"This is the place."
Phaga set down the data pad and instinctively held the girl in his arms a little tighter, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"Ellen, once we leave here, we can go home."
Ellen closed her eyes without saying a word. A few soft hums slipped from her lips, then she turned her head and buried herself deeper in Phaga's embrace, clinging to him tightly as if afraid he might disappear on the spot.
Phaga couldn't help but shake his head with a helpless, wry smile.
[Yay, we're going home~~]
Misha, sitting on a large rock nearby, raised an eyebrow and glanced over. Watching her biological brother and sociological sister-in-law being so affectionate made her feel oddly sour, and her tone turned sarcastic.
She quickly looked away, propping her cheek on her hand as she grumbled: [Honestly, I'm the clan elder's officially designated successor. How come no one's come into the Hollow to pick me up?]
[There is!]
Suddenly, a slightly smug female voice came from the backpack behind Misha—it was the Black-White Doll.
Speaking of which, this was originally Ellen's backpack. After a spat with the Black-White Doll, Ellen had tossed it aside. Later, when the doll was injured and unable to walk, Phaga picked it up and used the backpack as a makeshift stretcher.
A small hand poked out from inside, and the Black-White Doll slowly crawled out, draping itself weakly over Misha's shoulder.
[Strictly speaking, Miss Shark was sent by Mrs. Meilin to pick you up!]
"Pick me up? Look at her. Does she look like she cares about me at all?"
Misha's brows shot up as she turned to glare at the Black-White Doll.
Startled, the doll shrank back, its voice noticeably weaker. [Well… orders from the rear don't always apply in the field… and besides, didn't we still bring you back?]
[Tch.]
Misha clicked her tongue, utterly speechless.
She stood up, shoved the protesting Black-White Doll back into the backpack, slung her scythe over her shoulder, and glanced back.
[So? We going or what?]
Hearing that, Phaga looked back toward the Hollow. In that instant, it felt as though nearly a month of hardship and fleeting warmth passed before his eyes. He let out a quiet sigh.
"Let's go… huh?"
Just as he was about to turn away, a mass of purple shadow suddenly burst into his vision, followed by a wailing female voice that filled the air.
[Waaah~~~ Creator, you have to come see me often!]
Nineveh wore a grief-stricken expression, as if even her Core was on the verge of dissolving from crying. Large drops of Ether-like substance slid from the Core like tears, and no one knew how Black had managed that.
[Waaah~ It's all that damned Nineveh's fault! Why couldn't she just die properly? Now I have to keep suppressing her, and I can't even go out with the Creator!]
The more she spoke, the more distraught she became. Her massive body slumped down, huge fan-like hands covering herself as she sobbed uncontrollably.
With no better option, Phaga shrugged, crouched down while holding Ellen, and gently patted Nineveh's head-like Core.
"Alright, alright. Being completely fused with Nineveh and unable to separate can't be helped. Since you're living together now, try convincing her to be a good neighbor."
"And I'll probably be entering Hollow Zero quite often in the future. I'll come see you regularly."
Phaga smiled despite himself.
Deep down, he still couldn't fully accept Black's almost distorted affection. But after more than half a month of shared danger and adventure, he had gradually grown used to having such an eccentric companion by his side.
Now that it was time to part, even if he didn't say it aloud, there was a faint stir in his heart.
"Alright…"
Phaga stood up and let out a long breath, as if finally setting down every burden. His whole body felt lighter as he broke into a broad grin.
"Damn Hollow Zero. Goodbye!"
With a laugh, Phaga turned, slid his left arm under Ellen's shoulders and hooked his right arm beneath her knees, then strode decisively toward the exit of the Hollow.
Misha followed close behind. One after the other, they crossed an eerie layer of spatial distortion, their figures rippling like reflections on water before vanishing completely.
Nineveh waved and shouted after them: [Creator, Misha! If you two are ever in danger, just send word to Hollow Zero!]
[I'll lead the entirety of Hollow Zero out to fight for you!]
...
After crossing the spatial rift, the familiar sight of Scott Outpost came into view—barracks, watchtowers, data pylons…
Phaga felt as though he had returned from another world. The wind stung his eyes, and a faint moisture welled up in them.
[Huh? Bro, you're not crying, are you?]
Misha suddenly popped up behind him, hands gripping her scythe behind her back as she leaned forward.
Seeing the faint glimmer at the corner of Phaga's eyes, she narrowed her own and curled her mouth into a mischievous, cat-like grin, unable to resist teasing him.
Then—
Thunk!
[Ow!]
Misha clutched her head and looked down to see an Ether crystal lying on the ground.
It had appeared out of nowhere and landed squarely on her head.
[Tch~ If you're gonna cry, just cry! What's with the childish tricks?]
