(Most of chapters one through ten follow the Cunning Hares storyline and are rather padded, since I started writing this book on a whim for my own reading. You can follow my notes along the way to skip ahead. There are also quite a few typos, so please point out any you find.)
"Go left!"
Inside a high-rise in New Eridu, three figures in red, green, and pink kept weaving through the corridors. They ran as hard as they could, one of them carrying a safe. (If you know, you know.)
The Cunning Hares trio were fleeing the Red Fang Gang, whose members refused to let up. No matter where they ducked and hid, they couldn't shake their pursuers. (Including behind that Bangboo sculpture with its pants down, taking a dump.)
"After them!"
"Catch them!"
"You're not getting away!"
With their pursuers on their heels, Nicole and the others fled into a corridor full of televisions, most of which were showing a live broadcast.
"Ahem, uh, well... citizens, I'm an officer from Janus Quarter Public Security, currently conducting a pursuit operation on Fourteenth Street."
"I-I'm very sorry, but the sudden Hollow disaster here has affected our pursuit."
"I-I would like to remind all citizens that the people we're pursuing are the masterminds behind the earlier terrorist attack on the research institute: the Red Fang Gang!"
"They're all extremely dangerous hunks-uh, I mean criminals. Especially their leader, Miguel 'Bailao.' Please be extremely careful!"
At that moment, a hot-tempered reporter burst into the live broadcast, taking a **** stance toward the Red Fang Gang.
"I * your **! I'm a reporter for this station! I can't listen to this anymore! Those evil ** have to be **!
"The moment anyone spots them, they should just ***! That's right! Completely ** them, then ** them!"
A door was violently kicked open, and the Cunning Hares trio fled into another room full of televisions, which were still dutifully playing the broadcast...
"M-Mr. Reporter, I'm still delivering the case briefing. P-Please let me..."
"You ***, listen up, you little ** of the Red Fang Gang!
"Don't think the Hollow can protect you! Public Security's air unit is already in position! They'll definitely **** you! Isn't that right, officer?!"
The Cunning Hares trio quickly surveyed the room's layout.
"Windows! Boss Nicole, we can get out this way."
Billy Kid, the robot in the red jacket, spoke to Nicole Demara, the pink-haired girl with twin ponytails beside him. Meanwhile, Anby Demara, whose clothes were mostly black and green, tapped the windows to test them.
"But there's a Hollow down there. Whatever, as long as we can get out, we'll find a way... can you break the glass, Billy?"
"Easy! Leave it to me!"
With that, Billy raised the Sister gun in his left hand (no idea whether it was the older or younger sister) and fired a shot at the window. The bullet ricocheted off the glass, hit the cord suspending a television above his head, and brought the television crashing down squarely onto his head.
"Uwaa..."
After that one cry, Billy crashed outright and lay motionless on the floor.
Anby: "It ricocheted. The window seems very sturdy."
Nicole: "Damn it, I knew it wouldn't be that easy. These floor-to-ceiling windows are-"
Bailao: "-reinforced bulletproof glass. With your firepower, there's no way you can break them and escape.
"The general-service agency, the 'Cunning Hares'..." (Crying.)
At that moment, the Red Fang Gang's crybaby boss, Bailao, led a group of gang members into the room where Nicole and the others were. Leaning against the doorframe, he addressed Nicole and the others through angry sobs.
Bailao: "Why?...
"Why steal things on the Red Fang Gang's turf? My brothers went through so much trouble to... sob." (Crying.)
Nicole: "This safe is stolen property you took when you attacked the research institute, isn't it? We just accepted a commission to return it to its rightful owner!"
As he spoke, Nicole held the safe and shielded Anby in front of him, while Anby shielded Nicole behind her.
Nicole: "Don't make it sound like we're the bad guys!"
Bailao and his men raised their weapons and slowly approached Nicole and the others, while he pointed at Nicole and said through his sobs:
Bailao: "Sob... we're all people scraping by on the streets. Why... why did you suddenly start working for the cops?" (Crying.)
Nicole: "Unfortunately, my client isn't Public Security. Not that it's any of your business, old man."
