LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 55: Contagion
"SHIT! OH SHIT!" Spencer yelled as we sprinted down the street, dodging debris as a flying humanoid Chaos Beast with bat-like wings crashed into a building above us.
Spencer was carrying a vertigo-stricken Midori on his back, her eyes closed and her face pale, her arms wrapped tightly around Spencer's neck. Talia ran ahead of us, her eyes scanning the surroundings for potential danger. At the same time, I brought up the rear, my pistol drawn and my senses on high alert.
The entire city was in chaos, with buildings crumbling and people running in every direction. The sounds of explosions and screams echoed all around us, and I felt a sense of despair wash over me as I realized just how dire the situation truly was. Project Raiju had abruptly gone silent on me after the last broadcast, but I could hear its warnings blaring out around me.
"We need to find a place to regroup!" Spencer shouted over the noise. "Somewhere we can catch our breath and figure out what to do next!"
"But where?" Talia asked, her eyes scanning the surroundings frantically.
"There are shelters about 10 blocks uptown!" I yelled in response. "We can go there first!"
My dad and sister Izumi were still out there, and I would be lying if I said I wasn't worried sick about them. But I couldn't let my emotions get the best of me now. We had to focus on survival first, and then we could worry about finding them.
We continued running, our footsteps pounding against the pavement as chaos reigned around us. Every few seconds, I could feel the ground shaking beneath our feet, signaling the arrival of another Chaos Beast as rifts and portals opened up around us.
Then the zombies began to appear. Three of them popped out around a corner, and sickly blue lines ran down their skin as they sprinted toward us, their eyes lifeless and their mouths snarling.
"Shit, not these things too," Talia cursed, drawing her sword as she prepared to defend us.
I raised my pistol and took aim, firing at the zombies as they approached. The first one fell to the ground, its body twitching as it struggled to get back up. Talia danced across the pavement, cutting them down with single swings. But more and more zombies began to appear, their numbers increasing with every passing moment.
"Watch out!" I yelled, firing my pistol into the crowd of zombies. The bullets tore through their flesh, but it seemed to have little effect on them. They continued their relentless advance toward us, their jaws snapping hungrily as they hungered for our flesh.
For every zombie we killed, two more appeared in its place, and we quickly became overwhelmed.
A group of three magical girls appeared on the streets, their weapons glowing with radiant energy as they fought off the Chaos Beasts and zombies alike. They were led by a fierce-looking girl with a fiery mane of shaggy hair and eyes that glowed with an orange intensity.
"GET OUT OF HERE. RUN!" she yelled at us as she continued to fight off the monsters.
We didn't need to be told twice. We darted down a side alley, grateful for their distraction. I could hear the sounds of explosions and gunfire growing louder and louder behind us. We'd suddenly found ourselves in the middle of a full-blown warzone with no end.
The alley was dark and narrow, and the stench of garbage and rot filled our nostrils. We continued down the path, our footsteps echoing off the walls. The air grew colder and more oppressive, and I could feel a sense of dread creeping up my spine.
"Guys," I said, my voice low. "Do you feel that?"
Spencer looked at me, his eyes narrowed. "Feel what?"
"There's something wrong with this area," I said, my hand tightening around my pistol.
As if on cue, a group of five zombies came screeching at us at the end of the alley, their eyes fixed on us as they stumbled over each other, sprinting toward us.
"God damn it," Spencer muttered, adjusting his grip on Midori. "We can't catch a break, can we?"
The zombies closed in, their faces twisted into grotesque snarls. I fired, the sound of the gun echoing in the narrow alleyway. The bullet hit one of the zombies in the chest, sending it reeling back. Talia swung her sword, the blade slicing through another zombie's neck.
One of the zombies lunged at Spencer, its teeth bared. He dodged to the side, but Midori's weight threw off his balance. He stumbled, falling to the ground with Midori still on his back.
"Spencer!" I yelled, turning to help him up. But before I could reach him, another zombie appeared in front of me, its arms outstretched.
I threw my arms up to guard myself as the zombie lunged at me. I felt its body hit mine, knocking me to the ground. The zombie fell on top of me, its teeth snapping at my face. The zombie's mouth yawned open, and I saw a thin, blue line of chaos energy stretching from the zombie's mouth to my chest, pulsing with a hunger to consume me.
I turned my head to avoid the bite and managed to jam my pistol into its mouth. I pulled the trigger, the bullet blasting a hole in the zombie's skull.
I pushed the zombie body off me, the sound of gunfire echoing around me. I got back to my feet, looking for Spencer and Midori. Smoke and dust were in the air, and it was hard to see through it.
"Here!" I heard Spencer's voice call out from somewhere in the mess.
I stepped forward, dodging a second zombie as it slammed against the wall behind me. I avoided a third one, which lunged past me as it sprinted towards Talia. I looked back in time to see her slice it in half, her sword gleaming with a faint golden light.
I spotted Spencer and Midori a few feet away from me. I breathed a sigh of relief, seeing Midori, with her sword drawn, standing over a floored Spencer.
"You okay, man?" I asked, offering a hand.
"Yeah," Spencer replied, taking it. "Thanks for the help."
Midori grabbed her head, shaking off the vertigo. Her face was still pale, and sweat dripped down her forehead. She was breathing heavily, and I could see the strain in her eyes.
"Hey," I said, putting my hand on her shoulder. "You look like you've been run over by a train."
"I'm fine," Midori replied, shaking her head. "Just needed a breather thanks to Spencer. Let's keep moving."
She forced her sword back into her scabbard and steadied herself. We continued down the alley, my grip tightening around my pistol.
We reached the end of the alley, only to find that it was barred by a thick metal door.
