Talking: Nice to meet you.

Whispering: That's wild.

Thinking: (What the hell is happening?)

---------------------------------------------------------

{3rd Person POV}

A girl with short black hair cut into a bob cut was seen walking through Sixth Street carrying a couple of boxes. They were clearly too heavy and tall to carry as they obscured her vision. She groaned in annoyance.

【🪀Susie🪀】 [Employee of the month! Every month...]



Susie: Ngh...I better get a raise for this...

She tumbled through the street, trying to balance the heavy boxes. The fact that one of her shoes was untied didn't help either. She tripped over her shoelace and closed her eyes, bracing for impact with the ground. But the pain never came.

She slowly opened her eyes to see that she wasn't eating pavement. Instead, Susie was being held up by a pair of arms, holding onto the boxes she had almost dropped. Once she regained her footing, she peeked around the brown boxy pillar to see black and white hair.

Kiba: God damn you're a klutz.

Susie: Kiba! Thanks for the help!

The boy nodded, grabbing all the boxes from her, pivoting on his heel, and walking in the same direction she was going. Susie quickly caught up with him, sheepishly rubbing the back of her head.

Susie: You didn't have to call me klutz...

Kiba: Not my fault you are one. So, restocking the shop? You might as well own the place. I've never seen the owner here.

Susie: He only speaks to me in texts... By the way, he told me that he's gonna give you a discount on your next purchase. You've been helping around a lot so I'd say that's a pretty good deal.

The heterochromatic boy nodded as he walked along the street. He pondered her offer. He wasn't really into toys, and it's not like he had much money to spare. But, getting into a hobby might be fun in his spare time.

Kiba: Yeah, I'll think about it.

He said casually. The two eventually arrived at the store Susie worked at. It was a magical place that brought joy and smiles to the children of Bofurin—the toy store...!

【Box Galaxy】 [Where Parents' Wallets Come to Die]



They entered the store together, with Kiba quickly setting down the boxes he was easily carrying.

Susie: Feel free to browse if you wanna use your discount now. I'm gonna...*Sigh* Start restocking... So tedious...

She walked off into another part of the store, leaving the boy alone to browse through the shelves of action figures and collectibles. He ventured deeper and deeper into the store until he came across a shelve displaying various "Limited Edition Gadgets".

The packaging was striking, full of bright colors and personalized designs for each product. Every package had the words "W-Engine" written in bold. Beneath "W-Engine," each model had its distinct name.

Kiba: Weird... I've never seen toys like these before...

He muttered under his breath. Behind a plastic shell, it appeared that these "W-Engines" were spheres about the size of a billiard ball. They honestly looked pretty cool and collectible.

*🛎️~Riiiiing~🛎️*

The door chimes rang, signifying that another person had entered the store. Kiba heard light footsteps approaching his location but didn't give it much thought until he heard a familiar emotionless voice.

"🔋Oh, Kiba. It is nice to see you.🔋"

He turned around and locked eyes with Anby! He didn't expect to see her at a toy store out of all people.

Kiba: Um, good to see you too...

Her eyes were staring straight into his soul. As cute as she was, she was a little unnerving. He quickly realized what he was thinking and tried to suppress the heat on his cheeks by glancing away from the white-haired girl.

Kiba: (WHAT AM I SAYING?!...Anby's not cute...)

Meanwhile, the white-haired girl was having her own internal debate. She was just at the nearby convenience store buying supplies for the hollow raid later today. Once Anby saw Kiba walking nearby she felt the sudden urge to follow him.

Anby: (He will never know...)

Kiba: I never thought you'd be into this kind of stuff.

Anby: The feeling is mutual. For me, W-Engines are integral for everyday use. Although, I have been in search of an upgrade for a bit.

They both began to browse around the W-Engine shelf together. Nothing seemed to really catch their eye. That is until his eyes landed on a green W-Engine that resembled her to an uncanny degree.



Kiba: No way this is just a coincidence...

Alas, he picked it up from the shelf, also noticing that it had an "ULTRA RARE LIMITED EDITION" sign beside it.

Kiba: You want this one?

Anby: Wait...You're buying it for me?

Kiba: D-Don't get the wrong i-idea! I'm only doing this because I have a discount and I don't know what W-Engines are...

He looked away from Anby while the smaller girl only nodded. They walked over to the counter and quickly paid Susie for the item before exiting the store together.

