CHAPTER 72: TENSION
[1:30 p.m.].
Aurora checked the time on her watch and sighed.
She had been working since she arrived making all the preparations and even though she was the one giving orders; it was exhausting to have to take care of all the organization.
Turning around, she noticed Clémentine, Érica, and Leslie, who wore serious looks as they were following her along with Alice.
“We’ll walk. Activate your barriers in case of emergency. This is a war zone and General Kavuri’s forces have no regard for neutrals,” Aurora reported.
They were heading for the camp of the ‘Lord of Mombasa’s’ forces.
The most advisable thing to do was to go around Lake ‘Nakuru’ and head east of the city where the camp was located. However, Aurora was taking a more direct trip through the middle of the city.
It was extremely dangerous.
There could be militiamen, snipers, combat vehicles, or encounter any militiamen under General Kavuri. Despite that, Aurora chose this route.
“We will check the battlefield personally. Remember not to fly or you will be an easy target. Don’t draw attention to yourselves, and don’t act rashly, putting yourselves at risk,” Aurora warned with a strict tone and seeing that the young women nodded, she ordered. “Activate your stealth systems.”
Giving a glance at her dear friend, who was munching on chips as if it was nothing, she started heading towards the camp, following a smaller street instead of the main one.
The stealth system was not powerful enough to hide them completely during the day. Still, it was enough to conceal them superficially, except from those with sharper senses.
It had limitations, as they could be caught if they had detection artifacts or they got too close to other people.
Aurora led the way, watching the buildings and some refugees or adventurers passing by from time to time.
They were still in the Apicius Enterprise’s area of influence, so they had no problems.
Some local militiamen spotted them, sometimes giving glances that revealed malicious intentions that Aurora immediately perceived and ignored them.
That was because when they saw the black arms sticking out of Alice’s back, their expressions changed.
It was rather bizarre; she had to admit, but it worked and was more useful than giving an empty threat or flashing a weapon.
Her group exercised to keep fit and their bodies were stronger than a normal human’s, so even though they walked quite fast, no one was tired.
As they were getting closer to the center of Nakuru City, the surroundings became more depopulated.
It was not that no one lived in this area, but that everyone was hiding, with no desire to go out, generating a silent and desolate atmosphere, almost gloomy.
Although for quite some time there was no ‘government’ in charge of controlling the area, the place maintained decent prosperity thanks to the guilds that stayed in the surroundings.
The principal route to the port of Mombasa remained active before the war, which made it possible for goods to keep coming in and, sometimes, in large quantities, thanks to the space rings of some guilds.
However, when they entered the conflict zone, the situation changed.
Occasionally they were watched through the windows with extreme caution by some residents who noticed movement, other times groups would flee when they saw them.
Nakuru was not a major war zone like Nairobi, yet the consequences of the conflict reached this region.
Moving down the street, the group stopped as they noticed a building in the center.
“That...” Clémentine murmured as she saw some bodies hanging on a building.
It was obvious at a glance that they were common militiamen, but the way they were hanging at the entrance of the building made it look as if it was a territorial warning.
“Let’s move on. We need to go straight to the camp,” Aurora interrupted with a solemn expression.
She noticed how Clémentine, Leslie, and Érica’s expressions changed in different ways.
War was cruel... It always was, and that would never change.
It was shocking that students as young as eighteen were watching these scenes. Aurora could sense how they were holding back their urge to vomit and that their expressions were revealed, wanting to play ‘tough’.
‘They were militiamen’... That was the only word that served as an excuse to avoid reality.
Only Leslie, who had read the report, wore a cooler expression on her face.
Aurora moved forward faster, leaving the neutral zone and heading towards the camp of the Lord of Mombasa forces.
On the way, they heard some gunfire and explosions coming from the northeast where the conflict was taking place.
They came across some collapsed buildings, destroyed armored vehicles, and battle marks that showed the heavy fighting that was taking place.
In Nakuru it conducted the war in small skirmishes, it was true, but the fighting was fierce.
Both the ‘Somali Terror’ and the ‘Lord of Mombasa’ were S-rank warlords, yet under their command were dozens of A-ranks and thousands of heavily armed militiamen.
Their battles would undoubtedly be of a different scale to a low-rank beast when using modern weapons.
