F***, what happened? I clutched my head and remembered Kisai’s last attack. That’s right, I lost to him.
“How are you feeling?” someone asked.
Matt held a tablet in his hand. A stethoscope dangled from around his neck. After some tests, he confirming everything was normal.
“You did a pretty good job against Jin. To be able to battle him for so long, it’s really something. Very few people can do that. Good luck with the Alpha squad,” Matt said before leaving.
I exited the bed and almost fell. Probably best to give it a few more minutes. My grimoire suddenly appeared in my hand. Huh, what was going on? All of a sudden, loud sirens blared and a red flashing light filled the room.
“All personnel are to immediately prepare for battle! This is not a drill. We are currently in Emergency Level 3. Repeat, all personnel are to prepare for battle,” an announcement played over the speakers.
Definitely a good time to leave. I stared downward at my grimoire and saw chains wrapped around it. Seriously? When I touched the chains, it shocked my hand. I tried forcibly exiting the dive but couldn’t. Damn, I was stuck here in a dangerous situation.
“Tomo! Follow me to the command center.” Jen burst into the room and grabbed my hand.
After making our way through a crowded hallway full of personnel, we arrived at a conference room. Kyoi and Kisai were staring at a screen displaying an alarming amount of red dots surging towards a blue square. Shan was typing on a computer and relaying notes to Ichaival who jotted them down onto a notepad. The loud alarm continued blaring and the flashing red lights made me nauseous.
“I’ve brought Cadet Tomo, Major Kyoi!” Jen announced and pulled a chair over for me to sit in.
“Second Lieutenant, please make sure that all non-combat personnel assigned to our squad have evacuated!” Kyoi ordered as she stared upward at a second screen.
“Understood!” Jen saluted her and dashed off.
“It’s your lucky day, Cadet. You get to see firsthand the horrors that plague the Earth. Major Jin, bring up a video feed of the situation,” Kyoi said.
“Which feed do you want her to see?” Kisai questioned, tapping his right finger near the number pad.
“Number two,” Kyoi responded.
A blank screen near Kisai turned on and displayed tanks firing at a giant wyvern. It swooped downward and grabbed two tanks with its large talons. The operators immediately exited, seconds before the beast crushed their vehicles. However, they couldn’t avoid the follow-up fire blast and their bodies were scorched in the air. The remaining tanks retreated, firing off shots that bounced off of the creature’s body.
“You can turn it off now. Our first line of defense has already been breached. There are still nine more remaining. If the sixth line is broken, we will sortie immediately,” she explained as a map of the surrounding areas appeared on the monitor near her.
“This happens everyday?” I questioned.
“Daily assaults occur but not as severe. We want to resolve things peacefully but that isn’t always possible,” Kyoi answered.
“Why the alert then if only the first line has been broken?” I asked.
“Major Jin, show her feed number five,” Kyoi requested.
An entire field of eggs, all assorted colors, were shaking. A viscous layer of slime covered them.
“What the hell is that?” I exclaimed, disgusted by the sight.
“Detonators. They explode once they hatch. The slime protects them from any outside attacks. This is located approximately 10 km away from our base right now. Their blast radius is exactly 10 km,” she explained.
“How do we stop it then?” I inquired.
“Currently, there is an enemy secreting the fluid protecting them. Once we eliminate it, the eggs can be destroyed without triggering an explosion,” Kyoi responded.
I noticed Kuan and Kristoph weren’t present. They must be responsible for destroying the target. Wait, Zhuyu wasn’t here either.
“Major Kyoi, where’s Major Zhuyu?” I asked.
“Because of his injury, he is barred from participating in any battles including these meetings. Don’t worry, he’s in good hands with our friends from the Scale Squad. Let’s go over potential situations,” she revealed.
An hour later, Kuan and Kristoph returned, successful in their eradication of the eggs and the fluid source.
“Major Kyoi, we’ve sent samples of both the eggs and the fluid over to the lab. They estimate results will be available in five hours,” Kuan reported.
“Excellent job. What were your contamination results?” she responded.
“Negative!” Kristoph answered with a salute.
“Everyone is dismissed for the day! However, remember to be vigilant and prepared. The enemy can strike anytime,” Kyoi announced.
“Cadet Tomo, you have a summons from Commander Zha. Do you know your way to her office?”
“I don’t even remember how I got here. I appreciate it if someone could guide me there,” I replied, confused by all the similar hallways.
“Second Lieutenant Kristoph, please help out Cadet Tomo and bring her over to the Commander’s office,” Kyoi decided, pointing at the pilot.
“Sure thing,” the man said and I followed behind him.
“So Tomo, what did you do before enlisting?” Kristoph asked as we took a left and then a right.
“I was uh… a university student,” I answered, unsure if schools were even around anymore.
“Pretty ballsy of you to quit being a student and join up,” Kristoph remarked.
“I didn’t exactly have a choice. What about you?” I questioned.
“Me? Been in the service for almost three years now. Wasn’t the greatest student so I joined up and took my chances. Man, you were crazy out there lasting against Jin for so long. Is your family military?” We stepped aside as a group of soldiers rushed a patient over to the infirmary.
“Nope, just got lucky with my powers. You always wanted to be a pilot?” I recognized the area we passed by.
“Not really. Bombed my aptitude test and they decided putting me in a mech was the best choice. So, I’m sorta like you, got lucky enough to do something useful,” Kristoph revealed.
“How long have you been part of the Alpha squad?” I noticed armed soldiers patrolling the hallways.
“Not too long, barely been a year. I’ve known Kuan longer though. We went through basic training together when I first joined up.” Kristoph scanned his ID badge. “Okay, the Commander’s office is just up ahead. Can’t miss it.”
“Thanks for the help, Kristoph,” I said.
“Nah, it’s pretty easy once you’ve been here long enough. See ya tomorrow,” Kristoph responded and departed.
I pressed the intercom button and Tess’ face appeared on the display screen.
“Come in,” she said as the multiple doors opened up for me.
Unlike yesterday, I didn’t feel as nervous sitting across from the Gatekeeper. She placed a folder on her desk and slid it over to me.
“Your results were excellent, Cadet Tomo. You are officially recognized as a member of the Alpha squad and will report to Major Kyoi. This is a compendium of common enemies you will see out in the field. Study it and be prepared. You are dismissed,” Tess said.
I returned to my room and summoned my grimoire again. Finally, no more chains! I placed my right hand on it and the outline of a door appeared next to my bed. Stepping through it, I exited the dive.
