Just as Li Qianqiao was rushing over, Billy and Anby had already clashed with Miguel Silver, who had been corrupted and transformed into the high-level Ethereal known as a Dullahan.
Somewhere inside the old subway station of Hollow Cretan…
Having just finished a grueling round of combat, Billy and Anby watched warily as the heavily scarred Miguel Silver stood before them, his aura continuously surging.
“He’s regenerating?!” Billy exclaimed in shock, staring at the rising Dullahan.
“This guy’s Ether Activity is still climbing!”
Anby fell into her combat stance and asked Billy, “Shall we press the attack?”
“No, our current firepower isn’t suited for a war of attrition with him.” Billy replied.
He spun his stiletto guns and aimed squarely at a fire extinguisher sitting in the corner.
BANG!
The fire extinguisher shattered, instantly blanketing the entire area in a thick cloud of white dust.
“Time to split!”
By the time the Dullahan managed to disperse the smoke, the duo had long since vanished.
Not long after they fled, Li Qianqiao arrived on his Auto Vajin.
Glancing at the lingering dust and the two tiny black specks booking it in the distance, Li Qianqiao couldn’t help but marvel at how fast they could run.
He cranked the throttle to maximum and tore after them.
“These Ethereals are never-ending!” Billy grunted, blasting an enemy backward.
Anby sliced through a blocking Ethereal with a swift down-slash, only to hear Billy yell right in her ear, “Anby! Do you hear a weird noise? It sounds like a motorcycle… Wait, huh? That is a motorcycle!”
Following Billy’s pointing finger, Anby turned her head.
Sure enough, a motorcycle was barreling down the tracks toward them at breakneck speed.
“Holy crap! That’s a sick bike! Wait, why isn’t he slowing down?! Hey, bro! Brake! Brake! Oh gosh, what do we do? He’s gonna hit us! He’s gonna hit us!”
Billy panicked as he watched Li Qianqiao charge at them in a straight line.
Beside him, Anby braced herself, ready to grab Billy and dive out of the way.
Suddenly, Li Qianqiao veered toward a small pile of rubble on the ground, using it as a ramp.
In an instant, both man and machine soared gracefully over their heads.
It was an incredibly cool entrance—on paper.
In reality, physics had other plans.
The moment they hit the ground, the downward impact launched Li Qianqiao right off the saddle, sending the motorcycle skidding away to the side.
He spun a few times in mid-air…
SPLAT!
He landed flat on his face, planting hard right in front of Billy and Anby.
An incredibly awkward silence settled over the subway station…
“Uh… bro, you’re not dead, right?” Billy was the first to break the ice, cautiously peering down at Li Qianqiao.
“Huh? Oh, right, totally fine, totally fine… I’m pretty durable. Just a scratch.” Li Qianqiao muttered.
He scrambled to his feet and casually wiped away a streaming nosebleed.
Before Billy could interrogate him further, Anby suddenly stepped between them.
She drew her four-section blade and leveled it at Li Qianqiao, her eyes brimming with hostility.
“Who are you? Why are you here?”
Billy blinked, finally catching on, and quickly raised his dual pistols, locking them onto Li Qianqiao.
Seeing the tense, hair-trigger standoff, Li Qianqiao immediately threw his hands up in a classic surrendering gesture.
“My name is Li Qianqiao! I honestly have no idea how I ended up here, and I don’t have a Carrot on me. Then I spotted you guys and figured you could lead me out, so I followed. I swear I’m telling the truth!”
Anby studied Li Qianqiao’s eyes.
Seeing no signs of deception, she lowered her guard slightly and sheathed her blade.
“I don’t detect any traces of lying, but that doesn’t mean I trust you completely. I will be watching you very closely.”
Li Qianqiao dropped his arms and exhaled a massive sigh of relief.
Billy seized the opportunity to lighten the mood.