“Stop,” Aurora suddenly stopped.
They had already entered the area of influence of the Lord of Mombasa’s forces and were heading through the center, away from the border conflict points.
Still, just because it was far from the points of conflict didn’t mean the security was any less.
Aurora looked ahead where a crossroads between buildings lay and perceived the security post.
Deactivating her stealth, Aurora walked toward that security post.
*BANG*
A warning bullet landed at Aurora’s feet, and she only looked up.
She could sense that her group was tense and had prepared themselves in case combat started, but Aurora kept her gaze straight ahead.
“I’ve come to talk to your boss because of our trucks being stolen!” Aurora said aloud, identifying the soldiers who were hiding in the building.
With her keen senses, she could feel the presence of ten armed soldiers and, even though it was a high number, there was nothing remarkable about them.
They were not skill users or if they were, then they were too weak and easy to spot.
“...” No one responded to her words.
She had made it clear that they ‘stole’ her trucks, and while such words could cause trouble, they were what started it.
Despite her youth, Aurora had been in Africa for five years and had seen warlords rise and also fall when they crossed a line they were not supposed to cross.
She would not be easily intimidated and had come prepared.
“Cease fire!” ordered a soldier in a better groomed military uniform and signaled others to follow him to approach.
As a group, they moved forward towards Aurora with their weapons in hand.
The soldiers’ expressions were of superiority, perhaps because of Aurora’s age and because of her escorts, who were all young women pleasing to the eye.
“I am in charge of the refugee group and owner of the trucks. I hope you will guide me to speak to your superior,” Aurora said with a serious expression, as she let a bit of her strength show.
Using a method to create a ‘pressure’ that gave an instinctive warning to her counterpart that she was dangerous... That was an excellent method to attract the aggressiveness of wild and powerful beasts, but it was also useful when intimidating.
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The soldiers put on tense expressions as they sensed that she was an A-Rank and tightened their grip on their weapons.
Their weapons were quite old and wouldn’t produce any damage on someone like Aurora, who was a powerful fighter, adding the barriers of the equipment, their group wouldn’t get hurt at all.
“Let’s go. I’ll take her to the military camp,” replied the captain of the group, giving a signal for five soldiers to follow him.
Clémentine, Leslie, and Érica walked up next to Alice, surrounding Aurora.
They walked again, this time surrounded by six soldiers with tense expressions as they held their weapons in hand, ready to fire if anything happened.
“Relax. The tense expressions give away your anxiety,” Aurora pointed out, looking at her group, who were just as tense as the soldiers.
They had yet to have a battle to the death with another person, their tension came from the fact that they might end up killing someone if a confrontation occurred.
While they had confronted some poachers on their daily missions and stopped them, they all had methods of subjugation.
Those situations could have also become worrisome and dangerous if some eventuality happened, no one was downplaying the issue.
In a life and death battle, the last thing to think about was to subdue the other and less so when the battle was evenly matched and there was no time to think about anything else but winning.
The one whose strength was superior was the only one who could afford to hesitate and decide whether to fight to the death or to subdue their opponent.
“You guys have to be more like Alice,” Aurora added, looking at her friend, who took up the rear while eating some chips from her bag.
That indifference to those around her made them look at her in disbelief, as it was too strange and did not match the tense atmosphere that both groups were creating.
“I think that’s impossible,” Leslie muttered, lowering her arms that were ready to draw her pistol.
She was wearing her combat armor, and she was one of the most conspicuous members of the group because of her powerful and luxurious armor.
At Leslie’s heartfelt response, Aurora gave a soft smile.
It was impossible to compare herself to Alice and imitate her indifference to her surroundings.
However, it wasn’t insouciance, pride, or little caution, for Aurora, Alice could act indifferent in that situation.
Heading towards the military camp, they came across some moving armored vehicles and small groups of soldiers along with some skill users.
It also looked like some local militiamen had joined in, as they were at this location.
They set the camp up in a church with a large courtyard where the armored vehicles and other facilities were located. They took buildings from the surrounding area and set up different areas as their camp.
Also had a section where they dealt with the citizens of Nakuru by giving daily supplies.
The number of soldiers increased around them when the captain accompanying them started talking to other captains.
From common soldiers, they changed to C-Rank skill users with some B-Rank captains.
