The elegant high-collared cloak veiled the left side of its body. Its slender legs ended in a heel-like structure, and the only remaining arm—its right—was fused with a massive crescent-shaped blade.
If not for the fact that this creature could vanish into thin air and reappear behind him without warning, Ignis might have even admitted that this Ethereal had a certain grim elegance to it.
"It's a Thanatos." Anby Demara stood behind Ignis, guarding his flank as she watched the tall, ghostlike figure move in the flickering haze.
"The space inside the Hollow is already unstable. This type of Ethereal can intentionally disrupt local stability to execute rapid spatial jumps."
Before she even finished speaking, the phantom erupted from a nearby rift, striking from her blind side. The crescent blade made of condensed Ether flashed silver, sweeping toward her throat.
The chainsaw sword roared to life with a metallic screech, its serrated teeth grinding against the Ethereal's weapon and showering sparks into the air. Anby had fought this type before—they were infamously troublesome.
She pressed the trigger switch on her handle, and the power pack on her back surged, sending high-voltage current coursing into the chainsaw sword.
A burst of electricity tore through the Ethereal's body in an instant. Its inner Ether lost control, and the creature convulsed, collapsing to the ground.
Now completely exposed, Thanatos's core was vulnerable. Anby gripped the sword in both hands and swung in a horizontal arc toward its narrow waist.
Most of Thanatos's energy was invested in maintaining its ability to rend space apart, leaving its physical structure fragile. Its thin Ether shell split apart the moment the chainsaw's teeth bit into it.
Anby kept the trigger pressed, feeling the Ethereal struggle to regain control of its body as the stun effect began to fade. Sparks and arcs of power danced along the saw's teeth as they carved deeper into the creature's torso, scattering shards of crystallized Ether across the ground.
Just as she feared the Ethereal might slip back into a rift, Ignis's massive hand swung across her vision. The creature's body snapped apart at the wound she'd carved—like a tree trunk split clean through.
"Finally done." The Salamander's deep voice rumbled as he looked at the dissolving shards around them. They had been fighting nonstop through multiple engagements now.
Since their first battle on the overpass, Ethereal activity hadn't ceased for a moment. The air was thick with Ether radiation. Even Anby was beginning to show symptoms of exposure until she downed an anti-corrosion dose.
Fortunately, the stadium was finally within sight. Once they secured the Seal, they could withdraw.
Ignis raised an armored hand toward Anyu and Kevin, who were crouched behind a cluster of Ether crystals, gesturing for them to regroup.
Anyu, the Proxy guiding them, clearly had some skill—he'd managed to avoid several dangerous rifts along the way. He was still operating his tablet, supposedly calculating spatial data to correct their route. If only his paths had fewer Ethereals along them, Ignis thought grimly. The constant fighting was wearing on Anby, even if he himself could still endure it.
Kevin, however, was in much worse shape. As a programmer used to long hours at a desk, his physique was pitifully unprepared for extended field operations—especially within a Hollow thick with Ether. The poor man looked like a ghost, drenched in sweat and breathing hard.
"You still holding up?" Ignis asked the client flatly.
Kevin's eyes were unfocused, his breath ragged. His bald head gleamed with perspiration. Ignis called his name several times before he managed to raise his head stiffly.
"Ah… I-I'm fine," he said slowly, each word dropping out one at a time. "How… much… farther?"
"A few hundred meters," Anyu replied easily. "The destination's just ahead. Though honestly, you don't look fine."
"I… need… to rest," Kevin muttered, sinking down where he stood, not even caring that his pants were grinding into the dust.
Stopping here wasn't ideal, but forcing him onward would only risk collapse. Ignis briefly considered hauling him, but the constant Ethereal attacks made that plan too dangerous.
Kevin opened his anti-corrosion case and shakily pulled out another vial, drinking it in several messy attempts, even choking halfway through.
Anby came over and patted his back gently to help him breathe easier.
"Thank you." Kevin gave her a weak, grateful smile and rummaged in the case again, pulling out a small, sealed pouch.
"We didn't expect things to get this bad. Good thing I packed extra supply kits," he said with a tired grin. "Here, take one. Looks like you could use it."
