It all happened in an instant. Almost too quickly for me to process.

Mila's weapon swung wildly, her hands shaking with fear and desperation as she aimed the unwieldy shotgun at the monstrous figure. She pointed it at the monstrous figure before her. A deafening blast resounded as she squeezed the trigger but her aim was off, and the shot flew wide, missing its intended mark by a mile.

Her body slammed against the wall with a sickening thud as the shot threw off her balance, knocking the wind out of her and forcing her to drop her weapon. Danny's razor-sharp teeth gnashed hungrily, mere inches from her pale and terror-stricken face.

A deafening roar shook the air as the wounded bahkauv charged towards us. My mind fell into panic as I sprinted towards Mila, every step feeling like an eternity as I desperately tried to reach her before it was too late.

Mila frantically scrambled away from the charging mutated Danny. She raised her weapon once more, but her trembling hands struggled to steady it against her body as she squeezed the trigger.

But the zombified Danny was relentless, his eyes fixed on her neck as he closed in for the kill. With violently shaking hands, she squeezed the trigger again.

A chilling gasp rang through the air as the gun let off a hollow click — the gun was empty.

A cry of desperation escaped Mila's lips, her eyes wild with panic. She tried to scramble away from the advancing creature in slow motion, but she was trapped. There was nowhere to run.

With each step feeling like an eternity, I watched in horror as Mila scrambled away from the charging mutated Danny, his jaws snapping eagerly at her neck.

And then, time seemed to speed up again. I lunged forward as my HUD lit up with danger, narrowly avoiding the bahkauv's claws as it dashed in from the side, swiping at me with one of its horrible spider-like talons. The bahkauv, sensing our desperation, chittered with triumphant glee as I neared Mila, its monstrous body moving to block my path.

The creature let out a guttural snarl, its twisted body lunging at me with razor-sharp claws glinting in the dim light. Its grotesque conical legs skittered across the cold, metallic floor as I frantically rolled and fired my shotgun, barely escaping its deadly grasp.

The slug grazed its shoulder, and it screeched in fury, momentarily blinded by the bright flash of my shot and thrown off by my sudden maneuver. But the bahkauv was relentless, shrieking with malice as it relentlessly pursued me. I launched myself towards Mila, narrowly avoiding the bahkauv's slashing limbs. She looked at me with terror-filled eyes, her hope flickering like a dying flame as she realized our desperate situation. I knew I wouldn't make it in time to save her from the monster that used to be Danny. But then, something unimaginable happened.

A sudden gust of wind roared through the armory, and a navy-clad figure appeared out of thin air in a flash of red light. He intercepted the zombified Danny with incredible speed that was almost imperceptible to me. A flash of metal caught my eye as a powerful armguard slammed into the zombie's jaw, halting its advance with brute force.

A towering figure loomed before us, his muscular frame encased in a sharp navy-blue military uniform. His jet-black hair framed a stoic, youthful face with piercing crimson eyes that burned with a fierce determination.

In one fluid motion, he shifted Danny's weight to the side and drew out a gleaming falchion with a single-edged, hooked blade. The sword sang through the air as it sliced towards Danny's knees, slicing through them like butter. A guttural, otherworldly howl escaped from Danny's lips as he fell to the ground.

Without missing a beat, the swordsman followed up with another strike, the blade tearing through Danny's throat in a sickening spray of blood. The creature's haunting blue eyes flickered for a brief moment before his body crumpled lifelessly to the ground. All of it took less than two seconds; Danny's eyes flashed golden for a fleeting moment, a look of peace crossing his face before his body slumped lifelessly to the ground.

The swordsman didn't pause, his movements fluid and practiced as he flicked the blood off his blade without breaking stride. He closed in on the bahkauv chasing me, his dark figure blending into the shadows like a deadly phantom.

Mila let out a gasp of shock and relief as she watched the newcomer swiftly dispatch the corrupted Danny. Her body shook with emotion as she leaned against the wall, trying to process the sudden turn of events. I landed with a thud beside her, bracing for a shock that never came, blunted by the drone's senses.

Adrenaline still coursing through my veins, I took deep breaths to calm myself as reality sunk in and I turned around to take in our savior's presence.

The swordsman was already locked in combat with the ferocious bahkauv behind me. His sword rapidly carved through the air with deadly precision, each strike slashing into the monstrous creature's flesh with enough force to rip chunks of ichor out of it.

