Hoshimi Miyabi lifted her gaze. The crimson sky remained just as it had been before—unchanged and eerily still. The rift torn open by Zane's earlier strike had already mended, leaving no trace of the battle that once scarred it.
Suddenly, a faint noise stirred the air. Miyabi's sharp senses caught it instantly, and her eyes snapped toward the source.
Amid the broken ruins, several unusually shaped Ethereal had noticed her presence and were slowly closing in.
The core region of Hollow Zero was never short of Ethereal, yet these ones hardly warranted her attention.
After swiftly cutting down the obstacles, Miyabi's expression grew serious. Her gaze lifted toward the distant sky, where several massive Ethereal of various forms drifted aimlessly—each one grotesque and menacing.
In terms of combat power, Miyabi had nothing to fear. But if she startled those creatures and caused a scene, escaping unnoticed would become far more difficult. That might even drag Zane into trouble.
With that thought, Miyabi sheathed her blade, then chose a more concealed path and continued toward the coordinates Shin had given her.
...
"This should be the place…"
"But... where is he?"
Suspended high above the ground, broken skyscrapers hung in the air. Standing atop a fallen signboard, Hoshimi Miyabi scanned the surroundings.
This was the location Shin had mentioned. Yet to her eyes, there was nothing unusual here—certainly no sign of Zane.
Miyabi frowned slightly, confusion flickering in her gaze. Just as the thought formed, a voice whispered softly beside her ear.
"You're here."
She froze, her heart skipping a beat. Instinctively, she drew her sword—but halfway through the motion, her hand hesitated. Something clicked in her mind.
"Zane? Is that you?"
That voice—she could never mistake it.
Yet as she looked around again, there was still nothing. No figure, no shadow, not even a single Ethereal.
"What's going on…"
Miyabi took a step back, bewildered. Could he be in another space? Yet she sensed no fluctuation of Ether energy at all.
"Don't be alarmed."
"I'm right beside you."
Zane's voice came again, calm and close—so close she could almost feel his breath.
Then, before her eyes, strands of light began to weave together. One after another, they gathered and flowed, forming a humanoid shape. Within a few breaths, the light dispersed, revealing Zane standing before her, his face adorned with a gentle smile.
"How did you…"
Miyabi's eyes widened in shock. How had he appeared so suddenly? But in the next instant, her surprise melted into relief and joy.
Since Zane had vanished in the Hollow last time, unease had lingered in her heart. Now, seeing him again, she finally felt that weight lift.
"Just a little magic trick."
Zane smiled faintly, offering no further explanation. Miyabi clearly didn't buy it—something like that couldn't fool her eyes. Besides, Zane wasn't one to play such tricks in a moment like this.
When Zane stepped off the signboard, Miyabi instinctively reached out to grab him. They were suspended high above the ground; one wrong step meant a deadly fall.
But her hand met only air. Startled, she watched her palm pass cleanly through his body.
Zane turned to her, his gaze soft and warm.
"You must be exhausted, aren't you?"
"The weariness on your face says it all…"
Miyabi pulled her hood a little lower, her tattered cloak fluttering behind her. Though fatigue still clung to her, she shook her head.
Seeing that, Zane gave a helpless smile.
"Forget it. I'll make it up to you later. I haven't fully reformed my body yet, and there are still things I need to tell you."
"Come on. Let's go to the other side."
He stepped forward, and in the air before them, a distorted spatial vortex slowly formed.
Without hesitation, Hoshimi Miyabi followed after him.