Chapter Summaries

Huojin revealed that he was Nicole’s adoptive father, TOPS’s CEO, and a Void Hunter, then assured Nicole that the Hollow crisis was under control. He agreed to bring Nekomata to Nicole, while Red One found the Dead End Butcher and faced its attack.

• Billy asked Nicole if Huojin was really her father, and Nicole confirmed it while explaining his strange behavior to her friends.
• Huojin introduced himself as Hawking Hongke, Nicole’s adoptive father, TOPS’s CEO, and a Void Hunter, shocking the Cunning Hares.
• Nicole confronted Huojin about frightening her friends, and he apologized before explaining that Iron Guard had secured the observation stations and disarmed the Ether explosives.
• Nicole asked Huojin to rescue Nekomata, and he agreed to have her captured and brought to Nicole despite Nicole’s protests.
• Red One found the Dead End Butcher in the rain, challenged it, and faced its leaping spear attack.

Red One, Blue Two, and Yellow Three worked together to bring down the Dead End Butcher, but it survived and entered a stronger second phase. The three fused into a new warrior, who emerged and angrily criticized them.

• Red One dodged the Dead End Butcher’s attacks and charged his spear while Blue Two arrived and bound the monster’s weapon with an iron cable.
• Blue Two electrocuted the Dead End Butcher through the cable, and Yellow Three used spinning discs to bring it to its knees.
• Red One threw his charged spear, blasting the Dead End Butcher into a building that collapsed on top of it.
• The Dead End Butcher rose from the rubble with increased Ether activity, prompting Red One, Blue Two, and Yellow Three to decide to fuse.
• The three knights assembled into a new, black-and-gray armored warrior, who assessed the situation and called them lazy fools.

Heili defeated the Dead End Butcher and completed the Hollow mission, then chose to fight the Ethereals gathering around him. Nekomata remained held by iron guards as rescue teams arrived and civilians emerged from the tunnel, while someone familiar called out for her.

• Heili used Spinning Teeth, Rope Python, and Flame Horn to destroy the Dead End Butcher and shrink the Hollow.
• Heili reported the mission complete, and his Master told him to take a few days off and bring back the three colors’ chips.
• A Thanatos tried to ambush Heili, but Rope Python destroyed it, and Heili challenged the surrounding Ethereals to fight.
• Nekomata refused to meet her captors’ Master and young lady, but the iron guards continued to surround her and prevent her from leaving.
• Public Security officers and television crews arrived as civilians left the abandoned tunnel, and a familiar voice called out for Nekomata.

After the Cunning Hares helped expose Vision Corporation’s crimes, they found Nekomata and invited her to join them for a meal, while Huojin watched and reflected on his relationship with Nicole. The chapter ended with Butler telling Huojin that Hoshimi Miyabi had sent him a challenge.

• Public Security, reporters, Belobog Heavy Industries, and the rescued residents arrived at the demolition command post near Dead End Hollow.
• Anby and Nicole found Nekomata and told her she needed to give a statement as a witness to Vision’s crimes.
• The Cunning Hares invited Nekomata to a buffet with unlimited mackerel, and she tearfully agreed to consider joining them.
• Huojin watched Nicole share genuine smiles with her companions and wondered whether she felt lonely.
• Butler told Huojin that Hoshimi Miyabi, a Void Hunter and Hoshimi family candidate, had sent him a letter of challenge.

Nekomata joined the Cunning Hares, and Billy’s curiosity about Nicole’s father led Nicole to explain that he was gentle with her at home but seemed fierce in public. The group listened closely as Nicole began discussing her hard-to-understand father.

• Nicole welcomed Nekomata to the Cunning Hares’ base, where Billy, Anby, and Amillion celebrated her arrival.
• Nicole showed Nekomata her room while Billy cleaned up and Anby watched a movie.
• Billy asked Anby whether she wanted to know why Nicole became a Hollow Raider despite having a wealthy, powerful father, and Anby refused to pry.
• Nicole offered to answer Billy’s questions, and Billy asked whether she got along with her father and what he was like.
• Nicole said she and her father got along, and described him as gentle at home but fierce-looking when he was out.