Kiba: Here you go.

Anby: Thank you... I'll make sure to treasure it...

And then, surprising even herself, she felt the slightest hint of a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. It was a strange feeling, but receiving a gift from him. Talking to him. It made her chest do little jolts, almost like sparks. Kiba's eyes widened for a second, biting the inside of his cheek before dodging her adorableness.

Kiba: Oh and by the way, tell your boss I'm going into The Hollow with you.

Those were the last words he said before putting his hands in his pockets and walking off. Anby looked down at the bag in her hand, feeling that same spark course throughout her body. The spark traveled up, causing heat to spread across her cheeks.

Anby: See you there...

~Time Skip~

A head of black and white hair walked down the alley leading to the back of Random Play. Kiba had gotten a text from Belle earlier telling him that the Cunning Hares were ready to dive into the Hollow.

Kiba quickly climbed over the fence and turned the corner. He saw the CunningHareMobile already parked, with Nicole talking to Belle and Wise. The rattling of the metal fence attracted their attention to the boy.

Wise: Alright, we're all here.

Nicole: Glad you could join us, Kiba. If what Anby and Billy said is true, you're gonna be a big help.

Kiba, not knowing how to handle compliments, scoffed and looked to the side with rosy cheeks. This sparked a small giggle from Belle. She always found his tsundere mannerisms charming. On the other hand, Nicole raised an eyebrow with an amused look.

Nicole: Let's get down to business. We've figured out where the strongbox is. What about the task I gave you?

Wise: You mean the flash drive? The data has been recovered. Just like you guessed, it contains the password to the strongbox.

The pink-haired woman pumped her fist, her eyes shining with gratitude towards the genius siblings. Nicole then looked back at Anby and Billy as they walked over to join the conversation.

Nicole: OK everyone! Thanks to the Proxies' help, preparations are complete. It's time for the next step! Anby! Explain the plan!

The quiet girl nodded and then took out a folded map from her pocket before handing it to Billy. The cyborg unfolded it and held it up as if to give a presentation at school.

Kiba: Isn't that a map of the city?

Anby: That's right. The plan: Enter the Cretan Hollow. Defeat the superior Ethereal, Dullahan, then recover the strongbox.

....

He was waiting for her to elaborate...

...

Kiba: Yeah, sounds good to me.

Belle and Wise almost fell backward, recoiling from the...stupidity. Stupidity is the best way to describe it. Belle stood on her tiptoes to "scold" her best friend.

Belle: Kiba, those are not even concepts of a plan!

Wise: *Sigh* What's with the map of New Eridu anyway?

Anby: Nicole says we have to show some professionalism, and we can't let our partners look down on us. Otherwise, it'll be hard to bargain with th— mpffh...!

Billy covered Anby's mouth before she could finish speaking. The pink-haired woman slapped her forehead before taking the map and quietly reprimanding her employees.

Nicole: Saying too much again? Billy, why weren't you paying attention?

Billy: It's not my fault! How was I to know Anby's idea of a "professional" meeting was this...

Anby: I would have much rather we do this at a table so I could sweep everything off it to make space for the map.

Billy: Ah! That's why you watched all those crime investigation movies before the meeting!

The other three people attending the meeting stared at The Cunning Hares with looks ranging from amusement to deadpan, to even a bit of cringe. Belle then spoke up, interrupting the huddled hollow raiders.

Belle: Um... We can hear you guys...

Nicole turned around to face them, a bit embarrassed. She adjusted her hair in an attempt to look more professional.

Nicole: Ahem. Anyway, as Anby said, the goal is simple: find and retrieve the strongbox!

Kiba: Alright, that doesn't sound too difficult. I guess we ride to the Hollow's entrance now?

Billy: Yup! Need a ride, buddy?

The teen only grinned, his fang-like canines showing as he pulled out his new phone from his pocket. He flicked the device open stylishly.

Kiba: Nah — Thanks, but I've got a pretty sweet ride~

《𝛷 5-8-2-1 𝛷》 《𝛷 Auto Vajin, come closer! 𝛷》

The black and silver motorcycle came out of her hiding spot. Her headlights shined for a few seconds before turning themselves off and her engine roared in a manner akin to a greeting.

Wise: Putting the SB-555P to good use, I see? Remember, there are many more features to discover. Maybe you will unlock something new during today's exploration.

