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Corin opened the case and held it up for Von Lycaon to inspect. Ignis recognized the device inside—it was a military signal transceiver he'd seen Jax-05 use before. "You were correct, Guide," Von Lycaon said, placing Eous in the crook of his right arm and showing it the instruments. "This is a G03 military multi-band signal transceiver. Extremely powerful. With the right multimedia equipment, it can even assist intelligence operatives in breaching high-security information systems."
Indeed, Jax-05 had used one to completely jam and intercept signals across an entire warehouse while simultaneously coordinating a drone swarm for reconnaissance and assault.
"Von Lycaon, you even know about something like this? Exactly what kind of work do you people actually do?" Belle questioned. This was clearly high-classified technology—how could a housekeeping company know it so thoroughly?
The Wolf Thiren showed a humble smile and replied calmly, "Forgive me. For household staff, such knowledge is simply routine."
"R-really…?" Belle didn't believe that nonsense for a second, but it wasn't appropriate to pry further—it would cross into personal matters.
But she wasn't wrong. In fiction, butlers and maids were almost always ten-skill monsters or supernatural beings— Hayate Ayasaki drowning in debt, Sebastian Michaelis the soul-devouring demon, or Mahoro Andou, the super-combat android created by Vesper. In many works (mostly otaku stuff), these two professions were practically synonymous with mystery, elegance, high combat ability, and beings that are probably not human.
Considering Victoria Housekeeping catered to high-net-worth individuals and the powerful, it wasn't impossible that such equipment had been used in certain "cleaning" operations. Even Jax-05 had been hit with electronic interference by Soldier 11's teammates—surely more advanced models existed.
"It seems their goal in kidnapping Rain is her skill as a hacker." Ignis looked at Von Lycaon and signaled Corin to close the device and set it aside. "But what would they need a top-class hacker for? And why specifically here? If they wanted to perform a network attack, there should be better locations."
"Hey, found this among their belongings." Ellen waved a folder impatiently and handed it to Von Lycaon. "Hidden pretty well, stuffed inside his armor."
A photo of an airship was pasted on the cover. It seemed familiar.
"Isn't this one of the Supreme Court's dedicated airships?" the Proxy said, taking the folder. He immediately recognized the image and hurriedly flipped through the contents inside.
"A schedule… flight paths…" Von Lycaon scanned the documents, visibly shocked. "They even have the hardware schematics of the integrated control system. Could it be…"
Ignis had a bad feeling—and the worst part was that all members of the Cunning Hares except him were aboard that ship.
"Master, incoming call from Billy. Patching it through." Fairy announced, and Eous' face-screen switched to a phone icon.
Phaethon put the call on speaker, knowing the Salamander would also want to hear what happened.
"Hello? Boss, is that you? Is Ignis with you?" Billy sounded panicked, his voice cracking. "Bad news—something big happened on the airship!"
"Billy! What happened? Was the airship hijacked? Is it crashing?" Ignis tensed immediately.
"Billy, calm down. What exactly happened to the airship?" Belle sounded far steadier.
"It went like this! A few minutes ago, Perlman said he wanted to check the suit in the case. It was delivered by his corporation right before boarding—supposed to be worn in court. Security agreed." The robot spoke at rapid speed, clearly frantic. "But when the case opened, smoke sprayed out! Everyone onboard, including the pilot, fell unconscious! I only avoided it because of an intake malfunction—"
Ignis wanted to comment that even with a functioning intake, knockout gas shouldn't affect a robot—unless nanobots were involved. But now wasn't the time for jokes, so he suppressed the urge.
"What's the airship's status?" Ignis asked.
"It's still in cruise mode—so it won't crash for now." Billy's words eased Ignis' worry slightly. "But boss—I found that its flight path has been altered. The airship is heading straight toward the Hollow in Ballet Twins Hollow! At this rate, we're gonna slam into the Hollow soon!"
The Ballet Twins Hollow? That was exactly where they were. A ploy by Perlman? Someone waiting on the rooftop to extract him?
That damned midget fraud was trying to escape the law's judgment? And he dragged the entire Cunning Hares into his scheme? Very well. He would be taught a lesson.
The Salamander's fury simmered—a steady, burning coal—as he considered how to inflict as much pain as possible without killing the wobble-doll-shaped man.
"Boss, what do I do? Call the authorities? Will they even believe me?" Billy asked desperately.
"Based on Billy's description, the airship has been off course for some time, yet the outside world remains silent…" Von Lycaon analyzed the inconsistencies. Combined with the rebels' documents, the answer was obvious.
"It seems this is Rain's handiwork—she not only seized control of the airship but also forged the outgoing signals, making everyone believe the vessel is still on its normal route." The Proxy's conclusion left Ignis stunned. That girl, barely twenty, had such capabilities?
"W-wait, boss? Ignis? What are you all talking about? Why are you mentioning Rain?" Billy was confused. How did "go into Ballet Twins Hollow to rescue Rain" turn into "Rain hijacked the airship"?
"Billy, Rain was kidnapped by Rebels. They forced her to control the airship! How are Nicole, Anby Demara, and Nekomata?" Ignis asked, worried about the Cunning Hares.
