Chapter 7

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Everyone stared at the creature.

Fear overcame Zero as he made eye contact with the creature and felt its gaze on him.

Anger.

That was all Zero could think of when he looked into its eyes.

In contrast to Deadra, this creature seemed to have eyes or something he interpreted as such. There were four red, almost crystalline teeth in the jaw, in which black, elongated pupils seemed to move around.

The creature stared at Zero and Carol as it stood in front of the colossus, which was thrown halfway through the wall. Then they heard a crash, accompanied by the movement of the beast's leg. Its foot, which was still on the thigh of the colossus, had been put down. Metallic splinters flew from the colossus's leg as it was shattered by the beast's foot.

Shocked, Zero saw how easily the beast smashed the colossus' thigh as if it were nothing more than a wooden branch. Carol clung anxiously to Zero, who was still struggling with his wounds. Zero grabbed the suitcase the colossus had lost to use it as a shield for himself and Carol.

Asagi and the werewolf also stared at the beast. Asagi looked worriedly at her friends, but the werewolf's hair began to stand up.

Unnoticed by Zero, the werewolf had put its ears downwards, bent down slightly, and pulled its tail in. There was little left of his previous intimidating stature. The fear seemed to run through his marrow and bone.

"Are you okay?" Someone suddenly yelled from behind Carol and Zero.

The two turned around and saw two of the soldiers they had previously passed.

"What the hell!" Shouted one of the two, his gaze fixed on the beast. Immediately the two panicked and raised their weapons at it. Regardless that Carol and Zero were in the line of fire, the two soldiers immediately opened fire.

"Carol!" Shouted Zero and tried to pull her down on the floor.

At the same time, the beast screamed and leaped over them, charging at the soldiers, the bullets seeming to ricochet off its skin. In a flash, the beast reached the soldiers with outstretched paws and grabbed the first of the two soldiers in a leap. The paw closed around his head, the claws rammed into the body, and his helmet began to deform. But before the soldier could scream, the beast rammed him into the ground, which gave in to the pressure and broke.

Cracks ran through the blood-streaked floor as the second soldier turned to face the beast in shock. It happened so quickly that he could barely follow.

"You damned ...", the soldier yelled, pointing the barrel of his rifle back at the beast. But before he could open fire, the beast pulled its paw out of the ground and swung it from below towards the soldier.

Huge notches, like claws, appeared on the blood-stained wall behind the soldier, who slumped lifelessly and fell to the ground.

Carol cried out in horror whereas the werewolf took a step back when Zero frantically tried to get up with the help of the suitcase. "Let's get out of here!"

But where should they go? Behind them was the beast that had easily killed a colossus and some soldiers and in front of them stood the werewolf, whose gaze wandered between them and the beast with uncertainty.

Zero cursed at his weakness, if he had been stronger, Asagi and Carol would not have come back, and they would not have been in this situation.

But there was nothing he could do about it now and so he started walking towards Asagi with Carol in his arms when they heard an explosion in the distance, which shook the corridor. They had heard explosions and battle noises before, but this one was different. It was the same sound as earlier in the bunker.

"Zane!" Asagi worriedly brought her hands in front of her.

Carol and Zero turned back down the hall, worried as well. But they only saw the beast, which also directed its attention in the direction of the explosion.

Zero was anxious, but what should he do? Again within a few moments, Zero became aware of his powerlessness and turned away.

"Zero?" Wondered Carol when he started to move.

"They'll manage it, let's go," he smiled torturedly at her and they started to run toward Asagi. Carol wasn't sure if Zero's smile was coming from the pain or if Zane was bothering him in his mind, but she decided not to dig into it and just follow him.

Meanwhile, the werewolf seemed unsure of what to do. Should he attack the creature? Or should he grab Carol and Asagi and run away? Zero was no longer an obstacle, so only the beast stood in the way of his mission to take Asagi and Carol, but every fiber in his body resisted.

Asagi, who had straightened up again, formed a spell, ready to attack the werewolf or the beast. She knew about the danger her lightning bolt brought in such a small room. The chance to injure Carol and Zero was great. Lightning was not like a laser beam or a bullet, and she lacked control.

Despite the danger, she hoped that the threat alone would allow Zero and Carol to pass.

