「(Move Out!)」
...Why are the lights out?
Captain Naruse rode the wretched looking wooden elevator down to its deepest level, the assumed underground research facility of the Ancient Fortress. As the light from the magical fixtures disappears the deeper they go, apprehension begins to set in. In the darkness the Captain instructs his men to proceed forward with hand signals.
The Dark Specters were equipped with night vision goggles, AN-94 rifles(Абака́н), holographic sights, suppressors and an under barrel grenade launcher the GP-30 (Obvuka). Firing 5.45 x 39mm rounds, the rifle is able to fire fully-automatic at a high rate and uses a unique mechanism that increases the accuracy of shots in its burst mode (2 shots). Moving slowly through the stone passageways, the pungent smell of chemicals began to irritate their noses.
During this time making use of the underground facilities guide map which had been next to the elevator. Both Alpha & Delta teams were in the middle of gathering information, aiming to be the first to find the main laboratory. Meanwhile, Charlie team was tasked with supplying power to the magical fixtures along the passageway. Looking for a generator like device, they headed for the room with a magic reactor
And just like that the two groups split at the passages ominous fork, silently moving in a narrow formation. The foul odor of chemicals mixed in with the drifting scent of blood. After noticing this strange occurrence, Captain Naruse strengthened his resolve. As they cautiously proceeded further, a strange object appeared before their eyes.
「(Halt!)」
One of the members uses a hand sign to stop the formation, the men freeze at the sight of his raised fist.
「Captain! Please look at this」
As the soldier who found "it", called for the Captain in the middle of the formation, the tone of his voice was strained as he tried to whisper.
「What the hell is this?!」
As the Captain was called out in the pitch dark passageway, the body of an enemy soldier lay on the ground.
It wouldn't be a surprise for Captain Naruse, to find a dead enemy soldier on the ground. But this soldier right before his eyes, had a long-sword buried in the middle of his face, as if it was cleaved from the top down. The skull was cracked wide, as the flabby brain matter peaked from its position.
「These are… bite marks… and shredded spots? 」
One of the Dark Specters examining the enemy corpse, noticed the bite marks chewed all over the body, fitting the profile of a grown man.
「It looks like this. But… what would cause something like this?」
Captain Naruse creases his eyebrows and murmurs, but no one is able to answer.
「This is Alpha Team Leader, We've found the body of an enemy soldier in the underground facility. All units stay alert, over」
『Copy that!』
『…sskkrch.. Roger!』
『…..sKrt….Ye..si..!』
Could this be just bad reception? The radios with our ground teams aren't connecting.
As the Captain moved forward, he advised his teams to stay vigilant, setting the dead body to the side.
…. This may turn really bad from here on out.
Further along the passageway, stains of blood stick to the floors and walls as traces of battle could be seen. The ambiance around the Captain & his men start to tighten.
「Captain, we have arrived」
At this time they reached their destination, the underground facilities largest room, the main laboratory.
「We'll complete this mission and return to base. Now go!」
At the labs entrance-way, Captain Naruse orders his men to investigate.
Because the magic reactor wasn't working, it took three members to force open the sturdy iron door. Once the door was wrenched open, several more members poured in to secure the laboratory.
「Clear!」
「Clear!」
Hearing the signal, Captain Naruse and the rest of the team from the corridor begin to enter the room.
「Bingo!….」
Within the rooms darkness, a massive amount of evidence supporting the assumption of inhuman experiments scattered throughout the chamber. In one corner of the room, a Monster tribesman was used as a specimen, for live testing as a large flask with chemicals was beside it. It's body lay bathed with the liquid.
『Alpha, this is Charlie reporting in. We'll be jump starting the magic reactor now.』
As the Captain observed the materials and flask he picked up from the floor, a radio transmission from Charlie team came through.
And in a few short breaths, light began to glow from the magical fixtures.
「This brightness….」
When the Captain removed his night vision goggles, he tries to acclimate his eyes, after being blinded. Blinking every so often to regain his vision, he radios Charlie team.
「Charlie, this is Alpha Team Leader, regroup at our location, over」
『Copy that Alpha, we're on our way!』
「Alright, all of you boys ― ―」
After recalling Charlie team, Captain Naruse begins to pass instructions to the remaining soldiers. The men begin by taking photographs and other evidence in order to obtain any information.
― ― BAMM!
In another corner of the room, an iron crate which could comfortable fit an average sized person, resounded as if it was struck from the inside. Instinctively, all members aimed their weapons at the box which made the sound.
「...」
The Captain glances toward one of the nearby soldiers to signal him. Nodding towards the Captain, a soldier slings his weapon as he's nervously poised to open the iron box.
When one of the soldiers kicks off the lock, another member rushes to open the lid in one smooth motion.
