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"Accept your punishment!"
The small Bangboo roared loudly, and the rotary mechanism of the chainsword in its hand responded to its fury, the spinning serrated blade viciously tearing apart the structural body of the Ethereal.
Eous looked at the one a size smaller than itself, yet still so valiant, and revealed a puzzled expression.
Embo's blade ripped a Tyrfing in half amid flying sparks. Though it was merely a scaled-down chainsword for Bangboo use, a weapon personally crafted by the Salamander still possessed overwhelming power.
Even when held in the hands of a Bangboo.
"Ignis… don't you think giving this kind of weapon to a Bangboo is a bit too excessive in power?"
From within Eous's body came Belle's voice, the younger sister of Phaethon, her tone brimming with confusion.
"Honestly, I originally wanted to give it a flamethrower." Ignis sounded utterly indifferent. "But it couldn't even lift one of mine, so I just made it a custom set. In any case, it likes it."
In the footage transmitted back by Eous, this Bangboo—painted exactly like a miniature Salamander—was happily polishing the serrated edge of the chainsword, even humming a little tune.
That "battle is exhilarating" attitude was almost identical to the giant himself. But as Bangboo armament, wasn't this somewhat excessive?
Then again, considering she herself had a small one carrying two kitchen knives while wearing a paper bag… perhaps Combat Bangboo weaponry was generally underpowered against Ethereals. In comparison, this little one's weapon retained excellent lethality even after miniaturization.
"What's wrong? Why the sudden silence? Proxy, aren't we here to rescue the Defense Force squad trapped in the Ballet Twins Hollow? Move. If we waste time, there won't be anyone left to save."
The giant noticed Eous had suddenly fallen silent and urged her on.
Phaethon suddenly felt that the mission stuffed into the record box at their doorstep might not be so simple. Especially since the ones who came to pick her and Ignis up were military armed helicopters.
Though it wasn't unheard of for Defense Force units to become lost inside a Hollow during operations, why would a missing squad request a Proxy instead of mobilizing their own resources?
And how coincidental that they found her. Moreover, when they saw Ignis, that barely concealed delight in the atmosphere was impossible to hide.
I feel like I'm being set up…
Belle felt uneasy. Dealing with New Eridu's violent apparatus was never pleasant. Even guiding through Bangboo did not ease that discomfort. While the Defense Force did not pursue the arrest of Proxies and Hollow Raiders like the New Eridu Public Security did, they were firm pragmatists.
As long as your skills were useful and applicable to missions, they would extract your value.
Public Security's recent crackdown on Proxies had only begun in the past few months, coinciding with the start of the Janus Quarter Chief Security election—Justin Bringer's strategy to win public support.
"Proxy? Proxy?"
Ignis's repeated calls dragged Belle out of her spiraling thoughts.
"Our mission has only just begun. Stay focused."
Belle sighed, patted her cheeks, and forced her attention back to the task. Beside her, Wise gently placed his hand upon her shoulder.
The Ballet Twins Hollow… Ignis felt an inexplicable connection to this place. It had been months since he last set foot here, since resolving Old Man Rhodes' affair. This was his first return.
Unlike before—when entering suppressed his vision and other senses severely—now his sight, hearing, even smell were barely hindered.
"Has the ether concentration dropped?" Ignis muttered, raising his shield as he cautiously surveyed the surroundings.
"No, the ether concentration hasn't decreased. The overall activity hasn't changed either," Belle replied. "But that oppressive, sinister feeling from before is gone."
This time, their route was reversed. They descended from the rooftop helipad and explored downward. The Defense Force had provided a projected route map, and Belle decided to follow it first.
"What exactly were they doing here?" the Salamander asked, studying the traces of thermal radiation. The entire infantry squad had brought along a Guardian tactical mech—an impressive firepower configuration.
"According to their operational plan, they came to purge rebel forces hiding here," Belle answered. "Though the title 'rebels' in New Eridu is rather… interesting."
Ignis had yet to encounter this faction personally, but by instinct alone, the word rebel rarely implied anything good.
A city living on the brink of apocalypse, not particularly populous, yet even within the Defense Force factions splintered into rebels—with multiple internal divisions.
Human infighting truly was one of their defining traits.
"They split into two groups." Ignis examined the diverging thermal traces in a hall. "Left or right?"
"What do you think?" Belle countered.
"Left. A Guardian tactical mech accompanies them. Better equipment and firepower—higher survival probability." The Salamander pointed toward the left door.
"Then let's move. Based on the carrot data they provided, they were clearing floor by floor."
Eous broke into a run.
Despite its small stature, it was remarkably fast.
Passing through the doorway, they immediately saw battle traces. Embo went on alert, the chainsword whirring to life. The Guardian's signature thermal ray cannon had left molten scars across the walls, alongside laser rifle marks from Defense Force soldiers.
