Stepping into the Ballet Twins once again, the Salamander still felt uncomfortable. The darkness and the damp, sticky fog was like layers of mud smearing over his eyes and ears. That unsettling sensation of having superhuman senses suppressed never felt pleasant.
The only good news was that when they had come here last time, the power system had been repaired. At least some areas still had lighting, so it wasn't a completely blind operation.
"So, Nicole decided to take Grandpa Rhode's breach-of-contract dispute?" Belle's voice came through Eous's body. "Eous seems pretty happy today. Did something good happen?"
Upon hearing there was money to be made—and that it was a case where the moral high ground was obvious—Nicole had immediately slammed her fist on the table and decided to step in. It was absolutely not because there was a sizable compensation payout involved. The boss of the Cunning Hares pounded her chest loudly, claiming she was completely confident in winning the case, and said she would contact the Proxy later to start digging through legal statutes and relevant precedents.
"Yes. Boss Nicole said this case isn't difficult. Under New Eridu law, a contract only binds both signing parties. Mr. Rhode is clearly a third party and isn't bound by those clauses, so he shouldn't be paying any breach-of-contract penalties. Even if the penalty is treated as debt, as long as Mr. Rhode waives inheritance rights, he doesn't need to bear the liability. If I'm guessing right, Grandpa Rhode probably didn't inherit anything to begin with." Ignis recalled Nicole's explanation. "As for why the little guy's in a good mood—it's probably because the ladies at the Cunning Hares kept hugging it. Even Amillion got jealous. That said, its texture really is good. More elastic than an ordinary Bangboo."
"Eous is a custom-made Bangboo. Its body has built-in storage space, and it's larger than standard models. The camera we'll be using today is stored inside. Oh, and let Eous carry the tripod. If a fight breaks out and it gets damaged by accident, that would be troublesome." As Belle spoke, Eous reached out and took the folded tripod from the Salamander's hand.
"Data indicates the stage area is nearby." Fairy's mechanical voice sounded. "Recommendation: proceed along the wall-mounted signage."
The stage was on the upper floors of Building B. After reaching it via elevator, they could see walls covered with performance posters and various promotional materials. Many of them were already overgrown with ether crystals, making them impossible to read. Fortunately, arrows guiding guests toward the auditorium were still painted on both the walls and the floor.
With lighting restored, the area was indeed much safer. Those strange light-averse Ethereals wouldn't suddenly leap out anymore.
However, there was a problem—the lighting didn't fully cover the area. Not long after leaving the elevator, all the lights in the corridor ahead went out. The Ballet Twins Hollow's suppressive effect on perception returned. Ignis's Fire-Sight could only make out objects at relatively close range.
"Fairy, can you activate the lights around here?" Belle asked her intelligent assistant. The last time they came, it had gained partial control over the building systems.
"There is no response from the lighting system in this area. Suspected physical damage to the fixtures themselves," the mechanical voice replied.
"Let's move. We'll pass through this section as quickly as possible. Don't get tangled up with Ethereals." Ignis activated the igniter of the flamethrower, and a sliver of fire lit up the darkness.
"Understood. I will monitor nearby spatial rifts."
Ignis advanced with heightened vigilance, taking long strides forward. As a Space Marine standing over three meters tall, his pace forced Eous to pump its short legs just to keep up. The giant focused his attention on sound and sight, processing every piece of information he could receive, while using his HUD to closely monitor the surroundings—especially the decorative statues.
But the ones launching the attack weren't the statues. Instead, it was a type of Ethereal Ignis had never seen before. They emerged from the darkness and stood openly before the Salamander. These Ethereals bore a striking resemblance to humans, except that black spherical cores sat atop their necks, and ether crystals extending from their shoulders formed a strange circular ring, resembling a hollow radar dish.
The Salamander initially thought they were about to charge and prepared himself—but the creatures stood perfectly still. This completely confused him. What was going on?
"Don't freeze. They're Nassellaria. They condense volatile ether and then throw it at you," Belle warned him the moment she saw Ignis hesitate.
As soon as the Proxy finished speaking, the Ethereals raised their arms and began moving them. It looked a bit like manga protagonists charging up some ultimate technique. As their bodies moved, volatile ether energy gathered, and the hollow rings above their heads visibly absorbed ether from the environment. Before long, several round ether spheres formed in their hands.
