In the next instant, Phaga's gaze darkened. His right hand tightened around the hilt.
Fine. Whatever it is—one strike will be enough.
He drew a steady breath, closed his eyes, and clasped the hilt with both hands, raising the blade high overhead.
At the same time, Netherflame roiled upward, Ether crystal shards howling as they surged along the blade. In just a few heartbeats, the entire edge was completely engulfed.
"[Eighteen Flame Crossings!]."
With a soft, lingering sigh, Phaga opened his eyes and brought the blade down.
In an instant, a dark crimson arc of light tore forward. The ground along its path split apart, Ether crystals blooming everywhere in the blink of an eye.
Then the crystals erupted from the earth, shattering into fragments almost immediately.
A gust of wind swept through, and as if finding their destined path, the fragments all chased after the dark crimson blade light. The air screamed sharply—space itself seemed to wail in pain.
Nothing could stop it.
Everything in its path seemed fated to be erased by that annihilating force.
...
[Warning: High-risk Ethereal rapidly approaching.]
[Warning: High-risk Ethereal rapidly approaching.]
Alarms blared inside the high-tech racing car.
Its speed was absurdly high—so high that even with Perlman's driving skills, he had managed to reach Cinder Lake in an extremely short time, just in time to catch Lucius's final moments.
Yet its AI didn't seem particularly advanced. It had actually identified the oncoming dark crimson blade light as a high-risk Ethereal.
That alone said enough.
If he didn't change course immediately, the outcome would be total destruction—car and driver alike.
But Perlman showed no fear.
"For the vampire clan!"
Staring straight at the approaching Ether blade light, Perlman roared hoarsely.
At this moment, he looked even more loyal than Phaga, the true vampire himself. Filled with fervent devotion to the vampire clan, Perlman charged straight toward the dark crimson blade with a resolve to die—slamming the accelerator to the floor.
VROOOOM—!
The engine howled as the high-tech racing car slammed head-on into the blade light.
At the very moment of contact, the bumper was annihilated, erased amid the shriek of tearing metal.
Moments later, the hood followed.
The windshield was next.
[So this is it…]
Perlman closed his eyes, his face filled with relief. His hand slowly slipped off the gear lever.
[I can finally die… that's nice… hm?]
Just as he sank into the release of impending death, an unfamiliar sound reached his ears.
His eyes snapped open.
The windshield of the high-tech racing car had suddenly turned green.
"This…"
Perlman muttered, his pupils trembling.
As the former CEO of Vision Corporation, he might not know the precise technical principles—but he certainly knew what he was looking at.
That windshield wasn't just for blocking wind.
It was also a display screen—and one equipped with an automatic emergency response system.
[Thank you for your loyalty, Mr. Perlman. You have earned yourself one chance to survive.]
A line of green text appeared across the windshield.
"…Heh. Hehehe."
Perlman laughed stupidly, his mind completely short-circuiting.
The next second, he strained against the seatbelt and roared:
"Damn it! I'm guilty! I want to die! Just let me die already!!"
Useless words.
Before Perlman could struggle free, the roof above his head blew open. The seat suddenly shot upward, launching him bodily into the air.
BANG!
Moments later, the high-tech racing car was shredded into metallic debris by the dark crimson blade light, while Perlman himself was ejected skyward, disappearing from view.
Yet even as the car was torn apart, a lone trail of pale purple smoke drifted straight up into the sky.
"Wow, that thing flew really high. Should we go chase it? Looks kinda fun!"
From far away, Burnice craned her neck. At that distance, all she could see was "a seat strapped to a ball getting launched," with no idea that the "ball" was actually a person.
"Burnice, shut up!"
Lucy snapped back immediately.
Everyone turned to look at her—only to see Lucy's entire body tense, her expression suddenly turning grim.
After a moment, she gritted her teeth and forced the words out.
"Light purple… no. Ether isn't that pale. That's not Ether fuel."
"…Damn it. That's an [Ether Aggregation Catalyst]. Cinder Lake!"
True to her background, Lucy was the first to fully grasp the situation. She vaulted onto her motorcycle and tore off toward Cinder Lake.
