Zenless Zone Zero: I'am a Dullahan!

He already had plenty of aliases and nicknames, yet she just had to give him a new one. She'd already coined a fresh nickname for him during their last fight, and now she was doing it again.

Soldier 11 didn't acknowledge Zane's remark, instead continuing on in her usual flat tone.

"Obol Squad ran into a situation. They need you involved. Trigger asked me to bring you in."

Seeing that Zane remained calm, she added,

"It's related to Lamia Hollow."

At that, Zane's eyes narrowed slightly.

So soon—already something related to Lamia Hollow?

Looked like he had no choice but to check it out for himself.

He turned to the little black cat at his side and asked quietly,

"Hey, want to come with me?"

"I did promise you. It's your call now."

Back at the orphanage, after the cat squad pulled off a big win, he'd promised the little black cat: Do this right, and I'll take you on more exciting missions. He hadn't forgotten.

"Meow!"

The little black cat meowed with clear determination, clearly not one to be left behind.

"Alright then."

Zane crouched down and patted the cat on the head. A thought crossed his mind, and he chuckled.

"It's been so long, and I still haven't given you a name. 'Little black cat' is way too plain."

"From now on, you're not following 'Zane'—you're following the 'Fire Picker.'"

The little cat's amber eyes lit up. It obviously agreed. Someone as special as it deserved a proper name, and it waited eagerly to hear what Zane would choose.

"Night's End... fitting. This is your first mission with me, and it's at night. You're a black cat too."

"Walking in shadow and silk—let's call you Nocturne."

"Meow—!"

The cat let out a delighted cry.

Zane stood up, looked at Soldier 11, and said,

"Lead the way."

...

Outside Hollow Zero.

"Zane, I'll escort you inside, but we might run into inspection. You're not with the Staff Army, so you don't have clearance—but don't worry, I'll get us through."

Soldier 11 eyed the nearby gate and its heavily armed guards as she spoke.

Access to Hollow Zero was tightly restricted. The forward base was convenient but carried a higher risk of exposure, requiring full identity checks.

This smaller, less-public entry point was clearly the smarter route.

Trigger had said he'd provide backup on the inside, but what kind of support that would be remained unclear.

"You won't have to worry—I've got it covered."

Zane smiled slightly after sizing up the situation. Now was the perfect time to put some tools to good use...

He pulled out the ornate, eerie mask of the Fool and slid it over his face. His features hidden, he looked to Soldier 11 through its eyeholes.

"Let's go."

Soldier 11 looked at him with curiosity. She had no idea where his confidence came from, but since he said so, she chose to trust him.

The two approached the station.

"Who's approaching Hollow Zero?"

Before they could reach the gate, a spotlight snapped on, and several guards raised their weapons at them.

"Wait, that uniform..."

One of the guards noticed Soldier 11's distinctive outfit and specialized gear. He stepped forward and said,

"Please identify yourselves. No unauthorized personnel may enter Hollow Zero."

"Staff Army. Obsidian Squad. Obelisk Team. Soldier 11. Here's my ID."

She handed over a card. The guard scanned it with a handheld device, then returned it.

"You're cleared."

He nodded, motioning to let her through. Soldier 11 stepped forward, intending to bring Zane with her.

But the guard blocked Zane's path.

"We'll need ID from this one as well. Everyone entering Hollow Zero must be logged. Please understand."

Zane remained calm and handed over Hoshimi Miyabi's ID, speaking coolly,

"I'm here on orders from the Anti-Hollow Division, Sixth Section, to deliver a message. This is proof from Lady Hoshimi Miyabi."

The guard frowned.

"You don't have your own ID?"

Then it hit him—if Zane had a personal ID, he wouldn't be handing over one from Hoshimi Miyabi.

"I'm not on the authorized list. But I have her token—shouldn't that be enough to enter Hollow Zero? Let me remind you: if this delays anything critical, can you take responsibility?"

Zane's tone turned cold, commanding, as if these guards weren't even worth his attention.

"Uh..."

The guard hesitated. This wasn't by the book.

But the masked man made a point.

He didn't dare risk the consequences.

He hadn't even considered the token might be fake. The embedded chip verified it was legit—and this was Hoshimi Miyabi they were talking about. No one could just steal or forge that.

"May I ask what your mission is?"

Still uneasy, the guard asked.

"That's a Sixth Section matter. Not something you have clearance to question."

Zane shut him down without hesitation.

The guard's doubts faded. He was right—no one here had authority over the Anti-Hollow Division.

He nodded and waved them through.

Zane gave a small nod and followed Soldier 11 into the station. The staff led them onward into Hollow Zero.

...

"Boss, didn't you say the Anti-Hollow Division folks were pretty easy to deal with? That guy just now looked... intense."

A guard whispered to the one who'd stopped Zane earlier.

"Who knows. Maybe that Soukaku I dealt with back then was an exception. The Anti-Hollow Division's that strong—it's only natural they're arrogant."

The older guard shrugged.

"Tch, I wonder what Hoshimi Miyabi's like. Judging by that guy, probably just as stuck-up..."

They couldn't help but feel a little resentment toward the Anti-Hollow Division and Hoshimi Miyabi.

Even if they knew that attitude came with the position, it still rubbed them the wrong way as low-level grunts.

"Cut the chatter. That's a Ghost Hunter—you think it's our place to judge? Get back to work!"

"Log their entries. Report it. If anything happens later, we don't want to be blamed."

"Got it, boss…"

...

Somewhere in New Eridu...

"Achoo!"

"Huh? Chief, you okay?"

"It's nothing. Maybe just a breeze."

Hoshimi Miyabi shook her head. With her constitution, this shouldn't be happening.

But for some reason... she had a bad feeling.

...