Chapter 9 - Detonate
Keeping to the plan, the group continued to shift their movements, each on high alert. Eventually, the group of seven took a break at the top of a skyscraper on the eastern edge of the ruined city. Elysia observed from the window, scouting the outside perimeter. As she watched for enemies, the rest of the group sat in a circle. They had been walking up the 40 flights of stairs so Kuroyuki let out a small yawn, covering her mouth as her eyes scrunched up cutely.
"You okay?" asked Kei, smiling at the sight.
"Y-Yes Shisho, just not used to it being this quiet on a battlefield," replied Kuroyuki, lowering her head in embarrassment.
"You should enjoy the peace while you can, we never know when they're gonna attack us," said Elysia as she rejoined the group, "I did a satellite scan, no one nearby."
Meanwhile, in a cave just a few metres east of the skyscraper. A group of men hidden in view were directed by a familiar person.
"You sure they're inside building four?" asked RG, pointing to the skyscraper on the map.
"Yes, sir. We watched them enter the building and they haven't come out since," replied a player who was wearing a green helmet.
"You take fifteen of my men and enter the building. They should've done a satellite scan by now, but since we're in a cave, the satellite scan shouldn't have picked us up. Which means that we have the element of surprise on our side," said RG with a cunning grin. He had spent hours replaying the fight he had with Guren. The humiliating moment was enough for RG to spend his money and time preparing his plan. The green helmed player saluted and gathered the fifteen other players before they marched toward the building.
"Sir, we've prepared the explosives that you asked for," reported another player.
RG let out a smirk, "Perfect. Send out ten men to follow after the sixteen I just sent out. Tell them to plant the explosives on the building's support. Those idiots just need to keep those seven inside long enough."
Unbeknownst to RG's men, Elysia had noticed, it would have been impossible for any player, but was not for her. With her head stuck outside a broken window, she saw something moving at the bottom of the skyscraper. With her golden eyes, she could see clearly players moving, some entered the building while others stayed outside. The players outside seemed to move like they were placing something on the walls. Suddenly, it clicked in her mind and she could see the explosives.
"They are going to bomb the building!" she screamed. All of them immediately shot to their feet, grabbing their weapons, ready for combat.
"Who are they?" asked Kei, rushing as he glanced out the window, looking down but he couldn't see anything, it was too far.
"Don't know," Elysia replied quickly, "They're still placing explosives around the building."
"It'll take too long to go down 40 floors," said Shiho, "What if you take them out, Elysia?"
"There are too many," she answered, "I don't know who has the detonator."
"He'd be hidden," said Kei, resting his head on the windowpane, "They know Elysia has the Hawk Eye skill. They knew that we would hide in the tallest building in the city because of her eyes. Whoever did this has been studying us."
"RG…" Shiho whispered in astonishment, locking eyes with Kei, "He's vengeful and he's been against you for so long."
"Who?" asked Ana, "Do I want to know?"
"RG's a sick bastard," Elysia spat out, "He's been a thorn in our side since we met him. He's always been jealous of Kei."
"Okay…?" Ana asked in confusion, "What's our plan?"
"I can't take out anyone without making sure the detonator is in their hands," stated Elysia, "Once I shoot a random player, RG will kill us."
"The bombs might be timed so we can't run," Shiho stated, "Even if we could make it, he'll detonate once he sees us. Either way, we're dead."
"We could jump to the building next door," Kuroyuki suggested, "The closest building in height is at least 20 floors below. We could make it. Timed or otherwise."
"But could we all jump out a window and safely land on the roof of the next building?" asked Ana, "Besides the debris of this building could tear that one down too."
"I wonder…" Kei started, drawing out the words. He paused in thought while the rest of the group stared at him, waiting for him to finish. He rushed to the abandoned elevator shoot, pulling the doors open. He glanced down at the empty shaft in deep thought.
Below them, seventeen floors below, a squad of RG's men stomped up the flights of stairs. On each floor, they searched for the group of seven, moving when there were no traces of them. They placed explosives on the building supports as they went.
"Come on, men. We still got another 17 floors to go," said the green helmed player as he led the men up the building ruin when suddenly the doors of the elevator burst open.
Just a few moments before.
Kei pulled his head from the elevator shaft, "Damn it! The elevator is blocking us. It's stuck at least 20 floors down.
Shiho beside him glanced down at the elevator shaft, "We could slide down from the cables. We can open the ceiling hatch. We might have some time."
"Elysia," Ana called, "Has RG's men left the building.
"No, they're still inside," Elysia answered, still looking down at the street.
"They might be looking for us," Ana stated, "RG won't blow up half of his crew for a petty revenge."
"I hope you're right," Shiho said with weary, "If worse comes to worst, Kuroyuki's plan is our best bet."
"That's a solid plan," said Kei, smiling at all of them, "Let's go."
One after the other, they slid down the elevator cables. First was Kei, who used his photon sword to break the ceiling hatch lock. They all jumped in the elevator, as Kei and Shiho pulled the elevator door open. As the door opened slowly, Ana and Elysia noticed a group of sixteen men staring at them with shock. They raised their weapons, ready to fire but the door was still not opened enough. When the door opened, the men took a step back at the sight of Guren, Scope, Hibana and Mahoutsukai.
"Charge!" the green helmed player commanded with an uneasy voice.
The fifteen players took charge towards the seven. Hibana initiated the battle with two kills with her AR while Kuroyuki accurately landed her three throwing knives into three of the players' foreheads. Elysia took the opportunity to shoot one bullet through into two players' heads and Ana gunned down four of the players with her MP7s. The remaining five players remained in cover behind the office cubicles.
Kei prepared his charge with his swords when suddenly an explosion was triggered from below. He could feel the ground shaking beneath him and the floor going on an incline. The seven backed up to the windows, Kei looked outside to see the neighbouring building Kuroyuki mentioned. The seven of them gripped the surrounding structures so they wouldn't lose their balance.
"Guys, I have a plan," he shouted over the noise, "Lucky for us this building is leaning towards the neighbouring building so we'll jump at the right moment to reduce the fall damage."
Each member of the group took a gulp. Elysia held onto Hina and Ana with Sho. When they saw the opportunity, Elysia, Ana and Shiho jumped onto the neighbouring building. Kuroyuki lost her balance and slipped out the window, Kei reacted and grabbed hold of her hand. With all his strength, Kei pulled Kuroyuki up and held her in a bridal carry and leapt onto the next building.
"Keep moving! Jump onto the next building!" he yelled as he landed. The seven followed his instructions and leapt over to the roof of the next building before they turned back to see the building they were just previously in, get crushed by the skyscraper.
"Umm Shisho," said Kuroyuki to remind Kei of her presence to let her down. Her face was all red as she embedded the memory into her mind.
Hidden in the cave, RG grinned as he heard the skyscraper tumble into debris. He let out a laugh, imagining the panic of Kei when he realised that he led his friends into RG's trap.
"RG, sir. It appears that we've failed," a player reported to RG. RG gritted his teeth, the damned man had escaped, as well as all his friends. He had lost at least sixteen men because of the explosions. He thought for a moment and grinned as a plan began to form in his mind.
"We have plenty of opportunities to get them again within the hour or so remaining," said RG with a villainous smile.