"This is... outside the Hollow?"
Hoshimi Miyabi suddenly understood. Judging from Zane's actions, he must be planning to take them out through here.
Her gaze sharpened as she recalled what Zane had done earlier...
This fissure—could it really have been cut open?
So smooth, so seamless...
Her guess was almost certainly correct. She glanced at Zane, awe flashing in her eyes, and swallowed quietly.
She shifted half a step back. Any further and she'd fall.
Just then, a rumbling boom echoed behind them. They turned to see the colossal Ethereal giant, split neatly in two, collapsing to either side.
Its broken body dissolved, scattering into streams of light rising into the sky, painting over the blood-red heavens.
A breathtaking sight.
Soukaku's eyes widened. Kneeling on the ethereal crystal, she braced herself with both hands, staring at the scene with her mouth slightly open.
"Wow..."
She didn't think as much as Hoshimi Miyabi, but she too recognized how overwhelmingly strong Zane was. That alone was reassuring.
"Tch, now this is a sight I've never seen before."
Harumasa folded his arms, clicking his tongue in wonder. Beside him, Tsukishiro Yanagi brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, her eyes reflecting endless radiance as she nodded in agreement.
"Haha, now's the perfect time to properly welcome our new member! Funny enough, we haven't even met until now!"
Harumasa turned toward Zane as he spoke. Tsukishiro Yanagi, understanding his intent, smiled faintly and added,
"Yeah, this is all Chief Ya's fault. She found someone this amazing and never told us."
She sighed and shook her head. Soukaku finally tore her eyes away from the wondrous sight and looked curiously at Hoshimi Miyabi.
Hearing this, Zane glanced back at them with a soft chuckle.
"I'd like to, but Ya never agreed. And while I've called myself your colleague, that's not really true..."
"Seems Ya's always been against me joining Section 6..."
He spread his hands, feigning grievance but smiling all the while. Naturally, he wouldn't ignore Harumasa and Yanagi's friendly overtures.
He wasn't some cold, aloof type.
Several pairs of eyes shifted toward Hoshimi Miyabi. Lost in thought, she froze when she realized they were all staring at her.
Then she shot Zane a glare.
Why did everything always get pinned on her?
"I never said that! You're the one always vanishing without a trace, impossible to find anywhere—and now you dare accuse me..."
The resentment in her tone was obvious. Yet because of earlier misdirection, Yanagi and the others completely misunderstood what she meant.
Hoshimi Miyabi hadn't noticed this. With her emotions surging, she kept going.
"Such a dramatic act? Like at that banquet last time—"
"Mm, and in Hollow Zero, you kept mocking me! I was only trying to be friendly, and then..."
She had been about to mention the banquet incident, but quickly changed course—saying more might expose Zane's identity.
That Hollow Zero confrontation, however, carried no such risk. None of the others had been present then.
Listening to her vent, Zane arched a brow. He hadn't expected her to react so strongly.
He opened his mouth to explain—but then felt something off. Glancing at Yanagi and the others, he noticed their faint smiles.
Smiles like nosy aunties at a wedding?
That's not right.
Did they just... misunderstand?
"Hey, you—"
Realizing this, Zane tried to cut her off. But the moment he spoke, Hoshimi Miyabi snapped back.
"I'm not 'hey'! I have a name! Section 6, Hoshimi Miyabi!"
Clearly, she still remembered how he'd repeatedly called her "idiot" back in Hollow Zero, her anger flaring hotter at the thought.
Since Zane couldn't act right now, she settled both old and new scores at once.
Zane's expression darkened. Her retort killed his urge to clarify. He turned away, refusing to engage further.
But her voice still rang in his ears.
He sighed softly. Why did it feel like she understood perfectly well what she was doing?
She'd hurt him, sure—but at what cost to herself?
Sure, she'd put him in an awkward spot—but had she thought about the consequences? What if this misunderstanding stuck?
As that thought sank in, her voice suddenly stopped. She turned away, sitting down on the ethereal crystal.
Like Zane, she had realized her behavior was inappropriate.
All that pent-up frustration had just boiled over, burying her reason...
Meanwhile, the three others, watching the two deliberately avoid each other, couldn't help but get the impression they were "quarreling."
Not literally shouting—but sulking, at the very least.
Tsukishiro Yanagi shook her head, dismissing the thought. Smiling, she turned to Soukaku.
"Little Soukaku, are you hungry? I've actually been saving a red bean bun for you."
Soukaku's eyes sparkled. Like a magic trick, Yanagi produced a soft, white bun from who-knew-where. It was still warm, carrying a faintly sweet aroma.
There was no time to wonder if Yanagi had some kind of fourth-dimensional pocket. Soukaku's mouth was already watering. She snatched it eagerly and took a huge bite.
"Mmmph!"
Her face lit up in bliss. For her, this red bean bun was nothing short of salvation.
And with that, Tsukishiro Yanagi's image loomed even larger in her heart.
...
"Hmm?"
They were nearing the spatial rift when Zane suddenly sensed something. He turned to see Nineveh flying toward them, seemingly intent on leaving as well.
"An Ethereal... trying to leave too?"
He arched a brow but didn't think much of it at first. After all, this place was indeed strange. If Nineveh wanted to escape...
Then it hit him, and his expression changed.
Wait—this fissure didn't lead to another part of Hollow Zero. It was a rift leading directly out of it.
More than just a spatial fissure, it was a tear in Hollow Zero itself.
If Nineveh followed them through, out of Hollow Zero, she would vanish on the spot.
Ethereal could not exist outside the void.
Even back then, when he himself hadn't gone through the Dead End Hollow, surviving outside had only been a matter of trading life force for time.