Abandoned Station, Cretan Hollow
The Cunning Hares managed to escape the worst of the Ethereal mob, but they were still being hunted by persistent waves and forced to take refuge in an old station.
There were Faun, Alpeca, and Hati, a large canine-type Ethereal, patrolling the area.
Anby peaked from behind the nearby train and counted six hostiles. "Those Ethereals are still here," she whispered to Nicole and Billy who were standing directly beside her.
Billy sighed when he heard the news. "They're like our landlord on rent day."
Nicole wasn't surprised, she was more focused on their situation with Phaethon who was still unresponsive. She turned away to check on the Player who was sitting against the train to catch a breather.
She spotted a vending machine nearby and used a golden coin to buy a lemon-flavored drink. After unfastening the bottle cap, she carefully injected a drop of their anti-corruption serum into the drink to purify it.
The Player tried using his phone to contact Phaethon, but there was no signal in the Hollow. "Of course," he muttered to himself.
"Thirsty?"
The Player looked up and saw Nicole holding out a drink for him. He put his phone away and accepted her offer with a smile. "Thank you," he said, checking the label to see what the drink was. However, the unique alphabet of New Eridu left him confused.
"I purified it, so you don't have to worry about contamination," Nicole sat next to him, holding Phaethon close. "Not that you have to worry about that to begin with," she chuckled.
The Player chuckled lightly. "Immunity or not, you care about my safety, and I appreciate that," he said as he removed the cap and took a sip.
"Yep! Am I not the best and kindest boss you've ever had?" She teased.
"Pfft... Yeah. You're the man."
Nicole playfully backhanded the Player's leg for his comment and the two laughed.
"So, how are you holding up?" She asked.
"I'm good, but I should apologize. It's my fault we had to run. I overextended and went above my limit. I didn't mean to use that much energy, but I guess I still don't have full control over the...'source' yet."
"Don't apologize. You think you were the only one getting tired? I needed a break. Those Ethereals wouldn't quit. Swinging that briefcase around is no joke."
The Player looked down to Nicole's briefcase and then back to her. "About that, how the heck did you afford that? I thought you were tight on money. That little briefcase is amazing."
"Oh, I have my ways," Nicole teased with a smirk.
"Did you acquire it legally?"
"Are you suggesting I'm a thief?!"
"No? I was just asking a question."
"I'll have you know, the Cunning Hares have connections that supply us with top-of-the-line equipment for our work in the Hollow. We're among the best Hollow Raiders in the business, so of course we'd have cool weapons of mass destruction."
The Player's expression was flat, signaling a hint of skepticism.
"That we acquired legally," she specified.
He raised an eyebrow.
"Like you don't have skeletons in your closet!" Nicole turned away with a comically pouty face.
"Actually, I've been nothing but straight with you."
"Oh yeah?" Now Nicole was the one giving the flat expression.
"Yeah."
"What's your name, Mr. Agent?"
Silence fell.
" ...Okay, I see your point," the Player looked away and drank some water in an effort to drown out the embarrassment.
Nicole's flat expression became smug the moment she caught him.
"Whatever the case," he continued "that weapon of yours is pretty great."
"Thanks! Yours is pretty nifty too. Not only that, I see what Billy and Anby meant when they said you could handle yourself in a fight. You're very skilled."
"Eh, I do alright."
"What? Ugh! Your modesty is showing. You survived an entire week in the Cretan Hollow. A week! That's not something someone who does 'alright' gets to say. Y'know, because they wouldn't be alive to say it."
The Player chuckled to himself, somewhat dismissing Nicole's compliment, but he appreciated it all the same. His attention fell on Eous', whose eyes were still red.
Nicole followed the Player's gaze to the Bangboo on her lap and became somber.
Beepbeep! Beepbeep!
"Hm, there goes the timer again," Billy said as he snoozed the alarm "we've already stayed in the Hollow four times the recommended amount."
Nicole raised the Bangboo from her lap and held it above her head to see if she'd get a response, but nothing came of it, much to her chagrin. "If you don't get in contact soon, you can forget about me paying my bill!" She threatened with a mild glare.
"Hide!" Anby, who was still on watch, alerted the group.
Billy grabbed his guns and pressed his back against the wall. "W-What? Are those monsters back again?" He panicked.
Nicole and the Player got up as a precaution.
"Not the Ethereals. There's a Hollow Investigation Squad, up ahead."
The Player and Nicole peered through the train car's window and saw a group of heavily armed individuals guarding a Hollow specialist in a hazmat suit.
"Of course... It's the Investigators," Billy let out a sigh of relief and eased his composure only to lose it again when he pieced everything together. "Wait — Investigators?!"
Nicole rolled her eyes and sat back down as Billy pranced over.
"Boss, we're saved! They're from the Investigative Association. They have a Carrot!"
"Carrot... Carrot," the Player curiously repeated. "You mentioned that back when we first met, Billy. You said carrots weren't the carrots we eat. What exactly are carrots in New Eridu?"
"Oh, right! I never finished explaining. Basically, Carrots — capital C — are Hollow maps. Proxies like Phaethon use Carrots to help guide Hollow Raiders out of the Hollow. There's a lot of complicated mumbo-jumbo that goes into Carrot data and because Hollows are always changing without reason, all Carrots are time sensitive, which is why it's important to get in and out as soon as possible. You don't want to be in the Hollow without a Carrot if you don't have a Proxy. Phaethon's gone, but the Investigators are a good second!"
"Because they have a map for this Hollow, right?"
"Bingo! We can ask them for help and follow them out of the Hollow!"
"Don't be stupid," Nicole denounced Billy's idea. "Don't you see those Public Security guys with them? We're Hollow Raiders. Even if they help us, they'll arrest us right afterwards."
Public Security was a familiar term that got the Player's attention because he remembered it from his encounter with Qingyi the other day. However, what grabbed his attention the most was Nicole mentioning that they'd be arrested for being Hollow Raiders.
Before the Player could speak-
"That might be true if it were just us," Billy continued the conversation, pointing to Eous. "But with that..."
Nicole gave Billy an incredulous look.
"Don't you remember? Public Security's policy? If you report a Proxy, they may expunge your record..."
"Wait, wait... I'm confused. Is being a Proxy and Hollow Raider a bad thing?"
"It's not exactly honest work," Billy admitted. "We can explain everything later, right now we need to seriously consider taking this opportunity!"
The Player was still playing catchup, but it sounded like...
"As things stand, Billy's proposal is quite feasible," Anby said. "Trade the Proxy's identity for our safety or continue pacing around waiting for the Bangboo to return to normal."
"Out of the question," the Player firmly opposed.
"What?" Billy was genuinely surprised by the Player's response. "What do you mean?"
"We can't rat out Wise and Belle if being a Proxy is illegal. I thought they were your friends. You'd just hand them over?"
"The situation poses a risk of becoming dire," Anby assured. "It's a matter of survival, not friendship."
"Phaethon saved you. They saved me. We wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Phaethon."
"And we won't be here because of Phaethon if we risk waiting for them."
Billy watched as the Player and Anby exchanged their views. Feeling the need to contribute, he stepped forward and said, "TP, I respect your loyalty to the Managers, but not everyone can afford that. We don't have your immunity to Ether corruption, and you need to consider the rest of us."
"I... I wasn't trying to... I didn't mean... I'm not saying we should wait here, I'm saying there has to be another way. A way to keep everyone safe."
"Then what do you suggest?" Anby asked.
Unfortunately, the Player couldn't answer... He may not have liked Billy's plan, but at least he had one.
The Player turned away from the group. Because of his short-sided perspective, he couldn't face Anby or Billy. He was disappointed with himself, yet he still couldn't bring himself to hand over Wise and Belle.
Anby and Billy's expressions softened as they noticed the Player's somber demeanor, but their concern for their own safety remained a priority.
The Cunning Hares were at odds, but the decision was ultimately up to one person: "Ok, Boss... It's your call to make," Billy turned to Nicole. "Whatever you decide, we'll follow your orders."
Nicole glanced at her team and then down at Phaethon, her expression conflicted amid the persistent silence.
"...Boss?" Billy called.