The bahkauv's chitinous exoskeleton crackled with blue energy, and its massive body lunged toward the swordsman, intent on impaling him with its jagged talons. The man deftly avoided its charge and retaliated, his sword flashing with an ethereal glow as he sliced at its exposed underbelly.

He rolled at an impossible angle to avoid the monster's attack, his movements so fluid that he appeared to almost flow like water around his enemy. With a powerful thrust of his blade, he plunged the tip deep into the creature's neck, eliciting a piercing screech of pain from the monstrosity.

But the beast was not easily defeated. With a deafening screech, it retaliated and lunged at the swordsman with the sword still embedded in its, its spindly foreleg aimed like a deadly spear. But the swordsman's agility was unmatched as he twisted his body again in an impossible angle and countered with a lightning-fast parry, trapping the creature's talon.

"Qingfeng Jian!" the swordsman shouted as his sword glowed with a searing red aura, casting an intense light that illuminated every corner of the darkened room.

He coiled his legs, taking a short step back, and launched himself towards the bahkauv. Faster than I could mentally process, I blinked again, only to realize he was now behind the creature with a searing, red-hot diagonal line running along the creature's entire body.

A brilliant burst of red light briefly engulfed them both in its fiery glow, and the bahkauv let out one final chitter before collapsing to the ground.

And just like that, the battle was over.

Our savior stood tall amidst the wreckage, his blade still glowing with residual energy as he withdrew it from the defeated creature.

The swordsman wore an elegant navy military coat with red and green accents, and an emblem with a phoenix and feathered serpent that seemed to emit a subtle glow. It added to his imposing presence as he stood before us. His raven black hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail, and his expression was dark and brooding. He had sharp, youthful features with high cheekbones and a narrow jawline. His eyes were almond-shaped and burned like fierce crimson embers. If I had to guess, he was probably in his late twenties or early thirties.

However, it was his sword that caught my eye.

His blade was thick and slightly curved, adorned with intricate etchings that glowed softly. The handle was wrapped in dark leather, and a phoenix spreading its wings was engraved on the hilt. The sword felt familiar to me, but I couldn't place why.

"Ruler's breath…" Mila's voice broke through my reverie. She leaned heavily against the wall, her face pale and shaken. She turned to me, her eyes filled with confusion and relief.

"Are you hurt?" he asked in a calm, tenor voice that seemed to carry an underlying authority.

Mila glanced over at the fallen Danny and shook her head, her voice quivering slightly. "No… no, we're fine. Just fine."

The swordsman nodded, his gaze lingering on Danny's prone form. After a moment, he sheathed his sword and stepped forward, kneeling next to the fallen soldier.

"Ami tuofo," he whispered, placing a hand gently on Danny's forehead. "May you and your team find peace and rest in the hereafter. Your sacrifices will always be remembered and honored."

The swordsman closed Danny's eyelids with a sad sigh and stood back up. Mila's eyes welled with tears as she watched the swordsman's solemn gesture. She reached out a trembling hand, touching Danny's cold cheek one last time before turning away.

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"I'm sorry for your loss," our savior spoke, his voice soft and sincere. "I am Captain Ouyang Ren of the Epsilon Company. I am here to assist in any way possible. I apologize that I could not arrive in time to save anyone else."

Mila wiped away her tears, nodding her appreciation to the Captain. "Thank… thank you, Captain Ouyang. I am Specialist Mila Bauer of the Northern Coalition. And a girl really can't complain, given the circumstances. Your timing was impeccable."

Captain Ouyang gave a curt nod, his gaze shifting to me. "And you are?"

I hesitated for a moment, feeling somewhat insignificant in the presence of these seasoned soldiers.

"I'm Ikazuchi, a Support Operator from St. Antonia's Academy," I finally managed to say. "I'm here to gather intelligence on the anomaly above."

The captain's eyes briefly widened in surprise and something I couldn't quite place lickered in them.

As quickly as it came, the flicker of surprise vanished, replaced by a look of interest and curiosity.

"Ikazuchi, huh? So, there's an anomaly outside? That's definitely something we need to address, but let's make sure our perimeter is secure first. How high is the priority for this mission? Expedited, I assume?" Captain Ouyang asked his gaze still on me.

His voice was calm, but his tone had an undeniable underlying sense of urgency.

I sighed, relieved that my concerns were being taken seriously, before quickly mentally reaching out to Rai-chan.

"Wait, isn't he taking my mission a little too seriously? I'm just a kid in a proxy drone," I spoke quietly.

