"Hello. We meet again."
Zane stood up and gave Xin a faint smile.
"Yes, we do."
Xin nodded. She didn't realize that when they said "again," they were thinking of entirely different moments.
She was referring to their earlier exchange on the rooftop, while Zane meant their recent conversation in the pit.
"Your mask…"
Xin's eyes landed on Zane's face. Something was off—the style of the mask was different from before.
"Oh, this? My old one got damaged during the fight with Nineveh, so I replaced it."
Zane answered smoothly, without lying.
"The fight with Nineveh?"
Xin raised an eyebrow, then looked at him in shock as something clicked. She stared in disbelief.
"You're the one the four-man flight unit reported on—the one who completely overwhelmed Nineveh?"
When Zane nodded, she sucked in a sharp breath.
"Besides Hoshimi Miyabi, how does Hollow Special Ops Unit 6 have another monster like you?"
Judging from his voice and behavior, Xin was sure Zane wasn't very old.
Young, ridiculously powerful... If anything, he might even be a bit sharper than Hoshimi Miyabi. The two were practically on par.
How were all these monsters ending up in Hollow Special Ops Unit 6?
"Tsk. Should I take that as you calling my section chief a monster? Saying things like that's a bit rude, don't you think…"
Though Zane's tone was casual, there was a chill to it—an unspoken warning.
It was just as he had said before—his body and soul belonged to Hoshimi Miyabi.
"Come on, I'm just a little bitter. What did Hoshimi Miyabi do to win you over like this? You're so loyal…"
Xin shook her head, stepped closer to Zane, and looked him in the eye.
"Are you really not interested in working with me?"
"Whatever Hoshimi Miyabi can offer, I can too."
She smiled lightly.
"I don't think I fall short of her in any area—background, looks, ability… So maybe you could try giving your loyalty to me instead?"
Her tone was playful, almost teasing, but there was seriousness underneath.
She truly wanted to steal this masked man away from Hollow Special Ops Unit 6.
Ever since hearing her subordinates' reports on his fight with Nineveh, that desire had only grown.
"Major Xin, as I said—my body and soul belong to Miss Miyabi."
Zane placed a hand over his chest and smiled.
Xin pursed her lips. His words weren't about duty or position—it was purely emotional, and that left her at a bit of a loss.
Turns out poaching someone wasn't so easy.
"Don't be so quick to refuse. If you join the Staff Army, I'll give you full freedom. Unlike Hollow Ops Unit 6, we won't bog you down. You'll get top-tier benefits, and outside of essential duties, you can act independently."
"Plus, you'll start as an officer. With your capabilities, there's no need to grind it out from the bottom. I'm about to be promoted to colonel, so how about I appoint you as a second lieutenant?"
Xin's eyes gleamed—she was offering a lot. She was going all in.
She didn't believe this guy was really just hopelessly loyal...
"Major Xin, Miss Miyabi means a lot to me. I can't betray her that easily."
Zane's eyes flickered, and he shook his head.
Xin looked a little deflated. She hadn't expected to find someone this loyal in today's world…
But before she could think more, Zane spoke again.
"Major Xin, what you're offering still doesn't compare to what Miss Miyabi means to me."
It wasn't that the two could be weighed against each other—they simply weren't in the same category.
Xin froze for a second, her eyes fixed on him. It took her a moment to register what he'd said.
Huh?
So… it's about raising the offer?
She rolled her eyes at him. And here she had been admiring his loyalty… Turns out he was just greedy.
But she liked that.
To her, love and emotion were nothing compared to ideals and benefits. A guy who didn't let romance cloud his judgment? That was exactly her type.
Having someone like that on her team would definitely be fun.
"Fine. I'll raise the offer."
"Second lieutenant not enough? How about full lieutenant? Don't underestimate the difference—this is a major step up…"
Starting as a lieutenant would definitely stir things up.
But someone with high intelligence and void-hunter-level combat power?
Absolutely worth it.
Xin's bright eyes sparkled, and her pink hair drifted slightly as she waited for Zane's response.
"Alright. Deal."
"But let me say this up front—Major Xin, I'll be your right-hand man, but don't treat me like some subordinate."
"And aside from you, I don't want to deal with any other officers. Too much of a hassle…"
Zane smiled and held out his hand to her.
He knew when to stop. Any more haggling would be pushing it.
Besides, this basically meant he'd infiltrated the inner circle, right?
Who knows—maybe someday he'd even end up in office. After all, in New Eridu, the line between military and government was pretty blurry…
Xin hesitated for a moment. The first part was fine. As for the second…
Whatever. He had the skills, he could call the shots.
"Alright, I agree to your terms. Then... dear Lieutenant, can I finally know your name?"
Xin smiled, switching gears to finally ask Zane what she should call him. Until now, she still didn't know.
"Masked guy" didn't exactly cut it.
"Isn't this moving a bit fast? I haven't done anything yet and I'm already a lieutenant? Shouldn't there be paperwork or something?"
Zane crossed his arms and tilted his head, speaking with playful curiosity.
"Relax, it's just some formalities."
"The Staff Army isn't like the Defense Army. If you want to be an officer, and I'm backing you, there's only one thing you need to do."
Xin held up a finger and motioned for him to follow as they walked toward the nearby Obol Squad camp.
"You just need to earn their approval."
"Win over your future comrades."
With that, she led Zane to the edge of the Obol Squad's resting area. She didn't press him for his name again.
Eventually, when everything was settled and he couldn't dodge the question anymore, she'd get it.
"Soldiers of the Obol Squad!"
"I have someone I'd like to introduce to you."
"He might just be your future commander…"
Her plan was simple—he had the backing of four pilots and his combat prowess was undeniable. Earning their respect wouldn't be hard.
The Obol Squad revered strength above all else!
In a corner of the camp, Soldier 11 was chatting with Trigger about Zane when she heard the announcement and looked up.
She'd seen this kind of thing before, so she wasn't particularly surprised or curious.
But when she saw who it was, her pupils shrank.
Zane?
This guy... a commander?
A commander?!!!