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At the Outer Perimeter of Hollow Zero.
Miyabi and the other three soon arrived by car, stopping outside the Hollow.
The moment they got out, they saw Sol casually standing on the ground, his gaze distant as he looked toward the Hollow not far away.
He looked… exceptionally calm and leisurely.
"So, this is what the section chief feels whenever he looks at me."
Asaba Harumasa's eyelid twitched as he spoke with a tinge of sentiment.
This lazy aura resonated with him deeply.
They were supposed to be here to fight Nineveh—an extremely powerful Ethereal—yet this relaxed vibe felt more like a sightseeing trip.
Miyabi wasn't skilled with words. She looked at Sol with her ruby-colored eyes and said calmly, "We're here."
Right then, she decided that after this she would begin training in how to communicate smoothly with people.
Never before had she felt so speechless.
"You came quickly. And it seems your progress these past days has been impressive."
Sol looked Miyabi up and down, sensing the increasingly sharp and pure aura around her.
This was what true prodigious talent looked like—give her an obscure divine-art manual, and she could achieve results in two weeks.
Unlike Belle—without his help, she would probably still be as osteoporosis-ridden as she had been two weeks ago…
"Thank you. That martial art is profound. I've only just entered the basics."
Miyabi allowed herself a small smile, feeling a bit delighted—
As if she had lived up to the expectations of an elder, a subtle sense of achievement rising within her.
Sol retracted his gaze from her, casually handed Soukaku a lollipop, then remained standing in place with a smile. "Hello. It's been two weeks—seeing you now feels especially familiar."
Perhaps because he was about to travel far, everything familiar seemed tinged with added warmth and fondness.
Of course, they were all beautiful to begin with—just even more endearing now.
Even Harumasa, who hadn't seen him last time due to slacking off, felt the same.
Harumasa scratched his head, squinting with a smile. "Thanks. I thought nobody liked people who skip work to slack off."
Oh? So, you do know how excessive your absenteeism is?
Yanagi stared at Harumasa for a full second before turning to Sol with a gentle smile. "I've been thinking of you as well. Ever since last time, I haven't eaten red bean buns as good as those."
"Seeing you today, I can almost smell the honey-sweetness of them again."
"Mm-hmm! Mm-hmm!"
Soukaku nodded vigorously, lollipop in her mouth, deeply agreeing.
Yes—getting candy the moment they met… she missed that very much.
Sol's lips curved upward as he said with a smile, "There's still time before we begin. A few snacks before entering the Hollow won't hurt."
The pink-haired beauty could still talk as sweetly as ever—like her mouth was coated in honey. Her emotional-support value was maxed out.
"That won't be necessary. We do have official business today. We can enjoy afternoon tea together another time."
Tsukishiro Yanagi smiled as she declined.
"Then next time for sure." Sol looked toward Hollow Zero. "Since everyone is here, it's time to head in."
The group nodded and passed through the boundary of Hollow Zero together, officially beginning their operation to eliminate Nineveh.
Inside the Hollow, ether was extremely dense—its outer perimeter alone rivaled the core areas of other Hollows in Eridu.
Everywhere they looked were ruins—scarcely a single intact structure remained. Shattered bricks and damaged buildings formed a dead, post-battle world.
Several withered trees, corroded by ether, had become glowing green crystalline tree-like ether pillars—beautiful in their deathliness.
It was Sol's first time entering a Hollow above a side-level; before this, he had always been dealing with Companion Hollows.
At first out of caution, later because there had been no need.
Seeing it now, Hollow Zero truly was a different class entirely.
Miyabi led the way with practiced ease, sprinting toward the direction of the Withering Garden.
While running at high speed, her breathing remained steady as she explained, "Nineveh—the target this time—is classified as an extremely dangerous symbiotic ethereal swarm. It's a rare Notorious BOSS Ethereal."
"Its appearance is uniquely stunning, like a vibrant flower waiting to bloom, making it difficult for people to remain alert."
"But in reality, every stretch of its petals and leaves absorbs highly concentrated volatile ether to fuel itself."
"And as it accumulates energy, it also releases some transformed volatile ether outward, attracting other Ethereals like hive-beasts to gather around it, forming a massive Ethereal cluster. This becomes its bed for growth and reproduction."
"At the same time, it releases 'pollen' on a large scale, causing a peculiar pollen sickness—enough to be fatal."
"If left alone, it will sweep across the outer layers of Hollow Zero. The power-supplying Sigil Towers, research bases, and outposts will all fall."
She had done all her homework regarding this enemy.
Because, indeed—it was troublesome.
Even in the short time Nineveh had appeared, it had caused numerous casualties, and the exploration of Hollow Zero had halted significantly.
During her prior encounter with it, she had deeply felt its overwhelming defense. Its massive size and enormous volatile ether stores gave it strength impossible to confront head-on.
The only methods were multi-directional suppression, or agile evasion combined with high-frequency attacks to reduce its activity.
"Mhm."
Sol nodded, forming his initial understanding of Nineveh.
Compared to the Ethereals he had fought before, it was indeed a full tier above.
Even though it appeared early, it was still the strongest Ethereal to date.
Then Yanagi continued, "With the combined effort of Section 6, the Defense Force, and independent investigation teams, Nineveh is currently contained within a fixed zone. The Defense Force regularly reduces its ether activity—though at great cost. For now, the situation is stable."
"The place it occupies is now called the Withering Garden, with Defense Force personnel on constant watch for abnormalities."
"We're almost there."
As she spoke, a large field of damaged buildings came into view—still retaining basic structure, with perhaps sixty percent intact.
In the air, floating specks of glowing pollen drifted everywhere.
The closer to the center, the denser and more vibrant the pollen became.
Beautiful to behold—but terrifying beneath the surface.
This pollen was the cause of pollen sickness. Long-term inhalation induced weakness, Etherealization, continuous loss of vitality—various severe corrosion symptoms.
At that moment, a Defense Force soldier wearing a gas mask and fully armed approached quickly, saluting sharply. "Officers of Section 6, reporting! Defense Force Obsidian Division, Blade Unit Captain, ID 1724!"
"Mhm." Miyabi nodded slightly and asked directly, "What's Nineveh's current condition?"
"Currently stable. Ether activity is rising slowly. According to researchers from the White Star Institute, it will reach the next eradication threshold in one week."
1724's voice was steady and disciplined.
He was also curious—since it was not yet time for a purge, why had Section 6 arrived early?
"I understand."
Miyabi's expression hardened as she spoke seriously. "Have all researchers and Defense Force personnel evacuate immediately. Section 6 will take over from here."
The coming battle would inevitably affect a wide area.
It was safer for these people to withdraw.
"Understood. I will notify evacuation at once."
1724 saluted again.
Technically, the Defense Force did not answer to Helios Academy.
But in many cases, the more militant divisions of Helios were granted temporary command authority.