The remaining Sons of Calydon exchanged stunned looks.
Not long after, another engine roared to life. A second motorcycle shot forward, chasing after Lucy.
"Caesar!" the others cried out.
That's right—the second to react was Caesar.
Though she usually came off as a bit slow, in critical moments Caesar was frighteningly sharp.
She might not know what an [Ether Aggregation Catalyst] was—but she knew Lucy.
If Lucy, who was normally content to boss others around, was panicking enough to act personally, then that column of purple smoke reaching the sky was definitely bad news.
VROOOOM—!
The two motorcycles sped ahead. Lucy failed to brake in time and went down hard.
Without even stopping to cry out in pain, she and Caesar scrambled to the edge of Cinder Lake and leaned over, peering down anxiously.
Sure enough, the once-violently churning Cinder Lake had suddenly grown much calmer.
One Ether crystal after another began to sprout from within, densely packed. It wouldn't be long before the entire lake was sealed shut.
"How is that possible?!"
Caesar was stunned.
She had never studied chemistry, but by instinct alone, smoke should rise upward.
How could it affect Cinder Lake?
"Most of it did rise upward."
Lucy clenched her teeth. With her education, she understood immediately.
Ether Aggregation Catalyst is a gaseous catalyst. When concentrated, it appears pale purple.
The higher-density portion follows tiny liquid droplets into the air—but gas disperses.
Some of it always escapes the main mass, too diluted to show color.
But diluted doesn't mean inactive.
Even just a fraction of it had already caused Ether crystals to grow inside Cinder Lake. Before long, the entire lake would be sealed.
The very foundation of the Old Oil Field would cease to exist.
"It's fine—we're not out of time yet. You Sons of Calydon still have Sparkstones. Throw them into Cinder Lake—ugh!"
"Right! We still have Sparkstones! Lucy, don't panic—this isn't over yet… Mr. Overlord… Mr. Overlord?!"
Pompey was the first to steady himself and voice the solution he'd thought of.
But the instant the words left his mouth, he suddenly dropped to one knee, his face twisting in pain.
Lucy and Caesar froze, completely confused.
Then they understood.
Because Ether crystals were growing out of Pompey's body.
Corruption symptoms.
Pompey was turning into an Ethereal.
"Mr. Overlord… how could this…"
Caesar panicked.
She couldn't understand it.
Pompey—who had won the Tour de Inferno time and time again—shouldn't have shown corruption symptoms so easily.
Even if his Ether resistance wasn't exceptional, it should never have been this low.
"Hahahaha… HAHAHAHAHA!"
A near-maniacal laugh rang out from the other side.
Lucy, Caesar, and Pompey all turned toward the sound.
Lucius was laughing.
Even with his pelvis shattered by Phaga, he forced himself onto his side and jeered loudly.
"Boss Pompey, you didn't see this coming, did you? I put something in your water. It turns your health status into [Abnormal Ether Resistance]. In an environment where Ether concentration spikes like this, you'll develop corruption symptoms easily—turning straight into an Ethereal!"
"Hahahaha! To think that even at death's door, I, Lucius, would get to drag Boss Pompey down to hell with me—what a treat—ugh!"
Lucius clutched his stomach in agony, curling up as he struggled to keep his eyes open.
Through blurred vision, he saw a helmet lying nearby.
That was what had just smashed into his abdomen.
"Caesar, don't just throw my stuff around to smash trash like him!"
Lucy snapped, stamping her foot in irritation.
"What am I supposed to wear later?!"
"Ah—sorry about that. It's just that your height, Lucy, makes it kind of… convenient… ahem!"
Seeing Lucy's expression grow steadily darker, Caesar hurriedly averted her gaze and snapped at Lucius instead:
"You bastard! Just to screw over the Overlord, you won't even spare yourself?!"
"…Heh, what's the big deal—wait, what did you say?"
Lucius suddenly realized what Caesar meant. He hastily lowered his head to look at himself.
At some point, Ether crystals had begun growing on his body as well.
