Kyoto Incident Arc: First Wave

Upon hearing Captain Leonard's command, everyone sprang into action. Everything was happening so fast, yet it was all in order.

I strapped an assault rifle across my shoulders and gripped it tightly, noticing that my physical strength had increased slightly.

"Two, it's a fucking two!!"

Joy clouded my mind, making me forget the current situation.

Nn!

Saiya pulled herself up and grabbed her twin blades.

"Hey, where do you think you're going?"

"What does it look like? I'm joining."

Is she trying to get herself killed?

"I think you shouldn't. You're in no shape to fight; you can barely stand."

"Oh, so I should sit here and do nothing while watching you, who can't even shoot a gun properly, take on all of them?"

"That... that's kinda harsh, you know."

Just when I thought she was less of a bitch, she proved me wrong.

"... sorry, okay?"

"I think Sir Ryuma is right..." Kitetsu entered, "...there's no point in pushing yourself. Remember, there are two squads here. We can handle it."

Even after hearing Kitetsu, she didn't reconsider.

"No, I'm joining"

"Let her be. She can join the battle..." Captain Leonard said. "...Ryuma, pair up with her and keep an eye on her."

"R-Roger."

"The formation has changed. Squad Seven will engage the horde from the front while Squad Six moves to their rear. Haruchi, Kitetsu, you two pair up. Fox, you move alone."

"Roger."

"Ehh? Sir Nagato can talk?" Kitetsu shouted.

"Everyone, get in position. The goal is to keep them away from the construction site."

"Roger!!"

Everyone moved out.

Saiya washed her face with a bottle of water, tied her long dark hair back with a rubber band, and glanced at me from the corner of her eye.

"Don't fall behind."

She zoomed off.

"Eh... ehhh. Hey, wait a minute, damn it!"

Not long after, the heavy echoes of gunfire filled the air.

***

At the edge of a tall building, perched on a stabilizer, were two guns—one a sniper rifle, the other an assault rifle. Lying on the ground, holding the sniper rifle, was Nagato, code name Fox. His calm gaze was fixed through binoculars, his arm wrapped around the sniper, fingertip resting on the trigger.

He pressed the trigger, blowing off the head of a Grade D Nephilim still four kilometers away. Moving the rifle smoothly, he took one shot after another, calmly eliminating every Grade D Nephilim in his range.

Afterward, he grabbed the assault rifle and jumped off the building. With a loud boom, he landed on the ground, kicking up dust as he emerged, unfazed.

His current location was a few meters from the construction site, exactly as planned. The buses were packed there, and the reservoir where the repairs were to be done was nearby. Keeping the Nephilim away from that area was the objective.

Nagato started shooting down the gigantic, insect-like Nephilim, his movements calm. These were only Grade E Nephilim, after all. If any Nephilim were to make him tense, it would be a Grade B or A... Luckily, none of those had ever appeared.

Several kilometers to the east, Team Haruchi and Kitetsu advanced on foot. They were tense as they carried out the mission. Even though they'd fought in the exam before, this was different—the pressure was intense. Yet, they pressed on.

"Tsk..There's no end to them. They just keep coming!" Haruchi barked.

"And there are only two sets of armor left," Kitetsu said, touching a colorful liquid-filled bottle strapped to his chest.

"Tsk... and mine is remaining one."

"When the armor's gone, we have no choice than switching to blades."

"What a pain in the ass. These dumb bastards just had to show up now."

As the battle at Haruchi and Kitetsu's side intensified, Squad Six had successfully reached the rear and began their slaughter.

"Remember, gals, stay close to each oth—"

Before the captain could finish, the red-haired girl Ko Hinetsu dashed forward, her twin-bladed scythe in hand.

"There she goes again," one of the girls sighed.

Her movements were swift, her kills precise. She flipped the blade between her fingers and swung sideways, slicing a Nephilim in two. Pressing a button on the scythe, she extended the blade into a full arc, transforming it into a circular weapon. Multiple rubber bands connected to her fingers guided the blade.

"Her quincy is perfect for her, almost flawless," the captain said.

"The fact she got a quincy before us, her seniors... it's heartbreaking," one of the girls remarked.

"It is, but you can't argue with it. She's special."

AAARGH!!

A roar echoed—it was a Grade D Nephilim, charging straight for Hinetsu. Her expression remained calm and composed. She swung her blade, guiding it with the rubber bands. The blade skimmed low across the ground, decapitating the lesser Nephilim before flying into the sky, spinning and slicing off the Nephilim's left arm.

"Tsk…" She clicked her tongue. She'd been aiming to cut it in half.

Suddenly, the sound of a single gunshot echoed, and the Nephilim's head exploded. One of her teammates had taken the shot.

"Don't be too hard on yourself. No one perfects a Quincy in a day," the captain said, patting her on the shoulder.

As battles raged across the field, some were having an harder time, while for others, it was like another day on the job. Meanwhile, at the front, things were spiraling out of control.

Saiya leaned against the wall of a rusted metal building, her face flushed and covered in sweat. Her breathing was ragged and uneven. Amidst the chaos, a swarm of hundreds of Nephilim was approaching just ahead. Saiya coughed and collapsed, knees hitting the ground before she passed out entirely.