Xin smiled and said,
"Fire Picker, most people in New Eridu who know about this matter already believe you're the protagonist of the story."
Hearing that, Zane fell silent again.
His thoughts were a mess...
"Hard to accept? A lot to think about? I figured you'd feel that way..."
"But really, you just need to keep a few things clear—know who your friends and enemies are, and follow your heart, one step at a time."
"Your situation might be complicated, but everything is now in your hands."
Xin tilted her head slightly, her bright eyes gleaming, and the wings at her waist spread slightly, like an angel descended from above.
"What kind of existence you become is entirely up to you."
Zane gave a soft laugh, shook his head slightly, and replied quietly,
"Sounds nice, anyway."
In front of Xin, it was best not to show his true emotions—no need to give her anything she could use against him.
"What? Don't like hearing nice things?"
Xin grinned playfully, a stark contrast to her uniform and current rank.
"By the way, what did you mean by those things you said earlier?"
Zane asked about her opening remarks—words that sounded more like something a psychologist would say.
They were the reason he chose to engage with her in the first place.
"Oh, that? It's exactly what it sounded like."
"Because your body is complicated, your consciousness will be too. How you handle it depends on your current choices."
"If you value divinity, then do what a god would. If you value humanity, then act like a human."
Xin waved her hand casually.
"As for Ethereal instincts—just fight more!"
At that, Zane said quietly,
"Didn't you say you'd help me?"
Xin paused for a moment, then responded,
"If we're on the same side, of course I'll help. Just say the word, and I'll do everything I can."
She looked at Zane, clearly hopeful.
Were they really on the same side...?
Seeing Zane remain silent, Xin clasped her hands behind her back and smiled.
"Since you won't answer, I'll take that as a yes!"
"Saving the world, saving humanity—it's just a matter of time!"
Unlike her previous composed demeanor, Xin now seemed more like the youthful girl she appeared to be—bubbling with excitement.
"Big words. Save the world? I've got zero interest in that. Even if I was created by the world, that doesn't change anything."
Zane waved a hand and stood up. The crystalline throne dissolved into multicolored light.
He had no interest in being some kind of savior. Wasn't a peaceful life better?
He didn't believe the world would fall apart without him—there was always the original timeline, after all...
"If you have divinity, you'll act for the world. If you have humanity, then you'll just have even more reasons to act."
Rare things are priceless.
Xin had something she couldn't let go of—and she believed the Fire Picker did too.
"Unless you're really just an ordinary Ethereal, there are some things you won't be able to walk away from."
"Of course, that doesn't mean you're being forced."
Xin's tone was light, but it pushed back against Zane's dismissal.
She knew—some things couldn't be avoided.
The Fire Picker was born for those things.
"Heh. Maybe."
Zane shook his head. The situation was still murky, the future even more so. Any conclusion now was premature.
"Seems like you don't know much more than I do. In that case, I'll be going."
He spoke casually, turned around, and started to leave. But just then, Xin hurriedly stepped in front of him.
"Wait! Shouldn't we exchange contact info?"
"How else are we supposed to stay in touch or work together? Right?"
She gave him a sly smile and added,
"You must have a human identity. And I'm sure this isn't your only form... so, how about we get acquainted?"
She'd been after the Fire Picker for so long—of course she didn't want to miss out on learning more about him.
Even if it was unrealistic, it would be perfect if she could keep him in her grasp.
Zane paused, stayed silent for two seconds, then shook his head and said softly,
"When the time comes, I'll find you."
He had no intention of exposing his human identity to Xin—not yet.
After all, she was still a Major in the Staff Corps. Too much baggage.
That identity was his ticket to a quiet life.
Of course, the real issue was...
He didn't even have a way to contact her.
Lately, if anyone needed to reach him, they just called the cat café...
If he wasn't there, well, tough luck.
Zane sighed quietly at the thought.
He really needed to get a phone.
No idea how many times he'd forgotten by now...
"Hey—wait a second, this is..."
Xin raised her hand in a bit of a panic.
Was she really going to be stuck waiting for him to come to her?
But before she could finish, the tall Ethereal shot off into the distance.
In just moments, he vanished from view.
Staring at the spot where the Fire Picker had disappeared, Xin looked like she was on the verge of tears.
So after all that, it was completely one-sided?
She didn't even get a single useful thing from him!
Oh well. At least contact had been made.
She'd just have to take it slow...
With that, she turned and headed back toward the Obol Squad's base.
...
"Little Nocturne, did you miss me?"
A sinister grin stretched across the Fool's mask. Zane was crouched down in front of a small black cat.
Now that he'd found the cat, the Cretan Hollow had also returned to his side.
With two Hollows under his control, he was unquestionably stronger than before.
"Meow—"
The black cat meowed and eagerly pushed its head into Zane's palm, happily rubbing against it.
All that bickering between them was just for fun. Sure, some of it had been serious, but at the end of the day, the cat really liked Zane.
"How was it inside the Hollow this time? It's just a shame you couldn't fight with me..."
The cat meowed twice more in satisfaction.
In its little head, it was still thinking about that massive bird it had seen.
If only it could catch it... it'd be so tasty...
"Eh? This cat yours?"
A voice called out from nearby.
Zane immediately recognized it—it hadn't been long since he'd gotten some info from her.
It was Major Xin.
She didn't seem surprised to see Zane here at the Obol Squad base.
After all, he was with Hollow Special Ops Unit 6...