Hollow Zero was, for all intents and purposes, a part of its own body.
"But I must say, that took remarkable courage."
"In human terms, this would be called pulling the firewood from beneath the pot."
Tyce narrowed his eyes. He hadn't anticipated this—hadn't even thought to defend against it. He had assumed he only needed to handle the humans' desperate counterattack and keep Zane occupied on the periphery.
After all, he knew the hollows within New Eridu had been reclaimed. He thought Zane was merely stirring up trouble outside. He should have realized sooner that Zane would ally himself with the humans.
Now, because of Zane's actions, Tyce found himself on the defensive. But so be it.
If Zane dared to seize it, then he would make him pay. Not everything in this world could be touched! If death couldn't stop him, then he would simply die again!
As Tyce slowly closed his eyes, the flow of Ether throughout Hollow Zero grew chaotic. Countless spatial fissures twisted and shifted. It was as though Hollow Zero itself had come alive.
At the same time, in its core region, the massive storm surrounding Zane grew even more violent. Gray mist condensed and spun within vast torrents of Ether, as if ready to tear apart everything within its reach. The Ether storm blotted out the sky, nearly brushing against Hollow Zero's dome. Compared to it, humanity seemed pitifully small.
Shin, overseeing the defensive perimeter, couldn't possibly overlook such a storm—the sheer scale of it was terrifying. If not for the barrier isolating Hollow Zero's core, even those at its outer edge would have been able to see the colossal tempest clearly.
"Commander, this…"
An officer responsible for one sector stared at the monstrous storm looming before them. His throat tightened, and he swallowed reflexively.
This wasn't in the plan!
"Don't worry—it's one of ours."
Shin waved her hand dismissively. Referring to the storm as "one of ours" naturally meant it was on their side.
Most of the Falkenhayn Mercenary Troupe had no idea Zane even existed. To those who did, he was simply an officer Shin deeply trusted—nothing more. In truth, only Shin and Zane themselves knew the full extent of the plan.
Lightning-anomaly Ether and electricity-anomaly Ether merged into terrifying thunder dragons, coiling within the storm. Their faintly visible bodies shimmered with radiant light. Ice-anomaly Ether and fire-anomaly Ether, eternally opposing yet intertwined, danced within the tempest—forming vivid hues that stood out against the gray storm.
And beyond them, countless other energies blended in chaos, some belonging to anomalies yet unknown to humankind.
Reports of relentless Ethereal assaults on the front lines poured in one after another. Shin studied the tactical map before her, yet her mind drifted to the figure within the storm.
She glanced at the immense cyclone. For some reason, as the Ethereal attacks grew fiercer, she felt the storm's core slowly growing calmer—
As if it were being restrained...
But that wasn't her concern.
Shaking her head to clear away the distractions, Shin refocused on coordinating the troop movements.
At that moment—
At the heart of the storm—
"It's not going to be that easy, huh…"
Zane stood silently at the center. Everything around him had vanished from view; even Qingyi's figure had long been consumed by the Ether. He could feel it. Ever since he had joined the struggle for control over Hollow Zero, the hollow had been resisting him.
It was as if the entire Hollow Zero was pressing down upon the small space he occupied. After all, he was an intruder.
Even so, his gaze remained firm. This situation had been foreseen from the start—he was prepared. He had never expected to seize control of Hollow Zero easily. The protagonist right now… wasn't him.
...
"A breach in the southwest defensive line! New Gill Squad and Third Column, move to reinforce!"
"Communications within the hollow are unstable—avoid confusion! Have the medical teams from the first line regroup! Centralize logistics for casualty transport, and also—"
The Falkenhayn Mercenary Troupe's command system functioned with perfect precision. Their defenses weren't a single deep trench but a network of fortified zones spanning the area.
Now, the soldiers of the Falkenhayn Mercenary Troupe were locked in fierce combat against an unending tide of Ethereal. These men—elite by any standard—had become part of a battle known only to themselves.
It was their conviction.
And it was their duty.
To tear open a path—one through which the light of dawn could finally shine upon New Eridu!