Nekomiya Mana

In the past, Nekomata was a member of the long-standing Red Fang Gang. Its leader, Miguel Silver, took on a fatherly role in her life. Nonetheless, due to differing beliefs from the gang, she opted to part ways and go it alone. Following certain encounters involving others, she eventually opted to enlist in The Cunning Hares, thus becoming the third member of the team.

Nekomata is a Thiren, which are humans that carry animal-like traits. For instance, Nekomata will sun-bathe much like a cat, and will also stretch like a cat, as well as have some influx in her speech. Saying things like "Nyaa", or even putting cat-puns into her words like "impawsible". It has been stated she does this on purpose, but she would say it's due to her being a Cat-Thiren specifically.

Nekomata fights both monsters and criminals with twin short-blades she keeps holstered in special sheaths on the front of her anke-guards, just below her knees. She is very, VERY fast and agile, often times even moving faster than the eye can see when fighting. Nekomata is so fast, she can deflect automatic gun fire with her blades.

Nekomata's influence in the Red Fang Gang still holds up, even after she had left. If members even hear the whisper of her name, most run in fear.

Hollows are an apocalyptic-level disaster, an abnormal spherical dimension that appears out of thin air swallowing everything they touch. The internal space-time environment becomes disorderly due to unknown influences, and dangerous mutant creatures known as the "Ethereal" are produced. Ordinary people lost in the Hollows face not only the horror of being attacked by monsters, but have to risk the corruption and eventual mutation. Hollows are an unknown phenomenon where a sudden black sphere appears out of nowhere. These Hollows swallow everything unfortunate enough to be in their path. While Hollows can appear spontaneously, they usually give a sign before appearing, such as vibrations in the surrounding area, electrical malfunctions, and certain objects disappearing from their initial place and reappearing in a completely different location.

Once swallowed, both non-living and living beings inside the Hollow will be subject to Corruption. Non-living objects will form Ether crystals. The deeper the part of the Hollow, the higher the concentration of Etheric energy in that place, which can accelerate the corruption and increases Pressure.

For humans, the time before corruption takes a toll on their body depends on their Ether Aptitude and equipment. Some people have high Ether aptitude, allowing them to explore Hollows for extended periods without suffering the effects of Corruption. Those with low aptitude can still explore Hollows by wearing Anti-Ether Corruption equipment, which is commonly used by PUBSEC officers, Jaegers soldiers, and thugs. If a human is corrupted, they will turn into an Ethereal.

Intelligent machines can also be corrupted if they have passed the Forbidden Fruit test.

Once inside the Hollow, everything appears normal, with the same weather as outside the Hollow. However, everything inside is shifted by the Hollow's fissures, turning it into a maze with layers of distorted places. What seems like a dead end can be a way out of the Hollow or an entrance to a deeper part. The deeper the Hollow, the higher the concentration of Etheric energy, which accelerates Ether corruption and attracts swarms of monsters.

Hollows also seem to be interconnected with each other, as passing through a Fissure may lead to an entirely different Hollow, included Hollow Zero.

Hollows are naturally complex places to explore, and being careless can lead to death for inexperienced and experienced explorers alike. To safely explore Hollows, many explorers bring Bangboo with them. These Bangboo are equipped with the Carrot program, which guides explorers along safer paths, minimizing the chance of falling into the deeper parts of the Hollow.

Hollows are a natural source of Etheric energy, which has been successfully harnessed by the people of the new era as a new energy source. This method involves placing a pipe network underneath the Hollow. The pipes absorb Etheric energy produced by the Hollow, which is then converted into usable energy. After the Etheric energy is converted, the leftover Ether corruption is released into the air through "Shiyu". This method is very efficient for obtaining Ether energy while also preventing the Hollow from expanding further.

Hollows are sustained by the Ether energy inside them, and for many Hollows the amount of Ether energy is sustained by the Ethereals within them. It is possible to reduce the size of a Hollow by destroying a massive number of Ethereals, or eliminating a particularly large one. Killing enough Ethereals can even allow a Hollow to be completely eliminated, and once suppressed a Hollow will gradually shrink until it disappears.

"The best mackerel is always the one you haven't eaten yet~." "I'll help you out, but lunch is on you!" "Did you call me, nyaa~?"