It all happened in an instant. Almost too quickly for me to process.
Mila's weapon swung wildly, her hands shaking with fear and desperation as she aimed the unwieldy shotgun at the monstrous figure. She pointed it at the monstrous figure before her, once her dear friend but now a twisted creature bent on her destruction. A a deafening blast, resounded as she squeezed the trigger but her aim was off, and the shot flew wide, missing its intended mark by a mile.
Mila's body slammed against the wall with a sickening thud as the shot threw off her balance, knocking the wind out of her and forcing her to drop her weapon. Danny's razor-sharp teeth gnashed hungrily, mere inches from her pale and terror-stricken face.
In the midst of the chaos, a deafening roar shook the air as the wounded bahkauv charged towards us. My mind screamed in panic as I sprinted towards Mila, every step feeling like an eternity as I desperately tried to reach her before it was too late.
Mila frantically scrambled away from the charging mutated Danny. She raised her weapon once more, but her trembling hands struggled to steady it against her body as she squeezed the trigger.
But the mutated creature was relentless, his eyes fixed on her neck as he closed in for the kill. With violently shaking hands, she squeezed the trigger, hoping against hope that it would be enough to save her from this nightmare.
A chilling gasp rang through the air as the gun let off a hollow click — the gun was empty.
A cry of desperation escaped Mila's lips, her eyes wild with panic. She tried to scramble away from the advancing creature in slow motion, but she was trapped. There was nowhere to run.
With each step feeling like an eternity, I watched in horror as Mila scrambled away from the charging mutated Danny, his jaws snapping eagerly at her neck.
And then, time seemed to speed up again. I lunged forward as my HUD lit up with danger, narrowly avoiding the bahkauv's claws as it dashed in from the side, swiping at me with one of its horrible spider-like talons. The bahkauv, sensing our desperation, chittered with triumphant glee as I neared Mila, its monstrous body moving to block my path.
The creature let out a guttural snarl, its twisted body lunging at me with razor-sharp claws glinting in the dim light. Its grotesque conical legs skittered across the cold, metallic floor as I frantically rolled and fired my shotgun, barely escaping its deadly grasp. But the bahkauv was relentless, shrieking with malice as it relentlessly pursued me.
With adrenaline pumping through my veins, I launched myself towards Mila, narrowly avoiding the bahkauv's slashing limbs. She looked at me with terror-filled eyes, her hope flickering like a dying flame as she realized our desperate situation.
I knew I wouldn't make it in time to save her from the monster that used to be Danny. But then, something unimaginable happened.
A sudden gust of wind roared through the armory, and in a blur of movement, an unknown figure appeared out of thin air, intercepting the zombified Danny with incredible speed. A flash of metal caught my eye as a powerful armguard slammed into the beast's jaw, halting its advance with brute force.
I did a double-take in that split second.
A towering figure loomed before us, his muscular frame encased in a sharp officer's uniform. His jet black hair framed a stoic, youthful face with piercing crimson eyes that burned with a fierce determination.
In one fluid motion, he shifted Danny's weight to the side and drew out a gleaming falchion with a single-edged, hooked blade. The sword sang through the air as it sliced towards Danny's knees, slicing through them like butter. A guttural howl of agony erupted from Danny as he fell to the ground.
Without missing a beat, the swordsman followed up with another strike, the blade tearing through Danny's throat in a sickening spray of blood. The creature's haunting blue eyes flickered for a brief moment before he crumpled lifelessly to the ground.
The swordsman didn't pause, his movements fluid and precise as he flicked the blood off his blade without breaking stride. He closed in on the bahkauv chasing me, his dark figure blending into the shadows like a deadly phantom.
Danny's eyes flashed golden for a fleeting moment, a look of peace crossing his face before his body slumped lifelessly to the ground.
Mila let out a gasp of shock and relief as she watched the newcomer swiftly dispatch the corrupted Danny. Her body shook with emotion as she leaned against the wall, trying to process the sudden turn of events. I landed with a thud beside her, bracing for a shock that never came, blunted by the drone's senses. Adrenaline still coursing through my veins, I took deep breaths to calm myself as reality sunk in and I turned around to take in our savior’s presence.
The swordsman wore an elegant navy military coat with red and green accents that seemed to emit a subtle glow. It added to his imposing presence as he stood before us. His raven black hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail, and his expression was dark and brooding. He had sharp, youthful features with high cheekbones and a narrow jawline. His eyes were almond-shaped and burned like fierce crimson embers. If I had to guess, he was probably in his late twenties or early thirties.
However, it was his sword that caught my eye.
His blade was thick and slightly curved, adorned with intricate etchings that glowed softly. The handle was wrapped in dark leather, and a phoenix spreading its wings was engraved on the hilt.
I’ve seen this sword somewhere before, I realized instantly. But where?
In a blur of movement, the swordsman was already locked in combat with the ferocious bahkauv behind me. His sword slashed through the air with deadly precision, each strike carving into the monstrous creature's flesh with an otherworldly force.
But the beast was not easily defeated. With a deafening screech, it retaliated and lunged at the swordsman, its spindly foreleg aimed like a deadly spear. Yet the swordsman's agility was unmatched as he twisted his body in an impossible angle and countered with a lightning-fast parry, trapping the creature's talon.
The sword let out a screech as it scraped against the creature's armor, but the swordsman was undeterred as he closed the distance in a heartbeat.
"Qingfeng Jian!" the swordsman shouted as his sword glowed with a searing red aura, casting an intense light that illuminated every corner of the darkened room.
