Chapter 28

 241231

They had been dropped off in one of the outlying areas, near where the raptors were supposed to have broken through. Team Four had already started moving when Zane and his team arrived at the area. Everywhere lay the decaying remains of small Akuryuma, reminiscent of Deadra. However, they looked simpler. They had spikes on their backs but lacked the distinctive mechanical features that Deadra possessed. 

"We'll leave the rest to you." The leader said goodbye before the ATBS team took to the air again. 

"Roger that." Replied Zane over the holographic communication interface. 

"Area secure!" Reported 736, who was probing the area with his rifle. 

"Roger that." Reported the pilot back, and shortly thereafter he lowered the support team. "Standing by." Lifted the transporter again. 

"Watch the motion sensors." Cara reminded those present as several Akuryuma were already rushing toward the team from the side alleys.

"Open fire." Declared 736 before he and Cara took the Aku under fire. Nathan moved into a defensive position in front of the supply team. Zero also drew his sword and tried to protect the second medic, who also fired his rifle at the Aku. 

The rifle fire shredded the charging Aku. Those that came through the hail of bullets were met by Nathan, Zane and Zero. Nathan created a wall of water that stopped the Aku before they were shredded by 736 and Cara's armor-piercing bullets. Zane slammed his hand against the ground and a sheet of ice shot toward the Aku, from which spikes of ice shot out, impaling the Aku lying above it. Zero, meanwhile, sliced through the Aku, which seemed unaffected by normal bullets, with his sword, which went through them like butter. 

However, more and more Aku pounced on them. 

"There's no end to it!" Started the medic panicking, while Zero seemed to swing his massive sword with ease, defeating any Aku that got too close to them. 

One Aku leapt toward Zane, who dodged it. Here comes another one, Zane realized, as he narrowly avoided the tail of the raptor, which landed behind him. Immediately, the raptor turned and was about to leap at Zane again before an ice pillar drilled into him.

Nathan had begun to transition into the attack as well and managed to fire his high-pressure water at individual Aku, which were shredded by the pressure, while Cara and 736 took out Aku after Aku with their armor-piercing rifles. 

"Did we do it?" Cara asked, exhausted, as the medic sank to the ground, stressed. 

"Seems so." Agreed Zane to her uncertainly as the raptors already began to disintegrate and Zero inquired about the medic's condition. 

"We were lucky it was only raptors, but there were significantly more than reported." Added 736. "Despite the fact that Unit Four had already taken out a few."

"How many are we talking about again?" Cara inquired. 

"Just under 90." Reported the operator. "Unit Four has already taken out 55, so there should have been only about 30 left." 

"There were a lot more than 30." Nathan looked around the battlefield. 

"Something's wrong...," Zane worried. 

"I have bad news." Called in the operator again suddenly. "More radiation signatures have come through!" 

"Even more have broken through?" Nathan wondered. 

"Where?" Asked 736. 

"The radiation source is to the north, near the entrance to the Layered City." Reported the operator. 

"What?" Shuddered Zane. 

"We're moving forward." Cara waved at the support team as the transporter began to land. 

"There is a bunker full of civilians nearby. We can't let them get into the bunker under any circumstances!" Explained the operator. 

"Understood." Confirmed 736. 

"Don't worry, we'll take care of it!" Agreed Zane, as everyone got into the transporter which was already taking off towards the city.

"This is as close as I can get you." The van landed at a tollbooth. Ahead of them was a massive highway entrance, which led into the Layered City. 

"Roger that. We'll get back to you." Nodded Zane and jumped out of the van. The others followed him. 

"Good luck hunting." The transporter lifted off again. 

"Last contact with them was on level one of the first block." 

"Roger that we're going in pursuit." Confirmed Zane before hurrying ahead into one of the side entrances.

Zane and his team hurried through the supply corridors of the lower levels. Their eyes steadily on the movement display. Zane ran ahead, Cara and 736 covered the flanks with their rifles, while Nathan ran at the end. In between was Zero's support team. In the distance, they could hear the sounds of battle raging outside the Layered City. 

