The day of the official organization's large-scale Hollow Zero sweep arrived swiftly.
On this day, countless agents designated as members of the Independent Investigation Corps gathered at the Scott Outpost, awaiting orders from the central authorities.
Most of these people were seasoned Hollow Raiders in their daily lives. Only a small number were officially recognized Hollow Investigators. But given the dangers of Hollow Zero, the authorities had little choice but to mobilize even those semi-legitimized outlaws.
Incidentally, both the Hollow Investigative Association and the Hollow Special Operations Section 6 had sent their elite forces. Among them were all members of Section 6—the cream of the crop and the backbone of this entire operation.
Zhong Yan's real body was also present. He had left a shadow clone at home and hidden himself in the crowd under the guise of the Uchiha, concealed in the shadows—unnoticed by all, or rather, beyond their ability to detect.
Within the crowd, Zhong Yan quickly located the Phaethon siblings. Around them stood several fully armed strangers—likely the agents they had recruited for this mission.
These agents held considerable renown within the Proxy Network, which was precisely why they had earned the trust of the Phaethon Siblings. Any average agent wouldn't even qualify to partner with them.
"Never thought the famous Phaethon siblings would turn out to be this young," one of the agents, a man in his thirties, stepped forward, scrutinizing the pair closely.
When his eyes fell on Belle, his expression became somewhat thoughtful, though he kept his deeper thoughts to himself.
As for Belle, she didn't notice his intentions at all. Right now, her mind was filled only with thoughts of Zhong Yan. She even glanced around foolishly, hoping to catch sight of him.
But Zhong Yan was well hidden. She had no chance of finding him.
Feeling disheartened, she could only sigh and pretend to nonchalantly fiddle with her phone.
"Everyone, we're counting on your support for this operation. If there's anything that needs clarification, don't hesitate to ask," Wise stepped forward, blocking the man's gaze as he placed himself protectively in front of Belle.
Seeing his advance blocked, the agent let out a cold snort and backed off, visibly annoyed.
All of this was quietly observed from afar by Zhong Yan. His brows furrowed as he silently made a mental note of the man's face.
...
The operation began shortly thereafter. Each investigation team was issued communications gear by the authorities, and the gear allowed teams to keep in contact with one another, enabling them to call for help at a moment's notice.
It was clear the official organization had gone to great lengths to prepare for this mass sweep. Whether the results would match their expectations, however, remained to be seen.
Zhong Yan had ventured into the depths of Hollow Zero more than once and knew firsthand how dangerous it truly was for any of the surveyors present.
The outer and middle zones of the Old Capital might still be manageable, but going into the depths? That was another story. Numbers alone wouldn't save them there.
In terms of sheer numbers, the Ethereals would always outmatch them. Unless one had overwhelming power—like Zhong Yan himself—venturing deep into Hollow Zero was a death sentence.
This was precisely why Zhong Yan had chosen to follow the siblings in secret.
"So, the elites from the Hollow Special Operations Section 6 and the Hollow Investigative Association are clearing the path, and the independent teams just have to clean up the stragglers around the perimeter..."
After some time shadowing the operation, Zhong Yan quickly realized that the frontlines were manned by official elites led by Section 6, while the Independent Investigation Corps had been tasked with eliminating small roaming Ethereals—a relatively easy assignment.
This wasn't surprising. Those teams were only capable of handling low-threat entities. Anything stronger, like advanced-class Ethereals, required elite intervention.
The only good news so far was that they hadn't encountered any colossal-class Ethereals yet. Otherwise, casualties would have skyrocketed.
But that was bound to happen eventually. Colossal Ethereals in Hollow Zero were nowhere near as rare as in smaller hollows. If their luck was bad, they might even run into an ultra-massive one—like Nineveh.
Ultra-massive Ethereals were beyond even the strength of Void Hunter level experts like Hoshimi Miyabi. Ordinary surveyors wouldn't stand a chance.
If that happened, Zhong Yan knew he'd have no choice but to step in. There were too many people here—he couldn't just stand by and watch them be slaughtered.
...
"Everyone, don't fall behind! We're getting close to an unexplored zone—please stick together!"
Tsukishiro Yanagi, deputy commander of Section 6, was shouting commands to the agents in her area. As they ventured deeper, the Ethereals they encountered were not only increasing in number, but also in power.
So far, there had been no casualties. But she knew better—this was just the appetizer. Death was inevitable.
Her only goal was to minimize the number of people lost.
["Huff... Calling Section 6! We've encountered a massive swarm of Ethereals—five colossal-class among them! Requesting immediate backup!"]
Suddenly, the emergency channel shared by all Section 6 members was flooded with a panicked distress call.
Hearing the desperate voice over their earpieces, the team exchanged quick glances. Asaba Harumasa was the first to speak. "Sounds like another squad's gotten into trouble."
"They moved faster than us and are now a good distance ahead. Should we go support them?" Yanagi adjusted her glasses and asked.
Each team had its own pacing. Some pursued maximum efficiency and advanced rapidly, but doing so often left them disconnected from the main group—and vulnerable if things went wrong.
Section 6, on the other hand, had opted for a steady, methodical approach. While slower, it ensured that they didn't get overwhelmed... unless luck wasn't on their side.
"Five colossal-class Ethereals and a massive swarm? With their strength, they won't make it," said Miyabi, after a moment of contemplation.
"Yanagi, you stay here. Soukaku, Harumasa—come with me. We're going in."
With that, Miyabi vanished into a blur, heading straight toward the signal's origin without hesitation.
Soukaku and Harumasa exchanged looks and then quickly followed.
Only the ever-reliable Yanagi remained to command the other investigators.