Yano stared intently at Zane, waiting for him to strike so he could counter, but Zane simply stood silently, watching him.
The next second, the surroundings suddenly darkened.
The shadows cloaking the area made Yano sense something was wrong. Only then did he look up at the sky.
The heavy sound of something tearing through the air finally reached his ears.
It was a massive Ether crystal, hundreds of meters in diameter, dark as the gate to the underworld, with flowing patterns across its surface like the path to the afterlife.
The Ether crystal was plummeting like a meteor, now frighteningly close. Yano could already feel its immense threat and crushing pressure.
"What the hell is that?"
Even Yano, with all his experience, couldn't help but be shocked. But he had no time to think.
The next instant, the giant Ether crystal slammed down.
No one would question it.
Everything beneath it would be mercilessly crushed into dust.
Boom!
A massive shockwave erupted. Zane stood unmoving amidst the roaring winds and flying debris, gripping an Ether spear planted in the ground with one hand.
If ordinary people had been present, the sheer noise from the impact would've deafened them instantly.
After a few breaths, the sound faded.
Then—silence. A deathly silence.
After a long pause, the dust finally cleared.
What remained was a battlefield buried under countless shards of shattered Ether crystals. Black crystals covered the ground, as if silently proclaiming victory.
Gazing at the cracks beneath his feet, Zane knew that the impact crater was now hidden beneath the crystals. When they dissipated, a massive depression would remain.
A faint sound reached him. Yano slowly descended, landing atop the Ether crystals. He was in a pitiful state.
One arm was gone. Strands of wild lightning danced across his body. Even the jet boosters that had helped him escape were mostly wrecked.
Zane's expression remained unchanged. He had never expected this attack to outright kill Yano.
"I told you. You're not taking him."
He repeated the words, and this time, the battlefield itself seemed to confirm them.
Zane raised a hand. Using the same technique, he drew the half-dead Sacrificial Ghost from a corner straight toward him.
This time, no one could stop him. Zane crushed its head and shattered the rest of its body.
Right before Yano's eyes, Zane completely erased the undeveloped Sacrificial Ghost.
The words Yano had spoken earlier now seemed like a cruel joke. He was nothing like the man he'd been at the start.
Saying nothing more, Yano gave Zane a long look, then activated his device and left.
Zane watched him go but didn't interfere.
Once Yano had departed, Zane stood in place for a moment. Then he turned to leave.
But unexpectedly, his body wavered. He dropped to one knee, clutching his chest with one hand.
If he'd had the strength, Zane wouldn't have let Yano go. But right now, he simply couldn't stop him.
The battle had taken too much out of him...
Especially that final strike—it had drained him completely.
If Yano was now heavily injured but still had some strength, Zane wasn't badly wounded—but he was completely exhausted.
The key issue was that within Lamia Hollow, he could only manipulate the surrounding energy, not absorb it. And the speed at which he could mobilize it couldn't keep up with his attack rate. He'd been forced to rely on his own reserves.
With the Cretan Hollow not in hand, and no way to pull energy remotely from Nicole's side, he was out of options.
No backup power, no battery to recharge—his energy was nearly spent.
Zane gritted his teeth and forced himself upright. Just then, he felt wisps of Ether energy gathering and flowing into him.
He hadn't summoned them himself.
And he wasn't supposed to be able to absorb free energy from the Hollow.
But his body was clearly recovering. Surprised, Zane conjured an ice mirror before him to check behind.
There, he saw them—those flowing wings of light, once again appearing as they had in the Cretan Hollow.
Though faint, they were unmistakable.
"Well, that's a nice surprise..."
Zane murmured softly, understanding what was happening.
The Sacrificial Ghost had replaced the original core Ethereal of Lamia Hollow. How exactly it had done so, he didn't know.
But because it had been stronger than the original core, the Hollow had expanded...
Realizing this, Zane wasted no more time. He moved away—gradually taking control of Lamia Hollow.
Now, he could roughly sense the Hollow's state. When a violent fluctuation caught his attention, a cold gleam deepened in his eyes.
"That Nicole... What is she up to this time..."
...
"With Ethereals ahead and rebels closing in from behind... is this it for me today?"
Huddled inside a damaged building, Nicole clutched her suitcase, listening to the noises outside. Her face was pale.
She was nearly out of weapons and ammo—there was nothing left for her to fight with.
And up above, the mech still loomed, watching her like a hawk.
"Damn it..."
Nicole racked her brain but couldn't see a way out.
Slowly, despair began to creep in.
Maybe there really was no way out this time...
"No... I have to give it one last shot. Maybe a miracle will happen. But first... I'd better leave a message..."
Nicole wasn't giving up. While keeping watch outside, she opened the recorder in her suitcase.
"Billy, Anby, Nekomata—Hare's House is yours now. Don't forget me when I'm gone."
"The orphanage is yours to take care of. And when you burn offerings for me, don't forget to make it a big one. I've worked hard my whole life—I deserve a little luxury. You'll have to carry on down below."
As she spoke, Nicole cautiously peeked halfway out. But the mech in the sky instantly locked onto her.
"This is bad... No! I still have so much to do! I made all this money and never even got to eat anything good... or do anything fun... I'm such a failure..."
Seeing the mech's dark cannon aimed at her—and hearing the rebels closing in fast from behind—Nicole bolted.
She pulled out the small recorder, clutching it as she ran and continued speaking.
"Oh right—Hare's House's debts... they're yours too now. Plus some personal debts of mine... they'll probably land on Hare's House..."
"Of course, there are still people who owe money to Hare's House. It's not much, but every little bit counts."
"Billy, use the gun oil sparingly. If things get really bad, you can cut expenses like we used to. Nekomata can just eat canned cat food. Billy—you can make do without motor oil. Boiling water works too..."
Nicole's words were drifting further and further off track—but she didn't notice.
Just then, sharp whooshing sounds split the air. Nicole looked up—dozens of missiles were streaking toward her.
No miracle.
She was really going to die!
She was doomed!
Still... deep down, she hoped someone would come—to save her, to sweep her out of this nightmare.
Just like last time.
But now, with death moments away... that hope was little more than a dream.
...