Chapter Text
Strangely enough, paperwork was calming for him. Maybe it was due to the fact that he wanted to busy his head, mind continuing to jump from thought to thought if he was left with nothing to do. He simply believed that focusing on the work in front of him, even if that meant worrying his own Section 6 teammates, was a good start to neutralizing the worry that continued to grow inside his body.
It was why the stacks of papers given to him were less than before, almost finished by this rate. He knew Yanagi was baffled with how quick and efficient he worked, and he was certain she was going to ask him if he needed some help or if he was okay. Luckily, she hadn’t asked him, only quietly casting him looks here and there as time ticked by.
He sighed as he finished another report, putting it on top of the papers he already worked on. He knew his dear teammates were eyeing him worriedly—he assured them he was fine—and promptly ignored their looks. Soukaku, of course, was more than happy to mention how hard Harumasa’s been working, and luckily Yanagi and Miyabi only spoke in agreement without anything else.
A sigh of relief escaped his lips. He looked down where one of the cabinets were. Pulling it back, he stared down at the fan that he had yet to give to Miyabi.
Geez, will I ever find a good time to give this to her? Make it a special moment and say how amazing she is, but that just feels wrong given the situation…
He hated how stressed he felt, but honestly maybe he should consider it a testament to life itself. It was a cruel way to test how resilient he was for certain, however, but what else would he call this series of unfortunate luck? The only good thing that even came out of this whole mess was that he got to temporarily stay with Miyabi, that’s all.
And even then, Harumasa felt bad for burdening her. He was certain Miyabi disliked that her father was playing matchmaker with her and Harumasa, and he was certain the rumors that spread throughout the estate was obvious to her. Miyabi hadn’t said anything, however, but Harumasa couldn’t help but wonder regardless.
“Harumasa!” Soukaku approached the man with a wide grin. She opened her palms, showing him a bundle of coffee-flavored candy. “Look what I got you!”
“Oh, thanks.” He took the candy with a small smile, unwrapping one. He plopped it into his mouth, then laughed softly as Soukaku approached for a hug. He warmly embraced her, rubbing her back. The bitterness of the coffee made him more than satisfied. “It tastes good. You got them just for me?”
“Yup! You’re working extra hard today and I want to make sure you’re energized!” Soukaku buried her face against his chest, squeezing him.
“You’re too kind,” he said, amusement creeping in his tone. He slowly pulled back from the hug, letting Soukaku smile widely at him. “This definitely helps. Thanks.”
Soukaku happily went back to her work space, humming cheerfully. She took out her crayons and went doodling, leaving Harumasa with a batch of coffee-flavored candy with him in his own space.
He sucked on the candy as he continued his work. There were a few more reports to be written as the next hour rolled by, but Harumasa figured that could come later when he saw his phone buzzing with notifications.
All of them came from Belle. Information about a set of coordinates inside a hollow. It looked like she and Wise traced the source thanks to intel they’ve gotten from Seth, the lynx cat thiren having explained that PubSec has been tracking the escapees for a while. It certainly made things easier, but that also meant Seth was actively involved in helping Harumasa now.
Ah shit, I have to talk to him at some point.
He supposed that meant Seth had come to terms and made up with Phaethon, or it was possible Seth only gave them the information and nothing more. The thiren was too kind for his own good, so Harumasa honestly considered both possibilities. He wanted to pry and text Belle about it, but decided it was inappropriate—he’d know soon enough, anyways.
However, before he had any chance to respond, the alarms rang. Loudly resounding in his ears, he turned his attention to Miyabi who immediately stood up.
“There’s been an outbreak in Hollow Zero and we’ve been assigned to assist with evacuation. I’ve shared the coordinates with you all.”
Harumasa pursed his lips. Quickly, he raised his hand. “Chief Miyabi, I’m sorry, but I’ve also just gotten coordinates from Belle. I believe it’s for our investigation. I want to request that I go there, pronto.”
“You’re the scout though,” Yanagi said, frowning. Her eyebrows furrowed. “This kind of mission would greatly require your help.”
“I know, but I want to request an excuse. I’m sorry.”
