Inside the metallic cavity, the air smelled of blood and rust, and the only sound came from the faint dripping of the acid slowly dissolving the floor. Nene, still trembling, vomited until there was nothing left in her stomach. The echo of her own retching mixed with the muffled hum of the living walls of the Fissure. For a moment she remained still, panting, her forehead pressed against the ground. But she couldn’t stay there. She had to get up.

  The effort was clumsy, almost pathetic. When she tried to stand, a whimper escaped her lips. She felt the fractured bone in her right arm scrape against itself, a dry and nauseating sound that made her curl in on herself. The pain was sharp; now that the adrenaline was fading, she felt even the smallest ache.

  "Ha, ha…" a voice sounded behind her. "I knew you weren’t just a useless crybaby!"

  Before she could fully stand, Makina hugged her.

  "A-Auch… I-it hurts, my arm…" Nene gasped.

  "Oh… sorry, I got carried away." Makina smiled, a smile out of pce, barely held together by exhaustion. "Actually, it hurt me too when I did that."

  She pressed a hand to her abdomen, where the acid had burned her flesh. Her suit still sizzled faintly, releasing a pink-and-white vapor.

  Nene wanted to respond, but a deep voice interrupted the moment.

  "Argh… I see you managed… to kill that thing."

  They both turned sharply. A few meters away, staggering, was Jorgen. The swordsman advanced with shaky steps, supporting his weight on his greatsword, his face gaunt but carrying the same firmness as always.

  "H-how?" Nene asked, still in disbelief.

  "I have a passive poison-resistance ability." His voice was deep, worn. "That’s why I was able to get up earlier… though not enough. Good thing you didn’t need my support to survive."

  Makina let out a short ugh.

  "What that idiot means is: good job, girl."

  Nene blinked, bewildered. Her chest gave a tiny jolt.

  Good job? Her?

  How was that possible, if all she’d done was run and scream?

  She hadn’t done anything special. Her pn had been madness that only worked by pure luck. If Lorelley had tagged her with those threads, she would have died instantly.

  She wasn’t the amazing one. The amazing one was Makina, who had endured a direct fight with such a strange Boss.

  "N-no… it’s Miss Makina you should—"

  "Nene, shut your mouth." Makina interrupted her with a tired smile. "You saved my neck. Literally. Accept that you were key."

  For a second, Nene wanted to cry again, but this time from relief.

  However, Jorgen cut the moment short with coldness.

  "Whatever. Makina, rest. I’ll go dismember Lorelley. Her legs and wings can be sold. You, F-Rank Girl—go watch those idiots until they wake up."

  Nene blinked, lowering her gaze.

  "Ah… actually… I can’t move my legs. I’m still… scared. Also, my little arm hurts…"

  Makina tilted her head, suddenly remembering.

  "Oh, right. I forgot about that. They broke it all the way up to your shoulder, didn’t they?" She scratched her cheek, uncomfortable. "You’ve endured that all this time… Fine. Sit with the others. I’ll keep watch."

  Nene obeyed. She let herself fall beside a metallic log. The cold contact against her back made her shiver. For a moment, relief washed over her. Then, like a wave, the pain returned. A pain so sharp it drew involuntary tears.

  Jorgen worked in silence. The sound of flesh being cut, of crystalline bones cracking, filled the cave with an unsettling echo. But he wasn’t present in the action he was doing.

  No, his mind was somewhere else… or in several pces, rather.

  His pride was shattered. How could he have lost—he, a Hunter superior to the Ethereal Beings of that fissure? That alone was shameful, too much even. But what truly burned him was having been saved by that brat.

  A brat he had underestimated, even despised. And yet… she was the one who ended up rescuing Makina, putting her life at risk.

  "Shit… how pathetic I am…"

  He muttered to himself as he amputated one of Lorelley’s legs.