She wanted to complain, but fearing another Ether crystal might drop from the sky, she only pulled her head back and muttered under her breath.
The moment she finished muttering, it hit her—Phaga had good hearing. Had he heard that?
Misha immediately clutched her head again, bracing herself for disaster.
Phaga merely glanced at her and rolled his eyes. "You're not exactly mature yourself."
[You—]
Before Misha could say anything, Phaga ignored her entirely and carried Ellen forward.
Misha hurried to follow.
[What do you mean mature? I'm the little sister, obviously—huh?]
They hadn't even taken two steps when a piercing alarm suddenly blared throughout Scott Outpost.
Misha froze, looking around in confusion.
Sure enough, in less than a second, the area was swarming with people. Everyone was in military uniform, weapons in hand, voices overlapping in a loud clamor.
"Something came out of the Hollow. Was it Nineveh?"
"No idea! Alarm's up—assemble!"
It seemed that Nineveh's previous, unexplained emergence from the Hollow had left humanity deeply shaken.
This time, their response was immediate, fearing another outbreak from Hollow Zero.
Before long, soldiers flooded in, forming dense ranks layer upon layer.
The front rows crouched with rifles leveled. Those behind filled the gaps, standing at the ready. Every weapon was trained squarely on Phaga and Misha.
"What's going on? Are they human?"
The leading officer looked puzzled. After all, the alarm that had just sounded was a high Ether concentration warning.
But after scrutinizing their faces for a moment, realization suddenly dawned on him. He pointed at them.
"Oh, I remember now. You're Phaga—the one who promoted peace between humans and the vampire clans."
"And you're Misha, the one officially registered by the vampire clans?"
"Right. I remember now."
Muttering to himself, the officer walked toward them step by step.
Before he even got close, he extended his hand enthusiastically, as if going in for a handshake.
Phaga and Misha exchanged a glance.
Phaga handed Ellen to Misha. Ellen frowned slightly, reluctant to leave the warmth of his arms, but after Misha gently coaxed her and rocked her, her resistance eased.
With his hands now free, Phaga reached out to meet the officer's outstretched hand.
The officer's face was split by a broad smile, wrinkles piling up until his eyes were nearly hidden.
"Mr. Phaga, I've heard so much about you."
Click!
A pair of handcuffs snapped shut, locking Phaga and the officer together.
The officer immediately shouted, "I've got him! Notify HAND!"
[You bastard!]
Seeing someone actually run off, Misha flew into a rage. A scythe instantly formed in her hand and pressed against the officer's neck.
At the last moment, however, the Ether-crystal-encrusted handcuffs locked tight, stopping her cold. No matter how hard she pushed, she couldn't move an inch.
[Bro!]
Misha looked at Phaga in disbelief.
Phaga shook his head, withdrew his hand from the officer's throat, and met the man's gaze.
"Causing unrest in Hollow Zero and releasing Nineveh is an indisputable serious crime. I respect the authority of the law."
He made no attempt to flee, standing calmly in place as he waited.
About an hour later, a different alarm sounded. The roar of helicopter blades filled the air, and someone leaned out with a camera and microphone.
"Mr. Phaga! Mr. Phaga! May we ask you a question?"
The reporters' shouts fought desperately against the noise of the rotors.
Phaga did not answer. Under their frustrated stares, he turned and stepped into the military vehicle prepared by HAND.
As the journalists watched helplessly, the vehicle drove away.
Two days later, an airship transported Phaga to the Tribunal.
Mrs. Meilin, Victoria Housekeeping, Section 6, Cunning Hares… familiar faces and strangers alike filled the gallery.
Amid the noise, camera flashes flickered here and there.
Productivity really had recovered quickly.
Phaga shook his head with a faint, amused smile, unsure of what he was thinking as the flashes dazzled his eyes.
Bang!
The judge struck the gavel, the sharp sound echoing throughout the chamber.
"All rise!"
As if compelled by magic, everyone stood.
Unlike the eager anticipation on the journalists' faces, Phaga's friends all looked tense and worried.
Mrs. Meilin hung up her communicator, her pale fingers nearly digging into the back of the seat in front of her.
Soon, the judge's voice rang out again.
"By unanimous decision of the Supreme Tribunal, the defendant Phaga is found to have violated the New Eridu Criminal Code, committing the crime of Anti-Intelligent Being Offense. The evidence is conclusive, and the chain of logic is complete."
"However, given that the defendant's motive was to preserve harmony and peace between the vampire clans and human civilization, though the actions themselves were unacceptable, the motive was pure and may be considered for leniency."
"Accordingly, after deliberation, the Supreme Tribunal sentences Phaga to two years of fixed-term imprisonment, with a two-year suspension."