As the sound of the collision echoed through the floor, the once-silent darkness rippled as if a massive stone had been dropped into a calm lake.
The one slammed into the ground by Zane was none other than the gray-clad twin of the Twin Marionettes. She lay in a shallow crater, her body stiff, seemingly still in shock from Zane's sudden strike.
"Well... she's quite pretty."
Zane's gaze lingered on the Gray Veil Marionette. Compared to other Ethereals, the twins were unusually distinct—even he didn't have such extensive crystalline armor plating.
A mecha dancer?
Tch...
The Gray Veil Marionette's metallic sheen glimmered faintly as Zane released his grip, watching her stumble back to her feet. At that moment, a sudden chill surged from the darkness.
A flash of white light shot forward, darting straight toward Zane. Calmly stepping back, he avoided the strike and, with a quick motion, caught the Black Veil Marionette's arm.
Her movement restrained, she immediately tried to pull away. Meanwhile, the Gray Veil Marionette, who had just recovered from being dazed, rushed back into the fight.
Her leg arched high, unleashing a blade of icy light toward Zane. When he dodged, she didn't relent—spinning with the momentum, she slashed forward once more.
Zane released his hold and stepped back, narrowly avoiding the twin attacks. Taking advantage of the Black Veil Marionette's assault, the Gray Veil Marionette launched her own once again, ether energy condensing into blades of light. Their relentless strikes gave him no room to breathe.
But even under their combined assault, Zane looked perfectly at ease. Ether crystal shields formed one after another in midair, deflecting each strike with ease.
"Don't you usually play background music when you fight? I don't hear any music this time..."
Zane smiled faintly, his voice carrying curiosity, echoing through the dark floor.
The twins gave no answer, pressing the attack without pause.
Meeting their strikes head-on, Zane conjured an Ether crystal sword, blocking their blades before countering with a swift backhand slash.
The twins hastily defended, but the sheer force of his blow drove them backward, their heels carving long gouges across the ground before they skidded to a stop at a distance.
This time, they did not rush in again. Instead, they stood gracefully in place, arms spreading wide like dancers performing onstage, showcasing elegant forms to an unseen audience.
Zane raised his eyebrows in mild surprise, puzzled.
What are they doing...?
The Gray Veil Marionette and Black Veil Marionette reached out, clasped hands, and with a strange ripple of spatial energy, vanished into the darkness.
"They ran?"
"Really? A quick song and a glimpse of your faces, then gone after just a few exchanges? And I was waiting for this..."
Zane rested a hand on his hip, sighing helplessly. He hadn't expected the twins to act this way, and it left him confused.
High-level Ethereals were said to possess a faint degree of intelligence—but these two seemed erratic...
Just as he turned to leave and regroup with Victoria Housekeeping, another ripple in space appeared, just like before. His eyes narrowed, and he stopped in place.
Hm?
They're back? Or maybe they never left at all?
In terms of spatial energy, Zane commanded greater "quantity" than the Twin Marionettes, but their precision was superior. Once they slipped into space, tracking them became difficult—especially here, in the chaotic depths of the Hollow.
As the ripples intensified, a black Ether crystal blade materialized... then another, then a third.
Dozens of blades swirled together into a twisting serpentine ring, encircling the twins as they emerged from the shadows. The blades spun rapidly around them, strange and perilous yet mesmerizing.
"It seems... they're not hostile."
Unlike their earlier onslaught, the twins did not attack immediately. Instead, they swayed and twisted in an eerie dance not far from Zane, their movements unsettling to watch.
The glow of ether energy faintly illuminated the surroundings. Zane looked on like an audience member at a performance, though he was in no mood to enjoy it.
His eyes stayed calm, hands steady, though a hint of conflict lingered within.
Observe... or strike?
The twins' spatial powers were troublesome—for others. For Zane, brute force would suffice; overwhelming the space with sheer energy was enough to shut them down.
It wasn't difficult for him.
Strength over finesse—simple as that.
Still, with ongoing events outside the Hollow and his other pressing matters, Zane considered simply eliminating the twins and securing this place.
But in situations like this—where others were running the mission and he was merely an observer—he leaned toward patience, waiting to see how things played out.
Besides...
Zane thought back to the elderly man he had met alongside Victoria Housekeeping before entering the Hollow.
That ordinary old gentleman.
His gaze returned to the twins, watching the Gray Veil Marionette and Black Veil Marionette dance. After a brief silence, he sighed softly, loosening his hand.
The energy he held dissipated as well.
"Forget it. Let's see what they're really trying to do..."
Zane's expression eased, calm once more. Somewhere along the way, without moving a step, he had shifted from spectator to participant.
He now stood in the very center of the "stage," as the twins slid gracefully across the ice-like floor around him. Suddenly, realization struck.
"They're... showing goodwill?"
Goodwill, after fighting? That didn't add up. He hadn't shown much of his strength, so why would they suddenly shift like this?
Nomads sang and danced when faced with guns and cannons—but he hadn't even shown them his "guns or cannons" yet...
Wait.
Zane blinked, then gave a sheepish smile and sighed helplessly.
Right... he had been the one to strike first.
The twins had been singing their folk song... They hadn't shown hostility at all. It was he who had branded them as enemies from the start, leaving no room for "communication."
With their limited intelligence, his sudden attack had likely triggered an instinctive reaction—or simply provoked them into lashing out fiercely.
As Zane pondered this, an ethereal laugh rang out. The Black Veil Marionette glided across the floor like a skater on ice, elegant and fluid. She stopped before him, bowed slightly, and extended her hand—like an invitation.