That cursed motion instantly reminded Ignis of an animation he'd loved as a kid—Dragon Ball. They're charging a Spirit Bomb.
As a rigorously trained warrior, Ignis wasn't about to let that attack finish forming. He raised his arms and activated the flamethrower. In the narrow corridor, the weapon's power was displayed to its fullest. Compressed air sprayed secondary-converted ether fuel evenly forward, and once ignited, two blazing fire dragons engulfed the entire hallway.
The volatile ether condensed by the Nassellaria was extremely flammable and explosive. Under the intense heat, it detonated violently on the spot.
"If I got hit by something like that, I'd feel like a manga villain."
No sooner had Ignis finished muttering than his Lehman's Ear picked up the sound of metal clashing—from the ventilation ducts above.
He looked up just in time to see a Cyrtoidea burst out of the duct, ether crystals mixed with copper statues forming sharp horns as it slammed toward him. The Salamander smashed it to pieces with a single punch, but more of the creatures swam out of the vents. These shark-like beings had ether crystal forming their ramming horns and claws, while the rest of their bodies existed in an ionized state, allowing them to creep along walls.
But when it came to dealing with ionized entities—fire itself was a form of plasma.
A torrent of flames erupted. The scorching heat melted the crystals on the Ethereals' bodies and incinerated their cores. Molten debris rained down from the ceiling and struck Eous. The little guy flattened itself against the floor, shielding the folded tripod beneath its body.
In the darkness, a sharp sword formed of ether crystals thrust toward the Salamander. It was a Dullahan, its crystals gray-white in color—clearly a high-tier individual. The Salamander raised his left arm to block while the power fist on his right arm began charging.
Boom!
The Salamander's punch slammed into the enemy's shield, sending it stumbling back seven or eight steps. High-tier Ethereals possessed unique ether radiation fields that weakened the disintegration field of the power fist, preventing it from completely destroying the Dullahan's shield. Still, it left a massive dent and spiderweb cracks across its surface.
Seeing the enemy wounded, Ignis was about to press the attack—but his ears caught something unusual. It was the sound of something moving at high speed, friction tearing through the air. In his Fire-Sight, an object was rapidly closing in on him.
He quickly identified the target by its thermal radiation—it was a Thanatos. This slender, ghostlike Ethereal possessed extreme speed, and the crescent blade on its right arm slashed toward the Salamander's armpit.
But the Space Marine was faster.
The Ethereal lunged out of the darkness like a silver-white spider. The crescent blade scraped sparks across the Salamander's pauldron. Ignis seized its right arm with his left hand and grabbed its waist with his right. Both arms tightened—
Riiip.
With the sound of tearing fabric, Thanatos was ripped cleanly in half.
The Dullahan attempted to exploit the moment, using Thanatos's remains to block the Salamander's line of sight and launch a charge. But the giant kicked its shield directly, cutting off its advance. The heavy blow sent the Ethereal sliding back a long distance. Before it could adjust its stance, the giant's fist—crackling with lightning—smashed straight into its core. With the Dullahan's collapse, this wave of attacks finally ended.
"It feels like the intensity is much lower than last time." Ignis watched Eous climb back up and checked the tripod.
"That's because when you came last time, you already eliminated quite a lot of Ethereals. This is only a Companion Hollow. The ether radiation isn't as strong as Hollow Zero, so the recovery rate of Ethereals is slower." Belle explained as she sent the location of the next intersection to Eous. The Bangboo immediately broke into a run.
Following the wall markings, Ignis entered the theater's audience hall. This was a sanctuary designed specifically for ballet performances, every detail exuding refinement and elegance. The stage itself was wide and deep, as if it could contain countless dreamlike dance steps. The backdrop was a massive, hand-painted curtain adorned with intricate designs—perhaps a classical garden scene, or perhaps an abstract interweaving of artistic lines and colors—adding a sense of mystery to the performances once held here.
On both sides of the stage stood rows of exquisitely carved pillars, towering upward and supporting the entire structure. They were covered in golden decorations, engraved with vines and flowers, every detail so vivid it felt as though butterflies might flutter out at any moment.
