the Deceased

Vivian stepped in to curb the creatures assault, flames burst from the hard points on her vambraces, cascading outward in a fan-like arc, forcing the Styx to retreat. The creature's rust-hued fur gleamed under the firelight, its metallic appendages twitching as it recalculated its movements.

For a brief moment, it held back, wary of the spreading heat. But only for a brief moment it coiled its copper like tail before darting sideways in an attempt to flank her. The styx twisted as it emerged from the flank, its reflexes sharp but not sharp enough.

Adam's sniper shot tore through the space between them, clipping its shoulder just before it managed to dodge. Blood splattering across the ground, contrasting its rust colored fur.

The Styx's growl reverberated through the battlefield as it launched itself skyward, moving with terrifying speed.

Gilbert reacted instantly, his flight unit flared to life, propelling him into the air. He slammed into its side, throwing it off balance mid-flight. The creature twisted, struggling for control, its copper-like tails snapping erratically.

Seizing the opening, Gilbert surged forward, but the Styx countered—its tail lashed out, striking him with brutal force.

The impact sent Gilbert crashing back to the ground, his shield flickering as he skidded across the terrain.

"Gilbert, are you okay?" Chen Mei's voice crackled over the comms, concern evident. She was posted at a safe distance alongside Anastasia, watching the fight unfold. "Do you need my help?"

Gilbert coughed, shaking off the impact. His joints ached, and his shield flickered briefly before stabilizing.

"I'm fine," he muttered, rolling his shoulder. "That hit like a bitch, though."

As the Styx landed, its veins glowed as the energy readings on their HUD flared with warnings

"Everyone, behind me! William, you're with me!" Gilbert barked as he rushed to the forefront, his energy shield surging to maximum output.

William braced beside him, his stance firm as the bio attack tore through the air, a searing wave of energy colliding against their defenses. The force raked against their shields, unrelenting, its corrosive power melting the edges of William's medium-sized kite shield.

They held. As every muscle locked. Straining as their feet left tracks through the ground.

When the attack finally ceased, silence followed—brief, eerie.

Around them, the earth was scorched black, the battlefield reshaped by the sheer devastation left behind.

Gilbert's grip tightened around his weapon. He didn't allow a single moment of reprieve.

He surged forward, his thrusters roaring as they propelled him at maximum speed. Electricity crackled through one hand, while the other burned a deep crimson, charged for impact. Blow after blow, his blade carved through the Styx's defenses, leaving shallow streaks along its body, sparks flying with each clash of metal.

William wasn't far behind. Determined to match the pace, he pressed in, his strikes rapid and relentless, forcing the enemy further into retreat.

The rest of the squad piled on the assault, each strike adding to the relentless barrage.

Kean darted through the battlefield, his pistols barking in quick, successive bursts, tearing into the creature's metallic fur. He weaved through the chaos, dodging every swipe the Styx sent his way, narrowly avoiding a limb that could have shattered him on impact.

From a distance, Adam lined up his shots, each precision-fired round aimed to disrupt its movements. His bullets carved through weak points, forcing the Styx into constant retreats and dodges.

Meanwhile, Vivian unleashed fire.

Her vambraces erupted in waves of flame, scorching the ground, searing through the Styx's defenses. For a moment, the blaze grew so intense that her squad mates had to step back, some coming dangerously close to getting cooked in the crossfire.

The Styx snarled, its copper-like tails snapping wildly, the wounds across its frame accumulating. It was fast, but even speed couldn't outrun the sheer force closing in on all sides.

The styx, now wounded and pressed on all sides, let out a metallic, gluttural snarl. Its copper-hued tails flared, heat shimmering off its frame as it adjusted its stance.

It lunged calculatedly, it twisted between the barrage, its movements with newfound precision. It weaved through Kean'sgunfire, deflecting some shots with its metallic forelimbs. When Adam fired another round, it snapped its tail forward, striking the bullet midair sending it veering off course.

And then it charged at Vivian, flames still roared from her vambraces, but the styx didn't falter. It vaulted through the fire, its metallic fur singed as it closed the distance with speed.

Gilbert's HUD flared with warnings.

"Vivian, MOVE!" Gilbert roared over the comms

Vivian's thrusters flared to life, but she was a fraction too late. The Styx's tail lashed out, striking with brutal force, slamming her into the ground like a hammered nail. The impact was sickening, her armor cracking under the pressure, the sound of bones breaking sharply against the battlefield noise.

"Vivian!" Kean raced forward, and he grabbed her, hauling her up despite her unconscious weight. His only thought was to get her out.

Behind them, Adam opened fire, abandoning precise strikes in favor of sheer aggression. Each shot tore through the air, forcing the Styx to adjust, to react, just enough to let Kean pull Vivian toward the rear where Anastasia and Chen Meiworked on getting her back onto her feet.

"Gilbert, why don't we send this one on its way?" Kean's voice crackled over the comms.

"Anytime William's ready," Gilbert replied, adjusting his grip.

"Who do you take me for, Kean?" William shot back, his tone sharp as the squad intensified their fire, pressuring the Styx with relentless bursts.

This gave Gilbert and William the chance to disengage.

William's thrusters ignited, and he slammed into the Styx with his shield, the impact reverberating through its frame. His spear struck deep, piercing through layers of metallic fur and underlying muscle.

Gilbert pulled back, gaining distance, after feeling comfortable with the distance.

Then, he charged forward again.

As he neared, William pivoted, turning his shield into a launching platform. Gilbert adjusted his thrusters, stomping onto the shield, propelling himself higher than his flight unit alone could manage.

For a split second, he was weightless.

