Belle

Biodata

Background / History

Belle was a student at Helios Academy before escaping and living in hiding. Her beloved teacher was branded the “sinner of the Old Capital” and accused by the authorities of causing its fall. Belle continued to believe in her teacher’s innocence 13 52.

Her admiration for the Dragon Emperor, Lu Yingheng, began in childhood. Beyond revering him as New Eridu’s greatest protector, she valued his willingness to publicly reject the accusations against her teacher when others joined in the condemnation 13.

By the time she encounters Lu Yingheng, Belle works with her older brother, Wise, under the shared Proxy identity Phaethon, operating from their video store 13 16 22.

Personality

Belle is energetic, mischievous, and openly pleased with her own cleverness. After helping defeat a hacker, she immediately claims credit and prompts Wise to indulge her boasting. She also makes friends quickly, treating Zhu Yuan and Qingyi as friends soon after meeting them 13 51.

Her playful manner does not prevent her from taking danger seriously. She urgently orders an evacuation after seeing the devastation in Crete Hollow, questions whether the apparently amnesiac Dragon Emperor could lose control, and refuses to surrender him when she initially suspects Mayor Mayflower of hostile intentions 13 14 22.

Her longstanding idol worship develops into romantic affection for Lu Yingheng. She boldly calls him her boyfriend in public but becomes easily flustered by physical closeness and his teasing. Her jealousy extends to the shop assistant, Nekomata, and Hoshimi Miyabi, although no established romantic relationship with him is confirmed 17 18 29 34 51 52.

Belle’s usual response to insecurity is determination rather than resignation. After briefly feeling unworthy of Lu Yingheng, she rejects those thoughts as unlike herself: she would rather improve, become useful to him, and compete for his affection 52.

Abilities & Skills

Hollow Navigation and Proxy Work

Belle guides clients through Hollows by operating Eous, with Wise and Fairy providing support 33 36 38.

• Connects her consciousness to Eous while remaining at the video store 36.
• Coordinates search operations, including positioning three construction machines to locate Belobog’s prototype 39.
• Monitors danger through system readings and warns Grace when a high-intensity Ethereal approaches 39.
• Relies on combat-capable companions for protection rather than fighting directly 38 52.

Cybersecurity and System Operation

Belle and Wise jointly counter a hacker who attacks the Eous terminal, tampers with Hollow survey data, and attempts to identify their location 13.

• Uses the Phaethon account as bait to trace the attacker and restore the connection 13.
• Identifies the commission safe’s key as their remaining means of rebuilding an evacuation route after conventional routes fail 15.
• Directs the key’s use, triggering system reconstruction and the activation of FAIRY Type III 15.

Investigation and Observation

Belle identifies physical evidence and connects suspicious events to broader threats 38 40 41 51.

• Recognizes bullet holes throughout the prototype’s cockpit and notes that the shell casings indicate close-range gunfire 40.
• Suspects the machine-fused monster is deliberately mutated rather than a naturally occurring Ethereal 41.
• Recognizes the suspicious availability of electromagnetic controllers and follows the suspected attempt to steal Mechanical Sacrifice evidence 51.

Willpower and Unexplained Eye Phenomenon

Belle resists an attempt by Lu Yingheng to influence her feelings through his mental authority. She recognizes the resulting self-defeating thoughts as alien to her usual outlook and regains her resolve; Lu Yingheng privately expresses surprise that his influence failed 52.

• This establishes resistance to that particular attempt, not blanket immunity to mental interference 52.
• Earlier, light from the strange Ethereal reaches her through Eous, causing a severe headache and an unnoticed golden flash in her eyes. No usable ability or rank advancement is established from the incident 41.

Equipment / Systems

• Eous — The Bangboo Belle remotely operates for Hollow exploration, communication, and client support 13 33 36.
• Hollow Deep Dive System — Her workstation for connecting to Eous and carrying out Proxy assignments 36 38 44.
• FAIRY Type III — Artificial intelligence activated through the commission safe’s core key; opens the Crete Hollow evacuation passage and later supplies route planning and detection support 15 36 39.
• Phone — Used for messages, photographs, and calls, including Wise’s warnings and Mayor Mayflower’s contact with the siblings 18 22.

