Chapter 24

  Vic could feel the power inside of the Deep surging through his body. The bridge slowly started to fade from view while the abyss consumed him. The water of the endless river flowed beneath his feet while he continued to search for another signal. Amidst the ambience of the Deep, he could sense a ripple of another presence within—one he had not felt in years.

  “Shirow.” He muttered.

  The energy being harnessed from Shirow felt massive, splashing the body of the Deep against him. He searched further, soon noticing Mizumi’s power beginning to swell, followed by Rei’s. His heart began to race with excitement as his vision began to clear. The dark void around him once again started to fade, bringing him back to the bridge of the Litvyak.

  Through the front window, he could see the ancient city starting to come into view. The voices from the crew begin to fill his ears. He turned back towards the rest of the troops on board, signaling for them to prepare for the final push. Inessa remained glued to her spot at the navigator console, remaining sharp as she they made their approach to the Deck Hall.

  “We have detected movement from the Deck Hall in the city below. It the enemy forces are moving closer on our position, possibly for a flank.” she reported.

  “They’re not going to risk trying to escape,” Vic replied, quickly walking over to address her. “I need all troops to board the remaining dropships and prepare to surround the enemy.”

  “Commander Yuri is ahead of you. Any moment now we’ll be deploying the interceptors to counter any aerial forces.” she said again. Before she could continue, the console beneath her started to light up. “We’re receiving a teleconference from Kashmir.”

  Vic stared down at the screen, noticing the transmission’s source. He quickly brushed his hand across his face, trying to keep his demeanor before giving her a nod to complete the connection. The moment Inessa pressed her finger against the screen, the bridge behind them started to let out a hum. Soon, the sound of buzzing filled the bridge as a translucent panel began to rise from the floor. As it finally erected, the side of the panel began to warp into cube.

  Within seconds, the interior of the apparatus began to swell with particles, slowly forming an image inside. Melora’s figure came into view, giving them a quick image of her calm and collected gaze. Vic turned to her, bracing for the next orders.

  “General,” Melora’s voice cracked through the transmission, barely audible. She paused for a moment, taking time to adjust the signal on her end. Her staticky image slowly became more focused before continuing, “I’m receiving reports that you’ve scrambled units for an assault without clearing it through me.”

  “I know we have our boundaries, but don’t forget my position,” Vic replied, keeping a soft grin on his face. The sudden remark slowly put Melora on tilt, causing a subtle twitch in her eye. “The Premiere entrusted me to make moves for the betterment of the Global Eurasian Initiative—”

  “The last operation was a disaster and we’re still trying to sort out that mess you caused in Nojiri,” she erupted, cutting him short as she continued raising her voice. “The orders are to return to Kashmir. We’re so close to getting this reactor finished and we’re already treading on thin ice.”

  “We have discovered the position of General Hoshikaze and Delta. I think the Premiere would approve of this operation to keep our technology from falling into the O.W.O.’s hands.”

  “Koji and I are in charge of the Weapons Administration, which means you answer to us.”

  “I’m going to be taking control of this operation. Commander Yuri and I are going to put an end to this conflict.”

  “Don’t you even think about sending one of my machines into this, pull out now.”

  Vic’s eyes trailed towards the floor for a moment as he let out a sigh, “This is a personal matter. They have my daughter as well, and I’m not returning to Kashmir without her.”

  “You are making a mistake.”

  He turned away from Melora and towards Inessa, giving a quick swipe of his thumb across his neck. Without hesitation, Inessa pressed the buttons on the navigator console, causing Melora’s image to go black.

  “Block all transmissions from Melora’s office.” Vic calmly ordered.

  “Is that wise, sir?” Inessa replied.

  Vic continued to smile as he reached towards the rank insignia over his sleeve, giving it a few taps. Inessa nodded, a silent acknowledgment of his authority before continuing to type away at her keyboard. At last, Vic stepped past her and began to make his way towards the flight deck to ready the men.

  The Deck Hall moved from its space on the outskirts, deeper into the city to take refuge among the large molding skyscrapers. The sun slowly began to dip over the horizon, casting the ancient city in an eerie twilight. A distant roar of engines shattered the silence, signaling the approach of the G.E.I. forces. Rei’s heart quickened while adrenaline began to course through her veins.