Nicole calmly exhaled and put the Bangboo down to let it continue on its directionless journey. "Enough chatter," she gave Billy a gentle bop on the head and followed the Bangboo. "We can't stay here any longer."
Anby shook her head disapprovingly after Nicole passed, while Billy scratched his head, showing doubt about the decision.
The Player was surprised Nicole chose to side with Phaethon, and they briefly locked eyes as she passed him. Even though Nicole looked unsure if she was making the right call, she followed her heart and trusted Wise and Belle to make things right.
"Let's go," Nicole signaled for the team to follow.
With Nicole firm in her decision, the Cunning Hares set aside their ticket out of the Hollow to continue the mission — Operation: Cunning Steal was still on.
Unnamed Borough, Cretan Hollow
Time Unknown
The Cunning Hares journeyed further into the Cretan Hollow, hoping to eventually find the strongbox. They fought rogue Ethereals along the way while keeping their Bangboo safe.
Despite differing opinions, their teamwork was tighter than ever. Everyone was giving 110% to ensure the unit's safety, but it was wearing them out and causing them to rely on their anti-corruption supplies to keep going.
After successfully overcoming their fifth consecutive mob encounter, the team veers off the main path and takes refuge in a nearby office building for a break.
The Player kept watch while Nicole and the others got their bearings.
Nicole sat against the wall, watching Anby walk around and howl as though she were trying to imitate Ethereal behavior, as if she were live entertainment.
When Anby noticed Nicole's unchanging, somber expression, she gave her the best howl she could muster, which still came out emotionless. "I've turned into a monster. Rawr, rawr!" She then approached Billy, who was sitting in a nearby chair, and gently nibbled on his hand to enhance her performance.
"Hey, guys. I haven't seen any Ethereals, we're still in the clear to-" the Player approached just as Anby started to bite Billy and stopped short when he realized what was going on. "What, uh, what's going on?"
Anby briefly paused to respond, "I'm a monster." She then continued nibbling on Billy.
"Anby, don't bite my hand," Billy responds in a monotone voice and eases his hand out of her mouth. "You're gonna hurt your teeth."
"Sorry, I was just trying to cheer Nicole up. I guess I'm not so good at this."
Billy groaned and leaned his head back, his attention aimed at the ceiling. "But you're right. We've been in the Hollow for a long time. Even with our Ether aptitude, it just means we'll become monsters slower..."
Morale was noticeably low, and all the Player could do was regret his earlier declaration about finding another way out of the Hollow. After an hour had passed, they still hadn't made any progress, aside from reducing the Ethereal population. At the current rate, it seemed likely that Nicole, Anby, and Billy would soon become part of that population.
"...Hey," the Player spoke, getting the Cunning Hares attention. "I'm... I'm sorry. I'm sorry for all of this. I feel like I'm the reason you guys are in this situation. I voted against your way out of the Hollow because of misguided loyalty. I thought things would eventually work out if we hung in there a little longer. But we're still here, and the clock is still ticking. I'm new here; I had no right to jeopardize your safety."
"You're forgetting something," Nicole gave him a somewhat flat look.
"Huh?"
"It was my decision to stay in the Hollow. You just beat me to saying it, that's all. So don't look so sad. We were going to stay regardless. Handing Phaethon over to Public Security wasn't going to happen on my watch."
Nicole didn't want anyone under her leadership to feel at fault. The Player's remorse, along with Anby and Billy's fading hope, caused her to wrap her arms around her legs and rest her mouth against her knees.
The weight of their situation was beginning to weigh heavily on her heart, and the thought of anything happening to her employees made her stomach churn.
Nicole was beginning to feel like she failed them and sighed remorsefully. "Tch... This isn't like me," she said. "The Cunning Hares only care about money... Not caring about others is my motto."
"But you chose to believe in Phaethon," the Player muttered to himself.
"So you're secretly a good person?" Wise's voice came through the Bangboo that was sitting next to Nicole.
"Heh, good person, huh?" Nicole questioned while looking over to the now talking Bangboo. "Losing my life in a Hollow just for a title like that? I must be stupid," she turned away and flagged off Phaethon's comment with a dismissive smile.
And then it hit her and everyone else.
Player: Wise! / Billy: Manager!
Nicole jumped up and backed into the boys with rosy cheeks. "Aaaahhhh!" She shrieked from Phaethon's sudden return.
"You could try to sound a little happier to see us, Nicole," Phaethon got up from sitting.
"Proxy?! Is it really you?!"
Belle: Sorry to keep you waiting. We've actually been online for a while now.
"A while? Wait! How long is a while?!" Billy exclaimed.
Belle: Eeeeeeh, about a few minutes. Long enough to hear you all getting sentimental.
"...You could've let us know," the Player crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes. "We were worried sick about you guys."
Belle: I know. Sorry about that! We couldn't resist.
"I didn't know the Managers had a sense of humor," Billy whispered to which the Player shrugged with a relieved smile.
"So, you heard everything?" Nicole's face turned bright red. She turned away, burying her head against Billy's chest to hide her embarrassment, although her long groan made it clear what she was feeling.
"It's not often we get to see the real Nicole," Phaethon teased.
"That- That's not the real me!" Nicole turned to Phaethon in protest.
The Player raised an eyebrow. "But didn't you just say you'd never snitch on-"
Nicole quickly pressed her index finger to the Player's lips, silencing him. "Enough nonsense! We need to get the strongbox back!" She declared.
"You're right," Phaethon concurred. "Are you all rested?"
"We are," Anby replied. "We used our anti-corruption serum not too long ago, so we should be able to continue a little while longer without running into issues."
"And morale is back up!" Billy added.
Belle: Okay. Just give me one second... We had to map out a new route after we got disconnected.
"No problem," Nicole said.
Belle: Okay. We have to start heading back to the old metro. There's a fissure that'll show up in 20 minutes and it'll get us back on track to the Dullahan's trail. You guys aren't too far.
"As always, stay close," Phaethon leads.
"Absolutely!" Nicole grabbed her briefcase and followed Phaethon with her team.
The party left the old office building and went back to the city streets to retrace their steps.
"So, I haven't gotten the full rundown on fissures before," the Player initiated conversation. "According to Anby, they can send you anywhere without warning, including the edge of a skyscraper."
"Sounds about right," Billy confirmed.
"Oh my god, you weren't joking."
"Why would I lie?" Anby asked.
"To get a reaction out of me."
"No, but your reaction the first time we jumped in was quite entertaining."
"Oh, very funny."
"I'm glad you agree," Anby was following his sarcasm which made the Player give her a deadpan look.
HDD Assistant: Hollow fissures are a manifestation of spatial disorder in the Hollows whereby new areas are continually generated inside a Hollow, creating infinite extensions that are highly disorientating. Data shows the fissure enroute leads to the area below. Once you step into it, please be ready to fall.
"That's basic gist from our HDD AI," Phaethon explained.
"Handy," the Player replied. "Now I know what to expect. Or rather, I'll anticipate the fall once I go through."
"You didn't do too bad the first time," Anby said. "It was a solid landing."
"Could've been better."
"It's not a competition," Nicole chuckled.
"You're right, but I still want to look cool when making an entrance. Never know when it'll come in handy."
"Because it won't?" Phaethon suggested.
"You're no fun."
The group laughed together and resumed their journey.
Railyard, Cretan Hollow
Time Unknown
With Phaethon's guidance, the Cunning Hares safely returned to the Old Metro region of the Cretan Hollow. However, to reach their goal, they needed to cross the ruined railyard.
They navigated through a maze of scrap and rubble.
The Player and Billy handled most of the heavy lifting, moving obstacles out of the way to allow Phaethon and the girls to pass.
The gang arrived at the terminal that Phaethon had indicated on their route but encountered another obstacle: the station shutter. The Player and Billy collaborated to lift the shutter enough for the team to pass through.
Once Phaethon, Nicole, and Anby were under, Billy crawled through and held the shutter open from the other side, allowing the Player to get through after them.
"You guys okay?" Nicole asked the boys.
"Yep. I'm good," Billy arched his back out with a mechanical pop.
"I'm fine," the Player assured.
Belle: The signal for the strongbox is this way. We're close.
