Chapter 20 - 2

=== RHODES ISLAND ===

"Skadi, you're taking point."

She ran to the head of the group. In reality, she was holding back to keep pace with everyone. Her special physique would've been too much for them to keep up with.

"Blaze, you're going to act as support for her."

Blaze didn't take well to that.

"Why do I have to be the support?!" She complained on the mic while running behind Skadi.

"You know Skadi can't fight at full strength with someone near her."

"I'm just as capable..." Blaze grumbled. Just because Skadi was stronger than basically everyone at Rhodes Island didn't mean she was any more effective than the rest of them. In fact, the girl was known for making lots of collateral damage.

"It's also because you can trap the enemy commander. If he tries to escape, you can set the street on fire."

Blaze hummed. Amiya was right. With her around, the enemy would have significantly less options available to them.

"Ace, can you lead Skadi and Blaze against the enemy commander? I will be coordinating the other teams."

"Of course. I'll do my best, Amiya." The last member of their group accepted the responsibility. Out of the three, Ace had the most seniority and experience on the battlefield. Amiya couldn't always keep watch over them while she and the Doctor led the others.

The plan was simple. Isolate the commander from reinforcements, then Skadi and Blaze would initiate contact and take him down.

Simple enough. Especially when the enemy commander was only a kid.

Seriously, why is the Reunion putting children this young into these positions?

Blaze saw how young he was. The teen was older than Rosmontis and a tad bit over Amiya. Then again, Rhodes Island also put an adolescent in charge of the organization...

"So what's the plan? We're just going in? Anything we know about this commander?"

"He's always surrounded by these weird guards with crystals on them. He showed up with a small group at the start but they've been steadily increasing in number. Some of them have LGD uniforms, so we're assuming that this is some form of Arts that takes over the host."

"Mutants? He's creating mutants?!" Blaze didn't like the sound of that. It was like a scene out of a horror movie.

"That's most likely the case. We don't know much about their combat ability. Use precaution when engaging him in combat."

Well that was reassuring. Amiya just sent them to deal with an enemy they had little info on.

Not that it was the first time they went in blind.

Blaze's lip curled. If Skadi couldn't deal with the problem, then she'd just let all hell loose.

"Amiya, we're allowed to go all out right?" Rhodes Island had protocols. As long as the mission did not require them to kill, then the operators preferred not to. Normal circumstances applied, if they were under threat, then killing in self-defense was allowed.

"Use all means possible to capture the commander. We need the information."

They were fine as long as they didn't land critical injuries on the commander.

Blaze rolled her fists as they rounded the street corner. Just as reported, a large group of mutants were milling about. There was no sign of the commander, but the scattered crowd of enemies confirmed his location. The Reunion commander should be nearby. The mutants wouldn't be found on any flank without him.

"Ace, do we just go in or..." Blaze looked at her senior. She had her own opinion, but enough experience in the field warned her that jumping in without a plan was not quite the best.

"Skadi, enter the building on the left. We're going to skirt around them until we have visual confirmation of the commander." Ace ordered.

The white-haired operator moved to the left of the street, followed by Blaze and Ace. They snuck into a demolished entrance foyer and Ace peaked through the gaps in the wall.

They repeated the same along the ruined street until Amiya called.

"We've scared back the Reunion fighters at the two avenues parallel to yours. It seems that they weren't willing to move any closer to the mutants."

"I wouldn't blame them. These things look abnormal." Ace grunted.

"Please engage quickly. We don't know how fast they can spread the message. I'm sure they have runners already heading to the other commanders."

The LGD reported seeing no Reunion networks set up as communication channels between all forces. Their citywide system kept scanning all radio waves during the assault and came back with nothing. It was likely the Reunion were running around with messengers instead.

"We still haven't-"

Ace stopped when the mutants started moving. They moved together in a single direction.

Theirs.

"Amiya, I think we're compromised."

Blaze didn't hesitate. She lightly cut her arms and flicked a small arc of blood on the street between them and the hoard. Her arts activated and the blood burst into arcs of fire that blocked the mutants. The hoard didn't flinch at the flames. They continued walking forwards past the burning perimeter.

"What? How?"

"Their commander knows we're here."

