"Eh!?" Billy turned his head, eyes wide with panic at the Ether energy blade inches from his face. "I'm dead meat!"

The ambush had come far too fast. He was still holding the safe—there was no way to dodge.

He felt both panic and fury. Even after turning into an Ethereal, you're still this underhanded!?

As the Ether blade descended, time seemed to slow to a crawl. In that frozen moment, Billy saw a montage of his life:

Souvenirs from Starlight Knights, Big Sis Monica from The Outdoor Cinema, and the joyful days with everyone in the Cunning Hares...

Then came a thunderous crash.

Sol stood in front of Billy, blade held crosswise.

Clang!

Raiga clashed with the Ether blade, sparks erupting in all directions.

A massive force burst forth—ten tons of raw power.

Sol launched the Ethereal clean off its feet.

Perfectly timed—maximum support.

"Whoaahh! I'm still alive!" Billy snapped out of his death montage, clutching the safe as he scrambled back to Nicole and Anby.

Sol also withdrew, blade in hand, regrouping with the others.

"Thanks a ton, Boss Sol! You saved me again!" Billy shouted gratefully. "You're just like the Starlight Knights' Meteor Hound, always swooping in to save the day!"

"If you can't give compliments properly, just don't."

Sol looked speechless.

"Sorry, I meant—you're super reliable," Billy corrected himself awkwardly.

Anby ignored the antics, eyes focused. "That's the upper-class Ethereal Dullahan—what Miguel Silver turned into after being corrupted by Ether."

"Though this is only a newborn Dullahan, it already meets the criteria for a level-5 Ethereal. Threat level: 81. A serious opponent."

A threat level of 81 would normally require a full squad from the Defense Force.

For a typical Hollow Raider team, this thing was deadly.

"Can't believe that fake-crying old guy turned into something this troublesome." Nicole frowned at the towering Dullahan. "Still, for the safe—we're going in together!"

"Hold up—let me try first," Sol stepped forward, halting her. "I feel like stretching my muscles a bit."

A level-5 Ethereal. Its threat level might be 81 times that of a level-1—but it didn't mean its strength was multiplied by 81.

Up to now, it had been all mowing through mobs. He wanted a real test of strength.

Nicole urged, "That's a high-risk Ethereal. Maybe don't take that gamble?"

Anby added sternly, "Agreed. Even if it's a newborn Dullahan, it's best if we all take it down together."

She and Billy had fought this thing before—and didn't gain much ground.

Its strength and defense were absurd.

Letting Sol face it alone was worrisome.

"It's alright. I'll know my limits," Sol said with a smile. "If I can't hold out, you can jump in. No harm in waiting a few seconds."

He'd fought through Hollow Zero in the game and knew upper-class Ethereals came in many types. Dullahan was one of the more average ones.

If he couldn't even handle a Dullahan, he wouldn't stand a chance against the Gemini Knights or the Sacrifices.

This was the warm-up.

"Alright, just be careful," Nicole finally agreed, seeing he wasn't going to back down. "If it gets too intense, say something. We can't afford to realize too late."

"Don't worry, Boss Sol! I'm ready to back you up anytime!" Billy drew his dual pistols with a flourish. "The Starlight Knights have your back!"

"Yeah, I know."

Sol gave a small nod, eyes locking onto the Dullahan.

It was massive—nearly four meters tall—its entire body wrapped in dark-gray Ether crystals. Between the armored gaps, pale green Ether fluid pulsed with eerie light.

Its right arm was fused with an Ether energy blade, its left with a heavy crystal shield.

Most striking of all—it had no head. In its place floated a swirling black-core—the Ethereal nucleus.

It looked like a weapon forged solely for slaughter.

And just while Sol and Nicole were exchanging a few words, Dullahan charged.

Despite its massive size, it moved with startling speed—like a knight astride a phantom warhorse.

In a flash, it covered dozens of meters.

If not for the holes its crystal heels punched into the ground, people might've thought it glided like the wind.

In a blur of black, it appeared right in front of Sol.

Its right arm raised high, Ether blade gleaming, it brought down a crushing vertical slash with the full momentum of its charge.

Miguel had been a skilled swordsman even before corruption—and retained fragments of that muscle memory.

This strike was heavy, sharp, and terrifyingly fast.

"Perfect timing!"

Sol made no move to dodge—he wanted to clash head-on.

He gripped the 20 cm handle of his blade with both hands, veins bulging along his arms.

Then—he swung.

Boom!

Blade met blade—like two titanic steel beasts clashing jaws.

Metal screeched, sparks flew, and Ether fragments scattered through the air.

Dullahan's blade was forced downward by the impact.

The transferred force drove the massive Ethereal back.

Its Ether-crystal heels dragged deep gouges into the platform floor.

"Nothing special."

Sol commented effortlessly.

In terms of raw power, this level-5 Ethereal was no match for him.

Its threat level might be high, but that didn't mean its strength scaled the same.

Knowing that, there was no need to hold back.

He tightened his grip on Raiga and launched himself upward.

The cold gleam of the blade swept downward, aiming straight for Dullahan's headless core.

Dullahan raised its shield, guarding its nucleus.

Its right arm swung the Ether blade toward Sol's torso mid-air.

It didn't know why this human chose to leap—but leftover instincts told it that airborne enemies were easier to kill.

All it had to do was block the strike—and then slice the human in two.

Clang!

Sol's blade struck the shield.

The force, combined with the blade's edge, shattered chunks of the Ether shield.

Dullahan was forced down to one knee.

And just then, the horizontal blade came for Sol's waist.

But Sol, leveraging the rebound force from his attack, flipped upward again—rising another two meters.

Then, with gravity behind him, he brought down his blade once more onto the shield.

Boom!

Massive cracks spidered across the shield. Dullahan's feet crushed the platform beneath it.

Sol rose again—third strike—this time leaping even higher.

Boom!

The shield completely shattered. Dullahan dropped to both knees.

The subway platform cracked and fractured. Tiles and Ether crystal shards flew like shrapnel.

Then—Sol launched his fourth and final aerial strike, rising to ten meters this time.

Dullahan raised its Ether blade horizontally over its core to block.

But—

BOOM!

Blade and core shattered together.

Multicolored black Ether burst forth like a brilliant firework.

Sol used the rebound to flip back mid-air.

Still airborne, he sheathed Raiga, then landed with grace.

From the moment he leapt with his first attack to the final blow—it was over in four strikes.

Only then did he touch ground.

He had completely surpassed Dullahan's limits with just a glimpse of his strength.

Life... is such a lonely snowstorm.