Hide tapped the earpiece one last time, his finger pressing hard against the sleek metal casing.
Nothing. There wasn't even the faint, reassuring hum of white noise or the crackle of static.
Hide's eyes narrowed. A Major of the National Exterminator Agency, a seasoned veteran, did not simply lose comms by accident. Even if she wasn't particularly a fighter, there was no way a normal beast could have given her problem.
He didn't hesitate and commanded Zenith to come back.
Miles away, deep in the ruined city, the towering, armored phantom soldier stopped mid-swing. Zenith dissolved instantly into a cloud of dense violet smoke, shooting across the broken skyline like a dark comet.
A second later, the dark mana sank seamlessly back into Hide's body. The sudden influx of returned stamina washed over Hide, slightly easing the persistent ache in his muscles.
