Zenless Zone Zero: I'am a Dullahan!

A massive black moon loomed overhead, blotting out the light of the real moon and stars. The oppressive, terrifying darkness it cast felt bottomless, as if it could swallow the entire world.

Faint ghostly lights flickered around its edges.

The black moon hung like a monstrous beast, greedily devouring everything...

The surreal, towering black moon suspended in the night sky was nothing short of shocking to everyone who saw it.

Lucy lowered the bat she'd been resting on her shoulder and let it fall. The sound of it hitting the ground echoed sharply.

But right now, she clearly didn't care about that.

She looked up, her voice trembling with awe.

"What... is that thing?"

...

Inside New Eridu.

In a part of the city untouched by neon lights.

"Shit! What the hell is that thing?! It's like a ghost, won't stop chasing us!"

Two Hollow raiders dashed through a crumbling building, one of them swearing nonstop.

"Damn it, who the hell messed with that freak?!"

"How should I know—?"

Before the other could finish, a screeching sound of metal scraping tore through the air, and a massive circular chainsaw burst straight through the wall ahead.

"AHHHHHHHHH!!!"

"Please, mercy! We're just regular Hollow raiders! I've got an eighty-year-old daughter and an eight-year-old mother! We've never done anything that bad!!!"

They skidded to a stop and frantically bolted in the opposite direction, eyes filled with sheer terror.

The two of them disappeared into an alley in a flash. From the wall they'd just crashed through, a matcha-colored cupcake stepped out, and seeing the scene unfold, her face filled with guilt.

"Corin... Corin, you're so useless."

"Mr. Lycaon and Miss Ellen are definitely going to be disappointed… No, Corin doesn't want to let everyone down…"

She shook her head, fearing the very image she was imagining, then hugged the chainsaw tighter and chased after them.

Meanwhile, the two raiders were still running for their lives. After a while, one of them spoke up.

"Think we lost 'em?"

The other glanced behind—no pursuers in sight. Just as he was about to relax, he noticed his companion's face had gone completely pale.

"Wh-what's wrong?"

"Look!"

He looked up—and there, under the moonlight, a shadow darted across the rooftops like a predator in the dark. The red glow trailing behind it was deeply unsettling.

"AHHH! It's a ghost!"

One of the raiders screamed. In that instant, a blue flash sliced through the air—followed by a burst of white light that shot past his eyes.

A calm voice echoed behind it.

"It's Shark."

BOOM!

Rubble exploded outward, and as the dust slowly settled, a Thiren stood high above, one hand behind his back and a pocket watch in the other.

"Time's ticking."

"We need to move, Ellen."

From the darkness emerged a white, ghost-like figure—it was the head maid, Rina. She glanced over and saw Ellen had already subdued the target. She pressed her lips together.

She'd thought the terrain here would require her and Lycaon to block off both exits. But Ellen had intercepted them single-handedly.

Then again… given the stakes, maybe it wasn't so surprising.

Behind them, Corin arrived a little late. Hugging her chainsaw tightly, she looked at the scene with growing concern.

Ellen...

The Shark Shears in Ellen's hands gleamed coldly, their open jaws like a bloodthirsty beast. The sharpened tips pierced the ground, trapping the raider's head between them.

It looked just like a brutal guillotine.

Ellen's expression was ice-cold, her entire presence radiating chilling murderous intent.

Dark hair fell around her face as she slowly opened her mouth. Her voice dropped, each word sharp and deliberate, like a dagger falling into flesh.

"Tell me…"

"Where is Ruby?"

...

Dead End Hollow – Core Area.

Shrouded in darkness.

It was as though night itself had crept in and thickened to an unbearable pitch.

"Just a little more… Just a bit more. With the data from Nineveh inside Hollow Zero, and now this…"

"This experiment will make a huge leap forward!"

"Success… is within reach!"

The man in glasses was practically trembling with excitement. He adjusted his monocle and stared intently at the man writhing in pain before him, his eyes gleaming with fanatic obsession.

"AHHH!!! ...Just kill me already… This… I don't want this… You monsters… AAAHHH!!!"

The screams turned into guttural roars as machines around the room hummed, pumping Ether at overwhelming intensity.

Corroded by raw Ether, the man transformed before everyone's eyes—from human into Ethereal.

"So this is how it works... Watching from up close really pays off."

The scholar's face was filled with twisted fascination. He ordered the nearby rebels to dispose of the new Ethereal, then turned toward the group gathered off to the side.

They were a mixed crowd: Hollow raiders, criminals, citizens of New Eridu—and even children. Nearly a hundred people.

These were the victims of the recent disappearances.

"Hahaha, you're scared, aren't you…"

He chuckled as he watched them tremble. Of course they were—anyone would be, after seeing a normal person turn into an Ethereal with their own eyes.

Even seasoned raiders rarely witnessed this process firsthand.

His gaze landed on a child who had already started crying, but was being covered by an adult's hand to keep quiet.

"Tch. I wasn't expecting them to bring in kids… But I guess it makes sense. For accuracy's sake, we need every demographic represented…"

"Don't be afraid! Your sacrifices will pave the way to our victory. You're all heroes, you know…"

He tried to inspire them with empty words. He wanted to see if anyone dared to stand up.

Unsurprisingly, no one did.

He shook his head, disappointed.

"Whatever. I guess you wouldn't understand."

Then he scanned the crowd. They looked like lambs waiting to be slaughtered—despair thick in the air.

Suddenly, he smiled.

"You. Over there. Step forward."

But his finger wasn't pointed at the prisoners. It was directed at one of the rebel guards nearby.

"Hey, you're supposed to be cooperating with us. That means all—"

BOOM!!!

A thunderous sound shook the air.

The scholar turned quickly toward the direction of the noise—and smiled.

Looking back at the captives, he chuckled.

"Haha. Lucky you. Looks like the next experiment's delayed."

"Enjoy the extra time while you can."

With that, he turned and left, leaving the rest to a few assistants as he made his way toward the source of the blast.

In the corner of the crowd, a blonde girl sat huddled, her face pale, eyes flickering between fear and relief at narrowly escaping the nightmare.

A high school student... How could she have ever imagined something like this?

Within the Hollows, the night was as black as ink.

Utterly impenetrable.