In the end, Ellen still didn't get her way.
A streak of white fur silently cut through the air, and a sharp hand chop landed squarely on the back of Ellen's neck.
Her eyes widened at the instant of impact. Then her consciousness sank, and her taut body went limp, collapsing on the spot.
Rina couldn't bear the sight. Her brows knit slightly as she gently rubbed the faint redness at the back of Ellen's neck with her slender fingers, pulling her into her arms as she complained softly,
"Mr. Lycaon, that was a bit too rough."
"Letting problems fester out of misplaced compassion," Lycaon replied coolly, "is the true mark of foolishness and crudity."
Even in this situation, Lycaon stood straight-backed, chin lifted, posture immaculate.
Only when his gaze drifted to the unconscious Ellen did a trace of regret and pity flicker in his eyes.
But it vanished just as quickly, replaced by resolve.
Phaga had already entered the Hollow alone. Ellen absolutely could not be allowed to do the same.
Lycaon steeled himself and tore his gaze away from Ellen. At the sound of approaching footsteps, he looked ahead.
Yanagi walked a few steps at a time, Soukaku cradled in her arms, her expression deliberately solemn.
"I'm sorry," she said. "Because of the Ether crystals blocking the way, the convoy and heavy weaponry can't be sent into Hollow Zero."
"We may have no choice but to wait at the perimeter and observe how things develop."
...
Boom!
Another thunderous explosion echoed from within Hollow Zero.
Nineveh's Core flashed, and her massive body slammed downward like a cannonball.
The ground collapsed with a deafening roar. Cracks snaked outward across the earth, plunging several zhang deep.
Lesser Ethereals—Alaune, Tyrfing, and the like—felt the ground vanish beneath their feet. In the next instant, their bodies were dragged downward, completely out of control.
They became wedged tightly within the fissures, unable to break free no matter how they struggled.
And just as despair set in, Nineveh added another layer of terror.
Without warning, thick tentacles thrust up from beneath the ground.
A sudden chill wrapped around Tyrfing's legs as something coiled tightly around it, dragging it downward with brutal force.
Ding!
Tyrfing's Core visibly expanded outward in an instant. Endless fear spilled from it, pressure building beneath its feet. Its body went rigid, as though it were about to be torn apart.
The pain was worse than when the goblin matron and Hati from next door had fought over it.
It felt like being roasted alive—every bone in its body burning as if pulled apart.
Sss—
At last, a flash of violet light. Under the cold gleam of a purple scythe, half of Tyrfing's body was flung into the air, then smashed heavily back down, scattering into countless points of purple light.
After killing Tyrfing, the purple scythe didn't stop. Its wielder continued forward in little leather shoes, darting into the distance.
Blade after blade fell.
The Ethereals collapsed like wheat before a sickle.
Misha paused briefly to catch her breath. With a flick of her wrist, a massive Ether crystal burst up from the ground—only for her to lift her leg and kick it down.
The enormous crystal crashed to the ground, crushing countless Ethereals beneath it.
[Huff… huff… I've killed, what, over a thousand Ethereals by now?]
Misha bent slightly, wiping sweat from her pale hand. Her eyes were misty, and a puff of white breath escaped her lips.
Just as a thought stirred in her mind, the breath drifted away—and a sea of Ethereals filled her vision. Her eyelids twitched in shock.
[Damn it, brother! Where the hell did you run off to?!]
A surge of nameless anger welled up inside her. She threw her head back and howled at the sky.
Moments later, the heavens flashed. For a split second, the pitch-black night became brighter than day.
The Ethereals shuddered and looked up as one.
There, in the sky, stood a pair of wings.
Their owner raised one hand overhead. Purple-red flames poured from his palm, swelling rapidly until they resembled a blazing sun—outshining even the moon above.
"Devour the Moon…"
Phaga murmured. His fingers curled inward slightly.
As if sensing danger, the moon itself seemed to flee, desperately trying to escape.
But it was bound by something unseen. Not only could it not move, its moonlight was violently torn away, dragged into the purple-red fireball in Phaga's hand and swallowed greedily.
Before long, the entire sky went dark.
A pitch-black void where not even the faintest glimmer of light remained.
"…Scorn the Sun!"
Phaga shouted in a low roar, slamming his palm toward the ground.