Carol and Zero ran down the corridor as fast as they could, past the concrete wall that divided the corridor into two. Zero stumbled and could barely keep pace, the loss of blood slowly becoming noticeable. They were only a few steps away from the werewolf, who looked startled.

The beast, on the other hand, hadn't moved since massacring the soldiers.

Zeros stumbling brought the werewolf thoughts back to the present, still unsure of what to do, when another explosion in the distance made his decision easier.

The werewolf directed his arm at Carol and Zero, in front of which a magic circle was formed.

"Carol! Zero! Asagi shouted, breaking off her spell, but not because the werewolf was standing too close to them. No, the beast had broken into another sprint and headed for Carol, the werewolf, and Zero.

Immediately the werewolf turned his spell on the beast and again the floor of the corridor began to move. A huge concrete pillar shot out from below and closed off the corridor.

An impact could be heard. Confidently, the werewolf turned back to Zero and Carol, who had both frozen in motion when the beast broke into a sprint. But they immediately heard another blow. A small crack appeared in the concrete wall. The crack in the center of the wall widened conically when they heard another thump, followed by a crack. The crack began to widen. Faster and faster, deeper and deeper, the cracks spread across the wall.

Another blow followed and pieces of concrete and metal flew across the room.

Zero stood protectively in front of Carol, while the splinters ricocheted off the shield of the werewolf who looked towards the beast in shock. It immediately stormed towards the group again.

Shortly afterward the werewolf jumped off, barely visible to Zero.

Instead of waiting, the werewolf decided to counterattack. He couldn't risk Asagi or Carol getting hurt, Kouji wanted them unharmed. So he jumped towards the beast intending to end the fight quickly and remove the last obstacle out of the way.

He swung back and the next moment his fist flew towards the beast. His fist cracked open and a gust of wind shot down the hallway, stirring up all the dust.

The werewolf, who had come to a halt, grinning.

"That fast?" Wondered Zero, who hadn't noticed neither the punch nor the sprint of the werewolf.

But in the next instant, the grin disappeared from the werewolf's face and gave way to a twisted expression.

The dust vanished, revealing the beast which contrary to the werewolf's expectation was still alive. His gaze fell on his hand, which was in the beast's paw.

It had taken the blow.

He had gathered most of his magic in his fist to deliver one decisive blow. In training, he had used it to destroy concrete and even steel. With this strength, he should have been able to defeat an Akuryuma with ease. Also, all of the creature's previous actions had led him to conclude that it was only acting on instinct.

So how did this beast parry the blow?

But before he could come to an answer, a stab of pain ran through his hand. The beast's claws dug into his hand through the magical shield he'd built over his fist.

He tried to pull out his hand, but the beast's claws dug deeper and deeper into it when he felt a pull, and the next moment he lost the ground under his feet. The beast had pulled him into the air and hurled him, overhead, to the ground. But the corridor wasn't high enough and so the werewolf hit the ceiling first before hitting the floor behind the beast.

The werewolf's shield absorbed most of the impact but the beast did not let go and brought its fist back. However, it had let go of him and he used the brief moment to transform. The large statue of the werewolf disappeared and a wolf stepped in its place which quickly turned from the path of the blow.

The ground shook as the beast's fist struck, leaving a conical crater.

The wolf growled threateningly as the beast turned its gaze in his direction. The wolf's hair stood up, every muscle tense when the beast let out a scream.

Immediately the wolf took a step back, intimidated when a howl sounded. The wolf had stepped on its right paw, which had previously been wounded by the beast. Holding his paw in the air, it began to glow before he put it back. The injury was gone.

Carol and Zero had started moving again and tried to get to Asagi who was already coming towards them.

Meanwhile, the four-meter-long wolf broke into a sprint. He jumped on the beast and bit its shoulder. The beast cried out in irritation, but its teeth did not penetrate its skin. Instead, the beast grabbed the wolf and hurled him against a wall which caused him to fall to the ground with a howl.

Asagi helped to support Zero with Carol. He found it harder and harder to run. Then a jolt could be heard and a loud screeching approached them. Zero looked back and saw a bright glow. "Into the corridor!" He shouted and pushed Asagi and Carol into the nearest side corridor.

The next moment, a wall of flames shot down the aisle. The ceiling and walls, weakened by the fight, gave way and locked the three friends in the side corridor.

