Just as Hoshimi Miyabi was about to ask Zane how he planned to deal with the monster, he had already reopened the spatial rift.
On the other side loomed the Ethereal monster.
"If possible, I'd prefer you keep your distance."
Before stepping through, Zane turned back to the members of Section 6 and spoke.
He didn't believe the hidden presence had exposed the Ethereal and opened the rift just to trap him for a while. From what he could sense, the earlier events in the void were nothing but a small diversion to that unseen entity. Trapping him would've been a bonus, but failing didn't matter either.
For now, he didn't have enough information to draw conclusions. Better to deal with the Ethereal first.
Without waiting for Section 6 to respond, Zane raised his hand.
In the next instant, strands of Ether energy, like writhing snakes, coiled around them—encircling all four members of Section 6. With a flick of his finger, the Hive Master's Hollow shot out, swiftly circling them once. A distorted ring carved itself into the ground before the Hollow vanished into the void around Section 6.
"Stay put. This space will protect you. If you become a burden, that would be troublesome."
His gaze fell on Hoshimi Miyabi. He gave her a faint smile, then stepped into the rift.
As Zane disappeared, Miyabi's eyes flickered. She glanced at the shimmering light around her, then slowly sheathed her blade.
"Chief?"
"Do as he said. We'll stay here."
Miyabi nodded, signaling to the others. As the overwhelming force within Section 6, she knew better than anyone how disastrous it was for a powerhouse to be dragged down by weaker allies in battle.
Of course, this never happened within Section 6—Tsukishiro Yanagi, Soukaku, and Harumasa had always been reliable, each indispensable.
But to Zane, they weren't the same. Especially now, when everyone was already exhausted.
At Miyabi's words, Soukaku sighed and plopped to the ground, tilting her head back toward the sky.
"I wonder when..."
BOOM!!!
A deafening roar split the air, shaking the ground beneath them. The group looked up just in time to see the source—a massive explosion above.
The Ethereal's twisted body was sent hurtling away, scattering countless glowing shards across the sky.
From the scene alone, it was clear—the Ethereal had been struck and flung back. The falling light was proof of its injuries.
Miyabi narrowed her eyes, watching the tiny black speck beneath the blood-red sky.
Truly... formidable.
Before, when it came to the Fire Pickers, New Eridu had gone so far as to secretly seal away high-risk records. But now, such measures were no longer needed.
Because Zane no longer fit into New Eridu's system for classifying enemies.
...
High above, Zane watched the Ethereal tumble through the air, his brows furrowed.
"Is it... deliberately trying to get away from me?"
He lifted his gaze in the direction it fled—away from Nineveh.
"So, Nineveh's here too... Makes sense. If Section 6 is here, it's no surprise she'd be as well."
But what was this Ethereal trying to do by closing in on Nineveh?
Shaking his head, Zane stepped forward, leaving only an afterimage where he floated a breath earlier.
In the blink of an eye, he reappeared ahead of the Ethereal's path, placing himself firmly between Nineveh and the monster.
Strands of light streamed from his body as the Ethereal barreled toward him, the distance shrinking fast.
Compared to its massive frame, his speed was far greater. This time, it wasn't spatial manipulation—just raw velocity.
Extreme speed.
Zane raised his arm, and a thick, pitch-black crystalline staff materialized in his grip. It extended rapidly, growing tens of meters long. Ether surged through it, forming a massive axe blade at its tip.
He swung it down with crushing force.
To anyone watching, it looked as if the Ethereal had slammed directly into a giant crystal axe.
The blow landed squarely, forcing the monster down several meters before it managed to halt its fall.
"Tough bastard."
Zane eyed the wound carved by the axe blade. It looked gruesome, but the monster was already regenerating at a frightening pace.
With a thought, two black orbs floated into existence at his side. But before he could move, a streak of black light shot into the Ethereal's body.
Sensing it, Zane turned—just in time to see streams of black energy flowing out of Nineveh and into the Ethereal.
His eyes narrowed. Those black streams weren't random—they were the very ethereal crystals shed by the monster earlier.
Understanding dawned. Nineveh must have fought the creature before, and those crystals had latched onto him during the clash. But why return them now? What was the point?
Zane clenched his hand, intercepting several of the streams. Under the crushing grip of his Ether, the flesh within the crystals withered and died, dropping lifelessly to the ground.
But such a small disruption meant little to the Ethereal.
With a sharp whoosh, Zane twisted aside as a spear of solid ethereal crystal shot past him.
When he turned back, the monster had changed. It was no longer a shapeless mass—its form had become disturbingly human.
Then, without warning, it seemed to lose the ability to fly, plummeting straight toward the earth.
At the same time, the ground below stirred. Under Zane's gaze, black energy surged from every direction, converging upon the Ethereal.
"Someone's channeling the power of Hollow Zero."
"What a spectacle."
Zane had used Hollows countless times—he knew this sight well. If he expanded the Hollow in his hand to draw in Ether directly, the effect would look just like this.
A flash of crimson pierced his vision. For an instant, he felt as though he'd locked eyes again with that same pair of scarlet pupils.
As his focus snapped back, a voice echoed suddenly in his ear, laced with eerie familiarity.
"Its target has always been you."
What?
Zane's heart tensed, his brow furrowing.
Who's speaking?
In the next moment, space rippled like waves as he swept his senses across his surroundings.