"Once, an investigator accidentally entered an Old Capital research facility inside a Hollow and discovered equipment designed to cultivate super soldiers."
Anby reached out and patted the Ignis' leg armor.
"The investigator found that one of the super soldiers was still alive, so they awakened him and brought him back to New Eridu."
"After living in New Eridu for a while, this super soldier was discovered by the Defense Force. They wanted to replicate his kind of power and sent troops to capture him."
"Isn't that the movie we watched together not long ago?" Billy sensed something was off.
"Old Capital? You mean… this is the new era now?" Ignis ignored the robot's complaint, following Anby's line of thought.
"You catch on fast. Don't just insert yourself into the story like that!" The robot shot back with mock irritation.
"The super soldier refused to surrender and resisted fiercely, causing major trouble for the Defense Force."
"But in the end, a super soldier is still just one man. Against an organized army, he couldn't win and had to retreat back into the Hollow."
Anby continued her story, ignoring Billy's interjections.
"In the end, the warrior became lost in the Hollow, eroded by Ether radiation, and finally turned into an Ethereal."
"The chaos caused heavy casualties. I saw the whole list of the fallen in the cinema credits."
"I told you already, that was the cast list, not a casualty report."
Billy slapped his face with a groan.
Ignis looked at Anby. The girl's amber eyes were unwavering; she believed every word she said.
Of course, Ignis could tell that Anby's words were meant as a reminder—that his identity was different, and in this place called "New Eridu," that could mean trouble.
This girl clearly had a deeper story than her calm demeanor suggested. As for that Man of Iron...
Well, Ignis thought, the expressive, dramatic robot actually seemed more human than the quiet, composed Anby.
"I have never heard of this New Eridu," Ignis said, joining in the tone. "From your description, Miss Anby, the Old Capital must refer to the time before I was sealed."
"Are you serious?" Billy turned to him, Ignis seeing both shock and confusion in the robot's face.
"Look at my body, citizen," Ignis said. "I underwent twenty-two body modification surgeries, with numerous artificial organs implanted. I am much stronger than any of you."
"That much is obvious." Anby's eyes swept over Ignis's Flamestorm Gauntlets—an advanced weapon system she had never seen before.
"It's more than'much,'" Billy muttered, rubbing his waist nervously. "You almost kicked me in half."
"I apologize for my previous actions," Ignis said to the robot. "In our era, the Men of Iron rebelled and nearly destroyed civilization. To protect a citizen, I had no choice but to purge you."
"So, robots were that powerful back then?" Billy said, waving his hand magnanimously before brushing his flashy white hair aside.
"I'll let it go. You were just protecting Anby. As a follower of the Starlight Knight, I won't hold it against you."
"But repairs are expensive. Nicole's gonna make you pay for them yourself."
Anby poked Billy's damaged waist, and he instantly slumped.
"In that case… there goes my limited-edition Starlight Knight transformation device, the merch set, and Monica's signed postcard…"
He looked like he was about to cry. Ignis found himself wondering whether this robot could actually shed tears.
"I've been wandering here for quite some time. I came straight over when I heard your voices."
Ignis cut in before the two could wander off-topic again.
"We're lost in here too." Anby turned to him. "From the look of these trains, this should be Cretan Hollow. We're likely at an old subway interchange station."
"Cretan Hollow?" Ignis repeated. "From the name, I assume there are other Hollows as well?"
"New Eridu and the Hollows coexist," Billy explained. "No one knows how these mysterious natural disasters first appeared."
"The space within a Hollow is chaotic, filled with Ether radiation," Anby continued. "Ether energy can be refined into fuel and materials, so the Hollows are always teeming with all kinds of forces and factions."
"But Ether radiation also mutates those lost within—humans or animals alike—turning them into monsters called Ethereals," Billy sighed. "They're mindless and extremely dangerous, attacking anything that moves."
"So, could you remove your helmet? Just so we can confirm you're actually human," Anby requested.
Ignis froze for a moment, then nodded. He reached up and removed his battle helmet.
