Tsukishiro Yanagi didn’t actually realize what had just happened when she stepped out of the passage.
Because the moment she emerged, she was met with what the investigators called “self-defense counterfire.” Fortunately, she was quick on her feet and shattered the incoming bullets in just a few strikes.
When the investigators who had opened fire realized that the person crawling out of the hole in the wall was Tsukishiro Yanagi, they immediately collapsed onto the ground like deflated balloons.
Most of the others were crowded into the second-floor partition, peering down.
The moment they saw Yanagi return, the room erupted into cheers and relieved shouts.
But Yanagi had no time to play along with them.
She maintained a stern expression and said, “All personnel, assemble.”
Seeing how serious she was, the investigators exchanged glances and quickly quieted down, albeit reluctantly.
“This is the situation,” the tall and composed Vice Section Chief began.
The moment she turned serious, the pressure in the room dropped heavily.
“The rebel forces we encountered intend to increase the Ether density of the entire Hollow by reverse-operating the suppression field.
Their goal is to trap all of us inside here.”
“What?!”
“They’re insane!
Pulling something like that?”
“Quiet, quiet!
Listen to Vice Section Chief Tsukishiro,” the leading investigator finally managed to suppress the commotion.
Then he asked, “Vice Section Chief Tsukishiro, since you’ve returned, that means we have a way out, right?”
Perhaps because a savior had appeared, the team leader looked visibly excited—and in his relief, he even seemed to promote her a rank higher in his speech.
“I don’t know,” Yanagi replied honestly.
“The method to leave the Hollow was provided by a civilian.”
“A civilian?
Uh… a Hollow Raider?” the team leader glanced at the square opening behind her.
Due to the spatial distortion at the entrance, he couldn’t see the tunnel inside.
Yanagi didn’t immediately answer.
She knew that for most people in the Hollow Investigative Association, Hollow Raiders were a deeply disliked group.
It was similar to the relationship between archaeologists and tomb robbers.
Even though many investigators were just earning a living within the Association, the “grand cause” of responsibly developing Hollow resources for New Eridu gave them enough justification to look down on Hollow Raiders who dug purely for profit.
So she simply swept a cold glance over the investigators, whose eyebrows were already starting to rise in skepticism, and deliberately raised her wrist to check the time. This chapter was copied from novelping.com without permission.
“Forty-nine minutes and thirty-seven seconds,” she said calmly.
“In that time, the Ether density inside the Hollow will reach one hundred.”
The moment those words fell, all the investigators’ faces changed dramatically.
They were professionals.
Even if not all of them were top-tier, they knew exactly what Ether density of one hundred meant.
The team leader’s face turned pale.
“…Vice Section Chief Tsukishiro, that raider—no, that civilian—is he reliable?”
“I don’t know.
He was the one who led me here to find you,” Yanagi threw the question back without hesitation.
“Or do you have any other way to get out?”
The group fell silent and exchanged looks.
If they had a way out, none of them would still be stuck in such a dangerous place.
“Then it seems this is the only option!” the Vice Section Chief concluded with satisfaction.
“From here on, no matter what happens, you all will follow that civilian’s instructions.”
“Yes, yes, of course,” the team leader nodded repeatedly.
Yanagi applying pressure like this was not without reason.
On one hand, as a former soldier, she knew very well that although everyone’s lives were on the line, not everyone had the same sense of urgency.
In such a situation, she needed a firm, unquestionable directive to suppress disorder and indecision.
On the other hand, she might still need to go rescue Asaba Harumasa.
If things went poorly, she would need that man to lead the others out.
If this group suddenly decided not to listen to the fox-masked man, the outcome could become something nobody wanted.
At a moment like this, there was no time to care whether her methods were too forceful.
After the investigators agreed, Yanagi added one more reminder.
“Then make sure that all your colleagues will follow that civilian’s orders.”
“Huh?
Y-yes, Vice Section Chief Tsukishiro!
I guarantee it!” The team leader snapped to attention under the pressure of being stared at by his beautiful superior.
Yanagi nodded lightly.
With that in mind, she turned and slipped back into the tunnel.
However, the first thing she saw upon returning was Russell holding the handkerchief up near his face.
The second thing she saw was his entire body twitching as if he had been electrocuted.
The third thing she saw was the handkerchief disappearing into his trouser pocket at near frame-by-frame speed, while his hand was still half-stuck in the pocket at an awkward angle.
Neither of them moved.
Two seconds of silence passed.
Russell forced his expression into something calm—only to realize belatedly that he was wearing a mask.
Then he opened his mouth and said in the most casual tone possible, “Ah… you’re back?”
But before he even spoke, Yanagi’s face had already turned bright red.
Not a gradual blush—but an immediate surge that climbed from her collar all the way to her forehead.
Her eyes behind her glasses widened.
Her lips pressed tightly together.
She looked angry on the surface, but her shoulders were trembling, her eyelashes were trembling, even the strand of hair by her ear was trembling…
Silence stretched between them for about a heartbeat.
In that heartbeat, Yanagi’s brain was running at full speed.
She had come back intending to tell Russell that she might need him to lead the investigation team next, while she went to rescue Asaba Harumasa alone.
It was a perfectly normal plan—but she couldn’t say a single word.
Because her brain was currently running a higher-priority process.
The process was called: remember exactly where you keep your handkerchief.
Normally, she never thought much about it.
When Soukaku needed a handkerchief, she would just pull it out and bend down to wipe snack crumbs from her mouth.
It had always been smooth and routine, with no one ever questioning it, to the point she had gradually stopped thinking about it at all.
But now.
The target was an adult man.
And that adult man had just held her personally stored handkerchief up to his nose.
She clearly remembered exactly where she had taken it from—the inner left side of her waist guard, specifically under the lower left chest area, in the gap between her uniform shirt and protective gear.
And given her figure… that location objectively corresponded to the “lower edge of the left chest.”
Yanagi’s pupils began to visibly quake.
★ ★ ★
Shilling time!