An explosion rang out as visible shockwaves and energy burst out on either side. Soukaku's knees buckled, and his legs slid backward under the sheer force.
So powerful! The force was overwhelming!
Compared to the earlier lightning pillars, this attack was on a completely different level!
The second Dennies were already closing in fast. Harumasa and Tsukishiro Yanagi rushed in to help, the three of them barely managing to hold back the impact.
Another thunderous blast rang out. The three were pushed back again, though it wasn't as harsh as the first time.
Then came the third waves of Dennies.
Another boom—another retreat.
Then the fourth…
Just as Hoshimi Miyabi and the others breathed a sigh of relief, thinking the threat had passed, a dazzling light flared from the other side of the shield.
In Hoshimi Miyabi's eyes, aside from that blinding light, there was only one thing—panic she couldn't suppress.
"Section… Chief—!"
The banner, along with the three behind it, was blasted backward with unstoppable force. Hoshimi Miyabi only had a vague glimpse of Harumasa's outstretched hand and his shocked expression behind the shield.
The shield flew a long distance before crashing violently into the ground.
Boom—!
Hare's House hadn't gotten far. Though Eous was with them, because Hollow Special Operations Unit 6 considered them combat-incapable, they were told to wait in a nearby safe zone.
As fate would have it, the crashing banner—with three members of Unit 6 in tow—slammed down right in front of them.
Eous peeked out, confused.
Why… did they just fly over here?
"Get up already…"
Tsukishiro Yanagi, pinned on the bottom, sounded exhausted. Seeing Soukaku with spinning eyes and Harumasa seeing stars, Nicole quickly shouted,
"Billy! Help them out!"
After rescuing the trio, Nicole hurriedly asked,
"What happened to you?!"
Still looking like he had narrowly escaped death, Tsukishiro Yanagi muttered,
"Dennies… was terrifying…"
Nicole tilted her head, completely confused.
Dennies?
Terrifying?
She understood each word, but somehow together they made no sense.
...
Looking up at the two enemies above, Hoshimi Miyabi realized—she was on her own again.
She'd let her guard down too soon.
But when her eyes fell on Zane, she gritted her teeth again.
"That guy… he's way too cunning!"
The final group of Dennies had unleashed... attribute energy several times stronger than the combined total of the previous three—on an entirely different level!
It wasn't that her teammates were weak.
Anyone who made it into Unit 6 had to survive intense selection—none of them were pushovers.
Harumasa and Tsukishiro Yanagi didn't even get to show their full strength. Soukaku had just used his weapon as a shield and done nothing else.
And just like that, the three of them were knocked out.
Zane had taken advantage of people's natural assumptions and carelessness, setting up a trap that paid off handsomely, leaving her to face everything alone.
Thinking back to the lightning trap earlier, Hoshimi Miyabi's expression darkened. She recalled the risk evaluation she'd seen on the "Fire Pickers."
Green:
Flight Ability — Normal
Mobility — Normal
Aggression — Normal
Speed — Dangerous
Strength — Dangerous
Vitality — Dangerous
Defense — Dangerous
Physical Durability — Dangerous
Orange:
Ideology — Extremely Dangerous
Rare Attribute Abilities — Extremely Dangerous
Destructive Power — Extremely Dangerous
Red:
Rationality — Extreme High-Risk!
Stealth — Extreme High-Risk!
Activity Range — Extreme High-Risk!
Combat Awareness — Extreme High-Risk!
Attribute Usage — Extreme High-Risk!
Growth Potential — Extreme High-Risk!
Unknown Factors — Extreme High-Risk!
Overall Rating: Unrestricted Void Hunter Class
Classification: Top-Secret New Eridu Archive
Every red-level rating was tied to how human-like the "Fire Pickers" could be.
Without sentience, they'd barely rank on Nineveh's level. But with a thinking mind…
Staring at the two enemies above, Hoshimi Miyabi couldn't tell if the Fire Pickers were more human or Ethereal.
When she first saw that transformation, she assumed human. But now, after failing to communicate—she leaned toward Ethereal.
All these thoughts passed in a blink.
Meanwhile, Zane stood atop the Ether crystal, preparing for another wave of attacks.
Playing artillery was fun—but the energy drain was real.
Not that it mattered much to him.
From the ground, Hoshimi Miyabi watched the incoming insect swarm and the gathering lightning, unreadable emotions on her face.
One of them was already trouble enough. Now the two had teamed up.
An Ethereal-Ethereal alliance—too strong.
Even for a Void Hunter like her, it was overwhelming.
She may have been the youngest Void Hunter, thanks in part to her potential, but within the ranks, she was still considered one of the weaker ones.
Now that she was facing enemies of her own level, her shortcomings were glaring.
But Hoshimi Miyabi didn't back down.
Win or lose—she'd find out in battle!
Retreat without fighting? Not her style!
Seeing her brimming with resolve, Zane raised an eyebrow.
But he didn't hold back. He pressed his hand down—and lightning exploded once again.
Nineveh led the insect swarm forward, close behind, ready to strike the final blow the moment it came.
The battle began!
Time ticked on. Zane and Nineveh's coordination was surprisingly seamless. The warrior-mage combo put immense pressure on Hoshimi Miyabi.
Soon enough, she was wounded.
Suppressing the metallic taste rising in her throat, she pushed forward—closer to Zane than she'd ever been before.
Getting here had cost her. She'd taken a hit from Nineveh's charge—and the injury showed.
Staring at her target, Hoshimi Miyabi gathered her strength, aiming to swing—not for a decisive blow, but just to force the Fire Picker to change tactics.
But then—Zane retreated behind a giant crystal shield, and her plan shattered.
She gritted her teeth. She had plenty to say about his cowardice, but there was nothing she could do.
Just as she was about to pull back—Nineveh suddenly changed.
She raised her hands near her head's core, struggling, emitting a strange buzzing.
The Ethereals seemed to lose focus—crashing into things, aimless.
Only a few seconds passed before Nineveh returned to normal.
But that was enough for Hoshimi Miyabi to notice something was wrong.
Why wasn't Nineveh coming for her? Why was she heading toward the Fire Picker instead?
Zane wasn't far—so the gap closed fast.
Then, to Hoshimi Miyabi's shock, Nineveh coiled her massive tail—and struck at Zane.
That huge tail swung like a devastating hammer, slamming directly into Zane with brutal force.
Then—Hoshimi Miyabi saw it.
The Fire Picker fell like a meteor, crashing into a high-rise, smashing through it and continuing to plummet.
She'd imagined teaming up with the Fire Picker to take down Nineveh.
She'd experienced them both working together to take her down.
But what was happening now?!
Nineveh… had switched sides?
Fighting alongside her against the Fire Picker?
Hoshimi Miyabi stood frozen, ears perked, hands gripping her sword, utterly bewildered.