The balding middle-aged man glanced between Ignis and Anyu. "You two want one? I've got spares."
Ignis's power armor confirmed his vitals were normal, so he politely declined. Anyu simply shook his head and sat cross-legged, silent.
Perhaps thanks to the medicine, Kevin's color began to return and his breathing steadied. He opened an energy gel, twisting off the cap and sipping slowly.
Anby, after finishing her own dose, unwrapped a compressed ration bar from the kit and ate it with electrolyte water.
They needed this break. Ignis stayed standing, keeping watch for any new Ethereal movement.
"There's actually a rift nearby that leads out of the Hollow," Anyu said. "We could leave now, regroup, and come back better prepared."
"Your condition's deteriorating fast—body and mind. If you keep this up, you'll get consumed and turn into an Ethereal."
He wasn't wrong. Without a proper containment suit, low Ether aptitude, and barely any stamina, Kevin had no business staying inside this Hollow.
"We're so close…" Kevin pushed his glasses up; sweat made them slide down again. "To give up now… it just feels wrong."
"As long as we recover the Seal, the future of Intellision Tech is secured. For me, Victor, Sophie—everyone—we could finally move forward."
"You keep this up," Anyu said sharply, "and your organs will start suffering irreversible Ether damage. Not even Marcel Group's money will save you then. There's a rift nearby—we can still pull out."
"No! I refuse!" The weak programmer's voice cracked through the silence, louder than it had ever been.
"Victor built the foundation of that algorithm! He's always wanted to prove himself! This acquisition is his proof! I don't even know where he is now, but Victor and I—we both need this recognition!"
"No matter what, I'm not turning back. You said it's close—then we keep going. Just a few hundred meters more." He glared at the Proxy. "Unless your intel's wrong and you're just here to scam us out of our deposit."
Anyu's expression darkened at the insult.
"I'm warning you, I was only trying to keep you alive. And you question my skills as a Proxy?"
"Sir, if it weren't for me, you'd have been swallowed by a rift long ago! I told you before entering—the Ether activity here is abnormally high. The dangers are multiplied!"
"If you're so eager to die, fine. I'll lead you there. I've got my own way out, anyway. As for the rest of you? I'll just try my best to get you out alive."
Neither Ignis nor Anby bothered stepping in. They were just collaborators; as long as the mission succeeded, arguments didn't matter.
Still, Ignis found it odd. Did Kevin really tell him about Marcel Group's acquisition plans?
Maybe during one of the earlier fights… I might've missed it.
Kevin drained the last of his energy gel, crushed the empty packet, and stood.
"I'm ready. Let's move."
Ignis's thermal sensors told him the man was lying—his body heat and pulse screamed exhaustion. But orders were orders. The client wanted results, not sympathy. The sooner they retrieved the Seal, the sooner they could escape this cursed Hollow.
Strange, Ignis thought, scanning the ruined stadium ahead. If this place was pulled into the Hollow during an event, there must've been a crowd.
The open parking lots were crammed with wrecked vehicles. Tattered flags and streamers littered the ground.
The closer they drew to the stadium, the fewer Ethereals appeared. Only upper-class ones—Thanatos, Dullahan, and a few Hati—still lingered, while the weaker Ethereals were actively avoiding the area.
Something's off, Ignis realized. Why would low-tier Ethereals flee from here unless… something stronger's inside?
He recalled the Dead End Butcher incident. The lesser Ethereals had fled in terror back then too. Surely, this cursed stadium didn't house another Notorious-class.
Last time, the entire Cunning Hares team and a full supply of Vision Corporation's explosives barely managed to bring one down. Now it was just him and Anby. Things could get ugly fast.
Suppressing his unease, Ignis looked up at the shattered structure. Jagged clusters of Ether crystals had burst through its walls, warping the steel beams above until the ceiling sagged precariously.
Even the stands were overrun with twisted crystal growths, the original seats jutting out at odd angles.
High above, several faded tarps hung over sections of the bleachers, tangled among the crystalline spires like ugly bandages.
The Salamander pushed aside his doubts and followed Anyu toward the main entrance. The looming gates of the stadium awaited—whatever truths lay ahead, they would soon face them.