Unfazed by the creature's size and speed, the swordsman closed in on his prey with relentless determination. With a powerful leap, he launched himself towards the bahkauv, his sword poised for a killing blow.
Faster than I could mentally process, I blinked again, only to realize he had successfully driven his blade deep into the monster's neck. A brilliant burst of red light briefly engulfed them both in its fiery glow, and the bahkauv let out one final chitter before collapsing to the ground.
And just like that, the battle was over.
The swordsman stood tall amidst the wreckage, his blade still glowing with residual energy as he withdrew it from the defeated creature.
Mila and I watched in stunned silence, neither of us quite able to believe what we had just witnessed.
"Are you hurt?" he asked in a calm, tenor voice that seemed to carry an underlying authority.
Mila glanced over at the fallen Danny and shook her head, her voice quivering slightly. "No… no, we're fine. Just fine."
The swordsman nodded, his gaze lingering on Danny's prone form. After a moment, he sheathed his sword and stepped forward, kneeling next to the fallen soldier.
"Ami tuofo," he whispered, placing a hand gently on Danny's forehead. "May you and your team find peace and rest in the hereafter. Your sacrifices will always be remembered and honored."
With a sad sigh, the swordsman closed Danny's eyelids and stood back up.
Mila's eyes welled with tears as she watched the swordsman's respectful gesture. She reached out a trembling hand, touching Danny's cold cheek one last time before turning away, unable to bear the sight.
"I'm sorry for your loss," our savior spoke, his voice soft and sincere. “I am Captain Ouyang Ren of the Epsilon Company. I am here to assist in any way possible and to secure the base. I apologize that I could not arrive in time to save anyone else."
Mila wiped away her tears, nodding her appreciation to the Captain. "Thank… thank you, Captain Ouyang. I am Specialist Mila Bauer of the Northern Coalition. And a girl really can’t complain, given the circumstances. Your timing was impeccable."
Captain Ouyang gave a curt nod, his gaze shifting to me. "And you are?"
I hesitated for a moment, feeling somewhat insignificant in the presence of these seasoned soldiers.
"I'm Ikazuchi, a Support Operative from St. Antonia's Academy," I finally managed to say. "My purpose for being here is to gather intelligence on the anomaly above, and I am operating through this draupnir unit in order to do so."
The captain's eyes briefly widened in surprise and something I couldn't quite place, almost like recognition, flickered in them.
As quickly as it came, the flicker of surprise vanished, replaced by a look of interest and curiosity.
"Ikazuchi, huh? So, there's an anomaly outside? That's definitely something we need to address, but let's make sure our perimeter is secure first. How high is the priority for this mission? Expedited, I assume?" Captain Ouyang asked his gaze still on me.
His voice was calm, but his tone had an undeniable underlying sense of urgency.
I sighed, relieved that my concerns were being taken seriously, before quickly mentally reaching out to Rai-chan.
“Wait, isn’t he taking my mission a little too seriously? I’m just a kid in a proxy drone,” I spoke quietly.
“Well, here’s the thing. Anything to do with Magical Girls in the field facing a Magnitude 3 event and higher tends to be taken very, very seriously," Rai-chan replied, her voice a soothing hum. "I have a feeling he's seen too much not to know when something is important."
"Sir, the situation is dire. Expedited, captain. Our analysis shows that this is a Magnitude 4 Chaos Event in the making, and there are signs of a Novel Aberrant appearing above. We're trying to gather as much information as possible so the Magical Girls outside won't have to handle it fblind."
I shifted uncomfortably in my robotic body, feeling oddly detached from everything. Would he think I was too inexperienced or, worse, a liability?
Captain Ouyang's eyes met mine, and to my surprise, I saw a glint of recognition and understanding.
"Alright, well… let's get to work then. Specialist Bauer, do you happen to have clearance to open the outpost's hangar bay?"
Mila, still visibly shaken, managed to stammer out a response. "Y-yes, of course, sir."
Captain Ouyang sighed deeply, eyes scanning the area as if searching for hidden dangers. "It's a shame that the outpost was compromised after the command center was evacuated," he grumbled. "If we had anticipated the breach this early during the Chaos Event, we could have implemented a lockdown procedure and sealed off all access points. Now, we're left with a mess to clean up and potentially dangerous entities roaming free."
He reached into his coat, drawing something that looked like a radio with a crystal in it.
"Lieutenant Montezuma, this is Captain Ren speaking. I have secured the safety of the Professor and Ambassador, and require immediate extraction at the East Wing hangar," the Captain radioed, his voice almost strained with urgency. "I have a Support Operative and a Coalition Specialist with me, with other potential survivors along the way. The situation at Fort Hiawatha has gone beyond FUBAR. The Operative requires an immediate escort to the rift reported by the Coalition's Intelligence team. We will require full mechanized support and a tactical team on standby. Over."
The line crackled before a teen's voice responded: "A Support Operative? Copy that, Captain. Sending an extraction team to your location ASAP."
There was a pause before the voice added, "Sir, be advised. We've received multiple reports of elevated Chaos Energy readings in the area. Could be a Viscount or worse down there. Stay sharp. Over and out."
Captain Ouyang sighed once more. "Understood, Lieutenant. We'll proceed with caution and provide ongoing status updates. Over."
He pocketed the radio and rolled out his shoulder. "Alright, let's move out," he said, giving Mila a curt nod of acknowledgement.
