Darkness still shrouds the Phase Two site in the early morning and I had easily slipped past the security guards posted at the site's entrance. With The Voice's guidance, I quickly made my way towards the site's vehicle pool. Dump trucks, excavators and cement mixers a lined up in a neat row, waiting for their operators. I was not interested in any of those vehicles. There was one vehicle in particular that caught my eye from the surveillance footage that The Voice had screened for me, and my plan revolved around seizing control of that piece of kit.

A bulldozer, but not just any vanilla rubble pusher. This one was built as an absolute monster, and the slumbering beast lies resting at the end of the row, ripe for the taking.

I run my hand appreciatively across the steel "cage" that protects the exterior of the bulldozer's cabin. The bulldozer's chassis has also been reinforced with a layer of armor that by my estimation, would make it impervious to small arms fire. The dozer blade appears to be upsized from what you would usually see on a construction vehicle, giving the contraption an overall impression of brutishness.

"Demolition is really serious business here." I offhandedly comment as I continue my inspection of the bulldozer.

The Voice rumbles, "Corrie Class Armored Mechanical Engineering Vehicle. Originally developed to clear out armed and recalcitrant refugees from their hovels during the global reconstruction. It made its name during a notorious event where a protester declared that her hovel would only be demolished over her dead body. Her hovel was subsequently demolished over her dead body by a Corrie."

"No shit." I mutter, "There's an empty mount located on the dozer's rear. Is that for a weapon?"

"Yes." The Voice confirms, "Corries in their military configuration are equipped with a remote controlled heavy machine gun. Unfortunately, the civilian variant you see before you has been defanged."

"The Host must have rented this piece of hardware when the opposition to demolishing the old neighborhoods began to grow." I muse, "This monster still works right?"

The Voice rasps, "A Corrie requires a crew of two to operate. Thankfully, I can fill in for the driver. You will play the role of the vehicle commander, identifying targets for me and plotting our course through Phase One."

"Can't you do both?" I ask.

The Voice replies, "Unlike the cab, Corries do not possess sensors for navigation, relying entirely on the natural sight of its crew. I can use an aerial drone to assist in directing the bulldozer, but the lag in extracting the footage would put us at a disadvantage. Direct guidance from you would be far more beneficial."

"I don't think bulldozers go fast enough for my direct feedback to be that useful." I comment.

"That is where you are wrong." The Voice corrects, "Corries are powered not by an engine, but by a turbine. Once I bring the turbine to full power, the Corrie will charge forward like a rocket. On the spot guidance is needed to take full advantage of the Corrie's speed."

A turbine. Sounds like these monsters were originally meant to charge straight into the fray and mow down both buildings and squatters. If The Voice's account of the Corrie's history is true, these beasts have plenty of blood on their hands. Not that they have hands. Dozer blades I suppose. I hear The Voice unlocking the Corrie's cabin and climb up to it, stowing the sling bag full of molotovs and the grenade launcher securely within. If this monster is really as impressive as it sounds, I probably wouldn't need the extra firepower, though it doesn't hurt to be prepared.

I feel up the bandoleer of grenade launcher ammo and the stun baton hidden underneath the sex offender trench coat and gently rap the stab vest that I am wearing. Everything seems to be in order. I cradle the motorcycle helmet underneath my armpit as I settle into the cabin. The Corrie's door locks behind me and keeping out the winter chill.

"How much longer?" I ask.

The Voice considers for a moment, "The Matsuis are on their way to Phase One in a procession of chartered buses. Considering the traffic, they will reach the site as morning breaks. However, a complication has arisen."

I knew it. Fate wouldn't let us trash this place without a fight.

The Voice continues, "I have detected Inspector Scott bringing both the Hero and Mr Matsui Junior to the site with her. Transmigrator, be cautious when we commence our attack later. Fate may be attempting to kill with a borrowed knife."

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"Borrowed knife?" I repeat in confusion.

"A saying from your world." The Voice elaborates, "Remember, you are a fugitive and we are currently outside of Six Trees. The Hero may have been lured here by Fate to fight you. Defeating the Hero will set our plan to save the world back. In the alternative, your defeat might very well result in your capture or death. Either outcome from the fight will be detrimental to us."

I frown. Getting closer to the Hero would have solved this issue, but the problem lay in the fact that Fate knew that I ultimately wanted the Hero dead. That made getting closer to him hazardous for my health. Nothing for it then. I need way to keep the Hero from interfering while I do my job.

"We will deal with it when the time comes." I say while shutting my eyes for a quick nap.

