All He needed was—
this body!
He refused to believe that, after the lesson from last time and all His preparations now, Zane could survive a second time! Besides, this time was nothing like before. With Hollow Zero serving as the connection, the moment something felt wrong, He could immediately retreat back into Tyce's body.
And with Hollow Zero's pressure bolstering Him, how could such a perfect opportunity possibly slip through His fingers?
The others inside the hollow had no idea that their two leaders had already begun clashing. Shin remained focused on holding back the assault—an assault now strengthened by the Church's forces.
They still didn't know what was happening on Zane's side, but until he declared the mission complete, they could not allow the enemy even a single step toward the core area.
...
"Eleven! Left!"
The command came through the earpiece. Blade still blazing, Soldier 11 spun and slashed toward the direction Trigger reported.
A harsh screech rang out as sparks scattered. The ethereal emerging from the spatial rift froze, then was immediately driven into the ground by the force of Soldier 11's blade.
"Boom!"
Cracks webbed across the ground from the point of impact—proof of just how powerful the strike had been. Even a defense-type ethereal like this one saw stars.
But a heartbeat later, a streak of white light threaded with electricity shot through its core, causing the creature to collapse into Ether and vanish.
From a high vantage point in the distance, a four-to-five-meter-long gun barrel released a puff of white smoke. The jet-black firearm gleamed with a cold sheen, its shadowed muzzle radiating a sense of inevitable death.
The one wielding it was a massive "dragonfly," quietly crouched atop airborne ruins. Its two pairs of translucent wings resembled four broad blades. Beneath its 360-degree compound eyes was a cold, handsome face.
Trigger.
This was the military's newest combat mech, tailored specifically for her. They had originally planned to assist the Proxy's operation, but since that team didn't need reinforcements, they returned to join the Falkenhayn's mission.
"Head to 37.21. That team's running thin."
The message relayed through the communicator to the squad members. Obol Squad was among the stronger units in the Falkenhayn Mercenary Troupe, so they operated independently for the moment.
Soldier 11 nodded silently and raced toward the coordinates Trigger provided.
...
"Hey! Proxy! How much longer do you need?!"
Clang! Ellen raised her shark scissors to block the strike of an incoming Ethereal, her legs sliding back slightly as strain flashed across her expression.
It wasn't that this Ethereal was particularly strong—it was that she had been fighting nonstop for ten hours. The entire Victoria Housekeeping team had been battling for that long.
Even Rina's two Bangboo were so exhausted they had gone completely quiet. No matter how strong someone was, everyone was reaching their limit.
"Only five percent left!"
Belle's voice drifted in from afar, thick with exhaustion. Nearly a hundred Hollows controlled by the Church through special means—dealing with them one by one was enough to break anyone.
If the enemy hadn't begun preparing to enter Hollow Zero two days ago, leaving no time to intervene here, they would have been forced to face both the Ethereals and their foes simultaneously.
They had to seize this window and destroy these extremely dangerous Hollows before they could become a threat. This was what they had been preparing for all this time.
The Cunning Hares, Victoria Housekeeping, Belobog Heavy Industries, and Section 6 had all taken turns on the front lines. She had rotated shifts with her brother without a moment of rest. They could not fail.
They had to help Zane—and help the comrades fighting inside Hollow Zero. And above all, they were also fighting for themselves.
"Ellen, you have to hold on!"
Watching the progress bar inch forward on the device, Belle knew Ellen wouldn't call for help unless the situation was truly dire. She urged Fairy to speed up the decoding.
"These hollows surrounding New Eridu are no joke. If even one fails, the chain reaction could ruin everything!"
"And who knows what kind of danger that would bring to Zane? If he—"
Belle's tone grew heavy. She didn't finish the sentence, but everyone understood. After all, the intel Jane had retrieved wasn't just known to Belle and Wise—everyone was aware of the stakes.
Just remembering how awful she felt when Zane faked his death made Ellen grit her teeth hard. Zane's face flashed through her mind, and Ellen could barely stop herself from yelling.
"Argh! Damn it!"
"He better make it up to me after this!"
He had to spend time with her every single day!
Her shark scissors spun in her hands, and a massive burst of ice-anomaly ether exploded outward. Ellen went full shounen mode again, Belle finally let out a breath of relief.
Just as she expected—this method worked.