Mila smiled back awkwardly, still visibly shaken but composed. Then, she wiped away her remaining tears and brushed herself off, ready to do her duty.
"Follow me, Captain," she said steely as she picked up her shotgun, loading it with a swift, practiced motion.
She winced briefly, nursing the wound on her side as she moved to one of the exits.
Captain Ouyang grunted in affirmation, adjusting the straps on his sword belt and falling into step behind her.
I hesitated briefly, looking back at Danny's body one last time, then followed closely behind them.
As we cautiously made our way through the dimly lit corridors towards the hangar bay, I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. The mysterious swordsman, Captain Ouyang Ren, had come out of nowhere to save Mila and me, but his appearance only raised more questions.
Who was he, exactly? And how did he know where to find us? What would have happened if he hadn't shown up?
I caught glimpses of his insignia and rank through my helmet visor as we navigated through the facility, but it only added to my confusion.
He seemed strangely familiar yet unfamiliar at the same time. I couldn't recall where I had seen him before. It was like a distant memory teasing at the edges of my mind.
Suddenly, my HUD buzzed with new information as we turned a corner.
"Status update, Captain. We've managed to gain access to some of the environmental monitoring equipment in the fort. Main power generator is offline, but emergency power is holding. Primary hangar doors are closed. Temperature and pressure readings within remain stable. Intensity of Chaos Energy readings in the sector continues to increase. Over."
"Should we be listening in on this?" I reached out to Rai-chan as we continued towards the hangar bay.
"Hey, you never know, we might learn something useful," Rai-chan replied matter-of-factly. "Unless you can see the future, this is what matters right now and everything counts. Besides, they're broadcasting on unencrypted channels."
"I suppose you're right…" I muttered, still feeling on edge about everything.
Mila looked back at me, raising an eyebrow as my voice came out louder than I thought it would through the drone's artificial synthesizer.
"Er, don't mind me," I mumbled, feeling embarrassed.
Mila simply nodded, a sympathetic look in her eyes. "Stress getting to ya, huh kid? Well, keep your wits about you, we're almost there," she said, her voice steady with an underlying tension.
As we turned another corner, distant gunfire, and a raucous stomping sound echoed through the corridor, causing Mila to stop. "Well, shit," she muttered, grabbing her shotgun and readying herself.
Captain Ouyang also drew his sword. "Stay close," he ordered, keeping his eyes focused. "There may be more survivors still fighting for their lives."
We cautiously made our way down the long corridor, the sound of guns firing getting louder and louder with each step. An otherworldly scream filled the air and caused my heart to skip a beat. A shiver ran down my spine.
"I've managed to access some data streams through the base's wi-fi," Rai-chan's voice rang in my mind. "I've located a personnel access gate about three turns away through a loading bay that will lead us directly to the hangar."
Just as she finished speaking, a deafening explosion rocked the corridor, sending us all stumbling. Bits of debris fell from the ceiling, and dust filled the air around us.
Captain Ouyang paused, his gaze narrowing as he surveyed the situation. "Status report!" he spoke into his radio, his voice laced with urgency.
The line buzzed with static before the lieutenant's voice crackled through. "Sir, we've detected a colossal spike in Chaos Energy levels. Reinforcements from Zayin squadron are en route to your location. Stay alert and maintain communication. Over."
The emergency lights flickered above us, casting an eerie glow over our determined footsteps. I fidgeted with one of the pistols strapped to my robotic body, unsure of what would wait for us up ahead.
As we approached the last turn, I could feel my heart racing faster with every step. My imagination ran wild with what nightmares lurked behind the walls, ready to leap out and snatch us away.
And then, the sound of the gunfire suddenly went completely silent.
It was as if all sound had been sucked out of the corridor, leaving a vacuum of anticipation that seemed to stretch on for an eternity. My ears strained to catch even the slightest whisper of a sound, but only the faint echo of our own footsteps met them.
The three of us froze in our tracks, every muscle tense and ready for action. Mila and Captain Ouyang held their weapons at the ready. At the same time, I clutched the pistol in my metal hand, suddenly feeling its weight all too clearly.
"On me," Captain Ouyang instructed, breaking the silence with his gravelly voice. "We move together, and stick to the walls. Stay close, and don't make a sound. Follow my lead."
The tension was palpable, and I could feel my nerves fraying. But I didn't dare show it, not with monsters potentially around every corner.
We slowly turned the corner, eyes scanning the empty hallway up ahead. The corridor opened into a spacious loading bay with towering walls stacked with crates and containers. Clearly, this was a hub designed for efficient logistics and transportation. An access gate to the hangar sat on the opposite side of the room, not too far away from the looks of it.
The access gate was a large metal door reinforced with thick steel and adorned with the Northern Coalition emblem.
The center of the emblem featured a stylized American oak tree, its branches reaching upwards, intertwining with a lion's mane that framed the top of the emblem. Below the tree, two crossed tomahawks rested, their blades glinting even in the dim light. The tree's roots extended downwards, merging into the intricate pattern of an eastern dragon and feathered serpent twining around the lower half of the emblem.
The three of us slowly made our way across the loading bay in a loose formation, eyes sweeping across the empty room. Something didn't feel right about the quiet. It was almost too quiet, like the calm before a storm.
"Rai-chan, please run an analysis," I commanded, reaching out to my companion. "Let's see what we can figure out here."
"Will do, Ikki. Just be careful — we haven't even gotten outside yet and your mana reserves are already at half," Rai-chan chided back, concern lacing her voice.
