Zenless Zone Zero: I'am a Dullahan!

"Aren't you coming with me?"

Nicole turned to Zane, curious.

"I've still got something to take care of."

Zane shook his head. The shimmering twin wings on his back were now clearly visible, though Nicole mistook them for actual wings, unaware of their true purpose.

He sensed something and raised his hand. A small black sphere shot toward him, landing neatly in his palm—it was the Cretan Hollow.

It belonged solely to him, and naturally, he had perfect control over it.

"I'm going to take Lamia Hollow under my control too."

Noticing Nicole's curiosity, Zane didn't bother hiding anything and explained it outright.

"Huh? You're taking Lamia Hollow under your control?"

Nicole was caught off guard and looked completely stunned. Since when could the words "Hollow" and "take under control" even go together?

But as she looked at the swirling Cretan Hollow around Zane, she reluctantly accepted it.

Alright... if it were anyone else, it'd sound insane—but with Zane, well... he was practically a walking anomaly anyway.

Since Zane had his own mission, Nicole didn't linger in the Hollow. She still needed to check on the children. After saying goodbye, she left Lamia Hollow.

"I wonder what that Hollow's going to turn into..."

With Nicole gone, Zane was the only one left. He waited for the Hollow to contract, curious about what would happen.

Compared to the Cretan Hollow, Lamia Hollow was not only much smaller, but worse in almost every way.

Still, it had undergone a second expansion thanks to the Sacrificial Ghosts—maybe it had decent potential after all.

"Hm... Once I sort out the Hollow, I'll have to think about where to settle the kids..."

He walked deeper into the Hollow while he thought.

There might still be something useful inside Lamia Hollow. It was a good time to look around—maybe he'd find something unexpected...

...

Late at night, just before dawn.

"We need to find a temporary place. Only a third of this area was affected by the Hollow. Let's rent a place in the unaffected zone. Can't have the kids sleeping out on the street."

Beside a small truck, Nicole was discussing options with Siena. The children sat nearby with the cats, quiet and calm, clearly understanding the seriousness of the situation.

"This area..."

Siena frowned, mentally combing through possible locations. Nicole furrowed her brows too.

If only Hare's House were bigger—they could've taken the kids there first.

Just then, footsteps approached. Nicole looked up, and a smile broke across her face.

"Zane, you're back!"

Zane nodded. Nearby, Pixie was watching him anxiously. He gave her a gentle smile to show he was okay.

To her, he was still that mysterious older brother.

"Zane, we—"

Nicole started toward him but was cut off by a raised hand.

"Don't worry, I've already arranged a place. Just bring the kids and come with me."

Nicole blinked. She hadn't done anything yet, and he'd already handled it?

"It's no big deal. Let's move fast. There's still a lot to do at the new place."

"You really are too reliable for your own good..."

Standing beside him, Nicole let out a sigh.

Still... having someone like this by her side—it really did feel nice.

Zane chuckled and nudged the little black cat—who'd been trying to take credit—off to the side. He didn't say anything more.

Nicole didn't waste time either. She gathered the orphanage kids and followed Zane's lead to their new shelter.

...

About ten minutes later.

"Alright, off to bed. You've all been up all night—you must be exhausted."

Zane crouched down and patted Pixie on the head with a smile.

"You too, Zane. Get some rest."

Pixie, having chatted with him for a while, nodded and headed upstairs.

Nearby, Nicole came down the external staircase, having just assigned rooms and settled the kids. She smiled as she spoke.

"Thanks to you, they've each got their own room. They all look so happy."

Back at the orphanage, the boys and girls slept in two big dorms—shared beds, no privacy.

Zane waved a hand dismissively, and a middle-aged woman in her forties approached him with a friendly smile.

"Mr. Zane, since you're here to escape the Hollow disaster and the children have been traveling all this time, they'll surely be hungry when they wake up."

"We've got a kitchen not far from here. Once they're up, we can prepare a proper meal. It's just that..."

Before she could finish, Zane said simply,

"Go ahead. Do it your way."

She beamed and walked off, satisfied.

"Huh. People around here are surprisingly kind—actually offering to cook for the kids..."

Nicole had been watching and couldn't help but be impressed. She'd never seen this kind of thing before.

This place was near the edge of the Janus District—people here weren't exactly known for being friendly. Today was a rare surprise.

"Oh right—Zane, I found a good spot. The environment's not great, but it's spacious. Once the kids are rested, we can move them there."

Nicole looked at Zane and shared her plan.

He raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised.

"A good spot?"

Nicole paused, confused by his reaction.

"I mean a place to settle the kids. We definitely can't go back to the old orphanage, and even if the Hollow is dealt with, the aftermath is going to last months."

"We can't be without a place that long."

"There's no need. I've already found us one. We can stay here."

Hearing that, Nicole quickly shook her head.

"No way. A place like this—a big guesthouse—usually caters to traveling merchants or professionals. I don't know how much you paid, but it can't be cheap."

"If we stay here long-term, it'll cost a fortune."

Then another thought occurred to her.

Wait... did Zane take this place by force?

He could do it. He had the power.

Was he turning into some lawless rogue...?

Then again, the laws in New Eridu probably didn't apply to an Ethereal like him...

Once Nicole finished rambling, Zane finally realized what she was thinking. He gave her a helpless smile.

"Relax. I bought the place."

"This is our new orphanage now. Don't worry about the old one. Once things settle, we'll just sell it."

"You bought it?!"

Nicole wasn't sure if she'd heard him right.

"What else did you think?"

"But that lady was so nice..."

Zane pressed a hand to his forehead, exasperated.

"Nicole, are you dense? You think people are just that generous? Of course I paid for it."

So she'd mistaken a business transaction for a random act of kindness...

No wonder she had been so complimentary.

So that's why she was acting weird.

...