The Ethereal crisis began in the morning and, in less than a day, had spread throughout the entirety of New Eridu.
No one had been prepared for this sudden calamity. Even the well-trained peacekeepers struggled to hold the line, forced to retreat step by step.
With every fallback, the defense perimeter crept closer to the city center. At this rate, it wouldn't be long before the Ethereal crisis engulfed the urban districts of New Eridu.
Inside a temporary command tent set up by the Public Security Bureau, Zhao Anmen stared at a map filled with warning markers, his brows deeply furrowed.
"Officer Zhao, Unit Seven just reported in. They've lost over half their personnel and are requesting permission to withdraw from the front." Zhu Yuan entered the tent, delivering the latest battlefield report.
In less than a single day, the Bureau had lost dozens of officers. Civilian casualties were too numerous to count—and this was all before the Ethereals had even breached the city proper.
If they made it into the city, Zhao Anmen didn't dare imagine how catastrophic the damage would be.
Worse still, the Ethereals encountered so far were mostly standard and high-class variants. The massive ones hadn't appeared yet.
That didn't mean they wouldn't emerge from the Hollow. The colossal Ethereals that already gave people headaches inside the Hollow... if they stepped into the world outside, the consequences would be unimaginable.
"Let them fall back. Send in the reserve squads. No matter what, we must not lose more ground today." After listening to Zhu Yuan's report, Zhao Anmen rubbed his forehead, a deep bitterness welling in his chest.
Fortunately, the Bureau wasn't the only official force in New Eridu. There were still elite units from the Anti-Void Department and other divisions. If they could just hold out until reinforcements arrived, there might still be a chance.
Just then, Zhao Anmen thought of someone—a man who might be able to turn the tide.
Uchiha.
But it seemed he wasn't aware of the events unfolding in New Eridu. So much time had passed, and not a single witness had reported seeing him.
Could it be he didn't intend to intervene at all?
"Better focus on the problem at hand..." There was no time for questions like that. The situation was dire. Any misstep he made as commander could mean the end of New Eridu.
...
Elsewhere, in Sixth Street—
"Belle, the Public Security Bureau just issued an evacuation order. The Ethereal army is advancing on the city. They said we need to find a safe place to hide, fast."
Wise stared at the televised news broadcast, speaking to Belle, who was feeding Zhong Lan with a milk bottle beside him.
"Hard to believe the Ethereals could actually walk out of the Hollow. The Exaltists... their progress is terrifying," Belle murmured in disbelief.
Wise shook his head. "I don't know the full picture either. But we should get ready. Or maybe... reach out to Zhong Yan."
"Let's contact Zhong Yan, then!" Belle answered without hesitation.
...
"Mom, what's the TV saying?" In a rented apartment above the Cunning Hares Café, a young Zhong Ling stared in confusion at the news playing on the television, glancing at Anby on the couch.
Anby smiled, walked over, and ruffled his hair. "Don't worry, it's just a movie on TV. How about we go see Daddy soon, okay?"
"A movie...? I dunno. But yay, go see Daddy!" The moment he heard they were visiting Zhong Yan, Zhong Ling jumped up with joy.
In the other room, Nicole and the others were already packing, prepared for any sudden emergency.
...
Victoria Housekeeping Estate—
"Didn't expect this day to come so soon. I thought we had at least a few more years."
Upon hearing about the Ethereal army's invasion of New Eridu, the estate's Mistress gathered all housekeepers and attendants, ordering them to return home and prepare to flee at a moment's notice.
At this point, only core personnel like Lycaon and Rina remained behind.
"I don't know how far this will go... Ellen, if it comes to it, you can take Zhong Xi and escape. No matter what, we cannot allow anything to happen to the Uchiha bloodline. That includes you as well."
The Mistress looked to Ellen, who was holding Zhong Xi in her arms, her tone heavy.
Ellen hesitated, then said, "It's okay. He'll take us with him. With his personality, there's no way he'd leave you all behind."
The Mistress said nothing, just smiled faintly.
She did believe Zhong Yan could evacuate them safely. The question was—would he?
She couldn't claim to truly understand Zhong Yan. Even with Ellen's assurance, there was no guarantee he'd actually follow through.
They would have to take it one step at a time. With Victoria Housekeeping's resources, escaping New Eridu wouldn't be difficult... it would just mean abandoning all their wealth.
...
While all of New Eridu plunged into chaos, in Hollow Zero—
"So, I've finally found you... rat of the Exaltists." Zhong Yan stood atop a mound of rubble, his gaze cold as he stared at the white-haired old man below.
He was certain—this was the one. The true body of the Exaltists' leader.
But for some reason, even surrounded by Zhong Yan and the rest of Akatsuki, the man still wore a smile.
It was unsettling—and Zhong Yan felt a faint sense of unease.
"This is our first time meeting, isn't it? Uchiha... or rather, Zhong Yan, correct? You're not from this world. You wield a power that doesn't belong to it. That's what led this world down a path that was never meant to exist."
"I've been watching you for a long time. Your body... is unique. Even Ether can't be absorbed by you. That means even if I captured you, I'd have to rely on brainwashing—there's no way to convert you into one of us."
The true body rambled on, never once taking his eyes off Zhong Yan.
"What you're saying... is utter nonsense. So now—go to hell."
Zhong Yan shook his head. The next instant, the pupils behind his mask began to glow ominously.
Amaterasu erupted, instantly igniting the enemy's body in black flames.
The searing agony made him scream as the flames devoured him. But as time passed, Zhong Yan noticed something was wrong. No matter how fiercely Amaterasu burned, it couldn't kill him.
This must be what Zhong Ling meant—this true body couldn't be destroyed by physical means.