*Bang!* *Bang!* *Bang!* *Bang!*
With each pull of a trigger, the muzzle of the Dobermann flashed with radiant and lustrous light. Followed by a reverberating thunderous roar piercing through his ears. Each trigger made him feel a familiar yet calming recoil. It gave him a strange tranquil bringing about silence.
*BRrrtttt!* *BRRrrttttt!* *BRrrttt!*
*Bang!* *Bang!* *Bang!*
*BRRRrrrrrtttt!!!* *BRRRrrrrrtttt!!!*
Outside Duke's serene mind was the endless assault of lead surging towards the charging and screaming mutated beast. Brilliant flashes flickered throughout his cold and uncaring face. The sound of gunfire was indifferent to him.
"The Vanguards failed to attract its attention?" Duke's indifferent expression changed as he furrowed his eyebrows. Annoyance was becoming prevalent since the mutated beast seemed eager. It was too bloodthirsty towards him.
Despite the volley of lead launched by the Sentinels and the rotary armored sentry guns of Vanguards, the mutated beast continued its heavy charge. It seemed uncaring of its injuries and continued with its rapid advance.
Looking at it with his aloof sapphire-like eyes, he noticed the gaze of the abomination. Hundreds of its glowing dotted eyes peered at him as if he was a five-star meal for a hungry and homeless man. It wanted to eat him alive, and naturally, becoming a meal wasn't what he desired.
He didn't appreciate the hungry gaze of the mutated beast.
*BRRrrttttt!* *BRrrttt!*
*Bang!* *Bang!*
The Sentinels occupying their defensive positions continued firing towards the stampeding mutated beast without care. There were no expressions on their faces, making them appear calm and cold.
During this dark battle against the mutated beast, the Sentinels were nothing more than killing machines operated by their Director, Duke Shepherd.
Tracers of every armament of the Sentinels were ricocheting and piercing the mutated beast. It was a marvelous scene, but Duke didn't feel at ease. The abomination took their assault like an unstoppable disaster. No wonder not many could survive during an encounter with this monster.
'What should I do?' He thought to himself. Ideas flooded his mind, but most of them were too unrealistic. He had no prior military experience, so his strategies were lacking, but he had apocalyptic knowledge. This might be of use in their circumstances.
'When fighting against a dangerous entity. One must ensure that when an attack on the entity lands. Not everyone will be affected and disabled.' With this in mind, a set of orders appeared in Duke's mind.
Since the mutated beast loves him so much, this might be the Sentinel's opportunity. He was the only one that attracted its attention, so he would obviously use it. This was an opportunity in itself.
Duke glances at the Sentinels surrounding him while firing endlessly toward the rushing mutated beast. He opened his mouth and gave orders to the Sentinels.
"Separate from one another and form a team of two. Give distance, and don't get close to me." Hearing the orders of their Director, the Sentinels were hesitant at first but later followed. Their Director must have a plan in mind, so they must comply.
The Sentinels slowly moved away from their defensive positions in two while firing at the abomination. Radiance kept flashing in and out as the Sentinels were beginning to spread out. On the other hand, the Vanguards kept assaulting the abomination's side.
Large caliber bullets continued penetrating the monster's body. Because of this, the mutated beast slowed its stampede, but it continued charging at their Director. They wondered if they should crash the Vanguards to the monster. But they didn't do so since their Director didn't give an order.
*Bang!* *Bang!* *Bang!* *Bang!* *Bang!*
After reloading the Dobermann, Duke didn't stop pulling the trigger. Blazing flashes of light flickered on his aloof face. With each ignition of a bullet, he could feel his arms numbing. But he didn't care. Death was in front of him, and he must fight it.
'Now that I think about it. I'm unusually calm.'
A thought suddenly popped up in his head. Yes, he was unnaturally calm. He would usually be nervous in such a situation, but only tranquil was in his head. Was this also the effect of the silver light that devoured his body?
He shook his head and threw such thoughts at the back of his head. There was no need to think about them for the time being. Instead, he must return to the Cerberus Headquarters with all his Sentinels. That was a mission he was determined to achieve.
Duke looked at the Sentinels who were spreading out and gave another order to them.
"Don't hesitate and throw all you have against abomination. You don't want your Director to die, right?" He smirked and coolly remarked. The fact that these guys were still hesitating to use everything was quite a contradiction.
As if firmly welcoming his new orders, the Sentinels took out the stun grenades they had and threw them toward the incoming mutated beast. Seeing this through his monocle, Duke narrowed his eyes.
A flash of radiance then followed.
*Bang!*
*Bang!*
*Bang!*
*Bang!*
Several stun grenades exploded a couple meters away from the mutated beast, and the abomination was entirely halted. Faced with such an opportunity, the Sentinels didn't need any orders and took out frag grenades one after another.
The corners of his lips rose since he was pleased by the reactions of the Sentinels. From the looks of it, they don't need his orders at all. It made him realize that perhaps the Sentinels were far better off without him ordering each of their actions.
After all, they were the warriors of Cerberus. If they didn't have a bit of knowledge regarding warfare beforehand, could they be even the famed soldiers of an evil-looking faction?
The grenades were thrown from the dark gloves of the Sentinels. After they flew through the air, the grenades landed like simple balls and settled in front of the disoriented mutated beast. The blinded mutated beast was confused but then saw brilliance escaping the balls.
