"Wow..."
Astra gasped in astonishment, while Evelyn couldn't help blushing at her reaction.
"You're not tricking me into singing for you, are you...? Hmm..."
As if sensing something, Evelyn suddenly reached out and firmly pressed a hand against Astra's shoulder.
She pinned her down in the narrow space between the seat and the floor, shielding Astra with her own body.
"What's wrong?"
"We're being tailed. Those cars have been following us for quite a while. There's a Companion Hollow nearby. We'll use it to shake those unwelcome followers."
The moment Evelyn finished speaking, she steered the car into the Hollow, the pursuing vehicles following close behind.
"I arranged for someone to meet us before we entered the Hollow. They shouldn't be far. Follow me."
Evelyn led Astra through the Hollow, fending off numerous pursuers along the way before finally escorting her safely to the rendezvous point.
"You guys, take the young lady back first."
"Eve! Aren't you coming with us? It'll be dangerous if you go alone!"
Astra looked at Evelyn with concern, but Evelyn answered with a reassuring smile.
"There's something that's been bothering me. I need to find out exactly what those attackers were after. Miss, you should head back first. I'll return shortly."
"But... Oh, I understand. You must have your reasons. Then I'll head back first. Eve, make sure you come back safely!"
"I will."
After watching Astra leave safely, Evelyn let out a quiet sigh of relief before turning her thoughts to the word 'intelligence' the attackers had mentioned.
The young lady's whereabouts were clearly being monitored.
'Besides... who else could it be?'
Fortunately, her opponent had been remarkably unprofessional during the fight. He hadn't even noticed that his communicator had been knocked off.
If she could recover it, she might discover where the attackers had come from and how Astra's schedule had been leaked.
After a brief search, Evelyn easily found the communicator. Although its data had been wiped, no information was ever truly erased.
"Looks like it's time to meet an 'old friend.' Her code phrase is... I remember now. Well, it seems I'll need to find a payphone."
Some time later, after leaving the Hollow, Evelyn headed for Sixth Street.
As she walked, her thoughts drifted to her 'old friend.' Over the years, that woman had become the only person to successfully conceal her identity after leaving the organization.
Evelyn would have preferred not to involve her, but Astra's safety came first.
After entering the agreed-upon code into the old payphone, a series of dial tones echoed through the receiver before the line fell silent.
She wasn't in any hurry. She simply waited until, at last, a familiar voice answered.
"Hey, I thought you'd never use this phone. What's up?"
It was a voice the video store siblings knew all too well.
"I need your help," Evelyn said calmly.
"Oh? That's rare. Is there actually something you can't handle? Tell me, what do you need?"
The voice on the other end sounded genuinely surprised.
Evelyn proposed meeting in person. After a brief pause, the other party agreed.
"After you turn left at the intersection by the coffee shop, keep walking straight. You'll find a good place for us to meet."
After agreeing on a meeting place, Rain hung up and turned to Wise with a somewhat helpless expression.
"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I have to head out for a while."
As she spoke, she got up and began putting on her clothes, prompting a curious look from Wise.
"Is it a commission? What kind of job requires a hacker to meet someone in person?"
"It is a request, but the person who asked for it is a bit special. She was a former colleague of mine, so I have to help her."
By the time Rain finished speaking, she had already gotten dressed, pulled up her hood, and was ready to leave.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Evelyn had also arrived at the meeting location.
"This place... I see. It really is the perfect place for a meetup. This street is something else..."
Sixth Street truly was full of hidden talents.
After waiting for a while, Evelyn felt someone gently poke her shoulder. Turning around, she found a pink-haired girl wearing a hoodie with the brim pulled low.
"Long time no see. Looks like you've been doing well."
"Yes. You too."
Rain greeted her first, and Evelyn responded with a polite nod, drawing a faint smile from Rain.
"As for me, I've been through one or two life-threatening situations, but I'm much happier now than I ever was back in the organization."
As she said that, Wise's face briefly surfaced in Rain's mind. The thought lingered for only a moment before her expression turned serious once more.
"So, what do you need my help with? I'd like to repay the debt I owe you for saving my life as soon as possible."
"This communicator has been formatted. Can you recover any of the data stored inside? Even fragments will do."
Evelyn handed the communicator to Rain, who immediately connected it to her laptop.
The communicator rebooted several times before suddenly springing open with a pop, releasing a thin wisp of blue smoke that surprised even Rain.
"Wow... After too many brute-force attempts, it actually overloads and fries its own motherboard. That's some pretty advanced technology. Looks like you've gotten yourself mixed up with someone truly dangerous this time."
Hearing Rain's assessment, Evelyn asked without hesitation, "Did you recover anything useful?"
Seeing how composed she remained, Rain let out a small chuckle.
"Hmph. You should have a little more faith in your old friend. I managed to recover a fragment of an encrypted transmission before the board burned out. It reads: '...The record... can't let Odeum have it... must separate... Don't let anyone find out Fu—'... and that's where it cuts off."
"Fugue," Evelyn said, crossing her arms as her voice turned noticeably colder.
"Fugue? What's that supposed to mean? Ah, never mind. I don't need to know. As long as you understand it, that's enough."
"Can you identify who sent the encrypted message?"
After a brief pause, Evelyn asked another question.
Once again, Rain didn't disappoint her. After a few quick keystrokes, she managed to trace the encrypted IP address.
"Huh?!"
The moment she saw the result, Evelyn's expression turned grim.
Noticing the sudden change, Rain looked at her with concern.
"That expression doesn't look good. Is it bad news?"
"No. Not for me."
Evelyn slowly shook her head.
"But it's very bad news for the person I'm trying to protect."
"Hmph... Looks like you're really doing well."
Seeing Evelyn's unusually serious expression, Rain suddenly laughed, leaving Evelyn momentarily bewildered.
"Wh-What makes you say that all of a sudden?"
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Zenless Zone Zero: The Almighty Incubus of Sixth Street
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