One soldier went to report inside the church while Aurora was brought to the middle of the courtyard surrounded by armored vehicles.
Most of those vehicles were light tanks and heavily armored transports with some heavy tanks, but they were all pre ‘Great Cataclysm’ designs and perhaps pre 21st century.
There were no modern tanks combined with magical energy and although Aurora was not someone with deep knowledge in that area, she knew that even her engineer vehicle had stronger armor than these tanks.
As some soldiers watched from afar surrounding the group, and others climbed into their armored vehicles preparing, however, Aurora stood her ground, looking straight ahead without changing her expression.
—They are moving.
Her system informed her immediately, and Aurora noticed how some guns were pointed at her, making Clémentine, Érica, and Leslie put on tense expressions.
Aurora kept her gaze on the person who had ordered that movement and who was leaving the church.
Aziz Sinaceur, a man in his fifties.
He was formerly a militia chief who joined the Lord of Mombasa, but because he was too arrogant, his superior sent him to Nakuru to take charge of the city.
A mission with a medium importance... Aurora had read reports of him before coming here and she had also read all his background that Liam had gotten for her.
“So the ‘Protector of Zerzura’ is just a ‘girl’?” The man asked with a dismissive tone.
Aurora wasn’t surprised that they recognized her.
The first reason was that she had read a report about her coming from the higher-ups of the Lord of Mombasa, which made it clear that they were to let her pass and not intervene.
Something he did not comply with.
“I want the trucks they stole back,” Aurora said, completely ignoring the man.
Aziz’s gaze changed and became serious.
“We are not in Zerzura here, this is Kenya!” Aziz exclaimed in a raised voice getting more tanks to point their guns at the small group in the center and beating his chest, he declared. “In this place, I am the leader!”
Aurora sighed inwardly.
The order to ‘requisition’ had not come from the Lord of Mombasa, but had been Aziz’s initiative.
They had taken about ten trucks that could be used to distribute supplies among the army or transport troops.
It would be an achievement if he got them... Of course, if she allowed him to succeed.
“Alice,” Aurora muttered, and her companion acted.
From that young women’s back, dozens of black arms extended everywhere, transforming into thin spears that entered the tank cannons while other protrusions split aiming at the soldiers.
Her movement was extremely fast and fierce, at the same time it was terrifying because of the multiplicity of spears that came out of the young woman.
If anyone wished to move, one of her spears could pierce them.
Alice’s shadow spread across the ground, occupying the area while other arms protruded from the ground, ready to start a bloody battle.
So far, she was carrying about fifty arms that had split around a hundred arms.
Some B-rank captains drew their weapons to prepare for combat and while their tenacity was commendable, the fear in their expressions and some unconscious trembling at the sinister sight made it evident that they were frightened.
What would happen first, a tank firing or a spear going through the tank and killing the gunner?
The thought of death, the tension, and above all the indifference in Alice’s expression and look showed that she wasn’t playing games.
And neither was Aurora.
“This is Kenya, but you forget it’s still Africa,” Aurora announced as lightning began to crackle from her fists.
Her combat aura assimilated with her own body, just as her master had taught her, managing to cause cracks under her feet with every step.
She had little time to train, however, her body was always strong and to all that, her speed advantage given by her sword handling allowed her now as a fighter to focus on pure physical strength.
Perhaps because of her slender body, she did not reveal it, but her strength was extremely high, that was why she could throw a multi-ton rhinoceros-like it was nothing.
“If you want to face me, then I will,” Aurora said with a solemn expression, looking at Aziz.
Aziz was also an A-Rank swordsman, however, Aurora did not take him seriously.
He looked like a swordsman who had let himself be, just like she did, only worse... He had too many holes in his defense which Aurora could exploit and none of them were some kind of trap.
For someone like Aurora, who trained with two masters who literally beat her for hours, she didn’t feel pressured in the face of that swordsman.
Nor in the face of the current situation.
Aziz’s expression changed at Aurora’s lack of anxiety, but before he could speak, a soldier came quickly.
“Sir. The superiors noticed the current situation. They urge you to obey orders,” reported the soldier in a low voice.
The soldier spoke softly and to his regret, not loud enough for the skill users not to hear him.