Phaethon continued leading the group once everyone was accounted for and the Cunning Hares were right behind him.
As Phaethon, Anby, and Billy moved ahead, the Player and Nicole fell a bit behind. The Player stayed near the back of the group to watch for any ambushes. However, once it was clear that there were no Ethereals nearby, the Player quickened his pace and walked alongside Nicole.
"Hey, Nicole?"
"Hmm? What's up?"
"About earlier... I wanted to thank you for believing in Wise and Belle. You're a really good friend to them and I appreciate you for that."
"Oh, of course. Phaethon and I don't always agree on the business side of things, and there are times when we irritate each other. However, that doesn't change the fact that we've known each other for a long time. The Cunning Hares wouldn't be where we are today without them. I couldn't just hand them over to PubSec."
"PubSec... That's, uh, Public Security, right?"
"Yep.
"What would the punishment have been if they had been caught?"
"With Phaethon's reputation? Life in prison."
The Player's expression instantly became frozen in dread.
"And there was no guarantee we'd be off the hook either. Even if we handed over Phaethon, there was no way PubSec would pass on the opportunity to arrest us. Anby and Billy were looking at the short-term problem; they relied on PubSec playing fair with Hollow Raiders. They saw an out, not the bigger picture."
The Player looked ahead and saw Anby and Billy engaging in friendly conversation with Phaethon. He walked in silence, lost in thought.
"I don't blame them, though," Nicole said, engaging the Player's interest. "Life in prison must be better than turning into an Ethereal. But like you, I believed there was another way. I don't know... something just told me we'd get through this," she added, raising her hand and clenching her fist near her heart.
The Player watched Nicole in silence and soon found himself smiling. "Yeah. I know what you mean," he said gently, chuckling as he reflected on his choice now that he had gained more faith in himself for siding with Phaethon.
Any doubts the Player had about Nicole before the commission began were gone. He now had a newfound respect for her as a leader and person.
Old Metro, Cretan Hollow
After their trip from the nearby borough, the Cunning Hares returned to the place where they lost Phaethon. Unfortunately, there were Ethereals lingering around, but the party managed to sneak past them using stealth tactics.
They crept through a derailed train until they reached the last car.
"Okay. The fissure is just beyond this point," Phaethon said.
Billy peeked out the window to see how many Ethereals were waiting for them. "One, two, three, four Ethereals. Great, two of them are Hoplitai."
"A what?" The Player asked.
"Hoplitai," Anby repeated, gesturing for the Player to look out the window with her. "Their forelimbs are heavily reinforced with Etheric matter. They can use their appendages to block your attacks if you're not careful."
"They are vulnerable to ice and Ether sources," Phaethon stated. "Nicole and the Player will have the advantage if things get difficult."
Billy groaned. "Do we have to engage? We've done so well avoiding fights."
The Player chuckled. "No worries. If you're scared, you can stay back and watch," he teased.
"H-Huh?!" Billy was surprised by the Player's diss. "Wait, I'm not scared!"
As the boys were chatting, Nicole and Anby walked by to exit the train. With a smug smile, Nicole ruffled the Player's hair and said, "Same to you, oh legendary Player. Anby and I can handle this since you seem so comfortable sitting down."
"Copy that," the Player replied. It wasn't until the girls laughed and exited the car to confront the Ethereals that he realized he had been played. "Wait... Hold on! I'm fighting too!" He hurried after them.
"Boss? TP! Wait for me!" Billy scurried along to join the rest of his team.
Phaethon followed them to destroyed door and watched as they fought the Ethereals. "You've all been in the Hollow longer than we anticipated. How are you feeling?" He called out to the group as they had the Ethereals distracted.
"Not ideal," Anby replied, blocking the Faun's(1) road sign weapon with her own. "But it won't impact my performance." She shifted to the side, causing the Faun to awkwardly slide its weapon down her sword and strike the ground.
Anby spun her blade around and struck the core, taking out the Ethereal.
"A real pro," Phaethon complimented.
The Player lunged his blade at the Hoplitai(1), but it slammed its forearms together and used its hardened Ether appendages to block the attack. The blade hitting the Etheric matter sounded like metal striking concrete.
Billy spun his leg around and delivered a high kick to the Faun's(2) weapon, knocking it out of the Ethereal's hand. He used the momentum to execute a low sweep kick to the back of the Ethereal's knee, bringing it down to one leg.
After the final rotation, Billy pressed his gun against the Faun's core and fired a single shot that took it down. He looked over and saw the Hoplitai repelling the Player and counterattacking by rolling into a ball and dashing at him.
The Player managed to dodge, but he was still shocked by what he saw. "Did... Did you just try to hit me with a Spin Dash?"
The Hoplitai unrolled itself and turned back to the Player.
"What's next? A Homing Attack?" He taunted.
The Hoplitai leaped into the air, curled into a ball, and launched itself at the Player, who barely avoided being flattened by the attack by dodging at the last second.
"What the hell?! I was kidding!" He struck his sword against the Hoplitai, but it rebounded with a harsh concrete clang that sent painful vibrations through the weapon's grip, causing the Player to recoil. "Ack!"
"TP!" Billy called out, getting his attention. "Remember, don't let it lure you into attacking while it's on defense! It's Ether matter is much stronger than the others!"
"Right," the Player shook the pain out of his dominant hand.
The Hoplitai broke formation and tried to uppercut the Player, but he dodged effortlessly with a smooth 360-degree turn, leaving a frosty aura trail behind him.
"Not only that," he calmly exhaled as his sword emitted an icy glow, "but I should take advantage of that weakness of yours." As he completed the full turn, he swung the sword and struck the Hoplitai's side.
The Ethereal hit the ground and stumbled over to Billy. When it looked up, all it saw was the barrel of Billy's gun before he fired into its core.
Meanwhile, Anby and Nicole were in the process of concluding a team effort. The Hoplitai attempted a double knife-hand strike against Nicole, but she stepped back and successfully avoided the attack. Anby then slid in from behind and slashed the Ethereal's leg, causing it to shuffle toward Nicole. With a smile, Nicole readied her Ether cannon and fired into the Hoplitai's core, exclaiming, "Boom!"
The blow from Nicole's canon was so powerful that it sent the Hoplitai somersaulting back while breaking down into its colorful cubic death.
"Great work, Anby!" Nicole cheered.
"It was nothing. You did all the work there," Anby smiled.
The Player and Billy approached the girls while in the middle of conversation. "Thanks for the heads up, Billy. I'll be sure to remember that for next time."
"No problem! Hoplitai are notorious for taking advantage of rookie Hollow Raiders."
"How did you two get on?" Nicole asked.
"I'd say we did pretty good," the Player gave Billy a confident look.
"Pretty good? Dude! We were brightest stars in New Eridu just now! BLACK HOLE wouldn't stand a chance!" Billy cheered.
The Player rested his weapon over his shoulder and tucked one hand into his pocket, giving Billy a humorous look. "I fumbled a bit back there. There's room for improvement. I'd rate that performance a B."
"That was totally an S," Billy argued.
"You could always meet in the middle and just say A," Anby proposed.
Nicole chuckled softly to herself as she listened to the team's discussion about hypothetical performance rankings, finding it quite entertaining.
Phaethon came from hiding to rendezvous with the Cunning Hares. "Nice work everyone!"
"Ah, there you are, Phaethon!" Billy exclaimed.
"Are you all okay? Does anyone need a break?"
"I think we're good," Nicole said, glancing at everyone, who confirmed with a nod. "Yes! We're all set."
"Great, then we can keep going. We're actually not too far off track."
"Excellent! Lead the way, Proxy."
Now that the area was clear, Phaethon guided the Cunning Hares through the station and out into the open. They sprinted across the railway and arrived at the container yard. There, they skillfully maneuvered around the shipping containers, using manmade elevations to reach the elevated railway that ran through the city.
"This is it," Phaethon told the group.
Despite their arrival, all that greeted them was the sound of the wind.
"Where's the fissure?" Billy asked.
"We're a little early so it hasn't manifested yet. Not to worry though, it'll be here shortly."
"Cool. Nothing wrong with a short breather even though we're still rarin' to go," the Player said.
