Uchiha in Zenless Zone Zero

With the death of the Drifters' leader and the exposure of Vanquishers second-in-command Lucius, it wasn't long before the Sons of Calydon had their name cleared across the Outer Ring.

The most immediate outcome was the complete failure of the Drifters' previous scheme. What they couldn't stomach even more was the loss of the one person who had always supported them—their patron.

Without him, the Drifters were nothing but a disorganized band of outcasts, unsure of their own purpose. The only thing they could do was resort to looting and scavenging just to survive.

But such lawless behavior was absolutely unacceptable in the highly unified Outer Ring.

So, led by the Vanquishers, the major factions of the Outer Ring launched a sweeping purge of the Drifters that lasted several months.

During this time, countless Drifter members were killed. The remaining remnants were exiled, while some, with nowhere left to turn, chose to return to New Eridu and surrender themselves.

At least that way, they could receive humanitarian aid. But for death-row criminals whose crimes were beyond forgiveness, that option simply didn't exist.

...

As for Zhong Yan, now that the Exaltists had once again gone into hiding, he returned to the peace of campus life.

After several months of studies, another school break arrived—marking the beginning of his final semester as a high school student.

Inside the Kamui dimension, Airi continued interrogating the two captured Twelve Shields. But their silence was unprecedented—even after Zhong Yan exhausted every method of torture he could think of, they refused to talk.

If it weren't for the fact that these half-human, half-Ethereal beings were biologically incapable of dying in a normal way, they'd never have survived long enough to reach this point.

With no other choice, Zhong Yan left Airi to continue the interrogation. Even the tiniest shred of information could be invaluable.

Meanwhile, he had another matter to attend to—

Anby.

It had been six or seven months since he first learned he was going to be a father.

Anby's belly had grown considerably since then, and now she had to visit the hospital for check-ups every four or five days.

Thanks to Zhong Yan's financial support, the Cunning Hares had stopped all extraneous operations during this time and focused solely on taking care of Anby.

Occasionally, they helped the Phaethon siblings with tasks Zhong Yan couldn't handle publicly—but usually only dispatched one or two members. At least, Nicole had remained by Anby's side the entire time.

And perhaps the best news of all: the secret had been kept remarkably well.

Under Zhong Yan's instructions, the Cunning Hares had not informed the Phaethon siblings of Anby's pregnancy. As a result, Belle still didn't know that Zhong Yan and Anby were expecting a child.

As for Ellen—her relationship with the two wasn't particularly close, and she rarely interacted with them, so there was no way she'd know either.

Still, secrets don't stay buried forever. Zhong Yan knew he had to find a way to break the news in a way they could accept.

So, he decided to talk to Ellen first. He figured she'd take it more calmly—especially considering how close the two of them had become.

That day at noon, light snow was falling. Several days of heavy snowfall had already blanketed all of New Eridu.

At Lumina Square, sanitation workers were diligently clearing snow from the roads. If they didn't, the city's transportation network would grind to a halt.

The sidewalks were another story. Thanks to steady foot traffic, walkways naturally formed without the need for clearance.

Zhong Yan had arranged to meet Ellen at a café in the plaza.

Funny enough, it was the same place they had gone to the first time they skipped class together.

Winters in New Eridu were harsh—even the rivers showed signs of icing over. So, the two sat inside, enjoying coffee in the heated comfort of the café's interior.

"This place sure does good business," Ellen said softly while waiting for her drink.

She never once looked directly at Zhong Yan—but the corners of her eyes kept drifting toward him.

On her wrist, she still wore the shark bracelet Zhong Yan had given her. It was a cheap trinket, something that should've broken after a month or two—but it was still in perfect condition after half a year. Clearly, she took very good care of it.

That small detail exposed her true feelings—though her tsundere nature kept her expression cold.

Who knew when she'd ever drop that act?

"Well, it's in the city center. I heard Lumina Square was designated a special development zone. There's talk it'll become New Eridu's new transportation hub. A lot of merchants from outside the city are setting up shop here. The sudden growth's been rough on locals."

Zhong Yan rested his chin on his hand, eyes fixed on Ellen as he spoke.

Ellen was fully aware of his gaze. Internally, she hesitated—wondering if she should finally tell him.

There was something only she knew. A secret she had discovered by pure chance.

"Ellen." Just as her thoughts were racing, Zhong Yan beat her to the punch.

She looked at him—his expression dead serious, as if he was about to say something incredibly important.

Her heart skipped a beat. She suddenly felt an urgent need to speak first.

"There's something I need to tell you... or I'll feel too guilty. And that wouldn't be good for either of us."

Zhong Yan sighed softly, steeling himself to tell her about Anby's pregnancy—completely unaware of what was about to happen.

Ellen's face had turned a deep shade of red—far beyond simple embarrassment. Something far more symbolic was at play.

"Ellen, do you remember Anby? You two met before. I... we..."

He began, but didn't get far.

Ellen cut him off—no, interrupted him outright.

"Zhong Yan..."

"I'm pregnant."