They were spreading even faster than on Pompey. While Pompey's crystals hadn't yet covered his calves, Lucius's entire face was already encased, leaving only a pair of eerie, green-glinting eyes exposed.
"How… how is this possible? Why am I showing Ether corrosion symptoms? Could it be…?"
Lucius's eyes flew open as a thought struck him.
Yesterday—he had shaken hands with Kovei.
That was the only moment he could have come into contact with something filthy.
"Kovei! Even if I turn into an Ethereal, I'll kill you!"
Amid his furious roars, Ether crystals rapidly crawled across Lucius's entire body.
Before long, he was completely wrapped up, forming a crystalline sphere.
"Tch. He's about to turn into an Ethereal."
As Lucius neared full transformation, the surrounding Ether concentration spiked, making Lucy click her tongue in irritation.
But then, a sudden gust of wind brushed past her. Lucy snapped back to her senses and quickly turned around.
Overlord Pompey was kneeling on one knee. Ether crystals continued spreading across his face, his deeply lined features contorted in pain.
"Hmph. This side won't be much slower either."
Lucy strode over, crouched in front of Pompey, and weighed the baseball bat in her hand before speaking quickly:
"Hey, Pompey. Got any last words? Say them now, and I'll send you off."
Caesar froze on the spot.
"Huh?! Lucy, that's not right, is it? The Overlord—"
"Don't talk about what's right or wrong, Caesar!"
Lucy snapped, clearly agitated. How could she not know how much Pompey had contributed over his lifetime?
But reality was brutal.
Either deal with him before he became an Ethereal, or deal with him after.
At least if it was done now, there would still be a body left. Once he turned, there wouldn't even be remains.
Was there really no third option?
There was.
"Please step aside."
Phaga's voice came from behind Lucy and Caesar as he lightly tapped their shoulders.
Caesar turned around warily. Seeing a completely unfamiliar face, she immediately stepped in front of Pompey.
"Who are you—forget it, doesn't matter. I'm not letting you 'send off' the Overlord… H-hey, Lucy, why are you stopping me? Lucy?"
Before Caesar could fully block Phaga, Lucy had already pulled her aside.
It wasn't that Lucy trusted Phaga—she simply sensed how strong he was and had no choice but to gamble on him.
After making room, she frowned and asked:
"Can you save Pompey?"
"More or less. I can suppress the Ether concentration so it stops rising."
Phaga placed a hand lightly on Pompey's shoulder.
A heartbeat later, a shard of Ether crystal formed in Phaga's palm, flashing coldly in the fading sunset.
With a firm resolve, Phaga pressed his hand down.
Pff.
With a muffled sound, the Ether crystal fully entered Pompey's body.
As a half-Ethereal, Phaga could absorb part of the Ether matter on his behalf.
"Ugh…"
The intrusion made Pompey grunt softly. He slowly opened his eyes. When he recognized Phaga, a flicker of hope crossed his face before he closed them again and let out a quiet sigh.
"…Thank you."
"No need. It's nothing."
Phaga spoke calmly.
"For now, I can stabilize your Ether concentration and keep it from increasing. As long as it doesn't reach the critical threshold, you won't turn into an Ethereal."
"Lucius drugged you, but that kind of thing always has a time limit. Once it wears off, your own resistance will suppress these Ether crystals."
"Oh—!"
Realization dawned on Caesar's face as she pumped a fist.
"So that means the Overlord won't die! But… I still wanna ask—why can you control Ether crystals freely when you're not an Ethereal? No, wait—your Ether concentration is even higher than a lot of Ethereals! How come you still haven't been corroded into one—mmph?!"
"Caesar, shut up! Don't ask things you shouldn't!"
Lucy covered Caesar's mouth while sneaking a glance at Phaga's expression. Seeing no sign of displeasure, she finally relaxed a little and quickly changed the subject.
"Alright… back to the main issue. What about Lucius?"
Only then did everyone notice that the Ether crystals encasing Lucius were growing larger, gradually forming a cocoon.
It wouldn't be long before he—no, it—
Broke free and was reborn.
