Bring Klee Next Time

While Kuki Shinobu was still searching for Arataki Itto...

At that same moment...

In the world of Zenless Zone Zero, inside the C41 Hollow, Arataki Itto sat in the passenger seat of a truck, excitedly watching abandoned buildings flash by outside the window.

"Ahahaha, Billy! Faster! Go even faster!"

It was his first time experiencing something like this. He never expected Liyue Harbor to have such incredible vehicles—this was even faster than when he ran at full speed himself.

Hearing Arataki Itto yell, Billy got just as hyped. "Hold tight—accelerating now!"

As soon as he said it, Billy stomped on the gas. The truck surged forward, speeding up even more.

But their fun didn't last long.

Suddenly, an off-road vehicle caught up from behind, and Nicole's voice came sharply through the comms. "Billy, are you trying to get yourself killed? Driving like that in the Hollows—I swear, crash once and you're done for!"

The moment he heard Nicole, Billy immediately eased off the pedal.

Soon after, everyone came to a stop at an intersection ahead.

Nicole scolded Billy thoroughly, then pulled out the map they'd gotten from Phaethon, checking for the location of the next warehouse.

"Anby, Nekomata, this map's a mess. Come help me figure it out."

"Let me see, nya~"

"Nicole, over here."

Anby only took a few seconds to scan the map before pointing to one corner. She had already located the nearest warehouse.

Nicole glanced over and nodded. "It's not far. Billy, this time you're following me—I'm not letting you lead anymore."

Billy covered his face. "Okay, Nicole…"

...

They quickly set out again.

The warehouse was close. Nicole drove up front, leading the way, with Billy following in the truck behind her.

As they turned onto the next street...

Another vehicle approached from a different block, entering the same road at nearly the exact moment as Nicole's SUV.

The instant she saw them, Nicole frowned.

Damn it.

Another group of Hollow raiders.

Judging by their direction, they were probably headed for the same warehouse.

No time to hesitate. Nicole floored it and sped forward.

Behind her, Billy was dumbfounded.

Wasn't she the one who told them not to speed inside the Hollow?

Then why was Nicole going full throttle?

Arataki Itto laughed loudly. "Billy, step on it! Your team's already way ahead!"

Snapping back to reality, Billy gunned it and gave chase.

He noticed the other vehicle—and the logo on its side: Victoria Housekeeping Co.

Them again.

Probably after the same warehouse.

...

Over ten minutes later, Hare's House's vehicle, Victoria Housekeeping's vehicle, and Billy's truck all parked by the roadside near the warehouse.

Nicole stormed out of her car, full of fire. "Hey! We found this warehouse first! You've been tailing us—what's the deal?"

As a seasoned agent, Nicole knew how things worked in the Hollows. When two teams clashed, the one with the stronger presence usually walked away with the loot.

But before she could press further—

Lycaon, Ellen, Corin, Rina, and Venti stepped out from the opposing vehicle.

The moment they met, Venti smiled. "Now, now, no need to be so aggressive. Let's talk things out. If you really want us to leave, we will."

Lycaon furrowed his brow. "..."

Ellen, however, spoke firmly. "Don't be ridiculous. We found this warehouse together—why should we give it up?"

Corin looked at everyone timidly. "C-Can't we just talk this through…"

Rina offered a soft smile. "Looks like we found the warehouse at the same time, Miss Nicole. How about we explore it together? Whoever finds treasure first keeps it—fair and square."

At that moment, Billy jogged over. "She's got a point, Nicole. Victoria Housekeeping used to be our client, remember? If word got out that we were clashing with former clients…"

Before he could finish, Nicole kicked him. "Enough out of you."

Billy immediately zipped his lips. "..."

And really, Billy wasn't wrong.

If it had been any other group of raiders, Nicole might've been able to scare them off with sheer presence alone.

But Victoria Housekeeping wasn't just any crew. They were well-known, strong, and had even been clients of Hare's House. Nicole didn't want to start a conflict.

Plus...

That bard, Venti, was a friend of Sam Li's.

Nicole cleared her throat. "Since it's Victoria Housekeeping, and given our past partnership, let's go with your suggestion—joint exploration it is."

Venti grinned. "Perfect."

Nekomata tilted her head curiously. "Why do you sound just like Sam Li, nya~…"

Sam Li: "..."

Just then, Arataki Itto hopped out of the truck. The moment he saw Venti, he lit up in surprise.

"Hey! The singing bard! What're you doing here? Where's Klee? Didn't she come with you?"

He looked around, but couldn't spot her anywhere.

Venti chuckled. "No need to look—Klee's still in Mondstadt."

Nekomata asked, intrigued, "Who's Klee? And what's Mondstadt?"

Venti smiled gently. "Klee is the Spark Knight of the Knights of Favonius. Mondstadt is my hometown."

Knights of Favonius? Spark Knight?

The strange terms only made Nekomata more confused.

That group called the Knights of Favonius must be some outer-ring gang. He'd heard of plenty that gave themselves knightly-sounding names like that.

Hearing all this, Arataki Itto looked a little disappointed. "Aw, man. I was hoping we could go blow up some fish together. Too bad you didn't bring her."

At the mention of fish, Nekomata's eyes sparkled. "Blow up fish? What kind of fish?"

Arataki Itto explained proudly, "Any kind! Bass, bream, sharks—you name it, we blow it up. Bard, this place is awesome. Can't you bring Klee next time?"

Venti laughed. "It's a long trip. But next time—for sure."

...

While the others chatted away, Nicole had already slipped into the warehouse with Anby, Soldier 11, and Sam Li.

By the time the Victoria Housekeeping crew realized what had happened, Nicole and her team were already out of sight.

Ellen frowned. "So sly... she had that android distract us and snuck her people in ahead. Boss, we need to go in now."

Lycaon nodded. "Right. Rina, Corin, Venti—let's move."

Corin clutched her chainsaw tightly as she followed. "Corin will try her best this time! I'll definitely find lots of supply crates!"

...