That night, beneath a cold moon hanging high.
A woman with an exquisitely beautiful face held a faint, ambiguous curve at the corner of her lips. Her long legs were wrapped in black stockings, her body leaning forward against the railing.
A velvet coat of black and red, trimmed with gold thread, draped over her shoulders, obscuring her graceful figure while adding a touch of mystery.
She gazed into the distance at the colorful Hollow sphere glowing above the sea, her eyes far and deep, as though they pierced the barrier wall of the Hollow.
That was the Cretan Hollow of Port Elpis—Bringer's final destination.
Sarah had observed the entire battle from the Hollow's edge, missing nothing.
No matter what, Bringer had been a rather important member of the organization, and the intel bought with his final performance was quite valuable.
After a long while, a voice came through the earpiece by her ear.
"How is the situation?"
A gloomy, raspy man's voice.
"As expected." Sarah tapped her high heel lightly against the floor, smiling for no apparent reason. "Justin Bringer died appropriately. He couldn't even take a single move from Sol Mercer."
"A significant piece of the organization was spent to confirm a not-so-new piece of intel—Sol is extremely strong."
She had witnessed it with her own eyes: Sol shattered the masterpiece of the Creator with a single sword strike, barely using any effort.
Considering what she saw last time—a Hollow half-destroyed by one punch—this was actually normal.
Still, no matter how many times one saw strength at this level, it was always deeply shocking.
She pressed her hand to her chest, feeling that persistent thrum of unease.
"Is that all?"
The raspy, gloomy voice rose, displeased.
"There is, there is more." Sarah's tone softened, lazy and casual. "Bringer and his men once encountered an ambush on the road. The red robot beside Sol transformed into a Starlight Knight and destroyed ten autonomous fire-control mechs with overwhelming force."
The raspy voice fell silent for a moment. "That sounds absurd."
As an expert in information, he had already pulled up everything available on the Starlight Knight.
The conclusion was—
A New Eridu–style tokusatsu protagonist?
A hero from a special-effects show stepping in to punish an undercover troublemaker like Bringer?
Absolutely ridiculous.
"Yes, very absurd." Sarah nodded lightly, then said in a drifting voice, "But we can't deny that the outer armor on that red robot's costume is extremely advanced technology. It's a power the organization must take seriously."
"I'll note it down. We'll begin a special investigation into the [Starlight Knight]."
The raspy man finally compromised, then continued: "Anything else? The Starlight Knight's intel might be important, but it's far from comparable to Bringer's value. He was about to become Janus Quarter's Chief Public Security Officer."
"Of course there's more—this one relates to the operation you're preparing." Sarah's expression grew solemn. "When Bringer transformed into a Sacrifice, it was originally Void Hunter Hoshimi Miyabi who planned to take action. But something went wrong with her, so Sol stepped in instead."
"The cursed blade belonging to the Hoshimi family… seems to reject its current master."
"Null_Face, you should know how to use this intel, right?"
She had carefully observed the entire battle, not missing a single detail.
And that cursed blade, [Tailless], was already a key target for the organization's observation. Combining the clues yielded a basic conclusion.
And this information was extremely valuable for Null_Face, who was about to begin the virtual killing plan against Hollow Special Operations Section 6.
"I see? Understood."
Null_Face engraved it in his mind, speaking gloomily: "Section 6 must be quite proud right now. I wonder if they'll still feel that way after what comes next."
Gaining crucial intel about Hoshimi Miyabi made Bringer's death somewhat worthwhile.
Sarah did not comment. She simply said: "Null_Face, let me remind you—don't be too ostentatious. Don't provoke someone who shouldn't be provoked."
"Before the organization has the confidence to handle Sol Mercer, every action must be a thousand times more cautious than before he appeared. If you accidentally direct fire toward him, you won't die any less dramatically than Bringer."
In truth, with such an unfathomable enemy present, the wisest choice would be to remain silent—do nothing.
But that didn't align with the organization's interests. Everything must serve the Creator.
"I understand. Thanks for the warning." Null_Face restrained some arrogance, yet still spoke confidently: "Though the enemy is strong and we can't resist for now, the Creator's brilliance will inevitably shine. Ether is the world's destiny."
"What has been will be again; what has been done will be done again."
Sarah echoed like a chant: "The Creator shall return."
The call ended.
Null_Face resumed his work like a fanatic, continuing to decode the underlying logic of the White Star Institute's virtual combat system, aiming to increase the chances of success when making a move against Section 6.
Sarah cast one last glance at the Cretan Hollow of Port Elpis, then walked gracefully into the darkness, disappearing.
...
At the Gentle House Human Resource Dispatch Agency.
At ten the next morning, sunlight was bright and warm.
A vehicle was parked at the entrance, as though waiting for someone.
Although yesterday, amid laughter, Sol had indeed accepted Belle—a disciple of questionable talent—and was preparing to strengthen her…
The car that arrived today was not the video store's car, but Section 6's vehicle.
A poised beauty with pink hair leaned against the car, here to pick Sol up—for "patience training" for her section chief.