「―coughing―Gehok kehoph! Ha~a, huh! I thought I was going die in there.」
Replying in a groggy fashion, an old man wearing a black robe had rolled out from the iron box.
「Truly! Oh reinforcements, but its already too late! No wait.. you bastards!!….」
The old man was recovering from an acute case of hypoxia, rapidly trying to regain his breathing as he was on all fours. But when he raised his face, he began to curse aloud. As he realized the group in black clothing weren't his allies, he shut his mouth as his face paled.
―~――~―――~―――~――~―
「I…I beg of you! Save me, I can explain everything!!」
Prostrating himself at his knees and cupping his hands together the man begged repeatedly, his posture forming into a pitiful position. Like a prisoner waiting for his execution, at the cusp of Captain Naruse's words.
「Then explain everything that you know…. First, who are you? I want to know, what this place was used for. And, tell me what is happening here?」
「I… I understand…. My name is Urseus Bright. I am the Head Chief Researcher who was assigned to this facility」
Facing the old man in front of them, Captain Naruse and the Dark Specters complexions turned dark, as they listened to Brights obedient and honest account of what occurred.
「What were we doing? Our research was the pursuit of immortality. Every day we would be conducting research on those captured humans and monster-kin, but the drugs that we produced would cause the specimens to turn into zombies.
We tried to reproduce the elixir from the Loewen myth that created『The Immortal Legion』, but ultimately they were useless reproductions. During one of the experiments that we carried out today, the specimen that we had administered drugs to escaped.
Attacking a researcher in the process, but in turn that caused the researcher to turn into a Zombie. And in that process one after another, researchers and soldiers who were injured became zombies. Right now this facility is overflowing with them」
「I see...」
「But when we came here, we didn't encounter any zombies」
….There was that corpse…
「That may have been due to the surviving soldiers and researchers that fled to the deepest part of the facility. In that case, the zombies would have been trapped and should be stuck in the furthest areas behind this laboratory. And just before I entered this iron box, the magical reactor had an emergency shutdown.
That would mean, the facilities defense function would immediately seal the passageways when there's a sudden loss of magical power. The zombies and those who fled would have been trapped off in these areas.
If the magical reactor were to be restarted and power were to flow back into this facility. All those sealed passages would be opened, then those zombies must already be coming here….」
Bright exclaimed with a defeated expression.
Shit! This is the worst!
The Captain understood their situation clearer more than ever, and immediately radioed all his teams.
「This is Alpha Team Leader, All Units Respond!!!」
『Charlie reporting in. Did something happen?』
『『...』』
Only Charlie team was able to return a response.
In addition to being underground, Captain Naruse was unable to properly communicate with his ground teams. Once at the lowest level it became impossible since the radio signals degraded the moment they arrived.
「Shit! Charlie team listen to me, there's been an outbreak! Get out of there immediately!!!」
一 一 but the orders Captain Naruse called over the radio, arrived too late.
『What!? What do you mean 'outbreak'? Alpha wait a minut...』
「Did something?…」
『What… what are they!?』
「Charlie team respond!! Whats going on?! Report!!」
『Fire! Keep Firing! FIRE!! Ah Shit! Come on! C'mon! C'MON! Retreat, everyone hurry! Hurry it up! 』
「Charlie?! Charlie team respond!!」
『This is Charlie! We encountered a group of monsters, we're still engaging! Huh, where did you~get off my boots!! There's too many of them!! Arrghh stop it! GYAaaa!!』
Continuous machine gunfire had roared through the radio. The Leader of Charlie Team, his agonizing death echoed just before the radio cut out.
Listening to the sounds and voices of the worst possible situation, Captain Naruse's distorted expression is hidden behind his balaclava.
「Damn it! ― ― Jackson, Alexei, Bulat!! You three take this Old man, get to the surface and you must inform HQ about this situation! Delta team from here on out, secure a path to the elevator by any means necessary!! The rest of you, come with me! We're going to rescue Charlie's boys!!」
「「「Sir, yes sir!」」」
The Dark Specters all move in quick succession at Captain Naruse's orders.
After relaying his orders towards his men, the Captain & the left over soldiers rushed out of the room and through the passageways, guided by the sound of gunfire from afar.
「It's this way!! Hurry!!」
An explosive blast goes off as Captain Naruse tries to hasten his men, before radioing Charlie Team.
「Charlie this is Alpha Team Leader! Respond!! Charlie!!」
『click this..This is Charlie! We've got 9 KIA! Even the Lieutenant…he was… 』
Charlie team finally responded to the Captain's desperate call, but the news he received really was the worst.
「We're heading to your position now!! Hold out till then!」
『Alright, Roger!! ― ―we'll hold! Hey! Coming on your right side! Fire, FIRE!!』
Please make it in time!!