Yanagi was about to retort, but Miyabi stopped her with a raise of her hand. The thiren held in her breath. She looked at Harumasa, the duo exchanging glances. She pursed her lips, almost sour in uncertainty, then eventually nodded. “You are excused. Yanagi, go with Harumasa. Soukaku, assist me with evacuation.”
“Chief, are you sure?” Yanagi asked. “I am more than happy to assist you. Asaba will be with the Proxy, I’m assuming.”
“I want to make sure everyone can support each other, so do not worry. Harumasa needs assistance too in case trouble brews where the Proxy is. Remember, he is without Dormant Tide and saving the kids is of high priority too.” Miyabi stepped out from her chair, moving quickly to the front. “Let’s get moving.”
Yanagi was hesitant, but nodded. She stood up and walked towards the door, her eyes meeting Harumasa’s. “Tell me the situation while we walk. We’ll get there as quickly as we can.”
“Right.” Harumasa promptly followed. “We’ll be meeting with Belle, Lighter, and Burnice at the Outer Ring. The coordinates are in one of the hollows there, so we'll be investigating inside. I need to be debriefed on the details, but Seth’s the one who told them the information. Apparently, one of the escapees ran into the hollow.”
“Seth… Ah, that officer.” Yanagi’s face soured slightly. She grabbed the keys out of her pocket and unlocked the car once they were in the parking lot. She went straight to the driver’s seat and started the engine. “Did you make up with him? How about him and the Proxies?”
Harumasa shook his head. “I’m not sure.”
Yanagi stared at him, then sighed. She reversed the car, then drove off. “Put the coordinates in, Asaba. We’ll go straight there and meet them.”
Harumasa sighed, nodding his head. Setting in the coordinates, all Harumasa could do now was hope for the best.
Once they reached the outskirts of New Eridu and towards the Outer Ring, Harumasa and Yanagi took in the sight of Belle and the two Sons of Calydon members. The trio looked as though they were talking, though the moment they saw the HSO-branded vehicle moving forward, they waved over.
Yanagi parked nearby. Harumasa was the first to step out, waving back at the group who approached.
“Yo,” Lighter greeted casually. “You guys got here pretty quickly.”
“Thank Yanagi for that,” Harumasa said, grinning slightly to lighten the mood. “So, what’s the plan? We heading in?”
Belle cleared her throat. “The coordinates we’ve gotten lead us into the hollow, so it seems pretty straightforward. PubSec’s been doing a lot of work behind the scenes with Officer Zhu Yuan and the others, so it’s only a matter of finding out what’s inside and making sure whoever’s there is arrested. He- Seth informed me earlier through text that it’s most likely Jamie Hawkings. The last known sighting of him has been around the outskirts of Outer Ring, after all.”
Seth, I wonder how he’s doing.
Burnice cupped her chin, tilting her head. “Huh. I would’ve thought I’d spot him around then. It’s a bit easy to tell drunkards and Outer Ring inhabitants apart from escapees, especially really panicked looking ones.”
“Is it really that easy?” Lighter found himself asking.
The blonde laughed. “Kind of~”
Belle laughed a little as well, though cleared her throat and redirected the conversation. “Anyways, as Mr. Hawkings was last spotted around the Outer Ring, it’s safe to assume he’s the one we’re going after. The hollow itself doesn’t seem to be much of a threat as it is occupied by multiple raiders from what I remember.”
“I see.” Yanagi pushed her glasses up, adjusting them. “If that’s the case, then we should go ahead and head in. I would like for us to be swift with this.”
Harumasa checked the time on his phone. It was a little past twelve in the afternoon. He sighed, mind wandering slightly as he hoped Soukaku took her load of snacks with her on the mission. She was meant to eat at twelve exactly each time, after all.
As for Miyabi, well, he hoped she would be fine. He was sure she would be, given her title as a Void Hunter, but he still worried regardless.
“I’m more than ready to head in,” Harumasa said, grinning. He saw the worried looks from his companions and sighed dramatically, spinning the replacement weapon he had with him. “Look, no matter the weapon, I’m still good with my aim! Promise.”
Lighter put his hands up in mock surrender. “I’m not underestimating your skills, Boss, promise.”
“As long as you got a weapon, you’re raring to go in my opinion!” Burnice chimed in, grinning widely.
