Zane asked softly, and both Belle and Shin instinctively turned their eyes toward him, equally startled by what had just happened.
That voice... a woman?
"Sunbringer."
The reply came from Panta. The two words left all three of them momentarily stunned, though she herself seemed unconcerned.
"Don't be surprised. This is just a consciousness program I left behind. It will erase itself soon enough. I didn't leave it with any grand purpose—just curiosity, to see what the outcome would be."
"By the way, do you already know about Professor Arche?"
Zane steadied himself and nodded. Seeing this, Sunbringer understood a little, but just as she was about to continue, her gaze shifted to Shin and Belle.
"Hm? Children of the Dan family?"
The wings at Shin's back and her distinctive pink hair gave her away instantly. Sunbringer recognized her without surprise.
"Why don't you two step outside for a moment? I have some things to discuss with this little one alone..."
She smiled gently. Shin's eyes widened, still not fully processing the situation, but Belle gave her sleeve a light tug, and the two turned to leave.
At the doorway, Wise—who had just finished with his own matters—was about to enter when Belle quickly pushed him back out.
The door shut firmly, leaving only Zane and Sunbringer in the room.
"Tsk... not bad looking. But then again, that's only natural for a creation of Heaven and Earth. I know you're after the Hive Master Hollow, and that's fine—it was meant for you anyway."
Sunbringer gave Zane a quick once-over, smiling lightly as she spoke.
It was Zane's attempt to connect with the Hive Master Hollow that triggered the device—and in turn, her appearance.
"Tell me, little one—how do you feel about this world?"
Before Zane could answer, she had already asked the question. For someone of her age, calling him "little one" seemed perfectly natural.
Zane hesitated, unsure how to respond. Seeing this, Sunbringer continued,
"Compared to your original world, how does it feel?"
The moment the words left her mouth, Zane's pupils contracted, his expression shifting. He frowned slightly at the sight of Sunbringer speaking through Panta's body.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Haha, don't worry, little guy."
She shook her head with a soft laugh before continuing,
"Not many knew of Professor Arche's plan. I was one of the few. His original intention was simply to grant human consciousness to the creations of this world."
"But the chances of success were slim. For a newborn consciousness, resisting the influence of the world itself is incredibly difficult—even if raised within human civilization."
"So... he made a bold decision."
"He brought a consciousness from beyond this world, from another reality... in other words—you."
"Only something completely unbound to this world could stand against it. But looking at you now, it seems there wasn't even a struggle... you simply won."
Seeing how quickly Zane processed the revelation, Sunbringer smiled, her mood visibly lifted.
"You haven't been here long, but surely you already have friends, companions..."
Her gaze lingered on him as she asked,
"Do you have family? A lover? And..."
Soon, she was peppering Zane with questions like an elder prying into a younger's life. His face darkened with irritation—his earlier wariness giving way to visible annoyance.
Was this really the first Void Hunter?
Why did she seem so... unserious?
After a while, noticing his resistance, Sunbringer stopped her questioning, waved a hand casually, and said with a light tone,
"Alright, alright, I'll take my leave. Consider this a gift left across the ages. Don't let me down."
"I look forward to our next meeting."
"Our next meeting?"
Zane raised an eyebrow as Panta's expression began to dim. What did she mean by that?
Had she left behind another fragment of consciousness? Or had she never truly died at all?
Now that he thought about it, he'd never actually seen any concrete information about the first Void Hunter. Did she still exist somewhere in this world?
"It seems you're eager for answers too... Take your time figuring it out."
Sunbringer seemed to read his thoughts easily. Leaving those final words behind, her presence vanished completely.
Panta slumped into shutdown mode. Its chest split open, revealing a crystalline square core.
With a faint shimmer, the crystal peeled away, releasing a small black sphere that floated out slowly.
Zane lifted his hand and caught the Hive Master Hollow. At once, a bond formed—it was actively accepting him.
Perhaps because it had already condensed into a small black sphere, absorbing the Hive Master Hollow this time was much easier. It caused no commotion and, within moments, disappeared into the void.
Panta soon powered back on and looked up at him again. Zane reached out and rubbed its head reassuringly.
While connected to the Hive Master Hollow, he had caught a glimpse of another core within Panta—one that stored Hollow energy. With the reserves still inside, losing the Hive Master Hollow wouldn't affect it.
Setting aside Sunbringer's matter for now, Zane rose and headed for the door. It was time to tell Belle what came next.
...
The banquet was drawing to a close.
The Hare's House members were still inside, though some guests had already started to leave. Seeing this, Nicole prepared to slip out as well.
But just as she stood up, the music cut off abruptly. A spotlight snapped on, shining directly onto their group, making them stand out in the hall.
Then Shin's voice rang out.
She began by lavishing praise on the members of Hare's House, declaring them her special guests. This immediately shifted the crowd's perception of them.
Shin's absence earlier hadn't caused much stir, but for her to reappear at the end of the banquet just to introduce Hare's House—that was enough to make everyone pay attention.
In their eyes, Shin held high status and influence within the Falkenhayn Mercenary Troupe. If she gave Hare's House such recognition, it could only mean they were extraordinary.
All at once, Nicole and the others were surrounded by enthusiasm from the crowd. Even Billy, usually the most outgoing, was left flustered and unsure how to respond.
But then, a disturbance rippled through the hall.
A group of people rushed in from outside, their faces filled with panic. They had been at the banquet earlier but hadn't stayed inside the main hall.
Now, however, they'd all come back—looking very much like they'd been forced.
Before anyone could question them, every door and window was suddenly sealed shut by a hard, black material—Ether crystals.
All eyes turned toward Shin on the stage, silently demanding an explanation.
But no explanation came.
Instead, something else appeared.
A strange mask.