Nicole told the Cunning Hares about her family, including her five uncles and her adoption, then went to retrieve a photo revealing her former identity. When Nekomata learned that Nicole’s father was a Void Hunter, Nicole returned with an old newspaper, leaving the others stunned by what it showed.

• Nicole explained that she chose Hollow Raiding for its low entry barrier and fast money, and she described her father and five uncles.
• Nicole said she had been adopted from an orphanage at about seven or eight and promised to fetch a picture of her other identity.
• Nicole went to her room while Billy told Nekomata that Nicole’s father was a Void Hunter.
• Nicole found the old Insurance Ball, which secretly transformed and resumed spying after she left the room.
• Nicole brought out an old newspaper and showed it to the others, who reacted with disbelief.

Nicole and the Cunning Hares discussed an old newspaper photo and Nicole’s secretive father before Billy invited everyone to dinner. Billy later admitted in private that he had been paid by Huojin to question Nicole, while a shipment of gifts from Billy arrived for the Sons of Calydon in Blazewood.

• Nekomata read a faded newspaper article featuring a younger Nicole, and Nicole said the photo had been taken at a press conference she attended with her father.
• Nicole explained that her father was the CEO of TOPS and a Void Hunter whose identity and photographs remained hidden from the public.
• Billy offered to take the group to a Starlight Knight-themed restaurant, and Anby noticed his behavior seemed unusual.
• Billy privately told Huojin that he had failed to get information from Nicole, accepted payment, and promised to keep their transaction secret from her.
• In Blazewood, Lucy watched Burnice, Piper, Lighter, and Caesar examine the supplies and money delivered in a shipping container; she panicked when Caesar nearly bent a black bearer debit card.

Huojin considered how to learn Nicole’s true feelings about their strained relationship and decided to seek help from Phaethon. Meanwhile, Heili stopped a thief in the street and attracted the attention of an older woman who began following him, leaving her younger sister waiting alone.

• Huojin reviewed possible undercover agents and ruled out Anby and Nekomata as poor choices.
• Huojin chose Phaethon as a potential helper and planned to visit them.
• Heili bought supplies and walked through the busy street in disguise.
• Heili knocked a fleeing thief down with a flicked Denny coin, allowing Public Security officers to arrest him.
• An older woman watched Heili’s actions, became fascinated by his technology, and followed him.
• The older woman’s younger sister waited with shopping and melting ice cream, annoyed that she had disappeared.

Heili tried to escape Grace, who was pursuing him to study his machinery, but the chase drew in Public Security officers Seth and Officer Mewmew. Heili finally stopped when Officer Qingyi arrived, though Grace’s intense attention seemed to turn toward Qingyi.

• Heili ordered milk tea from Lixing Milk Tea Shop and left before it was ready when an urgent matter arose.
• Grace chased Heili through Lumina Square, while Heili sped up after she called him a young lady.
• Seth arrived to help Officer Mewmew stop the chase, but Heili leaped over Seth and continued running with Grace close behind.
• Seth radioed Public Security for assistance as he and Grace pursued Heili.
• Heili explained internally that he had learned Grace only wanted to study him, but he was late and had failed to shake her off.
• Qingyi blocked Heili’s path, and Heili hid behind her and asked her to stop Grace, whose gaze then seemed to fix on Qingyi.

Koleda searched for Grace and learned she had been detained at Public Security after losing control during an incident involving Heili. Heili apologized to Qingyi, met Zhu Yuan, then left as his outing ended and secretly read the magical-girl comics he had bought on the ride back to his manor.

• Koleda searched local shops for Grace, then found out by phone that Grace was at the Lumina Square Public Security branch.
• Seth apologized to Heili for mistaking him for a thief, while Qingyi explained how Grace had dragged her into the incident and pursued Heili.
• Zhu Yuan returned to the office, met Heili, and heard Qingyi summarize what had happened.
• Heili left abruptly when Qingyi asked about the books in his shopping bag, then opened them in his car and revealed they were pink-covered comics titled "The Magical Girl's Hollow Legend."