"Agreed." The Voice responds, "Anything could happen in between."

....

"Tensei, Ken, we're here." Irene tells us, breaking her silence.

After Ken and I met up with Irene earlier at SOPO HQ when the sky was still dark, a chauffeured squad car took us directly to the building site where everyone else participating in the operation was waiting. Ken had been coiled up as tense as a spring throughout the entire journey here but I managed to calm him down somewhat at least. Confronting his family over something that he personally feels is wrong is not an easy thing to do. But that doesn't change the fact that it still is the right thing that needs to be done.

The early morning sun shines down on the assembled SOPO and RAU officers standing before us. Behind the officers are a pair of riot control APCs standing by. Irene nods briefly at the officers and the three of us walk towards the neatly arranged ranks to take our place. In the distance, we hear the noise of an advancing mob. Ken's family must have just arrived as well. Things are about to start.

"Both of you know what to do?" Irene asks us.

I nod saying, "When Ken's family shows up, he will use a bullhorn to get them to stand down. I'll be right behind him to make sure nobody tries anything. If things look like they're not working out, both of us will retreat behind the SOPO line."

"I can do this. I can do this." Ken repeats to himself, his eyes completely focused.

Irene looks at both of us and says, "Alright. Both of you don't take any unnecessary risks. Any sign of danger and you pull back, is that clear?"

We can see the mob forming at the site's entrance. Its huge, far larger than I thought was possible. Irene was right when she said that Ken's family is serious about wrecking this place. The mob crosses over the boundary of the site and cautiously edges towards the SOPO lines. The officers tense and ready themselves for action. Weapons are raised on both sides. The APCs swivel their turrets in the direction of the mob. A helicopter buzzes aimlessly overhead. You could cut the tension in the air with a knife.

Ken grabs a bull horn that was handed to him and both of us head to the front of the SOPO line together. The mob hesitates the moment it catches sight of Ken. Its already working, we can do this!

Ken raises the bull horn and speaks, "Who put you guys up to this? Is this how the family does things?"

The mob stops in its tracks, confusion over the collective faces of its members.

Ken strikes again while the iron is hot, "Have you forgotten that the Matsui name means something? We're not simple thugs for hire!" Murmurs now begin to erupt from the mob, it looks like they are discussing something urgently.

"If you want to wreck this place, you all have to go through me." Ken declares, staking his prestige as the Matsui heir on the line. That should be enough. No one in the family would hurt its heir apparent.

The mob parts, revealing a bald old man who walks forward and stops at the no man's land that has formed between the two sides. The old man gestures at Ken to join him there. Ken with an aghast expression on his face quickly drops the bull horn and rushes forward before I can stop him.

Isn't that Ken's father? This is bad, Ken's prestige as the heir is nothing compared to the actual head of the family. The two of them begin whispering to each other, but from the old man's furious expression, I can tell its not a pleasant discussion. The expression on Ken's face becomes determined and it looks like he is not going to back down either. As the two of them argue, I hear a crashing sound somewhere in the distance and the helicopter overhead drifts away.

The old man slaps Ken hard on the face before anyone can react. As Ken is nursing his cheek, the old man then grabs Ken by the arm and begins to drag. Ken struggles and in the tussle, shoves his father hard, causing the old man to tumble into the dirt. As everyone looks on at the family quarrel going on in front of them, I once again hear a series of crashing sounds, this time coming from much closer.

A shout of surprise comes from the Matsui side and I turn around to see what they are gawking at. Just in time to bear witness to an armored bulldozer plowing into a bungalow, obliterating the building utterly. The bulldozer does not stop and scrambles towards the next house in line, leveling the house with a single pass. The bulldozer's cabin then opens and a lighted molotov cocktail is thrown out towards a nearby landscaped park. The cocktail explodes on impact and fire spreads outwards, consuming the trees and shrubbery. Dust clouds the horizon, rising from the many houses that the bulldozer has already destroyed. Irene shouts in alarm, dispatching men to stop whomever is driving the bulldozer before it is too late.

On seeing this sight, Ken's father gestures urgently at his men, ordering them to charge the SOPO line. Ken just stands dumbly on the spot, unable to comprehend what is going on around him. I run towards Ken and try to pull him back to safety, but the tidal wave of men engulfs us, cutting us off from Irene and the rest.

As the chaos around us surges, I hear Irene's desperate shouting in the distance. But I can't get back to her now. Ken is being dragged away by his father's men. I have to save him.

No, I must save him. What kind of friend would I be otherwise?