Bailao: "Of course it's my business! If someone dares send people to make trouble on the Red Fang Gang's turf, then I've got no choice but to teach him a lesson!!" (Crying.)
Wiping the tears from his face with his left hand, Bailao delivered his final ultimatum to Nicole and the others:
"Sob... do you really, really refuse to give it back? It's very important to the Red Fang Gang...
"I can offer your lives in exchange..." (Crying.)
Nicole: "Mobilizing your entire gang, armed to the teeth, just to deal with three people-is this what they call 'Bailao's tears'? It's much more abnormal than the rumors made it sound...
"Huh? Wait, is that a flashbang?"
Nicole pointed at a flashbang on one of the Red Fang Gang members as he spoke.
Anby: "Yes. That's a GS II high-lumen military flashbang. The light it produces is extremely conspicuous."
Nicole: "Perfect~ time to wake up, Billy!"
"Huh? What?"
Before anyone could react, Billy, who had been playing dead on the floor, swiped the GS II flashbang off the man and covered his eyes with his left hand.
Billy: "Everyone, please keep your eyes open! Cheese!"
As he spoke, Billy flicked out the flashbang's pin with his thumb. It detonated instantly, releasing an extremely bright flash and a little smoke.
Caught completely off guard, every member of the Red Fang Gang fell victim to it.
"Aaaaaagh!! My eyes!!"
(Screams) x n
"Aaah, so in the end... you chose to resist after all? Sob...
"In that case, you've left me no choice but to-"
Quickly recovering from the flashbang's effects, Bailao grabbed his steel blade and charged at Nicole and the others with a vicious expression.
Bailao: "-slaughter every last one of you?" (Not crying.)
Seeing Bailao charge at him, Nicole remained utterly calm and said with a chuckle:
Nicole: "Hahahaha, you've got it wrong, you fake-crying old man. We're not your opponents."
Light flared behind Nicole.
"It's them~"
As he spoke, Nicole and his two companions pointed behind them at three riot-control helicopters whose lights were growing brighter and brighter. Once Bailao and the other Red Fang Gang members saw what was behind Nicole, they all froze on the spot.
"Owl Four, Owl Five, Owl Six calling command. We've reached the source of the unidentified bright light and located the Red Fang Gang...
"Repeat, we've located the Red Fang Gang. Awaiting instructions..."
The helicopter pilot's voice came from the television beside them, and Bailao's group panicked.
Underling A: "B-Boss, it's the cops' air unit."
Nicole and his two companions raised their hands in surrender. Bailao realized what they were doing and said furiously:
Bailao: "That flashbang just now... you used it to attract the riot-control helicopters' attention?!"
Nicole: "Finally figured it out? Now it's your turn to choose, you fake-crying old man~
"Will you keep tangling with us here until Public Security arrests us all? Or retreat for now, so we all have a way out?"
Bailao's face twisted with rage at those words. Those eyes, that expression-tsk, tsk, tsk... he aged thirty years on the spot.
Nicole: "Using a tiger to swallow a wolf is a rabbit's wisdom~ don't hold it against me, old man."
"What, you've found those ** from the Red Fang Gang?"
On the television beside them, that *** reporter caught the scent and popped up again. His eyes sparkled as though he'd won a five-million-Denny lottery prize, and he unleashed a tirade into the camera:
"Then what the ** are you waiting for, officer?! Pick the biggest caliber:
"JUS-TICE-DE-LIVERED!!!"
Bailao, Nicole, and everyone else froze in unison. The voices that followed nearly frightened their souls out of their bodies.
"Owl Four, roger!"
"Owl Five, roger!"
"Owl Six, roger!"
"Order confirmed. Open fire!"
When they looked out the window again, three missiles were hurtling toward them.
Nicole: "Uh... we're screwed."
The corner of Nicole's eye twitched. Moving faster than he ever had in his life, he pulled a tennis-ball-sized metal sphere from his waist and pressed its switch.
The next instant, the metal sphere's casing opened, releasing a pinkish-purple glow. A spherical energy shield immediately enveloped the three of them.
Boom, boom, boom!!!!
Amid the violent explosions, the entire room and everything around it were instantly blasted to pieces, sending up billowing smoke. Chunks of rubble plummeted like meteors.