Kiba nodded in response before straddling Auto Vajin's seat and securely gripping the handlebars. Billy watched from a distance, releasing a dreamy and lovestruck sigh as he stared at the motorcycle's features.

Billy: Ah~ She's so perfect...

Anby: Billy, you practiced your pickup lines in the mirror all night yesterday. Are you not going to use them?

Billy: Sh-Shut up! How do you know about that?!

Nicole: Is everyone ready to go? Let's get going. We don't have time to waste.

Everyone nodded in acknowledgment. Kiba and Belle gave each other one last look before the blue-haired girl turned around and entered the video store along with her brother. Nicole got in the driver's seat of the car, Billy in the passenger's seat, and Anby sat in the back of the car.

Nicole started the vehicle and stepped on the gas, pulling out of the Random Play parking lot and driving off toward the Cretan Hollow, with Kiba following closely behind. He was getting a little more used to riding on a motorcycle. If he hadn't been taught how to ride a bicycle by the kind people of Bofurin as a kid, then this would've been much more difficult.

~Time Skip~

The lonely train station ruins sat still as if frozen in time. That is until a spatial rift opened in the middle of the train tracks. Five figures walked out from the portal. The adventurous, the amazing, the loyal, the totally capable, and not a liability Cunning Hares + Kiba and Phaethon were now ready to begin their mission.

Nicole: Alright, we made it into the Hollow! Now let's find my strongbox.

Billy: Speaking of which, Boss — who told you about the location of the strongbox?

Nicole: Hah! That's a trade secret! You thought I'd just spill the beans like that?

The pink-haired woman smirked, glancing at Kiba and Belle's Bangboo form.

Nicole: Since we're on the same side, I guess I can let you in on a little secret.

But the proxy, knowing how Nicole got, just couldn't help but tease her just a little.

Belle: Nicole, you just want to show off, right?

Anby: Please don't put her on the spot like that. Nicole gets super sensitive in times like this.

Nicole's eyes widened, first from being put on the spot to come up with a rebuttal to Belle's teasing and then due to Anby's unnecessary commentary!

Nicole: Hey! I told you to stop blabbing so much, Anby!

Kiba: So, gonna explain or...?

Nicole: Ahem! Actually, it was really easy! I have a few contacts at the Association who just so happened to have the records of routine observation missions and Ether resources for this Hollow.

She spoke in a "matter of fact" tone. But suddenly, from Belle's end of the transmission, Nicole's words began to sound corrupted and glitch. The young girl could barely understand what they were saying.

Nicole: ł ₲₳VɆ ₮ⱧɆ₥ ₳₦ Ø₣₣ɆⱤ ₮ⱧɆɎ ₵ØɄⱠĐ₦'₮ ⱤɆ₣Ʉ₴Ɇ, ₳₦Đ ₳₴₭ɆĐ ₮ⱧɆ₥ ₮Ø ⱧɆⱠ₱ ₵Ø₥₱₳ⱤɆ Đ₳₮₳ ₣ⱤØ₥ ₮ⱧɆ Ⱡ₳₴₮ ₮₩Ø ₥Ʉ₮₳₮łØ₦₴. ⱠØ₵₳₮ł₦₲ ₮ⱧɆ ₴₮ⱤØ₦₲฿ØӾ ₩₳₴ ₳₴ ₴ł₥₱ⱠɆ ₳₴ ₵łⱤ₵Ⱡł₦₲ Ʉ₱ ₮ⱧɆ Đł₣₣ɆⱤɆ₦₵Ɇ!

Belle: W-What the—?!

Kiba: Hm? What's wrong, Belle?

The small Bangboo blinked, looking up at the heterochromatic boy nervously.

Belle: U-Um nothing! I'm just really impressed with Nicole's networking skills!... Yeah...

Nicole: Hmph! No need for praise, I know I'm amazing~

Belle: (What...What was that? There have never been any glitches with the HDD before...)

The girl was suddenly snapped out of her thoughts by Kiba's voice.

Kiba: Let's quit messing around. Belle, stay close and guide us to the box.

The group began their journey through the hollow. As they walked, Belle couldn't shake off the feeling in her gut that something...bad was about to happen.

