Nightfall blanketed Scott Outpost in an eerie stillness. The only sounds were the low hums and mechanical whirs of equipment running late into the evening.
Far in the distance, Hollow Zero remained immovable—still a monstrous silhouette against the skyline. Nineveh's death had only marginally reduced its Ether reactivity. It wasn't nearly enough to shrink the Hollow's sheer scale.
The complete eradication of Hollow Zero? Even a hundred years from now, New Eridu might still be chasing that dream—if the city even existed by then.
After returning from the Hollow, Zhong Yan and Belle—through Eous—purified the residual Ether from their bodies. The proctor then arranged for them to rest in one of the outpost's tents.
Not long after, a cook arrived carrying two steaming bowls of noodle soup—dinner for the night.
Despite it being summer, a subtle chill lingered in the air, likely due to the Hollow's proximity. It made the temperature feel sharper than usual.
Once they finished eating and the proctor still hadn't returned, the two wandered outside the tent, staring into the distant abyss of Hollow Zero.
"Uchiha—him coming was your doing, aren't you?" Belle finally asked, her tone quiet but pointed as she turned toward Zhong Yan.
She hadn't had a chance to ask earlier with the proctor around. But now, alone under the stars, she wanted answers.
Zhong Yan nodded without hesitation. "Yeah. First time heading into Hollow Zero—you never know what might happen. Turns out I was right to be cautious."
She couldn't argue with that. If Uchiha hadn't intervened, they might've ended up as footnotes in a Hollow tragedy report, buried alongside Section 6.
"He really agreed to be your bodyguard, huh... Zhong Yan, be honest. Giving him all that biological data—it's not dangerous for you, is it?" Belle's expression shifted instantly, now serious and focused.
Zhong Yan patted his chest reassuringly. "I swear, it's a mutual deal. There's no sketchy body-harvesting experiments going on or anything like that."
She didn't answer right away, just stared into his eyes.
Zhong Yan held her gaze without flinching.
A few seconds passed. Then Belle's tense posture softened with a sigh. "If you say so... I just don't want you being treated like some lab rat."
Her words were laced with genuine concern. Belle cared deeply about those around her—especially Zhong Yan. As a Hollow Raider, he constantly skirted death, and that danger didn't always come from Ethereals. Other Raiders, gangs, even rogue investigators could be just as deadly.
Today, when he faced off against Nineveh head-on, she'd nearly cried in panic.
Thankfully, Uchiha had stepped in.
A sudden gust of wind swept through the outpost, sharper and colder now.
Wearing nothing but short sleeves, the two quickly retreated into the warmth of the tent.
Not long after, the proctor returned, holding two freshly issued Investigator Licenses.
When Zhong Yan and Belle took them in hand, it officially marked their status as certified Hollow Zero investigators.
With these, they could now access Hollow Zero through legitimate channels, benefiting from all the official support available—supply depots, safe exit nodes, even emergency extraction protocols. In the event of death, their families would receive significant compensation.
Unofficial investigators received none of that.
All in all, the benefits were impressive—far better than most standard investigators could ever hope for.
Zhong Yan figured that was the end of things. But just as he and Belle were about to leave, the proctor stopped him.
"Wait, one moment!" she called out, pulling out her phone. "That fox-eared chief from Section 6—the one who fought Nineveh first? She left a message for you before leaving the outpost."
"She said her offer to join Section 6 was real. If you're interested, you can contact her anytime. Just... don't expect any special treatment. Here's her contact info."
She held out a card with Section 6's details.
Zhong Yan blinked in surprise.
He'd expected Harumasa to be the one extending an invite—not Hoshimi Miyabi.
She wanted him in Section 6?
All he'd done was clear a few swarm-class mobs during the battle. That hardly seemed worth such a high-profile invitation.
He didn't dwell on it too long. After a short pause, he shook his head. "I already said it before—we're not a good fit. Keep the contact info."
And with that, he grabbed Belle's hand and briskly walked toward the exit of the outpost.
The proctor scratched her head, baffled. "Does he... not know what it means to be invited to Section 6? That's like a dream job for every investigator..."
...
Escorted by an outpost soldier, the two left Scott Outpost and found their car in the nearby lot. Then they began the drive back.
Instead of heading straight to Sixth Street, Belle first dropped Zhong Yan off at his place on Ninth Street, pulling right up to his front door before reluctantly letting him out.
Zhong Yan offered sincere thanks for the thoughtful gesture.
As they waved goodbye, he suddenly remembered—he needed to buy some household supplies.
Normally, he'd leave that sort of errand to Pei. But it was late, and he didn't want to risk his Bangboo wandering the streets and getting snatched by Bangboo smugglers.
Not that he was worried about Pei being kidnapped...
He was more worried it would accidentally kill someone trying to nab it.
As a Bangboo specially designed for shinobi use, Pei's combat power rivaled that of trained soldiers. But most of the time, it just functioned like a friendly home robot—rarely getting the chance to flex its true strength.
Don't underestimate the pet Bangboo of Zhong Yan's household.