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Watching the barrel burst into sparks, Ignis still felt a stab of regret, even though he'd known before firing that this shot would burn away the last bit of service life his autocannon barrel had left.
Although he hadn't forged the weapon himself, it had helped him cut down plenty of enemies along the way; there was some sentiment attached to it. He clipped the damaged autocannon back onto his waist. He would have to wait until they returned to see if repair was still possible.
Without the autocannon's firepower, the assault still could not stop. The ash-gray ballerina's bladed legs scraped the ground, sending up sparks, its dance now seemingly entering the middle act. It spun and leapt around the shattered black ballerina lying on the floor. It could only produce strange whistling cries, yet Ignis could hear a trace of sorrow hidden within.
Do Ethereals… have emotions? Do these monsters still possess some form of reason?
The Salamander didn't slow because of such thoughts. He didn't understand what the creature intended, but years of battle told him only one thing: whatever the enemy was trying to do—don't let it succeed.
The flamethrower's remaining fuel was running low, but it was still the best option now. A blazing stream of fire—like a dragon's breath—roared out, swallowing both Ethereals in the inferno. But the searing heat failed to halt the dance. Within the burning flames, the ash-gray ballerina seemed even more enthralled—almost devout, like a martyr. It rotated, leapt, circled the black ballerina's body, producing a chant-like sound that was half lament, half invocation.
"...That Ethereal…" Von Lycaon stared at the black ballerina's broken remains on the floor. "It looks like it's recovering."
Ignis noticed it too. As the ash-gray ballerina moved, the shattered black ballerina's body slowly began to mend. Cracks fused shut, embedded pellets were forced out, and even the portions melted by fire began reforming. The gaps of its wounds flickered with light. Ignis recognized that brilliant multicolor—the state of active Ethereal regeneration.
"Ah… this is such a pain. Exhausting." Ellen clicked her tongue in frustration, kicking the giant shears beside her before readying herself again.
"Miss Ellen… please stay focused." Corin shrank back slightly as she watched the Ethereals dancing inside the flames.
"Master Proxy, how much time do we have left?" Rina hadn't forgotten that they originally had twenty-five minutes before the airship would reach the skies above Ballet Twins Hollow.
"Nineteen minutes left. Thanks to Ignis, our descent was faster than planned," Belle reported the countdown, though the situation was not optimistic. "But if these two Ethereals block us…"
Ignis would never allow the enemy to fully regenerate and stand again. He let out a sharp shout and charged straight into the burning field.
"For Vulkan, eternal!"
The Salamander moved within the flames like a creature born of them. The benign mutations of the 18th Legion granted them exceptional resistance to high heat and radiation. Combined with the protection of his armor, such fire posed no real threat.
But he was still a step late. In the ash-gray ballerina's solo, a second figure suddenly joined—the black ballerina. The two Ethereals held hands and spun together. The violent wind pressure extinguished the flames around them. Ignis attempted to break through, but their speed and strength had drastically increased. The tremendous rotational momentum forced Salamander back several steps.
Seeing even Ignis pushed away, Ellen and Von Lycaon halted their charge, choosing to wait for a better opening.
Once the Salamander had been forced back, the two Ethereals released a sound resembling laughter. Their spinning became swifter, more elegant. The ballet skirts of ether-crystals flared outward, scattering razor-sharp fragments. Ignis quickly activated the shield of his Iron Halo, deflecting the deadly shards.
Perhaps realizing ranged attacks were ineffective, the two Ethereals—twirling like polar stars—suddenly shifted tactics. The black ballerina began axis rotation, then used that force to hurl the ash-gray ballerina outward. With the added momentum, the ash-gray ballerina dashed past the Salamander, scraping several sparks across his armored vambrace and even carving shallow dents into it.
Fortunately, the damage didn't seem deep. Repairs shouldn't be difficult afterward. The reinforced gauntlets of his power fist were designed to withstand many melee weapons.
Just as the Salamander prepared to counterattack, the ash-gray ballerina, as if pulled by invisible strings, spun back toward the black ballerina's side—starting another cycle of acceleration.
When that ash-gray blur lunged at Salamander like a spider, Ignis did not remain still. He calculated its movement, sidestepped with a pivot, then slammed his Flamestorm Gauntlet-equipped fist into its torso. The ash-gray ballerina staggered, its structure nearly torn apart by the disruption field.
To prevent it from retreating and restarting that endless dance loop, Ignis changed his footwork and striking pattern. His power fist—glowing with a blue radiance—attacked from every angle. At first, the ash-gray ballerina's agility allowed it to evade, but the Salamander quickly deciphered its rhythm. The armored giant was now able to defend and strike simultaneously.
He blocked a rising kick from a bladed leg, then with his other arm delivered two brutal punches to the Ethereal's head. The disruption field clashed with its ether-radiation field, resulting in a sizable explosion. The shockwave pushed Salamander back a step—but the ash-gray ballerina's head was nearly severed from its neck.
Victoria Housekeeping's members had engaged the black ballerina. Ellen's giant shears pinned down one descending bladed leg. The shark-girl braced herself, the muscles beneath her black stockings swelling with power.
"Corin!" Ellen was sweating; this Ethereal was ridiculously strong. She wasn't sure how long she could hold it.
Von Lycaon's high roundhouse kick sent the Ethereal staggering several steps. The werewolf followed with a flurry of dazzling kicks. Frost mist coiled around his leg armor, leaving chunks of ice hanging from the struck parts of the black ballerina's waist.
"Corin will do her best!" The tiny maid shouted with a voice absurdly loud for her size as she yanked the starter of her chainsaw.
With the engine's roar, the staggered Ethereal crashed directly into the spinning sawblade in Corin's hands—exactly at the waist Von Lycaon had already embrittled with cold.