Yet the most eye-catching feature was the chandelier hanging at the center of the stage. It was a massive crystal chandelier, its design inspired by Baroque art. The main body consisted of countless finely cut crystal pieces arranged in an almost perfect geometric pattern. Each crystal shimmered brilliantly, and when lit, they reflected countless rays of light—like stars scattered across the night sky—illuminating the entire stage.
The edge of the stage was adorned with red velvet curtains, draping down on both sides and adding a touch of warmth to the scene. Golden patterns were embroidered onto the fabric, echoing the chandelier's gilded chains and creating an atmosphere befitting royalty.
It was clear that when the Bolt brothers built this place, they spared no expense. They had invested enormous sums of money and placed great importance on the returns the twin ballerinas could bring. And yet, no one could have foreseen that on the very day of their performance, a Hollow disaster would erupt within the Ballet Twins.
Eous set up the tripod at the very center of the audience seating, then pulled out the prepared camera from its chest compartment. After mounting it, a rather serious issue immediately became apparent.
Although the crystal chandelier was exquisitely gorgeous, the instability of the power system caused it—and the other lights—to flicker constantly, creating severe interference for filming.
"It is recommended to turn off the lights and use night-vision mode for recording," Fairy immediately offered its suggestion.
Given the circumstances, this was clearly the best option. And so, the Salamander followed Eous around, switching off each light one by one.
"Last time we were here, we were running ourselves ragged just to turn the lights on. This time we're running around to turn them off," Ignis said, laughing at himself.
"Isn't that kind of nice? You get to experience both," Belle replied, watching as the final light went out and darkness swallowed the surroundings.
"At a moment like this, do you think Ethereals might jump out to cause trouble?"
"If they do, please make sure they don't interfere with the recording," Eous said, standing on a seat and reaching up with its small hands to switch the camera into night-vision mode.
The moment the lights vanished, the damp fog surged back in, making the Salamander feel deeply uncomfortable. He forced his sensory organs to their limits, monitoring every movement around them. There were faint rustling sounds in the distance, but they kept their distance from the group.
Suddenly, the stage curtains parted, and music began playing through the hall's speakers.
Several supporting ballerinas appeared on stage first, opening the performance. But the Salamander quickly realized this wasn't a live show—it was a projection being cast onto the stage.
"It looks like a replay of the performance?" Belle sounded puzzled. "Or maybe a rehearsal recording?"
Whatever it was, the supporting ballerinas slowly exited as the music continued, and the two lead performers stepped onto the stage. Moving with the rise and fall of the melody, they began their dance. Their figures were light and graceful, like butterflies fluttering among flowers. Their arms extended softly, lines flowing smoothly, every gesture brimming with expressiveness, as though they were recounting an ancient tale.
As the music's tempo gradually quickened, they launched into a breathtaking spinning technique. The spins—known as fouettés—were among the most challenging moves in ballet. The Salamander had only ever seen them on television before, in Swan Lake, where thirty-two consecutive fouettés were considered the highlight of the entire performance. The ballerinas' bodies tilted elegantly as they spun, as if guided by an invisible force, spinning faster and faster while maintaining perfect balance.
At high speed, their skirts flared outward like blossoming flowers, each rotation releasing boundless vitality. Their long hair flew with the motion, tracing beautiful arcs through the air. Focus and confidence shone on their faces; even at such dizzying speed, their gazes remained unwavering, as though piercing straight into the audience's soul.
As the spinning ended, they froze in a flawless final pose, as if time itself had come to a halt. Their breathing was steady—despite having just completed such a demanding sequence, there was not the slightest hint of fatigue on their faces.
Their elegance and technique drew admiration even from the Salamander.
"Guess this counts as an unexpected bonus," Belle said, watching the performers leave the stage and preparing to shut off the camera. But at that moment, a strange sound came from the speakers.
「"Ding… ding… ding… danger… evacuate immediately… danger… evacuate immediately…"」
Broken words were mixed with unsettling static.
Eous quickly shut off the camera and tucked it back into the storage compartment in its belly, folding the tripod once more. "Should we go check the broadcast room in the back?"
The suggestion suited the Salamander perfectly—he was curious about that voice as well.
