"Wait, I'll distract them. I remember you can drive, so take the chance to get the children out."
Nicole reached out, letting the small black ball float once more in her palm, then handed it to Siena.
"Take this. Zane gave it to me. I don't know exactly what it does beyond deterring Ethereals and reducing erosion, but it will definitely keep you safe."
She trusted Zane deeply. Ever since he had saved her in the Dead End Hollow, Zane had become synonymous with safety in Nicole's mind.
Now, the children from the orphanage needed this protection—called the "Cretan Hollows"—even more than she did.
"Then what about you..."
Siena had already realized how extraordinary Zane was and believed Nicole's words without question. But when she thought of what had just happened, she still worried deeply for Nicole.
As Nicole moved away, the Cretan Hollows shifted to float around Siena. Seeing this, Nicole smiled and spoke softly.
"Don't worry. I value my life. Besides, I've always been lucky. Those guys will just run into bad luck messing with me."
Nicole nodded, then remembered something else.
"Oh, and don't touch the red button in the car!"
Without giving Siena a chance to reply, she quickly had her hide, then climbed up onto a nearby rooftop.
"Perfect. Let me finally try out the new Nicole gear. Ever since the upgrade, I haven't really tested its true power!"
Nicole raised her briefcase. With a press of a button, a black cannon barrel extended from it.
Strands of Ether energy gathered, and a small colored sphere began to expand at the cannon's muzzle.
Maximum power...
Supercharged...
"My dear friends!"
Nicole wore a "kind" smile as she looked down at the enemies about a hundred meters away.
Her voice drew the rebels' attention. They spotted the pink-haired girl standing atop the building—and the weapon now formed in her hands.
"Wuhu! Take this explosive shell!"
Boom! The recoil forced Nicole back two steps. The small black sphere, wrapped in rainbow-hued light, shot toward the rebels at incredible speed.
In an instant, light burst forth. Chaotic Ether energy intertwined to form a black "mini Hollow," instantly melting one rebel and disabling another.
Seeing the powerful destruction, Nicole grinned. As more enemies rushed toward her, she raised her hand and waved.
"Hello, everyone!"
"No need to rush, I don't need a return gift. Oh—and no need to thank me. We'll meet again~"
Nicole turned, waved her hand behind her twice with a provocative air, leaving the pursuing rebels itching to gun her down.
With a light leap, she disappeared from their sight. Seeing this, their leader quickly gave orders.
"Leave one person and the combat mech. The rest of you, follow me—this kind of strong enemy must not be allowed to escape!"
Just then, another explosion rang out ahead, along with the screams of their comrades.
"The enemy is carrying a large number of lethal weapons—requesting backup! Requesting backup!"
Seeing the situation deteriorate, the leader had no choice.
"Everyone, stay on her! The combat mech will track her from the air and suppress her with fire pickers. We need to take her down quickly!"
As the last of the rebels cleared the road, Siena hurriedly followed the little white cat back. She couldn't let Nicole's efforts go to waste—she had to get the children out safely!
...
Boom!
A crimson light blade erupted from the ground, its energy so intense that its core glowed golden-red.
The blade rose dozens of meters high, carving a blazing trench into the earth, radiating destructive force.
Opposing it was a thick pillar of ice energy. Wherever it passed, ice crystals formed—growing thicker from the center outward, their sharp tips gleaming with cold.
"Haha... so that's what the color looks like..."
As the flames faded, Zane felt a sharp pain in his body—and suddenly burst out laughing. He lowered his hand from his shoulder and spread it open in front of him.
Golden liquid spread across his palm.
The gold was dazzling, striking in its brilliance.
Zane could feel the potent life force within it.
It was his blood.
Even when he had faced the Cretan Hollows' core Ethereals, though injured and exposed down to his core, not a single drop of blood had been shed.
Those wounds had looked dangerous—his "core" even laid bare—but compared to this, they were trivial.
"It's been so long... I almost forgot how pain felt. I almost believed that back when I was an Ethereal, I was immune to it..."
The pain was gradually fading. The wound on Zane's shoulder was healing—slowly, but steadily.
He looked toward his enemy in the distance. The battlefield had already been reduced to a wasteland; the area within several hundred meters was now pure ruin.
Ice crystals, scorch marks, lightning streaks, Ether crystals, shell craters—signs of destruction were everywhere.
"Ice energy... and lightning energy..."
"You're impressive, Fire Picker. Even stronger than I expected... but I'm still taking the Sacrificial Ghost."
The former Void Hunter showed no signs of wavering. Even now, with half his body frozen in ice and much of his power neutralized by elemental intrusion, he remained resolute.
He still would not yield.
"Tell me your name."
Zane asked.
"Yano."
The man answered without hesitation. Against an opponent like the Fire Picker—one he respected—there was no need to hide anything.
One of his mechanical eyes was cold, but his human eye held complex emotion.
"When my enemies were still Ethereals, I was known as the nemesis of humanoid Ethereals. Even in the Zero Hollows, among the strongest Ethereals, it was the same."
"Among all the Void Hunters, I may not be the strongest, but as your enemy, the enemy of the Fire Pickers—I am the most suitable."
"This battle hasn't even begun in earnest. Neither of us has shown our full strength. As I said... let's each take a step back..."
Zane cut him off before he could finish.
"Are you afraid?"
"If you want to take the Sacrificial Ghost, then come and try."
Zane straightened, showing no intention of compromise. Strands of golden blood gathered at his wounds, speeding their healing.
He suddenly smiled again.
"No need to drag this out. Take this first."
"I've been preparing it for a while. Consider it a gift."
Yano didn't understand. But in that instant—whether it was an illusion or not—he felt the air around him grow thick, heavy, and oppressive.
...