Halls, halls, and more halls. How large this damn underground complex actually?! We crawled our way through gray steel tunnels and mazes for nearly an hour yet we hadn't reached the center of this building. Sure, I could tell from Lindow's map this facility was big, but I didn't think it would be this huge. We crept from room to room, avoiding white coated scientists and armed guards.
"Move faster girls, it won't be long before they realize we're here." I urged them. "And please, keep your noise down."
"Easy for you to say, you don't carry unwieldy God Arc with you." Alisa replied.
"Guards ahead!" Sakuya warned us.
Three guards came out from intersection before us. They talked together and none of them noticed us, yet.
"This way." I led them to metal door beside us.
We entered chilly room full of computers and monitors. Various boxes stacked on one corner while guns and armors decorated other side.
"Bingo, this is their communication room. Oh, it comes with armory too." I took two bulletproof vests and toss it to them. "Put it on. It will help you survive a bullet or two."
"Bulletproof vest?" Sakuya asked.
"You complained about we being noisy, yet you're telling us to wear this?" Alisa lifted her vest.
"You're still noisy whether you wear it or not." I shrugged. "Come on, let's get going."
We left communication room after I marked it on my map. It wasn't easy to sneaked past guards and scientists in confined corridors, but we made our way to elevator without getting discovered. To our bad luck, it require card to operate.
"Perfect..." Alisa muttered.
"Can you do something about it? Sakuya asked me.
"I can try rewiring it and manually bypassing card reader but it will damage the cover. Which means whoever ride this elevator will notice our presence."
"It's not like we have any choice."
"So be it." I ran my fingers through its cover and pried it.
Wires, screws, and boards. After series of rewiring and reconnecting I managed to get it right. I tried to put back its cover but anyone with working brain could tell it was tampered. We pushed deeper into Aegis center. Security around us grew tighter, almost as tight as outer compound, to the point Sakuya was forced to knock some guards out. As medic she knew where to hit, unlike Alisa and I. Well, I could try to knock them but I doubt they would come back after that.
We arrived in large dark dome like structure at the center of Aegis. I was expecting something more glamorous, not a damp ditch like this. We moved closer, carefully examined our surrounding. My eyes widen at unexpected sight above us. It was a large core like... Aragami? hanged on ceiling. Pulsating, beating, and pretty much alive.
"Up above." I whispered.
'Nova's pupa... We're too late, it's already invincible at this stage.'
'Damn it. Is there any way to stop this thing?'
'Hard to say. I can make a plan once I see its adult form.'
"I can't see anything, it's too dark." Sakuya replied.
Right, they didn't have night vision. "Never mind. Be vigilant, we're close."
Loud alarm followed by red light blared throughout the dome. A turret rose from the ground and spitted ice type Oracle bullets at us.
"Hmph." I slapped incoming Oracle bullets aside.
Alisa deployed her shield while Sakuya sniped the turret.
"That was a little too close, I'd say."
"Thanks, I owe you one." Sakuya said.
"Welcome to the Aegis. I had a feeling it would be you two. Although, I don't think I will see you again, failure." Director Schicksal spoke to us from raised platform at the end of the dome.
"Failure?" Alisa and Sakuya asked.
"He means me. So my infection was planned. Why the hell you did that?!" I snapped.
'I've told you, didn't I? Humans stab you in the back.' Rei spoke with disgust.
"I have no obligation to answer your question. So tell me, what do you think? Are you crushed that it's nothing like paradise you were sold?"
"Director Schicksal... You lied. You deceived us for years... What is all this?" Sakuya yelled.
"Lindow must have found a way in, hm? I doubt you could have done it alone. It's such a shame. He had potential. His will be a lost that I will not forget. Truly, a terrible day." Director Schicksal mocked us.
"Don't you dare talk about him, you traitor! You're responsible for all of this!" Sakuya and Alisa approached him.
"No point in denying the truth." Director Schicksal blatantly admitted.
"Give me a reason why I shouldn't turn you into a kebab right now." I created a spike and let it hover, pointing at him.
"Don't do that. You will have entire Fenrir on you if you do that." Alisa warned me.
"Tch. Fine, have it your way." I launched my spike dangerously close to his head and stuck in wall behind him.