"I know, I know," I muttered, my eyes never leaving the access gate. "But I don't like this. Something's off."
My HUD lit up with a blue holographic interface, quickly displaying the results of Rai-chan's scans. "Yeah, this is unsettling. Infrared scans don't detect any life forms," she reported with a noticeable tension. But the air quality is... off. There are no signs of active Chaos Energy, and the trace amounts present are significantly higher than expected in a normally functioning environment. Humidity and atmospheric pressure readings are also skewed, but not excessively."
I frowned, trying to make sense of her findings as I immediately followed a hunch. "Any sign of gunfire? Or any signs of battle taking place?"
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
"That's the unsettling part," Rai-chan said in response. "There's chemical evidence of a significant amount of explosive activity and firearms discharge, but where are the bullet holes? The scorch marks? The bodies? The destruction should be visible, but it's not. It's like an entire battle here just… vanished."
A chill ran down my spine as we cautiously approached the access gate. I couldn't shake off the feeling that we were walking into a trap somehow, a carefully orchestrated ambush that would catch us off guard.
Our footsteps echoed in the emptiness of the now eerie loading bay, the silence deafening as we drew closer to the goal. Captain Ouyang's eyes darted left and right, scanning the empty space for any signs of danger as we finally approached the heavily fortified gate. Mila stepped forward as Captain Ouyang turned around, positioning himself to use his sword in case of any surprise attacks.
"Specialist Bauer, please proceed," Captain Ouyang ordered, his voice steady and commanding.
Mila hesitated briefly, her hand hovering over the control panel. The stress of the past hour briefly flashed across her eyes, but she quickly regained her composure and pressed her hand against a biometric scanner. The door beeped, and a red light illuminated, the panels blinking as an error message appeared on the display.
"What's wrong?" Captain Ouyang asked, concern creeping into his voice.
Mila shook her head, her face contorted with frustration. "Someone has locked down the hangar bay. I don't have the authorization to override it. These doors and walls are designed to take several hits from a fully amped up Juggernaut so we’re going to have to figure out another way through."
"Damn it," Captain Ouyang muttered, frustration evident in his tone. "We may need to find another exit or..."
Ouyang's voice trailed off as he looked at his sword, a resigned look crossing his face. He quickly removed his officer's coat, revealing a sleek, black, wet suit underneath.
His hands trembled as he stripped off the coat and threw off a matching black t-shirt, exposing an intricate tattoo running down the center of his body. The design was a blur of red and black ink, almost like a moving Rorschach test with distinct lines and curves mapping out a complex web. As he stood in his skintight suit, the tattoo seemed to emit a faint glow, pulsing to the beat of his racing heart.
Mila watched in awe, her hand lingering on the control panel as she took in the strange tattoo. "Wait. Is that a...?" she whispered.
The Captain didn't respond; instead, he focused on the door. He gestured at Mila to clear the way as he slowly approached it. The tattoo seemed to grow brighter, and his whole body began to tremble as sickening blue veins appeared on his skin, spreading from the tattoo.
Taking a deep breath, Captain Ouyang raised his sword and settled into a low stance. His tattoo lit up in a brilliant red hue, casting an otherworldly light throughout the room. A burst of red light erupted from the sword, and he brought it across in a sweeping slash. Then, a red beam burst from the sword, searing into the metal door, which warped under the beam's intensity as it collapsed into a pile of molten scraps.
Captain Ouyang collapsed to his knees on the floor, gasping for air as sweat poured from his brow. His tattoo flickered and pulsed out, the intensity of the glow slowly fading.
"Captain!" Mila shrieked.
I quickly rushed to Captain Ouyang's side, helping him to his feet. "Are you okay, sir?"
He forced a smile, trying to regain his composure. "I'm fine. Just... let's move," he said, gripping my arm tightly.
I stared at the tattoo on his torso, my mind racing with questions and worry. "What… what was that?" I asked.
Captain Ouyang looked at me, his eyes filled with a dutiful resoluteness. "That, young Support Operative was the Oblation of Mount Tai."
Droplets of sweat dotted his forehead, glistening in the harsh light, and his knees buckled briefly as he tried to regain his balance. I couldn't help but pity him as he tried to wipe them away with a trembling hand. His confident stance had given way to one of pure exhaustion, his shoulders slumped and eyes heavy with fatigue. With great effort, the Captain straightened up and snatched his coat from the ground, gesturing for us to follow with a subtle nod. His gaze remained fixed on the entrance to the hangar bay as he collected himself, determined to keep up his facade of strength.
Mila hesitantly approached the newly opened gate and looked around the doorway. "Ugh. Those things give me the creeps. And aren't Sisyphus and the Confederacy against them??"
Captain Ouyang's gaze was unflinching as he replied, "Yes… but nevertheless, I will not apologize for doing everything in my power to keep those around me safe."
A haunted look briefly crossed his face as he surveyed the damage before he gestured at us to follow him. We carefully stepped over the molten metal of the door that had been obliterated, the acrid smell assaulting our senses. As we entered the massive hangar, I couldn't help but be amazed by the sight. The ceilings towered above us, held up by sturdy steel beams. At the same time, bright lights cast eerie shadows over the row of fifteen-foot-tall mechs standing at attention inside.
My gaze roamed across the ceiling until they landed on the distinct design of Terran war mechs. They were sleeker than the one I had clumsily taken control of back on Earth, but their presence was just as intimidating.
