I wonder what attitude I should take when Zane arrives later...
As Ellen was lost in thought, Corin had already finished her phone call with Zane across the room. Seeing this, Ellen shook her head slightly, unwrapped a lollipop, and popped it into her mouth.
Forget it, I'll just be polite later.
After all, I still owe him a favor.
Not far from her, Rina was analyzing the general floor plan of the target location—something Zane had gone through quite a bit of trouble to obtain.
Lycaon checked his pocket watch for the time, silently calculating the details of the mission to come.
As Victoria Housekeeping stood ready, elsewhere inside the Hare's House...
"Ahhh! Hurry, hurry! We're about to be late!"
Nicole snatched up her briefcase and sighed in exasperation as she glanced at the two still gathering their things—everyone except Anby.
She had planned to catch up on some sleep after finishing her work with the Proxy, saving her energy to cooperate with Zane later. That way, Victoria Housekeeping wouldn't outshine them. But she had accidentally overslept.
Now look—if they showed up late, wouldn't the competition be over before it even started?!
"Nicole-boss! Almost ready!"
Billy was busily loading ammunition into the magazine. Beside him, Nekomata tiptoed as she struggled to get her heels into her shoes. Once she finally managed to put them on, she suddenly remembered—she had forgotten her weapon.
She immediately dashed back to her room...
After a frantic rush, Hare's House finally set out. With the screech of tires on the pavement, Nicole slammed her foot on the gas pedal!
The car roared away, carrying the four of them.
...
Night in New Eridu was as usual. Because of the heavy snowfall earlier, patches of white dotted the city like flecks of paint an artist had accidentally spilled across the canvas.
Sssshh...
A faint crunch echoed as smooth leather boots pressed into the snow before lifting again. A group of figures moved swiftly across the rooftops.
Suddenly, a pedestrian felt something cold on his head. Looking up, he only saw some snow fall from above.
He instinctively shut his eyes, missing the shadows that flashed between two tall buildings.
"Six hundred meters to the target."
Lycaon vaulted off a water tank, clearing a rooftop with ease. Zane nodded at his words and said,
"Stick to the plan. Don't draw attention. Once you secure the target, don't signal right away. Wait until you're clear before contacting me."
The others followed close behind, each showing their own skills. Their movements slipped through the night like hunters in the dark, like predators moving without a trace.
Soon, the target building came into view. Zane touched down lightly on the snow to stop his momentum, standing firmly on the edge of a rooftop.
The others halted as well. Ellen stood beside him, eyes fixed on the building ahead. The lollipop in her mouth clicked against her teeth with each flick of her tongue.
Corin and the Hare's House members arrived late, breathing heavily. Nicole steadied her breath, but her eyes didn't go to the building. Instead, they fixed on the people in front of her.
That Wolf Thiren was just as fast as Zane. That Shark Thiren was incredibly quick too. And another one could even fly...
Even if she hated to admit it, Nicole was starting to see the gap between them. Setting aside overall strength, just in terms of speed...
She glanced at Corin beside her and let out a small sigh of relief. If it came down to a one-on-one comparison, she could still hold her ground against this girl.
The others might be out of reach, but that just meant she'd have to push herself even harder.
As for measuring herself against the "boss"? Nicole didn't care at all. In her world, she made the rules...
While Nicole was lost in thought, Zane had already finished his assessment. He spoke softly,
"Alright, move out."
At his words, the figures beside him instantly scattered. Except for Ellen, the rest of Victoria Housekeeping surged toward the building.
Anby gripped the hilt of his blade and descended the external staircase, while Billy, Nekomata, and Nicole circled around toward the rear of the target.
On the rooftop, only Zane and Ellen remained.
A cold gust lifted a strand of Ellen's hair. She instinctively pulled her clothes tighter around herself before glancing at Zane.
"Master, when do we begin?"
Zane's eyes were calm and clear, reflecting the lights of New Eridu's night. He replied softly,
"Once your companions begin their infiltration, we'll move."
Out of all the clients, he had chosen only Ellen to stay at his side—and for good reason. She was the strongest among both Victoria Housekeeping and Hare's House.
With Ellen there, the large-scale diversion could be carried out more safely with split forces.
The cold wind howled past. Zane turned to glance at her and asked quietly,
"Cold?"
Ellen shivered and blinked before shaking her head. Still, her cheeks had turned slightly red from the chill.
Just as she wondered if Zane would do something thoughtful, he suddenly extended his hand to her.
"Standing here's boring. Give me a candy."
Ellen's lips twitched. She let out a faint sigh, pouting slightly before pulling a lollipop from her pocket.
Zane accepted it, its faint warmth still lingering. The coldness in his expression eased as he tasted its sweetness, his eyes flickering for a moment.
"Alright. Time to move."
"Let's deal with the security on the left first."
With that, Zane stepped forward and dropped swiftly out of sight. Ellen's gaze flickered as she turned toward the external staircase.
Jumping down was out of the question.
Sharks just had more muscle, could jump higher, and moved faster.
But that didn't mean sharks could fly.
Jumping like that would just leave her splattered like a shark pancake...
...
Moments later, Ellen and Zane regrouped outside a circular structure next to the skyscraper. Whether because of the late hour or the nature of this district, no pedestrians were in sight.
For Zane, that was ideal.
"Remember, this is just a feint."
His voice brushed against her ear. Ellen frowned slightly. Didn't he just say "deal with them"? Now it was a feint?
Aren't those contradictory?
Before she could finish the thought, a sudden noise erupted nearby, cutting her short.
Boom!