"Yeeeeah," Billy sighed. "Wish we had some snacks."
"And a movie," Anby added.
The player chuckled at the pair before his expression turned neutral with curiosity. "Hey, Wise? Now that we have a moment, I wanted to ask: what happened back there?" His question got the group's attention. "When Eous was walking around like a zombie."
"Oh, right... That. Belle and I ran into some difficulties with an uninvited guest."
"Someone broke into the store?" Billy questioned in disbelief.
"Not exactly, but technically...yes. It was on the cyber side of things."
"A hacker?" The Player asked.
"...Yeah," it was clear by his tone that it was a hard truth for Wise to admit. "They took control of our system and demanded access to the strongbox. We tried working our way around the problem, but in doing so we gave up our Phaethon account."
"Whoa! You gave up your identity?!" Billy exclaimed.
Belle: Not our identity, just the account.
"We handed the account over to the hacker, which allowed us to tip off Public Security on the whereabouts of New Eridu's most notorious Proxy, Phaethon. Belle and I were doing our civic duties. Besides, we already have another account we're working on, so giving up Phaethon wasn't too bad. Still, the importance of whatever is inside the strongbox cannot be understated; in his own words, it could shake the very foundation of New Eridu."
Wise's story silenced the entire group, but they finally had the full picture.
"Is that so?" Billy crossed his arms and glared sharply. "The manager cut off all comms with us because a hacker infiltrated their device."
"So it wasn't because of Nicole haggling on the price," Anby was genuinely surprised.
"Wait, did I hear that right? You could have paid more?" Phaethon asked, expressing playful curiosity to lighten a bad situation.
Nicole threw her arm out and gently smacked Anby's leg. "Anby! Don't say too much!" She muttered before turning a wondering eye to the others. "Hmmm... So the Proxy thinks there's something up with the flash drive holding the password. Is that hacker using it to trace you?"
Belle: We checked the HDD for security risks, and that was the most likely.
"If that's the case, the Red Fang Gang didn't snatch the strongbox for themselves," Nicole said. "They're working a commission for someone else..."
"Just like us!" Billy exclaimed.
Anby crossed one arm over to support the other to pinch her chin. "If it weren't for the Proxy's intervening, we'd be the ones on the firing line."
The Player smiled, knowing that his and Nicole's faith in the siblings was well-placed.
"Thank Starlight we have you, Manager!" Billy said joyfully as he clasped his hands together. "Why you're as reliable as the Starlight Knights' sidekick, Meteor-Mut!"
"Uhh, thanks... I think?" Phaethon scratched the back of his head.
"Coming from Billy, that's about the highest praise you can get," Anby assured.
Nicole couldn't shake off her frustration because she was still focused on all the information Phaethon had shared with them. "Well... Judging by the fee, I assumed it was a simple stolen goods job. But it's just another scumbag sticking their nose in other people's business again. I'm never trusting another agent ever again!" She ranted.
"...I mean," the Player said.
Nicole facepalmed. "Not you. Ugh! I gotta ditch this like a hot potato once I get back. And I gotta charge double my price to that agent!"
Just as Nicole expressed her frustration, a bubbling distortion of time-space manifested.
"Nicole, I suggest speeding up the search," Anby said, gesturing behind her.
"Huh?" Nicole looked over her shoulder and jumped at the sight. "WHAA!"
"That's our fissure," Phaethon pointed. "The strongbox is on the other side."
"We're reaching the limits of our Ether aptitude in this Hollow," Anby continued. "If our combat strength drops again due to corruption, I'm afraid we won't be able to take care of any accidents we come across on the way finding the strongbox."
"Accidents?" Billy questioned. "You mean like that Red Fang dude who got mutated into that superior-level Ethereal?"
"Yeah. That Dullahan is probably still looking for us in the Hollow."
"Then let's wrap this up ASAP," the Player said. "The fissure is going to take us to the strongbox, so let's grab it before that Ethereal shows up."
"Yes! I'm ready!" Billy exclaimed, pumping his fist in the air.
The Player gave Billy a gentle shove. "After you," he smirked.
Billy comically stumbled over his feet and tripped into the fissure. "Whoa! Whoa! WHOOA—" His voice echoed out.
"...Guess that's one way of doing it," Phaethon chuckled faintly.
"In my defense he tripped over himself."
"Mmmm... Okay, yeah. He kinda did. I'll give you that."
Phaethon turned to the fissure and jumped in.
"See you on the other side, ladies," the Player saluted Nicole and Anby with two fingers before running into the fissure.
Meanwhile, Billy was flailing through the time-space distortion and emerged on a vertical drop, only to land horizontally on his back; it was as if physics had briefly stopped working to correct itself.
"Oof!" Billy opened his eyes and looked up at the afternoon sky. "Huh... That was strange." Just as he started to pick himself up, Phaethon came out of the fissure and bounced off of Billy's head. "Eek!" He cried.
"Oooouugh," Phaethon rubbed his head after getting up and turned to Billy. "Oh! Sorry, Billy. Are you okay?"
"Oooh... Manager? Yeah, I'm fi-"
"Look out!" Phaethon pointed behind Billy.
Before Billy could get up the Player came out and fell on top of him. "AGH!" He cried out again.
"Ouch," the Player winced, rubbing his sore shoulder. "It's like I fell on a car."
"Or me," Billy groaned from underneath.
"Huh? Oh! Billy! Sorry, man. I didn't mean to-"
"Guys!" Phaethon flailed his stubby Bangboo arm to warn them of the incoming wave of human projectiles.
The Player stood up and glanced over his shoulder just in time to see Anby leaping out of the fissure. Unfortunately, as he turned around with his arms out to catch her, Anby collided with him, causing both of them to tumble to the ground and away from Billy.
Billy cowered, fearing they would land on him again, but when he peeked out from his arms and saw Anby break her fall on the Player, he sighed in relief.
Nicole's butt divebombed onto Billy's back, causing him to faceplant into the ground.
"Sheesh! That wasn't my best landing," Nicole rubbed her backside before noticing Billy and the Player on the ground, acting as cushions for her and Anby. "Nice catch, guys!"
Billy raised his hand and gave a weak thumbs up before going limp.
After the Player and Billy recovered from their fall, Phaethon guided the Cunning Hares through the deserted city until they arrived at the designated location, the Old Metro's 49th Street terminal.
Phaethon arrived first and found the strongbox at the terminal's center. He inspected it for any signs of tampering.
Anby, Billy, Nicole, and the Player arrived seconds behind Phaethon.
"Found it!" Anby pointed.
"It's our lucky day!" Billy cheered.
Nicole dashed ahead of the group with gleaming eyes. "That's my strongbox!" She joyfully declared.
Billy followed Nicole, laughing with excitement.
The Player crossed his arms while standing next to Anby. "Mission accomplished," he stated with a smile.
"Yeah," she nodded.
"And with that, my debt is cleared. Now I can live with a clear conscience," he teased, now walking after Billy with Anby.
A familiar evil filled the air as the Player and Anby stepped forward to join the team.
Skuld: Watch yourself!
"Huh?" The Player froze.
"Move!" Anby shoved the Player aside and drew her sword.
SHIIIIIING! Anby's blade clashed with the reinforced Etheric material of Dullahan's sword as she blocked from the rear.
Though she managed to guard at the last moment, Dullahan's surprise attack quickly overpowered Anby, sending her sliding across the terminal before anyone realized what had happened.
Anby pushed back against Dullahan and stopped the Ethereal's momentum before they crashed into Nicole, who was shocked by the sudden conflict.
Dullahan enhanced its strength against Anby to overpower her, creating a shockwave that sent Nicole and Billy flying. However, Anby stood her ground and pushed back against Dullahan, breaking their stalemate before it could gain the upper hand.
The Ethereal swiftly retaliated, swinging its sword back at Anby. She blocked the attack but was sent flying toward Nicole and Billy.
Phaethon realized they had walked into an ambush and glared at Dullahan as it faced the Cunning Hares. He scurried away before the Ethereal noticed that he was hiding behind the strongbox.
As Billy picked himself up, Anby wiped a small trail of blood from the side of her mouth and snarled, "Found it." She sharpened her gaze and tightened her grip on her sword.