Then, he twisted, positioning himself upside down, his thrusters fully engaged.

He struck, driving both swords deep into the Styx's head before it could react.

The creature twitched once, then went still.

Gilbert rose slowly, his armor drenched in blood.

A single transmission crackled over comms.

'Sergeant Kruger, objective complete.'

Kean exhaled sharply, shaking off the lingering adrenaline.

"Glad that one's done. Vivian, are you still with us?"

Chen Mei and Anastasia worked quickly, Anastasia reinforcing the shattered sections of her armor, while Chen Meipatched up exposed wounds with med gel, stabilizing the damage.

"She took a nasty hit, but she's alive," Chen Mei reported.

Vivian's voice crackled over the comms, strained but defiant. "You ain't getting rid of me yet."

"Unfortunately," Kean replied, feigning deep disappointment.

Gilbert let out a slow breath, wiping his sword clean on the Styx's scorched fur before issuing orders.

"Stay sharp. Kean, Adam, watch our perimeter. William, protect the girls."

The squad adjusted, clearing out any Styx that wandered their way while Anastasia got back to her feet. Their movements were precise, no wasted effort, no hesitation.

Then, Gilbert's HUD flashed with the incoming directive.

'Knight 141, lead your squad in exterminating Styx from your direction toward the town center. A suggested route has been uploaded to your squad's battle map.'

Gilbert scanned the updated terrain overlay, already mapping out their next approach.

"Look alive, guys, we've got another objective to complete," he announced, his voice steady, authoritative.

After Anastasia got back to her feet, Gilbert led the squad forward, following the updated battle map as they pushed toward the town center. The terrain was battle, scorch marks, overturned rubble, and human remains, remnants from the earlier aerial bombardment and the devastation caused by Styx's invasion. As they moved through an area marked sector grid 5, the comms crackled with chatter from nearby units.

'White Horns Squads 5A3 and Squads 5C1 are engaging enemy forces at sector 7! Watch for stragglers!'

"That Askel and Aslings squads," William said over the comms,

"This is Knight 141, will be arriving at these coordinates in 3 minutes," Gilbert said over the comms.

Minutes later, as they pushed into an open courtyard, movement flared on the HUD overlay as two more squads converged from the east and south, their weapons trained on the emerging Styx.

"Look, the B teams are here," Kean mocked over the comms

Knight Aisling and Knight Askel led their respective squads, the two formations seamlessly merging with Gilbert's unit.

"If it isn't the mixed blood Squad, I can't even believe you joined their squad, Vivian," Aisling said

"Well, I do what I like, unlike some," Vivian replied

"Wasted potential if you ask me," Aisling said as she turned to Gilbert, waving at him. "At least your squad is getting more pretty women."

"Hello to you too, Aisling. Askel," Gilbert said, greeting her while nodding at Askel.

"Let's have a good fight," Askel said

"Okay, boys, look sharp," Aisling said, spinning her tonfas.

Styx started appearing in mass amounts, lunging at them from all directions as they fired staggering patterns, alternating patterns keeping the Styx pinned.

The manor had fallen silent, save for the distant hum of the squad securing their perimeter.

Gilbert wandered deeper into the ruins as they decided to rest here.

His boots scraped against scorched stone as he moved past collapsed walls, the air thick with lingering smoke and dust. Then, he saw them.

Buried beneath the wreckage, charred remains, their forms barely distinguishable among the rubble. A family.

For a long moment, he just stared, something was off.

His instincts told him to confirm; his HUD scanned the bodies, searching for any trace of Stygian influence. He expected claw wounds, acid burns, some sign that they'd fallen to the horrors they had come to fight.

Nothing.

No Styx marks. No signs of a struggle. No external wounds except for the obliteration brought by fire and force.

Gilbert's breath stalled.

The bombardment.

His fingers curled into fists. His mind screamed for an alternative explanation, but his suit confirmed the truth, again and again, reaching the same, inescapable conclusion.

They had done this.

He stood frozen, the weight of it pressing against his chest.

Then, Vivian's voice pulled him back.

"Leader, it's time for us to move off."

She approached from behind, but Gilbert stood there frozen.

"They were killed by us," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Vivian hesitated. "What?"

He turned, fury boiling beneath his skin.

"This family—" he gestured wildly to the remains, voice rising to a roar. "They weren't killed by the Styx. We killed them!"

Vivian exhaled, almost as if it wasn't anything major

"I know you may not want to hear this, but—" she paused slightly before continuing, "They served their purpose."

Gilbert's armored boot slammed into her stomach.

The impact sent her crashing into the wall, the sound ringing through the hollow ruins. Before she could react, his sword was at her throat.

"Purpose?! What purpose!?" His voice was raw now, breaking with fury.

Vivian remained calm, even as steel pressed against her neck.

"Why do you think we have tiered cities?" she said evenly. "We can't protect them all. The unranked cities exist as bait—if they fall, the Tier III cities hold the next line. That's the design, Gilbert. That's the system."

Gilbert's grip tightened, his blade trembling with the weight of his rage.

"But we could have saved them. Protected them. The Styx killed many, but this family proves—" his voice faltered just slightly "—we could have saved some of them."

His sword fell from her neck.

Vivian sighed, rubbing at her ribs where his kick had landed.

"I'm sorry, Gilbert. I am. But that just isn't in the cards for the Federation." Her voice was softer now. "It would have cost us more to save them than to end their terror quickly."

Silence again.

Gilbert turned away, his breath uneven, his mind refusing to settle.

Slowly, he knelt before the deceased family, staring at the ruin that had become their final resting place.