"Dear Lindow had another master, and I couldn't risk getting bitten. There was too much at stake here. Too much to let him ruin it. He acted rashly, and too soon. We couldn't allow word of the Ark Project to break these walls, not without the key well in hand. Without control over the Devouring Apocalypse, there's no point to any of this. Aragami will purge-"
"Zip it. You're planning to unleash Devouring Apocalypse?! It will kill us all you dumbass!" I interrupted him.
"Save those on this Ark. This vessel will carry our species' legacy into the new world. Unfortunately, this Ark can only carry so many. Space is precious and time is growing more so. There are only so many berths into mankind's next stage. Is it not just for the common to give their lives so the best may continue on?"
'He is worse than us. We devour each other but we never harm our kin. This man betrays his entire species... I'm at lost for words here.'
"You want to repopulate the earth with your chosen people? You're more beast than Aragami!" Sakuya spat.
"Who better than us, miss Tachibana? It's a shame though. Such a damned shame. You both have gone and gotten yourselves crossed off that list, haven't you? I'm terribly sorry, but you cannot leave this place." Director Schicksal raised his hand.
"Oh, were... were you expecting someone? We went our way and put your guards to sleep." Alisa cheekily challenged him.
"Clever... and problematic. It seems I have no other option but to have you kill one another. I was hoping it would not come to this."
A scientist stepped forward. He wore usual Fenrir scientist white coat and yellow bandana. I narrowed my eyes at him. He was Alisa's caretaker and probably the one who put her under hypnosis.
"It's been a while, Alisa. This is your fault. Wouldn't it have been better to just slip into death? If that coma had lasted forever?" Dr. Oguruma walked closer to Alisa. "Clearly you still have some passion. Why deny it? If you're so eager to kill once more, I'll gladly lend a hand."
"What are you... Wait... No!" Alisa took a step back.
"Odin... Dva... Tri..."
Alisa gasped. Her eyes glazed and she mindlessly aimed her God Arc at the closest person, Sakuya.
"Damn it." I prepared to pounce at her when I noticed Sakuya darted to her.
"Don't give in, Alisa! Don't! You're stronger than this, stronger than him! You always have been! You didn't kill Lindow! You fought it then! This has never beaten you before. You have always been a fighter! Fight now! You have the power to protect those you love!" Sakuya leaped at her.
Alisa pulled the trigger. Her God Arc spitted green bullet instead normal bullet.
"Pretty words, Sakuya, but you must have lost your damned mind!" Dr. Oguruma laughed at her
"Are you blind? It's a green bullet. You hear me? It's a green bullet." I smirked.
That was when I caught a whiff of his cigarette. Undiluted rage born in my heart. So pure that it clouded my mind. There were only two things left in my head, cry for vengeance and call for hunt. "You! You're the one who set off that bait... And you'll pay for that!"
"Recover- Oh, hell..."
Dr. Oguruma ran when he saw me charging at him. He rode elevator up while I dug my way through elevator shaft.
"The hunt is on!" I laughed madly at him.
I heard his rapidly beating heart and it excited me. Armed guards tried to stop me. They threw everything they had from bullets to grenades but it barely fazed me. I grabbed the neck of a soldier who supposed to be their leader and lifted him. "I have no business with you and your peons."
He struggled and kicked my head, sending my glasses away. "You monster!" His defiant face changed into terror once he saw my eyes and he fought violently, yet nobody dared to interrupt me. A fine example of spineless soldiers.
"I am. Now, get lost!" I threw him to his subordinates. They fell in tangled mess, groaning and moaning. It seems I broke his rib, because I heard a pop from his chest. But still better than what I had in mind for Alisa's caretaker.
I followed his repulsive cigarette scent to storage room. Idiot, that room had only one door. End of the line for him. I created my spike and stabbed it from metal door to frame, effectively sealed it.
"There's no escape. Just give up, you've sealed your fate the moment you trapped Lindow." I walked towards the man who's responsible for all of this. He cornered, locked, and defenseless, like a trapped rat. Fitting end for lowly manipulator like him.
He sprinted past me and reached for exit door. Hope glittered in his face. How wonderful, nothing more satisfying than giving your opponent a hope only to crush it later.
It shattered. His hope shattered when he saw the spike in metal door. He pushed himself into a corner. Trembled. Panicked.
"How it feels like? To be the one who receive the end? Hm?" I stopped few steps away from him, enjoying his fear.
"No, please, I'm merely following his order!" Dr. Oguruma pressed his back to the wall.
