A chill swept over Nicole, and she instinctively curled up.
The next moment, the cold faded, replaced by a gentle warmth that made the air feel hot.
The contrast of cold and heat left her uncomfortable, and she quickly opened her eyes.
"You guys…"
Nicole slowly sat up. The brief discomfort made her think she was sick—until she saw everyone gathered around her and suddenly understood.
"It's fine. I've got a good constitution. I don't get sick that easily. Must've just had too much to drink..."
Belle, Zane, Billy, Anby, Nekomata, Wise...
Nicole waved a hand, touched by how many people seemed to care about her.
Her nose stung, and her eyes welled up.
Belle smiled gently, holding up a white slip of paper in front of her.
"Nicole~"
"A surprise."
Nicole blinked through the tears, her vision blurry. Once she pulled herself together, she finally made out the words on the paper.
"Charges… a bill?"
"A bill?!"
"Manager! Nicole's asleep again—wait, no, Nicole's passed out!"
...
Janus District, Sixth Street.
It felt like this world had no crescent moon.
Zane looked up at the sky. Aside from the dreamy star-strewn night, the most striking thing was the black-and-white moon.
Half dark, half bright—unnatural yet luminous.
To others, it seemed perfectly normal, so no one gave it much thought.
But Zane was different.
To him, the moon should be a flawless white disc of jade.
"Zane, since you left the Hollow, do you have anywhere to stay?"
"Wanna crash at the video store for the night?"
Belle and Wise were about to head back to the video store, but Belle remembered Zane had been staying inside the Hollow and decided to ask.
Wise, standing nearby, didn't object. Given their current relationship with Zane, it wasn't a big deal.
But then his brow furrowed.
Only two rooms at home.
Belle sharing a room with Zane? Absolutely not.
Belle going back to her room was fine.
Zane sharing with him? That would be... weird.
He couldn't let a guest sleep on the couch, either.
So he'd be the one stuck on the couch tonight?
That actually worked—he still had plenty of energy and could take on a commission.
"Thanks for the offer, but I'd rather not trouble you two."
Zane shook his head, politely declining Belle's kindness.
Just as he said—no need to impose.
Belle nodded and headed back to the video store with Wise.
Zane had his hands in his pockets. He wasn't in that formal suit anymore—after leaving the demolition site, he'd changed into casual clothes.
Sixth Street was quiet. Not a soul in sight.
He leaned against a railing. Ahead, the noodle shop still glowed under the night lights.
Master Qiao Pu remained at his post, as dedicated as ever.
A soft night breeze rustled Zane's hair. He closed his eyes, enjoying the rare peace after all the noise.
Yeah... where should he go?
The big stuff was over. The next steps hadn't started yet. And with time on his hands, Zane found himself feeling unexpectedly aimless.
A hotel...? He didn't feel like staying in one.
He could return to the Hollow—but the lifeless nights there didn't appeal to him.
In all of New Eridu, he had nowhere that truly felt like home.
Looking up, he could see the glow of scattered lights—and, now and then, the silhouettes of people passing through them.
Zane suddenly remembered a saying:
No matter how bright the moon is in the sky,
It can't compare to the light waiting at home.
"...Heh. Whether in the past or now, I've always been alone. No point thinking about it."
He straightened up, brushed off the idle thoughts, stretched his limbs, and decided to wander a bit.
He still had energy to spare—no need to rest just yet.
Just then, the video store door swung open.
Under the streetlamp, a black-and-white Bangboo peeked out.
It was Panta—rushing out the moment he knew Zane was back.
"Mm-hmm! (Boss!)"
Panta ran over with heavy steps. His clash with the Dead End Butcher had drained him more than expected.
It was only half an hour ago that he finally recovered.
"Mm-hmm! Mm-mm-mm! (Boss, listen—I was amazing! I totally knocked out that huge enemy!)"
"Mm-hmm! (Fighting feels great!)"
"Oh? You fought the Dead End Butcher?"
Zane raised an eyebrow. He hadn't known that if the Dead End Butcher hadn't activated his deathlock, Panta might've landed the final blow.
Back at the demolition site, Zane hadn't seen him—he'd assumed Nekomata took Panta home, and that was that.
"Mm-hmm! Mm-mm-mm-mm! (Yeah! But I passed out after the fight. Eous said some sheriff with a big tail brought me back to the video store.)"
Panta looked absolutely thrilled, happily recounting his adventure.
A sheriff with a big tail? Must've been Seth...
Zane nodded slightly in understanding, then turned and walked off with Panta, hands behind his head, looking relaxed.
"Tell me, how'd that fight go?"
"Mm-hmm! (Okay, boss!)"
Under the streetlights, Zane and Panta—one tall, one short—walked down the empty street, their shadows stretching behind them.
...
"Hey, with that look on your face, you itching for neutering or what?"
Zane squatted down, locking eyes with the black cat in front of him, and opened with an unfiltered jab. The little black cat's fur immediately puffed up.
It watched him warily, ready to bolt—but pausing just long enough to keep its pride intact. So it froze, refusing to back down.
"Mm-hmm! Mm-mm! (Hey, cat! You wanna fight me?!)"
Seeing his boss nose-to-nose with a cat, Panta planted his feet, arms crossed, and shouted firmly.
"Meow—"
The black cat let out a cry. It didn't dare mess with Zane, but the Bangboo looked like easy prey.
Just give it a bit of time—and it'd rip that thing apart!
"Mm-hmm! (How dare you challenge me!)"
Panta didn't understand cat-speak, but he definitely got the vibe.
His expression shifted—one second calm, the next ready to brawl. Zane sighed and rubbed his forehead.
What was up with this little guy?
He always liked fighting, sure—but now he was acting like some scrappy punk. Had he awakened some weird new trait?
While the black cat wasn't paying attention, Zane suddenly reached out and scooped it up, giving its forehead a gentle rub.
The cat, of course, wasn't going to sit still—it immediately squirmed to break free.
Zane saw it coming and gave it a light rap on the head with his knuckle.
...
Let me know when you're ready for the next part!