"It's our lucky day," Billy said with a touch of sarcasm.
Nicole got up and glared at the Dullahan who challenged them to take what they came for. "That's MY strongbox!"
The Player watched everything unfold after recovering from Anby's emergency push. "Why do I feel this thing has become stronger since the last time we faced it?" He asked as he readied his weapon.
Skuld: It caught us off-guard before. This time...
The Player gasped softly as a dark mist appeared on the left side of his face. He shook his head and sank to one knee. "No, I've got this," he muttered.
Sensing the Player's vulnerability, Dullahan dashed toward the unsuspecting Agent.
Skuld: Danger!
The Player looked up and saw Dullahan standing right in front of him, sword ready to strike. "Oh shit!" He quickly gathered himself and got up just in time to block two slashes. The second slash knocked him off his feet and caused him to stagger back a few steps.
Dullahan lunged its sword at the Player's chest, but the trajectory shifted downward when Anby entered with a defensive assist, redirecting Dullahan's sword with her own.
"Thanks, partner," the Player whispered and tightened his grip on his sword.
With Dullahan briefly halted, the Player performed a 360 swing from behind Anby to attack Dullahan from its side, but it used its shield to block the attack.
"Damn it! You just won't leave us alone!" Nicole aimed her Ether-canon at Dullahan while it held off the Player and Anby. "Say goodbye to nice Nicole!"
She fired an Ether projectile at Dullahan's exposed side, but the Ethereal raised its foot to push off Anby's sword, dodging Nicole's Ether shot and forcing both the Player and Anby to evade thus gaining some distance between them.
"That's one frenzied Ethereal. Watch out!" Phaethon warned.
Dullahan used its shield to slow down its momentum. However, Anby quickly took the initiative, closing the gap between them in seconds. She aimed for a heavy underhand slash, but Dullahan dodged by spinning out of the way. It then countered with a sweeping strike of its sword, trying to cut Anby in half while her back was turned after she missed her attack.
The Player returned the favor and arrived just in time to block Dullahan's arching slash.
Anby glanced over her shoulder and saw the Player block the Ethereal's attack. She pressed herself against him until they were back-to-back. The Player leaned into Anby's weight, allowing her to roll over his back and bring her sword down to strike Dullahan's core and brought it to one knee.
Dullahan stabbed its sword into the ground and caused Ether stalagmites to erupt around it, forcing the Player and Anby to retreat.
"This thing's definitely stronger," the Player said.
"It had time to grow into itself," Anby corrected. "Our first encounter was with a newborn Dullahan, but now it's—Nnngh!" Anby gritted her teeth and flinched.
"Anby?"
She started coughing and nearly dropped her sword. Before it got too bad, she opened her eye and saw Dullahan sprinting toward them.
Skuld: Focus up!
The Player looked over to the approaching Ethereal and stood in front of Anby to protect her while she recovered.
Before the Dullahan could draw close, it was struck by bullets that caught its attention. When the Dullahan turned towards the source of the gunfire, a heavy shot hit its core, causing it to flinch.
Billy used his armor piercing round to deliver a critical hit and caused a small crack on Dullahan's core.
Dullahan focused on Billy and began walking toward him.
"Boss, you should stay back," Billy suggested.
"I'll provide support," Nicole slowly eased away from Billy as he locked-in to fight Dullahan.
Meanwhile, Anby's cough got heavier.
"Hey," the Player turned to her just as Dullahan became engrossed in its interaction with Billy. "What's the matter?"
"I'm fine. It's just stage 2 corruption," she spit to the side and wiped her mouth.
The Player noticed that her saliva resembled the vibrant colors of the fissure. "That doesn't look fine. Your time in the Hollow is starting to catch up to you. Rest. I'll stand guard and keep you safe."
Before Anby could protest, she was overcome by another coughing fit.
While Billy and Dullahan were going between close to mid-range combat, Nicole studied the battle from afar while charging Ether in her canon.
Billy flipped over Dullahan and attempted to fire from above, but Dullahan used its shield to block the bullets. Dullahan swung at Billy during his descent but miscalculated and narrowly missed his torso.
Billy broke his fall with a tactical roll and faced Dullahan, who was already charging at him. He fired several armor-piercing rounds to force Dullahan to block the powerful shots, slowing its approach. This gave Billy the opportunity to rush in and attack. He attempted a high kick, but Dullahan ducked underneath it and followed up with a slash while Billy had his back turned.
Billy positioned himself at an angle to avoid Dullahan's sword and then executed a heel kick with his other leg, forcing Dullahan to block the attack with its shield. In response, Dullahan swept the dull end of its sword and struck the leg Billy used for balance, knocking him to the ground.
Dullahan swung the blade back at Billy for a swift decapitation, but Billy dropped flat to the ground and rolled aside to dodge the attack.
Billy used a b-boy windmill to recover, kicking and shooting to repel the Ethereal.
After Billy recovered from the windmill, he aimed at Dullahan. Just as he squeezed the trigger, his impaired vision sabotaged his aim and caused him to miss the Ethereal.
Dullahan, sensing that Billy's Ether corruption was affecting his performance, chipped off a small piece of the Ether stalagmite beside it. The Ethereal then executed a quick and powerful spin kick, sending the projectile flying toward Billy. The stalagmite hit Billy's hand, causing him to drop one of his guns.
"Ah!" Billy flinched from the sharp pain.
Before any further harm could come to Billy, Nicole fired the cannon she had been charging and shot Dullahan with an Ether bomb that expanded into a small dome of energy.
The constant flow of Ether overwhelming Dullahan caused significant damage and brought the Ethereal to its knee, stunning it.
Nicole smirked as she prepared another Ether bomb. "Time to wrap this up," she said confidently. Suddenly, a wave of nausea washed over her. She dropped her briefcase, covering her mouth with one hand while wrapping her other arm around her stomach.
Unable to hold it back any longer, Nicole fell to her knees and vomited a colorful sludge.
The Ether dome surrounding Dullahan faded after a few seconds, but it remained stunned.
Anby ran up to Dullahan while it was down and struck its core with a jumping slash.
"Anby, no!" The Player called out while running to the scene.
Dullahan's head reeled back, but the problem was Anby didn't cause enough damage and basically brought the Ethereal back to its senses.
The Dullahan struck Anby with its shield, sending her flying across the terminal until she collided with Nicole. The impact was so forceful that the two girls rolled into a train car, nearly making it derail.
The Player, shocked by the sight, hurried to the train to help the girls.
A few bullets came flying at Dullahan, but only one managed to hit it. Dullahan turned and saw Billy in the distance, acquiring its new target.
Billy fired a few more shots, but it was evident he was starting to lose energy due to the increasing Ether corruption; his trigger finger trembled, yet he continued to fire to the best of his ability.
Dullahan walked through the gunfire; if Billy didn't miss, he shot Dullahan's shield or torso with regular ammo rounds.
Anby appeared behind Dullahan and lunged her sword for a backstab, but the Ethereal stepped to the side and raised its shield above her, slamming it down and spiking Anby to the floor.
"Anby!" Billy called out.
The Player attacked from the side, his blade enhanced with ice, and swung at Dullahan's side. However, the Ethereal managed to block the attack with its sword. It didn't anticipate that the Player would heighten his focus, causing the icy effect from his weapon to start freezing Dullahan's bladed appendage.
Dullahan briefly looked down to its sword and saw the ice starting to climb up the base. It was distracted, but faced front after hearing footsteps only to staring down the barrel of Billy's gun.
BANG! Billy fired an armor piercing round directly into Dullahan's core
Phaethon was with Nicole, who was still injured from the train crash and feeling the effects of her corruption.
"Did... Did they do it?" Nicole asked with labored breathing.
Phaethon glared after reading Dullahan's data. "Not exactly."
There was a brief period of silence, but Dullahan rolled its head back and revealed the hole in its core, but it was still standing.
Before Billy could react, Dullahan unleashed a powerful shockwave that blew the Player and Billy away while keeping the pressure down on Anby. After the boys were blown away, Dullahan kicked Anby in her side and sent her rolling.