  All that pride and boasting about being an expert in exploring these Fissures, and he ended up getting beaten. Even when he had in mind that he would encounter strange things in this Fissure—thanks to what that Hana had assigned him—he hadn’t expected all his efforts to be so useless.

  If this happened… how could he get stronger? How could he reach the top to protect her?

  "Shit, shit. And as if that weren’t enough, they broke this stupid Bizarre’s core."

  His frustration over having lost that Hana’s commission, exploded in the form of a brutal ssh across the insectoid’s neck—the same one that had caused them so much trouble. His frustration faded when he remembered a certain detail.

  Lorelley was that so-called “Bizarre,” right?

  She must have been… then…

  There, standing over the corpse of that insect, he remembered…

  "That Hana… didn’t he say that the Bizarres…" he murmured, then dove into his memories.

  They had met on the outskirts of the Jano district, just as that Hana had requested. They were in a sort of semi-abandoned building—or rather, one under reconstruction.

  They had been talking for a while about details, payment, and other matters, until J decided to conclude, seeing something on a holographic tablet he was holding.

  "We have a deal. Once you’re inside, the things you used to know will vanish. What you believed you understood will become incomprehensible. When that happens, just remember why we hired you."

  That day, he had simply ughed. A sincere mockery from the bottom of his heart. That Hana was exaggerating.

  "How do I find this Bizarre?" Jorgen asked, mocking tone, curling his fingers.

  "It’s simple, you just have to ‘shake’ the Fissure. When things that shouldn’t happen begin to occur, you’ll be close to finding them. I must be honest with you, my dear friend, we’re still not sure how to detect them. That’s also part of your mission: to test a couple of our hypotheses."

  "Uh-huh. Guinea pigs, you mean, birdie," he spat.

  "I prefer ‘high-value experimental subjects.’ Anyway, what we do know is that these special Ethereal beings possess traits that differentiate them clearly. First: they have a high level of reasoning—almost comparable to a B-Rank Elite."

  "…But they don’t have that power, right? You’re not sending my team into a death trap."

  "Not at all. They only possess that level of intelligence…" J gave a gentle smile, but one that conveyed no kindness at all, "at most they reach C+. Anyway, the second point is: they’re almost always semi-humanoid."

  The Hummingbird paused for a moment to get closer to Jorgen’s face, then extended his hand and raised three fingers.

  "Third: They create a Domain. That phenomenon is so rare that we can’t guarantee what it looks like. It varies for each one. You just need to notice changes in the Fissure’s reality and its physics."

  "You know, all that crap you’re saying is starting to break my will to accept this job. It sounds too risky."

  "Come on, please, my friend. You and I both know that being a Hunter is dancing with death. Besides, the payment for your services is something I can increase."

  "…Yeah? How much, huh? Must be really goo—"

  "The payment is one hundred million plus access to resources to grant you and your team any desire. A professional Eternal team? No problem. Resources to fund a top-css hospital? Sure. A life without complications, retired on the outskirts of Megar? Just tell me the color of your house and you’ll have it."

  Jorgen tensed instantly.

  Those statements were very specific, too specific.

  He had said exactly what he and Makina desired most. That… made him feel anger. So much that he almost threw a punch, but stopped.

  Funding a hospital… that, that was what kept him from attacking.

  "You… bastard, you’ve been spying on me and my group?"

  "I told you at that café, we investigated you because of your aptitudes. Nothing more. It just so happened we discovered one or two things about your lives. What do you say? Sounds good, doesn’t it? Fulfilling promises, seeing smiles…"

  His voice was like a soft tonic, a very tempting one.

  "…Fine. Just this once. After that we’ll never work with you again, you sick freaks."

  "Perfect."

  That enigmatic hummingbird smiled softly as he left the building, leaving behind a confused Jorgen who couldn’t decide whether he had made a deal with the devil or not.

  "How’s your arm?" Makina asked after a while, once she finished dragging her teammates near the tree.

