She turned toward Hoshimi Miyabi, who was already gripping her scabbard and heading in Zane's direction. With a few swift, fluid movements, Miyabi's figure slipped into the faint white mist and vanished from sight.
Stunned for a moment, Shin suddenly understood—so Hoshimi Miyabi also... When did that happen?
To Shin, even though Zane was part of Section 6, he and Hoshimi Miyabi hadn't interacted much at all. Thinking back to Miyabi's earlier, seemingly confused words, she must have been pretending—testing her reaction on purpose...
After all, since she had special feelings for Zane, there was no way she could truly ignore Qingyi.
But still...
"Cowardly..."
Shin frowned slightly. How could that be called cowardly? She was simply being understanding, choosing to let things happen naturally...
Well, fine. The truth was, no matter how she looked at it, she couldn't possibly compete with Qingyi.
"Sigh..."
She let out a quiet breath. Shin wasn't the stubborn type, nor did she lack the courage to face the truth. It couldn't be helped—the bond between Qingyi and Zane was clearly on a completely different level from everyone else's. The gap between them was just too wide.
Still, as Hoshimi Miyabi had implied, losing is losing, and not wanting to win is... not wanting to win. But what if—just maybe? After all, this was the first person she had ever truly fallen for in her entire life...
Shin shook her head, then followed Hoshimi Miyabi toward the pair ahead.
...
...
...
"Primordial, Hollow Zero has been restless lately."
Somewhere along the outer rim of Hollow Zero, a black-robed figure frowned, speaking with unease.
"Just some petty movements. What is there to fear?"
"Tyce" replied calmly. The actions of the Falkenhayn Mercenary within Hollow Zero had already been restrained as much as possible. Yet with an operation of this scale, it was inevitable that word would spread.
Especially with the Church—its infiltration of New Eridu was already like water seeping through a sieve.
"Tyce" had long been aware of Shin and her group's activities. It simply didn't care.
So what if there were conspiracies? They were nothing but the futile struggles of dying humans. Mere insects trying to stop a storm.
"It's time..."
"Tyce" gazed into the distance, toward the core region—the truth beneath that fragile veil, the blood-red world beneath it. Hollow Zero... that was what humans called it.
Soon, it would reclaim full control. Hollow Zero would devour everything here, even this city it had grown somewhat fond of. Then, it would draw in the distant power of the heavens, plunging it deep into the earth... And finally, it would corrupt all things—completely claiming this world as its own.
Of course, despite its apparent indifference, it wasn't without preparation. After all, this was what it had awaited for so long—there was no chance it would let arrogance ruin everything now.
Now that the affairs outside New Eridu were settled, the entire city had been sealed off. No one would escape alive. Its indifference came from its own absolute strength.
"Come... let us welcome the birth of everything new."
"Tyce" took a step forward, several black-robed followers moving in unison behind it.
"Tyce" didn't want insects getting in its way, and Shin, along with the Falkenhayn Mercenary's high command, didn't want others dragged into the conflict. Thus, through this unspoken understanding, the outer zones of Hollow Zero had already been cleared.
Now, dust filled the air as the deafening roar of machinery shook the ground.
It was a legion belonging to the Church—composed of those who had pledged themselves to "Tyce," whether out of faith, temptation of immortality, fear of destruction, or a mix of submission and coercion.
They now stood fully against New Eridu, marching toward the core.
Apart from a few business and political figures maintaining stability outside, nearly all of the Church's forces had gathered here.
This was the final battle.