Sparks burst from the black ballerina's waist as the chainsaw slowly tore it open. Naturally, it wouldn't simply allow itself to be sawn in half—it reached toward the long handle of the chainsaw.
"Please hold still." Rina tightened her control and had her ether arcs circle around the black ballerina. Crackling blue currents leapt through the air, stalling its movements.
The sawblade dug deeper and deeper. The slender waist was moments from snapping. Whether from survival instinct or some built-in defense, the black ballerina suddenly unleashed a violent surge. It detonated a portion of its internal ether energy, the intense radiation warping and shaking the surrounding light.
The members of Victoria Housekeeping were forced back. The sudden burst of high-dose ether radiation made them dizzy and nauseous.
And at the same time, the ash-gray ballerina—just moments from being shattered by Salamander's fist—vanished with a spiraling motion. Ignis immediately scanned the surroundings.
The last working ceiling lamp dimmed, seemingly affected by the surge of ether crystals. The two Ethereals emerged once more in the center of the light, returning to the heart of the stage. They spun around each other once more—the pas de deux beginning anew.
Ignis had no idea what they were attempting, but he could not simply let them continue. The Salamander had few tools left. The autocannon was destroyed, the flamethrower nearly drained. But he still carried his homemade grenades—anti-armor ones—with ten kilograms of shaped charge.
Ignis yanked the pull-cord and hurled the massive grenade. The dancing Ethereals clearly noticed it as well. The black ballerina seized the ash-gray ballerina's hand, their fingers interlocking as they used centrifugal force to lift the ash-gray ballerina high. Its sharp bladed legs sliced the homemade anti-armor grenade apart—but the volatile ether explosive inside had already been triggered by the impact.
Seeing the fireball erupting and feeling the massive shockwave of ten kilograms of explosive, Ignis thought this has to be it. Something that could crack open the armor of a main battle tank should be more than enough to shred two Ethereals.
But he had forgotten—these two could perform short-range spatial shifts. Before the blast and flames engulfed them, they had already transferred behind the group.
Lyman's Ear caught the disturbance. The Salamander turned instantly. The two Ethereals shot toward him like kingfishers skimming low over water—their speed so great that they left twin streaks in the moist haze.
The sharp bladed legs filled his vision, active ether flaring brightly.
A sudden bold idea struck him, and golden psyker energy wrapped around his body.
Two metallic crashes rang out—so piercing that Von Lycaon's expression twisted, and Ellen even clapped her hands over her ears without caring about appearances.
The green Mark X Gravis Power Armor was now cloaked in a shining golden aura. The Ethereals' attacks dissolved against the psionic radiance, unable to pierce through. They had aimed for the Salamander's throat, but Gravis armor possessed a raised gorget, and with the power granted by The Emperor, their strike accomplished nothing.
Their ambush having failed, the two ballerinas attempted to reposition and leap away. But the Salamander had been waiting—his arms were already open, prepared for their desperate escape.
The opening they saw was merely a trap for catching prey. Ignis snapped his arms shut, clamping the two Ethereals like iron bands.
Executing a legendary chokehold, Ignis successfully restrained both Ethereals. Their bladed legs and ballet-skirt edges could not be used at such close range. Their slender bodies could not break free from the Salamander's powerful grip, and even their ether radiation was blocked by the golden psychic barrier.
Such an opportunity would never be wasted by Victoria Housekeeping.
Trailing a streak of red light, Ellen's giant shears opened their hungry iron jaws, frost coating the blades, aimed directly at the ash-gray ballerina's nearly detached head.
Corin charged forward with her eyes squeezed shut. "S-sorry!"
Even as she apologized, the chainsaw in her hands screamed at full speed. Ignis actually felt a flash of worry—if she struck his power armor, the sawblade might shatter and cause unnecessary damage. The Salamander quickly shifted his hold, forcing the black ballerina's waist into Corin's spinning blade.
Sparks and ice fragments burst before Ignis's eyes. The ash-gray ballerina's head flew off, and the black ballerina was cleaved in half.
"That should do it… They shouldn't get back up now. Both are down." The Salamander released his grip. The broken remains hit the floor. Even he felt dizzy from such close exposure to high-risk ether radiation.
"Their cores—were they destroyed?" Belle asked. "We have thirteen minutes left!"
The Proxy's reminder struck Ignis. They hadn't found the cores of either Ethereal—meaning neither had been fully destroyed and could likely rise again.
He returned to a battle stance, lowering his head—only to see that the remains had already vanished. His skin prickled in alarm. Damn it—it's not over?
The hall speakers flared to life again—the final movement of the dance.
In the music, the two ballerinas reappeared under the lights, their bodies covered in cracks, as though they could shatter into fragments at any moment.
"Looks like we have to fight them again." Von Lycaon exhaled—this was the first time the Wolf-Thiren lost his composure.
The pas de deux began anew, spinning and leaping. Even the Salamander had to admit—their dance was beautiful.
But this time, they launched no attack. When the music ended, the two ballerinas bowed deeply, and as the lights dimmed—vanished.
"What is this supposed to be? Throwing a 'GG' when the music ends?" Ignis scanned the area; their presence was gone.
"Forget it—get to the rooftop!" Von Lycaon shouted, grabbing Eous and sprinting toward the largest cluster of ether crystals in the hall.
"I'll be back for you—don't wander off!" Belle shouted to Ignis as she was pulled into the Rift.
The Salamander stared into the darkened hall. The members of Victoria Housekeeping had already stepped into the rift, leaving only him behind—a silence so complete it was suffocating.
"The Emperor… please protect them. Stop that airship. Please protect my friends."
In the darkness, the armored giant could only pray—stripped of the heroic force he had displayed in battle. Prayer was the only thing he could still do. He felt he had never been this devout in his life.