Глава 8

Hey. What's the situation?

Not too good. There's only a couple of devils left on the lower level...

But they're all battle-hardened mercenaries, and horrible at that. Give them a single screw, and they'd come up with a hundred ways to kill you with it.

In terms of combat ability, we're about even. In terms of numbers, we've only got half theirs.

Uh, do you have a but? I'm gonna lose all the feeling in my legs...

Yeah. 'But' the mercs are having some interteam strife. At least the bunch outside are. The ones below us right now, I'm not too sure.

You know that's not good news, right? Ugh, ow... that guy just now was a ruthless bastard...

If you've done emergency treatment, you're good. Think of something else for now, distract yourself.

...It's gotten hotter and hotter up above. Ever since just now, the action up there's gotten a little scary... and, uh, well, how do I put it? Makes it a little hard to breathe.

I said distract yourself, not think about it all!

...Amiya. Amiya's alright, isn't she? And that Lungmen officer. Uh, I only met her once... but when I think about how they're dealing with... with... uh, what was it?

Give it a rest, you're starting to talk in tongues. Actually, you've lost plenty of blood—hold on, we've got news.

It's me. I'm nearly at ground level—

...What's the situation? The enemy?

Stroke of good luck. The Arts explosion just now at the top of the tower was like a volcano erupting. Engulfed the floor we were holding. We dispatched a few sentries in all the chaos, and the rest of them had to evacuate down to open ground—

I thought they'd be defending this place to the death...

Maybe they all had a premonition of sorts. They all know, what's going on up there is beyond any 'tactical' level of foresight now—

Wait... what's going on! ?

Wha—

Grab on to me!

Wait... the—the fire's spreading?! What the hell's even flammable here?!

High heat... It's just like the intel said, this is Talulah's doing...!

Quit standing there! What do we do now?!

Oh—let's go this way, join up with everyone else! Wait up, is your leg okay now?!

Distracting myself!

Confirm all comms! For the time being, no casualties!

Calm your hustle. Those mercs haven't gone far. They're confirming the situation, prying for opportunities...

Command tower got caught up in a sudden explosion at the top, and now it's fallen into... momentary peace.

What part of this screams peace to you?! A—Amiya's group are okay, right?

Mm... well, with that going on at the tower top, I'd say we're practically the picture of peace.

F... finally—!

Don't drop your guard, we're still—

W—why'd you go mute? Hello—?

What's so interesting about the sky? Is something going on at the tower...?

...Wait, i—is that an... orb of light? A ball... a ball of fire? A halo? What IS that?

Arts.

...Arts?

Ah! I've been making a record. Since the start, that first huge sound, the flames and heated airstreams have burst through the building's dome. From beneath the tower, to the naked eye, it looks like...

Like the afterglow of the setting sun.

Like the death of Infected as successive as the waves.

Like rage.

Like this city placed in ruin.

...I don't think I'm particularly perceptive compared to the rest of you, but I know more or less what you want to say here, really.

That'd be the leader of Reunion's...

Heat and flame.

But heat and flame... shouldn't be things so fearful.

Mm. That ball of light. That's one... two people's. No, perhaps even more than that, even more rage...

So that's... Talulah?

It isn't. Or put another way, it's not just her. Not by far. Everyone knows the leader of Reunion as the intel described her, but I can't draw a line between that young little dragon and what I'm seeing now at all...

Just what... just what happened up there?

...I don't know.

Amiya...

Is there anyone else in the command tower?!

Yes!

Then we need to go help them!

Wait! Keep your head down!

—Enemies have left the command tower! Go find them!

Block this place off. Don't give them the chance to seek aid.

Wh—what do we do now?!

Maybe we should go back and help Amiya—

—No.

Only Amiya... Only Amiya can do this. She can. I'm sure of it.

I believe in her. That's the only reason I have for standing here now.

And...

And she promised me. On my next paid leave, she'd tag along with me to hit the streets... and no leader's allowed to eat their words.

...Okay.

Then until Amiya comes back clutching victory, we can't relinquish the control tower. At the very least, we hold on until Dr. Kal'tsit arrives.

We—

Wh—wait, something's cutting the sky apart! Uh, that—whatever that is!

—Did you hear that! ? It happened again!

...A sword? Right, that Lungmen officer's a sword-wielder, isn't she...

C-Could a sword do this?!

...I'll hold the mercs off outside the control tower. You guys, back in. Rescue the remaining people. Secure an evacuation route that hasn't been destroyed.

How are you gonna hold alone against that many Sarkaz?

I'll go with her.

You guys, go back in now. Move.

...Rhodes doesn't have many left. Tell the other teams to haul the net in. We'll be going this way...

Crash their defensive line ASAP. Their deaths will be our greatest bargaining chips.

Move!

...Alright!

Don't you push it now! They've got a lot of people!

...It's been forever. Us two, fighting side by side, eyeing for a chance to ambush the enemy.

The two battle-hardened Operators hold tight their weapons in mutual rapport, and the Sarkazs' press on towards them menacingly.

Neither side takes their eyes off the other.

...For sure.

So about your vacation. You two still need a bag-carrier?