"How much further to the bunkers?" Cara asked. 

 "Just under 800 meters." Replied Nathan as the operator spoke up. 

"Guys there's a problem. More rifts have appeared." 

"What?!" Asked Zane incredulously, and everyone jerked to a halt.

"How so?" Zero inquired. 

"Did the Infected show up again?" Zane asked right on. 

"We don't know the reason, but more Rifts are showing up on the line the raptors are taking." 

"Are they at the bunker yet?" Zane asked frantically. 

"No, they've passed the bunkers and are moving farther and farther away from you." Reported the operator further. 

"They are moving away from the bunkers?" Cara wondered. 

"Where are they going?" Nathan also wondered. 

"Should we stop the pursuit?" Conjectured 736. 

"Negative. Keep pursuing the raptors and take them out. If they are the cause of the new Rifts, their destruction should prevent further Rifts. The city's Tactical Mage Teams have also been mobilized and will support you as much as they can." 

"Understood." Nodded Zane. 

"I've assigned you a new route, follow it. I've arranged for a ride."

Loud engine roars rumbled through the corridors of the lower level. Two armored vehicles shot down the street, their target the upper levels. The front of the two vehicles was a jeep with a rifle on the bed, the second a heavy cargo truck. 736 sat in the passenger seat of the jeep, while the rest of the team rode in the truck, which had been specially ordered because of the Exo. 

"Damn they're fast!" Cara looked at the hologram that showed the position of the breached raptors. The display pointed to the levels above them. 

"There's an open area coming up ahead. If things go well, you'll catch them there. Your transporter will pick you back up there." 

"I don't like this...," said the second medic next to Zero. "I'm only here as a medic, there was no mention of frontline operations." 

"Don't worry, Team Three can handle it." Zero assured the medic as the truck sped down the road. 

"You bet." Zane turned to the medic with his thumbs pointing up. 

"What about that thing on your arm, anyway?" Inquired Zane, looking at the artifact on Zero's wrist. "Can you use it?

"Not really...", Zero looked at the artifact that gave off a slight glow. 

"I couldn't sleep at night with that thing on." Remarked Zane, looking at the light. 

 "Contact!" Sounded 736's voice suddenly through the line. 

 "Are we out yet?" Wondered Zane, looking ahead, but in front of them was still only the street, winding like a tunnel between the building complexes. But then Zane suddenly saw a distortion in space. "A Rift!

No sooner had Zane spoken it than the Akuryuma emerged from the distortion. Their metallic screams resounded through the tunnels as the convoy headed straight for them. 

"What?" Shuddered the operator. 

"Open fire!" Declared the soldier on the gun, and a hail of bullets descended on the Akuryuma. 736 immediately joined in and fired across the windshield at the Akuryuma. 

The hail of bullets tore through some of the rather smaller Akuryuma immediately as they exited the distortion, while a few larger ones withstood the bullets. Immediately, the Akuryuma charged toward the convoy, which continued to head in their direction. 

"Nathan!" Shouted Zane. 

"Already on it!" Nathan already activated his spell and a jet of water emerged from a magic circle next to the truck, shooting forward to the Jeep. The jet of water caught the charging Akuryuma and washed them away as the Jeep and truck narrowly missed it. 

"Wow!" Yelled the pilot of the Exo-armor in amazement. 

"Told you they'd get it done." Zero turened to the second medic. Did they get even stronger? He wondered. 

"It's not over yet!" Turned Nathan to the back, where the Akuryuma were stepping out of the water stream and more seemed to be coming out of the distortion as well.

"I'll take care of it." Announced the Exo, who stood on the landing area and activated his big rifle. Immediately, tremendous shots shot out of the rifle barrel, tearing apart the Akuryuma that had been following them. 

"Good thing we brought a railgun." Said Cara with relief. 

"They're not giving up, though." Zero looked to the rear, the Akuryuma continued to pursue them despite the fire. They weren't afraid, no matter how many of them one mowed down it didn't change their onslaught. 