The energy shield surrounding Nicole and his companions was blasted out as well, dissipating in midair.
The three drifted farther and farther apart in the air. Anby, Billy, and the safe that had slipped from Nicole's grasp all fell toward the Hollow below.
Billy: "I'm filing a complaint!"
That was flaming-'head' Billy's final statement before he fell into the Hollow. It fell in along with Anby and the safe that had slipped free.
Nicole, however, didn't fall into the Hollow with them. Coming to her senses in midair, she saw the ground rushing closer below and frantically looked at the sphere in her hand. She turned it over and over, found a spot, and pressed it.
The sphere's casing opened once again. This time, however, no light came from within. Instead, an enormous amount of foam poured out, instantly enveloping Nicole.
The mass of foam fell more and more slowly before settling steadily onto the ground like a feather.
Before long, Nicole vigorously dug herself out and let out a breath.
"Phew-that was close. I nearly got blown to pieces. Damn it, which bastard was yelling to open fire back there? ***!"
As she spoke, Nicole quickly slipped into an alley. Turning to look at the Cretan Hollow, she muttered to herself:
"Damn it, I haven't even solved the Cunning Hares' deficit yet, and I nearly got myself killed. Good thing Dad's still asleep, or this would be even more trouble.
"Oh, and Anby and Billy. The safe probably fell into the Hollow with them. Hopefully they can bring my safe out in one piece.
"I'll call and turn off this metal ball's alarm signal first. Things aren't that serious yet... probably... wait, they don't have a Carrot for this Hollow. Now we're in trouble..."
Nicole unconsciously bit her nails as she turned things over in her head. After coming up with a plan for the Denny and her two employees, she headed toward Sixth Street.
"I'll have to go to those two siblings again. Hopefully they'll give me a discount..."
Inside a vast estate not far from the Defense Force base at Hollow Zero, a magnificent castle stood at its center.
A special individual lived on this estate-a robot whose face and build bore some resemblance to Billy's.
The robot wore an exquisite butler's uniform, his short black hair neatly combed. His right eye was a mechanical eye shaped like a monocle, lending him a distinctive technological air. About 1.85 meters tall, he stood straight and gave an impression of steadiness.
At that moment, he was inside a vast mechanical chamber buried deep underground. The entire room was rather dim, with only a few unidentified machines around him emitting faint light. He stood there silently, utterly motionless, like a steadfast statue.
A mechanical conduit-like data cable connected to the back of his head, constantly exchanging information. The most conspicuous and important object beside him was an enormous upright metal pillar, a full ten meters in diameter, its surface gleaming coldly.
They had remained in this state for five years. The passage of time seemed to have had no effect on them, but that would last only until tonight.
Beep-activation of the young lady's protective device detected. Initiating emergency measures immediately... cancellation message received from the young lady. Emergency measures withdrawn and recorded in the corresponding archive. Count: twenty-six.
Beep-detected that "Master" has completed the optimal rest-and-recovery program and reached the expected time limit. Preparing to open the hibernation medical pod. Preparation progress: 1%, 2%...
Beep-transferring this system and switching to the "Butler" main program. "Butler" primary consciousness transfer in progress: 1%, 5%, 10%...
Alarms immediately blared throughout the room. All the lights switched on at once, and mechanical sounds came from everywhere.
The first to awaken from slumber was Butler, the one with the mechanical tube plugged into the back of his head.
When his primary consciousness had fully transferred and reached 100%, the robot's eyes glowed red.
At the same time, the mechanical tube at the back of his head began detaching automatically. After awakening, Butler turned to face the pillar-shaped hibernation medical pod.
At that moment, the hibernation medical pod's preparation progress reached exactly one hundred percent, and its door slowly began to open.
As the door opened, a steady stream of white, ethereal mist poured out, concealing what lay within.
For the moment, the naked eye couldn't make out exactly what was inside, only a faint, blurred human silhouette. Butler, standing outside, saluted it with his left hand over his chest.
"Master, the five-year term has ended. It's time to wake up."
Butler addressed the figure still shrouded in white vapor in a middle-aged voice with a slight mechanical undertone.