"Meow~"
Beside him, the little black ball floated in front of Nocturne. It turned over and lay on the ground, stretching out its two front paws to paw at the floor, bouncing up and down playfully. It was clearly having a great time.
After a while, Nocturne grew tired and was about to stand up when a sudden roar erupted.
Startled, Nocturne immediately dropped into a defensive posture—but saw no enemies around. Taking a few cautious steps forward, it realized the sound had come from the tails of the "big birds," which had started spewing fire.
Blue flames erupted from the spiraling engines at their tails, flowing like liquid. The eerie glow of deep blue reflected in Nocturne's eyes.
And it wasn't just one of the "birds"—many of them were now venting flames from their tails.
The rotating turbines elongated and spun downward, blasting fire against the ground. The intense heat scorched the terrain, leaving it black and charred.
As the flames intensified, the Jian 20 lifted higher into the air. Four of them tilted their rotors and roared off into the distance.
The remaining twelve held position midair, hovering steadily, making no further moves for the moment.
From beneath them, several hooks extended downward—clearly in preparation for something.
A few breaths later, a jet-black "coffin," three to four meters long and about one meter wide, was rolled out from the transport aircraft. Logistics personnel carefully maneuvered it beneath the hanging hooks.
They latched the hooks onto slots built into the coffin's edges—clearly designed for this purpose.
Not far off, Xin watched in silence.
She knew what it was. That black coffin was the military's latest technological marvel—developed by nearly half of Titan Tech's research staff after they secured a source of ultra-pure Ether.
This operation would mark the debut of the "Black Coffin."
If it succeeded, it would signal a turning point—granting humanity a powerful new weapon in its war against the Ethereals.
Her eyes gleamed, filled with quiet hope.
She had long dreamed of the day when humanity, free from internal strife, could finally sound the horn of counterattack.
And if this operation went well, they'd be one step closer to that goal.
As the Jian 20 slowly ascended, the Black Coffin was hoisted into the air with them, exuding a dangerous, forbidden aura.
"Deploy!"
Inside the cockpit, the squad leader gave the order. His voice echoed through the short-range comms, and all twelve aircraft surged forward in unison, engines roaring at full power.
Xin watched as the formation shrank into the distance. Her gaze was solemn as she raised a hand in a long, distant salute.
She knew—after today's mission, those twelve pilots would almost certainly not all return. It was a sacrificial charge.
But the courage of the Staff Army needed no defense.
For now, all Xin could do was pay her respects and wait for the outcome...
...
Whoosh—
A sharp whistle cut through the air near Zane's ears. He turned and saw four fighter jets weaving through obstacles with expert precision, streaking toward the battlefield.
They weren't far off. He could clearly make out the streamlined design of the Jian 20 and their deadly weapon loadouts.
"That's probably the rebel front Trigger mentioned. These four must be headed in for support."
The defectors from the White Star Institute could be on the front lines—but it was more likely they were hunkered down with the rebels.
Which meant Zane's ultimate destination might align with theirs.
"I do wonder though… with the Hollow's unstable spatial conditions, how are these jets going to manage?"
He didn't doubt the firepower of the Jian 20—but inside a Hollow, would they be just as effective?
There were too many unknowns in this environment.
The answer came a moment later.
Just ahead of one fighter, a space rupture suddenly tore open—dangerously close. Normally, it would've been impossible to dodge in time.
But right before his eyes, the fighter drastically decelerated—almost coming to a complete stop. Twisting energy fields swirled around it.
The scene defied logic. Zane's pupils narrowed in surprise.
The aircraft adjusted course in a smooth arc, veering around the fissure—then accelerated rapidly to rejoin its formation.
Zane's expression settled. He understood now.
"These jets are custom-built for Hollow combat. And these pilots… they were born for it."
"No wonder air superiority is so rare. It's not about willingness—it's about cost."
Zane sighed. He had underestimated New Eridu's tech. Clearly, they had gone much farther than he expected.
Just then, faint sounds of gunfire reached his ears.
Zane looked back toward the kilometer-long battlefront—and his expression shifted slightly.
Had the fighting already started?
Though the sounds were distant, he could still see the glow of muzzle flashes and flares from the jet mechs circling above, engaging the flying Ethereals.
Suddenly, a red-and-white figure entered his field of view.
Zane blinked, surprised.
"Nineveh?"
He hadn't expected to run into this "old friend" here.
Surrounded by over a dozen combat mechs, Nineveh was unleashing her full power, Ether energy erupting in violent bursts midair.
Her swarm poured forth in every direction, attacking and ripping into anything that moved.
Yet as fierce as the air battle was, the ground battle was even more brutal.
From his high vantage point, Zane could see the movements of the Staff Army. Though deployed along a long line, they were now tightening like a giant closing hand, slowly encircling thousands of Ethereals.
Their plan seemed clear—clear the outer mobs first, then trap the core group inside a closing ring.
At the center of that horde was the other high-risk Ethereal.
It loomed like a mountain, its black Ether crystals layered like a turtle shell across its central mass. Sharp crystal spires jutted outward, glowing faintly green in the dim light.
It crawled across the ground like a giant boulder being dragged forward—its towering body leaving behind a trail of crushed buildings.
Behind it, the trail stretched on endlessly, empty and ominous.
Zane's eyes locked on.
Back when he was with Soldier 11, the strange phenomenon he'd sensed had come from this thing.
"Tch… I'd love to jump in—but with the Defense Army making such a spectacle, it's not a good time to get involved directly. Still… maybe I can steal a kill."
A creature that powerful would surely yield an immense reward if slain—even without the added bonuses that came with a Hollow.
...