Belle nodded. “Besides, didn’t you mention you went to the academy anyways? I think you’re good at whatever you hold at this rate.”
Harumasa snickered. The expressions on everyone’s faces were amusing. He tucked his weapon away and crossed his arms. “Great, so if we’re in agreement, let’s head in already.”
“Alright.” Belle stepped forward. “I’ll tell you all where to go.”
Lighter stretched his arms and followed. “Yup, on it. We’ll make sure to protect you in return.”
With that, the group made their way into the hollow.
The bout of nausea came and went. Harumasa hated how entering and exiting a hollow made his body queasy, but he had the fortunate luck that it was only a second or two. Adjusting to his surroundings, it was clear that the hollow looked chaotic, but it certainly gave him a sense of relief—it wasn’t so mesmerizing nor as terrifyingly strange as Iremia. It looked just like, as weird as it sounded, a regular hollow.
Maybe it was why Hollow Raiders fancied being inside specific hollows in the first place. Some were safer than others, even if the appearance of one screamed chaos and ruin. Harumasa found himself wondering why their suspect, Jamie Hawkings, ran into this hollow. Purely by coincidence? A way to escape the cops? Or was it an intentional choice to hide in the hollow?
Well, he supposed he’ll figure it out soon enough.
Harumasa gestured to the group, a silent agreement made between them that he’d scout ahead. Belle came close to his aid, being the one who knew the route and the way around the hollow itself. He followed her instructions and ran around with ease, eyes surveying the area and Harumasa smirking slightly as he easily dispatched a few ethereals roaming around.
Like I said, he silently winked at Belle who laughed at him from a distance, I don’t need Dormant Tide to show you guys I’m good with a bow.
He continued following the Proxy’s directions, making sure he stayed a few steps ahead to examine the area. Ethereals that came by were easy to kill. Harumasa wondered if his team found themselves wishing he left some for them. A singular shot and one would be down, after all. They were small fry for now.
Of course, the group had to take the raiders into consideration. Given that Belle said the hollow was teeming with the criminals, it was only a matter of time before the raiders would take notice of them—Harumasa wasn’t concerned with their strength, but they were a nuisance regardless.
Speaking of raiders, Harumasa heard uneven movement and then the voices of unfamiliar people in the distance. He brought a hand up, stopping his group. He waved over at the team next, leading everyone to a nearby blind spot away from the raiders who slowly came to view.
“Did we finally outrun that thing?” one of them asked, looking at their bulkier boss. The raider sounded out of breath, chest heaving as shoulders slumped. “Fuck… that was… way too much…”
“We should be good,” the bulky man said, adjusting the helmet he wore. He sounded less frantic and exhausted, but the edge to his voice was still present. “Just- dammit! Now what do we do? Our stuff’s over there.”
One of the other raiders spoke, turning to their leader. “Boss, what about that weirdo though? He might’ve stolen our stuff while running away. Doesn’t he remind you of someone who’s… y’know, not meant to be here?”
The boss sounded offended, if not aghast. “Huh? The fuck you talking about? We’re not meant to be here either, we’re considered Hollow Raiders!”
Hollow Raiders are really… something, aren’t they?
Banter between the raiders aside, Harumasa recognized with ease the ascertains being made. Hollow Raiders were running away from an ethereal, most likely. It was a dangerous one given how they spoke about it, having to flee instead of fight. The raiders spoke upon their “stuff” being left behind, something important—whether that was anti-corruption shots or weaponry or whatnot, Harumasa wasn’t sure. Most importantly, however, the raiders implied and insinuated that there was someone who was not with them—that person most likely being Mr. Hawkings himself.
“So,” Lighter spoke in the open, “we jumping them, right?”
Yanagi blinked a couple times and turned to the boxer. “Wait a second, we can’t just- Lighter!”
Without much thought, Lighter charged into the open with his fists clenched. Yanagi outstretched her hand, then sighed as she pinched the bridge of her nose. Belle made sure to place a comforting hand on the older woman’s shoulder. Yanagi was unable to do much, especially when Burnice was on that same wavelength as Lighter as well, happily running into the battlefield and taking the raiders by surprise.
“Ahem.” Harumasa chimed in to grin awkwardly at Yanagi. “At least it’s not too dangerous.”