  She looked up towards the skies to see a few of the dropships from the Litvyak beginning their descent. The sleek design of the aircraft cut through the air with precision, whirring engines echoing off the crumbling walls of the buildings around them. The sounds of the city were slowly drowned out while they started to make their rounds of the area.

  Nomad, Shirow, and Mizumi remained steadfast as their eyes followed the enemy craft. Minutes earlier, several of the Liberation troops scattered through the surrounding area in preparation for their arrival. Rei could hear their voices in her earpiece relaying the activity, nearly causing a sensory overload as her robe started to react.

  “I don’t know how I’m supposed to fight in this thing,” Nomad’s quick remark broke through the droning of the enemy ships. He slowly began to adjust his robe, feeling the material inside still clinging to his flesh. “It’s like having another voice in my head.”

  “You’ll get used to it,” Rei said. “I’m used to following orders. All I can say is if it starts to take control, let it. This robe has pulled me out of many near-death encounters.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind, but I still hate it.”

  Mizumi stepped ahead of the crew with grace, cutting them off. With each passing moment, the tension in the air grew thicker. Nomad gave his rifle another function check, waiting for her to give the signal. Deep within the fabric of the robe, he could feel the other equipment stashed away with the Quantum Stacking feature. He was prepared with a knife, a few grenades, med pack, and a staff. He wondered about how such a weapon would have its practicality in the battle. However, the long staff would be another degree of separation between him and one of the A.S.B.’s.

  “That’s them.” Shirow called out to Mizumi.

  She turned to face Nomad and Shirow, quickly ordering, “You two head northwest and be ready to flank. We don’t have long.”

  “Copy.”

  He turned to Nomad, giving him a quick pop with the back of his hand. The two started to rush ahead while Mizumi turned to Rei.

  “Are you ready?” she asked.

  “Lead the way.” Rei said confidently.

  The two started their dash into the city, keeping several yards apart as they began to cover ground. Rei kept her eyes focused up ahead, taking a glance towards Mizumi every few seconds. By the time they were able to cover a few blocks, she had her attention pulled back towards the Deck Hall. The sound of roaring jet engines screamed through the crumbling buildings as the jets being piloted by Paxton and his team began to launch from the runway.

  She caught a glimpse of the metallic planes zipping up towards the sky before being greeted with the sounds of war. First, there was the sound of rockets exploding from the ground troops followed by a cadence of machine gun fire. As the rockets launched into the skies, the automated defenses of the dropships above were activated. Within microseconds, the guns of the ships were able to sight in on the incoming projectiles to blast them out of the air.

  Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

  Fire from the exploding projectiles slowly began to obscure the vehicles as they near the ground. After a few moments of the exchange, the first wave of enhanced troops was able to deploy. Rei and Mizumi started to make their way towards one of the closest ships, eventually finding themselves near the central plaza.

  The many buildings remained corroded, bearing the scars of time and neglect. s that adorned the walls remained faded. The vibrant colors now muted and faded text were a testament to the passage of time. Grass and other resilient plant life rooted in the cracks of the concrete below, slowly reclaiming the urban landscape.

  As the two turned the corner, they were confronted by a handful of G.E.I. troops. Once they raised their weapons, the two acted. Within seconds, their hair and robes began to shimmer, slowly turning to a matching hue of grey. They had seamlessly blended in with the scenery around them, providing a temporary visual deterrent as they dashed for cover.

  The fabric on Rei’s robe began to ripple as she clenched it, contorting to reveal the butt of her rifle seamlessly integrated within. With a quick pull, the weapon ripped from inside, allowing her to set the rifle to the ready before sliding behind a large concrete slab. The sound of the enemy weapons firing in unison was steadily drowned out as the slab behind Rei began to erupt. She took a deep breath.

  This is it.

  She rose from behind the barrier, instinctively taking shots towards the enemy troops. The rifle continued to bounce against her shoulder as the weapon dispelled hot metal slag through the air. After a short burst, she watched one of the troops take a shot directly to the forehead, painting the wall behind him with a pink mist.