Skadi moved in and engaged the enemy. She palmed one on the chest and threw him back a few meters with one push. Unless given permission, she wouldn't initiate lethal attacks.

"Lethal shots allowed. Don't let them surround us." Ace drew his hammer and swung it at an arc to smash one mutant in the leg. It slammed just below the knee, purposely aimed to disable the mutant without killing it. He didn't want to kill unless necessary. They still didn't know if they were facing people or not.

Blaze bit into her arm and started flicking drops of blood at the enemies. Her arts ignited the liquid and sent them burning at the monsters moving closer. They caught on torn clothes and set them alight, but the flames proved ineffective at slowing them down.

"What the hell are these things? They're not even..." Blaze watched as the burning clothes inflicted burns on the moving bodies. "... they're taking damage. But it's not slowing them down."

"High pain tolerance? Maybe they don't feel it." Ace grunted after studying the mutant he attacked. Anyone would've been brought down after getting smashed in the leg with his steel hammer. Not even Sarkaz could ignore the pain, they would've at least reacted to it.

The ones in front of them did not.

"Skadi, don't hold back! Smash through and open us a path!" Ace barked.

Skadi instantly switched from throwing them back to crushing them. She ducked under one swing and wrapped her hand around the knee.

Squelch.

The crushed appendage ruined the mutant's balance and the enemy fell to the floor. The next dozen followed the same fate as they were brutally disabled. Skadi aimed for heads and legs. Heads took them out of the fight completely, while crushed legs stopped them from catching up. The mutants- more like monsters- didn't stop. They dragged themselves using arms despite the critical injuries inflicted on them.

Blaze found her own way to help the team. Her fires melted the concrete and slowed down the slowly moving hoard. Still, the hoard showed no signs of slowing down.

"Ace! You're being fenced in! Go back the way you came and regroup with Rosmontis and her team!"

Ace looked around. He eyed the hoard and identified the flank with the least mutants for them to break through. "Skadi, break through the hoard at 4'o-clock."

Skadi followed instantly and threw a body in that direction. It brought down two others, but the two closest flanks converged and blocked the route.

That didn't slow down Skadi. The elite operator surged through and tore the flank in a bloody shower of guts and limbs. Nothing. There was no reaction. The hoard continued to slowly stifle the group in. Blaze and Ace followed behind the rampaging Aegirian and slipped past the enemies. They fought back the incoming wave as best as they could, but nothing proved effective when the enemy didn't react to damage.

"Skadi!" Ace shouted after his hammer got stuck inside the body of one mutant. He pushed back using his end of the handle, but the monster pushed forward without trouble. Ace realized that his strength wasn't doing much- and simply let the monster surge forward while he dodged to the side. His call was answered when their lead ace operator returned. Skadi rushed to his aid and slammed into the mutant. She tore the hammer out of its stomach and used it to smash through its legs. The monster fell on its back before Skadi stepped over it and crushed the head with her foot.

"Thank you." Ace breathed as his hammer was returned to him. Skadi didn't answer, busy swinging around her greatsword to cut down the threats around them. She carefully stepped around the bubbling mess that was Blaze's attempt to catch the hoard in her minefield of melting concrete. She couldn't melt the entire space around them or else they would lose their escape route.

"How do we get out of here?" Blaze scanned the area. They were getting surrounded in the dozens. Skadi's attempt to breakthrough earlier was partially successful, but Blaze and Ace couldn't follow in the space she made. The ranks closed in and stopped them from keeping up with the Aegir.

"You don't."

The group of three slowed down. The voice didn't come from them, but somewhere behind the monsters.

"Move over, you idiots."

The hoard slowly parted. The operators stopped fighting and looked at the source. It was a young teen grinning at them.

"I had a hunch that Lungmen wouldn't make it easy for us, but to send you of all people? They must be under pressure to let outside parties help." The commander recognized the uniform Ace wore when he spotted them.

"Reunion Commander Mephisto." Ace grunted.

"That's me." The identified rebel confirmed. "Was that your entire plan? To go after me with my hoard around? Look at how easy it was to bait you in." Mephisto raised his arms to show the dozens of new arrivals. Just like the mutants they were fighting, the newcomers were also infected.

