Strange lights and fleeting visions kept flashing through Zane's mind—appearing, vanishing, then appearing again.
The "core" within his chest was slowly dissolving.
In its place emerged a dark, swirling vortex, constantly distorting and rippling with multicolored halos.
Deep. Terrifying.
This was the core's original form—what it should have been before stabilizing into a normal "core" after an Ethereal's birth.
A moment later, Zane regained his focus.
Aside from the light-wings at his back, he seemed both transformed and unchanged. Subtle glowing patterns flowed across his body.
Anyone who saw him now would feel an innate sense of detachment—and a shudder in their very soul.
It was the fear born from a higher lifeform.
But the pressure quickly faded.
"What a miserable experience..."
Zane straightened up, shook his head slightly, and began analyzing the situation. He hadn't forgotten about Yano or those "eyes."
"Before the Hollow shrinks back to its original size... I'll reduce everything to ash."
He raised his hand.
Endless flames poured from the two Hollows in the sky, gathering at his palm.
It was as if he alone was draining the energy of two suns.
"Come..."
Zane slowly lowered his hand, staring at the writhing energy in his grasp—so dense it distorted space itself.
"I will... ignite... the Hollow."
As his voice fell, he hurled the glowing mass downward. White, liquid-like tendrils writhed from it as it fell.
The moment it struck the ground, a scarlet explosion surged outward.
Like a tsunami—except it was fire.
Buildings, streets, everything in its path was swept away, engulfed in flame.
Zane would destroy it all.
This was his way.
Amid the world-consuming inferno, Zane suddenly sensed something and turned toward the distant spatial rift—still open.
But what he saw wasn't the rift he expected—it was a world cloaked in dense black fog.
Then, without warning, two blood-red eyes appeared in the mist. They seemed to glance at him—then vanished.
Only endless darkness remained.
"Hollow Zero, huh..."
Zane withdrew his mind and looked away.
The red eyes left no ripple in his heart. Just another new enemy.
Then something stirred in him.
A sudden, irresistible impulse—fate tugging at him.
Without hesitation, he followed it. A long crystal sword formed in his hand.
In the crimson world, Zane raised the blade skyward.
He gathered his strength... and struck.
A brilliant arc of light burst forth—so radiant it outshone the sea of fire itself.
But it lasted only a blink before vanishing entirely, as if it had never existed.
Behind Zane, the final needle of light began to fade.
He stared at the place where the blade vanished.
No one could say where that slash would land—perhaps only once it struck would anything become clear.
His mind settled, the raging firestorm pressed on, engulfing everything. Zane's figure vanished into the eruption—a pillar of flame hundreds of meters high.
Maybe this was always meant to happen...
Was it?
Zane felt he needed a moment to reflect—
Amid this sea of fire.
...
Dead End Hollow - Perimeter Zone
"By now, they should've made it out safely. I just hope Ruby's okay... As long as she's not hurt, that's enough."
Ellen, holding her shark scissors in one hand, looked toward the Hollow's exit and muttered softly.
Mid-thought, something struck her. She turned to glance deeper into Dead End Hollow, curiosity flickering in her eyes.
"Wonder how that guy's doing..."
"Fire Picker... What was that line the teacher used? 'You search high and low...' Uh... Forgot the rest."
She shook her head, dragging her thoughts away from a miserable high school classroom memory. With a grin, she added,
"Kinda want to fight him. Wonder if he's really as terrifyingly strong as they say..."
As Ellen pictured an imaginary showdown, a voice called out nearby.
"Ellen! What are you still doing here?!"
"You didn't leave with the others?!"
Rina smoothly weaved through the ruined buildings, landing beside Ellen. The ever-elegant head maid now wore a rare look of panic.
"What's... going on?"
Ellen spit out the stick of her finished lollipop and blinked in confusion at Rina.
No matter what, you couldn't just leave someone behind in a Hollow, right?
Rina was about to explain—but before she could speak, Corin's voice rang out.
"Run!!!"
"Aaaaaaahhh—!!"
Corin was lugging her chainsaw, panic written all over her face. Lycaon followed close behind, looking just as grim.
A quick glance revealed a glaring black scorch mark on the tip of his snowy white tail.
Ellen's eyes widened in surprise, but before she could say a word, her feet lifted off the ground.
Rina had already grabbed her and bolted.
Boom!!!
The roar came from behind, and Ellen, now facing backward, finally understood the panic.
Orange-red flames filled her vision.
A sea of fire surged toward them—towering high enough to swallow buildings whole, roaring like a beast devouring the world.
Ellen twisted around instantly, stomped hard—and surged forward at full speed!
The ocean might be a shark's domain.
But a sea of fire was definitely not.
Waves of heat blasted from behind. Even with distance between her and the flames, the sheer heat was unbearable.
Her eyes locked onto Lycaon's tail up ahead. Her pupils shrank.
Quickly freeing one hand, she reached out, grabbed his swaying tail, and pulled it forward to protect it—then picked up even more speed.
Burning tails?
Absolutely. Absolutely. Absolutely not allowed!
The Victoria Housekeeping Team fled Dead End Hollow in full retreat.
The team famous for elegance and grace had never been more disheveled.
There was no helping it. Even the elite Hollow Task Force Section Six would've ended up the same.
This moment of chaos would be seared into the memory of every team member.
Especially Lycaon—whose tail had been singed.
He would never forget this painful day...