It wanted to escape, but it was too late. Under the assault of the Sentinels and the two Vanguards, it was too pressured to be able to swiftly move.
*BOOM!!!*
A silver light gleamed through the wasteland, and what followed was a sound resembling a thunderclap. It echoed in the silent withering field and was louder than any gunfire. Who knows how many aberrants were heading towards them after the deafening explosion.
Dust and smoke covered the explosion site. Duke gazed at it with the night vision of his monocle and felt the uneasiness of his heart ceaseless. Ten seconds later, a scream blasted from the mutated beast. The misty dust dissipated, and the figure of the monster was revealed.
*KKRAHHH!!!*
Its state was far from good. A quarter of its ten-meter body was blown off. Blood oozed from its injuries, and its dotted eyes imploded one after another. It was losing its sanity and was going mad. Even though it was injured, it continued to mutate under its madness.
Duke signaled the Sentinels to step back. A mutating mad monster was dangerous. They must not be near it. Who knows what it might do in its frenzy. The Sentinels followed his orders, but things wouldn't go well for someone like him. Ever since acquiring the Protocol, fate hated him.
He didn't know why. But it felt like the world wanted him dead. To be precise, it seemed as though the eternal night desired for him to disappear. Though, he didn't want to think about conspiracies. Such things would be too much for him. At any rate, death loved him too much.
Under the misty dust, a strange vine erupted from the ground and propelled itself toward Duke. Its speed was fast, and it was too late for him to react. But as he was about to get hit, he felt a hand on his shoulders, which pushed him away.
He fell from the ground with a thud, and the Sentinel who pushed him was scratched by the launching vine. The Sentinels surrounding the Director fired immediately at the mutated beast. The Vanguards also rammed at the dying monster while shooting at it.
*Bang!* *Bang!* *Bang!* *Bang!* *Bang!*
*BRRRrrrrrttttt!!!*
*BAM!*
*KKRRAAAHHH!!!*
After one final cry from the mutated beast, the abomination stopped mutating. It became frozen and cold as if it was a strange-looking tree. Duke, who lay on the ground, felt cold in his heart. He thought that he would surely die at that moment.
If not for that Sentinel, who knows what might have happened.
'What the-' He cursed in his mind and reminded himself that he wasn't immortal. With one fatal hit by anything, he would die. This wasn't a game, and he only had one chance. With this in mind, he calmed his chaotic heart and instantly remembered the Sentinel who saved him.
Duke stood up from the ground as the Sentinels surrounded the injured one under a defensive position. Two of them were treating the injured Sentinel, but since their comrade was scratched. He would sooner or later be infected by the stygian virus.
Their Director crouched right beside them and glanced at the scratched stomach. Blackened veins were emerging and devouring everything. The Sentinels knew that all hope was lost. Even the injured Sentinel understood his fate.
But he wasn't saddened or angered. In all honesty, he felt a serene peace. He had accomplished his mission of protecting the Director and died a worthy death of a Sentinel. What's better than dying for the Director?
"Are you okay?" Duke calmly asked while looking at the injured Sentinel lying on the ground. The black gas mask was taken out from the Sentinel's face, and the only thing he could see was the determined expression of his soldier.
"I feel great, Director. I have achieved my mission earlier than my comrades. It makes me proud." A smile formed on the injured Sentinel's face. There were no regrets, which made Duke genuinely smile.
The Sentinels under his command were men who would follow him into hell without any questions. They might be units created by the Protocols, but they were actual humans and stood before him with life and duty. What more could he ask? For someone like him, who's an ordinary man.
Their loyalty was a gift that should never be taken for granted.
"Then it looks like you have a chance to continue achieving your mission in the future." Duke expressed with a calm smile and took out a syringe from his trench coat. The injured Sentinel, noticing it, shook his head and didn't wish to accept it.
"Such a rare cure, Director. It must be used by people who are deserving of it. I'm nothing more but a Sentinel, and I can be replaced by many others." The injured Sentinel muttered, though their Director shook his head and rejected his rejection.
"I am the Director, and this is an order. Stop your rejection." Duke swiftly injected the syringe into the injured Sentinel's body without waiting for his response. After it was totally injected, the ravaging stygian virus calmed down and slowly got repelled.
The injured Sentinel slowly lost consciousness. Duke stood up and sighed in relief. The syringe worked, and the Sentinel was saved. It seemed it wasn't wrong when it was regarded as a second life. It really was one.
*Bang!* *Bang!* *Bang!* *Bang!* *Bang!*
The surrounding Sentinels started firing at the incoming aberrants with precise accuracy. Duke turned his gaze towards them and returned to the two Sentinels beside him.
"Take him to the Vanguard and continue applying first aid." He gave an order, and the two Sentinels nodded. They carried the injured Sentinel to the front Vanguard and began their first aid. Meanwhile, the Sentinels kept safeguarding the surroundings from aberrants.
"All of you return to the Vanguards."
"Let's continue onward to our headquarters."
Duke entered the rear Vanguard, and the Sentinels returned to the armored vehicles. The rotary armored sentry guns continued firing at the sprinting aberrants, and drivers turned on their ignitions.
The engine of the Vanguards vehemently roared. It accelerated towards the field and circled around the giant spike. As the military convoy navigated through the road, they noticed multiple familiar cracks on the ground, which made Duke sigh in relief.
It seems that terminating the mutated beast was unavoidable.