But just as Billy stepped out of Hare's House, before he could even get in the car to head for the Hollow Special Operations Unit…
Suddenly, a vehicle bearing the H.A.N.D. Headquarters emblem pulled up in front of the building.
The door opened, and Keqing and Xiao stepped out.
It had been two days since they last met.
Keqing and Xiao looked exactly the same as before—without a speck of dust or a wrinkle on their clothes. They didn't look like they had just spent two days inside Hollow Zero at all.
Seeing them,
Paimon flew over excitedly. "Whoa! Keqing! Xiao! You're finally back!"
When Keqing spotted Sam Li, the Traveler, and Hu Tao, she let out a small sigh of relief.
"Sorry to have worried you these past two days."
Hu Tao grinned. "It's fine—so long as you both made it back safe and sound."
They quickly ushered the two inside.
…
Before long, Paimon couldn't hold back her curiosity about Hollow Zero.
"So? How was it? Did you find anything this time?"
Keqing nodded. "Hollow Zero is completely unlike any other Hollow. Whether it's the monsters inside or the sheer pressure, it's not something ordinary people can endure. Even I had to wear protective gear just to last two days in there…"
Of course, Xiao needed no such gear.
The Yaksha clan's bodies were incredibly resilient; that kind of pressure would only make him uncomfortable, not harm him—at least not in the short term.
Paimon tilted her head. "Oh, did you go into the deeper parts?"
Keqing shook her head. "No. The outskirts alone are already in bad shape. The deeper areas would definitely be far worse."
According to Hoshimi Miyabi, who had accompanied them, the depths were filled with terrifying creatures.
Some monsters could fly and blot out the sun…
Others stood hundreds of meters tall, able to wipe out an entire district with a single swing…
And there were even more dreadful Ethereal entities—ones that could manipulate a person's mind, or spread colorless, odorless, and invisible viruses…
If that was the case,
the Ethereals deep inside Hollow Zero might already rival the power of an Archon.
That was why Keqing hadn't rushed in. She intended to first learn more about both New Eridu and Hollow Zero before making plans to deal with it.
"I've heard you and the folks from Hollow Special Operations Unit 6 mention the Outer Ring many times," Keqing said. "I'd like to go there and see the situation for myself."
"Huh? You want to go to the Outer Ring?"
"What? Is it off-limits now?"
"No, no, that's not it," Paimon said quickly. "We were actually about to invite you and Xiao! A gang we know in the Outer Ring is holding a banquet. Perfect chance for you to come along!"
"Alright," Keqing nodded. "When do we leave?"
"Now!"
Paimon beamed. She'd worried Keqing might be too busy to join them—but it turned out they'd all had the same idea.
…
When everyone started getting ready, a new problem came up.
Previously, Hare's House only had Nicole, Billy, Anby, Nekomata, and Sam Li—five people who could all fit in one car.
But now they had Keqing, Hu Tao, Xiao, the Traveler, Paimon, Kuki Shinobu, Arataki Itto, Kazuha, and Sayu…
With so many extra people,
never mind one car—even buying another wouldn't be enough.
Hu Tao chuckled. "You can leave Paimon out of the count—she can fly."
Paimon quickly objected. "No way! Cars go so fast, and I'm so slow in the air—how could I keep up? I'm riding in the car too."
Arataki Itto and Billy both groaned, covering their faces. "Then what? It's too far to walk."
Nekomata suggested, "Why not call a taxi?"
Anby shook her head. "Taxis don't go to the Outer Ring."
Just then, Sam Li spoke up. "I already sent a message to Piper. She'll bring her truck to pick us up."
Billy's eyes lit up. "Right! How could I forget Piper…"
Paimon blinked. "Who's Piper? Don't tell me it's another nickname someone gave me."
Nekomata grinned. "Of course not. Piper's a member of the Sons of Calydon—same as Lighter."
…
After more than ten minutes of waiting in Hare's House,
Paimon was getting impatient. "She's too slow! Piper's taking forever—why isn't she here yet?"
Billy looked at her in surprise. "Little Paimon, you dare say Piper's slow?"
"What? She is slow—we've been waiting ages and she's still not here," Paimon said matter-of-factly.
Nekomata shook her head with a sly smile. "I hope you say that to her face when you get in the truck—tell her to drive faster."
Paimon puffed out her chest. "I definitely will."
In truth, Piper wasn't slow at all.
Before long, she came barreling in from Calydon Town in the Outer Ring, her truck screeching to a stop outside Hare's House.
She swung the door open and jumped out.
Her eyes swept over the crowd—besides the familiar faces from Hare's House, there were several strangers.
"Who are they?" she asked.
"Let me do the introductions," Billy said, volunteering himself.
"This is Keqing, this is Xiao, this is Hu Tao… this is my buddy Arataki Itto, this is Kuki Shinobu, and this is Sayu—uh, where's the little tanuki?"
"She's back on the sofa, asleep."
"That sleepy little tanuki is Sayu…"
Itto finished the introductions, though Piper didn't seem to remember a single name—her expression was listless, her eyelids heavy.
"I'm Piper," she said. "Caesar and the others are already waiting in Calydon Town. Let's get moving. We'll be passing Sixth Street, so we need to pick up the two Proxies…"
She had already pinged Belle and Wise at the video store through Knock-Knock Chat,
but to make sure they didn't forget, she planned to swing by in person—and pick up a few supplies while they were there.
…
Soon, Keqing, Xiao, and the others were packed into the truck's cargo area.
The Traveler and Paimon took the passenger seat up front.
Seeing Piper's drowsy state, Paimon finally understood why she'd "been so slow."
If she was this sleepy, of course she wouldn't be speeding.
"Do you need someone else to take over driving?" Paimon asked cautiously.
Piper yawned and shook her head. "No. Everyone buckled in? We're heading out."
Paimon: "…"
From the other car, Nekomata's teasing voice called out, "Paimon, didn't you say you'd tell Piper to drive faster?"
Paimon froze. "Uh…"
Sure, she wanted to tell Piper to speed up—
but looking at her exhausted face, she just couldn't bring herself to say it.
"You think I'm too slow, huh?" Piper asked suddenly.
Paimon waved her hands quickly. "No… I just mean, you know, don't go too slow."
Piper smirked. "Don't worry. I'll make sure to meet your expectations."