Zenless Zone Zero: I'am a Dullahan!

"Over there!"

Koleda shouted, drawing everyone's attention to a large grabber machine clanking away near a wall.

"Ah! So it's here!"

"Hey! Wait, Grace!"

Grace's eyes lit up, and she rushed forward without hesitation. Seeing that his warning didn't work, Ben could only sigh and follow after her.

"Relax! No matter what challenges we face, my brothers and I will unleash the spirit of true men and crush them head-on!"

Anton gave his drill a confident spin and hurried after them. Koleda followed with Zane and the short-legged Eous.

Just as the group stepped into the area, the grabber—busy with its own task—suddenly noticed them and turned around, its mechanical legs creaking as it pivoted.

"Oh? The pursuers are finally here. I've been waiting!"

"Huh? Why's it talking like that? Its onboard voice wasn't this cocky before..."

Anton pointed at the grabber, frowning in confusion.

Koleda had no patience for nonsense. Hands on her hips, she waved and stepped forward.

"Grabber, your logic core might be malfunctioning. Come back with us for maintenance!"

At that, the grabber seemed to get angry. One mechanical arm spun briefly before it picked up a large stone and hurled it at them.

Boom!

Dust exploded outward. Anton raised his drill to block the impact, debris scattering in every direction. Behind him, Grace and Koleda couldn't stop coughing.

Elsewhere, next to Zane, several thin Ether crystals intercepted all the debris, while light mist settled the dust around them.

He flicked his fingers slightly, restoring the area to normal. Since the smoke hadn't lasted long, the others didn't notice.

Eous crouched at Zane's feet, peeking out at the grabber. Belle's exasperated voice came through.

"As expected, anywhere near Zane is a safe zone... but seriously, this big guy's got no chill. Tossing rocks over nothing..."

Up ahead, the grabber slammed the ground a few times with its excavator arm, then began spinning its claw rapidly.

It stomped a few more times and shouted in frustration.

"Don't talk to me like you're coaxing a kid to take medicine!"

"I'm a man—strong and proud!"

"A man? With that sneak attack? And you call yourself a man?!"

As the dust cleared, Anton raised his drill and pointed at the grabber, clearly annoyed.

"Oh? Looks like you've got some guts!"

The grabber's claws clicked together with a metallic clang, then it shouted,

"Alright then! Let's settle this like real men—with a duel!"

The grabber's upper body spun once, its mechanical arms spread wide in a battle stance.

"Fine by me!"

Anton roared and charged in, his drill spinning with crackling electricity.

With him taking the lead, the others quickly joined the fray.

The battle was on!

...

At the edge of the battlefield, Zane stayed out of the fight. It wasn't like they needed him anyway.

Dark Ether crystals quickly formed beneath him as he casually sat down. The seat wasn't elaborate—just a simple platform made of Ether, like countless others found in the Hollows.

He pulled out some snacks Sjal had bought for him with her precious little salary, hoping to bribe him into joining the Fire Pickers. Leisurely, he started munching.

A good fight to watch, tasty snacks to eat—being a spectator had its perks...

"Hey! Zane, what are you eating? I want some!"

Belle had been nervously watching the fight, but when she turned and saw Zane so relaxed, she couldn't help but feel jealous.

How was he this cozy in a Hollow, like it was his living room?

Oh, right—she'd forgotten. Technically, the Hollows were his home...

Eous scurried over to him. Zane glanced down and sighed, waving his hand.

"Belle, that body doesn't exactly let you eat anything."

"How about we have Wise order something for you?"

"Ugh, that's no fun. Eating at home doesn't feel the same... Zane, make me a little chair too!"

With a flick of his hand, a child-sized Ether chair materialized. Belle, piloting Eous, plopped down on it.

Nice... really nice.

"Hehe, if the Hollow had a bigger sun, we could even sunbathe here..."

Her voice was full of ease. In the past, she'd never have even dreamed of something like this.

"You mean like this?"

Zane raised a brow, tapped his finger, and a tiny Ether table formed beside them. An Ether-crafted drink cup appeared, filled with pure water—followed by a small ice cube.

"Wow! I'm so jealous! Zane, you're amazing. I wish I could do that too..."

Zane shook his head. The table and drinks dissolved into light and faded away. In his eyes, it was all trivial.

If he really wanted to have fun, he might as well use Ether energy to build a floating resort island...

...

Back in the combat zone, the fight was nearing its end.

"There's an opening!"

With that cry, the grabber burst through Belobog Heavy Industries' encirclement and made a run for it.

"Is this thing really heavy-duty machinery? It's way too nimble!"

Koleda watched the grabber fleeing into the distance and gritted her teeth. If it weren't company property, she'd have torn it apart already!

"It's trying to escape in the chaos!"

Anton instantly saw through its plan and took off after it. The grabber glanced back, taunting them as it ran.

"Hmph! Thanks for chasing me around so long! But give it up—I'm not going back!"

"I'm a proud man! That boring, repetitive work was never my dream!"

Ben let out a sigh. So his hunch had been right—a sentient machine just couldn't stand doing mindless labor...

Sure, the body could handle it—but the spirit couldn't.

"Wait! If you're just unhappy with the job, we can talk about it!"

Grace called out as she chased after it.

"If you keep this up, you'll attract Ethereals!"

"Come back with us, Hollow-issue industrial grabber—Hans!"