After struggling for about ten minutes, Section 6—no, more accurately, Hoshimi Miyabi—finally managed to shake off the TV station's overexcited fangirl and left Tsukishiro Yanagi to deal with her.
Off to the side, No. 11 was staring at the Black data compiled by Section 6, lost in thought as she considered their next strategic steps.
Suddenly, Hoshimi Miyabi spoke.
"No. 11, how about you take command of the troops from here on?"
"Hm?"
Deep in thought, No. 11 lifted her head as if she'd heard something unbelievable.
Seeing Miyabi's serious expression, she realized she hadn't misheard. Surprised, she asked, "Full command? All to me?"
"Yes. Section 6 usually operates in small teams. We rarely command full military units. It's better to let the specialists handle what they're best at."
"And besides..."
Hoshimi Miyabi narrowed her eyes. Her slender jade-like fingers tapped the blade's guard with a crisp metallic sound, betraying the unrest beneath her calm exterior.
"I still have my training—my mission to hunt down Black. 'Don't let Black come into contact with a single Ethereal.' I'll treat that as my objective."
No. 11 contemplated for a long moment. She looked toward Harumasa and Soukaku, expecting pushback or hesitation—yet saw only excitement and determination. She knew then that there was no dissuading this team.
She gathered her focus and pressed a hand to her earpiece.
"All units, assemble by squad!"
...
[First: Upon entering the Hollow, all personnel must immediately switch their earpieces to Hollow Mode to maintain stable communication.]
[Second: For this operation, ten personnel form a squad, ten squads form a company, and ten companies form a battalion. Personnel may only contact peers of the same level and their direct superiors. No cross-level reporting to ensure communication efficiency.]
[Third: If you encounter unavoidable danger or detect Black's presence, immediately activate the special channel and report your location to Section 6 using the most concise language possible.]
[Fourth: Each soldier's visor is loaded with the Doppelgänger Hollow map, marked with the locations of all squad leaders. Maintain spacing between squads to ensure thorough coverage.]
[Fifth: May all units return victorious!]
[Then...]
No. 11 steadied her breath. She glanced briefly at the eager reporter watching closely from the side, her eyes flashing with resolve before she issued the command:
[I hereby declare full-scale war on the Doppelgänger Hollow! Operation start!]
Boom!
Whoosh! Whoosh!!
The moment the order dropped, the soldiers surged toward the Hollow as one.
Explosions erupted, gunfire roared—
The creations of human civilization unleashed their might. Like a ravenous beast baring its battle-forged fangs, they tore mercilessly into the outmatched Ethereal.
Severed limbs, Ether substance, scattered violet sparks... Civilization howled. The remnants of Ether were trampled beneath the boots of hundreds. Against a fully armed modern force, the resistance of mere flesh meant nothing.
The Ethereal collapsed in retreat. Humanity crushed every defensive counterattack and surged forward, sweeping across the Hollow.
[This is Squad One, First Company. School infirmary fully secured. No sign of Black. Over!]
[This is Squad Two, First Company. Second Academic Building secured. No sign of Black. Over!]
[This is Squad Ten, Third Company...]
[This is Squad Five, Ninth Company...]
[This is...]
[...]
In less than one hour after the operation began, victory reports poured in through the comms.
No. 11 filtered a portion of them and forwarded them to the TV station.
The reporter immediately inserted them into the live broadcast, announcing excitedly:
"Dear citizens, we are witnessing the fall of a Hollow! With the combined efforts of thousands of soldiers, the Doppelgänger Hollow will soon collapse completely!"
...
Inside the school.
"Woohoo! They captured so many areas in just one hour! The military's insane!!!"
"Can we get more footage of Miss Ya? I'll literally do anything!"
"Soukaku-baby number one!! Go go go!!"
Maybe it was the stress of schoolwork, but the students erupted the moment the school generously allowed some entertainment time. Everyone cheered wildly, screaming for their favorites.
Ellen crossed her arms with a frown. Her swaying tail made her confusion obvious.
After a moment, she let out a puzzled "Huh?" as she watched the crazed excitement in the front rows.
"Huh? Isn't Section 6 just in charge of Hollow suppression? How are they this popular?"
"Oh, that's totally normal!"
Ruby had somehow appeared beside her, dragging a desk over. Then, to Phaga's stunned disbelief, she dragged Phaga's desk to Ellen's other side.
"Hehe~ vampire, no need to thank me!"
Ruby patted Phaga's shoulder, then settled beside Ellen and continued:
"Section 6 has solved a ton of tough cases before. With accomplishments stacking up, their fame naturally skyrockets."
Leaning on one hand, Ruby waved her free hand casually.
"I'm sure they'll wrap this one up quickly too, right?"
Really?
Phaga and Ellen exchanged doubtful looks.
As members of Victoria Housekeeping, they had firsthand experience with Notoriety-class Ethereal. The twin bosses of the Ballet Tower and their five dolls—each terrifying in their own ways—remained vivid in their memories. As if the events happened only yesterday... well, technically, they did.
But that wasn't the point!
Notoriety-class Ethereal were incredibly difficult opponents. That much was universally agreed upon.
Phaga stared at the multimedia screen, murmuring softly, "But Black still hasn't appeared. That guy..."
He quickly shook his head.
Black would come out eventually.
The Doppelgänger Hollow was his pasture—and an outsider was slaughtering his livestock.
He had no choice but to emerge. Otherwise, the Hollow's population would plummet, and the entire structure could collapse. If Black didn't intervene, he'd have to watch his home vanish before his eyes!
Ring ring—ring ring—
Suddenly, Phaga felt his phone vibrating in his pocket.
He pulled it out. Rina was calling. He swiped to answer.
"Hello? Rina? What's up?"
"Nothing on my end. But you have something to handle. Remember Rain? She came by, asking what commission Victoria Housekeeping wants to assign her."
"Oh. Then please take her to the basement. Sacrifice No. 2 is stored there. I need Rain to help me break its firewall."
"Got it. I'm hanging up now. Phaga—make sure Ellen studies properly."
Beep—beep—
The call ended, and Phaga pocketed his phone.
Ellen leaned in.
"Who was that?"
"Rina. She wants me to make sure you study."
Phaga replied plainly.
Tsk!
Ellen clicked her tongue and looked away.
"Study for what? We're following the school's schedule—today is for relaxing!"
"Look! They've already found Black!"
Phaga snapped his attention to the screen.
[This is Squad Five, Fifth Company! Black sighted on the second floor of the boys' dormitory! The target is abnormally strong—requesting reinforcements!]
[Repeat—requesting reinforcements!]