"When my katana was out of control, you rushed into the foxfire without any protection...Why?
You already figured out where the exit is. You could've left me behind and not worry about getting arrested."
Miyabi ask the Proxy, who just helped her to seal her katana with the sheath and control the foxfire.
Belle just look at her with her genuine smile and said...
"Because I'm your Proxy! Even if we're just temporary partners, I promised to get you out, and that's what I'll do."
Those words felt genuine, yet it has no lies from what Miyabi felt, unlike those people she occasionally interrogate. But from Belle, they carry out of goodwill, as if that's her real intention. She never thought that there could be another good person like her mother, her father and Section 6.
Not only she was able to seal her katana, but managing the way out without Carrot and fixing her sheath, she really show how she wanted to help her. Now she's wondering if she'll continue on arresting the manager.
Those were her thoughts after she eliminate the enemies. When she was done, she called out the Proxy to come out now from hiding, when everything is clear.
"You may come out now, Proxy."
...
"Proxy?" She rush towards the hidden spot where the manager was hiding. When she make it there, her body hault suddenly, feeling her heart just drop when she saw Proxy kneeling on the floor.
She rush to her side, kneeling on the floor while placing her hand on the manager's back to support her body.
"Proxy! Are you okay?!"
"I'm fine...I'm just feeling a bit dizzy."
Despite her words, Belle's body didn't tell her that it was just dizziness. She was coughing so bad and her breathing was erratic, signs of extreme level of ether energy corruption.
Before she can inspect further, the manager fell unconscious, limping on the floor.
"Proxy!!"
She hold the manager in her arms, trying to rouse her from unconsciousness, but she didn't respond.
"We need to get out of here, fast."
She lift the Proxy in her arms and start printing to the next exits. More Ethereals were coming to their direction but she didn't care. She just ignore and dodge any of them, as the life that she was carrying is more important than to eradicate all evil.
After few skips and turns, a fissure appeared in front of her. She jump to the exit and soon, she found herself outside of the northwest side of Outer Ring Hollow. A short but heavy sigh escape from her mouth before she look down at the Proxy.
"Proxy, we're out. We're finally get out of the Hollow."
She nudge the manager in her arms to rouse her again, but with few motion of her arm on her shoulder, she remain unresponsive.
...
"Proxy?"
Relief immediately leave her body when the manager remain unresponsive in her arms. She place her hand on her face, searching for any movements and breathing... Only to feel her heart drop when she didn't found anything.
"She...she's not breathing..."
Panic start to rush within her as the Proxy didn't display any signs of breathing. Her chest was still and there's no air coming out of her mouth. She know that she's breathing earlier, but why now? Couldn't be after getting out of the Hollow, that she experienced a rejection reaction?
"Proxy! Proxy, wake up!"
She tried anything to bring her back from the brink, like nudging her more, slapping her face and taking off her jacket to give her a proper airway. But she remain lifeless on the dusty floor.
She reach to her earpiece, contacting her Deputy Chief for help. After a minute, she heard the voice from the other line.
"Yanagi!"
"Chief! Are you alright? Are you still in the Hollow?"
"No, we've made it out of it."
"Phew, I'm glad you're okay."
From the other side, Asaba and Soukaku were heard, along to what it seems to be the Cunning Hares.
"As expected from Chief, always made it our without scratch."
"Yeah! Chief Miyabi is the best."
"..."
When she heard those praised, she felt guilty instead of flattered. She made it out of the Hollow because of the Proxy, who's unconscious and not breathing in her arms.
"Forget about me, Yanagi, I need you to get here and the rest of the help as possible."
"What is it? Is there some trouble from there?"
"Yes, and it's about the Proxy. Her life is in danger."
Just then, she heard a loud voice from her earpiece, ringing through her fox ears sensitively.
"What?! What happened to the proxy?!"
"Hey, don't shout on my earpiece."
Yanagi was heard while pushing Nicole away. Billy then talk on the other line
"Are you serious? The proxy is in danger?! Oh no, what do we do?!"
