A gigantic hand covered in eyes pressed straight down.
It was like a collapsing high-rise suddenly toppling overhead, a massive wall of wind pressure descending first, followed by a widening shadow spreading across the ground.
Several arcs of icy-blue blade light flashed past and struck the giant hand, forcing it slightly off-course despite the massive difference in raw power.
The hand slammed into the ground beside them, sinking the earth half a meter and sending violent tremors through the area.
The impact left Belle and Wise dizzy, nearly shaking them off the engineering machine they were riding.
Cracks radiated outward from the point of impact like a spiderweb.
Endless dust surged upward, while small stones and fragments—compressed by the force—shot out like kinetic rounds.
Bwoom—
The massive hand remained shrouded in dust, with the sticky rolling sounds of its many eyes faintly audible.
BANG.
Belle swallowed hard, her bright young eyes blank and trembling ever so slightly.
The vibration of that blow felt as though it traveled through the engineering machine and thudded directly into her heart, again and again.
If she took even a single slap from that thing, she would definitely end up as nothing but meat paste. She hugged Baal tighter, seeking whatever sense of safety she could.
A faint glimmer flickered in Baal's violet eyes as he thought: 'This guy's strength already surpasses that of many deep-Abyss monstrosities.'
"No wonder you're the youngest Void Hunter. This strength is truly astonishing."
Justin Bringer pulled the massive hand free from the ground, his voice booming like a bell.
The layer of ice coating it cracked and fell away, revealing pale skin beneath marred only by a few shallow scratches.
Clearly, Miyabi's interception hadn't troubled him at all.
This was the power of the Creator.
"So strong… even the Section Chief is being suppressed."
Harumasa stiffened, sensing danger.
Had he seriously just raised a death flag minutes ago about taking a long vacation?
Grace, meanwhile, finally noticed the small mountain of shattered ether storage canisters scattered around the area—twisted beyond recognition, but still faintly identifiable by their color pattern.
She hadn't been certain earlier, but now everything matched.
These were high-concentration ether materials transported by Vision Corporation, now completely drained.
Grace's eyes flickered as she addressed the group: "This Ethereal ate all the concentrated ether stored here. According to Perlman's notes, that amount is equivalent to several mid-scale Hollows stacked together in volume."
"What!"
Yanagi froze, staring at the canister debris, and confirmed Grace's assessment.
Under normal circumstances, a monster of this difficulty should be handled by the most elite and most specialized unit—Hollow Special Operations Section 6. No outside help needed.
But something that absorbed the energy of several small Hollows? Even she couldn't guarantee Section 6 could deal with it alone.
Numbers meant power—this time, they needed as many as they could get.
"Something feels off," Miyabi murmured as she sheathed her blade, staring at the Ethereal-transformed Justin Bringer with furrowed brows.
In pure strength, she was no match.
This Ethereal was unlike any she had ever encountered.
What troubled her even more was that the demon blade in her hands grew increasingly unruly. Once drawn, it flooded her ears with the whispers of fragmented spirits, clamoring to seize control of her body and drag her into battle.
Only when it was fully sheathed did those voices weaken.
She was a sword prodigy—not someone whose strength came from wielding this demon blade—but she could not deny it was an essential part of her power and carried deep personal significance.
Hoshimi Miyabi steadied her gaze.
She remembered training in swordsmanship on a loose, snowy night—wind and frost battering against her as always. It had been an ordinary day. The cold and the storm made no difference to her dedication.
Today was no different.
The demon blade's interference and the mental corruption would not hinder her.
It's only a little frost and wind.
She placed her hand on the cursed blade, Ethereal-Slaying Katana: "Tailless", eyes firming.
As she slowly drew the blade, the cacophony of fragmented voices roared once more inside her mind.
They told her to empty her thoughts—to obey the power.
'This is already a dead end. Release your guard. Accept us. Offer yourself. As all masters of the Hoshimi family's cursed blades have done.'
She resisted them. She would not submit.
It was troublesome, yes—but nowhere near a dead end.
Sol Mercer was beside her—a man who could shatter a Hollow with a single punch. All she needed was to trust and fight.
The blade was half-drawn; her struggle with the lingering spirits intensified—
A smooth, warm hand settled atop her own, pressing the blade back into its sheath.
The moment that hand touched hers, the internal noise went completely silent.
When the sword locked into its scabbard, Miyabi glanced at Sol in confusion.
"Your blade's a little disobedient. You should discipline it properly when we get back. I also have a sword that bites its master—could share a few tips," Sol said with a calm smile. "But today, leave this to me."
Hoshimi Miyabi nodded and released the hilt.
With Sol stepping in, this battle was as good as decided. The punch that shattered a Hollow—Justin Bringer wouldn't survive it even if he were twice as strong.
Her only curiosity now was what kind of blade Sol meant by "a sword that bites its master."
"..."
Justin Bringer watched their exchange, making no move to interrupt.
He knew of Sol Mercer's feats. His primary mission today was to test Sol and Miyabi.
He had now seen Miyabi—impressive, but limited by that heirloom blade.
Next was Sol.
He activated every ounce of ether in the giant hand and his entire body, priming himself to the extreme. He dared not be careless.
Because the man standing before him was the one who shattered a Hollow with a single punch.
At that moment, a platinum longsword materialized in Sol's hand.
The same blade, Aurora—held in reverse grip, tip pressed lightly against the ground.
Then he flicked it upward—sending a breathtakingly cold arc of sword-light toward Justin Bringer.
Shaped like the crescent moon of the first night, its pale glow glimmered beautifully.
It was the [Crescent Slash] again.
Miyabi's ruby eyes followed the arc, puzzled.
Wasn't this the technique he used earlier to sweep aside the Ethereal horde?
Why use it again?
Yet—
The crescent began only a meter tall, but as it flew, it grew—larger, longer, wider.
In a heartbeat, it reached Justin Bringer.
But now it was a colossal blade of light a hundred meters tall, carrying the weight and brilliance of an actual moon.
When its pale glow washed over him—
Justin Bringer's body—fortified through multiple rounds of ether empowerment—parted like air before the moonlight.
Kzzzt—!
With a sound like polished glass scraping, a dark-red fissure split down his massive Sacrifice-form body.
Then he toppled—left and right—cleanly bisected.
A blade that cuts all.
A strike that none can withstand.
Whether it was the earlier Ethereals swarming forward—
Or now, this Sacrifice forged through the Creator's refinement, swollen with a sea of consumed ether.
None could stand before it.