"Oh, that snake? Don't worry, he'll get his share when the time comes. Now... what should I do to you?" I grabbed his neck and pinned him to the wall. "I can start with crushing your hands, or legs, or perhaps cut it off?"
"Aaaah! Please!" Thick sweat trailed down his temple. He began shaking in fear.
"You know what, Lindow is not dead, he's infected. That is the worst end for God Eaters. Why should I give you a mercy when you never give him one?" I created small blue dagger on my left hand. "Let's begin, shall we?"
"Noooo!" His face paled even more at the sight of my dagger.
'I won't allow you torturing him.'
'What?! He's the one who's responsible for half of this mess and you're stopping me from having my vengeance?'
'He's a fellow sentient being. Kill him if you want, but make it quick. Even feral Aragami didn't torture their prey.'
'But he made Lindow suffer through all of this. It's only fair for him to suffer the same!'
'No, two wrongs don't make a right. Don't lower yourself to inferior lifeform like him.'
I wanted to deny it, screaming, yelling to Rei, telling him that he's an idiot, but he was right. No matter what I did to him it wouldn't bring Lindow back, and I didn't want to lower myself below common Aragami. I tightened my grip on his neck, slowly, until he began choking. In single fast movement I crushed his neck, bone, windpipe, and all, granting him a swift death. His body jerked once, then stopped.
'It is done.' A bit of burden lifted from my shoulder. One of two persons responsible for this now dead, only that snake left.
Another squad halted me right after I kicked the jammed door. They brought larger rounds and stronger grenades but it still useless, nothing short of Oracle weaponry could harm me. They blew storage room and everything in it to pieces. Well, everything except me. I strolled to them and got couple of rounds right on my forehead. I had to admit, they got skills for a bunch of spineless soldier.
One of them, a muscle-bound dark-skinned man wearing a beret, stepped forward. He raised his hand and issued an order. "Tactical retreat. I'll slow it down."
"With respect sir, I don't think-"
"That's an order!" He harshly yelled at man behind him.
"You heard him boys, get your ass moving!" The man, most likely his second-in-command, continuing his order.
He unsheathed his knife and bravely stopped my advance. "Not another step!"
"You got some guts, unlike them." I pointed at crumpled mess in hallway beside us.
He flashed a glance before locking his gaze on me. "We're professional, not fucking cherry."
Yes, he wasn't bluffing. His team had better toys and knew how to handle it, most of their bullets landed on my head or chest. His team movement organized and efficient. Not to mention he didn't let his guard down when I pointed at unconscious group in other hall.
"Are we goin' to start this shit or we gonna stay with fucking staring contest?" He moved into fighting stance.
A large dark blue blade formed in my grasp and I pointed it at him. "It's on!"
I didn't find any fear in his eyes, only wariness. He carefully examined me, looking for opening, then rushed. I swung my blade reflexively in horizontal arc. That wasn't my intention, I created my blade only for intimidating him.
He did something unexpected. To my surprise and relief, he twisted his body and ducked beneath my blade. In one fluid movement he kicked my leg, sending my back to the ground, and plunged his knife to my neck. I tried to catch him but he dashed the moment his knife broke.
"Okay, you didn't lie when you said you're professional." I stood up and dusted knife fragments off my head.
"And still no match for you, miss Aragami." He drew another knife from his belt and eyed me.
"So you knew what exactly am I. Why are you still challenging me?" I tossed my blade and cracked my fist. Anything other than bare hands would be fatal to humans.
"They paid us for this job."
That was when I realized he wears green uniform under his tactical vest, not blue Fenrir guard uniform. Now that explained everything. A battle hardened mercenary trained to kill humans and God Eaters alike. He proved himself to be a deadly opponent and would've killed me if not for my immunity against normal weapon.
"Mercenary. Now- huh?" Small black canister flew at my face. I saw a tiny piece of his cocky grin before stun grenade exploded on my face. "Gaaahh, stun grenade?!"
I rubbed my eyes vigorously, even though it wouldn't help, and waited for white that flooded my sight receded. The white faded after quite some time, leaving my sight blurry and distorted. My sight returned after another half-minute of rubbing. There was no sign of him nor his squad, only footprints and bullet casings. I reached for my headset, to call Alisa and Sakuya, and I touched my headset, or what was left of it...
"This getting better and better." I grumbled. My headset was destroyed, throughly, only its ear hook left hanging. Perhaps it was caught in grenade explosion.
