Xin's gaze fell on the "Black Coffin" as she began to explain.
"You're just leaving it out like this? Aren't you worried something might go wrong?"
Zane looked at the exposed cabin in surprise. A weapon this deadly, and there weren't any protective measures?
Hearing his question, Xin shook her head.
"No need. This thing has many usage restrictions. Right now, without absorbing Hollow energy, it's just an empty shell."
"As it is, it's not even as lethal as a single bullet."
"Restrictions? Are you talking about that method of sending it up using someone's life?"
Xin's expression darkened for a moment, but she quickly returned to calm. She nodded and said,
"Yeah. The Black Coffin has strict usage conditions. It's fragile, can't be launched using current technology, and can only absorb energy when falling from high altitude inside a Hollow."
"If I had any other option, I wouldn't have chosen that method."
As she spoke, her mind drifted back to the mission to "Heaven's Judgement," recalling the determined figures who went there in search of execution personnel.
Snapping back to the present, she suddenly realized something. Her eyes met Zane's, and she asked in surprise,
"You were there? But the tracker showed…"
Realizing she'd said too much, Xin immediately stopped talking. But seeing the smile on Zane's face, she knew the truth had already been exposed.
She had assumed the tracker was lost during his fight with Nineveh when the mask was damaged. She hadn't expected it had actually been discovered…
"Sorry."
Xin didn't try to cover it up. She admitted her mistake sincerely—it wasn't something she found hard to accept.
And judging by Zane's reaction, he clearly didn't mind.
"It's fine."
Zane waved his hand. He had considered using the tracker to pull something on Xin, but in the end, he just hadn't had the time.
"From what you're saying, it really seems like there was no other choice. But I doubt the Staff Army only has this kind of weapon, right?"
"You must have more powerful and stable means of attack. Otherwise, how could you possibly hold back the expansion of Hollow Zero..."
Zane trailed off, but Xin had already caught his meaning. She nodded and corrected him.
"Not 'you'—'us.' The formal procedures may not be complete, but you're already a member of the Staff Army."
She continued,
"You're right, there are plenty of such weapons. The Obol Squad is just the tip of the iceberg."
"But the reason we used the Black Coffin in actual combat this time was primarily for testing. So… it was inevitable."
Xin shook her head. She wasn't some soft-hearted person. Besides, it had been an order from above. According to them, "sacrificing a few for the sake of all humanity is worth it."
"Don't worry. These warriors volunteered after learning the whole truth. But no matter what, humanity still owes them..."
Zane's gaze remained calm. He now had a deeper understanding of both the Staff Army and New Eridu's situation. After thinking for a moment, he asked again,
"What about the White Star Institute?"
"After all, they played a role in this disaster..."
Xin nodded, her expression unchanged.
"I know. There are many factions within the Institute—some good, some not so good. The ones involved this time… they're kind of in the middle."
"This battle was inevitable, given the Ethereal swarm. The Institute just used the opportunity to run their experiments."
As she spoke, her tone grew colder.
"But the fallout from those experiments? They left it all to the Staff Army without a single word of warning. That's not something we can just let go."
"Can it be settled?"
Zane asked softly.
"Claiming defection to escape accountability—it's a pain to deal with. But I'll find a way."
Xin chuckled, a hint of ambiguity in her smile.
"So that's what the defection was about? I thought they really had gone rogue…"
Zane blinked, not pressing the matter. Thinking about it now, it wasn't a bad strategy.
"By the way… Your Excellency, the Fool, are you really not going to tell me your name?"
"And you're still wearing a mask. Don't you think that's a bit… inappropriate?"
Xin smiled brightly. She was genuinely curious about Zane's identity. After all, he'd appeared so suddenly...
She had to admit, the Hollow Special Operations Unit 6 really knew how to keep secrets.
"There'll be plenty of chances in the future."
Zane declined politely. Xin was a little disappointed but didn't press him further.
At least it wasn't a flat-out rejection.
The two chatted a bit longer. Once the relevant procedures were completed and submitted, Zane prepared to leave.
After all, he'd had plans for today—and who knew how much time he'd spent in Hollow Zero…
After saying goodbye, Xin watched him leave with the little black cat, quietly pondering.
"Looks like he's got something urgent going on. But now that I think about it, I've got some errands too... better head back soon."
...
At noon, the sun hung high in the sky.
After some time, Zane returned to the video store. Meanwhile, in a secret department somewhere in New Eridu...
"Chief, what's going on? Why did you call us all back?"
In the meeting room of Hollow Special Operations Unit 6, Harumasa was panting as he grabbed a tissue from the table and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
He'd just finished fighting Ethereals in a Hollow and rushed back the moment it was done.
At the head of the table sat Hoshimi Miyabi, her arms resting on the surface, forearms raised, fingers interlaced in front of her.
Her expression was grim. She didn't respond to Harumasa's question and remained motionless in her seat.
Two specially sealed documents lay in front of her. Their contents were unknown.
Seeing his superior remain silent, Harumasa turned to Soukaku, who had arrived earlier, and shot her a questioning look.
Sensing it, Soukaku looked up, cheeks puffed, a dazed look in her eyes.
Struggling to swallow the food in her mouth, she said,
"No clue. I was eating when they dragged me over…"
That only deepened Harumasa's confusion.
A few minutes later, the door opened. Tsukishiro Yanagi entered, adjusted her glasses, sat down, and quickly asked,
"Chief, why the sudden meeting? Did something happen?"
Once everyone had arrived, Hoshimi Miyabi lowered her eyes and looked at the two documents before her. In a quiet voice, she said,
"Criticism."
"Commendation."
Hearing this, the two who knew Hoshimi Miyabi well immediately understood and each took a document.
How could both a criticism and a commendation be issued at the same time?