"They're okay—just asleep. Nicole's even talking in her sleep." Billy's voice suddenly rose. "Hold on! If Rain really did this, then even the Public Security can't stop it! We're doomed, aren't we?!"
A flying vessel crashing into the Twin Towers—thankfully today was not that day…
"No, Billy—we still have one last chance." Eous looked around at everyone.
"Billy, Victoria Housekeeping and your colleagues are here with the Proxy, already working to rescue Miss Rain inside Ballet Twins Hollow," Von Lycaon said calmly, steadying his nerves. "As long as we retrieve her in time, we can still change the airship's fate."
"Really? Ignis… boss… Von Lycaon… can I trust you?"
"Always. A Son of Vulkan never abandons his comrades." Ignis' voice carried a quiet, smoldering anger.
"Billy, we will save the airship. Stay in contact—we may need your help." Belle said with confidence.
["Master, I have calculated the airship's approach trajectory,"] Fairy reported. ["It will pass fifteen meters above the Ballet Twins Hollow rooftop in twenty-five minutes, and within the following thirty seconds it will make contact with the Hollow."]
"Then let us hurry." The Salamander slammed his fists together—he desperately needed a target to vent his anger on.
Eous hopped down from Von Lycaon's arm and pointed forward, toward a security door. "There's a fissure behind this leading to the upper floors."
The iron-clad giant charged the door in just a few steps; his powered fists were already fully charged, blue sparks snapping from them. One thunderous blast later, a gaping hole exploded through the security gate. "There was an unlock panel right there…" Belle muttered as Von Lycaon shook his head helplessly—she had spoken too late.
"No matter. Ignis' urgency is understandable; this level of damage is acceptable." Von Lycaon motioned for the staff of Victoria Housekeeping to follow.
They passed through the fissure. Ignis heard strange laughter—half mocking, half encouraging—shrill and unnatural. No human vocal cords should be able to produce a sound like that.
Lights snapped on around them. They were in an exhibition hall decorated with sculptures and portraits. Eous caught up from behind, picked up a newspaper, skimmed it, then set it down—apparently nothing useful.
["Master, I've connected to this area's electrical system. There is an elevator nearby that leads straight to the rooftop."] Fairy's voice at that moment was nothing short of divine—this assistant was unbelievably useful.
"Looks like we can use it to approach the enemy quickly," said Von Lycaon, arriving behind them.
"Which way is the elevator?" Ignis asked. "I don't want to take another detour."
Eous glanced at Von Lycaon; the Wolf Thiren understood the urgency and nodded. A Bangboo pointed the way following Fairy's guidance.
Ignis immediately began breaching. Compared to tearing through hive cities or enemy fortifications, the structure of Ballet Twins Hollow was laughably simple. With a powerful AI guiding him, he avoided critical load-bearing components. And as for the infill walls within the frame—none of them could stop a three-meter-tall, multi-ton humanoid battering ram.
In under half a minute, they reached the elevator—though all of them were covered in dust from the breaching.
Several Ethereals had been stationed before the elevator, but the impatient the Salamander simply barreled into them, swinging them like toys and smashing them into the ground—reducing them to scrap instantly. The Wolf Thiren brushed dust from his coat and looked at the chain of holes torn through the walls, then sighed helplessly—time was short, after all.
Corin looked worried; Rina soothed her with a calm smile; Ellen looked pleased that things were now simpler.
Even inside the elevator, the Salamander was tense and ready to burst out at any moment. In the dim cabin, more Ethereals converged.
But the furious the Salamander became a roaring war chariot—his massive fists were like fired cannon shells, precise and devastating, destroying every foe in his way. His heart blazed with fury; anything that dared obstruct his rescue of Rain, or his attempt to stop the airship, would be burned to ash.
Several Hati circled him—panther-like Ethereals lunging with numbers on their side. But it was futile. The Astartes unleashed a flurry of jabs faster than thought, dropping them all within a single breath.
Belle had seen Ignis fight before—but never like this. Aside from his battle against the Dead End Butcher, she had never witnessed him fight with such lethal ferocity. The giant truly cherished the Cunning Hares. To the Proxy, Ignis had always seemed gentle—someone who hardly ever got angry.
But that had merely been the surface. Like smoldering coals, all he needed was a breath of air to erupt into blazing fury.
"Out of my way!" the giant roared, punching a Farbauti so hard it went flying—despite being even larger than he was. A Thanatos tried to blink behind him, its curved blades ready to strike. Ignis spun faster than the Ethereal itself. His powered fist seized the creature, slammed it underfoot, and tore it cleanly in half.
Savage and merciless—the Son of Vulkan showed no restraint against his enemies, just as he showed boundless warmth to friends. These giants with skin like volcanic rock carried intense emotion in their hearts, their inner volcano erupting only when confronting their foes.
The elevator doors opened—and the giant was already gone, bursting out with such speed even Ellen couldn't react.
"In the name of Vulkan!"
His battle cry merged with gunfire, explosions, and human screams. Ignis surged forward, unstoppable—as if molten rock itself had begun to flow.