“Really? Your friends are way too reckless for their own good,” Yanagi said, sighing as she shook her head. Belle continued to console her by rubbing her shoulder.
Lighter and Burnice easily dispatched the raiders who were taken by surprise. A few smacks and punches here and there, and the raiders were already forfeiting and admitting their loss. Even the boss, as bulky and muscular as he could be, was cowering in fright.
“Shit, why are you guys even here?! No same person would willingly enter a hollow!” one of the raiders screamed. “Also, you guys are being way too violent! If you wanna rob us or something, we have nothing.”
“Honestly, I think they just wanted to fight for the thrill of it,” Belle mumbled, following Yanagi and Harumasa who walked towards everyone.
The pink-haired woman looked at the raiders. She frowned, adjusting the rim of her glasses. “I’m curious about what you all know. We’ve gotten reports that someone has run in here and we wish to apprehend them.”
“We don’t know shit!” one of them cried out, scoffing through the helmet he wore. “You guys are crazy, hitting innocent people like us!”
“Innocent?” Lighter tilted his head. “Last I remember, you guys are Hollow Raiders?”
“Well, yeah, but we haven’t done anything in this place!”
“He does have a point,” Burnice pointed out, crossing her arms.
Yanagi cleared her throat. She stepped closer to the group, then made a small smile as the raiders flinched. “Well, consider that you are currently speaking to a group of people who belong in very, very prominent factions. For instance, consider that I am a member of Section 6 and that it is my right to put you all under arrest for the fact that Hollow Raiders are, in fact, illegal.”
“Huh? What are you-”
“Shit, shut up! That’s-” The raider from the left coughed, almost choking over his own words. “That’s Tsukishiro Yanagi from Section 6!”
“What?!”
Yanagi smiled at the group. She kept her position still, and Harumasa swore he almost felt bad for the group; memories of when he and Miyabi were at the mercy of her anger, of when she would smile so lovingly chilly that it made Harumasa want to die tenfold. It was the same feeling that the raiders had at this moment, the woman holding her naginata tightly. “Please do remember that you are all committing multiple crimes here that could put you in prison for more than a few months, years even. There is illegal trespassing, a lack of licensure to be in the hollow, the-”
“Okay, okay, we get it!” the boss cried out, groaning. “You guys are looking for the guy that was running around, right? We got info, just… promise us you won’t turn us into the damn cops and make sure that weird-looking ethereal gets killed.”
“Well now, that’s a tall order,” Lighter mused, chuckling slightly.
Belle thought to herself for a moment, stopping Yanagi from her tracks. The Proxy cleared her throat and spoke, outstretching a hand, “It depends on the information you give us. What are you all doing here in the first place?”
“To loot for stuff, same ol’ shit you guys are used to hearing,” one of the rookies grumbled, sighing.
“I see, then how about this? We can provide you with our protection, not rat you out to PubSec, and defeat the ethereal if you tell us these things: information about the ethereal you all ran away from, the type of things you’ve been looting, and most importantly information about the man who you all saw running away.”
The Proxy is certainly good at negotiating, Harumasa mused. He wouldn’t even be surprised if Wise was the same, given that he and Belle worked in tandem.
The boss went silent. He seemed to consider his actions, his body slowly going limp as he finally gave in, sighing. “Fine. You guys better not be lying.”
“We’re not,” Belle assured, crossing her arms. “Tell us what you know then.”
He scoffed. “You don’t gotta be so hasty, geez! So, for info, the ethereal we ran from is definitely not like any other ethereal we’ve seen while we’ve been here… for like, more than a while, actually. It’s way bigger and taller… and way more deadlier. Like, hella deadly.”
Burnice curiously hummed. “Really?”
“Yeah.” He sighed a moment later. “We were all running away because, shit, we can’t fight that thing! Then that’s when we saw some dude in a lab coat or something running away… and then that ethereal came chasing after that guy who was running in the direction we came from- I wanted to tell him to run somewhere else since that’s where we found lots of… well, lots of ore and alloys we can sell at a high price in the market.”
Belle’s eyes widened in surprise. “This hollow has those things here?”
“Yup, but… ugh, there goes our trade secret,” he grumbled, looking away.
