"Section 6, fall back!" The order came from Tsukishiro Yanagi, the vice chief of Hollow Special Operations Section 6, moments after Nineveh was annihilated by Uchiha.
Hoshimi Miyabi, the section chief, rarely handled commands—Yanagi was usually the one directing the squad while Miyabi led from the front, a lone spearhead who never waited for backup.
Before leaving, Asaba Harumasa walked over and clapped Zhong Yan on the shoulder. "Hey, not bad back there. You ever think about joining Section 6? I could pull some strings, skip the exam altogether."
He'd noticed Zhong Yan's composure—how he'd stayed calm even while surrounded by swarm-class and strangler-type Ethereals. That kind of poise wasn't something your average investigator had.
But just like he'd turned down Qing Yi's invitation to join the Security Bureau, Zhong Yan declined this one too.
"No need. As a good citizen of New Eridu, isn't it my duty to help suppress Hollow disasters? Besides, I've already got a job. No need to join you guys."
Harumasa chuckled and didn't push the issue. He returned to the group, and with Miyabi and the others, vanished into the distance.
Zhong Yan looked up toward the rooftop where Uchiha had stood just moments ago.
Their gazes met.
A beat later, the figure of Uchiha dissolved into a puff of white smoke.
The chakra he had lost from summoning the clone returned to his body.
Only then did Zhong Yan go to find the proctor and Eous, who hadn't participated in the battle. Honestly, he'd nearly forgotten they were there.
"Zhong Yan, you were way too reckless! Charging in like that—what were you thinking? What if something had happened to you?!" Belle's voice snapped from Eous as she stomped forward in frustration.
Zhong Yan didn't try to defend himself. He simply nodded and accepted the scolding.
Though... her tone almost sounded a little jealous?
Was it because he had caught Miyabi earlier?
Zhong Yan stayed quiet. Let her vent.
That's when he noticed the proctor hovering nearby, looking like she wanted to say something but didn't quite know how.
Seeing her troubled expression, Zhong Yan asked, "By the way—about our evaluation. Did we... pass?"
They'd entered Hollow Zero for a simple mission: gather Ether data. But after everything that happened, the test had been abruptly cut short.
Most of the Ethereals in this area had been wiped out by the earlier battle. There wasn't much left to scan.
If that meant the test didn't count... then Belle's trip would've been for nothing.
As for Zhong Yan? He came for Nineveh—and he got what he wanted.
"Ev—Evaluation, right!" The proctor snapped out of it. "I now officially declare the Independent Investigation Team exam... complete. Congratulations, both of you passed."
Zhong Yan blinked, then remembered—she had said earlier they'd be considered as having passed if the test had to be aborted because of Nineveh.
Guess she was sticking to that.
Works for me.
"Thanks, Ms. Proctor! So, we should be heading out of Hollow Zero now, right?" Zhong Yan beamed, not intending to linger any longer.
But the proctor clearly had other plans. With all the data from Nineveh's defeat still fresh in the environment, she couldn't return empty-handed.
If she did, Ray Yersin would have a field day:
"You had all that juicy data and brought back nothing? If I were you, I'd have camped in that Hollow for days!"
"You're getting worse with age, seriously."
Just imagining Ray nagging her made her temples throb. She had to collect something useful.
So Zhong Yan and Eous ended up sticking around in Hollow Zero for several more hours, gathering data until dusk. Only then did they return to Scott Outpost.
...
Some time later, deep within the unexplored zone of Hollow Zero—
This place, once the bustling city center of old Eridu, now lay in ruin. The Association had never managed to fully map it. Teams that tried either failed or vanished.
Now, a lone, palm-sized hive Ethereal stumbled into this territory—its body battered, barely flying.
It was Nineveh.
As a symbiotic colony-type Ethereal, its greatest strength was resilience. So long as a portion of its form retained Ether, it could slowly regenerate—given enough time.
But right now? It was a shadow of its former self. Weaker than even the lowest-tier Hollows.
And yet, it had come here seeking something far more terrifying.
A presence it could not defy.
It was not the only Ethereal in Hollow Zero to bow before that presence. Most stayed clear of human territory. Nineveh had simply been the exception.
As the camera panned back, the ruins revealed a towering crystal of raw Ether—shaped like a throne.
Massive. Monolithic. Hundreds of meters tall. It spanned nearly an entire district.
Atop the throne sat a colossus—its "head" was a core, swirling like a black hole, devouring Ether in visible waves.
And compared to that figure, Nineveh was barely a speck of dust.
The sovereign did not stir.
But it didn't need to.
Nineveh hovered forward—and was silently absorbed into the black core.
Moments later, deep within that endless void...
A new Nineveh was born.