Before long, inside Hollow Zero.
"Hey, hey, Ellen, feel this! The ether concentration here is way higher than at our school!"
"Phaga, Phaga, look at that building over there! I think I just saw some Ethereal inside. Use your unbeatable Vampire Vision and check it out!"
"Hey, don't ignore me, you two! If we're going out, we should act like we're out having fun!"
Having fun…?
Clover's mouth twitched. She glanced at Ruby—who was gawking around like an overexcited child—and rubbed her temples, her tone tightening.
"Even though we've already entered the Hollow, I'll remind you one last time—if you want to turn back, now's your chance. The exit is right behind you."
"And another thing: this is a serious aptitude test, not playtime. You could die in there."
Ellen rolled her eyes wordlessly. Phaga simply smiled under his parasol and gave Ruby a light nudge.
"Huh? What is it?"
Ruby blinked in confusion, glancing around.
No Ethereal? I thought maybe I took a wrong turn… Wait, I haven't even started leading yet!
I didn't even get the chance to mess up!
Ruby stood with her hands on her hips, her expression puzzled. She knew Phaga probably had a reason for what he did—but no matter how long she thought, she couldn't figure it out.
Ellen sighed, finally unable to stand it. She tugged Ruby's sleeve and whispered, "The examiner's asking if you want to withdraw from the test."
"Withdraw? Why would I do that? We're already here!"
Ruby turned with a grin. "Um… Examiner Clover, the assessment's already started, right?"
"…Yes."
Clover slapped her palm against her forehead. The calloused fingers, hardened by years of training, slid down her face as she sighed helplessly.
Is this kid really cut out to be an Investigator?
How can someone this carefree even qualify?
But Ruby, oblivious to Clover's exasperation, waved confidently toward the north and shouted, "This way! Let's move out!"
Without hesitation, she strode forward, diving straight into the spatial rift as if it were nothing.
Phaga and Ellen didn't dare lag behind and immediately followed. Clover sighed again and rushed after them.
As an examiner, no matter how foolish her examinees behaved—whether blades rained from the sky or lava rolled beneath their feet—her job was to ensure their safety.
There was no world in which she could just walk away and give them a zero out of spite.
Yet the moment she stepped through the rift, Clover froze.
Before her stretched a narrow passage squeezed between two towering skyscrapers. The trees that once lined it were gone without a trace. And standing opposite them was a massive horde of Ethereal.
Even more swarmed the rooftops above, their predatory gazes fixed downward.
Each [Core] flickered rhythmically, alternating between light and shadow, as if sending coded signals.
But judging by the two relentless killing machines on the ground, whatever they were saying was anything but polite.
Ellen surged forward first, snapping her massive scissors open before slicing down hard. Several Ethereal were instantly cleaved in half. With a flick of her wrist, the blades spun wildly, deflecting a barrage of Ether bullets from a distant Arlaune.
"Phaga!" she shouted.
Before her voice even faded, she heard the crisp sound of a gun chambering.
Whoosh!
Bang!
The Arlaune was hit squarely in the chest. Unlike before, it didn't disintegrate into ether light right away. Instead, its body erupted with Ether crystals that quickly swelled—until it was blown apart from within.
Then—Boom!
It exploded like a burst of fireworks.
Phaga narrowed his eyes slightly, then calmly reloaded.
Aim. Fire. Reload. Fire again...
By the time all five bullets were spent, every Ethereal struck had suffered the same fate—its body bloating with Ether crystals until it burst violently apart.
"Seems the W-Engine being corrupted isn't entirely a bad thing," Phaga muttered. "As long as I can suppress it, it's like having a weapon with a bonus attribute."
He opened his parasol again and casually smacked an Ethereal that lunged from behind, killing it instantly. "And the Ether property's the best one of all. Judging from their reactions, Ether matter bypasses defenses and directly ruptures them from the inside."
It was like a human taking too many supplements—too much of a good thing could kill you.
Of course, Phaga didn't believe a single bullet's ether content could blow apart a high-class Ethereal like the Dead End Butcher.
"But it's perfect for small fry," he said lightly. "Efficient, too."
He crouched slightly, drawing his blade in one fluid motion.
A flash of steel streaked through the air—three Ether shards shot forth, skewering a line of Ethereal like candied haws. In an instant, crystalline spikes erupted from their bodies.
Moments later, a heavy boom echoed down the alley.
Phaga squinted and laughed aloud. "Ellen, cover Ruby! Leave the rest to me."
Ellen frowned. "Huh? I've been fighting out here this whole time and now you tell me that—"
Before she could finish, a gust of wind carrying Phaga's faint detergent scent brushed past her.
The knife-wielding figure darted by with a faint laugh, tossing his parasol into her arms. A low voice echoed beside her ear:
"Remember to tell Ruby—not to forget her Shark Girl costume."
By the time Ellen snapped out of it, Phaga had already charged into the horde, cutting through them in a blur—striking once, then vanishing like a shadow.
Every Ethereal he hit stumbled backward, their [Cores] glowing an unnaturally bright violet, pulsing as though filled with energy.
But within seconds, the glow turned dangerous—their [Cores] swelling larger and larger, until—
Boom!
They burst apart, their bodies scattering into shimmering light.
It might've seemed cruel to let Ethereal die by overloading on Ether, but to Phaga, it was simply efficient.
Before long, he strolled back casually.
The narrow passage was now silent—no Ethereal left standing.
The ones clinging to the surrounding buildings shuffled back nervously, none daring to jump down.
The path was clear.
"Tsk, that was fast," Ellen muttered, puffing out her cheeks in mild annoyance. She nudged Ruby with her elbow. "Hey, that vampire told me to remind you—don't forget your Shark Girl costume."
"Huh? Oh! Got it!"
Ruby had been too busy admiring Phaga's skills to really process what Ellen said.
When it finally sank in, she just shrugged. It's just Shark Girl.
Ellen had been playing Shark Girl for years and never complained, so why should she?
With renewed energy, Ruby marched forward, her voice brimming with confidence. "Come on, everyone! Follow the greatest Proxy in the field!"
Proxy?
She just said it out loud?!
Phaga and Ellen both facepalmed. Glancing back at Clover, who somehow showed no reaction, they relaxed slightly and followed Ruby ahead.
What they didn't know was that Clover was completely stunned.
What kind of Ether weapon can literally make Ethereal explode?
That's impossible—how dense would the Ether concentration have to be?
Wouldn't that corrupt a person instantly?
Completely absurd.