"Shit! Outlaw 2-6, do you copy?! Outlaw 2-6, come in! Goddamn it, 2-6!" Chillingly, Outlaw 2-5 says the words nobody wants to hear. "Command, this is Outlaw 2-5! Outlaw 2-6 is down! I repeat. We have an Osprey down! Requesting permission to conduct search and rescue!"

"This is Overlord to all Outlaws. That's a negative on that last, evac the AO immediately! You're under-armed and are carrying a VIP on board, getting her back to safety is your top priority. Command will handle the matter." Yuki interjected almost immediately before cutting the comms link and turning to Bryn and the other officers. "Yggdra damn it all! This is the worst-case scenario."

Yuki removes her cap to readjust her hair before saying. "Those guys were brave enough to guard 2-5's rear, but that dome swallowed them up in exchange... Bryn, please tell me we can get Nicolae to raise her many tentacles up and help us."

Unfortunately, Bryn shakes her head. "I just talk with her. Unlike before, there's some unknown interference in the mix. She could push through with locating the crash site and opening a portal there... But she also said that there may be consequences in doing so."

Hearing the response, Yuki immediately runs a few theories as to why there are some interferences now of all time. Prior to the 'Beat the Kaiju up' fiesta, Nicolae could open a few portals just fine to aid the evacuation effort, but to encounter a roadblock that can stump a Shoggoth? Fat chance that would ever happen. This could mean that Nicolae is wary about causing more trouble than it's worth by letting them do this the easy way. And when Yuki thinks about what they're dealing with, why they have to do it... She can hazard a guess as to what, or to be precise whom, has been stonewalling Nicolae. And that particular person may even have multiple justifications as to why she can do that. Funny enough, she most probably will get away with murder too due to her deal with Yggdra.

Yuki hates the fact that despite her status as the Reich Marshal, she still lacks the weight she used to have in her previous life.

Sighing, she added. "Get another CSAR flight on standby. Continue to try and establish contact with Outlaw 2-6 whether it's by radio or by visual. Keep this up till we're ready for an all-out assault. Even with the danger the area possesses, we can't just not mount a rescue attempt.

"Understood, Marshal. We'll get to it."

Yuki then says. "How long until we can get a synchronized attack out?"

Bryn dutifully replies while showing Yuki the rearmament status of every single element of her current force. "Everything will be ready by half an hour at the latest, Marshal."

This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

Yuki nods. "Then Outlaw 2-6 will have half an hour of-"

"Marshal! You're not gonna believe this! 2-6 is trying to contact us!" The comms officer then put the incoming transmission on speaker for them to hear. "I've boosted the signal, ma'am! It should be clearing up soon."

*Bzzzzt* *Bzzzzz*

" *COUGH* *COUGH* T-This is Outlaw 2-6 to anyone still on this net... W-We made it, somehow... And I think you guys may need to see this."

"Son of a bitch... They survived that?" Someone said coarsely, most opted for surprised or calm expressions though.

"Outlaw 2-6, this is Overlord, give me a SITREP before we can discuss any further." Yuki addressed the crew of 2-6.

"Roger..." The frazzled voice goes silent for a few seconds before saying. "We went in with a crew of four with two passengers... Now there are two of the crew left but thankfully, the Pathfinders made it out with only bruises and scratches. The same can't be said for my co-pilot and starboard gunner though, and I can't feel everything from my waist down... We tried to minimize the crash and leveled out the aircraft but the control surface was gone."

Yuki then turns to an officer. "Give the details to the CSAR crew, the pilot may have spinal damage." The officer nods and relays the information down the line. Yuki continues. "2-6, we got that noted down. Now, can you describe your immediate surroundings, better yet, can you get a working helmet cam from the Pathfinders?"

"Roger that, Overlord. Directing the line to Master Sergeant Adelheid Gordon." Outlaw 2-6 said.

A few seconds later, a new female voice can be heard. "Overlord, this is Sergeant Gordon reporting. Our helmet cams are still fine if only a bit banged up. The feeds should come up in a few moments."

Having heard that, Bryn operates the command console and brings forth the two video streams coming from the 501st Pathfinders on the ground. The first video feed is coming from the helmet of a Pathfinder, Sergeant First Class Randall Shughart, who is treating the surviving crew members of Outlaw 2-6. The next to come up is from Sergeant Gordon who is surveying the surprising situation outside the crashed Osprey. The latter feed brings forth a sense of confusion and wariness from the people viewing it.

Yuki is the first to break the silence. "Is it just me or that fucking crystal is pumping a buckload of mana underground?"

Bryn chimes in, her fingers operating the console, enlarging the image on the screen. "It's not just you, Marshal. I think we can all confirm that the crystal core is regularly sending condensed mana underground. And from the color of the light shifting ever so slightly... It's highly probable that the mana is mixed with elemental properties of the fire and geo kinds."

Yuki massages the bridge of her nose at the confirmation. "Damn it, we have to deal with what now...? Just get the feed back to ONI, and have them analyze it if they can. Meanwhile..." Yuki trailed off, having reached many conjectures but without solid ground to work on. She should focus on the present first, ironically enough.

"Master Sergeant Gordon, this is Overlord speaking. Is it possible for you to hunker down till we can work up an extraction plan?" Yuki asked, prompting Gordon to take stock of her situation.

The Osprey landed hard in front of what seemed to be a ruined garage with two alleys flanking it. Further ahead of them is a clearing of sorts with road access leading toward their location... And they're not alone on the ground.

"With all due respect Overlord," Master Sergeant Gordon spoke in a calm tone. "I will reiterate what Outlaw 2-6 said. Do us a favor and don't try to rescue us."

From the helmet cam of Sergeant Gordon, everyone can make out the blurry shapes of wandering zombies and demons. That said, they're slow but surely getting closer to the downed Osprey. Sooner or later, these stranded soldiers would be made, and getting them out, alive, may be a bleak possibility.

Though Yuki comprehends that she can't stop herself from saying. "Master Sergeant Adelheid Gordon, do you understand what you're saying?"