The transmission was interrupted once more. Desperately running towards Charlie team, Captain Naruse comes across an enemy soldier with hollow white eyes and whose right arm was torn at the elbow. Staggering towards them with shaky steps, it groans.
「This hindrance!! Mooove!!」
With the enemy soldier turned zombie, the Captain roars as he runs with his fist raised. Passing to its side, and with all his strength he drives his fist deep into the Zombie's face.
As the blow crushes its cheekbones, the zombie's body had fallen back 5 meters away onto the passageways floor.
But as zombies are just moving corpses, they wouldn't die so easily. The zombie slowly begins to get up, as if nothing happened, even when its face was mercilessly deformed.
「Hasta la vista, baby!」
The moment the corpse tried to raise itself Captain Naruse had passed and trampled over the zombie. As the rest of Dark Specters kept on moving, the last man turned around, unholstering his FN Five-Seven and fired, terminating the zombie.
「Over here!! This way!!」
In between running Captain Naruse had picked off 5~6 zombies moving with no time to spare. Reaching a T-junction passageway, he found signs of Charlie teams survival.
「I'm saved!!」
Turning away from the zombie horde and relieved to see the Captain. Charlie teams last surviving member calls out from depths of his heart.
Ceasing fire, the soldier stares at the Captains running figure. At the end of the T-junction, agile movements of something other than a zombie, rushes out from the side to bite the Soldiers neck.
― ― guchshhkK
In the passageway, the sound of meat torn off a person, echoes in the Captains' ears.
Right in front of the Captain, just as he came to a stop.
Is that… was this the goal of their insane human experiments, or was this meant as a tool for their biological warfare.
The appearance of the chimera-like creature was hard to describe as it ate the body of Charlie's last Dark specter.
「Motherfucker!! Ah AAaaaa!!」
Before his very eyes' the Captain had witnessed the Chimera kill and insatiably devour one of his comrades. Immersed with rage he steadied his rifle towards the Chimera and began pouring bullets. Just as masses of Zombies swarmed out of the passageways all at once.
The Dark Specters were equipped with P90s, M240s, and a "Special Sniper Rifle", along with the Captains' AN-94, they fired as if they were playing an orchestra.
The P90 submachine gun uses a 5.7 x 28mm bullet, its bottleneck tip was designed for this newly built rifle. Demonstrating the penetrating power of a rifle bullet, but at a size that is normally used for handguns. From the end of the passageway a bloodcurdling roar resonates from the chimera who was munching on their comrade. At the same time a great variety of zombie corpses were struck with rounds that instead of penetrating through, would gouge out the surrounding tissue of their body.
The M240 machine gun continues to fire sporadically, using 7.62 x 51mm NATO rounds, mowing down zombies rhythmically.
The VSS (Vintovka Snayperskaya Spetsialnaya), was meant for long range precision sniping, but now it was used for close quarter combat. Using 20 round magazines, they could be fired both semi-automatic as well as fully-automatic, as they were designed. The snipers would skillfully pick off and terminate any threat, one round, one zombie down.
The VSS uses a 9 x 39mm round, a bullet that when fired by the VSS can only travel at subsonic speeds, also limiting the recoil. When operated with the rifles suppressor, you will only hear the metal mechanisms as the trigger is pulled.
「This?! Focus fire on that Chimera!! Don't make it come any closer!!」
「Yes, Sir!! Hey you! Hurry up and die already!!」
As the Captain rained down bullets on the Chimera and zombie horde, crushing the heads of former humans & converted monster-kin whose movements dulled. But for the Chimeric Zombie which had been artificially enhanced, its movements were swift and its body could take a beating. Charging through the rain of bullets, drawing ever closer before the Captain eyes. Captain Naruse was left with no other option, but to disregard the slowly encroaching zombies and concentrate his mens' firepower towards the approaching Chimera.
「Reyes! Burn'em away with fire magic!」
「Roger! I'll match your timing. ~Nell~Kaza~ ― ―」
The firing lines concentrated fire had brought down the Chimera. And just as Captain Naruse instructed, Reyes would cast his magic, timing it right at the very end.
「― ― Igious~Delto!!」
Reyes had completed his chant while wielding his staff, and from its tip an incandescent blaze was used to assault the zombie horde.
『oooOOOー!』
「Shit!! Noo!」
But the fire magic used by Reyes couldn't completely burn all the zombies.