"Well, here's the thing. Anything to do with Magical Girls in the field facing a Magnitude 6 event and higher tends to be taken very, very seriously," Rai-chan replied, her voice a soothing hum. "I have a feeling he's seen too much not to know when something is important. Just agree with what he just said."

"Expedited indeed, captain. Our analysis shows that this is a Magnitude 8 Chaos Event in the making, and there are signs of a Novel Aberrant manifesting. We're trying to gather as much information as possible so the Magical Girls outside won't have to handle it blind."

I shifted uncomfortably in my robotic body, feeling oddly detached from everything.

Would he think I was too inexperienced or, worse, a liability?

Captain Ouyang stared straight into my visor, and to my surprise, I saw a glint of recognition and understanding.

"Alright, well… let's get to work then. Specialist Bauer, do you happen to have clearance to open the outpost's hangar bay?"

Mila, still visibly shaken, managed to stammer out a response. "Y-yes, of course, sir."

Captain Ouyang sighed deeply, eyes scanning the area as if searching for hidden dangers. "It's a shame that the outpost was compromised after the command center was evacuated," he grumbled. "If we had anticipated the breach this early during the Chaos Event, we could have implemented a lockdown procedure and sealed off all access points. Now, we have dangerous entities roaming free across the base."

He reached into his coat, drawing something that looked like a radio with a crystal in it.

"Lieutenant Montezuma, this is Captain Ren speaking. I have secured the safety of the Professor and Ambassador, and require immediate extraction at the East Wing hangar," the Captain radioed, his voice almost strained with urgency. "I have a Support Operator and a Coalition soldier with me, with other potential survivors along the way. The situation at Fort Hiawatha has gone beyond FUBAR. The Operative requires an immediate escort to the rift reported by the Coalition's Intelligence team. We will require full mechanized support and a tactical team on standby. Over."

The line crackled before a teen's voice responded. I jolted in surprise when it echoed through my helmet. "A Support Op? Copy that, Captain. Sending an extraction team to your location ASAP."

There was a pause before the voice added, "Sir, be advised. We've received multiple reports of elevated Chaos Energy readings in the area. Could be a Viscount or worse down there. Stay sharp. Over and out."

Captain Ouyang sighed once more. "Understood, Lieutenant. We'll proceed with caution and provide ongoing status updates. Over."

He pocketed the radio and rolled out his shoulder. "Alright, let's move out," he said, giving Mila a curt nod of acknowledgement.

Mila smiled back awkwardly, still visibly shaken but composed. Then, she wiped away her remaining tears and brushed herself off, ready to do her duty.

"Follow me, Captain," she said steely as she picked up her shotgun, loading it with a swift, practiced motion.

She winced briefly, nursing the wound on her side as she moved to one of the exits.

Captain Ouyang grunted in affirmation, adjusting the straps on his sword belt and falling into step behind her.

I hesitated briefly, looking back at Danny's body one last time, then followed closely behind them.

As we cautiously made our way through the dimly lit corridors towards the hangar bay, I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. The mysterious swordsman, Captain Ouyang Ren, had come out of nowhere to save Mila and me, but his appearance only raised more questions.

Who was he, exactly? And how did he know where to find us? What would have happened if he hadn't shown up?

I caught glimpses of his insignia and rank through my helmet visor as we navigated through the facility, but it only added to my confusion.

He seems strangely familiar...

I couldn't recall where I had seen him before. It was like a distant memory teasing at the edges of my mind.

Suddenly, my HUD buzzed with new information as we turned a corner.

"Status update, Captain. We've managed to gain access to some of the environmental monitoring equipment in the fort. Main power generator is offline, but emergency power is holding. Primary hangar doors are closed. Temperature and pressure readings within remain stable. Intensity of Chaos Energy readings in the sector continues to increase. Over."

"Should we be listening in on this?" I reached out to Rai-chan as we continued towards the hangar bay.

"Hey, you never know, we might learn something useful," Rai-chan replied matter-of-factly. "Unless you can see the future, this is what matters right now and everything counts. Besides, they're broadcasting on unencrypted channels."

"I suppose you're right…" I muttered, still feeling on edge about everything.

Mila looked back at me, raising an eyebrow as my voice came out louder than I thought it would through the drone's artificial synthesizer.

"Er, don't mind me," I mumbled, feeling embarrassed.

Mila simply nodded, a sympathetic look in her eyes. "Stress getting to ya, huh kid? Well, keep your wits about you, we're almost there," she said, her voice steady with an underlying tension.

