Covered in the remains of countless ethereals, you lay there on the concrete floor, panting heavily. Slowly, you crawled out from the pile of Ethereals you had slain. You weren’t sure how you managed to take them all down—perhaps you were just angrier than usual today.

Hunting Ethereals had become a sport to you, something you were well accustomed to. Entering the Hollows as a regular civilian was strictly forbidden, but that never stopped you. Neither did the threat of ether corruption—it didn’t affect you, and you didn’t care.

Now, standing in the heart of the old city, long since consumed by the Hollows, you took in the aftermath of the battle. Hundreds of Ethereal corpses surrounded you, their dismembered limbs clinging to you like glue. You must have been fighting for a while.

You looked up at the sky—it was bright and sunny. How funny. Despite the brutal battle that had just taken place, the warmth of the day wrapped around you, something oddly familiar, almost comforting.

And then—

“Oh! What a weird-looking Ethereal!”

A woman’s voice rang out, shattering the solitude you had been sinking into.

You turned your head toward her as she slowly approached. There was no fear in her steps, only curiosity. Her eyes studied you intently, drawn to the grotesque sight before her. With Ethereal limbs and remnants clinging to your body, it was hard to tell if you were even human.

Then, she pulled out two flamethrowers, one in each hand, aiming them directly at you.

“You look like a mess. Need a little spark~?”

She teased, her voice laced with amusement. You barely had time to process her words before she unleashed a torrent of flames in your direction. Instinct kicked in, and you swiftly maneuvered out of the way, the heat licking at your skin.

It was then you realized—unless you got rid of the Ethereal parts clinging to you, Burnice would do whatever it took to reduce you to ashes. To her, you weren’t human. You were just another Ethereal that needed to be burned.