"Ah, no, it's just that, if I'm not mistaken, there are electronic structures inside the scabbard, right? I can check those!"
Wise wasn't exactly an expert on swords, but his specialty was analyzing electronic devices.
Upon hearing that, Miyabi only gave a brief nod, her expression unreadable.
"If it's only the scabbard… then I'll allow you to touch it…"
With that, Miyabi handed the sword over to Wise. He carefully took it and began examining it.
"Hm… the intelligent data structure inside this sword feels familiar. Eh? Strange… It's like a labyrinth built from Hollow observation data… Is this meant to… seal something inside the scabbard?"
"How is it? Is there a way to repair it?" Miyabi asked, a faint trace of hope appearing on her face.
"I can try. Don't worry, though. Even if it fails, the sword shouldn't cause any trouble for a while."
As Wise spoke, he lightly brushed his fingers across the scabbard.
At that moment, the demonic sword inside quieted down and gave a faint response.
It was almost as if, because Miyabi was nearby, it didn't want to seem overly enthusiastic toward Wise.
In short, it was being unusually obedient. The two continued toward the next data stake. After passing through a rift that greatly shortened their route, they encountered numerous enemies along the way.
But all of them were swiftly defeated through the pair's seamless teamwork.
"Miyabi, I have a theory about your sword…"
"Tell me."
"Its internal data structure resembles a labyrinth too. If we use Hollow observation data, we might be able to stabilize it. Either way, let's gather the remaining observation data stakes first!"
"Oh… thank you."
Miyabi's reply sounded noticeably softer than usual. It seemed she rarely thanked others.
"You're welcome. Let's find the next data stake first. After that, I can try debugging your sword."
"I trust you, Wise."
Her tone remained calm and steady, yet hearing such direct trust from Miyabi still made Wise feel pressured.
After defeating another wave of enemies, the two finally arrived at the last data stake. Wise also managed to temporarily repair Miyabi's scabbard.
However, just as he handed the sword back to her, he suddenly felt a powerful force surge from within it, as though something was trying to drag his consciousness inside.
Wise instinctively resisted, but the presence within the sword radiated goodwill.
Seeing that, curiosity got the better of him. Since he could likely pull away at any time, he decided to attempt communication with the demonic sword.
The response he received left him speechless.
Simply put, the will inside Tailless believed Wise was more suitable to be its master.
Not only did he possess martial skill comparable to Miyabi's, but he also had the temperament and qualities favored by every will residing within the blade.
In other words, the demonic sword had chosen him.
Unfortunately for it, Wise had no intention of opposing the Hoshimi Family over a sword, so he refused firmly.
Then, as his consciousness returned to his body, he felt something cool and soft pressed against his lips.
At the same time, a nimble tongue gently parted his lips and teeth while warm air was breathed into his mouth.
'This feeling… artificial respiration? Who could it be? Wait… Miyabi's the only one here, so does that mean…?!'
Wise slowly opened his eyes a fraction.
Sure enough, the aloof fox Thiren girl was kissing him with flushed cheeks and tightly shut eyes.
Her fox ears twitched nervously atop her head, exposing just how emotional she was at the moment.
Seeing this, Wise froze.
If he opened his eyes now, wouldn't it completely embarrass her?
Unfortunately, before he could decide, another voice suddenly rang out.
"Ah, the Fox Thiren and Wise are here too! Wait… something feels off. Is this...?"
Nicole's startled cry instantly convinced Wise that he absolutely could not wake up right now.
<<>>
Some time later, outside the Hollow zone, in the wilderness of the Outer Ring, a new scene unfolded…
"He's awake…? He's awake, he's awake! Wise is awake!"
Amid Billy's excited shouting, Wise slowly opened his eyes "with difficulty."
Seeing this, Nicole, beside him, visibly relaxed.
"Whew... finally awake! I'm exhausted...! Anby, Nekomata, are you two okay?"
"Phew… I'm fine. Nekomata, there's drinking water in the suitcase. Please bring it over."
As Anby spoke, she used a towel to wipe the sweat from Wise's forehead. That small gesture immediately caused Yanagi, standing nearby, to frown slightly.
It seemed she had already sensed that Anby's feelings toward Wise were not entirely ordinary.
So she stepped forward at once.
"Miss Anby, thank you for your hard work. Wise, how are you feeling? Would you like some water?"
As she spoke, Yanagi opened her water bottle and gently brought it toward Wise's lips.
However, he didn't drink immediately.
"What's wrong? Are you not thirsty? Or does something still hurt?"
Yanagi's voice remained gentle, but compared to her calm demeanor, the atmosphere around the others had become noticeably dangerous.
Soukaku aside, Anby, Nekomata, Nicole, and even Miyabi were all looking at Wise differently now.
The first two were relatively accustomed to this sort of thing.
The latter two, however, were another matter entirely.
Nicole already didn't get along particularly well with Yanagi, and now she was clenching her fists while forcing a stiff smile.
"Sigh... So I've already left the Hollow? My head hurts, I feel dizzy, my chest aches, and my face and mouth are burning... This isn't a dream, right?"
Wise casually took a sip of water before beginning his performance.
Nicole immediately replied irritably, "This is reality. You're already outside the Hollow! If you didn't wake up soon, your sister was about to come over and kick me back into the Hollow!"
That's right. Belle was currently connected through communication as well, though her original words of concern had been interrupted by Yanagi earlier.
"Brother, thank goodness you're okay!" Belle said that aloud, but inwardly she added, 'Though maybe not for much longer…'
[|Welcome back, Master. I have restored your ocular smart implant through Assistant Eous.|]
[|Approximately thirty minutes ago, Miyabi, Chief of Hollow Special Operations Section 6, escorted you out from the northwestern region of the Outer Ring Hollow zone. Preliminary examinations indicated your physical condition was entirely normal at the time… Hmm? Oh~|]
Fairy paused midway through her report, seemingly receiving new information. After letting out several quiet sounds of realization, she smoothly changed course.
[|However, your consciousness experienced a brief abnormality for unknown reasons. After leaving the Hollow, the rejection reaction caused additional complications. At its worst, cardiac arrest occurred. Following professional emergency resuscitation performed by members of the Cunning Hares and Hollow Special Operations Section 6 personnel—|]
Fairy's overly professional explanation made Nicole look slightly embarrassed.
Meanwhile, Wise didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
He had only asked Fairy to help cover for him.
But definitely hadn't expected her to fabricate such an elaborate medical report.
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Zenless Zone Zero: The Almighty Incubus of Sixth Street
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