As we turned another corner, distant gunfire, and a raucous stomping sound echoed through the corridor, causing Mila to stop. "Well, shit," she muttered, grabbing her shotgun and readying herself.

Captain Ouyang also drew his sword. "Stay close," he ordered, keeping his eyes focused. "There may be more survivors still fighting for their lives."

We cautiously made our way down the long corridor, the sound of guns firing getting louder and louder with each step. An otherworldly scream filled the air and caused my heart to skip a beat. A shiver ran down my spine.

"I've managed to access some data streams through the base's wi-fi," Rai-chan's voice rang in my mind. "I've located a personnel access gate about three turns away through a loading bay that will lead us directly to the hangar."

Just as she finished speaking, a deafening explosion rocked the corridor, sending us all stumbling. Bits of debris fell from the ceiling, and dust filled the air around us.

Captain Ouyang paused, his gaze narrowing as he surveyed the situation. "Status report!" he spoke into his radio, his voice laced with urgency.

The line buzzed with static before the lieutenant's voice crackled through. "Sir, we've detected a colossal spike in Chaos Energy levels. Reinforcements from Zayin squadron are en route to your location. Stay alert and maintain communication. Over."

The emergency lights flickered above us, casting an eerie glow over our determined footsteps. I fidgeted with one of the pistols strapped to my robotic body, unsure of what would wait for us up ahead.

As we approached the last turn, I could feel my heart racing faster with every step. My imagination ran wild with what nightmares lurked behind the walls, ready to leap out and snatch us away.

And then, the sound of the gunfire suddenly went completely silent.

It was as if all sound had been sucked out of the corridor, leaving a vacuum of anticipation that seemed to stretch on for an eternity. My ears strained to catch even the slightest whisper of a sound, but only the faint echo of our own footsteps met them.

The three of us froze in our tracks, every muscle tense and ready for action. Mila and Captain Ouyang held their weapons at the ready. At the same time, I clutched the pistol in my metal hand, suddenly feeling its weight all too clearly.

"On me," Captain Ouyang instructed, breaking the silence with his gravelly voice. "We move together, and stick to the walls. Stay close, and don't make a sound. Follow my lead."

The tension was palpable, and I could feel my nerves fraying. But I didn't dare show it, not with monsters potentially around every corner.

We slowly turned the corner, eyes scanning the empty hallway up ahead. The corridor opened into a spacious loading bay with towering walls stacked with crates and containers. Clearly, this was a hub designed for efficient logistics and transportation. An access gate to the hangar sat on the opposite side of the room, not too far away from the looks of it.

The access gate was a large metal door reinforced with thick steel and adorned with the Northern Coalition emblem.

The center of the emblem featured a stylized American oak tree, its branches reaching upwards, intertwining with a lion's mane that framed the top of the emblem. Below the tree, two crossed tomahawks rested, their blades glinting even in the dim light. The tree's roots extended downwards, merging into the intricate pattern of an eastern dragon and feathered serpent twining around the lower half of the emblem.

The three of us slowly made our way across the loading bay in a loose formation, eyes sweeping across the empty room. Something didn't feel right about the quiet. It was almost too quiet, like the calm before a storm.

"Rai-chan, please run an analysis," I commanded, reaching out to my companion. "Let's see what we can figure out here."

"Will do, Ikki. Just be careful — we haven't even gotten outside yet and your mana reserves are already at half," Rai-chan chided back, concern lacing her voice.

"I know, I know," I replied, my eyes never leaving the access gate. "But I don't like this. Something's off."

My HUD lit up with a blue holographic interface, quickly displaying the results of Rai-chan's scans. "Yeah, this is unsettling. Infrared scans don't detect any life forms," she reported with a noticeable tension. "But the air quality is... off. There are no signs of active Chaos Energy, and the trace amounts present are significantly higher than expected in a normally functioning environment. Humidity and atmospheric pressure readings are also skewed, but not excessively."

I frowned, trying to make sense of her findings as I immediately followed a hunch. "Any sign of gunfire? Or any signs of a battle taking place?"

"That's the unsettling part," Rai-chan said in response.

She paused, going quiet for a second. "There's a significant amount of chemical evidence from explosions, gunpowder residue, and firearms discharge, but I can't detect any signs of a recent struggle," Rai-chan finally said in response, her tone laced with a growing unease.

"Rai-chan... does that mean..." I started to ask her.

She paused again.

"It's like... an entire battle simply... vanished," she concluded.

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