The way Aziz’s expression changed, mixing with anger for the soldier and helplessness, was entertaining for Aurora.
“Hand over the trucks,” Aziz ordered with a growl.
With that said, he entered the church with an enraged expression.
However, he was smart enough not to continue beyond that.
All warlords wanted to imitate the South American Emperor, who brought all of South America under his command, but very few had his ability.
The South American Emperor was not only someone extremely strong, but he had other powerful individuals under his command, from comrades to unwavering allies.
But beyond that, he was strong enough to bind powerful individuals to follow his rules to the letter.
Which was not the case with forces under the command of the ‘Lord of Mombasa’ and led to subordinates causing him problems with neutral forces, as Zerzura was.
“Thank you, Liam,” Aurora murmured as she used her comm system.
Liam was the one who informed Aziz’s superiors so that they would set the boundaries following the deal that had been accepted with the ‘Lord of Mombasa’ regarding the refugees.
Aurora prepared this mission. However, publicly it represented a mission from Zerzura City.
“Alice, you may leave them,” Aurora ordered with a smile to her friend, who was still eating chips surrounded by dozens of black arms stretched out around her.
Alice obeyed as her arms retracted.
Her gluttonous friend was indifferent and could remain as such, because of her powerful abilities suitable for all kinds of situations.
“Will everything be all right?” Érica asked with a worried expression.
“If the idiot dares to perform any action, he will pay the consequences,” Alice replied, shaking her head.
Aurora agreed.
Aziz was to carry out the orders of the higher-ups and those higher-ups had already agreed to the refugee agreement.
If he had refused the orders, Aziz would face the wrath of the Lord of Mombasa, who would face the rancor of Zerzura City and the Apicius Enterprise along with the Church of Time and Space.
Even if he was crazy enough to attack, with Alice taking care of the tanks, the others wouldn’t be much of a problem.
“If things got complicated, Akira would quickly arrive to support us,” Aurora commented with a simple tone.
Aurora had no desire to engage the Lord of Mombasa’s forces or reduce their numbers because General Kavuri’s forces could move as they wished.
That did not mean she would let herself be easily trampled.
She was strong enough to stand by her decisions and had the will to take the consequences or losses.
“In Africa, looking weak will only get you killed,” Alice added with a serious tone.
Although exaggerated, Aurora nodded.
If they had stood by and not acted as they did, then they would take ten trucks, preventing them from taking all the refugees who had agreed to go with them.
Even if other trucks were sought, these trucks had been prepared specifically for the journey and if other vehicles were used, they could become a burden on the journey.
A burden that would surely lead to deaths of the refugees.
Ignoring the tense looks from the soldiers, Aurora communicated with the drivers who had been left here waiting, who came over in a few minutes.
After ten minutes, the group traveled back in the various trucks without further mishap and returned to the neutral zone, following the route.
Some streets could not allow the vehicles to travel, so they had to follow the main road through part of the conflict zone.
These trucks had a shield capable of withstanding some attacks, that was why Aziz had ‘commandeered’ them knowing the possible consequences of their actions... The benefit of having these trucks was substantial.
*BOOM*
As they entered the central area, an explosive sound was heard from a nearby street, and the group’s expressions changed.
“Keep going...”
“Help!”
A cry for help in the distance interrupted Aurora and her gaze immediately shifted to where that cry came from.
“I’m coming down!” Aurora warned, opening the door and immediately jumping out of the moving truck.
Alice, who a moment before was with her bag of chips, immediately followed her.
Clémentine was the next to react and when the truck stopped, she levitated next to Érica and Leslie following Aurora, who had started out among the rubble of a ruined street.
Sounds of heavy tracks were heard as they approached the area, with Aurora leading the way.
Aurora, the first thing she noticed was a woman and her daughter running down the street in desperation and the next thing was a tank coming through a half-ruined building chasing them.
Reports of the heinous actions of General Kavuri’s troops came to Aurora’s mind, and she immediately moved as she strengthened her body by jumping at a high speed to catch up with them.
However, she was far enough away from the family and the tank aimed its cannon at the mother and daughter duo.
They were about to shoot them... Aurora’s expression changed and she reacted immediately.
Using the ability of her combat suit, she teleported into the trajectory of the cannon and...
*BOOM*
She was shot.