Harumasa stepped forward, crossing his arms. “Can you show us where this hideout of yours is? We’re going to offer you our protection, of course.”
“D-Do we really have to?” one of the henchmen asked, almost squeaking in the process.
“Wouldn’t it be safer to go with us than be left here alone?” Harumasa questioned, smiling easily at the man who cowered.
The group of raiders looked at each other. The boss sighed, scratching at the back of his neck before he groaned. “Yeah, we’ll take you there. You better keep your word, pretty boy.”
“Thanks, I know I’m pretty,” Harumasa said, more sarcastic than not.
With that settled, the Hollow Raiders led the group further into the hollow. Harumasa kept himself close with the raiders, keeping his weapon close in case any ethereals appeared out of nowhere. It was clear that the illegal investigators were nervous as they delved deeper into the hollow, everyone (including their boss) beginning to shudder and tremble as their steps became less confident and witty.
Once the sight of a building came into view, Harumasa looked at the boss who pointed him and the group over. “Our hideout’s just there. Um… are we gonna follow you guys in?”
“Well, not inside,” Harumasa began, frowning, “our focus is to find the guy being chased by the ethereal first.”
He led the group now that the Hollow Raiders were hiding behind him, their own weapons either weakly held due to their bodies shaking or tightly held out of a need to feel comforted. Harumasa, acting as the scout as per usual, walked a pace quicker, assessing the area.
He noticed traces of etheric matter lying around. A trail, it looked like. The scuffed shoe marks made it even clearer. He gestured at the group to follow, the man making sure his weapon was close with him.
Inching closer, Harumasa stopped when he heard the sounds of yelling and thrashing in the distance. It was clear as to what was happening, so Harumasa made a sprint towards the noise. He readied an arrow on the string, eyes darting around until he took in the sight of a man and an ethereal.
The ethereal was unlike the others seen in the hollow, that was obvious. It was tall, shaped like a Dullahan. This supposed Dullahan, however, looked taller and seemed to be bigger than the other one Harumasa remembered writing a report on. The ethereal held its crystallized blade and shield, running towards the man who Harumasa realized was undoubtedly Jamie Hawkings.
The convict was running in circles, breathless and panting. Harumasa frowned as he aimed at the ethereal and struck. “Let’s go!”
Yanagi, Lighter, and Burnice ran into the fight. Harumasa stayed behind with Belle and the raiders, working to support as he continued to aim and strike with his arrows. Jamie was baffled by the sudden development, but seemingly noticing he was safe, sighed in relief as he collapsed to the ground.
Yanagi spun her naginata and struck, electricity following her as she sliced left and right. Burnice took this time to spin around and attack from behind the ethereal, helping to burn and land disorder as Lighter powered up his gauntlets and flashed a flurry of quick, sharp punches that sent the Dullahan stagnant.
Harumasa continued to fire away with his weapon, then seeing that the coast was clear, he ran towards Jamie himself. He signaled to his team to continue, and then immediately turned around to stare the man down.
“Huh? Who-”
“Don’t move.” Harumasa readied his bow. He pointed straight at the criminal, glaring at him. He ignored how the convict’s eyes widened, how he trembled slightly. “Jamie Hawkings, a man who has been fired from White Star Institute. A convict who escaped prison alongside three others. You have been convicted of multiple crimes, your main one being that you’ve been trafficking humans for illegal purposes, such as human experimentation. We’ve been tracking you down.”
Jamie’s eyes were wide. Slowly, however, it seemed like the initial shock had died down. He narrowed his gaze. His eyes gazed at the archer, head to toe. His lips quivered, but curled upwards. “What do you know? It’s Phanes’ little Harumasa. How’s the kids?”
“Huh?” Harumasa’s grip tightened. He gritted his teeth. “Phanes again? What are you talking about? You know where the kids are?”
“Foolish Harumasa.” Jamie laughed, grin becoming wider as he mocked the man. “Don’t tell me you haven’t found the kids? Maybe Dr. Kirishima and the rest already ended up accidentally killing them. Phanes would love that.”
Harumasa’s eyes widened. “You!”
“Why are you angry? You’re favored by Phanes.”