  "Good… it doesn’t hurt that much anymore," Nene lied, forcing herself to smile. "And your abdomen?"

  Makina let out a ugh with barely any energy.

  "Eh… oh, I’m fine. I’m physically weaker than the others because of my Role, but thanks to this CD12 Assault Suit I can handle it." She pointed at her gray armor, the tubes still dripping medicine into her bloodstream. "Painkillers, antacids, coagunts… a miracle from Porcelux."

  "Wow… that’s amazing."

  "Yeah, it is." Makina sighed. "Hey… about earlier…"

  "Huh?"

  "I want to apologize. For how I treated you when you arrived. I was an idiot. I’m sorry. And also on behalf of Team Neo. We’re not actually that bad… it’s just hard for us to accept someone who seems like a burden. We all have personal issues—yeah, yeah, I know that doesn’t excuse being jerks. So: I’m sorry."

  Nene looked at her in surprise, then waved her hands nervously.

  "I-It’s fine! I know I’m clumsy, I shouldn’t have tried to fight an Ethereal I knew would beat me. Don’t take it the wrong way."

  "I’m not only talking about that," Makina interrupted. "I’m talking about this morning. I was rude. And you… you’re still here anyway."

  "L-Like I said before, I don’t hold grudges. Really! I’m just happy none of you got seriously hurt… well, except me. Ha! Ha!"

  Nene tried to force a joke, but her partner didn’t find it very funny.

  Makina watched her for a second, as if trying to figure her out.

  "You’re too nice for your own good."

  Nene smiled awkwardly.

  "Je… Bender told me once that I’m too nice for my own good."

  Makina raised an eyebrow.

  "He was right."

  "I don’t think being kind is a bad thing," Nene replied softly. "I don’t want to hurt anyone… just like I don’t want anyone to hurt me."

  For a moment, the silence between them shifted. Warmer.

  "Though… that doesn’t mean I never get mad!" she added, blushing. "Earlier I was with another commission, and the leader, Martha, abandoned me. That really upset me! But… I think she had a good reason. Maybe she wanted me to be more responsible. I-It was my fault for getting lost…"

  An unexpected sound cut her off: a ugh. Light, sincere.

  "Pfff…" Makina covered her mouth. "Seriously, you’re incapable of being mean, aren’t you?"

  Nene blushed even harder.

  A noise behind them snapped them back.

  "Ahh… w-what happened…?" Marge's voice was weak. She tried to sit up, still dizzy.

  Makina rushed to steady her.

  "Easy, the poison is dissipating. Stay still. Let the Suit work."

  "Did we win?"

  "Yeah. And thank Nene for that."

  "Nene? Who…?" Marge blinked, confused. "Oh… the F-girl… I don’t buy it, but if you say so, then… but how the hell did she do it?"

  Makina smiled.

  Nene felt warmth bloom in her chest. Pride, relief… or maybe hope. She didn’t know, but she liked it.

  Meanwhile, outside the Fissure, a cluster of Porcelux researchers worked in front of a wall of screens. The monitors flickered with the lingering energy of the battle.

  "Miss Alice, we have readings."

  "Report," the woman answered without taking her eyes off the data.

  "The amount of information the servers are processing is too dense. At the same time, the frequency is matching the data provided by the Family… We believe there’s an 85% chance we’re witnessing a fusion."

  Alice adjusted her gsses. Her tired face lit up with a strange, almost feverish gleam.

  "Start the recordings. You two, get the scanners. You, with me. We’re calcuting energy dispersion and reverse engineering this thing."

  For the first time in weeks, the scientist smiled for real.

  "God… this is getting exciting."

  The rest of the group was waking up with groans when Jorgen returned carrying the creature’s legs and the wings tied to his back with metallic vines.

  "Perfect. You’re all awake. We’re leaving."

  "Jorgen… give me a break. Our bodies are still numb from the poison—"

  "Something weird is happening to Lorelley’s corpse!" Nail warned.