  Seeing her first kill with a rifle gave her a rush, finding herself being captivated by the power of the weapon. With the bullets continuing to fly, she could feel the robe starting to take over once more. She then dropped down to cover, allowing Mizumi to follow up with another barrage.

  “Move up and close the ground!” Mizumi shouted.

  Rei jumped to her feet before starting to run further ahead into the danger zone. Mizumi continued to lay down suppressing fire, keeping the enemy troops pinned. The moment Rei got to the next vantage point, she started to send rounds down range to give Mizumi the opportunity to advance.

  She faced off against the enhanced troops, barely meeting any resistance as she started to mow through the troops. Rei watched in awe as her mother began to dispatch them. A storm of bullets and blood flew through the area, showing the other side of Mizumi’s nature. Her calm and collected demeanor had transformed into that of a ruthless warrior. The enemy troops were quickly slain, clearing the area in moments.

  As Rei started to perform a quick sweep of the area, she started to feel her battle robe reaching out to her. She snapped to the right, seeing another run-down building at the edge of the plaza. The onboard AI took over once more, causing her to snap her rifle back to the ready position. Mizumi took aim, quickly joining Rei to unleash a volley of projectiles into the building.

  At last, she brought her fire to a halt, giving Mizumi a quick signal with her hand to move forward. The sound of explosions and projectiles in the distant remained present, not ceasing as the battle raged. Rei slowly began to lower her rifle while continuing to stare ahead. Suddenly, she took notice of a quick piercing light ahead in the corridor. The inside lit up with emerald, blue as two bright orbs began to glow inside. Rei could feel robe began to react again.

  “Watch out!” Mizumi shrieked.

  Rei quickly lunged to her left, hearing a loud whoosh the wind brushed against her. For a split second, she could see large metal scythe spin past her, nearly slicing through her. It finally struck the building behind her, easily piercing through the ancient building. Cracks began to stream through the concrete, overpowering the sounds of batter.

  She could hear debris from the building raining down from behind, pulling her attention towards the massive metallic scythe lodged inside. All at once, the weapon ripped out of the wall, launching back towards her at high speed. She dodged once more, escaping the snap back as an invisible force pulled it back towards glowing lights in the corridor.

  There was a loud and deafening crash as the structure’s foundation gave in. It buckled in on itself, forcing Rei and Mizumi to flee the rubble. A thick cloud of dust began to envelop the plaza, leaving Rei blinded. She tried again to listen to her instincts and allow the battle robe to guide her. The presence inside was deafening, every moment warning of imminent danger.

  “It’s unfortunate you were not amongst the others.” Vic’s voice echoed through the cloud of dust.

  Rei shielded her mouth from the debris while she moved closer. The sound of his voice caused another flicker in her eyes. Once she had made it through the clouds, she finally caught a glimpse of Vic with his familiar trench coat and pistol. The mere sight caused her ears to ring—her eyes went red seeing the face that haunted her for months. While he started to approach, she turned to see the glowing orbs from before starting to enter the light.

  It was Yuri, standing tall with his lanky body, burning red hair, and piercing blue eyes. The massive humanoid machine began to slowly approach her with the large metallic scythe in his hands. He was the inverse of Yulia, but still just as menacing with his undaunted stare. The massive blazer over his body stuck out just like her seifuku. Rei lifted her rifle back into her shoulder, preparing to take aim towards Vic.

  “I’ve been waiting for you!” She shouted.

  “As I said,” Vic spoke again, using his free hand to swat the smoke from his face. “It’s very unfortunate you weren’t in the mass grave with the rest. I’ll make sure—”

  Rei immediately lifted her rifle to him, pressing her finger against the trigger to release another volley. Right as the bullets began to fly, she caught the glimpse of Yuri zipping in front of Vic. The projectiles struck his body, quickly beginning to rip through the blazer over his chest. She continued pulling away at the trigger, trying desperately to take Yuri down.

  There was a loud buzz from inside of her rifle, causing the fire to seize. The trigger locked in place while the lower receiver began to overheat. She quickly threw the weapon to the ground and reached into her robe for her sword. Before she could draw, Vic emerged from behind Yuri with his pistol sighted in on her.

