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He wasn't the only one who felt something was off—Anby sensed it, and Ignis felt it just as sharply. These Ethereals were bizarre, floating freely in midair and crawling out of walls, but did Ethereals truly possess anything resembling a line of sight?
Although the Salamander hadn't been in New Eridu for long, he'd already fought Ethereals multiple times—even entered Hollow Zero once. Yet in all his clashes, he had rarely sensed anything like being watched.
When dealing with alien species or heretical foes across the galaxy, most opponents had eyes, so the Salamander could observe their gaze and combine that with their movements to predict incoming attacks. But here in New Eridu, these Ethereals only had a void-like core where the head should be—it was impossible to feel where their "gaze" might land.
Thus, in battle, Ignis usually judged intent through shoulder, waist, and leg motion. Fortunately, most Ethereals still maintained a humanoid structure, and the countless years of war across the galaxy had given him more than enough experience to read alien movements and seize the advantage.
If these things had no gaze at all, then whatever had been staring at them could only be a person—or something intelligent.
Would Chaos Daemons enter a Hollow? Would they get lost inside?
As Ignis wrestled with these thoughts, Billy bounced lightly on his feet, bent at the waist, and spoke to Eous in that pinched voice he always used when interacting with Phaethon: "Manager, how do we proceed next?"
"This robot always puts on that weird voice when Phaethon is around," Ignis noted silently.
"Hold on, let me check…" Data rapidly scrolled across Eous' face-display, clearly running calculations.
Ignis and Anby Demara remained on alert. They couldn't afford to drop their guard—this place was far too uncanny; unlike any Hollow they had encountered before.
Unlike the tense pair beside her, Nekomata relaxed the moment she confirmed no enemies were nearby. She stretched languidly, licked her hand, and began grooming her hair.
Ignis paused. Just how much of her is Thiren and how much is cat? He'd seen her flatten her ears before, but today she was full on grooming like a house pet.
At the exact moment the Salamander's attention drifted toward her, something moved—fast. Faster than the floating Ethereals they had faced earlier. Ignis caught only a streak of red slicing across his vision before it halted abruptly.
A heartbeat later, that red dot surged in size, shooting straight toward Nekomata.
"Nekomata!" The Salamander snatched her up instantly. His movement was so fast that even she hadn't realized she was already two meters off the ground.
"W-waaah!" The sudden motion made her fur puff out wildly as her limbs flailed in panic. The commotion drew the others' eyes. Billy was stunned—he had been completely focused on the Proxies' Bangboo earlier.
Anby, however, tightened her brow in tension. Her fingers squeezed the chainsword's trigger, and the weapon answered with its signature vrrrmm.
"What are you doing?! You scared my fur all out of shape!" Nekomata protested as the Salamander set her back on the floor, still confused.
Ignis showed her what he had caught with his other hand.
"If I reacted a second slower, you'd be dead."
He tossed the object onto the ground.
The thing that had shot at Nekomata—a glowing red blur—was a pair of shears. More accurately, a gardener's pruning shears. But unlike normal handheld tools, this one's handle alone was over a meter long, requiring two hands to wield. The blades were half-black, half-white, with a black-painted central hinge, forming something like an animal's snout.
"Who's there?" Anby Demara aimed her attention toward the direction the shears had come from.
Footsteps began to echo—slow, unhurried. Nekomata and Billy immediately hid behind the Salamander's armor, peeking out with just their heads. the Salamander understood Nekomata's fear, but Billy? There was no excuse for him being here just for the drama.
But the enemy was close. This was no time to bicker.
The footsteps descended from the upper floor. The boots sounded metallic, each step landing with sharp clarity. As they approached, the Salamander felt the grip of the two clinging behind his legs tightening.
"What… what is that thing?" Billy whispered, voice trembling.
"You're a robot. What are you even afraid of?" Ignis muttered bluntly.
Thick fog and darkness interfered with even a Space Marine's enhanced senses. The Salamander couldn't tell if the figure approaching was human or some other abomination—he could only wait.
But since the sound clearly came from the stairs, his autocannon was already aimed at the location.
The footsteps stopped. A pair of iron boots emerged from the fog, followed by a tall, well-built Wolf Thiren. His fur was white, his animalistic face concealed by a black leather mask with only the pointed muzzle and left eye visible. A fitted white shirt lay under a black vest, accentuated with a red tie. His sleeves were rolled to the elbows, exposing strong forearms. He wore black leather gloves with brass studs embedded at the striking surfaces.
Most eye-catching of all were the reinforced greaves on his legs, similar to Nekomata's, encasing his calves and feet—explaining the crisp metallic sounds with each step.
"You all have impressive skill. No wonder you've made it this far inside—but this is where you stop." His voice was steady, yet he adjusted his gloves deliberately, showcasing the brass studs.
Ignis considered firing a warning shot but decided against risking unnecessary casualties. Instead, the Salamander simply raised the autocannon's muzzle toward the Wolf-Thiren.
"A Thiren? Good—at least it's not an Ethereal." Nekomata sighed in relief.
The Wolf-Thiren met the Salamander's cannon without flinching. He slid a golden pocket watch from his chest pocket.
"Ballet Twins Hollow is private property. No outside visitors allowed at this time."
"You have thirty seconds to state your reason for coming." His manner was refined, but the underlying threat was unmistakable. "Depending on your answer…"
He was cut off by the clack-chkk of the Salamander chambering a round. The crisp metal echoed through the hall, spent casings hitting the floor. The air tightened instantly.
Ignis didn't intend to fire—he simply refused to tolerate the stranger's tone.