「Reyes!! Can't you make walls with earth magic!?」
「It's impossible, there's an effect on the passages walls and floors, which negates magic」
「Damn! Then it can't be helped, get your ass into gear and run away!! Go! Go!」
Killing and killing, over and over again, swarms of zombies filled the passageway, groaning, staggering and crawling as far the eye could see. Captain Naruse gives up on idea of recovering Charlie teams bodies, as he pulls an MK3 hand grenade off his tactical vest. Removing the safety pin and cocking back, throwing it in the mass of zombies.
The grenade disappears within the horde of zombies and within a blink of an eye it explodes.
The shock-wave caused by the TNT explosion had swept the horde of zombies, creating a temporary stopgap.
「And here's a bonus serving!! Get some!!」
Roaring towards the horde, Captain Naruse pulls the trigger for his under-barrel grenade launcher, firing a 40mm grenade at the area with dense smoke.
Once more, throwing another MK3 grenade, the explosion of iron scraps blows off the arms and legs of the zombies in the passageway.
Captain Naruse, constantly looks back as he sprints, trying to catch up to his subordinates that retreated towards the elevator.
As soon as the Captain reaches the soldiers waiting for him, he taps their shoulders signaling them to retreat. Taking up a position in the rear line of defense.
As the subordinate runs towards the elevator, they tap the shoulder of the next individual who then returns fire, before taking up a defensive position. Re-racking their weapons and waiting to fire, following the Captains actions.
Retreating in such fashion², they would alternate defending the rear against the zombie horde. And soon Alpha team had joined up with Delta team.
「Captain, You're ―― okay!? What are those guys behind you!?」
Delta teams leader was glad to see the Captain return safely, but cried out desperately at the massive number of zombies trailing behind.
「Shut up!! We need to go! We're withdrawing!!」
The Delta team soldiers that heard the Captains words began to bound back, running towards the elevator.
「Captain! Huh, where's the Charlie guys?」
While running towards the elevator together, Delta teams' leader had asked Captain Naruse about Charlie team.
「…..we were too late…」
「Ah… I see… that's a damn shame」
As all of Charlie team had been wiped out, Delta Teams Lieutenant muttered, before concentrating on running silently.
「Is everybody accounted for!?」
「We're all aboard!!」
「Well then!!」
「Roger that!」
The Captain's ammunition began to run low trying to delay their enemies, but zombies poured through one after another. Turning tail and running at a full sprint, arriving safely at the wooden elevator. The Captain smiles farewell, as the lift returns to the surface.
「Captain!」
Jackson, whom had escaped to the surface earlier, rushes to Captain Naruse just as he exits the elevator.
「Yes?」
「Our escape choppers' ETA is in 10 minutes」
「I see…. Have everyone assemble in the courtyard. The helicopters will be able to land over there.」
「Understood, sir.」
From the courtyards viewing platform, Captain Naruse waits for the Helicopters to arrive at the Ancient Fortress.
―~――~―――~―――~――~―
-About 15 minutes later-
After experiencing a hellish ordeal, Captain Naruse was in the sky above the Ancient Fortress, riding one of the two Chinook Helicopters.
「Captain… this has turned into a major incident….. 」
In the cabin of the CH-47F, a subordinate voices out the state of affairs as Captain Naruse sat on a chair with a worn-out appearance.
「Indeed it has. But right now I feel quite dispirited, since we may be doing more missions like this in the future」
『This is, it's really bad… All hands, look down below』³
The weary Captain tries to imagine the not too distant future, just before an announcement from the CH-47's pilot called for everyone to look towards the old fortress.
Peeking out of the nearby window, Captain Naruse observed the Ancient Fortress, just before all the evidence would be destroyed.
In the skies above the Ancient Fortress, two supersonic strategic bombers flew in tandem with each other, the American Lancer & the Russian Tupolev. Loaded with a Joint Direct Attack Munition each, the bombers were equipped at the last minute with the Grand Slam and Tall Boy, ready to be dropped in succession.
At an altitude of 10,000 meters the specially prepared JDAM's Grand Slam & Tall Boy were released. With the increasing rate of descent, inertial guidance systems and global positioning system, the guided bombs broke through the sound barrier. With little chance of error, they pierced the Ancient Fortress.
Smashing through the Ancient Fortresses stone bricks, piercing all the way to the underground research facility, and detonating at the core. Up on the surface, was a billowing column of fire.
As the Grand Slam & Tall Boy came down at supersonic speeds, causing the explosions in the basement. A small earthquake occurred as the entire underground facility collapses. The Ancient Fortress falls to ruin at a tremendous pace, sinking into the ground.
All the zombies and the entire Ancient Fortress were blown away without a trace by the JDAMs. And amidst all that, the B-1 Lancer & Tu-160 Tupolev serenely return to base.
「「「「Woah!」」」」
From inside the Chinook helicopter, Captain Naruse observed the shattered remains of the Ancient Fortress, as the rest of the cabin expressed their admiration.