"Sharknami—!"
A colossal pair of scissors slammed down from midair. In an instant, a bone-chilling cold spread in all directions.
Countless ice spikes erupted from the ground. Dozens of Thanatos flickered with a blinding red glow from the [Core] atop their heads, vanishing from where they stood in the blink of an eye.
The rest of the Ethereals weren't so lucky. Slower to react, they couldn't dodge the ice spikes bursting up beneath them.
In a single exchange, their bodies were impaled clean through. No matter how they struggled, they couldn't move. Their strength ebbed away as Ether Substance slowly leaked from the gaping holes in their chests.
At the very end, they forced themselves to look up.
Not far away, a gigantic pair of scissors was embedded straight into the asphalt. A slender figure gripped the handles, flipped down, and landed lightly on the ground.
"Hmph!"
The girl tightened her grip and let out a cold snort. Her slender hands flared with force, and a hidden surge of power slipped into the surrounding ice spikes.
Crack crack—boom!
The ice spikes shattered all at once. The shock rippled through the Ethereals' bodies, drawing out shrill cries. Reeling backward, their legs suddenly gave out, and they collapsed onto the ground, dissolving into drifting strands of Ether Substance that scattered on the wind.
"One move—about ten down."
Ellen crouched low, counting silently while staying alert to her surroundings.
She clearly remembered that quite a few Thanatos had been within her attack range just moments ago.
Yet the instant the giant scissors fell, they all blinked out of existence together.
Suddenly, a chill crawled up the back of her neck. Her heartbeat spiked, pupils snapping tight.
Behind her!
There was no time to dodge. Ellen lifted her weapon and blocked with the handle.
Clang!
The impact rang out thunderously. Ellen staggered forward two steps, but the sense of danger didn't ease—instead, it surged. Her heart hammered wildly, as if it might burst from her chest.
No—there's more!
Ellen clenched her teeth. Her unsteady toe tapped the ground, and ripples spread instantly beneath her feet, followed by a bloom of icy mist.
Just as she pitched forward, another Thanatos behind her brought its blade down.
The mist suddenly compressed, then snapped into a sharp ice spike that shot out like a bullet.
Before the blade could fall, the ice spike pierced straight into its [Core].
A flash of red light flared briefly at the top of the [Core], then faded almost immediately. In less than a second, it went dark. The body swayed, unsteady.
A gust of wind pushed it over completely.
Ellen rolled across the ground, planting her feet and dropping back into a crouch.
Even without seeing it, her body sensed another Thanatos closing in from behind.
She kicked off hard, leaping backward.
Midair, Ellen tilted her head instinctively. Sure enough, she brushed past the Thanatos by a hair's breadth.
Looking down, she caught sight of its butcher blade stabbing forward, cold light flashing painfully bright—yet the danger already felt distant.
Her heart settled. As she landed, Ellen swung her blade forward in a clean arc, splitting the Thanatos in half on the spot.
"Little Black-White, now!"
The moment she finished off one Thanatos, Ellen twisted aside to evade another sneak attack. Steel rang as blades met, and she shouted out.
[Call me Lord Black-White Doll!]
In a spot all the Ethereals had instinctively overlooked, the Doll floated openly into view. Water serpents coiled around its body, and beneath its feet writhed two snakes—one black, one white.
[Black, White—together!]
The Doll clapped its hands and barked the command.
The twin water snakes' eyes lit up instantly. Their necks arched as a cold gust swept past.
Their bellies swelled, as though crammed full of endless air.
In the next moment, as if they could hold no more, both snakes snapped their heads downward. The air they had drawn in exploded outward, transforming into towering pillars of water. The sheer force was enough to pulverize rock as it burst forth in an instant.
[Water Jet! Miss Shark, dodge!]
While directing the attack, the Doll didn't forget to warn Ellen.
Hearing that, Ellen gave a slight nod. She surged with both arms, forcing several Thanatos blades aside, then leapt high into the air.
Thanatos didn't understand what was happening. Seeing Ellen suddenly jump away mid-fight, they froze for a split second. Ripples of light shimmered across their [Cores], betraying confusion.
That confusion vanished the moment two high-pressure water jets slammed straight into them.
In its place was sheer terror.
They had never imagined that, despite being Ethereals themselves, the Doll would side with humans.
[Heh~ Didn't expect that, did you, you brainless idiots! This Lord has a proper position in the human world now!]
Watching the Thanatos get blasted into disarray by the twin water snakes, the Doll couldn't help but gloat. It puffed out its chest and lifted its chin proudly.
At the same time, Ellen dropped from above.
The giant scissors struck first, crushing a Thanatos outright. Ellen followed through, dispersing the force as she landed and sank into a crouch.
"Hmph. Let's finish them all!"
A dark glint flashed through Ellen's eyes. Her body tilted sideways, hovering without falling, like a fish gliding freely through the air. Ice blooms flared as she carved sweeping arcs, blade marks slashing out in every direction.
She swept to the far edge, then curved back, her path tracing a clean semicircle. An unseen force gathered all the Thanatos toward the center.
Ellen kicked the giant scissors forward.
They spun at high speed, razor-sharp like suspended blades in a grinder, shredding every Thanatos the instant they made contact.
"Done!"
She looked over the battlefield as the bodies dissolved into scattered violet motes of light. Ellen clapped her hands once, then reached out and caught the giant scissors as they rolled back to her.
The Doll drifted over and sprawled against her shoulder.
[We should move. That fight was too loud—it might attract more Ethereals.]
[But Miss Shark… do you even know which way to go?]
Hollow Zero was enormous. Phaga and the others had probably just picked a direction at random, killing whatever Ethereals they ran into, pushing forward until Hollow Zero stabilized.
Thinking about it, a bitter curve tugged at the Doll's face.
One headless fly trying to find another headless fly on a massive, fog-choked island—absurd beyond belief.
Yet, to its surprise, Ellen suddenly raised her hand and pointed decisively in one direction.
"Go that way!"
Her voice was clear and cold.
When the Black-White Doll looked up, it met Ellen's gaze—frighteningly resolute, as if she were absolutely certain that following this path would lead them straight to Phaga.
[How do you know?] the Doll asked, curiosity getting the better of it.
"Because I remember the taste of his blood," Ellen said calmly. "He definitely passed through here."
...
"Achoo!"
For no apparent reason, Phaga suddenly sneezed and rubbed his nose.
At the sound, Nineveh immediately leaned in, worry evident in her voice.
[Are you tired? Creator, should you rest for a while?]
"No. Just a sneeze," Phaga replied, shaking his head. "I'm fine."
[Oh, please. Phaga doesn't look like he needs rest at all.]
Seeing everyone fuss over Phaga while no one paid attention to her, Misha couldn't help muttering under her breath.
[This guy's stamina is ridiculous—like an ox. No… worse than an ox.]
[By the way, are we actually getting out of here? We always choose the route with the fewest Ethereals, but every time we cross a spatial rift, there's a whole swarm waiting for us.]
"We'll get out," Phaga said.
This time, his tone was unusually firm.
He raised his hand and lightly pointed in a certain direction, speaking softly.
[I don't know why, but ever since just now… I've had this feeling that this direction is the right one.]