Rai-chan's voice rang as if she'd caught my curiosity. "The Mk. III models here are a significant upgrade from the Mk. I units we found on that road back home," she explained, her tone tinged with a hint of excitement. "These have drastically improved hydraulic systems, reinforced exo-armor, and dual-mode weaponry capable of long-range assaults and close-combat engagements."
I gulped, briefly resurfacing memories of my frantic and chaotic fight in the stolen mech on Earth. Although it had only been a few weeks, it felt like a lifetime ago. A twinge of longing for home pricked my heart when I thought about my father and sister, but I pushed those emotions away.
"Status update, Lieutenant?" Captain Ouyang spoke into his radio. His voice was stiff and tense, and I could hear the worry in his tone.
"Sir, we are approximately seven or eight minutes out," a familiar young voice crackled through Ouyang's radio. "Hostile activity has escalated, but we've managed to create an opening. Prepare the landing zone as best as you can."
"Understood. Keep me informed on your progress," Captain Ouyang replied, his grip tightening on his sword.
I could see the worry etched on his face as he glanced at Mila and me. "Specialist Bauer, let's get the landing zone set up."
Mila nodded, "Y-yes sir. The console is over there," she pointed towards a large, glowing console on the far wall across the hangar. "Hopefully my credentials will work this time."
We sprinted toward the console, our footsteps echoing ominously throughout the empty hangar. As we approached the console, I noticed that the sound of battle grew increasingly distant, replaced by an eerie silence that lingered in the air. My heart began to race as a sense of unease washed over me. Captain Ouyang's eyes never left the entrance to the hangar bay as he tensed up, holding his sword at the ready.
Mila quickly pressed some buttons, her fingers flying across the console's keypad. The red light flashed again, but the door didn't budge.
"It seems the lockdown was more extensive than I thought," Mila said, her voice shaky. "I don't have the clearance to override it."
Captain Ouyang took a deep breath, his face contorted with frustration as he looked over the console. "We might have to improvise," he said, his voice firm despite the clear irritation.
Just then, the echoing silence was shattered by a faint, unsettling scraping sound, like claws on metal. Mila's fingers paused on the console, her eyes widening as she turned to Captain Ouyang and me.
"Do you guys hear that?" she whispered, the color draining from her face.
Captain Ouyang raised his sword, his eyes scanning the shadows that clung to the corners of the vast hangar. "Watch my back," he commanded, stepping toward one of the mechs.
Our steps slowed as the sound grew louder, a haunting echo that seemed to come from all around us. Mila stayed close to the console, her fingers hovering over the keys in case of a quick escape. At the same time, I tried to follow the noise with my gaze, shifting uneasily.
"Something's here," I spoke flatly. The shadows between the mechs seemed deeper and more threatening, and it was impossible not to imagine eyes lurking there, watching us.
Mila's eyes were wide, a flicker of fear passing over her features as she glanced at Ouyang. "Captain, should we...?" Her voice trailed off as she gestured towards the towering exit doors at the far end of the hangar.
A sudden clatter from the darkest corner of the hangar had us all spinning around. The echo of falling tools created a cacophony of metallic sounds that reverberated through the vast space, amplifying the sense of danger closing in on us.
Captain Ouyang paused, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the darkness. Then, he broke off into a breakneck sprint, his blade gleaming in the dim light as he moved toward the source of the noise. Mila and I exchanged a glance, uncertainty flickering in her eyes, but we followed, staying close.
A red flash of light erupted from Captain Ouyang's sword as he turned a corner, and the clattering grew more frantic. Mila and I rounded a stack of high-tech cargo, our weapons ready.
Then, amid a tangle of cables and metal parts, we saw them.
Two figures were crouched behind a toppled supply crate, their eyes wide with terror. And thankfully, they were human.
A tall man, lanky and a chubby woman of average height, both engineers by the looks of their grease-stained overalls. The man's hair was a mess of curly green locks, with pasty white skin, blue eyes, and an unkempt beard that seemed like it hadn't been trimmed in weeks. His companion, a woman with reddish-brown skin and bright pink hair tied back in a messy bun, had her eyes fixed on the hangar's entrance.
The man flung a wrench in our direction as we approached—not in aggression, but pure reflexive fear. It clattered harmlessly a few feet away. "Don't shoot, don't shoot!" he stammered, his voice high-pitched with panic.
The woman was equally frantic, holding a screwdriver like a poor excuse for a weapon. "We're just techs!" she squeaked. "Please, we thought you were a —"
Mila lowered her shotgun slightly, squinting at the figures. Recognition flickered across her face. "Jeff? Sunflower?" she said, her tone shifting from tense to bewildered. "What are you guys doing here?"
Jeff tried to muster a smile through his trembling lips. "Trying... trying to stay alive," he chuckled weakly. Sunflower nodded vigorously, still clutching her screwdriver.
"Everyone else ran," Sunflower explained, her voice shaky. But we... we got cornered. We hid here. We tried to lock down the hangar. We thought we were goners when we heard something coming up the loading bay not too long ago."
"Explains why I couldn't get in here," Mila muttered with a frustrated scowl.
Captain Ouyang stepped closer, sheathing his sword. He offered a nod of reassurance to the techs. "You did well to stay hidden," he commended, a steady tenor hum filling the cold metal expanse. "But now, we need your help. Can you secure the hangar controls? We have a team coming in to exfiltrate everyone."
Jeff's face brightened, rubbing his neck as he glanced at Sunflower. "Extraction? Yeah, yeah, we can try," he stammered, still jittery but eager to prove useful.
Sunflower nodded, her grip on the screwdriver loosening as she realized the immediate threat had subsided.