Relationships

• Wise — Older brother and fellow Phaethon operator. Their close working partnership combines his caution with her outgoing manner; he also helps her plan her cinema outing with Lu Yingheng 13 22 35.
• Lu Yingheng / Dragon Emperor — Childhood idol, temporary housemate, Proxy assistant, and romantic interest. Belle calls him “Brother Heng,” while he sometimes frames their bond as that of siblings, disappointing her 13 16 27 34.
• Unnamed teacher — Beloved Helios Academy teacher whose innocence Belle maintains despite accusations concerning the Old Capital’s fall 13 52.
• Nicole — Proxy client and acquaintance. Belle helps evacuate her team and later discovers that Nicole disclosed Phaethon’s identity to Belobog Heavy Industries 13 15 30.
• Nekomiya Mana / Nekomata — Friend whom Belle comforts with a promise of dried fish. Their interaction becomes competitive when Nekomata clings to Lu Yingheng 29.
• Koleda and Belobog Heavy Industries — Clients and field allies during the missing-machine and prototype investigations. Belle pledges to help Koleda uncover the truth about Khors 31 39 41.
• Zhu Yuan and Qingyi — Public Security contacts whom Belle quickly befriends and supports remotely through Eous 48 51 52.
• Mayor Mayflower — Reveals his knowledge of Phaethon’s real identities and entrusts the siblings with sheltering Lu Yingheng, supplying access to the Dragon Emperor’s unlimited black card 22.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Crete Hollow Rescue

• Belle and Wise defeat the hacker attacking their systems and reconnect to Eous, discovering a Hollow littered with destroyed Ethereals 13.
• Belle recognizes the unconscious Lu Yingheng as her idol; Wise’s scan produces a 75% identity match with the Dragon Emperor 13.
• She proposes hiding him at the video store, arguing that he could work as a clerk without attracting special attention. Wise immediately recognizes her desire to live alongside her idol 14.
• When the Cunning Hares approach their Ether-tolerance limits, Belle initiates the key-based reconstruction that activates Fairy and enables their escape 15.
• Lu Yingheng takes up temporary residence at the store. Belle believes his apparent amnesia and helplessness, which are actually part of his plan to enter the protagonists’ party 16.

Life with the Dragon Emperor

• Belle takes Lu Yingheng shopping, hides his conspicuous face beneath her jacket, and introduces him to a saleswoman as her boyfriend 17.
• After secretly photographing him, she apologizes; he gives her permission to take pictures. The assistant’s attempt to slip him contact details then provokes Belle’s jealousy 18.
• Mayor Mayflower reveals that Lu Yingheng’s supposed death was staged and warns that powerful factions are watching him. The siblings continue sheltering him at the video store 22.
• Belle regularly asks about his recovering memories and becomes comfortable bantering with him rather than treating him as an unreachable hero 27.
• Hoping to deepen their relationship, she chooses a horror film for their outing. She spends much of it hiding in his arms, then falls for his teasing question about a butcher who never appeared in the film 34 35.

Belobog Heavy Industries Investigation

• Belle accepts Belobog’s request to recover three intelligent construction machines that wandered into a Hollow 30 31.
• After the machines are recovered, she helps trace the signal that altered their behavior to the company’s lost prototype at Visionary Memorial Square 34 36 38 39.
• Her examination of its cockpit uncovers evidence of a close-range firefight, contributing to the investigation into Khors Belobog’s fate 40.
• During the machine-fused monster’s attack, she warns the crew, calls for Koleda’s rescue, and fears for Lu Yingheng’s safety 41 42.
• His overwhelming display of power makes Belle fear that the familiar “Brother Heng” will disappear as his memories return. He dispels the tension by striking a showy pose and joking with her 43 44.

Public Security Case and Lu Yingheng’s Departure

• Belle shares information about stolen electromagnetic controllers and the suspected plot against Mechanical Sacrifice evidence, then agrees to support Zhu Yuan and Qingyi through Eous 51 52.
• Learning of Hoshimi Miyabi’s connection to Lu Yingheng triggers jealousy and a sudden crisis of confidence. Belle overcomes the episode, unknowingly resisting Lu Yingheng’s attempt to suppress her romantic attachment 51 52.
• Vivian discovers the siblings’ use of the Dragon Emperor’s card and orders surveillance 53.
• Belle and Wise receive Lu Yingheng’s farewell letter, which claims he is leaving to keep them safe after someone accessed their old account 55.
• In reality, he deliberately exposed account clues to the Dragon Emperor Bureau. His departure is intended both to give Belle time to cool her feelings and to direct her hostility toward TOPS and the Order of Glorification 56.

Notable Quotes

“Don't worry. Hollows are our specialty!” 32

“Mr. Mayor, we absolutely won't hand him over.” 22

“This is my assistant, Brother Heng! Of course, you can also call him by his other title: First-Generation Void Hunter Dragon Emperor!” 43