At the side of Hollow Special Operations Section 6.
On their way steadily toward the X-83 Hollow, Hoshimi Miyabi frowned. The urgent order in her internal comms struck her as odd.
It was supposed to be a simple Ethereal-clearing mission, only the target a little stronger than usual. Why the sudden rush, the sudden escalation?
But she wasn't about to question the higher-ups' reasoning. It was just a minor request—best to simply follow through.
"Pick up the pace. Get us into X-83 Hollow as quickly as possible."
Resting her hand on the hilt of her short blade, Miyabi spoke calmly.
"Got it, Miyabi."
Tsukishiro Yanagi floored the gas, pushing the military vehicle to its limit.
Asaba Harumasa leaned back in his seat, trying to conserve his strength, silently lamenting the hardships of fieldwork.
Sigh… this is rough.
This assignment from headquarters was no ordinary task—having the Section Chief herself, a Void Hunter, deployed could only mean the enemy was formidable.
"Heh, chicken legs are the best!"
Soukaku, on the other hand, wasn't thinking so much, just gnawing down on a drumstick with renewed vigor, stocking up energy for the coming battle.
No matter the enemy, as long as her stomach was full, she feared nothing.
I want braised pork… I want beef stew with potatoes… friends at the Cunning Hares, why haven't you invited Soukaku to dinner yet?
…
Meanwhile, within the Hollow, Victoria Housekeeping advanced in a straight line toward the core.
Yet aside from a few wandering Level One or Level Two Ethereals, no significant threats had appeared.
"Strange. How could this be?" Ellen muttered, puzzled. "According to the distribution of Ethereals, the higher the Ether concentration, the stronger and denser they should be."
"But we're already close to the Hollow's core, and yet we've only run into a few scattered small ones."
The situation contradicted the common knowledge she'd built up from other missions.
"It is a little odd," Sol nodded. "This Hollow's size looks the same as the Cretan Hollow I cleared, yet the number of Ethereals is far fewer."
He still remembered cutting down tens of thousands of Ethereals in Cretan Hollow before shrinking it to thirty percent of its original size.
This Hollow was about the same scale, with Ether activity even higher. By rights, it should be teeming with Ethereals.
Even without using [Taunt] to draw their aggro, it shouldn't have been this quiet.
Von Lycaon thought for a moment before speaking gravely. "If we're seeing fewer Ethereals, it may be because the Ether here sustains higher-grade ones. Like the Dead End Butcher in Dead End Hollow—one such creature contains the Ether equivalent of thousands of lesser Ethereals."
Rina's tone grew heavier as she added, "Which means we've entered the territory of a Notorious Ethereal. From here on, caution is essential."
As they spoke, they pressed forward.
After several turns, at last higher-level Ethereals appeared to block the path.
A massive draconic lizard clad in silver-white armor with crimson streaks.
A humanoid Ethereal wielding a crescent greatsword, draped in a white cloak marked with the same crimson patterns.
And flanking them were over a dozen hunched smaller Ethereals, their arms fused with weapons—soldiers guarding their generals.
"It's a Hati Energized Variant and a Thanatos Energized Variant—two Elite Ethereals," Von Lycaon said darkly, his leg armor shifting as he readied himself.
Two Elite Ethereals: one the iron-skinned juggernaut Hati, the other the elusive Thanatos, a ranged attacker.
Together, they were more than enough to be troublesome.
With the smaller ones, the situation demanded Victoria Housekeeping's highest level of vigilance.
"Looks like our luck isn't too good," Rina narrowed her eyes, ready to unleash her two Bangboos. "Not one, but two Elite Ethereals."
"Seems it's my turn," Sol said with a faint smile at the foes before him.
"Then we'll leave it to you, Mr. Mercer."
Von Lycaon hesitated briefly, then shifted to guard Sol's front.
What was a formidable threat to them would be nothing in the face of a man who could fire electromagnetic cannons with his bare hands.
This was the perfect chance to see Sol's true strength.
Two Elite Ethereals—surely he'd have to get serious.
Surely?
But remembering Sol's Bangboo that could cleave a Notorious Ethereal with a single slash, Von Lycaon wasn't so certain.
"Ellen, Rina, Corin—we fall back. Support Mr. Mercer from the rear."
His voice was firm.
Without hesitation, the others withdrew, leaving the battlefield to Sol and the Ethereals.
Thanatos and Hati wasted no time, launching directly at the nearest target—Sol.
The silver-armored lizard charged like a tank, barreling forward.
Thanatos simply blinked, teleporting in an instant to Sol's side.
But Sol stood unmoved, coldly watching their assault.
Magnetic Field Rotation: Electromagnetic Barrier!
A terrifying burst of electromagnetic force twisted into a glowing wall of lightning before him.
A billion volts of current compressed into less than five square meters, bound together with a magnetic field of equal strength—the strongest defense Sol could muster.
Without two hundred thousand horsepower of magnetic force, nothing could break it.
And the billion volts coursing through it turned this "Wall of Despair" into a deadly rebuke.
Zzzzap!
Thanatos' crescent blade, the instant it touched the barrier, vaporized into ether steam under the searing voltage.
Realizing the danger, Thanatos blinked again, fleeing dozens of meters away.
As for Hati, its silver armor offered no protection.
Just nearing the barrier scorched away the plating on its head, exposing blistered green flesh.
Shrrrk!
Ether hissed and sizzled like melting fat.
Hati skidded to a halt, bracing its limbs to stop its charge.
Gone was its reckless aggression—now it scrambled back like a whipped dog.
The two Elite Ethereals stared at Sol from afar, their beastly instincts holding them back from either fleeing or pressing forward.
"What… what just happened?"
Ellen stared, dumbfounded, unable to make sense of what she had just seen.