From the corner of his eye, the werewolf saw his target disappear into the side passage before crouching to the side and avoiding the ray of magical energy. The beast, however, did not. It got caught in the beam and disappeared.

The beam exploded in the distance with a tremendous bang and shook the whole corridor. The werewolf straightened up again, he had turned back into his human form and was holding his chest. Immediately his injuries began to heal and the redness and bruises from hitting the wall began to fade away. His gaze was directed in the direction from which the beam had come and his ears twitched when his gaze wandered to the collapsed side passage shortly afterward. The attack had blocked the access. Pipes and concrete parts lay criss-cross all around. No obstacle for him, but then his ears twitched again.

He heard a crumble, a squeak, as the debris that had gathered in the distance flew through the area and the beast emerged from the rubble.

"Seems like you haven't had enough yet...", he looked at the beast, which screamed and ran towards him again.

"Are you all right?" Zero looked around when the dust settled. The passage behind them had collapsed and Carol and Asagi were kneeling on the ground in front of him.

"I'm fine," said Carol, coughing the dust out of her lungs.

"Everything fine here."

Relief overcame Zero. The two were safe and the wall behind them gave them a moment to breathe when Asagi already jumped up and hurried to Zero.

"Zero, your wounds!"

"Hurry, we have to fix you!" Carol came to him as well.

"No, it's okay. We have to gain some distance first," he stopped them.

"But Zero!" Objected Asagi.

"It's okay," he looked at the two who in return looked at him worriedly. Zero grabbed the suitcase that he had taken out of a reflex and used it to straighten up. Asagi and Carol followed immediately and tried to help Zero, who struggled to stand.

"So let's go," he smiled painfully at them.

After a few minutes, Zero stopped and sat on the floor exhausted. On the way, they had heard fighting noises in the distance and the bunker shook every now and then. Fortunately, they had also passed smaller bunkers and in one of them, they had found one of the emergency kits.

Zero carefully pulled up his bloodied shirt while the pain was written on his face. Some of the shrapnel had caught him when they escaped. The wound was still bleeding when he gave instructions to Asagi and Carol. He handed Carol the bandages while he handed Asagi a scalpel.

"Can you magnetize it?"

"What for?" Wondered Carol.

"Some of the shrapnel may be magnetic, if we create a magnet that is strong enough it might pull out some of it," he explained while pulling out some things of his pockets that Carol held for him.

"Of course Zero, but isn't that dangerous? Shouldn't we just use the scalpel?" She asked uncertainly.

"It's going to take too long. You'll be fine," he looked at her confidently. "I'll let you know when I'm ready, it's best to hold the scalpel close to the entry point so the splinters don't shoot that far," he tried to encourage her.

"Ok ...", Asagi replied, still unsure whether she was doing the right thing.

"Carol please move aside, not that a splinter hits you." Zero breathed in, who was kneeling on the floor with one leg and with one of the wound pads in his hand. "Ok, you can start."

"All right," Asagi squeezed the scalpel firmly in her hand and guided it to the point of entry from which blood was constantly running out. A short spark could be seen between Asagi's hand and the scalpel when the blood-streaked splinters shot out from the entry point and from the standing leg.

Zero contorted his face and clenched his teeth as the blood that was carried away by the splinters spilled onto the floor. Carol looked at him sufferingly.

"I think these were all." Asagi said, her face a little smeared with blood when no further parts seemed to approach the scalpel. Instead, the ceiling had started to curve a little.

Immediately Zero grabbed the cushion out of the first aid kit and pressed it down right where the splinters emerged. "Carol the bandage, please." He held out his hand and turned around. "Thanks, Asagi."

"Gladly Zero." She smiled and wiped the blood from her face which smeared it all over.

Zero's wounds had been temporarily stabilized with the bandage, and with Asagi and Carol helping him as best they could. The bandages turned only slightly red, which Zero interpreted as a good sign, as no more blood appeared to be leaking. Then he took a syringe out of the first-aid kit.

"What is that?" Asagi wondered.

"A pain reliever, it also stimulates healing," he explained as he opened the cap and stuck the syringe in his stomach. Carol closed her eyes and looked away.

Zero leaned against the wall, exhausted and out of breath. He knew they had to move on quickly, but if he didn't let the remedy work, his wounds would open again and only hold them back further. While Carol wiped the blood from Asagi's face, Zero's gaze fell on the suitcase.

