Zane glanced in the direction Ellen had rushed off to, frowning slightly. She was still as fast as ever.
Not that he doubted her ability to handle herself.
He raised his hand, condensing Ether crystals to trap Sarah inside, then moved after Ellen, Ether energy surging at his fingertips.
Up ahead, Ellen swung the Shark Scissors in one hand, spinning them into a circular barrier. Her sharp gaze cut through the night as the sound of bullets ricocheting off the blades filled her ears.
She advanced quickly, tail swaying to keep her balance. Closing in on the rebels, she slammed her foot down to brake sharply. A flash of red gleamed across the Shark Scissors as icy power flared once more!
With a single slash, she carved an icy scar through the air, scattering the enemy formation. Without pause, Ellen charged in to tear through them at close range.
Meanwhile, reinforcements from the covert armed unit had arrived, tightening the encirclement and cutting off the rebels' retreat.
Within their ranks, Ellen's Shark Scissors struck again, sending several rebels flying. She raised the massive blades high, preparing to unleash her strongest attack—when a streak of lightning suddenly arced across the crowd, followed by a deafening explosion.
Behind her, Zane walked forward, flipping a silver-glowing Denny in his palm before catching it. His eyes slid to Ellen.
"Need a hand?"
Without the slightest hesitation, Ellen shook her head.
"Stay out of this. I've still got energy to burn. Ate too much, haven't worked it off yet."
Her tone sounded almost like she was shooing him away.
Zane let out a quiet sigh. He had only offered because he was worried she'd need backup, but if she insisted otherwise, he wouldn't argue.
Glancing once more at Ellen, already back in full combat rhythm, he turned and walked toward Sarah instead.
At the Ether prison, Zane crouched down, looking at Sarah—disheveled, seated on the ground, clearly worn down. He blinked, then said softly,
"Nice to see you again."
There was a hint of amusement in his voice.
Sarah's expression shifted immediately, her calm façade twisting into fury as her eyes burned with killing intent.
"You?!"
She had been trying to piece together his identity, but the moment he spoke, she knew. That voice—etched into her mind, replayed over and over. Impossible to forget.
"So you remember me. What an honor, Miss Sarah."
Zane arched a brow. He hadn't expected her to recognize him so quickly.
Was he really that hated?
"Honor you—"
"Now, now. Try being a kinder person."
"Throwing insults isn't a very good habit."
Before she could finish, Zane pressed a finger lightly against her lips, smiling faintly.
Sarah's eyes flashed as she prepared to move, but Ether crystals instantly bound her hands in place.
Zane's smile lingered as he said,
"Miss Sarah, you should smile more. Someone as beautiful as you… you'd look stunning with a smile."
Even if he hadn't actually seen it.
At his words, Sarah's mind jolted back to the demolition of the command center, her expression turning even frostier. This time was worse than before—more humiliating, more infuriating.
Though he spoke as if complimenting her, every word dripped with mockery. Her glare could have set him aflame.
The longer she looked at him smiling so casually, the angrier she grew. With her hands bound and no other option, she lunged forward to bite the finger he'd extended toward her.
But Zane was too quick. She snapped at empty air as he withdrew his hand, sighing in mild exasperation.
Really now—how did the elegant, aloof beauty turn into this? What a shame...
Her mental resilience was far too fragile. Not even a tenth of Belle's. But then again, Sarah had lived a pampered life above the rest—any setback would feel crushing.
Zane's expression shifted from pity to a shake of the head, then to thoughtful sympathy as he looked at her again.
Sarah grit her teeth so hard it felt like they'd shatter.
This bastard...!!!
If only she weren't the fish on the chopping block right now—
"Having fun?"
A voice cut in. Ellen approached, Shark Scissors in hand, the battlefield already cleared of rebels thanks to her and the covert troops.
"Not bad."
"Who is she? She looks like she hates you."
Ellen tilted her head, blinking curiously between Zane and Sarah.
Zane rose to his feet, gave Ellen a small smile, and patted her shoulder.
"You kept some alive, right? Hand them over for interrogation. This one's nothing special. Just a small fry—worthless, really. Don't bother."
He turned to leave.
But Sarah's face darkened at every word.
"Stop right there!"
She glared at him, her voice sharp with anger.
"What do you mean, 'just a small fry'?!"
"I know far more than you think. Do you have any idea what those men know?"
"Even if you know a lot—if you won't say it, what's the difference from knowing nothing?"
Zane shrugged lightly, voice calm.
Sarah snorted. This insufferable man—did he really think she'd hand over information to him? Her words were only leverage, a bluff to raise her value, hoping to bargain for escape...
"Ellen, dig a hole and bury her."
Zane waved dismissively. With Sarah's sharpness, fooling her was unlikely. Easier to move on.
"Wait!"
"You're not even going to negotiate?!"
Panic slipped into Sarah's voice. She hadn't expected him to simply skip the bargaining table altogether.
"It's not that negotiations are impossible..."
Zane chuckled. Fear of death made things simpler—and after this, the initiative was firmly his.
Soon, he released the Ether prison, leaving Sarah to be restrained and taken away by the covert troops. He and Ellen boarded an armed helicopter bound for the skyscraper.
...
Moments later, the helicopter reached the rooftop to extract their allies. But Zane and Ellen weren't inside. Instead, wearing masks, they drew enemy fire outside to cover the retreat.
The central hall was already a wreck. The two towering statues had been reduced to rubble, one completely destroyed.
The Hare's House members and Corin were struggling, barely able to support Lycaon and Rina in their fight. But by now, the enemy numbers had thinned.
After cutting down most of the resistance, Lycaon grabbed a bag stuffed with dismantled storage devices and regrouped with the others at the waiting helicopter.
The servers and computers were a mess—he hadn't known what was valuable, so he'd simply stripped every piece of hardware that stored data.
The data went with Lycaon. As for the hard-won box of reagents, Anby carried it.
As the helicopter noise faded into the distance, Zane and Ellen received the signal confirming a safe retreat. Without hesitation, the two broke off from their engagements and pulled back as well.