He got the reaction he wanted: the Wolf-Thiren's graceful posture wavered, his eyelid twitching involuntarily. Yet he quickly regained composure. Facing the autocannon, his aura grew even more unyielding.
Interesting.
The Salamander could now guess what had been watching them—and clearly, this Wolf knew exactly how dangerous the autocannon was. Standing strong despite that meant he had immense confidence in his abilities. Judging from his attire, his lean yet muscular build, and the balance in his limbs, he was likely a martial artist specializing in kicks.
Let's see how composed he looks with a Dragon's Breath round headed for him.
The two sides locked in a standoff. Neither intended to back down. Tension thickened. The Salamander's finger hovered near the activation stud—ready to press it the moment the Wolf moved.
"Guh—!"
A scream tore through the darkness, and something clattered out of the shadows—skrrr-skrrr-skrrr, sparking as it rolled. It bounced past the Wolf-Thiren's feet and spun to a halt beside the Salamander.
It was a circular saw blade. And its shape was familiar—something they had seen before.
Nekomata and Billy nearly jumped out of their skins when that thing suddenly rolled to a stop in front of them. They both looked like they were about to spring straight into the air.
But the tense standoff had now taken on a strangely awkward flavor—especially with the Wolf-Thiren, whose expression soured instantly. He had been cultivating his posture and aura for quite some time, only for that rogue sawblade's dramatic entrance to collapse the entire act.
He cleared his throat, straightened his expression, and tried to restore his earlier refined seriousness.
"Ladies and gentlemen, as I was saying—this area is currently not open to visitors, therefore I—"
Before he could finish, another metallic clatter echoed across the floor, plunging the entire scene into further embarrassment.
The Wolf-Thiren released the faintest sigh and closed his eyes.
"I believe I emphasized that weapon maintenance and floor dusting are daily requirements, did I not?"
There was genuine helplessness in his tone.
A small figure rushed out from the darkness. Grey-green hair tied in twin ponytails, wearing a black-and-white maid uniform, holding the long-handled gardening chainsaw—now missing its blade.
It was Corin, the maid Nekomata had met with in the Dead End Hollow. Ignis remembered her saying she was part of Victoria Housekeeping. Was this Wolf-Thiren her employer?
The flustered maid planted the bladeless saw on the floor, pressing her hands together at her chest.
"I'm so sorry, Mr. Lycaon, truly, I'm terribly, terribly—"
Before she could finish, the long handle of the saw tipped over. She grabbed it in a panic, nearly falling forward, then bowed ninety degrees toward Lycaon.
"Ugh… so tired…" a lazy female voice drifted from behind the Wolf-Thiren.
The Salamander turned toward the sound. Another young maid—no more than twenty—leaned against the staircase railing, something hanging from her mouth, her posture slack and half-asleep.
"Ellen, you're on duty. Maintain your composure." Lycaon's voice carried clear irritation.
Hearing the command, the sleepy maid rolled her eyes.
"Tch… fine."
Ellen stepped forward reluctantly, spitting out whatever she'd been chewing. Her hands folded primly before her thighs, her attitude anything but prim. The Salamander noticed the enormous tail trailing behind her—clearly some kind of aquatic species.
So Thirens include aquatic hybrids as well? How do you even merge a human with a fish? And those shears shaped like a fish's jaw—were they thrown by this girl? That's some strength. And that speed… not inferior to Jane Doe at all.
While Ignis pondered, Nekomata finally recognized the maid and shouted brightly, "Hm? Corin? Aren't you little Corin?"
Hearing her own name, Corin turned—and only then realized the newcomers were the very people who had helped her escape the Hollow before.
"Ah! Miss Nekomata! And the Investigator! And the kind giant gentleman!" She greeted them all enthusiastically, drawing Lycaon's attention.
"Corin. You know them?"
"Yes!" she nodded vigorously. "Mr. Lycaon, they were the ones who rescued me when I got lost in the Hollow."
At that, Nekomata and Billy stepped out from behind the Salamander. Especially Billy—who dramatically tossed his head and struck a proud pose, as if he had somehow also participated in the rescue.
The tension faded from Lycaon's expression. If they had helped one of his subordinates, then proper courtesy was due.
"I see." The elegant Wolf-Thiren nodded. Then he addressed someone behind them. "Rina, stand down for now."
"As you command."
A soft, elegant female voice whispered past Anby's ear. The white-haired girl sprang forward several steps, blade drawn, maintaining full vigilance.
Ignis raised a hand between them, though his expression remained hard. She had approached them without a sound—he hadn't sensed her at all.
The woman was tall and mature, wearing a long-skirted maid uniform. Across the upper half of her outfit were red leather restraint-straps—almost identical to the devices used to bind patients in an asylum.
Two Bangboos hovered beside her—one with golden wavy hair, the other with black braided pigtails. She drifted past the group—yes, drifted. Her feet never touched the ground. Judging from the occasional sparks flickering beneath her shoes, she was using some form of magnetic levitation.
"Hehe." Rina let out a soft chuckle. "Quite sharp, little one. You almost caught me earlier."
Nekomata's eyes widened. She could not comprehend how someone could simply float like that. Surely she's not actually… flying?
"Your awareness is still lacking!" The golden-haired Bangboo zipped up to the Salamander's face to taunt him before following its master away.
"Lacking! Lacking!" the other Bangboo echoed as it floated after.
"Since you are not strangers," Lycaon said as he descended the steps, the other maids gathering beside him, "this becomes much simpler."
He placed one hand across his chest in a refined gesture.
"Allow me to formally introduce ourselves. We are Victoria Housekeeping."