"What is that actually?" Asagi asked, who saw Zero take the suitcase on his lap.

"The colossus had it when it flew through the wall," Carol explained. "What's in there?"

"Good question ...", Zero studied the black metallic suitcase. It was extremely damaged. The fact that it survived the piercing through the wall on the back of the colossus spoke of its quality. The electric lock seemed to be damaged. On one of the two sides, there was a large dent that had already bent the case open a little. Zero tried to open it further but the other side kept the case tightly locked.

Just as Asagi was about to say something, hers and Zero's PDA began to ring.

"Are you all right?" Zane appeared on the screen, sounding exhausted.

"Good, you are fine!" Said Carol, who looked at Asagi's screen.

"Everything's fine here," said Zero, so as not to worry Zane unnecessarily.

"OK, where are you?" Nathan also appeared on the display.

"Corridor D 35", Zero looked at the wall, on which there was a corridor number.

"Well, stay there! We'll pass the corridor," they heard the lieutenant in the background.

"Watch out, there is fighting in the corridor we were in." Asagi warned them.

"Don't worry, we've also retreated into a side corridor and are now walking a parallel path," Zane replied.

"It would be best for you to walk towards us and then meet at the crossroads of the corridors," suggested Nathan, whose image, like Zane's, wobbled a lot.

"OK we'll meet there, see you in a bit." Zero ended the conversation and began to straighten up.

"See you!" Zane said goodbye and his and Nathan's image disappeared.

"Zero! Can you get up?" Asagi came over to Zero worriedly, Carol in tow.

"It is okay now. We should hurry up and not keep Zane and the others waiting."

"But Zero!" Objected Carol.

"I'm fine," he tried to convince the two of them while still using the suitcase as support. His vision and the pain had gotten better. The medication had brought some remedy, even if it was short-lived. His wounds didn't just go away, even if the pain was more bearable.

"Don't worry," he smiled at her when he stood up again. "Let's not keep the others waiting," he turned into the corridor.

"I'm glad you got out of there!" Zane smiled a little out of breath when he saw Asagi, Carol, and Zero.

"Are you all right?" Asked Zero when the lieutenant already interrupted them.

"Is everyone here? Then we can go on!" He encouraged the group and continued walking down the aisle.

The group around Zane nodded to each other and followed the lieutenant. They were quite slow. Besides Zero, other soldiers were also wounded and therefore could not keep up the march.

"What happened to you?" Asked Nathan Zero, who saw his shirt covered in blood.

"We were fighting the werewolf when an Akuryuma came and allowed us to escape."

"He helped you?" Asked Nathan, surprised.

"Not really," began Asagi.

"He attacked the werewolf and turned the attention away from us," Zero continued.

"It was weird ...", Carol added.

"What about the suitcase?" Zane asked.

"The colossus carried it."

"Another one?" Nathan startled. "That makes at least three."

"Three?" Carol asked incomprehensibly.

"During the fight against Kouji, some guy in all black showed up with a huge cannon and he had two of these guys with him," explained Zane, who gritted his teeth.

"Fortunately, that enabled us to escape too," said Nathan.

"So you were like us ..." Zero said in a barely audible voice, while they all followed the lieutenant.

"The exit is up ahead," said one of the soldiers who preceded the lieutenant, motivating the group for the last few meters.

The light from outside could already be seen in front of them, shining around the next corner at the exit, while the sounds of fighting could still be heard in the background.

"We're almost there!" Said Carol, who smiled at Zero.

"Exactly," he nodded and looked at Asagi, who also seemed relieved.

They were just in front of the exit when the lieutenant stopped the group and sent a message via his arm terminal. Then he moved cautiously towards the exit and carefully held the stock of his rifle towards the exit.

Immediately, a shot followed, and a bullet flew past the rifle.

"Identify yourself!" a voice shouted immediately into the bunker from outside.

"Lieutenant Fenon here!" He shouted around the corner. "I've reported."

"Come to the door with your hands up!" Someone yelled again over the loudspeakers. There was a murmur outside, probably from the civilians who were startled by the sudden gunfire.

"Wait here," Fenon turned to Zane and the others and walked out of the exit with his hands up.

After a few moments, he came back and gestured the group outside.