The archer glared at the man. His heart was beating erratically, adrenaline coursing through his veins. Chills ran down his spine, his voice practically shaking as his grip on the bow and arrow shook. “Who are you even talking about?”
“Oh Harumasa, you’re cruel, you know that?”
Before Harumasa had the chance to retort, he saw the man biting down on something—specifically, a capsule.
Fuck, no!
The convict’s mouth was covered in liquid, some trickling down the corner of his lips. He grinned wildly at Harumasa who dropped his weapon and tackled him down. A choked laugh escaped the back of his throat, even when Harumasa turned him over and began to force him to vomit the liquid he had just consumed.
“You- This isn’t fair!” Harumasa cried out. His mind was jumping from place to place, heart pounding so painfully and brain racking itself up in ache. He felt tears threatening to fall as he felt the truth slipping away from him. Too soon. It all happened too soon. “Dammit, hey!”
As he continued to rock the man’s body, he realized more and more that it was too late. Harumasa heard the sounds of choking, then the sounds of dry heaving and rasps. The archer shakily felt life fleeting once more, his grip on the criminal loosening as the man rolled on the floor with blood spilling from his mouth. He gagged and coughed, and Harumasa could only watch as the man ultimately faded away.
The man had the last laugh.
Harumasa hated how the man looked peaceful, satisfied even, in death. A slap to the face, and the executive officer realized his body had been shaking the entire time. He couldn’t even recognize that the ethereal had successfully been defeated, not realizing when Yanagi ran to his side and held his shoulder, trying to comfort and ground him.
“Asaba,” she began, softly, “are you okay?”
Harumasa looked at his teammate. He forced back his tears and nodded. “Yeah. Sorry, I couldn’t stop the guy… he had a capsule in his mouth. Definitely poison.”
“That’s rough.” Lighter bit his lip. He walked forward, shaky. He heaved in a breath and knelt down to the body, scanning him for a moment. He placed his hand on the man’s throat. Silence. He sighed, shaking his head as he stood up and turned away, gagging. “Fuck- Yeah.”
“Hey, don’t push it, Lighter.” Burnice tried to comfort the man, making a small smile. She then turned to Harumasa and frowned. “Relax. You didn’t know. It’s not your fault.”
Harumasa nodded. “I know. I… did get to hear some stuff from here though, at least. He was mostly mocking me. He said something about Phanes though. It’s similar to what I’ve heard from Iremia. I still do not know what Phanes even is.”
“Phanes…” Belle thought to herself for a moment. She frowned. “If I recall correctly, isn’t Phanes rumored to be the ‘mother’ of Iremia Hollow?”
“What?” He turned to the Proxy.
Belle pursed her lips. “I don’t know much, but I believe Phanes is considered the ‘mother’... or rather, the ‘maker’ of Iremia Hollow. People have claimed that Phanes is the, I guess, voice in your head that talks to you and makes you act inside the hollow. I’m not entirely sure.”
“That sounds really creepy,” Lighter mused, frowning.
“That’s because it is,” Burnice chimed in with a short laugh, shaking her head. “But, I’ve never heard anything like that before. I didn’t think hollows would be, y’know, owned by someone. Ethereal or not.”
“Well, the hollows aren’t really things we fully understand,” Belle said, crossing her arms. “But from what my brother and I have heard, and I’m sure I can ask Fairy to help look into it, Phanes is definitely rumored to be the one who seemingly owns Iremia.”
“Wait, can I chime in? Got a lil’ bit of a question.” Lighter cleared his throat. “The… The Jamie dude. He was on the run, then met up with Harumasa over here, and then died after mocking him and talking about Phanes? It sounds so…”
Harumasa knew what he was saying. He frowned, scoffing a little. “Yeah, it sounds too sudden.”
Burnice shook her head. “I’m as lost as you are, not gonna lie.”
“Either way, we need to report what happened here to PubSec,” Yanagi said, crossing her arms. “I would suggest we investigate Phanes and Iremia Hollow further as well.”
Harumasa heaved in a sigh, nodding his head. His heart throbbed.
Goddammit, he hated how Jamie mocked him. He hated how he found him, only to receive nothing but mockery and pain.
But, Phanes huh?
He worried over the obsession the supposed “mother of Iremia” had with him.