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When Sergeant Daryl asked, Phaethon immediately began scanning for biological signals. The closest one required taking the elevator down, and the others were also on the lower floors.
When the elevator doors opened again, Ignis saw a man standing outside with an arrogant expression. He spotted the Salamander and Sergeant Daryl and waved for a few others to join him.
"The Obsidian Division's Ironclad Squad?" His gaze swept over Daryl and Ignis, lingering on the Salamander. "Here to rescue your teammates, huh? You're awfully slow."
"I'm Sergeant Eugen of the Mobile Rescue Squad, ordered here for extraction. There are supplies in the corner ahead to assist your search. Grab them, and we'll move," he said, tilting his head toward a platform connected by a collapsed wall.
The Salamander couldn't bring himself to like this arrogant man at all.
Of course, neither could Sergeant Daryl. He subtly placed a hand on his trigger and, as the man's attention shifted, raised his weapon to aim at Eugen's head.
"Wait! I haven't received any rescue orders! Show me your identification!"
The sudden challenge froze Eugen for a moment, but his pride quickly reasserted itself. He raised a hand to push away Daryl's gun with the back of his palm, but Daryl refused to budge. The two stood locked in a standoff.
Ignis considered intervening just as the sergeant spoke up.
"Watch your tone, Sergeant!"
Mentioning rank, Daryl lowered his weapon but muttered, "You're only one rank above me—don't get cocky. It's normal for one or two people to get lost in the Hollow."
"Hmph…" Eugen snorted with contempt. "Since you're eager to save your comrades, I'll forgive your indiscretion this time. My ID is among the supplies. Grab it and you'll see for yourself. Understand?"
Daryl said nothing, silently turning. Eous followed, preparing to check the location Eugen had indicated.
"What are you standing there for?" The lionlike arrogance in Eugen's voice addressed Ignis. "Move it."
The Salamander ignored the prod, even suppressing a smirk. He noticed flaws in the man's words and, more importantly, the emotions he perceived.
"You're pretending, aren't you?"
The words made Eugen tremble with rage. He barked at the Salamander, "What are you talking about? How dare you question my identity! I'll kill you if you don't shut up!"
"Be my guest," Ignis shrugged. "That little toy in your hand won't do much against me."
"Sergeant Daryl!" The haughty lion realized he couldn't intimidate this wolflike giant and turned to his superior. "Defense Force regulations forbid contact with proxies or Hollow Raiders! Your men are being insubordinate—do you want a reprimand?"
The situation stiffened. Eous' eyes darted nervously between them, unsure what to do. Embo, however, had no such hesitation and had already raised his weapon toward Eugen.
"What kind of soldier keeps their ID with supplies? Do you think I'm an idiot?" Ignis planted his massive, notched shield before the man. "You were gloating when Daryl turned away, weren't you? Tell me, in the storage corner, did you prepare a little surprise? Mines or a remote explosive?"
"What are you babbling about?" Eugen, enraged, raised his gun at the Salamander, but it looked as futile as a mantis trying to stop a rolling wheel.
"You claim to be the Mobile Rescue Squad, but there's a problem. What kind of rescue hides itself from those being rescued?" The Salamander dropped his warhammer to the floor, the impact shaking the ground. "And I'm certain Sergeant Daryl would never call proxies or Hollow Raiders if there were official channels available."
Ignis glanced at Daryl, who avoided eye contact. Embarrassment?
Great, two of them have issues.
Considering Daryl was his employer, Ignis chose to overlook it for now. If Daryl had ulterior motives, he would deal with him later and find a way out with the proxies.
"My superior received reports that their squad hadn't returned for some time. They suspected the team was lost in the Hollow, so our squad was sent for rescue!" Eugen shouted. "Don't presume to interfere in military matters, civilian!"
"Civilian? I'm a real specialist!" The Salamander almost laughed. I serve the Emperor, not just in name. You didn't even notify friendly units. No communication, straight into action—unless your target was your own allies.
"The corner you want us to reach? Blow that broken wall, and no one comes back. Tell me now—you might live if you cooperate."
Pressured by the Salamander, Eugen didn't know how to respond. The giant's presence and weapon were as imposing as any tactical mech. If he strikes…
He grimaced, drew a remote explosive from his belt, and tossed it toward the giant. Even if it didn't hurt, it could create chaos and cover his escape. He pressed the detonator hidden in his palm while fleeing.
But the expected blast and heat didn't occur. He pressed repeatedly.
"Stop struggling. Surrender," the giant's calm voice stated, as if narrating an everyday matter.
Eugen turned and almost soiled himself. The explosion hadn't vanished—it was encased in a strange sphere, unable to spread. Some secret weapon?