She wanted to shake those feelings off and simply focus on the mission, trusting that it would go smoothly. But no matter what she thought, the uneasy feeling simply wouldn't leave her alone. Her thought process was once again interrupted when she bumped into the back of Kiba's leg.

Belle: Hey, why'd you stop?

Kiba: Why else? Monsters...

He said with a venomous tone. Right in front of the hollow raiders stood a group of Ethereals that, much like the Metro Goblin, had assimilated pieces of the train tracks into their corrupted bodies.

【☢️Ethereal: Faun☢️】



The axe-wielding swarm of ethereal roared and screeched like beasts. The Cunning hares all got ready for battle. Billy spun his guns around his fingers, Anby readied her sword, and oddly enough, Nicole tightened the grip around her suitcase.

Kiba: We're getting closer to the strongbox's signal. So all of you get out of the way!

《𝛷 5-5-5 𝛷》 《𝛷 Standing By! 𝛷》

"🐕Henshin!🐕"

《𝛷 Complete! 𝛷》

Red shining light surrounded his body revealing the Faiz armor once it dissipated.

Nicole: Woah, so that's what you two were talking about!

The pink-haired woman commented to her two employees as she watched Kiba run into battle. The Kamen Rider TANKED a downward swing to the chest of a railroad sign from an Ethereal.

Kiba held the Etehreal in place before reeling back his fist and landing a series of violent punches into its gut.

With every punch, the ethereal's stony skin caved in more and more until it was finished off with a shot to the head from Billy.

Kiba: Oi! You stole my kill!

Billy: Wait, we're competing?

Nicole: We are not! But if we were, I would win!

Nicole then pressed a button on the handle of her suitcase, causing the seemingly harmless fashion statement to split open down the center horizontally, revealing a giant cannon! A second handle popped up from the front, allowing her to grab her weapon more comfortably.

"🐰Say hello to my little friend!🐰"



[🐰Carrot Patch Spray!🐰]

The woman shouted before unleashing a barrage of bullets as she swung the briefcase minigun around! Due to her reckless area-of-effect attack, Kiba had to duck so as not to end up full of holes like the unfortunate ethereal that didn't manage to move away.

Kiba: Watch where you're shooting, you lousy boss!

Nicole: Who are you calling lousy?! Maybe I wouldn't shoot you if you didn't look like an Ethereal!

Kiba: I look nothing like those things!

The two's bickering was suddenly interrupted by the sounds of chirping lightning. Anby walked past the two of them holding a spherical object in her hand.

Anby: This is the perfect moment to test my new upgrades.

She spoke in her flat tone. The sphere she was holding was the one Kiba had bought her back at the gadget store, much to the boy's surprise. He thought that it was a simple toy. So, why would Anby bother bringing it to the Hollow?

Billy: Oh right, that new W-Engine of yours. Why won't you tell us where you got it? I'm dying to know!

The white-haired girl glanced at Kiba, a warm jolt coursing through her once more. She still couldn't understand why those happened, but she liked it when they did.

Anby: All you need to know is its name. 🔋Demara Battery Mark II.🔋

Anby ignored Billy's plea and reached for her backpack as a hatch opened up. She inserted the W-Engine, and the sound of an electric motor could be heard as small arcs of lightning were seen through the clear parts.

"[🔋Lightning Cutter!🔋]"

She pulled the trigger on her blade and rushed forward with a sudden burst of speed, lightning trailing behind her! She sliced apart the remaining ethereal, residual lightning shocking and charring nearby objects. Her power-up was palpable, with the electricity coursing through her gear becoming MUCH stronger than before.

Anby: All targets have been eliminated.

Kiba walked over to her, his armor disappearing and Billy and Nicole following behind. He was a little annoyed that he hadn't managed to do too much. He got carried this fight, but he won't let it happen again!

Kiba: You're telling me that toy I bought you isn't actually a toy, but it is actually a sick weapon of mass destruction? That's how you're suddenly so strong?

Anby: You could say that... it was due to the W-Engine you bought me. I modified it to make it even more useful. For that, I thank you.

She looked up at him again with those big eyes that epenetrated his soul. He clicked his tongue and grumbled a low "no problem" with rosy cheeks.

Billy: Are you suuuure it's safe—AH!

The cyborg was about to poke her backpack but was suddenly shocked by a small arc of lightning.

Nicole: Anby, why do you have to modify your engines to be so dangerous? They are just fine in their stock form.