Passing through a small door behind the stage led them into a corridor. Following the left side, they soon found a sign for the broadcast room. After turning on the lights, Eous climbed up to the playback console. On the dust-covered table were many small, circular handprints.
"They look… strangely familiar," the girl muttered.
"Master, there are three recordings stored on this playback device," Fairy reminded them.
「"Attention staff: the theater lighting control system has malfunctioned. Please manually shut down all audience lighting. The performance will begin after the issue is resolved."」 The Bangboo pressed play, starting the first recording.
In addition to staff voices, sounds from the audience had also been picked up. 「"I heard they recently had a falling-out with their agency. Tsk tsk, young people sure have tempers—really fearless."」
「"Stop it, stop it. Can't you just watch the performance quietly?"」
Ignis's first thought upon hearing this was whether it could be used as evidence. But idle chatter like this could only count as supplementary material—it couldn't prove that the twins' agency had defrauded Mr. Rhode.
"I'll record this part and send it to your phone once we're out. Give it to Nicole," the Proxy said, having noticed the same detail.
the Salamander nodded heavily, and the Bangboo played the second recording.
「"The performance is about to begin. Please take your seats promptly."」
"Wait… something feels off around here?" That voice came from the audience, poorly captured.
「"Alert! Hollow disaster, Level One! Evacuate immediately!"」
「"Run!"」 「" Where's the exit?"」 「"Help me!"」 「"Save me!"」
Listening to the desperate screams in the recording, the outbreak of the Hollow disaster felt as though it were unfolding right before their eyes.
"T-the third one…" Belle's voice trembled. Those terrified cries made it impossible for her to imagine just how horrifying the third recording might be. At first there was chaotic wailing and hysterical screams, mixed with Hollow disaster alarms—nothing was clearly intelligible.
Just as the Proxy was about to turn it off, a gentle female voice came through the broadcast:
「"Everyone, please don't panic… calm down. I'll guide you out of here!"」
The recording ended there. Judging from news reports from that year, this woman must have successfully guided others to safety.
「"I'll guide you… out of here… leave… quickly…"」
"Proxy, once is enough," Ignis sighed.
"I… I'm not playing it…" Belle's voice shook.
Only then did Ignis realize the sound was coming from outside the door. He turned and saw a shadow vanish into the darkness beyond.
"D-did you see anything?"
Ignis didn't answer. He rushed straight out, following the residual traces of thermal radiation. But the damp fog quickly erased them. Still, he wasn't empty-handed—on the floor, he found a key.
His power gauntlets made it difficult to pick up something so small, so he motioned for Eous to retrieve it.
"There's writing on it. It's a dressing room key," Belle said. "I remember the dressing rooms are near the broadcast room."
Just as the Proxy recalled, they soon found the locked dressing room. Ignis lifted Eous up, watching as the little guy used its round palm to grip the key and open the door. That palm clearly had some special structure—something that small shouldn't have been able to hold it so firmly.
Inside, they turned on the lights. Posters of the twin ballerinas' performances covered both walls. The promotional photos all captured their most spectacular fouetté spins. Two dressing tables stood side by side in the room, each bearing nameplates: Augilia and Augetta.
"This should be the last place they stayed," Belle sighed softly as she looked at the nameplates.
"Take these with us. They'll make good keepsakes for Mr. Rhode," Ignis said, picking up the plates and handing them to Eous.
The Bangboo opened its chest storage compartment and carefully placed the two nameplates inside.
"We've gathered more than enough material. Once we're back, we can hand it over to Fairy for editing, then send it to Grandpa Rhode. Hopefully, seeing all this will lift his spirits a bit." Belle forced herself to perk up. "Now, we should evacuate."
After leaving the Ballet Twins, Ignis received several messages from the Proxy—one was the recording mentioned earlier, and another reminding him to bring Eous over tomorrow.
Watching the little guy hopping excitedly around him, the Salamander understood immediately—it wanted to try an even higher seat again. Cute things were always hard to refuse. Ignis reached out and let the little one sit atop his shoulders.
"Hold on tight. It's the middle of the night—no one's around, so I'm going to run!"
That same night, a post appeared on New Eridu's Inter-Knot:
[Shocking! I saw a gigantic black shadow running through the night! Pics included—real proof!]
===BREAK===
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