Inside the Cretan Hollow...
"BANG!!!"
With a tremendous crash, Dullahan (Bailao) was driven into a stone wall. A large section of its chest had shattered and was covered in cracks, and its shield-bearing left hand was nowhere to be seen.
Before it stood a figure nearly three meters tall or more, broad and powerfully built, with a massive back and thick waist. His sharply defined muscles were smooth as jade, and he wore a plain suit that stretched taut like skin, yet remained tough.
He slammed one enormous foot onto Dullahan's chest, driving it deeper into the wall. Then he reached out with a thick, massive hand and seized its "core."
Ignoring all of Dullahan's struggles, he crushed its core through sheer grip strength. The entire Ethereal instantly collapsed, and its remaining body rapidly dissipated.
A dozen or so meters away, Huojin sat on an open safe, holding a black data chip. He examined it from different angles, then tossed it a few times like a coin.
"Master, all Ethereals in this area have been cleared out," Butler reported as his monstrous, muscular physique shrank back to normal like a deflating balloon, and he returned to Huojin's side.
"Mm." Huojin put the little black thing back into the safe, then casually kicked it away.
Huojin: "I'll leave this thing for whoever happens to find it. It isn't much use to me anyway. I really didn't expect my daughter to get caught up in something like this, though. Right, Butler, that fellow's been dealt with, hasn't he?"
Butler: "Yes, Master. My subordinates have dealt with the hacker who breached Phaethon's HDD, making it look like he killed himself out of fear of punishment. No traces were left."
Huojin: "As long as he's dealt with. An insignificant nobody, and he actually had the nerve to sit there passing judgment. Hmph!"
Butler: "Master, Phaethon has reconnected to that Bangboo. The young lady and her companions will arrive soon."
Huojin: "I see. Then we'd better make ourselves scarce."
With that, Huojin and Butler instantly vanished.
...(Made in Heaven)...
Billy: "Found it! Boss Nicole! I found it!"
Billy spoke excitedly as he pried a slightly damaged safe out of a wall in a corner and brought it over to the group.
Nicole: "Good work, Billy. What a lucky break! My safe~!"
Nicole took the safe and hugged it to his chest, his eyes gleaming.
Nicole: "...Finally... finally, I've got it back!"
Billy: "Ever since the manager came back, everything's felt so much smoother.
Even though we've had a Proxy guiding us all this way, it feels like there are way fewer Ethereals. Even the Dullahan we fought earlier is gone."
"True. Judging by that Ethereal's characteristics and the additional traces at the scene, someone probably killed Dullahan before we returned, and did it very quickly."
Anby looked at the damaged, deeply dented wall as she gave her analysis.
Nicole: "Oh, don't worry so much about that. As long as my safe's all right, that's all that matters. Proxy, lead the way!"
Anby: "Mission updated. New objective: withdraw from the Hollow."
Billy: "Woohoo-! We're going home!"
But just then, Wise suddenly said, "Everyone, I don't want to spoil the mood, but there's still a serious problem we have to resolve."
Nicole: "Hm? Proxy, what's the problem?"
Wise: "Nicole, the hacker deleted the data we used to plan our escape route. Our original exit route is no longer valid, either."
Nicole froze. "Proxy, are you saying we can't get out?!"
Billy looked ready to cry, but had no tears. "Since the Proxy can't get us out anymore, it looks like we'll have to rely on what Boss Nicole said..."
Nicole: "Proxy, you still have another way, right?"
Billy: "...Damn it, I haven't even had dinner with big sis Monica yet. I have so many regrets, but... I guess it was a pretty good life."
Anby: "Billy, calm down. Let's hear what the Proxy and Nicole have to say first."
Wise: "It's too early for farewell speeches. I have one more way, but I need your permission, Nicole."
Nicole: "You have it!"
Wise: "Hear me out first... The mysterious person who invaded my system said the contents of the safe have value similar to Rosetta Data. With it, we can enter and leave Hollows freely.
If that's true, we should be able to use it to get out of the Hollow. As long as you agree to let me open..."
Nicole: "I agree. I already said so."
Wise: "Isn't this what your client wanted? You could at least hesitate a little."
Nicole: "Hey, don't even mention it. That client ran off ages ago. If I hadn't figured the treasure inside was worth a fortune, I wouldn't have gone to all this trouble to come in and retrieve this safe.
And if I'd known this trip would be so dangerous, I never would've come in, no matter what... Hey, wait. Proxy, I think you just said the treasure in this safe has value similar to Rosetta Data. Then that means..."
Something seemed to occur to Nicole. His eyes lit up as he excitedly addressed Anby and Billy, who were sitting on the ground nearby, waiting. "Anby, Billy, we've hit the jackpot on this trip!!!"
Anby, Billy: Applause
Nicole: "Hey, seriously, do you two have to be so unenthusiastic?"
Anby, Billy: Woooow- + More vigorous applause
Wise covered his face. "Nicole, calm down. Let's focus on how we're going to get out first."
"Ahem, I know, Proxy. Then hurry up and open it. You know the code, right?" Nicole gently set the safe on the ground so Wise could control Eous and open it.
Wise: "Yes..."
The safe opened, and Wise carefully took out the data chip inside.
Wise: "But I have to remind you, this is still a 'gamble.' I don't yet know what consequences forcibly reading the data might have..."
Anby interrupted him. "Wait. There's something I don't quite understand. Your actual body is outside the Hollow. You could have simply walked away, so why risk coming back to help us? Do you have some other agenda?"
Wise answered just as seriously. "What are you talking about? I'm your 'Proxy.' I promised to get you out, and that's exactly what I'll do.
Of course, I've prepared a backup plan. If things go wrong here, the HDD system will immediately post a commission on the Inter-Knot to rescue you. At that point, I..."
"Don't worry, Proxy. If anything happens to you because you read the data in here, I'll use every means at my disposal to save you!" Nicole solemnly promised, having already dragged the other two behind cover.
"Also, remember to give that treasure back to me in one piece when you're done with it. I'm still planning to sell it for an astronomical price!"
"Heh, then let me thank you in advance."
Wise spoke speechlessly as he watched the three of them disappear completely behind cover, then inserted the data chip into Eous's forehead.
The instant it was fully inserted, a powerful surge of energy seemed to pour straight into Eous's body, causing the Bangboo to float in midair and emit a dazzling light.
Wise, who was outside the Hollow, was affected as well. His consciousness seemed to fall into a dream, and he received a few scattered images...
On Nicole's end, Eous's condition continued briefly before ending. Once the Bangboo returned to normal and landed, Nicole and the other two peeked out from behind cover.
Billy: "Holy moly, did it have to make such a big fuss?"
Anby: "Very unusual. So far, the only effect we can confirm is blinding."
Nicole: "Proxy, Proxy? Say something, whether you're okay or not!"
Just as Nicole finished speaking, Eous's eyes flickered a few times, and then the Bangboo took off running at quite a pace.
Nicole: "What's going on? Out of control again?! Damn it, no response. Everyone, hurry and follow!"