"Good," Ouyang replied crisply. "We need the lights on the runway operational. Time is not on our side."
"Say uh, how did you three get in here?" Sunflower asked. "We had the gate locked down pretty tight with Jeff's credentials. Ain't the easiest thing to bypass."
Captain Ouyang exchanged a glance with Mila before looking back at the pair. "Well, let's just say it wasn't locked tight enough. We had to... make our own entry."
Jeff's eyebrows shot up, and Sunflower chuckled nervously.
"Say u-uh, did you guys see anything in the loading bay before coming i-in here?" Jeff stammered nervously. "We did lock ourselves in here for a reason, you know. There were an awful lot of gunshots and screams out there."
Mila's face hardened slightly, and she glanced at Captain Ouyang. "No. We did hear gunshots as we approached the loading bay, but there was no sign of a struggle or anything hostile when we passed through."
Sunflower exchanged a worried look with Jeff. "Well, that's odd. Because just before we sealed ourselves in here, we heard... and I mean, it could've been our imaginations, but..." She trailed off, her expression serious.
Jeff picked up where she left off, his voice trembling. "We thought we heard something big—like, really big—clomping around out there. It made the whole floor vibrate."
I squirmed in my seat, watching as Rai-chan scanned the area with streams of light flowing across my HUD. The atmosphere in the room was becoming tense, and something didn't seem quite right.
"We heard it too," Mila confirmed, her voice tight with unease. "But we didn't see anything. It's... strange."
Captain Ouyang's eyes narrowed as the implications of their conversation began to settle. "Strange indeed," he murmured, his gaze shifting toward the dimly lit corners of the hangar. "You two… Jeff and Sunflower, was it? I need you two to prepare the dock for exfiltration. Specialist Bauer - please stay with them and aid them with what you can."
"Understood," Mila replied quickly, her gaze sweeping the hangar's shadow-filled perimeters.
Captain Ouyang then turned to me, his expression solemn. "Ikazuchi? You're with me. We're going to backtrack a bit."
"Huh? What's up?" I asked, my voice slightly cracking as I followed Captain Ouyang's steady pace back towards the loading bay.
Captain Ouyang didn't respond immediately. His expression was grave as we moved cautiously, his eyes scanning every shadow. "There's something off about this whole situation. We're missing a piece of the puzzle here, and I'd rather not be caught off guard."
Following his lead, I nodded as we retraced our steps toward the loading bay. I briefly turned to look back at the two engineers and Mila, who were beginning to work on the dock controls on the far side of the room.
"Captain, are you sure we should focus on this right now?" I asked, sweeping over the room again. "Your team will be here to move us out in just a few minutes, right?
"Yes, that is still the plan," he replied, his voice low and calm. "However, I have learned to trust my instincts."
The debris of the ruined door lay scattered about, and we stopped at the entrance where Captain Ouyang bent down to touch the ground.
"Most curious. I can certainly detect significantly elevated ambient chaos energy levels here, but no actual trace of a physical confrontation. No bullet casings, no blood... nothing," Captain Ouyang muttered, running his fingers over the smooth metal floor.
"There's definitely ample amounts of firearm discharge here too," I added.
"Firearms discharge?" he echoed, brows furrowing as he turned to look at me. "How did you determine that?"
"Er…" I hesitated, realizing I might have slipped up about Rai-chan's existence. "I've been running some uh, environmental analysis algorithms," I quickly covered.
Captain Ouyang nodded thoughtfully, his gaze lingering on me for a moment longer than necessary before he turned his attention back to the ground. "Environmental analysis, huh? Useful feature. Your… varsity Magitech kids are getting savvier by the day. Reminds me of my… extended family, I suppose."
He trailed off, a faint smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth as he recalled a memory.
"What can I say? I'm trying my best out here sir," I responded, trying to lighten the mood with a nervous chuckle.
The sound of distant fighting continued to echo in the background, quickly reminding me that we had a battlefield to reach soon. But something was unsettling about the silence that had fallen over the loading bay. As if acknowledging it, Captain Ouyang stood up and glanced around, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword.
"Alright, Ikazuchi, let's make a quick sweep of the area. Keep your eyes open and your weapon ready," he said, his tone serious and alert.
We moved forward cautiously, our footsteps almost inaudible on the metallic floor. I couldn't shake the feeling that we were stepping into a trap.
As we rounded a stack of crates, I caught a glimpse of something staring at me in the periphery of my vision. I jerked my head towards the movement, but all I saw was empty space.
A chill ran down my spine, and I tightened my grip on my pistol.
"Did you see that?" I whispered.
Captain Ouyang paused, his eyes scanning the dark recesses of the room. "No. I didn't. What was it?"
"Just... something. A flickering shadow, maybe?" I muttered, not entirely sure of what I'd seen.
Captain Ouyang's gaze sharpened, a trace of suspicion coloring his expression. "Shadows huh? They sure have a funny way of moving at the edge of your vision... don't they?"
He let out a frown, taking a deep breath.
"We'd better keep moving," he said, motioning with a nod. "Let's just perform a quick sweep and get out of here."
We proceeded through the loading bay, our eyes wide, darting between the stacks of crates and shadowy alcoves. Captain Ouyang's footsteps were measured and silent, and I followed closely behind him, my senses on high alert.
Then it happened.
The shadows around us suddenly deepened, almost like a trick of the light, but I knew I wasn't imagining it. The contrast between the dimly lit background and the corners of the hangar even seemed to sharpen for a moment.
