Uchiha of Zenless Zone Zero

When nightfall was near, the time for action was drawing closer.

Inside the Cunning Hares, Anby, who had prepared well in advance, left home an hour early and headed for the subway station in the Fourteenth Street.

Meanwhile, on Sixth Street, the sibling duo had activated the HDD system. Belle was in charge of operating it, while Wise was responsible for transporting it to the designated location.

Only Zhong Yan was still at home, tinkering with something, with less than ten minutes left before the agreed meeting time.

"This number should be enough." Wiping the sweat from his brow, Zhong Yan looked at the pile of small iron balls laid out on the table and nodded in satisfaction.

These were items he had previously commissioned someone to make. Each was equipped with a spring mechanism—once the button at the center was pressed, the sealed iron ball would instantly pop open.

Inside the iron balls were special surprises he had painstakingly prepared for the Red Fang Gang.

Ever since he returned from Lumina Square this afternoon, he had been working on this. You could say he had left no stone unturned.

He wiped his forehead again, glanced at the time on his phone, and reread the message Belle had sent a short while ago. Zhong Yan knew—it was time to move.

However, taking the subway now would make him late, so he opted for the fastest and most convenient method.

That was... Kamui.

As his Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan manifested, the next second, his body was swallowed by a spatial vortex and soon vanished from where he stood.

Roughly ten seconds later, a similar vortex appeared in an unnoticed corner of the Fourteenth Street. Zhong Yan stepped out from the shadows and quickly made his way toward the meeting point.

At the meeting spot, Anby had already arrived, holding a hamburger she had bought from a nearby shop. Wise, carrying Eous, had also made it—only Zhong Yan was still missing.

"Proxy, hello." Anby took a bite of her hamburger while greeting Wise.

Wise responded politely, "Hello, Anby. You bought two hamburgers... is that because you didn't have dinner?"

Noticing the other still-wrapped burger in her hand, Wise couldn't help but ask.

Anby shook her head and replied, "No, this one's for Zhong Yan."

Hearing this, Wise gave a slightly awkward smile and remained silent, unsure of what to say.

Nearby, Eous—being controlled by Belle—was scanning the surroundings nonstop, as if searching for something.

Just then, a figure entered Eous's visual system, prompting Belle to exclaim excitedly, "It's Zhong Yan—he's finally here!"

The others turned to look and saw Zhong Yan jogging toward them in the distance.

"Sorry I'm a bit late—hope I didn't miss anything?" Zhong Yan said, panting as he arrived.

Of course, this exhausted look was an act. After all, the corner he teleported to via Kamui was only about a hundred meters from the meeting point.

"Not really late..." Belle replied.

She had just started to move Eous forward when Anby walked up even faster and handed Zhong Yan the hamburger she had prepared earlier.

"Zhong Yan, this is for you."

Zhong Yan blinked in surprise, then quickly accepted it. "Thanks—I actually didn't have dinner."

Saying that, he unwrapped the burger and started devouring it hungrily.

Unconsciously, the corners of Anby's lips curved into a faint smile, as if deeply satisfied.

Belle, watching this, felt an odd sense of loss. It wasn't until Wise came over and gently patted Eous on the head that she felt slightly better.

To avoid letting this subtle tension linger, Wise spoke up at just the right moment. "Let's go over the plan in detail next."

Less than a thousand meters from them stood an unassuming high-rise. That building was the current headquarters of the Red Fang Gang. With the cover of a corporate front and protection from a high-ranking official, they had managed to stay hidden.

In the game's storyline, the Cunning Hares and the Red Fang Gang first appear at this same building.

According to the timeline, a few months later, the Red Fang Gang would be discovered by the Cunning Hares and the New Eridu Public Security.

In other words, even without Zhong Yan's intervention, they were doomed to eventual destruction.

"Right, these are for you guys." Remembering something, Zhong Yan pulled several small iron balls from his pocket and handed them out.

Eous got one, while Anby received two. This was because the Bangboo's limbs size was too small—holding more than one would make it hard to move freely.

These were the very iron balls Zhong Yan had prepared earlier that day for the Red Fang Gang.

"If you run into danger, press the button on the iron ball and throw it within five seconds. Make sure to stay at least five meters away from it."

Zhong Yan spoke with a serious tone, emphasizing the importance.

Both Anby and Eous nodded as they took the balls. Then Zhong Yan turned to Wise and handed him one too. "Even though you're not coming in with us, it's best to have something for self-defense—just in case."

Wise didn't refuse the kind gesture.

"One more time—the mission goal is to find the safe. Everything else is secondary. Don't get caught in unnecessary fights. If anything goes wrong, notify us immediately!"

With a stern expression, Zhong Yan gave his final reminder. Afterward, the group donned the black robes they had prepared for a bit of disguise and officially began their mission.

...

Among the squad, only Wise remained behind, keeping communication open via earpiece. If anything went wrong, he could assist from outside.

However, he didn't notice the deep crimson cat-like eyes locked onto him from a nearby corner.

Their entire conversation had been overheard by the owner of those eyes.

Thoughts raced through her mind. She wanted to stop them, but her conscience wavered.

After a long moment of hesitation, she ultimately chose to leave without confronting the isolated Wise.

Her new destination was clear—the high-rise that housed the Red Fang Gang's headquarters.

There were matters she had to settle with Miguel Silver.

And it was also time to sever ties with her past.