Wise and Belle struggled with the video store’s electricity bill and dwindling food, but their breakfast was interrupted when Huojin arrived with Butler. Huojin entered the store and confronted the siblings with an intimidating presence.

• Belle argued with Fairy over its electricity consumption, but Fairy refused to reduce it further and threatened to wake her early.
• Wise and Belle worried about their finances, considered updating the store’s videotapes, and decided to eat their last two cups of instant noodles.
• Fairy detected two unidentified visitors outside the store, and Belle went to answer the door.
• Belle recognized Huojin as Nicole’s adoptive father and let him and Butler into the store.
• Wise joined Belle to meet Huojin, who sat down and scrutinized the siblings with an overpowering aura.

Huojin offered Wise and Belle a large gold deposit to secretly obtain information from a target, promising that the commission carried no danger. The siblings learned that the target was Huojin’s daughter, Nicole, and that he wanted their help with family business.

• Fairy warned Wise that his heart rate was rising as Huojin introduced himself and his personal Butler to Wise and Belle.
• Huojin presented Wise and Belle with gold bars as a deposit and gave them a black metal business card containing his contact information and access to his security company.
• Butler explained that the commission was to approach a target, discreetly draw out information, and keep the commission secret for life.
• Wise and Belle questioned whether Huojin had hired the wrong people, but he showed them a photograph of the target.
• Huojin revealed that the target was his daughter, Nicole, and told Wise and Belle that she was fine and he needed their help with family business.

Huojin asked Wise and Belle to help him understand why Nicole kept her distance from her family, but they suspected he was misreading her desire for independence and poor communication. Belle proposed coaching him through a phone call, and she and Wise asked Fairy to prepare a script.

• Butler explained that Huojin believed Nicole wanted to cut ties with him and asked Wise and Belle to investigate her feelings.
• Huojin became agitated while describing how Nicole avoided his help, then took his medication and asked them to keep getting close to her.
• Wise and Belle suggested Nicole might simply value being self-reliant, and Huojin admitted he might be overthinking the situation.
• Belle learned Huojin's conversations with Nicole focused on topics such as biology, the estate, and her creditors, and proposed helping him call her.
• Belle and Wise went into the workroom, discussed Huojin's poor communication, and asked Fairy to prepare a phone-call script.

Huojin followed Belle and Wise’s advice to call Nicole and discovered that she understood his worries about their relationship. After rewarding them by covering their electricity bills for life and their commission, he vanished just before Nicole arrived at the video store.

• Belle and Wise coached Huojin through a call to Nicole, who reassured him that she was not distancing herself and told him to let her live as she chose.
• Nicole ended the call after exchanging affectionate words with Huojin, then invited Nekomata to eat at General Chop.
• Huojin thanked Wise and Belle by offering to pay their electricity bills for life and cover their prepared commission fee.
• Huojin warned Wise and Belle to keep his visit and the call secret, then vanished with Butler as Nicole entered the video store.
• Wise and Belle concealed their surprise and greeted Nicole, who noticed they seemed unusually friendly.

Red One, Blue Two, and Yellow Three sneaked into Huojin’s laboratory and discovered his experiments on an embryo and a project labeled “Offspring Cultivation.” As the Partner Project reached completion, a nutrient chamber opened to reveal a cloned Silver Army weapon, leaving the three Bangboo watching its release.

• Red One, Blue Two, and Yellow Three grew bored during their punishment and decided to investigate Huojin’s laboratory.
• The three Bangboo found Huojin working at a console beside two cultivation tanks, one containing a failed specimen and the other an embryo.
• Blue Two spotted the Offspring Cultivation Project on the console and guessed that Huojin was trying to make a child.
• Yellow Three saw the Partner Project reach 100 percent and read that it involved a modified clone from the Defense Force’s Silver Army project.
• A nutrient chamber rose from the floor and began to open as Red One, Blue Two, and Yellow Three gathered around it.

Trigger awoke in a laboratory beneath Huojin’s estate with new cybernetic limbs and a prosthetic spine, and Huojin restored the memories he had sealed. After learning she had been bought on the black market and made his subordinate, Trigger grieved for her fallen squad and tried to kill herself.

