Zane didn't hesitate. He pushed off with his legs and leapt onto a nearby wall, then continued climbing upward using the same method.
With each movement, arcs of electricity and sparks scattered across the broken building fragments he stepped on.
A few breaths later, Hoshimi Miyabi also reached the top of the high-rise, following the route Zane had taken.
Some of the floating structures were unstable, others unsuitable—it took effort to choose the right ones. Since a clear path was already there, it would be foolish not to use it.
The two figures ascended one after the other. Light from the horizon bathed the countless building shards, making them look like steps leading to heaven.
At that moment, Nineveh was flying toward the light, while Zane and Hoshimi Miyabi pursued her, climbing the staircase of ruins.
Soon, the distance between Zane and Nineveh had shrunk to nearly nothing.
Zane acted without hesitation.
Ether energy surged within the Hollow. Though he couldn't absorb it, he could manipulate it—his energy was practically limitless.
He channeled Ether energy, and in an instant, ice spikes, ice swords, ice lances, crystalline blades, and other weapons formed around Nineveh, their edges gleaming with lethal sharpness.
He extended a hand toward her, then clenched his fist.
"Strangle."
At his command, the countless weapons flew toward Nineveh. Even as the smaller Ethereals threw themselves in the way, there were simply too many blades.
Nineveh, still weakened and far from recovery, was soon riddled with wounds once again. She let out another strange buzzing sound—this time tinged with sorrow.
"Still not coming down?"
Zane was slightly surprised. He could clearly see the weapons embedded in Nineveh's body—some pierced through, others stuck deep—her condition was gruesome.
As the altitude rose, the floating debris thinned out. Zane launched a few more attacks, but they were either blocked by smaller Ethereals or endured by Nineveh.
Eventually, he had no choice but to stop at a higher perch.
A strange humming echoed around him.
Standing atop a half-crumbled building, Zane silently watched Nineveh vanish into the distance, flying toward the glowing horizon—toward the depths of Hollow Zero.
He could clearly see the streak of light trailing behind her nuclear tail.
The sky was empty—no way to give chase. Faced with this, even Zane felt helpless.
"Tch, bullying me because I can't fly…"
As Nineveh shrank into a small black dot on the horizon, he gave a faint smile and let out a soft sigh.
"But… you win…"
It was the first time he had seen something like this in an Ethereal—
A pursuit of life.
Nineveh might not be one of his kind,
But they shared a faint resemblance.
And that gave him a glimpse of many possibilities.
Gazing into the distance, Zane murmured,
"The depths of Hollow Zero… mysterious and powerful Ethereals… I'm getting more and more intrigued…"
...
The silence didn't last long—just a few breaths later, Hoshimi Miyabi caught up.
"You called me stupid, but after chasing all this way and getting nothing, wasn't it all a waste? If you ask me, the real idiot is—"
"Idiot."
Zane's voice was calm, detached.
Hoshimi Miyabi's words caught in her throat. Her fists clenched tighter as she hesitated, unable to respond.
"You came all this way just to say a few words?"
Zane looked at her, speaking indifferently.
Didn't you tell me to chase you???
A string of question marks popped up in Hoshimi Miyabi's head—but she couldn't say them out loud. That would only confirm the "idiot" label.
She could already picture him saying, "You just chased me because I told you to? Idiot."
After a moment of thought, she came up with a proper reason.
"Fire Picker, I'm Hoshimi Miyabi from the Hollow Special Operations Unit 6. I'd like to talk."
That had been her original goal anyway, so technically she wasn't lying.
But to her surprise, the man before her simply waved her off.
"There's nothing to talk about between us."
"Come back when you're smarter."
Zane wasn't interested in getting involved with Hoshimi Miyabi or the Hollow Special Operations Unit 6—at least not under his current identity.
He figured she had no idea just how deep the water ran around him, and she was still trying to get him to open up.
To him, the Fire Picker identity should avoid official entanglements.
The only exceptions were Qingyi and Zhu Yuan.
"What do you mean, come back when I'm smarter?"
Still, Zane didn't offer a serious reply—just more sarcastic jabs. The more she listened, the more frustrated she became.
"Bastard! What are you trying to say?"
She drew her long sword and pointed it at him, her expression barely contained.
She had been trying so hard to patch things up.
"Idiot."
"Bastard!"
"Say that again if you dare!"
"Idiot."
"Bastard!"
Her long hair started to lift, ice energy gathering around her. She stared daggers at Zane.
Attack, don't attack, attack, don't attack, attack, don't attack...
"Stop wavering. I'll give you a hand."
Zane's tone carried a trace of amusement. He crossed one arm over his chest, raised the other, extended his fingers, and gave a slight twist.
With a snap, he snapped his fingers.
In an instant, arcs of electricity and sparks danced at Hoshimi Miyabi's feet.
The same thing happened across every ruin in the space around them.
Then came a sudden explosion.
The large debris chunks shattered into countless smaller pieces.
Before Hoshimi Miyabi could react, the ground beneath her vanished.
She lost her balance and began to fall.
At that critical moment, a hand shot out and grabbed her arm.
Zane was half-kneeling on a floating ruin, one hand gripping her arm tightly.
Even though her left arm was clad in special armor, it still looked small in his grasp.
"Wh-what are you trying to do…"
Hoshimi Miyabi looked up, long sword still in her other hand, expression uncertain.
Could it be… this guy actually had a soft side?
If so, then maybe the Fire Picker wasn't that bad after all. Just a sharp-tongued guy with a soft heart...
Countless thoughts rushed through her mind in that instant.
"Don't overthink it. I'm just collecting some spoils."
Zane leaned in and reached toward her.
"W-wait!"
Her pupils shrank. She was just about to raise her other hand and strike—
But Zane had already pulled his hand back.