Chapter 16: Underway: The Commission

(After the first plot point, it won’t just follow the plot anymore.)

In a plain, unremarkable video store on Sixth Street, a television was reporting a sudden incident.

“A sudden concurrent hollow disaster has occurred on Fourteenth Street, breaching Level Three containment. The Hollow Investigation Association has dispatched a response team to the scene, and evacuation of nearby residents is underway.”

(Author 1003, is anyone above me at the start? Hands on hips, head tilted up, smug face.)

“All citizens are urged not to approach Fourteenth Street. Residents in adjacent districts should evacuate orderly according to disaster guidelines.”

A Bumbu hopped onto the sofa, staring intently at the TV screen. Beside it, a girl with short dark blue hair lay half-reclined on the sofa, removed her earphones, and slowly sat up, visibly intrigued by the news report.

Her overall outfit was sporty-casual: a hooded vest, a high-collared long-sleeve top, a gray short skirt, and sneakers. Her hair ends were uneven, her bangs crossed inward.

A hair accessory on the left bore an English word. Her face was a classic oval with a touch of softness, eyes bright and clear, showing no trace of makeup—pure, cute, and full of youthful energy.

“Bro, come look at this news.”

She propped her elbow on the sofa, cradled her head, her lazy demeanor unmistakable, without turning around.

“What is it?”

A boy with gray hair walked from behind the sofa, arms full of books. He instantly fixated on the news on TV; the report triggered a memory, though he couldn’t quite recall it—“Fourteenth Street... I remember that place was...”

“Wait a sec.”

He hurried toward the computer, still clutching the books.

“Yeah, it’s in Janus District,” the girl on the sofa reminded him. “They say the Level Three containment has been breached.”

The gray-haired boy set the books aside and quickly searched the computer. He soon found what he needed: “As expected—the Public Security Bureau was conducting a raid on that street today.”

“The evacuation won’t go smoothly.”

The dark blue-haired girl hugged the Bumbu beside her, raised an eyebrow, eyes brightening. “So that means—”

Action’s coming!

“Let’s get ready,” the gray-haired boy stood up, picking up her thought. “We might have business knocking soon.”

“Alright~ Now we wait.”

The dark blue-haired girl murmured to herself, a hint of playfulness in her tone.

Unlike the calm inside the video store, inside a high-rise building in Fourteenth Street, Janus District, three figures were sprinting.

“Go left!”

Nico, at the rear, shouted to the two ahead.

The three ran down the corridor to a staircase, turned without looking back, and dashed inside—as if a monstrous beast was chasing them.

Emerging from the emergency exit, they found a straight, long hallway. Billy, with his mechanical legs, led the way. Anbi ran nervously in the middle. Nico, clutching a safe, brought up the rear.

“Huh?”

As Nico passed a pile of clutter, she suddenly stopped, tilting her head in confusion at a deep blue Bumbu statue inside.

It faced away from her, revealing a gap between its legs, hands holding up its pants—as if about to put them on, or just taken them off...

She urgently called out to the two sprinting ahead, dragging them to hide behind the blue Bumbu statue.

“Chase them!”

Soon after, a swarm of pursuers arrived, their sharp footsteps echoing through the silent corridor, making the three hiding behind the statue break into cold sweats.

Fortunately, no one noticed the Bumbu statue as a hiding spot. The three cautiously peeked out, then sprinted off in the opposite direction without pause.

“Don’t run!”

The pursuers who had run past weren’t fools—they quickly realized something was wrong and turned as one to chase the trio.

The three, now exposed, sped up their pace, fleeing chaotically through the building. As they turned into a corridor lined with televisions, one screen was broadcasting live news related to the event.

“Ahem... citizens, I am the Janus District Public Security Chief overseeing the pursuit operation on Fourteenth Street.”

A man with a golden pompadour spoke slowly into the camera.

“I... I’m very sorry, but due to the sudden hollow disaster, the pursuit has been disrupted.”

“I want to remind the public that we are pursuing the masterminds behind the Forward Terrorist Attack Institute: the Red Fang Gang.”

“They are extremely dangerous men—er, I mean criminals, especially their leader, Whitey Miguel.”

“Please be extremely careful!”

At that moment, a nearby reporter snatched the microphone, face flushed with rage, shouting into the camera: “I’m the damn reporter for this station—I can’t take this anymore! These evil bastards must be**!”

“If you spot them, then...”

The three members of the Hare’s Den heard the reporter’s furious shouts as they reached a metal door. Billy raised his foot and delivered a stylish knight’s kick, blasting the door open.

“It’s a window! Boss Nico, we can escape this way!”

The room had three floor-to-ceiling windows instead of walls. Billy spotted an escape route and shouted excitedly to Nico behind him.

“But there’s a hollow below... oh well,” Nico remained calm. “If we can get out, we’ll find a way... Billy, can you break the glass?”

“Easy! Leave it to me!”

Billy struck a flamboyant pose and pulled the trigger of his revolver.

With a sharp crack, the bullet shot from the barrel, hurtling forward at high speed.

The instant it struck the glass, it ricocheted off with a loud “Bang!”

“Ah...”

The bullet, after bouncing off the glass, struck a thin wire overhead. The television fixed to the wire tumbled downward and, unluckily, smashed directly onto Billy’s head. He let out one final cry before lying motionless on the floor.

“Ricochet. The window’s really sturdy.”

Anbi slightly pursed her lips, glancing from Billy to Nico.

“Damn, I knew it wouldn’t be that simple—these floor-to-ceiling windows are...”

Nico gently touched the glass when a voice suddenly interrupted her muttering.

“Reinforced bulletproof glass. Your firepower won’t shatter it to escape!”

A sobbing sound accompanied the words...