Twisted hallway, hall, and elevator later I arrived at Aegis ground level, to the same level where I found their communication room.
"Found you!" I heard Sakuya's voice from my side.
Sakuya and Alisa came from corridor on my right. They hurriedly jogged to my direction. Exhausted face, damaged vest, and ragged breath, but uninjured.
"Why don't you answer our call? We were worried about you!" Alisa yelled.
I showed them piece of melted plastic and rubber that was my headset. "You see, I was planning to use this to report our findings to the rest of our team."
"What should we do? Our headset frequency was blocked. We couldn't call anyone in the Den." Sakuya explained.
"There's no other choice, let's go to communication room." I urged them to move.
"There they are, open fire!"
Hails of bullet whizzed near our head. Four Fenrir guard carried automatic rifle chased us from our left.
"Stun grenade out" Alisa threw her grenade, blinding them.
"Damn, they're persistent. Move while they're disabled!"
We ran in maze like tunnel, dropping smoke grenades on each intersection, throwing stun grenades at their feet, or even blowing walls with breaching charges, under constant barrage of flying leads.
I forced metal door behind me closed and stabbed it with spikes, jamming it. We entered communication room once again, with different purpose in mind. "Both of you, change your bulletproof vest and guard this door, I'll try to sort that junk."
For once, luck was on our side. One of the staffs forgot to log out, granting me full access to the computer. After wasted enough time with trial and error I established a line with random terminal at First Unit Veteran Quarter.
"Hello? Anybody there?" I spoke to microphone.
[What the?] Soma appeared from the left side of computer monitor. He wore his usual blue jacket without his hood. His lips twitched once and back into his daily frown.
"Grumpy! Could you please be so kind and call Rina and Kota?"
[Where are you?] Soma scanned scenery behind me.
"Somewhere pretty far from there. We running out of time, do it quick."
He disappeared from monitor and soon his footsteps vanished.
We warily waited for Soma and the rest. Our time stretched thin, and we were in constant danger of getting discovered, but we had no other choice. This was the only place with working terminal that still connected to Fenrir server.
Three persons entered Soma's room and one of them approached his terminal, it was Rina.
"Yo, how's you guys doing?"
[We're fine. What did you find?]
"We found the truth about Ark Project."
We took turn in explaining Director Schicksal hidden agendas, unleashing Devouring Apocalypse on entire world while his chosen people hid in outer space, within spacecraft protection. That why it called Ark Project. Her face became more grim with each truth we revealed.
"So that's the truth... The Aegis Project, the Ark... all of it. Data contained name you saw on Lindow's disk is the list of every eligible passenger approved to board the Ark. You will find each of your name there. Anyone related up to the second degree can board that monstrosity and sail into safety. Of course, Alisa and I were struck from their number. We knew what would happen if we tried to infiltrate Aegis." Sakuya explained.
"And I wasn't even in that list in the first place. That snake also confirmed he is responsible for Lindow's death and my infection."
Rina gasped and closed her mouth with both hands. She shook her head and calm herself down. [I understand. What now?]
"As far as Fenrir concerned, Sakuya and Alisa are wanted criminals, while I'm still not exist. I'll try to dig some info about Devouring Apocalypse, just be careful around that snake."
[A lie... It can't be a lie. We put so much... so much faith in this! Aegis was meant to protect us. It has to!] Kota's distressed voice came through computer speaker.
"Yes, Aegis was meant to protect you, at the expense of entire human population plus half of Far East Branch. Is it worth it? I don't think so." I frowned at the idea. Saving couple of human, perhaps hundreds, and let the rest of them met their end? That was the worst plan I ever know.
[I was never going to do what that tyrant commanded. Not like I'd be on the list. I'm half Aragami. They don't want me in their new world. There's no way they'd let me survive a day. I'm already impure.] Soma grunted.
"Your name is there, Soma. He's the Director, but he's still your father. I don't think he can stop loving you." Sakuya said.
[Damn him...]
"I just want to be clear. I refuse to let this Ark begin its voyage, I refuse."
"Me too! This isn't about lying or criminal charges or anything like that. This is just... wicked!" Alisa yelled.
"Meh, I don't care about the Ark. They can sail to space or wherever whey want, but I'll be damn if I let that Devouring Apocalypse happen." I shifted my gaze to Alisa and Sakuya. "Anyway, we'll retreat for now and keep our heads low. I'll contact you again after we form a plan to assault this place."