"You think we're scared?" Blaze rolled her arms. It was becoming clear that their enemies weren't people. Not anymore. Her fingers itched to draw her chainsaw from her back. With her weapon, she'd be far more effective at disposing the enemy.

"Of course not." Mephisto's expression turned serious. "-but I do find you stupid. No preparation, no support, what were you thinking?" The teen slowly raised his hand. "I'd love to play with you, but I have better things to do." He snapped his fingers.

"Kill them."

The hoard exploded.

Unlike the crawling pace earlier, this time was different. They surged forward at running speed with the intention to eliminate the Rhodes Island operators.

"Shit-" Ace cursed while raising his hammer. They already had trouble fending off earlier, what chance did they have of surviving this time?

The street beneath them exploded.

The concrete crumpled inwards, then broke into smaller pieces. The debris rose up at speed, smashing bodies and throwing them into the air. A large radius around the Rhodes Island operators remained unharmed, giving them space to fight the few monsters safely. The entire street continued to be uprooted, cement, steel, and stone flew into the air.

"Operator Rosmontis, regroup successful." A voice carried over the carnage.

A small girl appeared, escorted by a team of Rhodes Island reinforcements.

=== LGD BASE ===

W leaned against the wall.

She kept her breath low to avoid making noise. Some distance away, her last ally, another Sarkaz mercenary, shouted for help as their enemy took him down. W glanced at the empty hallway. Once the fight began, nearby Sarkaz mercenaries converged on her location. Numbers didn't prove effective in such a tight space and the Reunion commander slowly assassinated them one by one. The group tried to retreat out of the building, but that didn't stop the speed at which they lost members. As for the LGD hostages, they escaped amid the chaos.

W slowly peaked the corner and scanned the outlines in the dark. She was hiding behind a cubicle in the dark office after Crownslayer damaged the lights. Without the lights, W was at a big disadvantage. She was also separated from the rest of the Sarkaz after Crownslayer managed to split them. Knowing the mercenaries, the Sarkaz chose their own safety and escaped when the opportunity showed itself.

She would've honestly done the same.

Survival took first priority.

W looked back at the hallway. She could make a run for it, but Crownslayer would know her location. The assassin was faster than her. She could move ahead and lay a trap that W wouldn't see. The other choice was to buckle down and wait. The problem was that each minute she wasted helped Crownslayer figure out her location. The Reunion commander knew she wasn't far. Crownslayer split the group at a chokepoint. There were only two escape routes in the hallway and she locked down one of them. The second led back to where the battle started deeper into the building.

What a load of crap.

W had plans. She was supposed to be stopping Talulah. Not one of her subordinates.

'Well, nothing ever went to plan.' W internally sighed. That was just how things go in life.

Crownslayer mentioned that Talulah ordered her to keep an eye on her. Talulah must've been suspicious about her, but for how long? W tried to remember if she made any overt actions that caught the Reunion leader's attention.

Or she could've been naturally suspicious about mercenaries.

It was out of her hands now. W needed to deal with her current situation first.

She slowly snuck behind some desks while heading for another side of the office. Maybe she could wait a few minutes before making a run for the hallway and out of the building. W prayed her luck would pull through for her. After a minute, W moved desks again. She weaved around the room until she reached the other end before doubling back to the hallway. W scanned both directions, but darkness limited her vision.

'I'll just have to run.' W thought after considering her options. It was too dangerous to spend more time inside the building where Crownslayer had the advantage.

One step. Two steps. Three steps. Then she kept going. Her footsteps echoed loudly against the floor but W disregarded it. Her attention was drawn to the environment, her senses on alert scanning for any signs of Crownslayer.

Her eyes widened when movement flashed in front of her.

Instincts emerged and W swung her knife into-

Pain. Blood.

W dropped her knife and hissed as she retreated her hand back. The aim was on point. Her hand was pierced through, a knife lodged in her palm. She backed off from her assailant and retreated a few steps. Her eyes desperately scanned the darkness. Despite knowing Crownslayer's general direction, W couldn't pinpoint her location.

'Damn it.' W had been in numerous life or death situations across her life. Being a mercenary assured that. But those situations were in far more dangerous places. This assault on Lungmen was not on the same tier as the time she was trapped in the middle of a warzone during the Kazdel civil war.

This was nothing compared to a true war.