The face beneath bore the traits of a pure Terran-Astartes hybrid—dark skin, almost gleaming, with eyes that burned with a searing brightness. The legacy of Vulkan's gene-seed granted him the ability to see heat radiation.
"Holy… you're really dark. Some kind of Thiren?" Billy blurted out.
"A Gorilla Thiren?" Anby studied Ignis. "You look kinda like that superhero, Ape-Man."
"But even Gorilla Thiren aren't that tall. Maybe a Bear Thiren at best—two meters?" Billy added quickly.
From their chatter, Ignis gathered that "Thiren" referred to humans fused with animal genes. He decided to play along.
"Correct. Before augmentation, I was a Gorilla Thiren."
At least gorillas were primates—close enough to human.
Both of them knew he was bluffing, but neither called him out.
"So, how do we get out of here?" Ignis reattached his helmet, focusing on practical matters.
"We're lost too."
Billy exaggerated a sigh, and Ignis noticed the faint sound of air moving. The robot actually had a breathing system.
"We'll have to wait for Boss Nicole to figure something out outside. But would she really spend money to send help? It's Nicole we're talking about, hahaha…"
Realizing his slip, the robot let out a few awkward laughs.
"Based on Nicole's habitual budget compression pattern, I find your skepticism statistically sound," Anby said thoughtfully.
"Damn it, now that you said that, I'm actually worried…" Billy groaned, slapping himself again.
"In any case, we should leave this platform first."
Ignis pointed above them—his explosive entry and Billy's broken supports had weakened the structure. The platform was unstable.
"This isn't good. It looks like this place is about to collapse." The robot clutched his mouth dramatically.
"Billy, you sure have a sturdy body." Anby poked his waist again.
"This isn't the time for jokes!" Ignis grabbed them both—one in each arm—and leapt off the platform, running a few steps along the track.
"You've got no right to say that!" Billy shouted. "If you hadn't smashed through the wall and snapped the supports, this place wouldn't be collapsing!"
With Billy's screeching protest, the platform finally gave way, collapsing under its own weight with the groaning twist of metal.
Ignis crouched immediately, shielding the two with his body. The reinforced Ceramite chestplate of his Mark X Gravis Power Armor deflected flying debris and shrapnel.
Only when his helmet's sensors confirmed the collapse had fully settled did Ignis rise again.
"Are you hurt?" Anby asked.
"This level of force isn't enough to harm me." Ignis ran a quick diagnostic on his armor systems. All was nominal.
"Bad news, though," Billy said, reloading his pistol. "We've got company."
The noise had drawn a horde of dark-green creatures closing in on them.
"So many Ethereals?" Anby froze for a second before drawing her blade into a ready stance.
"They're called Ethereals?" Ignis asked.
He charged his power fists, wishing dearly for his flamethrower. A few walls of burning Promethium would've turned these fragile things to ash.
"To be exact, they're a kind of Ethereal," Billy said seriously. "Official designation: Tyrfing."
"Now's not the time for a biology lecture!" Anby snapped.
"In that case, as thanks for the lesson, the two of you wait here."
Ignis's hands itched for battle.
The three-meter giant charged forward—faster and more agile than either of them could have imagined. He slammed into the mass of Tyrfings, shattering several on impact, then swung his crackling, lightning-wreathed gauntlets in a flurry of blows.
He ignored the Ethereals hacking at his armor, kicking them away in a violent sweep.
"Even a Starlight Knight doesn't have that kind of strength…" Billy muttered in awe, watching the monsters crash into train cars and stick there like grotesque ornaments.
"Those gauntlets are incredible—every Ethereal they touch is pulverized."
Anby focused on Ignis's equipment instead; his armor seemed to move as freely as flesh, showing no burden at all.
"I think we're saved," Billy said, watching Ignis smash the last Tyrfing into a heap of shards with a single uppercut.
"Our survival probability has increased to over 90%," Anby noted.
She sheathed her blade. The giant had wiped out every visible Ethereal in under a minute—at least several dozen of them.