And by then, it definitely wouldn't be some frail, gloomy man who could be handled easily.
Phaga merely glanced at it once, then shifted his attention back to Pompey.
"No need to deal with it. More importantly—didn't you forget about Cinder Lake? No one's handling it."
"Oh—right! Cinder Lake!"
As if suddenly remembering, Caesar pulled a Sparkstone from her waist and instinctively prepared to throw it into the lake.
But just before releasing it, she hesitated.
She turned to look at Pompey, uncertainty written on her face.
Should she…?
"Hesitating again? If you won't throw it, I will. Hand it over!"
Lucy didn't hesitate for a second. She snatched the Sparkstone from Caesar's hand and tossed it high into the air.
Left foot stepping back, right foot lifting slightly, Lucy gripped the baseball bat with both hands and drew back, eyes locked on the Sparkstone.
"The Overlord of the Outer Ring—mine!"
Bang!
The Sparkstone was struck and sent flying.
Lucy stood still, watching as it landed with perfect precision in the rolling magma. A surge of emotion flooded her, flushing her delicate face red.
Poised on the brink of power, she spread her arms in bliss.
"Ah—! The final winner… is me!"
Lucy, the new Overlord of the Outer Ring, was about to take the throne.
BOOM!
A wave of blazing heat surged skyward, instantly shattering all the Ether crystals into dust before crashing back down like falling spray.
A salute for the birth of a new king.
"Well done, kid."
As if hearing the toll marking the old king's end, Pompey slowly opened his eyes. Seeing that it was Lucy who had thrown the Sparkstone, he paused in surprise.
But after a moment's thought, it felt right.
At the very least, she seemed sharper than Caesar.
"Good. With that settled, only Lucius remains."
Pompey exhaled slowly.
"Hey, new Overlord. Once you're done dealing with Lucius, come handle the Vanquishers' handover."
"Of course—no pro—"
Lucy's confidence soared before she'd even taken office.
Lucius? Please, I've got this—
…Wait. No, I don't.
She couldn't even beat Lucius in his human state, let alone after he'd gone berserk and grown ten times stronger.
So Lucy scratched her head, then clasped her hands together and looked hopefully at Phaga.
"Um… Phaga, could you help out? Please? Pretty please?"
Phaga glanced at her and nodded toward Pompey.
"I'm busy suppressing his Ether concentration. No time."
"But you said 'ignore it'! I thought you were going to handle it!"
Lucy stepped forward, ready to argue—
Then suddenly felt her body go light.
She blinked, momentarily confused by the sensation of floating.
A cold voice sounded beside her ear.
"Hey. You're too close. Back away from my innocent vampire."
Lucy turned her head.
It was the big shark girl who had stopped her earlier.
After the warning, Ellen set Lucy back down and walked over to Phaga. Her cheeks were faintly red as she glanced back at the massive purple cocoon, now riddled with cracks and on the verge of breaking open.
"So what now? Want me to deal with it?"
"You could let Corin get some practice in. I just don't feel safe letting her handle it alone—how about you keep an eye on her?"
"No problem."
Ellen turned and left.
Ten minutes later, she came back, leaving Lucy and Caesar staring in disbelief.
"Yeah, I'm back. Leaving it entirely to Corin wasn't a great idea after all, so I stepped in. Lucius's hide was a bit rough on the hands."
"That's… good."
Phaga nodded slightly, showing no surprise at all.
Lucius hadn't been strong to begin with.
Even after becoming an Ethereal, he still wasn't anything special.
And he thought about going after Kovei?
Phaga glanced toward a distant pile of shattered ice and twitched at the corner of his mouth.
Looks like that won't be happening.
"Alright. Let's get Pompey out of the Hollow. Once we leave, his recovery should—hm?"
Phaga stopped mid-sentence.
The Ether concentration in the surrounding space suddenly spiked, skyrocketing to a terrifying level.
He looked up at once.
A flying figure had appeared in the sky.
Unpleasant memories surged up in an instant.
Phaga murmured under his breath:
"Black… no—wait."
"This is a Sacrifice."