Before Hollow Zero stood the vast, advancing human army of New Eridu.
Rows of Defense Force armored vehicles stretched endlessly, equipped with an array of ether ray laser cannons. Soldiers stood in precise formation beside three towering "Hell's Eye" Ether Ray Cannons, each over twenty meters tall.
Behind them followed dozens of heavy construction machines—massive excavators, heavy cranes, and intelligent construction vehicles rumbling forward in unison.
But that wasn't all.
A large group of Bear-Thiren marched alongside them, each carrying heavy pile drivers over their shoulders as weapons.
Behind them came the Sons of Calydon, the Public Security officers, Azhdaha's Bangboo subordinates, members of Section 6, the crew of the Cunning Hares, and the proxy duo Belle and Wise.
Standing behind Belle and Wise were the shop owners of Sixth Street—every one of them had joined the war effort.
And behind this massive gathering stood hundreds upon hundreds of other civilian groups and Outer Ring organizations, stretching as far as the eye could see.
Billy climbed onto a Belobog Heavy Industries construction vehicle, his eyes widening at the sea of people before him. Excitement surged through him, and he waved his arms animatedly.
"Boss Nicole, there are tons more people behind us—at least ten thousand! With this many helping, we're definitely going to win this war!"
"I told you to look for Sam Li, not to count how many people are behind us. Hurry and see if he's up front."
"The front's completely blocked by Belobog's vehicles and the Defense Force's artillery. I can't see a thing..."
...
Billy climbed to the very top of the massive construction vehicle, standing on tiptoe, but he still couldn't see the front—let alone spot Sam Li.
Just then, as he continued to search, a delicate, feminine voice called out from beneath his feet.
"Hey, you're stepping on my hair."
Billy jolted in surprise. "What the hell?"
The voice came again, slightly irritated. "I said you're stepping on my hair, you idiot—"
Only then did Billy realize the voice came from the excavator beneath him.
He remembered—Belobog Heavy Industries' heavy machinery was fully intelligent, each machine possessing its own independent consciousness.
At that moment, Grace's voice called from below. "If you don't get down soon, Vivian's going to get mad."
Hearing that, Billy quickly jumped down from the excavator.
...
As the crowd murmured and prepared for battle, at the vanguard of the New Eridu army, Keqing finally gave the command to advance. The forces immediately began their assault, marching into Hollow Zero.
According to the plan, the Defense Force divided into three columns, each carrying one massive "Eye of Hell" Ether Ray Cannon, attacking Hollow Zero from three different directions.
Other factions followed the Defense Force columns in their respective assaults.
As the army advanced, the Defense Force took the lead, steadily pushing into Hollow Zero.
Soon, it was the Cunning Hares' turn.
Before stepping into Hollow Zero, Nicole hesitated for a moment, then turned to Keqing.
"Has Sam Li already gone ahead to the center of Hollow Zero?"
Keqing nodded. "Yes. With Sam Li and the Adepti there, we're certain to defeat that giant."
Then, as if remembering something, Keqing quickly added, "Miss Nicole, Sam Li asked me to relay this message: this battle is extremely dangerous. Please be very careful..."
Nicole smiled confidently. "Don't worry, we'll be careful. Once we clear the outer Ethereal, we'll head straight to the center to back up Sam Li and the others."
Upon learning that Sam Li had already entered Hollow Zero, Nicole hesitated no longer. She led Anby, Billy, and Nekomata forward into the hollow.
The instant they stepped through the boundary, the world around them changed.
Deafening explosions thundered across the battlefield, the crack of gunfire echoing alongside the roars of enormous Ethereal that loomed in the sky. Shouts of battle and cries of pain filled the air. Before they could even prepare themselves, they found they were already in the heart of the fighting.
It was clear that, just like humanity, the Sun-Colored Starlight Giant at the center of Hollow Zero had prepared for this war.
A massive Notoriety-class Ethereal charged straight toward them.
Nicole immediately raised her briefcase. "Billy, stop spacing out! Full power—now!"
With that, she pressed the activation switch, firing an Ether Cannon blast from the briefcase.
Billy reacted quickly, lifting his twin pistols. "Got it, Boss Nicole! Leave it to me!"
At the same time, Anby and Nekomata joined the fray.
At this point, the four had grown immensely in strength. Even alone, each of them could easily take down a Notoriety-class Ethereal.
Under their coordinated assault, the Ethereal was swiftly annihilated.
But before they could even catch their breath, another swarm of Ethereal came charging in.
Across the battlefield, chaos reigned. Human forces clashed head-on with the advancing Ethereal.
Belobog Heavy Industries' workers operated their massive construction machinery, crushing hordes of lesser Ethereal beneath their treads.
Anton charged into battle, wielding his rotary drill like a weapon of thunder, lightning crackling around him as he cut down enemies in droves.
Ben and Koleda fought back-to-back, their teamwork flawless as they struck down another Notoriety-class Ethereal.
Zhu Yuan, Qingyi, and Seth led a team of Public Security officers straight into the front lines, carving open a path through the dense horde of Ethereal.
Everyone gave everything they had. No one held back.
...
While the war raged inside Hollow Zero, elsewhere outside the hollow, another group stood ready.
Lycaon, Rina, Ellen, Corin, and Venti had arrived fully armed before Hollow Zero.
Corin spoke carefully. "Lord Lycaon, Mr. Venti, the allied army should have already entered the hollow. We should go to Scott Outpost and fight alongside them... Corin wants to help too."
Hearing this, Lycaon glanced at Venti.
According to his original plan, they were supposed to join the New Eridu allied army and enter Hollow Zero together.
But instead, Venti had brought them here.
As everyone turned their attention toward him, Venti gave an awkward laugh, scratching the back of his head.
"Eh-heh, didn't we agree earlier? We're opening a separate front! While the New Eridu army attacks from the south, we'll hit them from the north—catch them off guard!"
Lycaon stared at him wordlessly. "..."
Counting the temporary addition of Venti, they only had five people. Meanwhile, the New Eridu forces numbered in the tens of thousands.
How exactly were they supposed to perform a "pincer attack"?
Though Lycaon had always been confident, this enemy was unlike any they had faced. They were up against the entirety of Hollow Zero itself—a battle far too dangerous for a small team to take on alone.
There was absolutely no reason to open a separate front.
A five-person battlefront... even Lycaon couldn't take that seriously.
Rina and Corin exchanged helpless looks.
Ellen, on the other hand, seemed unfazed. "So whose plan are we following? If you guys can't decide, I'm going back to bed."