"Air support is available to you in the open area." Reported the operator as Cara and the Exo fired on the Aku. 

"How long until then?" Worried the second medic as Zero sliced an Aku jumping onto the loading area with his sword, the remains of which tumbled back onto the road. 

"It's already up ahead." Interjected the truck's passenger as the convoy shot out of the tunnel at full speed.

A large open area opened up in front of them as they continued down the road that ran between and over massive blocks of houses. It was like a cave within the city, where they could see for several miles into the distance. All around them were buildings, even above them were massive complexes of buildings that seemed to hang in the air. Only in a few places could one see the sky shining through between the upper levels. Lights from the buildings and streets were everywhere, illuminating the otherwise dark canyon of buildings. Below the highway on which the convoy was moving, one could see the rail lines that ran across the city. Below that, landing pads for ships and industrial buildings could be seen. The highway itself ran across the cavern on a bridge of sorts.

"They should be up there." Reported Nathan, pointing to the right. Several hovercrafts flew parallel to a jutting complex of houses that ended in a road upward.

That's when a van appeared next to them, climbing up from below. 

"There's our ride." Said Cara, reloading her rifle. 

"Thanks for the ride." Thanked Zane to the drivers as he prepared to jump into the cargo hatch. The transporter held a steady position parallel to the truck, while several hovercrafts had already come flying down to them, taking fire at the Akuryuma who were still following them. 

Zane jumped from the truck bed into the cargo hold of the transporter that was hovering in the air barely ten meters away from them. Immediately Nathan, Cara and Zero followed him. 

"What about the Exo?" Zane asked the operator as the transporter was already catching up to the jeep. 

"There's not enough time, the Aku have already come up one level. We'll pick it up later." With the Exo too big to take in flight, the second medic had also stayed with the truck. That left only Zero from the support team. 

By then, 736 was already landing in the van, having jumped out of the passenger seat. Immediately, the van began to turn and headed for one of the openings that led into the upper city. 

"Couldn't the hovercraft stop them?" Cara inquired. 

"Negative. There are more and more of them." The operator shocked those present. "Rifts are popping up all along the route, as you've already noticed for yourselves." 

"How so?" Zane inquired.

"Does it have something to do with the distortion?" Added Nathan. 

"We don't know. Right now, we're assuming there's a lead animal among the Aku that's responsible for the Rifts." 

"What are we looking for?" Asked 736, who was getting new ammunition. 

"Look for one similar to D1." 

"D1...," Zero looked at his bracelet. 

"D1?!" Startled, Zane turned to Zero, who was looking at his bracelet too. D1 was the identifier Professor Nordskov had given Deadra. "Are they heading for Deadra?" 

"The course would be correct." Added the operator. 

The mood was tense; Zane knew Deadra was supposed to be in Zero's bar. Scary scenarios were unfolding in Zane's mind when Zero suddenly spoke up. 

"Don't worry Zane, it's not Deadra." He began. "Deadra is here." Zero showed the bracelet, on which a red symbol could be seen. 

"How?" wondered Cara. 

"Deadra and Sora came to the Guardian. Then the artifact sucked Deadra in...", Zero tried to explain.

"I see..." Countered Nathan, trying to understand how it worked. "Maybe it works like summoning magic." He pondered further. 

"Then we can rule out Deadra." Said Zane with relief.

"I'm sorry Zane; but we can't. We know too little about how the rifts work. Until we're sure, we can't rule out any factor." Corrected the operator. 

"I see...", said Zane, and Zero nodded in understanding. 

"But that means that among the Raptors there could still be a D1... An Akuryuma like Deadra?" Cara inquired. 

"We assume so, yes." 

"But if Deadra is here and Sora is at the Guardian..." Zane looked at Zero for reassurance. "Then where are they going?" 

"If they maintain their current course, it will take them toward the Mytic-District." Reported the operator, and an approximate direction appeared on the holographic map in the center of the transporter. 

"Zero's bar is there...", pondered Zane, to which Zero began to swallow nervously. 