• Trigger awoke in a nutrient pod and discovered that Huojin had replaced her limbs and spine with cybernetics.
• Huojin tested Trigger’s cybernetics and confirmed that his memory-sealing experiment had worked when she could not recall her identity.
• Huojin restored Trigger’s memories, and she remembered her name, her place in the Defense Force’s Silver Squad, and the squad’s destruction.
• Huojin identified himself as Hawking Hongke, CEO of TOPS, and ordered Trigger to serve him as his subordinate.
• Trigger accused Huojin of wanting to reverse-engineer the Silver Army, and he caused her pain through the device in her brain.
• Trigger mourned her fallen captain and squadmates, tried to shoot herself in the temple, and Huojin remotely locked her hand in place.

Huojin convinced Trigger that her captain was alive and secured her service as his personal bodyguard for five years. After Butler took Trigger to get settled, Huojin offered Red One, Blue Two, and Yellow Three a chance to leave prison if they completed an upcoming mission.

• Huojin showed Trigger a live feed of Anby praying with Nicole at the Sixth Street café, and Trigger recognized her captain.
• Trigger cried with relief after Huojin confirmed the captain was alive, then signed a five-year bodyguard contract with him.
• Huojin explained that Trigger's former Silver Army project had been purged and told her the contract included wages, supplies, and protection.
• Trigger signed the contract, called Huojin Master, and followed Butler to get settled.
• Huojin confronted Red One, Blue Two, and Yellow Three, then offered them freedom if they completed a mission in a few days.

Koleda and the executives of Belobog Heavy Industries waited for TOPS investors to arrive, then watched the visitors’ grand entrance collapse into bickering and flirting. Grace eagerly examined Blue Two, and the chapter ended with Koleda trying to separate her from the arguing constructs.

• Koleda asked Ben why TOPS wanted to invest, and Ben recalled that the caller had bluntly offered to invest before arranging an assessment.
• A convoy arrived at Black Eagle Construction Site, and Iron Guards rolled out a red carpet for the visitors.
• Red One and Blue Two argued as they stepped out of the limousine, while Yellow Three tried to calm them.
• Grace slipped past the Iron Guards and began feeling Blue Two’s neck, prompting him and the other constructs to compete for her attention.
• Koleda called Ben and Anton over to separate Grace and the constructs.

Koleda welcomed Red One, Blue Two, and Yellow Three as representatives of TOPS, who brought an investment contract and requested a tour of Belobog Heavy Industries. Meanwhile, Ben kept Grace in her workshop, unaware that an unknown signal from a nearby Hollow was activating the three children she had developed.

• Ben carried Grace away from the three machines while Koleda and Anton held them back, and the Iron Guards departed, leaving the investment contract behind.
• Koleda introduced herself and Anton to Red One, Blue Two, and Yellow Three, then agreed to show them around while Ben reviewed the contract.
• Anton took the contract to Ben, and Koleda led the three TOPS representatives on a tour of the company.
• Ben warned Grace to stay away from the representatives, and she stayed in her workshop after admitting she had wanted to inspect them.
• An unknown signal from the nearby Hollow reached Grace's three children and started their startup programs.

Koleda showed the three TOPS brothers around the construction site, but Grace’s heavy machines went out of control and rampaged through it. Anton held off the tunneling machine until Big Ben arrived, while Grace chased after the three escaped machines to prevent further damage.

• Koleda showed Red One, Blue Two, and Yellow Three around the construction site and told them Grace loved studying machinery.
• A commotion broke out near Grace’s parked machines, and Koleda realized Grace was involved before taking a call.
• Grace’s tunneling machine charged through the site, crushing a truck and smashing through a wall as workers fled.
• Anton confronted the tunneling machine with his impact hammer and stopped its charge, then forced its demolition saw upward.
• Big Ben arrived as Anton prepared to fight the machine again.
• Grace discovered that all three of her machines had escaped after she updated their programs, grabbed equipment, and went after them.