Billy glanced at the towering buildings and the wide, empty streets around them. A sudden chill crept over him, and he instinctively edged closer to the group.
"There's danger in the air everywhere."
Anby's hand rested on her blade, her eyes calm, fully prepared to fight at a moment's notice.
"Hey, Billy, don't do that. You're gonna make me nervous too..."
Nicole shot Billy a glare as she spoke.
The sky was no longer as bright as before they crossed the spatial rift. Now it was grey and overcast, with a constant sense of foreboding hanging in the air.
She glanced at the tall Zane ahead and quietly inched closer to him. Aside from Anby, he still gave her the strongest sense of security...
Unbeknownst to her, the others were thinking the exact same thing.
Even Anby had subconsciously moved closer to Zane.
Zane glanced back at the huddled-up members of Hare's House and the two Bangboo, a bit exasperated.
Were they treating him like a shield?
"Belle, this area's pretty big. Can you pinpoint where the core Etherial is?"
Zane's voice was soft, yet clear in the quiet surroundings.
The image of the twin Etherials surfaced in his mind. Searching for the core Etherial in such a wide area would be tough—mainly due to the intense Ether corrosion in the core zone. The three from Hare's House and Eous couldn't remain here too long.
At this rate, they might have to pull out.
In front of the HDD system, Belle frowned slightly at Zane's words. Even when she had been with "Phaethon," she had never attempted something like precisely locating a core Etherial.
"Fairy?"
"Negative. Ether activity in the Hollow's core is too high, and the spatial disruption is too chaotic for precise distinction or positioning."
Not even Fairy could manage it...
Belle pondered this when she suddenly sensed someone approaching. Turning her head, she saw her brother.
"What's wrong, sis?"
Wise, who had just finished organizing the tapes at the video store, looked curiously at Belle's furrowed brow.
He knew she was currently dealing with that Etherial named Zane and understood what their group was trying to do. Judging from the situation, it seemed they had run into trouble.
Belle quickly explained the situation.
"I see."
After taking it in, Wise fell into thought.
"Brother, should we try that method?"
Belle asked, recalling fragments of forgotten knowledge from long ago.
"No need."
Wise shook his head gently.
"Remember, even though Etherials don't have rational thought, they act purely on instinct—and they're extremely territorial."
"Especially the stronger ones."
"You brought Zane into the core zone, so..."
The siblings exchanged a glance, and Belle immediately understood. She shifted her focus back to Eous's visual feed.
"Zane, don't bother looking for it. Just stay where you are."
"You're the intruder here. And for an intruder, it'll come to you."
"Come to me?"
Zane looked at the small Eous and instantly got what Belle meant. He sat down and waited quietly for the target to appear.
Time ticked by. Anby remained composed as always. With nothing happening, Nicole relaxed a bit too, circling Zane as she chatted with Billy about what kind of valuable loot might be in the core area.
Just as Nicole was getting excited, a voice shattered the silence.
"It's coming."
Anby's voice was tight with tension as her body automatically shifted into a battle stance. She looked into the distance.
There stood a commercial building about seven or eight stories tall. Its surface was studded with jutting black crystals that gave off a faint glow.
Crawling slowly along the building's facade was a massive, grotesque monster. Its head was turned straight toward them.
The core Etherial's body stretched the length of four to five train cars, as thick as a locomotive. It was covered in countless long, twisted, needle-like limbs that clung densely to the building's walls.
Black-and-white Etherial matter coated its body like a suit of heavy armor.
Roar——
The core Etherial opened its gaping, blood-red maw toward the Hare's House team, unleashing a roar that was part warning, part threat.
Its mouth was lined with rows of metal-like fangs. From a distance, Zane could see the "core" of the Etherial hidden deep within.
"Ether activity is extremely high. This thing's been heavily transformed by Ether energy. Its body's partially organic, but there's still some mechanical structure left."
Fairy was scanning the core Etherial as Belle relayed the data to the group.
"No existing records match this one. It's likely a new variant. Judging by its features, it may have devoured other mechanical-type Etherials."
Nicole gulped as she stared at the massive creature.
"We're really going to fight this thing?"
"Boss Nicole, I don't think my bullets are going to do much to that thing..."
Billy looked at his twin pistols, then at the monster's armored body.
Nicole nodded in agreement. Even with a direct hit, she wasn't sure she could leave a scratch.
She tried to stay calm, but tension still crept in.
Even if size didn't always mean strength with Etherials, a monster that huge was undeniably intimidating.
Roar——
Another roar, like a beast driving off intruders from its territory.
"If you're too scared to fight, then quit screaming. It's annoying."
Zane stood up, crossed his arms, and gave them a stretch. Etherials didn't have bones or muscles, but it still felt good.
He walked up to Nicole and gently patted her on the shoulder, signaling her to fall back.
Then his voice, laced with a faint smile, reached her ear.
"Relax."
"I'm the protagonist."
Hare's House only had one task: protect Eous and Panta.
The light in Zane's eyes glowed an even deeper blue. His dark form radiated overwhelming pressure, the jagged plates on his body seeming to slice through the very air.
He stepped past Nicole and walked forward. Compared to the giant Etherial in the distance, Zane's figure wasn't physically imposing—but his presence felt towering.
His calm demeanor and light tone gave Nicole a small but unexpected sense of reassurance as she watched him go.
"Hey... be careful. That thing... doesn't look easy to deal with."
Nicole called after him, her eyes still fixed on the core Etherial.
Back when they were chatting on the road, Zane had told Hare's House and Proxy why he was after the core Etherial.
Nicole just hadn't expected the one in the Cretan Hollow to be this terrifying... or this powerful.