She turned away, her expression finally cracking into an icy glare. She stared straight at Zane without saying a word.
"What's wrong? Can't beat me, so you're trying to kill me with your eyes?"
"Come on, you know exactly what I mean."
Zane leaned casually against the wall, arms crossed, a playful smirk on his face. Letting Soldier 11 stay behind as a buffer between him and the Defense Force was actually a solid move.
He could tell—whether consciously or not—Soldier 11 had considered it. That worked in his favor.
And based on his judgment, Soldier 11 hadn't revealed his identity.
That made things very interesting.
Besides...
He liked how Soldier 11 looked—angry but helpless.
If Hoshimi Miyabi ended up joining them too, things would be even more fun.
Soldier 11 stood silent for a few seconds, then took off her goggles and tossed them at Zane.
"The situation with the Defense Force is one thing. But you and I—we've got a personal score to settle."
"Zane, I won't forget this!"
Another trophy, and one she was forced to hand over.
She clenched her teeth, a wave of humiliation crashing through her—bitter, unforgettable.
But she had no better option. Underestimating Zane had thrown her completely off balance. She was in no shape to keep fighting.
Refusing him would've only made it worse if he took it by force.
And Soldier 11 had no doubt—Zane would absolutely do something like that.
"Haha, I'll be looking forward to it, ramen girl."
Zane raised the brand-new goggles in his hand—clearly something Soldier 11 had just recently acquired.
Ether waves flared as the electronic systems within them fried. Zane gave her a wave and turned to leave.
Watching his silhouette disappear into the distance, Soldier 11's gaze darkened. A moment later, she let out a quiet sigh.
Zane was right. She had hoped to use him as a whetstone—but clearly, it hadn't worked out.
Time passed.
Soldier 11 didn't leave. She stood in silence, waiting for someone.
Eventually, a woman stepped out from the shadows, a large black backpack slung over her shoulders. It was Trigger.
"Soldier 11, that was way too close. I was about to jump in. I told you not to take such risks. There were better ways to get close to him…"
Trigger's voice was full of concern—and a hint of scolding. That guy had clearly been trying to kill Soldier 11.
"And you shouldn't have engaged him at all. What if you'd really set him off…"
"Trigger, you wouldn't have been able to intervene. Believe it or not, he already knew you were there."
Soldier 11 looked over and said calmly.
"No way, I was keeping my distance…"
"Normal people wouldn't have noticed. But he's not normal."
Though she hadn't landed a solid hit on Zane, the gap in power was undeniable. With her experience, Soldier 11 could tell—Zane had been wary of an attack from afar the entire time.
Trigger nodded slowly. Soldier 11 was right. She shouldn't judge the "Fire Picker" using standard metrics.
This guy…
"You don't need to worry about me. Actually, I was right about one thing. After today, I'm even more certain."
Despite the anger, Soldier 11's thoughts remained clear.
"He's not a bad person."
"In fact, he seems more like a human with powers than an Ethereal with powers."
She couldn't even tell anymore—was Zane the real person, or was it the "Fire Picker"?
"Fine, fine. You've made your judgment. I won't say more. At least things turned out okay."
Trigger sighed and rubbed her forehead. Even though they'd tracked down Zane's identity and citizen number, Soldier 11 had chosen to keep it confidential.
According to her, the military was in constant internal strife. One command had forcibly buried it, but tensions still simmered beneath the surface.
The Scepter Army stayed out of it, so Soldier 11 wasn't acting on personal grudge—she was taking a neutral stance.
"What's your next move?"
"Besides the 'Fire Picker' issue, we were sent here for a mission…"
She was cut off as Soldier 11 shook her head and turned away. Trigger followed after her.
"There's still plenty of time."
"I'll do what I need to do."
Don't throw yourself into danger.
Recklessness solves nothing.
As someone's voice echoed in her mind, Soldier 11's expression grew distant. She pressed her lips together.
Contacting Zane had definitely been a risky play.
When she'd been thrown into the air, there was a split second where she truly thought she'd die.
But…
"You're not wrong."
"But I have my own decision."
...
"Zane, you're back?"
Seeing him return, Nekomata smiled. But her breathing was slightly rushed, and a bead of sweat trickled down her temple.
The cat café was now much tidier, and the cats had all been settled in.
Zane nodded. He also noticed something was off about Nekomata.
This wasn't just fatigue…
"Had a good look?"
Nekomata froze. Then, scratching the back of her head, she gave a sheepish smile.
"You caught me, huh…"
She'd been so careful and rushed back quickly. How did she still get found out?
"Dummy, I could smell you."
Nekomata's eyes widened. She sniffed herself.
"Huh? Do I smell weird…?"
"I smelled the scent of a sneaky little cat."
Zane said quietly. Of course, "smell" wasn't meant literally—it was just his way of saying it.
"Zane! That's so rude! I was just worried about you!"
Nekomata pouted in protest.
"That white-haired woman looked shady. I was worried something would happen, so I followed you…"
As her complaints poured out, Zane eventually relented with a half-hearted response. Nekomata, pleased with her minor victory, struck a proud "victory cat" pose.
Night deepened.
The laughter in the cat café gradually faded into the quiet...
...
Morning, Sixth Street.
"What? There's a 'Fire Picker' challenge template at the club? Wow, they're really riding the hype…"
In the video store, Belle stared at the latest update from the Investigation Association Club on her phone, clearly surprised.
"Zane, there's a fake you at the club. Don't you care at all…"
Belle glanced at Zane, who was curled up on the sofa with a pillow, watching the morning news. A mischievous idea popped into her head—she wanted to push him into accepting the challenge.
Real "Fire Picker" vs. fake "Fire Picker"—just thinking about it was hilarious!
"No need, Belle. If you want to fight the Fire Picker, you can challenge the real deal right now…"
"I respect you, so I won't hold back."
Zane shot Belle a sidelong glance, clearly seeing right through her wild ideas, and replied calmly.