Eous's expression turned baffled. He raised a hand and scratched his head, confused.
"Hmm? Hmm hmm? (Shame? What's that?)"
Wise didn't bother explaining. He just turned his attention back to the TV.
"Zane seems really interested in that company?"
Noticing Zane's attention fixed on the interview on screen, Wise spoke up.
"It's nothing special. I'm just curious because I don't know much about New Eridu."
Zane smiled casually. Of course, it wasn't Vision's demolition project that intrigued him—it was the storyline that followed.
He wasn't about to stop moving forward, and his next target was obvious: the massive threat known as the Dead End Butcher, set to appear in the upcoming Dead End Hollow arc.
So all he needed to do was follow the plot.
That's right—Zane was planning to steal the kill.
They were going to take it down anyway, so what difference did it make who landed the final blow?
Besides, the Dead End Butcher was strong. That alone made Zane eager to fight. His instinct for combat hadn't dulled, even after becoming human.
If Hare's House was the measuring stick for power, the core Ethereal from the Cretan Hollow was probably weaker than the Dead End Butcher.
And physically, the Butcher was far more agile than the Cretan core. In terms of combat ability, it was definitely a step up.
"Later today, the company will carry out a demolition in the subway reconstruction zone near the Old Capital—commonly known as Canvas Lane."
"Can you walk us through the procedure?"
On TV, a reporter was interviewing Perlman. Zane recognized the reporter's face—he was the same guy who'd verbally destroyed the Red Fang Gang during the Cretan Hollow incident.
Yeah, definitely a guy with emotional flair.
But Zane wasn't focused on Perlman. His eyes were locked on the woman behind him—dressed in red with black stockings.
She was the one pulling the strings behind this event.
"This time, Mr. Perlman will be on site himself, standing firm until the very end."
A calm voice with a hint of amusement flowed from the TV speakers as the interview wrapped up.
"No surprise there. A company aiming for TOPS Finance would naturally be loaded."
Belle had wandered over behind the couch without anyone noticing, resting her arms on the backrest as she stood between Zane and Wise, making the comment.
Time had passed, and she had managed to get her emotions back in check, doing her best not to dwell on the earlier interrogation.
"Alert. Street cameras have detected an unknown individual approaching the store at high speed."
Suddenly, Fairy's voice echoed in the room.
"Hypothesis: They need to use the restroom; their rental is nearly overdue; or they have ill intent toward the store."
Belle stood up, looking puzzled. Zane smiled and said calmly,
"Just a customer. I'll go get the door."
"What's with that weird way of saying someone's visiting?"
Belle sighed and tossed a complaint at Fairy.
Your friend Nekomiya Mana is now online.
Zane smiled faintly, already guessing who it was, and got up to walk to the entrance, his mind already shifting to next steps.
The Vision situation could be left to Hare's House and Phaethon. No need for him to get involved.
So maybe splitting up really was more efficient.
That said, finding the Dead End Butcher would require coordination with Phaethon, so dividing up completely wasn't ideal either...
Click.
Wise opened the door.
"Meow—!"
A startled cry rang out as a figure tumbled in from outside, crashing straight onto the floor with a green Bangboo in tow.
"Uh…?"
Belle froze, then gave a helpless chuckle.
"Meow? That didn't hurt?"
Nekomata braced herself with one hand, sat up, and rubbed her head with the other before opening her eyes—clearly disoriented.
"Um… Miss?"
"Could you please get off me?"
Only then did Nekomata realize she'd landed on someone. She scrambled to her feet with an apologetic smile.
"Sorry, sorry! I didn't notice!"
"Sigh..."
Zane didn't look great. He sat up and rubbed his nose. If he hadn't gone through body enhancements, that headbutt might've sent him packing.
Even with them, that spot was still tender.
He felt cursed. If he hadn't been lost in thought, he'd never have failed to dodge that flying cat.
Still, Nekomata had left a lasting impression.
His nose, at least, wouldn't forget her anytime soon.
"Uh, are you okay...?"
Nekomata leaned in, clearly feeling guilty. She hadn't expected the door to open so fast—and once she was airborne, stopping wasn't an option...
Belle found the whole scene pretty amusing. It was rare to see Zane get the short end of the stick.
Wise noticed Nekomata's outfit didn't match that of a typical customer. A glint of understanding passed through his eyes, though he still smiled and said,
"Welcome to the best video store on Sixth Street."
"Is there anything we can help you with?"
With Random Play being the only video store on Sixth Street, calling it the best was technically true.
Belle, who had been checking Zane's injuries, glanced over, curious about what this cat-like visitor wanted.
"Ah! Don't believe a word that short old guy says—he's lying!"
Nekomata, hearing Wise's words, quickly pointed at Perlman on the TV with a serious expression.
Then she gave Zane a side glance, hesitant.
Nicole had said Phaethon only had two members, right?
Would it be bad to speak openly about her purpose?
Zane pressed the ice pack Belle had handed him against his nose. The pain eased a little. Seeing through Nekomata's hesitation, he said softly,
"No need to worry about me. Just say whatever you need to."
Nekomata nodded and turned to Wise.
She went straight to the point—revealing the siblings' identities, explaining Nicole's situation, and pointing at Amillion to say they didn't need to be on guard, since there was visual data available.
Unfortunately, neither Wise nor Belle had access to Amillion's visual data.
Just then, a strange electronic tone rang out from the HDD system.
"Fairy?"
Belle turned to the system, asking softly in confusion.
"Fu... rry?"
"You guys..."
Nekomata's eyes widened. Her cat ears twitched upright as shock flooded her face.
Furry? Who was the furry?
One of the three people in this room?
Wait... was Phaethon a Proxy group with some weird kink?
This was bad—if she handed over the commission now, would Phaethon use it as an excuse to make some... unusual requests?
She was a Nekomiya...
If they did make weird requests—for Nicole's safety, should she compromise?
But...
In that moment, Nekomata's mind was in total chaos.