They carefully walked toward Fenon and followed him out of the bunker. The sun was shining but billows of dark smoke still hung in the east and south of the city. Several soldiers, tanks, and three ATBS stood in front of the bunker exit, all their weapons pointed at the entrance. Apparently, a report about Kouji and the others in the bunker had reached the soldiers.

"Is that everyone?" Asked another soldier Fenon when everyone was out of the bunker.

"That's everyone," he replied, while his gaze wandered behind the soldiers' defense position.

The civilians stood by the buses with the paramedics who took care of them. The evacuation was successful, Shaw waved to Fenon, who waved back and sighed in relief.

Zero and the other injured soldiers were immediately taken care of by paramedics and taken to the rear when Fenon approached Zane and Nathan.

"Nice job in there. Without you we would not have made it."

"It was nothing...", Zane replied a little depressed.

"Any news from the captain?" Nathan asked.

"No, nothing ...", Fenon replied, whereupon Zane clenched his fist. "But you've done enough." He put his hand on Zane's shoulder. "Report to the paramedics and take a rest. The best thing to do is to go to the next evacuation point with the other civilians."

Zane looked at Fenon as if to say something, but Nathan spoke to him first.

"Are you coming Zane?" He asked, holding on to his shoulder.

Zane was one of the few who was unharmed. Zero was sitting in one of the ambulances and being treated, his body covered in blood. Next to him were Asagi and Carol, who watched the paramedic with worries. The civilians behind were already being loaded onto the buses, including the family whose little girl Asagi had taken care of.

"I'm coming," he turned to Nathan and walked with him to the paramedics who seemed to be waiting for them.

"That's it," dismissed the paramedic Zero, who had received a new bandage after the wounds were closed.

"Thank you," said Zero, who carefully got up from the couch. "Is there anything I can do to help?" He asked immediately.

"Take it easy," laughed the paramedic. "We take care of everyone here and then go to the next evacuation point. Rest until I'm through with your friends. "

"OK thanks…"

"Who's next?" The paramedic turned to Asagi and Carol nervously.

Asagi immediately waved it off with both hands. "I'm fine. Please take care of Carol."

"Ah uhm ... ok", the paramedic seemed relieved and pointed Carol to the couch.

"Are you really OK?" Zero asked her while he studied her shoulder, she seemed unharmed on the surface.

"I'm fine, Zero, don't worry," she smiled at him as her gaze wandered briefly to the buses where the little girl from earlier was just getting on. Asagi watched depressed as the girl disappeared into the bus with her parents.

"You did well, Asagi."

"Thanks Zero...", she turned back to him.

Carol squinted her eyes while the paramedic injected her with medication when they heard a horn.

Zane and the others turned to the source of the horn when they saw a distinctive red ATBS in the distance along with a few trucks and buses, including Zero's pickup.

"Tyler?" Zane wondered

"What is he doing here?" Asked Nathan, who was having his shoulder taken care of.

"Captain Seavers, reporting for duty," Tyler got out of his ATBS and saluted the major who was leading the evacuation.

"Nice to have you here, I've already heard about the incident."

"Sir!"

"I'm assuming that the southern part of the hospital has been evacuated? Then we can contain the outbreak from the other three sides…", he asked Tyler before starting to think aloud. "I want you to accompany the third train west to checkpoint B2," the Mayor gave Tyler his next orders. "You and your troops can rest a little until then."

"All right Sir," Tyler lowered his hand and went back to his men to give them the next orders. When he turned in Zane's direction and walked over to them, he gave one of the soldiers a hand signal, who then threw him something.

"Tyler!" Zane waved to him, who looked a bit puzzled at the friendly greeting.

"Hey, are you all right?" He looked around.

"Good that you made it," Asagi stood slightly behind Zero.

"It's good that you are still in one piece. Zero, catch", Tyler threw something at Zero. "It's safe in case you're worried," he grinned.

"I better hope so," laughed Zero as he held the key of his truck in his hands.

"Mayor!" Fenon came over to them.

"Good to see you Fenon." He greeted him as he looked behind Fenon. "Where is the rest of the unit?"

Fenon shook his head. "We were separated, we still hope that they were evacuated in the east."

"I see ...", Tyler replied, a little dismayed. "Good job, though," he put his hand on Fenon's shoulder.

"Thanks Sir."