"But what would they want there?" Cara wondered. 

"D1 is with Zero." Added 736. 

"Little Sora isn't there either." Cara continued to ponder. 

"What's behind the bar?" Nathan suddenly brought everyone's attention back to the hologram in the middle. "If we extend the direction." Nathan changed the hologram with a simple hand gesture. 

"The city center." Remarked Zane. 

"But what could they want there?" Cara wondered. "The Aku was defeated by the Shelter forces. There's nothing left of them."

"Could it be that...," Zane looked at Nathan. "Do you think they might want to go to the hole?" 

"The hole?" Cara looked at Zane, unintelligible. 

"You mean the crater in the middle of the government district?" Inquired 736 as well. 

"Exactly." Nodded Zane. 

"But what about it?" Asked Cara. 

"Zane and I sensed some strange magic or rather energy there." Explained Nathan. 

"The energy levels were indeed unusually high." Reported the operator. 

"It's just our theory." Clarified Nathan. "But after everything that happened.... It was also the first time an Akuryuma had shown itself." 

"You're right." Considered Cara. So far, all the New Bloods had simply died, none of them had triggered a Rift let alone turned into an Akuryuma. 

"Understood, I'll pass it on." Replied the operator as their transporter flew out of the lower levels through an opening into the open. The evening sun flooded the transporter room as the city opened up below them. 

"There seems to be no end to the fighting." Zane worried, looking south. Dark smoke permeated the city from there, and the explosions could be heard all the way to them. "What's the situation?" Zane inquired.

"Shelter and the Architect Church seem to have the Rift at the Guardian under control, but new small Rifts are popping up all over the place and larger Akuryuma have popped up from the Rifts as well." Reported the ship's auxiliary AI. 

"How many are we talking about?" Inquired Nathan and immediately the hologram switched the display. Instead of the Akuryuma's course, it displayed several symbols that were between the Guardian and the approximate position of the Raptors. 

"How many is that?" Zane looked at the display in shock. Zero also squinted at the screen. Since he was only there for support, he did everything he could not to hinder the group. 

"Just under 60 and counting." Remarked the AI further. 

"That many?" Cara also looked at the map, startled. 

"They can't all be from the Raptors." Remarked Zane. 

"I agree." Said Nathan. "Even taking into account the Akuryuma's course, that's way too broad." 

"Could it be the Infected?" Asked Cara. 

"No, then the Rifts would be bigger." Added 736. "Maybe multiple D1s?" 

"We have come to similar conclusions. So at the moment, unfortunately, we can't rule anything out. Also, we have another problem. The many Rifts brought radiation, some of the bunkers got it." Reported the operator in dismay.

Damn!" Cursed Zane, hitting the wall of the van. 

"What's the rest of the procedure?" Nathan asked, giving Zane a worried look. 

"Do we continue to pursue the Raptors?" Asked 736 further. 

"Negative, we'll leave the Akuryuma and Infected to the regular troops. You guys take care of the Spikes exclusively. Team Four will take care of the raptor pack." 

"So the defense of the city failed." Nathan analyzed coldly.

"Nathan!" Zane looked at him somewhat sourly. 

"Unfortunately, yes. In the coming street fight, Shelter has assured us of support. The Armored City is also sending support, so we'll have to hold out until then." Explained the operator as they flew through the city. Frigates and cruisers were flying everywhere among the skyscrapers, black smoke hung in the air everywhere. 

"What about the evacuation of civilians?" Worried Cara. 

"There is an evacuation order in effect for the outer areas and a curfew has been imposed for the areas in the combat zone. Anything running around in the streets has been cleared for firing."

"So what do we do now?" Zane asked, impatience written all over his face. 

"You guys stay on standby for now." 

Zane seemed displeased with the instruction as Nathan caught his attention. 

"Any info on Infected?" Nathan inquired.

Since the Rift she had triggered, there was no info on her whereabouts. The latest news was that she was either still with the Guardian, though Zane assumed Shelter had already taken care of her. She had escaped, which most couldn't imagine. Or, the third assumption, that she had already disintegrated. 

