Luna Belle stared blankly at the screen, her brain feeling as if it had been struck by lightning, going completely white.
Proxy? Encrypted Master Tape? Signal Search?
"Did I really get blasted into Zenless Zone Zero?" she muttered. "Old Man Wang... what on earth were you selling?!"
The Magic Wolf didn't care about her existential crisis. After a brief hesitation, its ferocity overcame its wariness of the VCR. It let out a violent roar, opening its blood-red maw to condense a ball of energy flickering with dark red lightning. The surrounding air distorted under the pressure of the gathering mana, emitting a sharp, scorched smell.
"Wait! It has magic attacks too?!"
Luna Belle's hair stood on end. While the VCR could block physical claws, could it withstand a supernatural energy blast? Survival instinct took over, and she screamed at the TV screen without a second thought.
"Signal Search! I want to do a Signal Search!"
The moment the words left her lips, the text on the TV vanished. A second later, the familiar gacha animation from Zenless Zone Zero flickered to life. On the screen, several CRT televisions were stacked like a mountain. They lit up simultaneously, and the one at the very peak displayed an Encrypted Master Tape, which began to rotate slowly.
Luna Belle's heart nearly leaped out of her chest. Even the low growls of the Magic Wolf seemed to fade into the background.
"That's right... Signal Search... it's just a pull!"
While she prayed for a gold light, the Master Tape spun faster and faster, emitting a faint humming sound. Suddenly, it trembled violently, as if something inside were about to burst from its shell.
"Could it be...!"
A dazzling golden light erupted from the center of the screen—so intense it momentarily masked the glow of the twin moons. Luna Belle squinted, her heart pounding with pure adrenaline. The golden light receded, condensing into a massive, shimmering S-Rank symbol. Then, the tear-jerkingly familiar music of a successful pull echoed across the cliffside:
"Yeah the shining golden signs, Let your inner spark ignite, Find your treasure glowing bright, Reaching for it and taking flight..."
"I didn't expect... my first single-pull miracle in ten years... to happen right now!"
Luna Belle's voice choked up with relief. She wasn't going to die the moment she landed after all.
As she stood dazed, a figure appeared lazily in front of her along with the final upbeat notes, positioned perfectly between her and the wolf's charging energy ball.
"Even if you stare at my tail like that, I'm not going to let you touch it."
The figure had sharp, black short hair that looked like fine silk under the moonlight, with a striking touch of red underneath. She wore the classic black-and-white maid outfit of Victoria Housekeeping. The black stockings and round-toed leather shoes made Luna Belle nod involuntarily—she had always loved this aesthetic.
But the most eye-catching feature was the massive, powerful black shark tail swaying lazily behind her. The newcomer didn't seem to fully grasp the situation yet; one hand rested casually on a pair of giant Shark Pruning Shears, while the other fished something out of her apron pocket.
"What a pain..." she muttered.
It was none other than the "Shark Maid" herself: Ellen Joe.
Ellen finally pulled the object from her pocket—a lollipop. She skillfully unwrapped it and popped it into her mouth, a small bulge appearing in her cheek. Only then did she lift her weary red eyes, glancing at the snarling Magic Wolf, then at the dumbfounded Luna Belle and the bottomless abyss behind them.
"Tsk..."
She clicked her tongue, her tail tapping the grass impatiently. "...Is this some new species of Ethereal? I've never seen one like this."
Her voice was lazy, sounding as if she had never quite woken up. She patted her shears and sighed. The Magic Wolf ignored her rambling; the dark red energy ball in its maw had reached its limit and was fluctuating violently, ready to fire. Its amber pupils stared at Ellen with a mix of confusion and fury.
"So... why do I have to deal with manual labor during my time off?" Ellen sighed again, looking extremely reluctant.
But her grip on the Shark Pruning Shears tightened. Despite her annoyed expression, her gaze sharpened instantly. She lowered her center of gravity, tensing her body like a predator ready to sprint. Her massive shark tail stopped its lazy sway, locking into place.
"What are you still standing there for, Belle?"
She spoke without looking back, her tone carrying a hint of helplessness. "Back away quickly. I won't be responsible if you get caught in the crossfire. After all... I don't really know how to take care of people."
The name made Luna Belle snap out of her daze. She looked at the cliff behind her, her mouth twitching.
"Ellen... as much as I want to back up, there's a literal cliff right here!" Luna Belle complained. She shuffled back a few symbolic steps and watched Ellen.
Ellen didn't seem surprised; she just shrugged, the lollipop shifting in her mouth. "Then stand still. If you fall... Rina won't be there to catch you this time."
Before her voice had even faded, she moved.
Without any visible wind-up, she took a casual step that turned into an instantaneous blur, the displacement creating a gust of wind that flattened the grass. The giant shears were weightless in her hands. The sharp blade cut through the air with a low whistle, aiming straight for the Magic Wolf's head!
Enraged, the wolf redirected its attack. The energy ball, originally intended for the VCR, was fired directly at the approaching maid. The sphere of crackling electricity distorted the air as it flew, leaving a trail of steam and a scorched odor in its wake.
Watching the blast fly toward Ellen, Luna Belle's heart jumped into her throat. The sheer raw power in that energy ball made her scalp tingle with fear.