"Third train departing in 5 minutes." One of the soldiers shouted across the square, preparing the other civilians and soldiers for the approaching withdrawal.

"OK, are you all set?" Tyler asked the group.

"Sure!" Zane replied, visibly relieved to see Tyler doing well.

"Everything should be in the truck," added Nathan.

"Are you okay?" Tyler asked Nathan, who looked visibly exhausted. "I mean Zero looks bad, but you don't look fit either."

"It's okay, just a bruise ...", he tried to dispel the group's worries.

"If you say so…"

"We have a paramedic with us, it'll be fine," said Zane.

"A wounded paramedic...", added Nathan, whereupon everyone chuckled.

"Tyler, is it okay if I drive past the bar?"

"Do you want to check on Ben?"

"Yes, I know he should be evacuated but I want to be sure," Zero replied. "He has not reported back since the evacuation has started."

Considering all the signals as well as interfering signals that were diverted around during the battle, it was not surprising that the public network could no longer process all messages or might have even collapsed in some cases.

"I have no problem with that but ...", Tyler began as one of the soldiers yelled across the square.

"Leap!"

Shortly afterward, another ship of the Teikoku, with an escort, appeared above the city. The battle hadn't slowed down since Zane and his friends had entered the bunker. The Teikoku had withdrawn or even lost some of its ships, but the city's troops had not gotten away with it either.

"What the ...?" A soldier startled.

"Didn't anyone tell them there was an outbreak here?" Zane asked.

"It seems like they are approaching... Prepare the third train to leave!" Ordered the Mayor, whereupon everyone started moving.

"Get up!" Tyler ordered his men to go to the ATBS and trucks with a hand gesture. "If it makes you feel better Zero, stop by the bar for a moment, but then come straight to the evacuation point at the school," he turned to Zero and the others. Behind them, the last civilians were getting on the buses while the paramedics frantically packed up their things.

"OK. Thanks Tyler."

"Good luck," he nodded and hurried to his ATBS.

"I'm going to drive past the bar, will you guys be alright?" Zero asked his friends, who looked at him incomprehensibly.

"We'll obviously come with you Zero!" Objected Carol, as if it were a matter of course. Asagi, Nathan, and Zane also stood there as if they were just waiting for his command.

"I want you to go straight to the evacuation point, this is my business," Zero tried to convince them to go to the buses before they left.

"Ben is our friend too Zero," objected Asagi.

"But ...", Zero tried again when Zane put his hand on Zero's shoulder while passing him.

"Forget it, Zero. You won't get rid of us," he grinned and walked past him towards the truck. Nathan followed Zane smiling and Asagi started walking to the truck with Carol.

Zero turned to his friends.

"Are you coming Zero?" Asked Carol, who turned back to him.

"We started this together. We'll end it together," Zane explained whereupon Asagi and Nathan nodded in agreement.

Zero shook his head and turned to his friends with a smile. "I'm coming."

Asagi and Carol were already in the back seats while Zane and the others looked around and waited for the order to leave. Meanwhile, the battle raged on. Reports that reinforcements were coming were already spreading. At the same time, however, the Teikoku was making up ground. Above all, the withdrawal of most of the troops from the south of the city played into their hands. The appearance of the second battleship in the south also seemed to shift the situation in the direction of the Teikoku.

But the shield over the First Ring of the city still held.

The outbreak also seemed to be under control. No signs of any further Infected were to be seen, and the access to the bunker had been closed and blocked again.

Zane stared at his display. Missing reports were omnipresent in the chats. Some of them would never return.

Meanwhile, Zero looked at the billows of smoke in the south worriedly. How were the girls and Deadra? He was sure that they had hidden well, as always, the water supply underneath the buildings had offered them good hiding places in the past, and there were also some incomplete bunkers.

He had to make sure he would visit them as soon as possible once the battle was over.

"OK. Third train ready to go!" Waved a soldier and pointed to the west in the direction of the bridge. The buses immediately began to move, accompanied by the ATBS and the trucks.

"Let's go." Zane climbed into the truck followed by Nathan.

Zero hesitated for a moment and turned one last look to the south when he heard a voice.

"Z ... Zero?"

Zero followed the sobbing voice, barely audible through the sounds of battle and engines when he saw a little girl hiding behind a parked car.

"Sora!"