Using psychic power to compress the blast, the Salamander tossed it far away and released the restraint. Maintaining an omnidirectional psychic barrier was far harder than he imagined.
The display utterly terrified Eugen. The once-proud lion now cowered like a scared wild dog.
Daryl's expression mirrored shock, though he quickly regained composure. He kicked Eugen and demanded:
"Who exactly are you? Three seconds to answer."
Embo cooperated, chambering his weapon. The metallic click of the bullets on the floor made Eugen swallow hard.
"Wait! I-I have the intelligence you want! Don't hurt me!"
Under Daryl's pressure, the impostor rebel quickly surrendered. Disarmed, his hands were bound with his belt.
"Follow us, if you don't want to stay in the Hollow forever," Daryl kicked him toward Ignis, keeping his gun trained on the man's back.
The embarrassed "Sergeant Eugen" could only clutch his pants and shuffle forward.
Fortunately, he told the truth. Opening a door revealed a Defense Force soldier trapped in a corner by a laser defense device.
"Sergeant! Thank goodness, reinforcements are here!" The weary soldier immediately perked up.
Daryl deactivated the trap. The soldier saluted and quickly reported:
"The rebels provoked dangerous Ethereal! They only had time to remove my ammo before locking me in here." He showed the empty chamber of his rifle; the battery pack had been removed. "I can lead you to the direction the rebels went."
"You did your best, soldier," Daryl reassured him. "Keep an eye on this prisoner. The rest is up to us."
Ignis knew Daryl was shady, but his actions seemed normal for now. At least he wouldn't suddenly turn on them.
Kicking open another door, Ignis froze—two more Defense Force soldiers were there. Beta Squad was complete.
Daryl froze in surprise, but the two soldiers spoke first:
"Captain, you even captured a prisoner!"
"We were going to come, but the captain beat us here."
"Impressive as always, Captain."
Daryl was taken aback by the coincidence. After handing over the prisoner, he gestured for Ignis to speak with him.
"You might have to handle the next mission alone."
He pointed at the dejected prisoner on the ground.
"We need to prioritize his safety."
Ignis understood the prisoner's importance. "Clear the evacuation route, right?"
"I'll pay extra for your trouble," Daryl said earnestly.
"Let's go, Proxy. Any good route plans?" Ignis asked Eous.
"Yes. The elevator system is malfunctioning. Ether activity on the ground floor disrupted certain functions. Now it only goes down, not up," Belle said. "Once fixed, we can ride it back up."
"Then let's move."
When the elevator doors reopened, Ignis recognized the familiar location: the ground floor of the Ballet Twins Tower, the stage of the Twin Marionettes. The last time, he had raced against Victoria Housekeeping, trying to bypass the twins via Hollow rifts to reach the top floor.
Fate really does love to toy with me, he thought, seeing the stage again.
From afar, he spotted the white Gray Veil waiting at the edge of the stage and the black one already at center. The dancers had clearly prepared their performance, likely responsible for the elevator's malfunction.
"Proxy, stay hidden," Ignis instructed and approached the stage alone.
"Long time no see, ladies," he said, focusing on the black Gray Veil. "I just met one of you recently."
"I don't know if you understand me. Augetta, Augilia, Rhode's case is settled. No one will trouble him again."
His words sent waves of emotion from the Ethereal twins: gratitude, relief, and slight relaxation.
These Ethereal really retain the memories and emotions of the dancers?
"I have to leave with people. I know you won't relinquish control easily." Ignis raised his shield. "So, let's begin."
A mournful melody began again. The thin, elongated Ethereal slowly stood. Sparks and scratches followed their sharp blades on the floor. They did not attack immediately, bowing instead to the lone audience of the performance.
As the black-and-white shadows surged toward him, Ignis calmed. This is right. We are enemies. Strength decides the outcome.
The metallic clash and flying sparks, the thunderous impact and scattering ether crystals—though outnumbered two to one, Ignis dominated.
Compared to his first visit, he had grown significantly. Powers from the Immaterium strengthened his body and soul; the Twin Marionettes could hardly threaten him.
The three-person tango ended with both dancers down. Psychic Grip restrained the agile partners, and the thunderous warhammer delivered the final note.
As the shattered black-and-white forms faded, Ignis felt a brief serenity. From their behavior, he sensed they had held back… never fully activating, completing their "performance" halfheartedly.
When they took their bow, the Salamander genuinely felt their gratitude.
Do Ethereal have emotions? Do they retain the last memories of their human lives?
Ignis shook his head violently, casting the thought away. The Hollow must be destroyed someday. Once the Ethereal leave it, they vanish.
The dead remain in the past; and humanity must continue moving forward.
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