimi Miyabi had been fascinated by it.
...