"Chief Miyabi, how is she?"
"A while ago, she's having a hard time breathing and coughing, and she's having dizziness. After we head out of the Hollow, she's not breathing.
"WHAT?!"
She wince again as her ears caught the loud feedback and the voices from the earpiece, though ignore it as she notice how the proxy's face is getting pale.
"Her face is getting more pale, should I proceed on applying an immediate resuscitation?"
"Yes, chief. I think you should." Yanagi replied.
"Hey! Don't do anything stupid to Belle, you hear me!" Nicole said.
Calm down, miss two tails. Chief Miyabi will try to save Proxy." Soukaku tried to calm down the Cunning Hares leader but it doesn't seem to work.
"Okay, I'll do it." Miyabi nod before proceeding to lay Belle on the floor flatly, placing her hands on the center of the chest and start pumping.
After a minute, she lean herself closer and open Belle's lips to open her airway and pinch her nose shut. She made sure she was following the procedures that she remember, but the hardest part is when she's about to give air. She felt embarrassed, but she has to set it aside, time is running out.
'Calm down, you got this, I have to save her after she risked her life for helping me.'
So she lean and seal her mouth with hers, giving breathes that lasted one second and making sure that Belle's chest is rising and falling to give more.
Unbeknownst to her, a loud voice slowly coming towards her and before she knew, a hand pull her away and she saw an annoyed face, looking at her.
"Hey! Step out of the way-"
Nicole was about to push away the Void Hunter but her anger was placed with worry when she saw how worst the situation of Belle by the pale of her face.
She push the fox thiren out of the way and check her vitals, before looking back at her in panic. Miyabi felt annoyed when she was stopped for saving Belle.
"Hey! I was trying to save her until you stop me.
"Well, if you didn't try to arrest us or arrest her, then this wouldn't be happening! Oh crap, if Wise found out about this, he'll kick me to the Hollow.."
She immediately positioned herself, holding proxy's face and she lean in to give breathes for resuscitation. But her methods were odd and failing as she press her lips too much on the manager's and her head was not slight tilt up.
Miyabi was startled when she saw what Nicole was doing, hurriedly pulling the girl out of the way.
"What are you doing?!"
"Huh?! I was trying to save the manager, what else am I doing?"
"That's not how you apply CPR, your pressing your lips too much on her."
Nicole flustered, immediately retorted back.
"Is it like what you're doing to her when I found you both?!"
As they argue about the appropriate procedure of CPR, Yanagi and Anby came to them, followed by the rest of the Section 6 and Cunning Hares, and Eous.
"Warning, master's vitals shows that her body was affected by critical ether corruption, resulting of rejection reaction that cause a cardiac arrest Please provide immediate resuscitation to revive master."
Fairy stated through Eous before it comes to Belle's side, holding her sleeve, crying out for Belle.
"Ehna, ehnaa!! (Belle, wake up!)"
"I'll handle the procedure, I just need someone to help me on checking her vitals and the rest." Yanagi immediately drop her weapon and adjust her glasses.
"I'll do it." Anby join in, ready to help for applying medical care.
"The rest of you will stay back, we need a space to do this." Yanagi ordered out and the others immediately follow. She then start to give breathes and pump her chest, while counting. Meanwhile, Anby is there to check if Belle will regain consciousness or if she need to switch with Yanagi.
Miyabi keep her eyes on them, especially on Proxy. The others also keep watching, praying that the manager will revive.
"Oh manager, come on." Billy mumbled, praying that Belle will survive.
In a long time of distressed and uneasiness, Miyabi just watched closely as her deputy chief and the white haired girl are trying to revive the Proxy. She have to make the decision of arresting or bringing the proxy to interrogation so that they can get an intel or evidence if what Nicole is saying was right. But she knew her decision is what brought her here, what brough Belle here, now being revive after getting effects of ether corruption.
Her ears perk up when she heard coughing, turning into loud gasp as Belle stir up from the brink of death. Yanagi and Anby were able to relax while they let Nicole and Billy support Belle as she was about to wake up. They all wait until they met those aqua orbs, half lidded and blinking, now looking towards them.
