Zenless Zone Zero: I'am a Dullahan!

Sarah clenched her teeth as the image of that masked face flashed through her mind—the one she'd seen in the smoke-filled chaos back at the command site.

To her, that man wasn't even a particularly difficult opponent. But in terms of sheer dislike, he topped the list of all her enemies.

That mocking grin, that casual tone—it was like a thorn stuck deep in her chest. Not fatal, but every time she thought of him, it made her itch with discomfort.

"Don't worry. We have a fairly good grasp on the Fire Pickers. After what happened in the Cretan Hollow and the Lamia Hollow, there's a high chance they're capable of collapsing Hollows..."

"After all, the Hollows only collapsed after he showed up. If both of those were just coincidences, that'd be downright miraculous."

"The phenomenon is highly unusual, and so is the Fire Picker. If there's a connection, it means we're only dealing with one unusual variable—which is far more logical."

In the corner of the room, a man in glasses spoke calmly. He was the same person responsible for putting that red wanted notice on Zane not long ago.

"And what does this have to do with what's happening now?"

Sarah crossed her slender legs, gazing at the man with intrigue.

"Tell me, Miss Sarah... do you really know nothing, or are you just trying to get confirmation from me?"

The man smiled and looked her in the eye, his expression steady. As far as he was concerned, this woman was best kept at arm's length—outside of necessary cooperation.

"If it's the latter, there's no need to play games. Just ask directly."

He lowered his gaze and continued.

"We don't know why he's targeting Hollows, but his activity is mostly concentrated in the Janus District... aside from that incident at the Defense Force headquarters. Of the few remaining Hollows in Janus, the Dead End Hollow is the most unique."

"He eliminated the Notoriety Ethereal there—his presence was unmistakable. Yet, nothing unusual has happened in that Hollow since..."

"More importantly, there's a Sacrificial Ghost inside."

"A relic from the old era."

The man's eyes narrowed, a dangerous glint flashing through them.

"That's why we believe he'll return—maybe tomorrow, maybe next month. And since we also have things to take care of there, we might as well align the two plans."

"There's no rush. The 'smoke bombs' we've released recently have just been Belobog Heavy Industries' regular construction work. No one will suspect a thing."

"The Dead End Hollow is already under surveillance. For instance, we knew the moment Belobog's team entered its depths not long ago."

"If he shows up—perfect. If not, we proceed as planned. As for this 'Masked Fool' you brought up..."

A thoughtful look passed over the man's face. Then he shook his head, brushing it off.

"Probably just someone with inside info. No need to overthink it—he hasn't been seen since that day..."

"The Staff Army has a new lieutenant, though. Heard he used to wear a mask and operated in Hollow Zero—but I doubt it's the same person."

"For one, the masks don't match. For another, if the Masked Fool really was strong enough to seriously injure Nineveh, you wouldn't have gotten away so easily that day..."

Sarah's eyes flickered slightly as she listened. The Staff Army, huh... Not impossible.

Back then, the guy did say he'd spare her life. Maybe he wasn't bluffing after all. And besides...

"People like him usually have a signature mask, but don't let fixed ideas blind you. He called himself the Masked Fool. As long as there's a mask—it fits."

Sarah reminded them sharply. She trusted her gut—this guy wasn't simple. There was one fact she couldn't ignore.

Anyone who could wield Ether energy freely... wasn't ordinary.

Her thoughts drifted back to the Ether crystals. Her gaze deepened. She hadn't shared this bit of intel with anyone else.

After all, in a partnership... it always pays to keep something back.

"Oh? Did I hear someone mention the Staff Army?"

The door swung open. A man dressed in white stepped in, giving off a refined, academic vibe. He adjusted his monocle and offered a faint smile.

That smile quickly faded into a cold, disdainful sneer—as if the very mention of "Staff Army" left a bad taste in his mouth.

"Those people are blind, stubborn, and hopelessly backwards. Absolute idiots. I even heard they just recruited a 'special' new member—no idea how they tricked him into joining..."

His stream of complaints filled the room. The man in glasses silently stood up—clearly, this scholar with the monocle was his superior.

He said nothing, but Sarah wasn't about to hold her tongue.

No matter what rank they held, to her, they were just partners. Nothing more.

"Alright, alright. I know you've got a bone to pick with the Staff Army, but do we really have to go through this every time? I'm getting tired of hearing it. Even if they'd agreed to help back then, how many people could they have spared?"

The scholar snorted at her bluntness, visibly annoyed.

"You're supposed to be our partner. Why are you defending them?"

"If they'd acted earlier, we wouldn't be dealing with this mess. The Fire Pickers would've been in the Academy's hands ages ago!"

"In my opinion, the Academy should have its own armed forces. That way we wouldn't be so powerless—always stuck and stretched thin."

He shot a look at Sarah. If the Academy had a standing force, guys like her wouldn't be the ones calling the shots.

A bunch of profit-chasing 'merchants'—how could they compare to those striving for a grand cause?

Sarah didn't respond. She just turned and looked out the floor-to-ceiling window, clearly disinterested in arguing with these stubborn scholars.

The image of the Masked Fool crept back into her mind. A cold smirk curled her lips.

"Heh... like to play games, do you?"

"You'd better hope you never fall into my hands..."

"Because if you do, big sis will make sure you really have fun..."

...

"Hey... we should be getting close now, right?"

Anton looked around, gently patting his comrade while scanning the surroundings.

"Yeah, almost there. Based on the readings, the target should be just ahead..."