At the same moment, in the skies outside the building, an armed helicopter belonging to the New Eridu Public Security appeared near the structure. Inside, the pilot almost immediately spotted a figure standing near a window—Uchiha.
Confirming the figure's identity as the legendary Hollow Raider, he quickly radioed in.
"Captain Qing Yi, I've spotted Uchiha inside the building. Requesting instructions!"
On the ground, leading a small team to breach the building, Qing Yi halted immediately.
"Uchiha? Are you sure?"
"I'm very sure. At least based on his appearance and attire, it's the Uchiha from the rumors!"
After a brief breath, Qing Yi gave her command.
"Ignore him. Our mission is only to confirm whether the Red Fang Gang's headquarters is located here. Besides, we're in no position to provoke him."
Her tone sounded casual, but the implications were clear.
Uchiha was a Hollow Raider—technically a criminal in New Eridu. Ideally, the Public Security should be trying to apprehend him.
But how were they supposed to handle someone who could move freely through Hollows and slaughter massive Ethereals like playthings?
If they actually tried to fight him, they'd likely be wiped out before even locating the Red Fang base.
Qing Yi could only hope that Uchiha wasn't working with the Red Fang Gang—otherwise, they were in for serious trouble.
"Captain, he… he's gone!"
The pilot's voice crackled again over the radio. From his view, Uchiha had turned and calmly walked deeper into the building—then disappeared completely.
Qing Yi paused, then gave her next order. "Everyone, quietly approach the building and look for a way to infiltrate. If you encounter Uchiha, do not engage."
As far as she was concerned, if Uchiha wasn't attacking them, there was no reason not to continue the operation.
Meanwhile, elsewhere on Fourteenth Street, Zhu Yuan—now dressed in plainclothes—was also closing in on the building.
She'd hidden the weapon Qing Yi gave her under her coat, ready to slip inside if needed.
While the Public Security's operation was unfolding smoothly, a surge of Ether energy began erupting from the Original Hollow known as [Cretan], located near the Fourteenth Street. The wave of energy expanded outward in every direction.
...
"Proxy, we found Zhong Yan—but it looks like he got into a fight with the Hollow Raider Uchiha. We're fleeing now."
Outside the building, Belle had just regrouped with Wise when she heard Anby's tense voice through her earpiece.
Hearing that Zhong Yan had been found, both siblings breathed a sigh of relief—especially Belle, whose anxiety visibly lifted.
But Zhong Yan… tangled with Uchiha?
They knew the name well. The most powerful Hollow Raider in history. The one who turned massive Ethereals into his toys.
In just a few months, he had cleared more giants than the Hollow Research Association had in years.
They didn't know why Uchiha was here—but Zhong Yan crossing paths with him was very bad news.
"I'm bringing the car around. You two get out—now!" Wise responded quickly, scooping up Eous and running for the parking lot.
Inside the building, Zhong Yan and the others were already approaching the first-floor exit. Just as they were about to make their final sprint—
—The ground rumbled.
Visible Ether energy burst through the air, rapidly forming a spatial barrier that expanded outward from the building.
"It's a Hollow outbreak!" Anby was the first to realize what was happening. She glanced back at the forming Hollow boundary and picked up her pace, stealing frequent glances at Zhong Yan.
Zhong Yan was still dragging the utterly confused Nekomata, but when the Hollow disaster emerged, even she realized the gravity of the situation and began sprinting on her own.
Outside, Qing Yi also sensed something was wrong inside the building.
"The Ether levels are spiking—this has to be a companion Hollow disaster..." she muttered before turning to her squad. "We're retreating. We're not equipped to handle a Hollow outbreak unprepared."
Her order was immediate and firm. Several squad members had Ether compatibility scores below fifty. If they were dragged in, they'd be corrupted into Ethereals in minutes.
The team murmured anxiously, but under Qing Yi's command, they began withdrawing in an orderly fashion.
Up in the air, the helicopter had already veered away the moment it detected the energy surge.
As the Hollow boundary expanded, a massive rift became visible to the naked eye—and it wasn't done growing.
Residents of the Fourteenth Street, many unaware of what was happening, were suddenly swallowed by the Hollow. By the time they realized they needed to run, the space around them had already twisted beyond recognition.
With no Carrot to guide them, they wandered helplessly inside the Hollow.
Those with Ether compatibility below fifty, if not rescued quickly, would begin turning into Ethereals—suffering unimaginable pain and death.
Zhu Yuan, who had been preparing to infiltrate the Red Fang Gang's HQ, also realized the Hollow outbreak had begun. She tried to flee—but it was already too late.
The Hollow expanded far faster than she could run. In the blink of an eye, she was swallowed.
Inside, the Ether pressure was intense. Fortunately, her compatibility score was high enough to survive.
But without a Carrot, she couldn't find an exit. And the longer she stayed, the greater the risk of corruption—even for someone like her.
Now, all she could do was wait… and hope the Hollow Investigative Association would mount a rescue in time.