Billy crashed into the concrete wall and rebounded. Just as he bounced back, Dullahan slammed its shield into him, forcing Billy into a massive imprint in the wall and pressing even harder with each second.
The Player got up from the ground and grabbed his sword, sprinting over to Dullahan who had just sent Billy through the wall and into another portion of the terminal.
Dullahan turned to the Player and dodged out of the way of his swing.
The Player clenched his teeth and tightened his grip, chasing after Dullahan with a determined spirit, driven by the desire to protect his co-workers. With each powerful swing, a vibrant frosty aura shimmered behind him, there was also faint indications of darkness radiating off of the ice.
Dullahan remained unfazed by the Player's aggression, calmly backstepping and blocking his swings with ease.
It was hard to keep his cool after seeing Nicole, Anby, and Billy fall deeper into their corruption symptoms. If they stayed any longer, chances were they'd join Dullahan as powerful Ethereals with whom he'd have to fight.
The Player and Dullahan clashed swords and briefly sat at a stalemate. Still, Dullahan pushed its weight down and began overpowering the Player, teasing him with its superior strength.
An Ether stalagmite erupted from the ground and struck the Player's gut, sending him off his feet.
He let out a dry gasp before receiving a spinning back shield to his side, sending him flying until he crashed into a wall. He slid down until his feet touched the ground. The Player's legs gave out when he attempted to stand and fell back against the wall. He slid down and sat helplessly, having had the wind knocked out of him.
Dullahan walked in the Player's direction while the rest of the Cunning Hares were spread across the terminal.
Billy got up and limped over to the hole in the wall.
Anby, holding her side, didn't have the strength to get up and watched with increasing dread as Dullahan got closer to the Player.
"Anby... Billy," Nicole weakly called out. "Phaethon, we have to do something."
Phaethon didn't respond, but he did keep Nicole from trying to intervene.
The sound of Dullahan's approaching steps ceased as it stood before the Player, looking down to him as he hung his head.
No reaction? Then he was finally done. Dullahan got its win and it was time to collect.
"TP! Run!" Billy shouted urgently.
Dullahan raised its sword and a low growl came from the Ethereal, but the Player still didn't react or acknowledge what was going on.
"Stop!" Nicole cried out in a panic.
Without hesitation, Dullahan swung its sword overhead to deliver a fatal strike, but the blade was halted by the Player's hand, cloaked in a dark veil that emitted a shadowy mist.
As Dullahan tilted its head to the side in curiosity, a grin slowly spread across the Player's face.
Nicole and the others were surprised by the sudden turnaround.
Skuld: Enough of this.
When the Player raised his head, the right side of his face was shrouded in darkness, with a red circle where his eye should have been. "NOW WE'RE GONNA HAVE FUN!" he exclaimed in a dual-tone voice, tightening his grip around Dullahan's frozen blade before breaking it in half.
Before Dullahan could let the shock of what happened sink in, its core was palmed by the Player and dragged across the terminal until they reached the other side of the area where he smashed Dullahan into the wall, further cracking the core.
The Player pulled Dullahan out of the wall and tossed it aside, having the Ethereal roll along the ground until recovered enough to get all fours.
Dullahan's head was grabbed, and it was helped onto its knees, where it met its foe's slasher smile. The Player stared at it before grabbing its shield-bearing arm with his free hand and using brute force to tear it off, leaving Dullahan with two severed limbs.
Dullahan got up to its feet and backed away while the Player disposed of its arm by tossing it away with a mischievously maniacal cackle.
His shadow zipped along the ground until reaching Dullahan's feet.
The shadow spiraled up Ethereal's leg, and when the Player clutched his hand into a fist, intense pressure crushed Dullahan's leg, bringing it onto its good knee.
Phaethon and the Cunning Hares watched in disbelief at the display.
The shadow withdrew towards the Player, and a dark aura started to emanate from his body. Darkness clung to the Player's skin and clothes as if attempting to use him as a vessel to interact with the physical realm, evident by his increasing feral mannerisms.
'There's that strange power again,' Phaethon observed, thinking to himself.
"Proxy...? What...is happening to him?" Nicole asked.
Phaethon was so absorbed in the display that he didn't notice Nicole's question. As the silence stretched on, Nicole glanced at the Player to form her own conclusion.
"Is he turning into an Ethereal?" Nicole shuddered.
While the Player underwent his corrupt metamorphosis, Dullahan regenerated its lost limbs, recovering its sword, shield, and leg, much to the Cunning Hare's horror.
Although it wasn't a complete reformation, the Player zipped across the terminal on all fours with black wisps trailing off of his body.
Dullahan threw its sword back to skewer the Player, but his newly enhanced speed allowed him to quickly strike Dullahan's core with an uppercut from his claws, sending the Ethereal into the air.
A black haze appeared beside Dullahan with a red circle staring into its face.
Dullahan's body was thrown in multiple directions within a spiral of darkness, keeping it suspended in the air. The source of the chaos moved too quickly to be seen with the naked eye, but when the Player appeared above the overwhelmed Ethereal the spiral ceased.
With both hands pulled back, the Player thrust them forward, unleashing a powerful blast of energy that spiked Dullahan into the ground, stunning it.
As the darkness slowly creeps in to fully consume the Player...
Player: Stop it!
Skuld: Don't interfere! This 'New Eridu' requires cleansing! Monsters with no sense of purpose aside from destruction shouldn't exist!
Player: You're going to hurt Nicole and the others!
Skuld: It'll save them a fate worse than death. You've seen their symptoms. Do you want them to suffer more?
"I-" the Player dug his claw into the darkness that covered the right side of his face. "I said," he began to pull against the binding element. "STOP!"
He tore the darkness from his face and the rest of it evaporated from his body.
The Player fell from the sky once he was free from Skuld's influence. Before hitting the ground, Anby caught him in the air.
"Are you okay?!" Anby asked.
When the Player came too, he saw Anby's face and smiled when he realized she was holding him bridal style. "My hero. Heh, yeah... I'm... I'm good. Thanks."
"Dude! DUDE!" Billy came running to them. "What WAS that?! "
"Don't freak out. It's nothing bad," the Player assured as he got on his own feet.
Dullahan let out a strained groan and began to pick itself up. It may have been dealt a heavy blow, but it still had to be dealt with.
"I'll explain everything after we get out of here. Right now, we have to end this."
The Player and Billy looked over to Anby and then Anby and the Player over to Billy, all three nodding to each other when they realized they were on the same wavelength.
Dullahan picked itself up and turned to the trio, taking a few limping paces toward them.
As the Player and Billy resonate with one another, a faint aura begins radiating off of Billy, symbolizing the synchronized buff he received from the Player. In addition to physical enhancements, the synchronization acted as a natural defense against Ether corruption, healing Billy of his ailments.
Billy relished the phenomenon's relief and twirled both guns around his fingers. "I haven't felt like this in a while," he said in an unusually stern voice, enjoying the sense of power he felt.
Similar to Billy, Anby generated an empowering aura as well. She looked down to her palm and flexed her hand multiple times. "The air is so fresh," she muttered. "The weight of Ether is gone."
Dullahan took the trio standing there as an opening and used the remainder of its strength to push its foot down and launch itself at the group. The Ethereal lunged its sword forward and went for the killing blow against Billy.
SWOOSH! Billy leaned his head to the side and easily dodged Dullahan's attack.
Billy's dodge caused the environment to lose color, turning the landscape grayscale, except for the vibrant colors of the party's clothes.
It felt like time came to a crawl, Dullahan was stuck in a painfully slow lunge.
"It's-" Billy gripped both guns "SHOWTIME!"
Billy blitzed around Dullahan faster than anyone could see and unleashed armor-piercing bullet hell on every inch of Dullahan's body. Billy's speed was enhanced to the point where it looked like clones of himself were assisting with the attack.
Dullahan's core was badly damaged and had several holes throughout.
The Player held his sword out, gliding his fingers down the blade's icy surface. He reached the height of his Ice Sync, Absolute Zero.
Anby closed her eyes and leveled her sword to her face, feeling the Player's presence enhancing her abilities. When she opened her eyes, she generated so much electricity that her blade became a plasma weapon, crackling with lightning.