Anby: Weapons SHOULD be dangerous. If it can't shock me, then how is it going to shock the enemy?

Kiba: Hm...She does bring up a good point.

Nicole: Don't encourage her!

Belle: Let's keep moving guys! The strongbox is waiting for us.

The group continued walking through the Hollow, but they couldn't shake off the feeling that...something wasn't right. Belle's anxious feelings eventually spread to Anby, who spoke up as they walked along the destroyed train tracks.

Anby: Hmm... the air around here seems to have grown thicker.

Billy: Yeah. The resolution on my video sensors just dropped, too.

Nicole: That means we've ₳ⱤⱤłVɆĐ ₳₮ ₮ⱧɆ ĐɆ₴ł₲₦₳₮ɆĐ ⱠØ₵₳₮łØ₦...

There it is again! That same glitch from before rang through Belle's ears, leaving the small Bangboo disoriented and unmoving for a couple of seconds—much to Kiba's concern. He took a knee and shook the bunny-like android, snapping her out of her daze.

Kiba: Oi, Belle! What's up with you today? Don't tell me this happens a lot when you enter the Hollow...

Belle: Wh-What?...No I-I...

Nicole: He's right, you know. Don't drift off while guiding us! I paid top denny to hire the best Proxy around, Phaethon! ₩₳₮₵Ⱨ ØɄ₮ ØⱤ ɎØɄ ₥ł₲Ⱨ₮ JɄ₴₮ ₲Ɇ₮ ₳ ₦Ɇ₲₳₮łVɆ Ɽ₳₮ł₦₲ Ø₦ ł₦₮ɆⱤ-₭₦Ø₮!

The blue-haired girl let out a defeated sigh. She didn't know what was happening, since usually there were never any problems with the HDD. She disabled her Bangboo speaker so she could speak privately with Wise, the man in the chair.

Belle: "Hey Wise, I think there really might be a problem on our side‍."

Wise: "It's not "might," Belle‍, there really is something wrong with the HDD, it's reporting an error.... Wait a sec, I'll sync and try a debug."

Belle nodded before her attention was taken by Billy's voice, who sounded quite doubtful right now.

Billy: Manager, do we wanna keep going?

Kiba: Of course, we're gonna keep going! If we came here, we can't leave empty-handed.

Nicole glanced at Kiba, a small smile on her face.

Nicole: (Hmph, that is exactly what I was going to say~)

The Bangboo in front of them then turned her microphone back on, taking command of the situation.

Belle: Listen up guys, the Ether activity has impacted our HDD signal. Be careful!

The Cunning Hares + Kiba exchanged looks of doubt. If the proxy, their guide, was having issues with the route, then what guaranteed their safety in the Hollow? They could get lost at any second and succumb to ether corruption like many before them.

This thought was particularly unsettling for the heterochromatic boy. The delinquent thought back to witnessing Miguel's descent into corruption.

His screams of agony as his skin turned stony black, his blood glowing a sickly neon green. He hated Miguel obviously...but he couldn't help but feel a slight twinge of sympathy. He quickly shook off this feeling, turning to look at Belle.

Kiba: Has your proxy-thingy stabilized?

Belle: No...But from what I can tell, the target location seems to have changed.

Kiba: Tch, that's just great...

Nicole: You can't expect monsters to stay in one place.

The deeper they ventured into the Hollow, the less of the path ahead Belle could see. This issue continued to escalate until all of her data was basically useless.

Picture a puzzle, only all of the pieces had completely randomized colors, shapes, and sizes with no way to tell where they were going. Wise tried his best to fix these issues, but ultimately...

[ⱧĐĐ ₵Ø₦₦Ɇ₵₮łØ₦: ł₦₮ɆⱤⱤɄ₱₮ɆĐ]

*FWOOOOOOSH*



Inside Random Play, the poor girl was left panting after her consciousness was ripped away from the HDD. Stunned from the shock, she had to take a couple of seconds to recover. Her ears felt muffled, and her thoughts felt like static.

Wise: Huh? Belle?‍ Why did you disconnect?

She held her head as it throbbed painfully.

Belle: I didn't disconnect, I got kicked off. The connection between the HDD and the Hollow was severed!

Wise: Start a debug now!

Belle: Right!

She began to frantically type on her keyboard as she attempted to debug the glitch and somehow reconnect to her Bangboo body.

