With a hoarse roar, Azazel's life came to an end. It knelt on the ground as its body slowly dissolved into points of light.
Zane watched the scene unfold, somewhat surprised.
Among the dissipating light, a strange white substance was being separated out. Within it, a faint human-like silhouette twisted and distorted.
"Was this a failure... or an incomplete fusion?"
Zane casually reached out, drawing the glowing mass toward him. As he looked at it, his eyes flickered slightly—he understood.
"So, you left yourself a backup plan. What, trying to pull a Yano too?"
"Tch. I thought you were a complete lunatic... Turns out you're just a coward."
He shook his head.
"Exactly the type I expected you to be. Hmph, that guy in Zero Hollow is way better than you."
"Spare... spare me..."
A hoarse, weak voice came from the glowing mass. It was the scholar from before.
Zane's words gave away a clue—he had already realized this scholar was involved in the earlier incident linked to Zero Hollow. But at this point, the scholar had no capacity left to think.
"If I let you go, will the innocents who died because of you come back to life?"
Zane looked up at the sky. The two Hollows still loomed ominously. As he focused, he sensed that Dead End Hollow was expanding.
Judging from the Ether fluctuations, it likely started when Anomaly died.
"My role... is far more important than theirs. My life is worth more, so—"
"The expansion of Dead End Hollow will affect countless others. Hearing that from you is rather unpleasant..."
Zane's voice was soft as his gaze returned to the glowing mass.
"What do you people take life for?"
"It's supposed to be the most beautiful, the purest thing there is."
As his words faded, Zane felt the change in his own thinking. The "life" he spoke of now wasn't quite the same as before.
Previously, he cherished it.
Now, it felt more like... pity.
Zane didn't bother speaking further. Ether energy surged. Flames suddenly ignited around the glowing mass, accompanied by anguished screams.
Then, silence.
"You've had your fun. It's time to stop."
His words fell quietly, and in the next moment, Ether energy began surging toward him like a storm. The density of energy was so immense that the radiant wings of light that had once appeared during the Cretan Hollow incident began to manifest again.
...
Meanwhile, outside the Dead End Hollow—
"Shin, it stopped."
Yeyan stared at the towering black wall ahead, a mix of shock and confusion in her eyes.
She'd assumed Shin had mobilized an entire military district solely to guard against anomalies from Dead End Hollow.
"It stopped... That's not too surprising."
Shin turned her head calmly, her gaze gentle and tinged with curiosity.
What exactly was happening inside Dead End Hollow?
"Not surprising? What do you mean?"
Yeyan asked, puzzled.
Shin didn't hold back.
"The Fire Picker is inside Dead End Hollow."
"What?! He's in there?!"
Yeyan's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Why didn't you tell me earlier?!"
"You didn't ask."
Shin waved her hand, looking innocent.
"Huh? I didn't ask?"
"Mmhm. You kept asking me when I'd take you to meet the Fire Picker—but never asked where he actually was."
Yeyan paused, doubting herself for a moment.
But then she insisted, "No, I did!"
"And also—when can I see him?!"
Shin blinked, about to respond, but sensed someone approaching. She fell silent and turned to look.
"Report! Major Shin, a robot is requesting to see you. Says it has something important to tell you."
Shin raised her brow.
"A robot?"
"Yes. It came out from inside the Hollow and mentioned a name... something like 'Zane.' It said you, Major—"
"All right. I got it."
Shin interrupted and said calmly,
"Bring it here."
The officer nodded and left. A flicker of contemplation passed through Shin's eyes as she turned toward the slowly shrinking Dead End Hollow.
What are you doing in there?
"Fire Picker... With power like that, what kind of choice will you make?"
She muttered quietly. Power—it had always meant authority, wealth... humanity's deepest desire.
If she were honest with herself, had she possessed the Fire Picker's power, she likely wouldn't have been able to remain this composed—maybe even gone a little mad.
In broad strokes, she knew quite a bit about the Fire Picker.
But in the finer details—very little.
That's why she was so curious about Zane's decision.
She had a feeling this Dead End Hollow incident would be a turning point.
A storm was coming.
"Shin! You still haven't answered me!"
"Tch... Let's just wait and see."
"I don't know when, exactly."
...
"Huff..."
Intense fire energy filled the air. The entire space around Zane had turned a deep crimson. The ground's sea of blood had long since evaporated, leaving only a thin, dark-red residue.
He hovered high in the sky, cloaked in Ether energy.
It wasn't a pleasant feeling.
As the Ether surged wildly, Zane's eyes suddenly lit up. Patterns reappeared across his body.
His form slowly turned transparent—within, golden blood could be faintly seen flowing, along with a strange, glowing "core."
A slender light needle formed behind him—then a second, a third...
A total of six light needles condensed behind his back, spreading symmetrically outward in pairs, expanding like wings. It looked otherworldly.
The needles tilted, streaming radiant colors—each one different, yet pulsing with powerful energy signatures.
Each needle was a condensed form of an elemental force:
Ether, fire, ice, electricity, space... and one last needle radiating an unknown energy.
The light trails grew longer, wider—forming a dazzling pair of ethereal wings behind Zane.
This time, they weren't just for show.
They were real wings of light.
The six needles formed a glowing skeletal structure. Floating in the sky, Zane looked as though he was enduring something profound.