“Brother Li, sorry about that! To be honest, we don’t have a Carrot either, so we’re just as stranded. But don’t worry, our Boss Nicole will definitely find a way to get us out. Just trust us!” Billy threw an arm around Li Qianqiao’s shoulder, slapping his own chest confidently.
Li Qianqiao smiled.
“Then I’ll hold you to that. By the way, I didn’t catch your names?”
“I’m Billy, and the ice queen over there is Anby. We’re employees of the Cunning Hares handy-work agency! Oh, and Boss Nicole is our leader. If you ever run into trouble in the future, Brother Li, you can always hire us. Our rates are totally negotiable!”
“Good to know, good to know. I’ll definitely look you guys up if I need help. Still, I’m pretty surprised that you’re a cyborg, Billy!”
“Ah, you don’t know the half of it, bro! Don’t let my looks fool you, my full name is actually—”
Seeing them getting chummier by the second, acting like long-lost brothers, Anby bluntly cut them off.
“I’m sorry to ruin the mood, but the Ethereals are about to surround us. We need to move. Now.”
“Oh right, right! Sorry for chatting so long.” Li Qianqiao said, hauling his bike upright.
“Why don’t we take my motorcycle? The seat is huge, it can easily fit three people.”
He looked up, only to find them staring at him with deep skepticism.
Feeling a bit self-conscious, he stammered, “W-What?”
“Brother Li, how about I drive instead? After all… uh…” Billy recalled Li Qianqiao’s recent flight into the dirt and felt a sudden wave of anxiety.
“Cough, cough! That was just a fluke! I only just learned how to ride. Fine, it’s all yours. Anby, you can sit in the middle.”
“No, I’m sitting in the back.” Anby countered flatly.
“I said I’d keep a close eye on you. Who knows if you’ll try to ditch the bike and run.”
“…Fine.”
…
……
“Huh?! Why are we back in the same spot?!”
The motorcycle sped through the abandoned subway, but as the exact same scenery blurred past them again, Billy began to lose his mind.
Li Qianqiao was also losing his mind—not because of their predicament, but because of the sheer awkwardness of the seating arrangement.
Every time Billy hit the brakes on the bumpy tracks, Anby in the backseat would inevitably bump into him.
Cough, cough…
Billy, you magnificent wingman!!
Right then, a pack of Ethereals lunged out, blocking the path ahead.
Billy had no choice but to slam on the brakes, while the Ethereals chasing them from behind quickly closed the loop, trapping them.
Billy and Anby hopped off the bike, drawing their weapons and prepping for battle.
“Dang it, another fight! My ammo consumption is way over budget. If this keeps up, my bonus is gonna…”
Before Billy could finish his complaint, the impatient Ethereals charged.
“They’re coming. Prepare to engage.” Anby warned.
Faced with this terrifying ambush, Li Qianqiao actually remained remarkably calm.
Why?
Because he knew the main characters were about to make their grand entrance.
Sure enough, several smoke grenades rolled right to their feet.
Billowing clouds of thick white smoke erupted instantly, blinding the Ethereals.
“Cough, cough, cough!” Anby shot Billy a questioning glare.
Billy threw his hands up frantically.
“Wait, that wasn’t me!”
Anby then whipped her head toward Li Qianqiao.
“Hold on a second! It definitely wasn’t me either!” Li Qianqiao denied automatically.
“Hey, you two… uh, three! Over here, quick!”
The trio turned simultaneously toward an abandoned subway car.
Poking out from the side of the train was a round, metallic head.
It was a Bangboo!
They dashed over to seek cover.
The Bangboo placed its hands on its hips, speaking with Belle’s crisp, energetic voice:
“Good work, you three!”
Anby leaned over and whispered to the other two, “A scarf-wearing Bangboo that speaks perfect human language…”
“Ah? Could it be?!” Li Qianqiao feigned utter shock.
Beside him, Billy instantly erupted with pure excitement, shouting at the top of his lungs:
“Ohhhhh! Could you be—Phaethon?!”