"Unfortunately, no. I'll be in touch as soon as I know anything." Replied the operator. 

"Understood." Nodded Nathan, before the operator shut down again. 

More and more troop carriers and ATBS poured back into the city. Gunfire coupled with the screams of the Akuryuma and Infected resounded through the streets as the transporter flew overhead toward the city center. That's when three Shelter ships jumped into the airspace above the city. 

"The support is there!" Zane said confidently, while two ships appeared to launch transporters immediately. The third, however, changed course and headed southeast. Two ships were now in the southern part of the city, one in the north in the government quarter, and a fourth in the south at the Guardian, while the fifth was between the four. The fifth ship stood out not only because of its position, but also because of its shape. It appeared to be a different class of ship.

"Zane, about the Infected...," Zero suddenly said quietly. 

"Did you see her?" Zane assumed as the operator suddenly spoke up. 

"We've located several Spikes." 

Immediately, the hologram's display changed to show the affected district. The transporter also seemed to change course immediately. Several Corrutin Spikes were concentrated in a small area. Then it went silent. 

"Sora is at the Guardian you said?" Zane asked Zero, who looked at the hologram in horror. 

"Zane... the...", Zero stuttered uncertainly, while the gazes were fixed on him. 

The map clearly showed a familiar area. It was the area around Zero's bar. 

"...It's Carol...", Zero looked away and avoided eye contact.

⬢

A few hours earlier.

She's stable... but we need a blood transfusion. She lost too much blood. Zero mused as a paramedic came to Zero along with an automated gurney.

"Can she be transported?" The paramedic asked.

The wounded had all been taken to a rebuilt tent. The floor was full of patients laid out on makeshift blankets. One could hear the pained screams of people everywhere. There weren't that many. Of the several hundred waiting to be evacuated, just under 30 had survived the explosion; the rest had fled or been killed by the bomb. But the number of paramedics and helpers had also declined drastically. Most of the paramedics were still busy at the entrance. The few who had already retreated had either fallen victim to the attack or, like Zero, were now caring for the wounded. There was a lack of personnel to care for the wounded and new ones were constantly being added. Luckily or unluckily for the helpers.

Zero went to the tent with Asagi and Rika.

"How long until a ship arrives?" Zero asked. "We need new blood supplies. These are all contaminated."

"No idea. The ships are all damaged or in waiting position until the situation is clear." Replied the medic, who seemed to push the automatic stretcher slightly when there seemed to be a sudden commotion on the hospital ship.

"Asagi stay with Rika, I'll see what happened." Zero jumped up. "Can I leave her to you?" Zero asked the medic directly.

"Sure!" Replied the paramedic.

"But Zero!" Asagi objected.

"Don't worry Asagi." Zero smiled at her. "I'll be right back." He hurried to the hospital ship.

"Take care of yourself…" she watched Zero as the medic was already laying Rika down next to the other wounded.

Zero ran to the medical ship that was surrounded by the soldiers and Pandera.

"What happened?" Zero asked one of the soldiers.

"In there...", the soldier began to answer him in a panic when another screamed.

"Here she comes!"

Everyone turned their gaze to the entrance of the hospital ship when a person stumbled out of the door. She held onto the doorframe as she took a step outside, and Carol suddenly appeared in the square in front of Zero.

Her eyes red.

She seemed a little dazed, but still unharmed. Everyone was focused on her, all gun barrels and all blades ready to strike her down.

Her eyes darted between the people who looked at her with hatred or fear as she fixed on Zero.

"Zero…"

"Oh no...," sweat ran down Zero's forehead. "Carol!" He ran as the first soldiers already started firing at her. "Stop it!" Screamed Zero. A medic tried to stop him, but Zero tore away from him with ease.

"Stay here!" Shouted the medic after him, as a shadow was already flying over Zero. Three hovercrafts and two ATBS had positioned themselves over Carol. 

"KEEP YOUR DISTANCE!" Warned one of the ATBS pilots. 