A crater dented the floor—likely from the mech's fragmentation hammer.
"Looks like they encountered Ethereals before rebels." Ignis pointed to the wall scars. "Remember the ones that emerge from walls? The Guardian hit them hard."
"The firepower advantage seems significant."
"Brother! Enemy!"
Beneath Embo's feet, a grotesque brass-ornamented mask rose from the floor. Startled, the small one reacted swiftly, bringing the chainsword down upon it.
In a burst of sparks, the Ethereal's core was shredded before it fully emerged.
"They've found us as well." Ignis charged his thunder hammer. "Proxy. Stay sharp."
"I know!" Eous had already hidden behind rubble.
One after another, these brass-masked entities emerged from the walls. Ignis had always wondered about their structure—how they could phase directly through solid surfaces.
Unlike Cyrtoidea, which swam through walls like sharks but left part of their bodies exposed, these appeared without warning.
Their brass masks and elongated arm-blades pierced through walls effortlessly. Before attacking, Ignis hadn't even detected their thermal signatures.
A perfect ambush weapon.
Fifteen or sixteen surrounded Ignis and Embo. Yet neither large nor small battle-brother showed fear. Against their weapons, these forms were fragile as paper.
The floating Ethereals struck suddenly, gleaming blades flashing toward Ignis. The Salamander remained calm. He knew they could not penetrate his Mark X Gravis Power Armor. Their aggression only made them easier targets.
The thunder hammer detonated with a crack. Stored energy released upon impact. The disintegration field shattered the central Ethereal into fragments, the shockwave staggering the others.
A fraction of a second was enough for an Adeptus Astartes.
His shield swung violently. The two-meter slab of metal smashed several Ethereals aside like insects. The hammer swept again—without the field effect, yet under his immense strength, those struck exploded into pieces.
Embo fought with equal prowess. As an aerial-combat division Bangboo chassis, its combat and calculation capabilities were exceptional. Equipped with the oversized chainsword, it effortlessly bisected two Ethereals.
It rather liked this noisy weapon. The blade forged by its master was razor sharp—metal shells offered no resistance.
"For the Emperor!" Ignis roared, his warhammer crashing down, pulverizing several Ethereals into the ground.
"For the Emperor!" Embo mimicked him, pressing down on the chainsword's spine as the serrations tore and crushed an Ethereal's core.
It was as though there were two Ignises now… Belle stared at the footage, an indescribable feeling rising within her. The Salamander's Bangboo was far too similar to its master—even the battle cry.
And when Embo drew a peculiar eagle-engraved pistol from its chassis and began firing one-handed, Belle was certain the little one had learned some questionable habits from Ignis.
From its size and ornamentation, the weapon was clearly a scaled-down replica of something the Salamander once used. Sword in one hand, gun in the other—that style was undoubtedly his teaching.
Still, Embo's aim was precise. Each shot struck a round leaping from the chamber. The caliber suggested heavy machine-gun rounds—no wonder it fired only single shots.
Yet for a Bangboo, this level of firepower was formidable. Among Combat Bangboo Belle had seen, Embo ranked among the elite.
Weaponry and combat logic alike were exceptional. Perhaps it truly was the influence of its master.
By the time Belle finished pondering, the ambushers were annihilated. Ignis's combat power was astonishing—his immense bulk and heavy armor contrasted sharply with his overwhelming speed.
"Eh-ne?"
Ignis gestured for Embo to check on Eous. The little battle-brother holstered its custom pistol and approached.
Eous clearly feared it. Before it could come near, Eous darted behind the Salamander's feet.
"...Right." Ignis glanced at Embo's pleading look, then shifted the topic. "We proceed."
Eous nodded and emerged from behind him, walking ahead.
Embo seemed hurt by the avoidance. Ignis paused and patted its head.
"He just doesn't understand you. No need to be troubled. After the mission, we'll find it to play. Amillion can introduce you. They're familiar."
"Understood! Brother!" The gloom vanished instantly.
Childlike indeed. Avoidance brought sadness, yet in battle it performed flawlessly. His recent days of crafting the electronic hammer legs and matching pistol, demonstrating their usage, were not wasted.
It learned extraordinarily fast. Its combat capability was solid. In pure shooting, however, it lagged behind Amillion slightly—perhaps an aiming system issue. Under interference and multiple targets, its reaction speed was slower.
As for Amillion's origins… As an hollow-specialized Bangboo, it should have been custom-built—far beyond civilian household models.
Nicole truly had a knack for picking up heavyweights—human or Bangboo alike. The leader of the Cunning Hares was remarkable.
The Salamander rose and turned toward Eous hopping near the stairs, refocusing on the mission.
After all, within the Ballet Twins Hollow, two particularly troublesome foes awaited… May the Twins not interfere. I would rather not harm them.
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