  Everyone turned toward the remains of the monster.

  The lifeless creature was… convulsing?

  Its crystalline body twisted violently, and from the abdomen the mineralized skin began stretching. Almost as if ready to burst.

  "W-what is happening!? Mister Jorg—"

  She didn’t finish. The ground started flickering as if synced with the corpse’s spasms.

  "Hunter Technique Deployment III: Hunt (13.5 P.R.)!"

  Marge tried to fire, grabbing her lever-action rifle in a fsh, but the shot missed. She pulled the trigger again—but the ground vanished beneath her feet, sending the bullet into the sky.

  Everyone fell screaming, their minds unable to process what was happening.

  As they plunged, Jorgen gave an order.

  "Grab whoever you can!"

  Makina grabbed Nene, pulling her close and covering her in an embrace as if ready to tank the impact.

  Seconds ter, they hit.

  To everyone’s surprise, it didn’t hurt. They nded on some sort of liquid.

  When they surfaced, panting, they were no longer among metallic trees. Now they were in a vast, humid pce illuminated by blue stones glowing with a spectral cyan light.

  "A-Argh… M-Miss Marina, are you okay!?" Nene asked, her voice trembling.

  "Where… are we?"

  "I have no idea," Jorgen answered as he emerged from the water. "Is everyone here?"

  As if on cue, the rest of the team surfaced too.

  "Boss, what the hell is going on?"

  "Guys… the water… it’s doing something weird," Luca pointed out.

  The water began rising from the ground… like an upside-down rain.

  "That doesn’t matter! Where the hell is Lorelley’s corpse?" Marge was the first to ask the only reasonable question. After all, this whole situation started when that thing began acting strange.

  At those words, a shiver ran through the battlefield.

  Far ahead, near the opposite shore of the ke where the still-smoldering remains of the Floor Boss y, a guttural, wet sound vibrated through the air—like flesh tearing under pressure.

  From the already deformed abdomen, masses began moving toward the neck.

  From the severed neck, thin bck points emerged.

  At first, they moved clumsily, probing the air like antennae in the dim light. But soon they multiplied, sprouting one after another, weaving into a grotesque pattern until the torn flesh gave way to something new.

  From those strands, a hand emerged. A slender hand with long, bluish fingers, as if carved from crystal. Then the palm opened, like it was searching for a chance to breathe.

  "W-What… what’s happening…?" Nene whispered, unable to look away.

  The hand became an arm—smooth, disturbingly soft, covered in a faint shimmer like translucent scales. A moment ter, Lorelley’s body exploded with a wet crack, releasing scalding vapor that filled the air with the metallic scent of boiling water and corrupted flesh.

  From that explosion, a feminine silhouette was born.

  Her figure was impossibly beautiful—close enough to human to evoke desire, yet too alien to be anything but instinctively terrifying.

  Her blue skin, covered in a delicate yer of scales, shimmered like liquid under the light. Her long, flowing hair was a vivid fuchsia, unraveling into strands that weren’t hair but pulsing tentacles, ending in a purple gradient like the depths of a sunless sea.

  Her eyes—long, snted, a reddish amber, wet like pearls in the dark—yet her face was marked by grotesque wounds, clearly inflicted by cws judging by the pattern.

  Her sculpted body was covered in bleeding, savage injuries. As if she had crawled out of a brutal war. Proof of that: one missing arm.

  The creature from the depths fell to her knees.

  Her pearly gaze was clouded with a strange expression, as if she didn’t understand what was happening.

  Until her eyes found the only thing she could focus on.

  "Humans…?" her voice was coarse, as if unfamiliar with speech. "How is this possible? I was…"

  No one moved.

  "S-She… she talked…" Nene whispered.

  Makina narrowed her eyes.

  "Jorgen… that thing looks human."

  The swordsman trembled.

  "And it spoke… That can only mean one thing…" he swallowed hard. "I-It’s a Floor Boss of Rank B…"