Uchiha in Zenless Zone Zero

In one of Old Eridu's districts, Chi, wearing his demon mask, darted forward like a black shadow at incredible speed.

The Ethereals in his path didn't even have time to react before being reduced to ash by his overwhelming power.

Over the comms, Airi and Ying's voices came through regularly. Their sides of the investigation were progressing smoothly—so far, they hadn't encountered any enemies strong enough to require combat.

Chi, however, wasn't as lucky. While exploring, he was spotted by a dormant colossal Ethereal and was now on the run.

Zhong Yan could step in to help, but as of now, the colossal Ethereal wasn't even half as fast as Chi. So, there was no need to trouble Zhong Yan just yet.

Before long, he managed to shake off the pursuing Ethereal, and after a long sprint, he reached the true core region of Hollow Zero.

The oppressive Ether pressure here was far beyond anything he'd felt in any other Hollow. Even those with Ether adaptation likely couldn't withstand it.

At the same time, Chi noticed something strange—there were far fewer Ethereals in this area than elsewhere. This was definitely abnormal.

Logically, the deeper one went into Hollow Zero, the stronger the Ether volatility, and the more active the Ethereals.

Yet here, at the deepest point of Hollow Zero, their numbers were visibly declining. That alone proved something was off.

Realizing something was wrong, Chi sharpened his senses to the limit. Though it inflicted intense pain on his body, any progress in the investigation would make it all worthwhile.

Soon, he found something unusual.

At the far end of the district was a massive clearing, almost entirely covered in dense Ether crystals. Even looking at it from afar made his scalp tingle.

Such a sight naturally drew him in closer for a better look—and he soon discovered that this entire clearing... was a footprint.

Similar footprints extended out from the edge of the district, disappearing into the distance.

"What the hell is this thing?" Chi muttered as his eyelid twitched. He began estimating the creature's size based on the footprint and was stunned to realize it had to be at least 500 meters tall.

A creature that could leave such terrain marks and deposit Ether crystals with each step could only be an Ethereal.

An Ethereal over 500 meters tall—there wasn't a single record of anything like that in all of New Eridu's or Old Eridu's history.

If this was the being they were investigating... everything suddenly made sense.

"Boss, I've made a major discovery," Chi said, immediately reporting through the comms.

After receiving the coordinates, Zhong Yan activated Kamui and instantly teleported to him.

After hearing Chi's description, Zhong Yan said nothing. He simply activated his Sharingan and began tracing the massive Ethereal's movement to determine its path.

He quickly found himself facing a decision—should he go after it now?

After a few moments of thought, Zhong Yan decided it was better to wait until he had awakened the Rinnegan.

An Ethereal over 500 meters tall—that was even larger than his Perfect Susanoo. Such a fight wouldn't be unwinnable... but it would be dangerously close.

To play it safe, it would be best to wait until he had absolute confidence. If he failed, the consequences could be catastrophic.

Who knew if the Exaltists—silent for nearly a year—might suddenly stab him in the back?

"This wraps up the investigation for now. Go back and rest. When the time comes, I'll call you," Zhong Yan ordered Airi and Ying over the comms.

Then he activated Kamui again, gathering the trio and sending them all back to the outer ring.

...

Meanwhile, in another part of Hollow Zero—

This region lay far beyond Old Eridu. During Old Eridu's time, it was considered the deepest zone of Hollow Zero. But over time, the "core" had shifted into what is now central Old Eridu.

And yet, this place remained the true core of Hollow Zero. Since ancient times, no human had ever set foot here—and even if someone had, they would never have made it out alive.

The space nodes here were wildly unstable, all leading to different core zones of Hollow Zero. Without the ability to manipulate space, it was nearly impossible to escape.

This area was designated an absolute forbidden zone—a true unknown, unfathomable like an abyss.

And now, within this forbidden ground, an Ethereal so massive it seemed to blot out the sky was slowly moving forward.

Every step it took made the ground quake violently. Its footprints were colossal, each one leaving behind an absurd concentration of Ether crystals.

Suddenly, the behemoth halted—as if it had sensed something.

Its head slowly turned to look down at a building no larger than a pebble beneath its feet.

Atop the building, a figure gradually became visible: an old man with white hair. Compared to the massive Ethereal before him, he was nothing but an ant.

Yet the aura emanating from him far surpassed the limits of any human.

He was the leader of the Exaltists—and this was his true form, not just one of the split bodies.

One was the sovereign of Hollow Zero's Ethereals. The other—a godlike being, suspended between humanity and Ethereals. When such entities met, words weren't always necessary.

"Rrrr..." A warning growl rumbled from the Ethereal overlord's throat.

In response, the Exaltists' leader merely chuckled. Then, reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a vial of medicine and said, "Still wary of me, are you? I'm not here to cause trouble. I came to propose a partnership."

"You've been trapped in this Hollow for so long... forever caged in your kingdom. It's disgraceful for a king to suffer such confinement. So, I'm here to help. To help you... leave this Hollow."