And then, just as suddenly, the light withdrew, and the shadows softened back to their original shade.
My breath hitched, the cold fear seeping into my bones. I couldn't explain it, but the air felt heavier, charged with an ominous energy.
"Captain?" My voice barely carried out of the drone's voice box, tense and unsure.
He didn't respond, his focus fixed ahead, sword drawn, moving with deliberate caution.
"I noticed it too," Captain Ouyang growled, confirming my suspicions. "Something is definitely off."
My HUD flickered unexpectedly as Rai-chan's voice cut in. "Ikki, stay sharp. There's an abnormal spike in localized chaos energy right around you. I'm trying to isolate it, but it's erratic and hard to pinpoint."
My pulse quickened as the words confirmed my fears. I scanned the seemingly empty spaces between the stacked supplies and shadowed corners. "Captain, I think we should pull back. Stay close to the others just in case."
Captain Ouyang's face was tense with worry, and he nodded in agreement. "We'll head back to the group and reassess our situation from there. Keep your weapon at the ready and stay in visual contact with me at all times."
As we returned to the hangar, I could hear the creaking sound of the doors opening. A dark silhouette of a transport craft flew overhead, its blades cutting through the darkening sky through the windows. At the same time, a landing pad began to light up outside, illuminating the dimly lit hangar with blinding lights.
The Captain and I picked up to a jog, constantly checking behind us. Something ominous seemed to be lurking in the shadows, and I couldn't shake off the eerie feeling that we were being watched.
As we approached the group of engineers and Mila, I noticed Jeff was working diligently on the dock controls, sweat glistening on his brow. Sunflower was examining a weapon terminal, her eyes narrowed in concentration. Mila stood by, her gaze flickering over the two of them.
"So! You finally found some time to join us," Sunflower said, not looking up from the terminal. "We've almost got this place in working order; we just need to figure out the power distribution. Find anything back there?"
Captain Ouyang immediately addressed the team. "We've encountered some strange activity in the hangar, so we're going to need to move quickly just to be safe. Ikazuchi and I will take point, with the engineers and Mila following closely behind. Keep your eyes peeled and your weapons ready. Is Robin One clear to land?"'
"Roger that, Captain," Jeff replied, his hands moving deftly over the control panel. "Robin One is good to go. All systems are online, and the landing pad is now aligned. Preparing for descent."
"Thank you… Jeff," Captain Ouyang said as he pulled out his radio. "Robin One, this is Captain Ouyang. You are clear for immediate landing. Please initiate extraction."
The crackle of static filled the air, followed by a brisk acknowledgment. "Copy that, Captain. Robin One initiating descent."
As the group prepared for the transport's arrival, the tension didn't ebb. Each of us was acutely aware of the potential threats lurking in the unseen corners of the hangar. I couldn't help but glance nervously around, my hand gripping the pistol tighter.
Suddenly, a low, ominous rumble echoed through the hangar. The sound was deep and resonant, like something massive shifting everywhere at once. My heart skipped a beat, and I swiveled around, searching the darkness.
"Did everyone hear that?" I asked.
Mila nodded, her face tense. "Yeah, sounded like... something big is on the move. I don't like the sound of it."
The eerie rumble reverberated through the hangar once more. Captain Ouyang's hand tightened around the hilt of his sword, his eyes scanning the perimeter.
"Start moving outside, everyone. Specialist Bauer — take point and stay alert," he commanded, his voice a sharp edge of authority in the stifling atmosphere.
Sunflower and Jeff exchanged a fearful look but quickly fell in line behind Mila. We moved as a tight unit, our feet echoing in the vast, empty space of the hangar.
My HUD flashed suddenly with a surge of data, warning indicators blinking wildly. "Ikki, massive chaos energy surge detected! Something is here with you!" Rai-chan's voice echoed in my head, urgent and sharp.
As we cautiously approached the looming hangar doors, the sound of an approaching transport craft filled the air, offering us hope of escape.
But there was a menacing undercurrent pulsing stronger as if something sinister lurked nearby.
Captain Ouyang suddenly stopped, his gaze locked onto a dark corner of the hangar. I gripped my weapon tighter, scanning the area for signs of danger. The humming grew louder and was now accompanied by a sharp clanging noise, like metal claws scraping against each other. Mila and the engineers pressed in closer to us while Sunflower's teeth froze with a petrified look.
Then, without warning, the entire hangar shook violently as if the ground itself was about to split open. A deep growl reverberated through the space, bouncing off the metal walls and filling every inch with its menacing presence. It seemed to come from all directions at once, making it impossible to pinpoint its source.
"Figures…" Captain Ouyang muttered, drawing his sword as he slowed down, beckoning us to hurry. "Keep going!"
We hurried on, our footsteps a sharp contrast to the low growling that seemed to surround us. As we reached the massive hangar doors, the air suddenly felt charged, a static buzz prickling at the back of my neck. Mila paused, her eyes wide, shotgun raised, as she stared at the doors leading to the runway.
"Something's not right," she whispered, tension vibrating in her voice.
Before anyone could respond, the space at the hangar entrance shimmered, and reality seemed to warp and twist. A portal ripped open with a horrific sound, like tearing fabric, spilling forth an icy wind that buffeted our group.
The scraping noise intensified, drawing nearer with every passing second. The shadows around us seemed to pulse and thicken like they were alive.
And then, the lights in the hangar went out.
The runway's lights were the only light in the darkness that now enveloped us, casting long, eerie shadows that danced ominously on the walls.