Belle: Uh, it's no use. I've tried everything, but I can't restore the connection.

She whined and scratched her head in frustration. In contrast, Wise remained calm. He placed a hand on his chin, analyzing the situation.

Wise: Strange. The Hollow... shouldn't so easily affect the HDD. The real issue is Nicole and the others. Without the HDD, we have no way of contacting them inside the Hollow.

Belle: No Carrot, no Proxy... Even with a good aptitude for Ether, they'll be corrupted if they stay in the Hollow too long.

She felt her stomach churn. Just thinking of Kiba becoming....again... NO! She couldn't let that happen! Over her dead body!

The silver-haired older brother then came to a realization, his tired eyes widening ever so slightly.

Wise: There's one more thing we can try...

Belle: Reset it. We can just turn it off and back on!

She quickly did so, forcing a shutdown of her computer by pressing a large button behind her monitor.

Wise: I...I didn't mean it like that. Wait, didn't shut it down? Why is the screen still on?

He held his face, quickly coming to the final conclusion. The final piece of this puzzle. He glanced at his younger sister, who had the same thoughts as him.

Wise: So the connection problems...

Belle: Aren't on our side...

The siblings' attention was grabbed by a dark chuckle that came from their screen. A high-pitched voice, clearly altered by a voice filter, began to speak in a mocking tone.

"...Hehehe... Hmph. I thought you'd never figure it out... Phaethon!"



???: Oh, so this is all the famous Proxy Phaethon can do? As you can see, the system is mine now.

The two siblings were simply...stunned beyond belief. Their system had gotten hijacked by a hacker!

Belle: Who are you!?

???: You're not in a position to be asking questions. Listen up, my request is simple — I want the code to the strongbox.

Belle: What the—code?

???: Quit playing dumb!

Wise: (We can't let this guy take control of the HDD, we have to find a way to take the system back!)

Before the blue-haired girl could question the hacker further, her brother wasted no time in taking control of the situation.

He attempted to quickly reset the HDD once again to hopefully force the hacker out, but nothing he tried worked. He was only met with the unknown hijacker's mocking laugh.

???: Hey, if you think being subtle will keep me from detecting an attempt to take back control, you're sorely mistaken. Don't waste your energy. I'm getting impatient — give me the code.

Belle: Repeat yourself all you want, but if we don't know what it is, we can't give it to you.‍

" Wrong answer."

???: Hmph, so you're playing dumb. Okay, I'll have to refresh your memory.

The hacker's voice suddenly took a sharp turn from mocking and amused to carrying an edge of danger with it.

???: This device I've taken control of seems to be important to you.

Wise: Wait!

But before the older man could reach out to the keyboard to stop him, the hacker had already executed a devastating command. An all-out attack.

[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: DATABASE FORMATTING IN PROGRESS...]

......

[DATABASE FORMATTING COMPLETE]

The siblings' hearts dropped to their stomachs. Belle reflexively raised her hands to cover a gasp that escaped her lips. Meanwhile, Wise tried to remain calm, but his stomach felt so heavy he could throw up.

Wise: This isn't good, there's no way to save the alpha database...‍

???: Get it now? A few taps on the keyboard, and I can turn everything you're so proud of into meaningless ones and zeroes.

The mysterious hacker had the power to turn everything they had worked so hard for into utter nothing. All gone into the void. The chips were on the table, and the hijacker was the dealer.

???: I'll only delete some of it this time. But remember, your fate is in my hands now. Your clients are messing with the wrong person. They've gone after something they shouldn't — the strongbox.

Now, aside from being worried only about The Cunning Hares + Kiba getting lost in the Hollow and potentially getting corrupted, they had dangerous people after them. Great...

???: I know you got the password from Silver's drive. Think carefully before you reply.

Wise: (Dammit...This guy...)

???: Speaking of your clients, that unlucky crew is wandering aimlessly around the Hollow right now.

Belle: Don't you dare do anything to them!

???: Calm down, little girl. I happened to have recorded something interesting. Maybe this video will change your mind.

[YOUR VIDEO WILL PLAY SHORTLY]

The screen switched to a live recording inside of the Hollow. The Cunning Hares + Kiba were seen fighting off a swarm of ethereals, looking completely lost. Belle's Bangboo, Eous, guided the group through the Hollow without a semblance of expression. The hacked bangboo remained silent as they fought off the monsters!