Was this really how she was going to go down...?

"Fuck no."

W ripped out the blade and cut her own sleeve off to bandage the wound.

Who the hell is this young upstart assassin? Did she really think W would just die that easily?

Fuck no.

If she was going to die...it'd be like all those targets of hers.

In a bang.

She pulled out her detonator.

"Try it. I dare you. Kill me and we both go down." W grinned hysterically. Everyone believed she was crazy. That was how she always acted.

That was how she always acted...

...because it was her best attempt at hiding weakness.

W pretended to rummage the pouches carrying explosives on her body to make Crownslayer hesitate. From the other perspective, W could just be crazy enough to off herself with her enemy.

"Can you escape the blast radius? Even if you could, you'd be too injured to escape the building when the supports are blown~" W sang while picking out one bomb. She used arts and made a show of lighting one up. Glowing orange lines spread throughout the cartridge as the magic took hold and enhanced the bomb's power. If not controlled properly, it could explode in her hands and detonate the rest of her load.

But W was an expert. She had years of using arts to help amplify bombs. The thing wouldn't explode unless she chucked it. If worse comes to worst, she'd have to use the explosive inside the building. This was Lungmen. W doubted a few explosions would bring down the base the city put money into. As for the rest of her bombs, they were relatively safe. The detonator wasn't primed to set them off.

Of course, that was as long as they weren't triggered by impact or something. W would just have to play it safe while moving around.

She heard no reaction from Crownslayer. W continued to watch her surroundings, waiting if the girl decided to continue the fight.If she did, then she'd throw the bomb at her.

Movement in the dark caught her attention. W looked forward and saw two dark silhouettes locked in combat.

'Next time, bring a flashlight.' Seriously. Why hadn't W thought of that before? Flashlights were cheap. It would've been a useful tool for scenarios like this.

The two continued to fight until they disengaged briefly.

"What do you want?" W recognized Crownslayer's voice from the right. The same figure who backed off from the other one.

"The girl." The voice on the left answered. This one, W didn't recognize. "I need to talk with her."

"Why?!" The Reunion commander hissed.

"Kal'tsit told me to."

'Kal'tsit?! That old geezer knows where I am?'

Then again, the LGD hostages that escaped must've reported W's location to the authorities. Kal'tsit was someone W expected to have connections to something like Lungmen's leadership. Looking at it, it was an obvious thing to consider.

"Who the fuck are you? Why did Kal'tsit send you?" W barked.

"She sent me...to find a girl." The girl mumbled. W felt a gaze land on her, studying her. "What is your name?"

"Like hell I'm telling you my name."

"Kal'tsit said not to collect them if they aren't the girl she specified..." The girl struggled with the last word, stumbling on how to pronounce it.

'Collect them? What am I? Property?!' W's eye twitched. Her old boss was really pressing buttons in all the wrong ways.

Her gaze moved to the other silhouette in the darkness. If this agent of Kal'tsit left, W would be left alone to fight Crownslayer once again. That was more than likely to end with her dead at the rate things are.

Well...her life was worth more than her name.

"Wis'adel."

W prayed that she was the person Kal'tsit was actually after.

"Come with me."

"She's my target." Crownslayer hissed. She dashed in and reengaged the other figure and the two danced around the darkness trading swings, stabs, and cuts. W couldn't even see them fight once they retreated deeper into the shadows. She only heard the occasional clash of blades when knives parried. After a minute, the skirmish ended and one side backed off.

"You-" Crownslayer growled as she retreated.

"You are not my target." The other interrupted. "You may carry the scent of a wolf...but you are not part of the hunt."

Crownslayer looked between the two. She was close to finishing Talulah's mission, but with her around- it was looking less likely as each moment passed. The girl was simply stronger than her in the areas she specialized in. A head-on fight would result in her death.

With the cards turning against her, Crownslayer was forced to leave.

The Reunion commander retreated, disappearing into the shadows.

"What does that old geezer want from me?" W rolled her right hand. The pain was bearable, but she wouldn't be able to use it in combat for a few days.

"I don't know. She just wants you." The girl emerged from the darkness.

W studied Kal'tsit's agent. Hazel eyes, grey hair, a wolf wearing a thick red cloak.

"...fine. Bring me to her."