"Leave her alone!" Zero ran on. His speed was superhuman when he felt a blow in the pit of his stomach. A Pandera had thrust her sword hilt into him. Immediately, three soldiers gathered around Zero and held him down. 

"Are you insane?" One of the soldiers looked at him incomprehensibly. 

Zero did his best to fight off the three men and free himself. In fact, the three soldiers seemed to have clear problems keeping Zero under control. 

"THE SHIP IS EMPTY, OPEN FIRE!" Echoed the voice of the ATBS, and in the next moment they were firing at Carol and the hospital ship, even a few smaller missiles hurtling toward them. 

"Carol!" Yelled Zero as the ship and the space around them turned into a sea of flames. "NO!" Tears ran down Zero's face.

Suddenly, something trudged through the smoke toward Zero as a gust of wind blew away the smoke and revealed Carol. She was completely unharmed, only her clothing was singed in some places. 

Just then, two figures leapt through Zero's field of vision and landed near Carol. They were the two men who had attacked the Guardian. One, who looked more like a priest from the way he was dressed to the way he was acting, immediately knelt on one leg and kept his head down as if he were worshipping a god. The other, meanwhile, just grinned slyly at Carol. The string of pearls around his body was a good deal shorter than when he arrived. 

"You don't think you're going to get away from us, do you?" Shouted Mareike after the two, who landed in the square with the other Pandera shortly after. Mareike was already about to run on when something caught the attention of the other Pandera. 

"Mareike wait!" She pointed at Carol.

"How is this...?!" Shuddered Mareike, who saw Carol's eyes as the Pandera present rushed to their leaders. "What should we do?" Mareike asked her colleague, while her gaze wandered back and forth between Carol and the two men. 

"They've already attacked her...", sweat was running from her forehead. Slight distortions had already formed around Carol. "We need to take them out before it gets worse." She sprinted toward Carol and swung her sword in the barrel, whereupon several holographic swords appeared in the air beside her, all pointed at Carol. Some of the Pandera immediately followed her. 

"I don't think so!" The Eye ripped three of the beads from the necklace and the glow in them grew stronger. 

"We won't let that happen!" The priest set the black sand that had been created by the attack into motion.

A massive mass of Infected crashed into the Pandera and engaged them in battle. The priest's black mass merged with some of the Infected and created a wave of arms and legs that struck at the Pandera. The Pandera were forced to retreat and turned away from Carol. 

"Damn it!" Shot the leader another of her holographic blades in Carol's direction. 

"Let go of me!" Defended Zero and managed to straighten up a bit when the blade already reached Carol. But suddenly the sword ricocheted and dissolved as if it had crashed into an invisible wall. 

Zero looked at Carol confused; she had no magic. She was just a civilian, how was that possible? 

Carol, on the other hand, hadn't been paying attention to all the commotion. Her gaze was fixed on Zero the whole time. 

"I'm sorry...", Carol smiled at him, a tear running down her right eye, while her left one, in which a symbol had appeared, seemed expressionless. Then she began to whisper something, "..." 

"Looks like we won" said the Eye suddenly.

In the next instant, a tremendous shock wave spread across the square. Pandera, Infected, soldiers and even the massive debris of the hospital ships were blown away. Only the elite Pandera ,the two men, as well as Zero were able to hold on to some extent, while the soldiers who had been holding Zero back were blown away. 

"Zero!" Mareike worriedly shouted for him while her Aku held her. The other Pandera had rammed her sword into the Guardian's bottom, which seemed to connect with her sword. Zero had done likewise, but in the process his sword had split the floor. 

Zero immediately looked back at Carol and images of Nyada popped into his head. A black pillar had risen up in front of him, reaching high into the sky. 

 Distortions in the ground and air grew stronger before the space around the pillar finally began to crack open. 

In the next moment, something seemed to emerge from the openings. Claws and teeth rose from the darkness behind the distortions. 

Carol had summoned the Akuryuma. 

The roar of the Akuryuma resounded across the square before they poured out of the distortion like a black tide.