After the final shot of Billy's dominating performance, Dullahan reeled back, dipping in and out of consciousness, barely clinging onto life. When it came too, all it saw was the Player and Anby brandishing their weapons after finding an opening in Billy's onslaught.
"BLOOM IN THE ABYSS!" The Player cursed Dullahan's existence.
The Player and Anby executed a powerful cross(x)slash, and at the moment of impact, a void of darkness obscured the final blow. Within this void, a spark of blue and yellow shone brightly before a massive wave of electricity surged forth from the abyss, restoring color to the battle.
A pillar of electricity surrounded by a helix of ice shot into the sky.
In the aftermath, a cold mist enveloped the deserted city, and the sound of lightning gradually faded away. As the mist calmed, the Player, Anby, and Billy stood among the leveled remains of the 49th Street Terminal.
Despite being in the crossfire, Phaethon and Nicole miraculously survived the explosive finisher without any shelter. The two were comically clinging to each other and shivering, fearing they would be nuked off the map along with Dullahan.
As the wind brushed Nicole's hair, she peeked out one eye and looked around. "We're not dead?"
Phaethon opened his eyes and took a gander for himself.
"We're alive! Haha!" Nicole cheered, unintentionally tightening her grip around Phaethon in a bear hug.
"GAH! N-Nicole! Too tight!" Phaethon helplessly flailed.
"Oh! Sorry," she lightened her grip and sat Phaethon down.
Phaethon let out a sigh of relief and turned to the Player, Anby, and Billy, who were standing victorious after the battle.
Nicole was speechless, staring in disbelief of the whole ordeal. "P-Phaethon? All of that just now... What- I mean... How-?"
"Synchronization," Phaethon replied calmly. "That's what the Player refers to as his core ability. He can synchronize with Agents and empower them to an extraordinary degree. I knew it was powerful, but I didn't think it would be this explosive."
Once again, Nicole found herself at a loss for words. When Anby and Billy mentioned that the Player was capable, she did not expect him to exceed her expectations by 500%. At a glance, the destructive potential of Synchronization reminded her of power usually reserved for Void Hunters.
The Player stabbed his sword into the ground for support, hunching over with one hand on his knee as he broke into a mild pant.
"Huh?" Nicole exclaimed, surprised to see the Player looking so winded.
After desyncing, Anby sheathed her sword with a shaky exhale, while Billy collapsed onto one knee in exhaustion.
"The cost of all that power, however," Phaethon continued, "places a heavy burden on the body. From what I can see, the Player needs to find a balance in how he distributes and utilizes Synchronization. Once mastered, there's no telling how far he'll go and with who."
Nicole gasped quietly as the mist cleared and she could see clearly. Without saying a word, she sprinted toward the team.
"Great job, everyone," the Player commended Anby and Billy for their performance, still winded. "I think we're getting better at working together and maximizing the advantages of synchronization."
"This is only our second time using it, but I already love it," Billy chuckled.
Anby closed her eyes and smiled.
The sound of footsteps approaching caught everyone's attention, and they turned to see an enthusiastic and relieved Nicole.
"Finally," Nicole laughed.
From Anby and Billy's perspective, seeing Nicole's joy was a relief after the intense battle they had just endured. It was a sight they longed for—the moment teammates reunited, their lives intact. After all the chaos, peace had finally returned. The Cunning Hares could now gather together, embracing the warmth of their bond, and celebrate their survival as a family.
Anby and Billy waved as Nicole approached, her arms outstretched.
"Finally!" Nicole exclaimed happily, on the verge of tears.
With excitement bubbling over, Anby and Billy raised their hands, signaling Nicole to join them for a triumphant team high-five.
Nicole ran past Anby and Billy, leaving them frozen in surprise.
The Player opened his arms to embrace Nicole as she approached him, but to his surprise, Nicole ignored him and ran past the entire team.
"Found you!" Nicole ran to the strongbox behind the trio.
The Player, Anby, and Billy slowly turned their deadpan yet judgmental glares at Nicole as she poured all her affection into the inanimate object.
"Great work taking down that Ethereal, you three," the Player said, playfully mimicking Nicole's voice with a sprinkle of sarcasm.
"Heeey, no problem, boss" Billy replied, his tone flat as he went along with it.
Phaethon joined the others and sighed as Nicole hugged the strongbox. "Little soon to be celebrating, Nicole. We still have a serious issue to solve," he said, getting Nicole and everyone else's attention. "Th data we used to plan the escape route was deleted, so the extraction path is no longer valid."
"Y-You mean we can't get out?!" Nicole exclaimed, filled with dread. She dropped the strongbox and collapsed, but Anby caught her and gently eased her onto the floor. "Haha, all that trouble to get here...but we're still no closer to getting out. I didn't expect this would be the end."
Billy nearly fainted when he realized all the work they put into surviving was for nothing and collapsed, falling back on the Player who just barely caught him.
"Uuurk!" The Player strained to support Billy's deadweight.
"Damn, so unfair. I didn't even get the chance to have dinner with Monica," Billy lamented. "But it's been a good life."
"...Who's Monica?" The Player asked.
"Best girl," Billy responded in a comically dramatic voice before pretending to faint.
Anby sighed at Nicole and Billy's exaggerated claims of doom. "Calm down. We'll figure it out."
"It's a bit early to give up," Phaethon said, drawing the party's attention to the strongbox. "I have another idea, but it requires your authorization, Nicole.
"Go for it!" Nicole exclaimed enthusiastically, springing up from the floor and surprising Anby.
The sudden shift in Nicole's emotions from dread to hope left Phaethon sighing in response. "Listen to the plan first. The mysterious person who hacked into my system said the strongbox contained something like the Rosetta Data, something that could be used to get in and out of the Hollows. If that's true, we could use it to get out of the Hollow... But I'd need your permission to open it."
"Uhm, I already said yes!" Nicole impatiently replied.
"But doesn't your client want it, too? Aren't you gonna think about it even a little?"
"It's life and death here! Besides, if I don't get out, who's gonna bring him the strongbox? Just open it!"
Anby, Billy, and the Player exchanged glances, silently agreeing with Nicole's reasoning.
Phaethon shrugged and turned to the strongbox to input the vault's pin.
"You already know the code, right?" Nicole asked as she and Anby got closer to watch Phaethon work.
Phaethon pressed the last number and the strongbox opened. "Yes... But I should warn you, this is a gamble," he turned to the group with a black SD card in hand. "I'm not sure what the consequences of forcefully accessing the data might be."
Anby's expression shifted as Phaethon explained the situation, and she stepped forward. "Wait, there's one thing I don't understand. Why risk coming back to help us when your real body was already outside the Hollow? You could have just left. What are you planning?"
Anby's unexpected question left Phaethon feeling confused.
"Anby!" Nicole muttered, anxiously awaiting to escape the Hollow, but she couldn't deny her curiosity about why Phaethon was so concerned about getting them out.
The Player glanced between the girls and Phaethon while Billy inspected his guns.
"What are you suggesting?" Phaethon asked, only to have Anby, Nicole, and Billy question his motives in silence. "I'm your Proxy. I promised to get you out, so that's what I'll do," he answered sincerely. "Of course, I have a backup plan. If I fail, the HDD system will automatically post a commission to get you out on Inter-Knot. If that happens, I'll..."
The smiles and determined body language of the Cunning Hares reflected the party's confidence in their Proxy. "Don't worry," Nicole said, stepping forward as the leader. "Whatever happens, we'll go to the store and save you!"
"It'd be nice if you just paid your bill," Phaethon sighed.
A slot opened on Eous' forehead and Phaethon inserted the SD card. Once the data went through, the wind began to pick up and spiral around the Bangboo, lifting Phaethon off the ground.
"What's going on?" Anby asked.
"I'm not sure," Nicole eased her hair back to keep it from her face. "Hey, uh, Prox-"
Before Nicole could check on Phaethon, a dazzling burst of light erupted from the Bangboo, consuming everything in white.
Random Play
Meanwhile, when the chip's data was read from the HDD, a series of 0s and 1s flashed in Wise's eyes.
"Wait. What- What is this?"
Disembodied Female Voice: Terms and Conditions… Shall not authorize others to use…may not be transferred in any way…
The numbers in Wise's eyes began to glitch out.