Driven by overwhelming force, the colossal fireball plummeted downward like a thunderbolt.
And because it devoured all light like a black hole, the Ethereals below were plunged into blindness.
They could feel the terrifying Ether pressure. They knew disaster was imminent.
But they couldn't see where it would strike.
Like headless flies, they ran in every direction—Ethereal crashing into Ethereal, bodies slamming into walls. Madness born of fear consumed them, and not a single one escaped.
Then the destined fireball descended from the sky.
Only at the instant of its explosion did they see light again—just for a moment.
Boom!!!
In that fleeting brilliance, their lives, in the most literal sense, bloomed like fireworks.
Misha stared, transfixed.
No wonder her damn brother hadn't made a move earlier—he'd been hiding in the back, quietly charging up a massive attack.
"Hey," a voice said casually. "Want some?"
[Huh? Yeah! I do!]
At some point, Phaga had drifted back down to the ground. He was holding five Alaune—four gripped in his right hand, one tossed lightly in his left as he asked Misha.
She didn't react at first. But the moment her eyes landed on the perfectly cooked Alaune in his hands, tears betrayed her and slid uncontrollably from the corners of her mouth. Her body moved faster than her brain.
Without saying a word, Misha lunged forward, grabbed the Alaune, and started gnawing on it.
[Crunch, crunch… When I was a vampire, I never knew… Ethereals are actually this delicious!]
She mumbled through a mouthful of food, her words slurred.
Ever since she'd eaten a Sacrifice, she'd become half-Ethereal too—just like Phaga.
At that moment, Nineveh drifted over as well, pressing close to Phaga like a docile bird. In a soft, coquettish voice, she asked,
[Creator, do I get a share too?]
Tsk.
Phaga felt his heart skip a beat. Scowling, he casually picked out three Alaune and tossed them backward, not even checking whether Nineveh caught them.
"Speak properly."
[Hehe! Got them—oh my, Creator, you're so hopelessly unromantic. This is called adapting to local customs! Nineveh is a cute girl, you know. Since we're using her body, shouldn't we live like a girl too?]
Nineveh giggled as the Alaune dissolved in her hands.
[Uh… kind of dodging the point, but the logic checks out.]
As one of her own kind, Misha helpfully covered for Nineveh.
A short while later, Misha's brows suddenly drew together again, anger flaring out of nowhere.
[By the way—don't tell me you dragged me into Hollow Zero just to kill Ethereals?]
"Of course not," Phaga replied. "It's just too slow if I do it alone."
He shrugged and lowered his head to bite into his own Alaune.
Hmm. Not enough heat. Cooked a bit too briefly.
Still not familiar with the ingredients. He'd have to pay attention next time.
[Then why didn't you bring your girlfriend in? I saw her with an Ethereal too—she uses it like a battery pack!]
At the mention of Ellen, Misha seethed. That woman was basically cheating—carrying that Black-White Doll meant her stamina never ran out.
Among all humans, she posed the greatest threat to pureblood vampires.
Phaga's expression didn't change at all as he answered matter-of-factly,
"She can't. She's human. Staying in the Hollow too long would cause Ether corrosion symptoms."
The words hit Misha like a truck.
Her eyes flew wide open, mouth hanging agape, brows uneven as she tried—and failed—several times to respond. When she finally realized Phaga was completely serious, she laughed in fury.
[Heh, heh… I @#￥％… Fine, fine. As a half-Ethereal, I won't get Ether corrosion. But does that mean I can't die?]
"It's different," Phaga said calmly. "If Ellen gets hurt, I'd feel bad."
Huh?
Huh??????
Misha completely lost it.
In Nineveh's vaguely unimpressed gaze, she yanked at her hair like a madwoman, rolling on the ground and screaming. The commotion was enormous, and her clothes were soon caked with dust.
After a long while—perhaps after she'd cried enough—Misha slowly got back up.
Through her tangled, disheveled hair, Phaga caught sight of the last trace of hope in her eyes.
She pointed both fingers at herself, staring at him with intense seriousness, a faint spark of hope still lingering.
[What about me?]
[We're siblings from different parents—won't you feel bad if I die?]
"You?"
Phaga frowned and tilted his head. After hesitating for a long time, he finally said,
"Have we known each other that long?"
He paused, then added, almost absentmindedly,
"By the way… what was your name again?"