Kiba, who was wearing his armor, used the Faiz phone in pistol mode to shoot down Ethereals alongside Billy and Nicole. This cover fire was handy for Anby, who used her increased electrical power to skewer two monsters and blast them into smithereens with a burst of lightning.

Nicole: Get out of the way!

Billy: Woah, more enemies behind too!

Anby: Watch the side!

The armored boy turned his back for a moment to look at Eous.

Kiba: Belle, where the hell are we going?!

But the bunny android remained completely silent, walking about without direction.

Kiba: Get back here!

Billy: Hey— What's going on with the Manager? Walking around all like, absentmindedly and ignoring the fight...

Anby: Angry, perhaps? Because Nicole haggled on the deposit?

Kiba: That's the dumbest thing I've heard today! Belle quit playing around!

Nicole: Strange. Ever since we entered the Hollow, it's like the Proxy hasn't been guiding us.

What the Kamen Rider didn't notice was an Ethereal sneaking up behind him. The monster charged up a shot, but by the time anyone noticed, it was too late.

Billy: Buddy, behind you!

Kiba: What the—?! GHA!

The ethereal shot a black spike from its head directly at the boy's hand, causing him to let go of the Faiz phone. The device slid along the ground until it finally stopped a few meters away beside Anby's feet.

Because of the impact, a small device fell from the Phone. A small metallic card key that clearly slotted perfectly on the back of the phone.



Anby quickly jogged over to pick it up but, much to her surprise, the key card began to float! Red lines of crimson energy began to connect themselves from the Mission memory to her backpack.

Her eyes went wide, and before she could even react the floating card shot towards her backpack and connected itself to her W-Engine!

A combination of arcs of lightning and sparkling red energy burst from the contact of the Faiz mission Memory and the Demara Battery Mark II! Kiba rushed over to her, kneeling beside the girl and ripping the key card away!

Anby: What...What was that?

Kiba: How am I supposed to know?

His armored hand rested on Anby's shoulder while the other inspected the key card. This would be much easier if Belle, who had been the one to instruct him on all of the features of the Faiz Gear so far, actually did her job as a proxy! There was something wrong...and he could feel it.

The mission memory then began to vibrate in his hand, floating up into the air, and connecting itself to the back of the Faiz phone once again. He transformed it from pistol mode into its normal mode before checking the screen.

[COMBAT DATA DOWNLOAD IN PROGRESS]

......

[COMBAT DATA DOWNLOAD COMPLETE]

[SKILL: DEMARA BATTERY MARK II]

[ACTIVATION CODE: 1-4-2-2]

The white-haired girl and armored boy looked at each other with confusion as they read the text on the phone screen.

Kiba: Ugh, this thing should come with a tutorial...

Anby: Things have worked out every time you input a new code into your phone. I say you trust it, just like how I trust you...

She couldn't see his face behind his helmet but could tell he was blushing. She didn't exactly understand why normal words had such an effect on him, but if they meant something to him then they meant something to her too. Kiba nodded, taking a quick breath and inputting the code.

《𝛷 1-4-2-2 𝛷》 《𝛷🔋 Demara Battery Mark II! 🔋𝛷》

Quickly switching back to pistol mode, he pulled the trigger, but instead of his regular laser rounds being fired, Kiba shot out lightning bullets! The electric shots quickly reached their target, stunning them for a couple of seconds, giving Nicole the chance to quickly finish them off.

Billy: Woah dude that was amazing!

Kiba: It seems I can "download" the powers of W-Engines... That's so fucking sick!

He looked down at the phone's screen and saw that a gauge had run out. He shot a bullet at the floor, noting that it was back to being a regular laser.

Kiba: But it has a cooldown huh? Nifty...

Anby: It will be useful though. Our combined electricity will be a force to be reckoned with.

Kiba: S-Sure...Wait...Where's Belle?!

The cunning Hares + Kiba frantically looked around to find the Bangboo android. They had let the unresponsive robot to its own devices for too long.

Billy: Over there!

He pointed to the distance, where Eous was about to get jumped by three ethereals. Thinking quickly, Nicole dashed over to the bunny and knocked them away with a swing of her suitcase.

Nicole: Hey! Is everything alrigh—

Before she could confront the Bangboo, Eous began to run away into even more ethereal!