"Why am I-? What am I doing-?" Wise rolled back from the HDD and placed his hand on his head.
Belle entered the room with a tray of treats. "Hey, bro. How did everything turn out?"
Wise was feeling an unusual fatigue. He stood up from the chair and tried to shake off his growing dizziness.
"Wise? Are you okay?"
"…B-Belle? I don't know what's…happening. I feel- I feel…"
Wise turned to Belle and stepped toward her, but his vision blurred before he completely blacked out. He lay motionless at the center of the room.
"Wise?! WISE!" Belle dropped the tray and ran to her brother's side. "What's wrong?!"
Cretan Hollow
Old Metro Terminal Ruins
At the same time, back in the Hollow, the light that swallowed everything died out, and the Cunning Hares could see again. The Bangboo was standing at the party's center as if nothing happened.
"…What the hell was that?" The Player asked.
"No idea," Nicole said, puzzled by the events. "So, Phaethon. Do we have a new extraction point?"
The Bangboo didn't respond.
"Phaethon?"
The result was the same, the Bangboo didn't respond.
"Manager?" Billy stepped forward. "Ooooh, not this again!"
A distant roar echoed, signaling that the Ethereals were approaching.
"No, no, no!" Nicole began to panic.
"You've got to be shitting me," the Player grit his teeth in the direction of the Ethereal screech.
"F-Ollo…w… Me," a voice came from the Bangboo.
"Huh? Did you hear that?" Billy snapped back and looked down to Phaethon.
The Bangboo pointed in the opposite direction and began walking. "F-Ollo…w… Me."
"What's going on with the Manager?" Billy asked. "Did the hacker come back?"
"Perhaps a weak signal?" Anby suggested.
"At this point, it doesn't matter" Nicole grabbed her briefcase and took the first step behind Phaethon. "Let's just get out of h-here… We don't have time to… Uugh…"
Nicole's legs gave out and she collapsed.
Player Anby: Nicole! / Billy: Boss!
Nicole's breathing became labored and she broke out into a sweat. She couldn't respond, she needed to catch her breath.
"Her corruption symptoms has to be at stage 3," Anby said. "We have to get Nicole out."
"F-Ollo…w… Me," the Bangboo continued without acknowledging the group.
The Player wasted no time and put Nicole on his back. "Then we have to make sure to stay with Phaethon. I don't know what's going on, but I'll carry Nicole. Anby, carry her cannon. Billy, as a ranged fighter, you're our best defense against the Ethereals, so watch our backs."
Anby grabbed Nicole's briefcase and Billy drew his guns. "Let's move!" Anby exclaimed.
The group chased after the wandering Phaethon and navigated the perilous maze the Hollow's were notorious for. The Cunning Hares were ambushed by several low level Ethereals that were slain by Billy's marksman aim and any hostiles that got close were dealt with Anby dual wielding her sword and Nicole's weapon.
Anby and Billy worked in tandem to keep Phaethon, the Player, and Nicole safe.
After a 10 minute run and gun, Phaethon lead the party to a dead end, but when he phased through the wall it was clear they found the exit.
Anby, the Player, and Billy passed through the wall and were met by fresh air.
The Player looked around, slightly dazed by the bizarre reality transition. "Where are we? Is this… New Eridu?"
Anby looked behind them and saw the towering Cretan Hollow. "We're back on Fourteenth Street," she answered.
"We made it," Billy said in disbelief. "Manager… You did it… We…got out."
The Player let out a quiet chuckle, but hearing Nicole's exhausted groan in his ear made him realize they weren't in the clear just yet. "Nicole? Hey, Nicole? Are you okay?"
Nicole was doing a lot better, but she was speaking unintelligently.
"Let's get to the car," Billy said. "We have an emergency supply of anti-corruption serum in the glovebox."
"Perfect."
While the boys were checking on Nicole, Anby's attention was on Eous who was on the ground and unresponsive to her calls.
"Anby, what's wrong?" Billy called out to her.
"The Bangboo is twitching," she stepped to the side and revealed the glitching Eous. "We'd better go to the store and take a look."
Billy put his guns away and picked up Eous. "Okay, but let's treat Nicole first."
"Of course," Anby nodded.
The party wasted no time and fled the area. Anby guided the boys around the neighborhood for the shortest route and to the location of the company car.
After getting Eous and Nicole in the car, Billy quickly injected the emergency serum with a syringe. Nicole grimaced in discomfort from the shot, but soon the serum began to take effect, fighting off the corruption in her system until there was no trace remaining.
Nicole, while sleep, let out a long and comforting sigh. She was no longer sweating and her breathing was normal.
"She's going to be okay," Billy assured, gently brushing Nicole's hair to the side.
"Thank god," the Player was relieved.
"It's over," Billy dropped his head. "It's finally over… Mission complete… Heh, heh."
"I feel like I can't say this enough, but… Anby, Billy, you two are amazing. I don't think I would've survived without you two.
"You kidding?" Billy stood upright with his hands on his hips. "You're the one who synchronized with us and got us through most of the chaos. Without you, we wouldn't have beaten that Dullahan!"
Anby agreed with a nod. "Your abilities are truly worthy of praising. You give us the strength to overcome the trials we face in the Hollow."
"D'aaaw, cut it out. You were all doing well enough to become seasoned Hollow Raiders before I got here," the Player chuckled. "But thanks for that… I truly appreciate you guys."
"And us to you. Heh! Now that we're all out and safe, we should start heading back to the video store," Billy suggested.
"Right. Wise and Belle are going to kill me if something happens to Eous."
Billy got into the driver's seat, and Anby sat in the front. The Player remained in the back to ensure Eous and Nicole were okay.
Once everyone was buckled in, Billy drove off to begin the trip back to Sixth Street.
The ride through New Eridu during the night was a calm and soothing experience after the intense battles in the Cretan Hollow. The summer air cooled the gang off with a gentle breeze through Anby's lowered window.
Billy looked over and saw Anby resting her eyes. Seeing her so peaceful made him chuckle to himself before focusing on the road.
As the Player leaned back against the seat, he felt something lean into him. He opened his eyes and looked over, seeing that Nicole had readjusted herself onto him, resting her head on his shoulder.
"Thank you," Nicole said, her voice barely above a whisper. She couldn't fully express her gratitude, but she did what she could before falling asleep again.
The Player smiled and eased himself back into the seat, letting Nicole rest peacefully.
Random Play Parking Lot
It didn't take long for the Cunning Hares to reach Random Play with light traffic. Billy pulled into one of the parking spots with a loud screech from the brakes.
When the doors unlocked and Billy opened the driver door to help the Player out, the Player held out his hand. "No, no, it's cool, Billy. I'm going to grab Eous and you can keep moving."
"Huh? You sure?"
"Absolutely," the Player opened the door to his left and got out with Eous in his arms. "We've been at this all day and the girls are exhausted. I can only imagine how you feel." He closed the door and stepped back with a smile. "Get home and sleep. You earned it. Besides, I don't think you'll want to see Belle mad. I get the feeling I'm in for an ear full when she sees her baby all worn out," he gestured for Eous.
"Heh… I understand. Well, as always," Billy held his fist out the window, and they fist-bumped, "it's been a true pleasure having you onboard."
"Same to you. Get home safe."
After their goodbyes, the Player walked to the back entrance and Billy pulled off. "Okay, bud. Let's get you fixed up," he turned the knob on the door and knocked when he realized it was locked. "I really hope they're not sleep in there."
He waited a couple seconds before knocking again.
"…Come on."
A few more seconds pass and just as the Player went to knock a third time, the lock switched and Belle opened the door with panic all over her face.
"Hey, Be- Belle? Are you okay?"
"…It's… It's W-Wise. H-He won't- He won't wake up…"
The Player was overwhelmed with concern, his face growing anxious with each second.
Beyond New Eridu
Time Unknown
Distorted Male Voice: What a surprise. One of the "keys" has already been activated.
Distorted Female Voice: Oh, really? Which one? Ghost? Jinni? Youkai?
Distorted Male Voice: No, it's Fairy.
Distorted Female Voice: Ohhh, things are about to get interesting!