"One more thing..." Said Sakuya. "We... wanted you all to know. I won't force you into anything. I think you should make up your mind. And even if you choose to join with Schicksal, even if you fight against us, you are still our friend."
"But if you get in our way, we will tear you apart!" Alisa suddenly threatened them.
I smacked the back of her head.
"Ow! Joking. Joking... Mostly..."
I smacked her again.
"Ow! Cut it out! Still, I don't want to fight you, any of you. I hope you'll come to our side."
Footsteps, a lot of them, disturbing our communication. They pulled the jammed metal door and shouted. "They're here! Plant the charge!"
"Damn it! They found us. Sorry guys got to go now, see you later!" I closed the line. "That's it, we moving out now!"
All terminal in communication room burned in glorious searing molten thermite. This way they couldn't intercept our message. I pressed my boot on jammed door and looked at Alisa and Sakuya. "Ready?"
They both nodded. A metal door flew right off its frame, hitting two guards behind it, knocking them out. We fled using smoke grenades as cover but it seems they learned from mistake. Number of bullets flew in the air multiplied and that was bad. I peeked at soldier behind us, curious about the source of bullets.
"They carry frickin machine gun!" I shouted.
"Use your smoke!" Alisa yelled.
"It's useless against six guns with two hundred leads in its box! They'll just blindly spray it at us!"
Most of their bullets hit the rearmost person in our group, which was me, but some struck Alisa and Sakuya's back and shoulder. Fortunately, their body armor absorbed most of the damage.
We escaped Aegis facility and moved to outer compound, to the place where I met Sakuya and Alisa. All hell broke loose. They expected us and attacked us from all direction. I began chucking explosive grenades to keep them pinned while Alisa and Sakuya sprayed their Oracle bullet at random direction. We slid under a hole in Anti-Aragami wall and I primed my last thermite charges at the wall, blocking the hole with dripping molten thermite.
"We have entire base on our tail and I've spent my supplies, tell me you have escape plan." I shot a glance at Sakuya.
"We going to leave using the same way we coming." Sakuya answered.
"And?"
In response to my question, Sakuya pulled stack of bushes near the shore. A speedboat bearing Fenrir emblem hid beneath countless leaves and branches. It had white paints and two motors on its rear.
"You stole Fenrir boat? How? No, never mind, don't answer it." I kicked the boat back to the sea. "Let's go, it won't be long before my thermite burn out."
"Right."
We sailed just in time. My thermite extinguished and some guards chased us from that hole. They fired their guns but we already gone from the shore. I hit the speedboat pedal and let it darted under dawn's light toward nearby shore.
Forgotten Carrier, didn't think I would be happy arrived in this giant rusty shipwreck, yet I did. I stood at the very same spot where Shio leaped yesterday, watching the sky. It was brightened and almost morning, how many hours we spent in that giant dome of death? Four? Or maybe five?
We began checking our wound after we settled in shipwreck's control tower. I got none but my headset, vest, and some of my shirt holed and tattered. Sakuya took quite number of leads. Her armor -if anyone could call cracked ceramic plates and broken joint guards as armor- is in terrible condition but none of it struck her. Alisa, she wasn't so lucky. Her armor took less beating than Sakuya. Some chipped part and one destroyed plate, but a bullet hit a gap between ceramic plate and left shoulder guard, wounding her.
Sakuya discarded Alisa's armor and began mending her wound. A painful process, cleaning wound, taking out bullet, stitching it, with only basic painkillers. We couldn't expect for more, it already a good news Sakuya brought her medic kit. I left control tower after hearing Alisa's whimper. Too pitiful and my stomach couldn't take it.
That how I ended up alone on cliff, looking at Aegis across the sea. A footstep approached me from behind and I greeted her without turning my back. "Is it done? How's her condition?"
"She's exhausted and now sleeping soundly. If I knew the security will be this tight I would bring better medical kit with me." Sakuya sighed. She stood at my side, watching the sky.
"You don't know what future hold for us. The important thing is you've tried your best." I held her shoulder, comforting her. "Oh yeah, I need to hunt soon, I didn't bring any core with me. What about you? How many days worth of ration you brought?"
"One." Sakuya mumbled. She turned her head, away from my gaze.
"What? One? One week?"
"One day..."
"Another serious problem, just what I need."