Captain Ouyang's firm and unwavering voice cut through the tension. "Hold your ground! Weapons ready, eyes sharp!" His sword glinted in the dim light as he took a defensive stance, his gaze fixed on the shifting shadows at the hangar entrance.
Mila took a step back, her instincts razor-sharp as she aimed her shotgun at the shifting shadows.
A guttural growl pierced the air, sending a shiver down my spine. The hangar seemed to constrict around us, oppressive and suffocating.
I could hear Sunflower frantically muttering some sort of incantation under her breath, her hands glowing faintly with power.
Then, amidst the suffocating darkness, a pair of luminescent blue eyes appeared, glowing ominously within the shadows. They blinked once, slow and deliberate, the gaze unnerving and penetrating.
The shadows stretched and twisted, coalescing into a towering figure in the middle of the entranceway. A wraith-like monster, made entirely of shadows, stood before us, its form blurry and shifting,
The air around us seemed to freeze as the creature stepped forward, its eyes gleaming with a malevolent intelligence.
Then, reality itself tore apart.
A rift shifted in the hangar doors, spanning across the entrance, warping the air with its presence. The monstrous shadow moved, its form coalescing into a twisted, nightmarish, wraith-like creature, unlike anything I had ever seen. Its elongated limbs ended in razor-sharp claws that dripped with a dark, viscous substance. Its form flickered and shifted like it struggled to maintain a solid shape in our world.
And then, another figure stepped through the rift, head bowed, its movements slow and deliberate. It was a soldier wearing a Northern Coalition olive drab uniform, but something was off about him. His movements were jerky and unnatural, like a marionette controlled by unseen hands.
And then another soldier walked forward by his side, and another beside him, until several dozen soldiers emerged from the rift, trudging forward with their heads bowed. Their uniforms were tattered, soaked with shadows that seemed to cling to them like a second skin. As they reached the edge of the light cast by the transport's beams, they halted, eerily synchronized.
The soldiers stood in a rigid formation, their eyes hidden in the shadows of their helmets. The eerie silence that followed was deafening, broken only by the sound of the helicopter rotor blades slicing through the air as it descended towards the landing pad outside.
Mila's breath hitched beside me. "Jackson? Seneca?" she whispered, recognizing some of the figures. Her voice carried a mix of disbelief and dread.
As if controlled by an invisible force, the soldiers moved in unison at the sound of her call. Their steps were jerky and mechanical, devoid of human grace or emotion. Like puppets on strings, they lined up in perfect formation, their heads tilting upwards in a chilling display of synchronicity.
Mila's hands shook as she clutched her shotgun tightly. She stepped back as even more rifts seemed to open around us. The soldiers' eyes remained hidden, but their presence emanated a palpable, raw feeling of malevolence.
And then, each soldier's eyes snapped open, a unified flare of eerie blue piercing the hangar's gloom.
The soldiers' faces were masks of emptiness, their eyes hollow and devoid of life. Yet, a flicker of recognition was in their gaze as they locked onto Mila.
"Prepare yourselves!" Captain Ouyang barked, his voice commanding and resolute.
He raised his sword, its blade gleaming with a faint, ethereal red light that danced along several glowing runes etched into the metal. The soldiers in front of us remained motionless, their gaze fixed on Mila with a haunting intensity.
"Ikki," Rai-chan's voice resonated through my drone body. "I'm picking up another reading. It's big."
"Seriously?" I asked in disbelief.
The shadows at the far end of the hangar began to shift, swirling into a denser, darker mass. The portal pulsed, its edges flickering with a sinister blue light. A thunderous noise grew louder from its depths as if something massive was forcing its way through the rift.
I glanced at Mila, her face pale under the harsh light of the transport's beams, her shotgun trembling in her grip. She was a soldier, yes, but it was clear the horror unfolding before us was beyond anything training could prepare her for.
As the sound escalated, the air in the hangar twisted, and the temperature dropped sharply, gripping us with an unnatural cold. Shadows stretched across the floor, reaching out like fingers towards us.
And then, another shape began to emerge from the portal. Massive and imposing, the silhouette of six wolf-like shadow creatures loomed from the darkness.
The soldiers stepped aside, forming a corridor for the creatures, their blue eyes now casting an ominous glow on the advancing creatures. The beasts' eyes flickered with a hungry light, their maws dripping with blue, chaos-infused ichor.
"Beowulves…" I whispered in recognition.
The six monstrous beasts, classified as Knight-class Chaos Beasts, were known for their agility and minor illusory abilities. Standing at an impressive six feet tall at the shoulder, they resembled shadowy wolves with a twisted, inky black coat of shadows that seemed to blend into the darkness around them.
Streaks of blue chaos energy crackled across their bodies like lightning, adding to their fearsome appearance.
The air crackled with tension as the wraith-like leader slowly raised its grotesque, elongated arms towards the ceiling, its fingers ending in jagged, shadowy claws that seemed to tear through reality itself.
Then, without warning, all hell broke loose.
The sudden howl of the Beowulves shattered the tense standoff, reverberating through the hangar. As shadows swirled around their forms, poised to strike, the floor beneath our feet seemed to throb with malignant energy.
As dry as ever, Rai-chan's voice buzzed in my head, "You know, you really know how to pick your school field trips, Ikki."
I sighed, gripping my pistol tighter, "Tell me about it."
And then, the first Beowulf hurtled forward, its jaws agape. Shadows subsumed the light outside, and everything went dark.