  Vic started to return fire, sending a few bullets in her direction. Rei could feel the bullets popping past her head. Her adrenaline started to flow, causing her vision to blur. The shots continued past her while she began to dash towards a pile of rubble ahead. As soon as she slid behind cover, Vic brought his fire to a halt.

  “I didn’t think you would fall so easily, given you’re the daughter of Mizumi and the legendary Hideo-Jin-Ni,” he bellowed, calmly reaching towards his belt to retrieve another cartridge for his pistol. “You bested my men in Nojiri and defeated one of my commanders. I may have let you slip through the cracks when I leveled your village, but I don’t intend to make that same mistake twice.”

  Rei pulled her sword from her robe and took a deep breath. Her skin began to tingle, hair began to shimmer while the air around her started to distort. The scenery quickly lit up with a blue glow while she began the transformation. Once she activated the blue form, she lunged from behind the rubble and dashed towards Vic and Yuri. The world around her slowed to crawl.

  Smoke and air streamed off her body; her blade remained steadfast on the approach. Yuri and Vic, seemingly frozen in time, stared ahead. Before she could reach striking distance, she noticed Yuri’s body flicker. A familiar red glow began to consume him, causing his body to come to life. Although Vic remained in place, Yuri turned towards her, tracking her movement. He lifted his scythe, swinging it towards her.

  Rei tried to bring herself to a halt, narrowly avoiding being skewered by the attack. She swung back, causing the two weapons to strike with a thunderous clang. The impact let out a shockwave of white, almost like the ground was struck with an artillery shell. The power from the attack began to cause the buildings around them to rumble. A gust of wind blasted from their attack, eventually clearing the massive clouds of smoke from the air.

  Vic began to shield himself from the gust, not taking notice of Mizumi. She slowly began to emerge from cover, taking aim with her rifle. Before she could squeeze the trigger, she felt a massive force surging through the Deep. Vic’s trench coat flapped in the wind as he wrenched his fist for a strike. He threw his arm forward, channeling all his power from the Deep to release a wave of energy towards her. The empty space ahead of Mizumi started to contort while the power latent in Vic’s body began to push against her.

  She felt an invisible but very powerful force strike her chest, knocking her to the ground as her body slid back towards the rubble, Rei felt something inside of her snap. She gave her sword another push, finally knocking Yuri’s scythe aside before going for another strike. The blade struck against his torso, stopping in place as if she had encountered a wall.

  Her senses deadened again, giving her tunnel vision while she tried to increase the pressure. The blade refused to budge. Suddenly, she saw a flash of white as Yuri swiped his hand across her face. The impact knocked her backwards, sending her spiraling through the air and towards another concrete barrier. Her back struck the wall at full force, sending a sharp pain through her body.

  The ground let out a thud as she bounced into it, quickly being doused with blood as it spewed from her lip. Rei panicked, quickly trying to get to her feet before her opponent could follow up. The sword remained firm in her grip while she struggled to lift it. The sudden attack from Yuri was a reminder of every defeat she faced before. Instead of giving in, she rose to her feet, determined to finally tear through Yuri and finish Vic.

  Keep your stance, she squared up, going through the motions again. The field between her and Yuri started to blur.

  Do not lose balance, Hideo’s words echoed in her head.

  “Find your center.” She whispered.

  Yuri continued to step forward with his gaze still focused on her. The red aura around him continued to burn. It pulsated once more, letting out a loud hum before launching his body forward. He pulled his weapon back for another strike, aiming at Rei’s chest. She swallowed once more, finally launching towards him for another clash. There were a series of strikes, causing another shockwave as their weapons continued to crash into each other.

  Vic glanced at the two, taking a moment to see the G.E.I.’s technology being pushed to its limits. He then called out to Yuri, “Take care of her, I have errands to run.”

  With a skilled hand, he loaded the spare cartridge into his pistol, preparing for Mizumi. As the smoke from his previous attack cleared, he called out for her again, baiting her to finally lead the attack. Mizumi knew his words were more than a taunt, but an invitation, a challenge. The two began to battle, becoming enveloped by the fog of war.