Even without a reply, Hoshimi Miyabi could already sense the truth behind it.
"Hmm... are you afraid of him?"
As soon as she spoke, the spirit reacted far more intensely than she expected. The small, glowing orb bobbed rapidly up and down, like the physical embodiment of someone nodding frantically.
Then it darted outward, circling back as if urging Hoshimi Miyabi to leave at once.
It clearly didn't want to stay here another second.
Watching the spirit's reaction, a flicker of understanding crossed her face. She let out a quiet, helpless laugh, shook her head, and started walking.
After turning through a few narrow streets, she arrived at a secluded location where the other members of Section 6 were waiting.
There was also another figure present—someone not from Section 6. Though she might've been called a "guest," she looked more like she'd been dragged here against her will.
Jane stood with her arms crossed, lounging casually by the wall. A throwing knife spun idly between her fingers. Hearing footsteps, she turned her gaze toward Hoshimi Miyabi.
"Are you satisfied now?"
As Jane spoke, the other three — Tsukishiro Yanagi, Harumasa, and Soukaku — turned to look. Yanagi and Harumasa's eyes gleamed with curiosity, while Soukaku looked as lost as ever.
To be honest, she still didn't really understand what was happening.
Jane's words hung in the air. Hoshimi Miyabi's expression remained calm. Holding the demon blade in one hand, she lifted her eyes to meet Jane's. After a moment's pause, the corners of her mouth curved faintly.
"Thank you. I'm quite satisfied with the result."
As if remembering something, her smile deepened slightly. Seeing that, the three members of Section 6 exchanged relieved looks, happy for her without knowing exactly why.
Jane, however, didn't share their mood.
She sighed softly, frustration and resignation mingling across her face. She'd suspected that Senior Qingyi hadn't told her everything, so she had taken it upon herself to investigate.
But the deeper she dug, the more complications she found. Her search eventually led to the Falkenhayn Mercenary Troupe—an area where she had no authority to intervene. Still, the trail was too important to abandon midway.
So she decided to start elsewhere—by probing Zane's former "unit," Section 6.
What began as a casual information exchange quickly spiraled once Tsukishiro Yanagi's sharp instincts forced the matter into the open.
Jane had tried to conceal part of the truth, but even her half-truths were enough for Harumasa and Yanagi to catch on. Outnumbered, she had been cornered into revealing more than she'd planned.
She'd assumed Section 6 merely wanted to reclaim Zane, valuing his skills and experience. But the situation veered wildly off her expectations when Hoshimi Miyabi's peculiar reaction upended everything.
And that led to... this.
"Let's go."
Miyabi's gaze shifted from Jane to her teammates. As her words fell, Soukaku, perched on top of a vehicle, nodded and jumped down.
Tsukishiro Yanagi and Harumasa followed suit. Though they still didn't fully understand what was going on, there would be time to piece things together later.
As Section 6 departed, Jane remained where she was, leaning against the wall, lost in thought.
After a moment, she straightened, letting out a quiet sigh.
"That guy really can't stay out of trouble..." she muttered to herself.
How had he ended up entangled with Hoshimi Miyabi—the youngest Void Hunter in Section 6?
She was strong-willed, certainly. Or maybe... just stubborn in some things.
Come to think of it, during a previous special operation, Jane had met her elder relative. Both the head and matriarch of the Hoshimi family had been nothing but courteous...
"But still, there are things that belong to me. I can't just let them go."
Gathering her thoughts, Jane crossed her arms above her head and stretched, her elegant silhouette moving fluidly.
"Speaking of which, there's still something I don't understand... that Shin from the Defense Force..."
She muttered under her breath as she walked off.
...
Time passed.
Night fell.
"The second time..."
Inside the Tanuki House, Zane stared at the expanded hollow before him. After a moment's preparation, he stepped forward and entered.
The hollow quickly enveloped him completely. Once his figure disappeared inside, it drifted upward—rising into the sky once again.
Within the hollow...
"It seems unchanged from before. As long as I don't interfere with its internal balance, it can remain stable indefinitely."
Zane glanced around at the organized streams of Ether energy, understanding now what he was seeing. The hollow he'd entered this time was the same one as before.
After scanning the area and sensing nothing unusual, he resumed his search for the elusive core.
But just like last time, he found nothing.
After some time, he halted his search, floating quietly amid the swirling Ether.
"Two tries and still nothing... Is it just bad luck, or do these hollows simply lack a core altogether?"
He frowned. Anyone would feel frustrated after repeated failure.
Could it be... that he was the core?
No, that wasn't right. Both he and other Core Ethereal acted as catalysts for the hollow's evolution. What he was looking for was something different—the origin core, the point of creation itself.
His original goal had been to create a hollow of his own.
"The Ether energy is fully structured now..."
Zane's gaze swept across the surroundings. Though the energy no longer felt formless, and the hollow shimmered with radiant hues, it still carried an underlying sense of chaos.
Or perhaps... it was better described as primordial.
"Maybe I should do something more."
"But what exactly...?"
He had a vague idea, but nothing concrete. Beyond refining the flow of energy, what else could he do here?
What was missing?
Zane floated in silence, his thoughts wandering.
Then, suddenly, he recalled the sisters Augetta and Augilia—their butterfly forms that symbolized life itself.
They were currently within the Twin Hollows.
"Right... this place is beautiful, but completely lifeless. Besides me, there's nothing here..."
He also remembered Hoshimi Miyabi's spirit. It had a structure similar to a hollow, yet possessed its own consciousness...
A spark of realization lit his eyes.
"Yes... it needs life."
As the words left his lips, his form faded away. Moments later, when Zane reentered the hollow, two butterflies flitted gently beside him.
"IIf this works, maybe I'll try it in the Twin Hollows next..."
He raised his hand. The two butterflies lifted from his palm, their wings stirring the luminous air as they danced through the swirling energy, scattering trails of multicolored mist.
But nothing changed.
The hollow remained silent, unresponsive—just as before.
It seemed... something was still missing.