Billy:

https://youtu.be/1Nj89xadgbQ

Nicole: Don't go over there!

Kiba: Protect her!

As Eous ran straight into danger the group of Hollow Raiders ran after it. Nicole activated her suitcase, charging up a massive blast of ether for a few moments before letting loose!

"[🐰Stuffed Sugarcoated Bullet!🐰]"

The dark orb of energy flew through the air transforming into a miniature black hole once it collided with the ground! The surrounding ethereal were sucked in by the gravitational entity before being finished off by the Starlight Knight's number one fan! It's Billy time!

"[🤖Flash Spin!🤖]"

Dashing all around the black hole with lightning speed, the android unloaded a barrage of bullets at the immobilized ethereals! The black hole quickly disappeared along with the dead monsters. Meanwhile, Kiba grabbed Eous and looked around for a place to rest.

Kiba: Hey, behind the car! Come on!

He ran over to hide behind a train car, quickly followed by Anby, Billy, and Finally Nicole. He removed the Faiz Phone from his belt and pressed the "end call" button, reverting his transformation. With a tired sigh, he looked at the Bangboo's unnaturally cold and dead eyes.

Kiba: Dammit...What's up with you Belle?

Nicole: Ugh...Today's been a nightmare!



Anby: Those Ethereals are still here.

Billy: They're like our landlord on rent day.

*~Ring~*

Billy looked down at his watch as the alarm rang. He sighed in frustration with a slight frown.

Billy: Hm, there goes the timer again, we've already stayed in the Hollow four times the recommended amount.

Nicole leaned into the heterochromatic teen, looking at the catatonic bangboo in his arms with annoyance.

Nicole: If you don't get in contact soon, you can forget about me paying my bill!

Anby: Hide!

The gunslinger robot quickly pulled out his double revolvers from Anby's alert.

Billy: W—What? Are those monsters back again?

Anby: Not the Ethereals. There's a Hollow Investigation Squad, up ahead.



Kiba: Great...The feds are here too...

Billy: Boss, we're saved! They're from the Investigative Association. They have a Carrot! We can ask them for help and follow them out of the Hollow!

Kiba: Are you that dumb or are you just pretending?

Nicole: Don't be stupid. Don't you see those Public Security guys with them? We're Hollow Raiders. Even if they help us, they'll arrest us right afterward.

Billy: That might be true if it were just us. Don't you remember? Public Security's policy? If you report a Proxy, they may expunge your record...

His tone was suggesting something rather...sinister. Kiba bristled, gently handing Eous to Nicole before getting up on Billy's face. The teen looked up at the taller cyborg with a sharp glare.

Kiba: The hell are you trying to say, huh?

The teen roughly grabbed Billy by the jacket collar.

Kiba: If you think I'll let you do that, you're dumber than I thought.

Billy: Uh...Anby...A little help here?

Anby opened her mouth to speak up, but nothing came out. The boy's heterochromatic eyes landed on hers, his bubbling anger softening for a split second before returning to their enraged state.

The stoic girl should've supported her comrade, but Kiba's eyes...They looked as if they were pleading for her not to do it. Did she really have it in her heart to sell out Kiba's best friend? She clutched her chest in doubt.

Strange things had been happening ever since she met this strange delinquent. She adverted her gaze. He nodded before addressing Billy again.

Kiba: What'll it be, Tin Can? Gonna follow through and sell out Belle? Because you'll have to go through me first.

Meanwhile, Nicole pondered her options. Sure, she would be able to get off scot-free and try to recover the strongbox with another proxy...but was it really worth it? She would be breaking her partnership with Phaethon and betraying their trust.

When she heard Kiba arguing with Billy, she couldn't help but smile. His undying loyalty was admirable and a little heartwarming. Finally coming to a decision, she stood up with the bangboo in her arms.

Nicole: Enough chatter, you two... We can't stay here any longer.

She signaled the group to follow after her. The teen with dual-colored hair was stunned for a moment. Never in a million years would he have thought that NICOLE, someone who he thought was a greedy and money-hungry person, would decide to be so kind.

Nicole: Let's go!

Letting go of Billy's jacket he followed after her, sneaking away from the public security officers. As they walked, he couldn't stop staring at her in utter shock.

Kiba: (Maybe she's not so bad after all...)



{TO BE CONTINUED...}