"You're...awake? You're awake! Manager's awake!" Billy exclaimed in joy as Nicole let out a sigh of relief.
"Phew! You're finally awake! I'm so tired...! Anby? Star student? Are you guys okay?" She said as she look at the two who were regaining their energy after doing the resuscitation.
"I'm okay. Nekomata, there's some water inside the suitcase, can you grab one for me?"
From Eous, Wise was heard from the other line, who's giving her so many questions after worrying for her. Geez, give the guy a break.
"Belle!!! You're finally awake! How are you feeling? Do your eyes still hurt? Are you injured anywhere else?"
Belle tries to start her implants to see if it's working and if her eyes and head are not in pain. She was confused more of why her face and mouth feels burning.
"Huh, my ocular implants are working again...? I feel dizzy, I have a headache and my chest hurts, and it feels like my face and mouth are burning...is this real? Am I out of the Hollow?"
Then Nicole immediately answer her while holding her back and supporting her body.
"Welcome back to the real world. You made it out! If you'd stayed unconscious any longer, your sibling would've yeeted my but into the Hollow!"
Then, Fairy's voice was heard from Eous, explaining her of what is going on while she's unconscious. "Welcome back, Master. I have calibrated your smart ocular implants via my first assistant, Eous. Approximately half an hour ago, the head of Section 6, Hoshimi Miyabi, pulled you out of the northwest side of the Outer Ring Hollow."
The AI further explained that she was exposed in extreme dangerous level of Ether energy that result of triggering partial corruption, after getting out of the Hollow, Fairy stated that she got cardiac arrest after experiencing rejection reaction that caused further complications. This made Belle and the others, feeling uneasy, especially Nicole and Miyabi. Belle on the other hand felt worse since she nearly died this time, much worse than when she was stuck in the Hollow after picking some new movies for the store. Luckily the two factions cooperate together to bring her back from brink.
Nicole immediately stop the AI from explaining further, not wanting to cause more stress for Belle that she already has, then explaining that she needs to go see the doctor after this.
Then Belle ask Nicole..."Are you and Section 6 on good terms now, Nicole? And where's Miss Miyabi? Is she okay?"
Miyabi's face softened for a second before her stoic facade returned. She could not believe that Belle was worried about her own safety, while she was the one who nearly died. She get up and approach Belle from behind.
"I'm fine, don't worry about me. And I mean it this time." She said, reassuring her now honestly.
Asaba come in, now complimenting the Chief as always. Yanagi asked him about the captives and he replied that they confessed about their reasons. Belle then join the conversation and ask.
"Hang on, what are you guys talking about? I'm not following."
Nicole and Soukaku then explained the rest after she and Miyabi were in the Hollow, helping each other to stop the mercenaries.
"It was a tough situation, so we joined forces to take them down. Just we were ready to head in to find you, Section 6 got a message from Miyabi, saying you were with her, and that you were in danger."
Nicole looked at MIyabi, and smirk as she continued further. "We hurried over here and found you lying on the ground, and Miyabi..."
Miyabi's eyes widen when she realized what Nicole was planning to do, so she cut her out and saying. "You can skip that part."
"Hmm? What, are you embarrassed? That's not very like you, fox~" Nicole teasing Miyabi while the latter narrow her eyes at her, then remembered something.
"If you keep talking, I'll tell everyone how you performed the emergency medical care."
This made Nicole shut up and cover her mouth, hiding her blushed from the others as she remembered how she did the CPR. Miyabi smirk but also felt embarrassed when she also did it, while Belle was left confused.
The rest of the Cunning Hares and Section 6 just stared at the two, wondering what happened a while ago when Nicole left hurriedly to go where Belle and Miyabi was. They want to asked but the two leaders didn't want to share the info, not wanting to snitch to each other as they know that both of them will be embarrassed.
But hey, at least Belle was so lucky, even though she have no clue, heheh...