"Hare's House was forced to fight the Fire Pickers to buy time, and now they've suffered heavy losses..."
Nicole spoke through clenched teeth, enunciating each word slowly.
She brushed her now-curly bangs aside, rubbed the soot off her blackened cheeks, and once she looked somewhat presentable again, her eyes locked onto the three people in front of her with unwavering determination.
"We've lost our combat capability. Hare's House can't participate in the upcoming operations—or see how things unfold next."
"But I hope you can give the Fire Pickers a good beating!"
"You must..."
"Avenge... me...!"
The sheer weight of resentment in Nicole's words made even Billy glance over, visibly stunned.
Wait—when did Nicole become such a convincing actress? Did she suddenly unlock some hidden talent?!
It didn't even seem like she was acting!
That's Nicole for you!
"Ah... don't worry, we'll avenge you. Also, Hollow Special Operations Unit 6 will take responsibility for your losses. Everything will be tallied once this is all over..."
Harumasa gave Nicole a sympathetic look. Clearly, even he was impressed by her "performance."
After giving a few simple orders and telling Hare's House to withdraw, Hollow Special Operations Unit 6 didn't split up. Instead, they continued pursuing Hoshimi Miyabi to provide backup if needed.
...
High in the air, Zane faced off against Nineveh, surrounded by flying Ethereals watching him warily.
"Why aren't they attacking..."
Zane looked at Nineveh in confusion. Ether energy coiled around him as curiosity sparked within.
Normally, Ethereals were intensely hostile toward him. They might flee if they sensed they couldn't win, but the hostility would always be there.
But now, Nineveh hadn't left—and she wasn't attacking either. That lack of hostility was something else entirely.
"Fire Picker, I know you can understand me..."
Just then, a voice called out nearby. Zane turned to see Hoshimi Miyabi sprinting up the side of a vertical skyscraper, scaling it with incredible speed.
At that moment, Nineveh moved!
Her massive body plummeted like a meteor straight toward Hoshimi Miyabi. As she spun mid-air, her trailing tentacles flowed behind her like ribbons, turning softly.
At the same time, the swarm of Ethereals followed their "mother" and launched an assault on Hoshimi Miyabi.
Her eyes sharpened, long blade instantly drawn. The floating ghost spheres beside her flared with intensified light.
A blink later, Hoshimi Miyabi vanished—her form becoming a streak of sharp blue light that cut cleanly through the Ethereals.
Her strikes were straight and precise, slicing through them like a needle through silk, sharp and unyielding.
As the blade light faded, her figure reappeared mid-charge, launching through the air directly toward Nineveh.
The sword glowed with concentrated Ether energy. Just as she prepared to strike, a flash of deep blue lit up her peripheral vision.
She gritted her teeth, abruptly changed course, and carved an ice path with a swing of her sword. Tapping lightly on it with her feet, she dropped gracefully like a swallow.
The next instant, a silver flash cloaked in thunder roared past her, slamming into the building with a boom, demolishing a massive section of the wall.
Hoshimi Miyabi's expression grew even heavier.
She knew exactly what kind of power could cause that kind of destruction. Dennies, as elemental energy vessels, weren't capable of that alone.
The real threat came from the wild energy embedded in the Dennies.
...
On the other side, Zane stood on an Ether crystal, dozens of Dennies floating orbiting around him—each one crackling with energy and ready to be launched.
Yes—he had changed his mind.
Nineveh's situation was too unique. He needed to learn more. And since she wasn't hostile, it made sense to join forces and drive Hoshimi Miyabi back.
Together, it wouldn't be hard to make her retreat.
Zane raised a hand, palm flipping upward. In response, the Dennies pulsed with intense electric light.
A moment later, several Dennies shot forward like meteorites, streaking toward their target. The rest remained in formation, their energy building ominously.
Almost immediately, thin lightning beams burst forth from the remaining Dennies, filling the air with piercing white light that rained down in a deadly cascade.
The two simultaneous attacks, from below, looked like a meteor shower. The oppressive force was overwhelming.
Hoshimi Miyabi flipped midair, landing solidly on the ground. She glanced up at the incoming barrage, her face tense.
She recognized this technique immediately. During the ambush in Dead End Hollow, Hollow Special Operations Unit 6 had suffered under the same assault.
She pushed off with one leg and sidestepped a bolt of lightning, the ground behind her sizzling with a bowl-sized scorch mark.
The lightning was the fastest—hitting first.
But it was just the opening volley. A deluge of thunderbolts followed, pouring down like rain.
Hoshimi Miyabi moved at her limit, leaving afterimages across the battlefield as she dodged every strike with precision.
Just as the storm began to thin and she thought she'd catch a breath,the true threat emerged—Dennies supercharged with both thunder and fire.
This was the real danger!
She realized it instantly—but it was too late. She had no more room to evade. She'd been forced into a corner, and there wasn't enough time.
The earlier lightning hadn't been meant to hit her, but to herd her—trap her into the perfect spot for the final strike.
The Fire Pickers weren't trying to aim at her. They were driving her into the path of the real attacks.
Just as the ghost spheres began to glow and she raised her sword to block, a voice rang out behind her.
"Soukaku's here!"
A massive black banner slammed down in front of her like a towering shield.
"Section Chief! You're not alone!"
Harumasa drew his twin blades and took his place beside her. Tsukishiro Yanagi followed right behind.
Seeing her teammates at her side, Hoshimi Miyabi felt a surge of strength. She nodded firmly, resolve steeled.
Only when Hollow Special Operations Unit 6 fought together were they truly whole.
Boom!!!
Spears clashed with shields in a violent collision. The sheer force shook the banners—Soukaku gritted his teeth against the impact.
This was a kamikaze strike from one of the Dennies!
In the next instant, elemental energies erupted across the shield's surface—
A frenzy of Ether energy!