"Damn it," Talia cursed, kicking the door in frustration. "What now?"
Midori took a few steps back, and I looked on in confusion as she raised her sword above her head. Then she swung it down, bringing the blade down with a thunderous green flash of light.
The door's hinges broke, and the door flew open, hitting the wall with a loud thud.
"I think I'm in love," Talia grinned as we stepped through the destroyed doorway. "Well, I definitely know it."
Midori stumbled for a second, and Talia rushed to help her up. I followed close behind, keeping my pistol ready in case we found more zombies or Chaos Beasts. Not that it would help with the latter.
We entered the back of a seemingly-abandoned restaurant, the old wood creaking beneath our feet. The place didn't appear to be open for business, but it looked like it had been at one point. A few piles of dishes and cups were left behind, and a single overturned table was lying on the ground.
There was an exit on the other end of the room and a wooden staircase leading up to a second-floor balcony. Talia looked around for a few seconds before she pointed at a door.
"Let's go through there," she said, motioning towards it.
As we approached, we headed for the door, the sound of fighting growing louder. I charged towards the door, kicking it open without a second thought.
We entered a dark hallway, lit only by a grimy window at the end of it. Talia drew her sword, and Spencer drew his own pistol. Talia began to charge forward, but my instincts kicked in, and I lowered my hand as I held up a finger.
"Stop," Midori and I said at the same time. "Something's wrong."
Midori and I shared a look, and I glanced over at Spencer.
Talia stopped, and she and Spencer looked at us. I took a step forward, and I could feel the weight of their eyes on me.
"What is it?" Talia asked, her voice low.
I took another step forward, my senses growing increasingly attuned to the world around us.
"Do you feel it?" Midori asked in a low voice.
I nodded, but I wasn't exactly sure what she was feeling. "Yeah."
"Path ahead's clear," Midori said, looking down the path outside. "We should just go. Now."
I nodded, and she and I took the lead. We continued down the hallway, following the path that Midori had sensed. We found ourselves facing a door when we reached the end of the hallway.
I let Midori open the door, and we stepped inside. We found ourselves in the front end of a small diner, the air smelling heavily of stale alcohol.
The place was a wreck, all the tables and chairs at least overturned, the walls covered in a thin layer of grime and dust, and the floor littered with various dishes and glasses. There was a counter in front of us and booths on the other side.
We stepped forward a bit, and I spotted a single corpse on the ground. It looked like it'd been ripped in half, but the body was decayed and mummified. Other than that, the place was quiet and abandoned.
Our group made our way over to the door, which I opened. I poked my head through and saw a large group of zombies and Chaos Beasts fighting against a group of heavily armored men. A few other men were shooting at them from behind a stack of hastily set up barricades.
"The US Mechanized Response Force," I commented. "We don't want to go out there recklessly, they might mistake us for zombies."
"I'll go out there," Midori stated flatly, "I'll keep my arms up in surrender, and I can use my... Magical Girl powers in case they shoot at me. Give them the good old sparkle."
"No offense, Midori," I said, keeping my pistol at the ready. "But I'd rather not risk having my friend and cousin get killed by the USMRF just because she can put on a pretty face."
"Maybe Spencer can go out there," Talia suggested jokingly, glancing at him quickly. "He's not a bad guy to look at, right?"
"Hey!" Spencer protested. "Are you out of your mind?!"
"Cool it, guys," Midori frowned. "I'm going out there now. End of discussion."
There was a brief lull in the gunfire, and she stepped out of the diner and held up her hands. She looked like the perfect picture of a surrendering prisoner. A few soldiers began lowering their weapons, but a few still pointed theirs at her out of reflex.
"Hello! I'm Midori Tanaka. Registered Magical Girl support team leader," she shouted over the noise, raising her hands slightly higher. "Hold your fire!"
The three of us slowly filed in behind her.
"What the hell happened to you kids?" one of the soldiers asked, lowering his gun. "How did you get here?"
"We were running reconnaissance for our girls when the Duke-class Chaos Beast summoned portals in the Financial District. Our position was overrun, and we found ourselves here," Midori explained. "We're with an Emergency Relief Corps MG team."
"I see," the soldier nodded, lowering his gun completely as he beckoned another soldier over. "Specialist Andaz, check them for Chaos Energy readings."
The soldier approached Midori, and she held out her arm in front of her with her palm facing up. He nodded, then turned to face the rest of the group.
"Feynman radiation levels in sub-critical bounds," he declared. "They appear to be telling the truth."
"Right," the first soldier nodded. "Move along, then."
"Thanks," Midori replied with a bow.
The three of us ran past their checkpoint as fighter jets flew overhead, roaring as they engaged in dogfights with winged Chaos Beasts. The sound of the gunfire and the screeching of the beasts filled the air, and I had to resist the urge to cover my ears.
We dashed for the Chaos Event shelter, a large bunker fortified with magic seals, barricades, and sandbags.
As we got closer, the ground shook with a loud boom. We turned to see that one of the Chaos Beasts had been struck by a missile and spiraled through the air before it regained its balance, chasing after the jet. We quickened our pace, not wanting to get caught in the wrong place.
As we approached, we could see the entrance to the shelter being guarded by a group of heavily armed soldiers. They looked relaxed but ready for action at a moment's notice.
"Identify yourselves!" one of the soldiers asked animatedly as we approached.
"We're with the Emergency Relief MG team," Midori replied, holding her hands up. "We need to get inside the shelter."
The soldier looked us up and down, then paused briefly before nodding. "Alright, hurry on in! Things are liking fucking FUBAR out here. Get a move on!"
Wait, just like that?
Midori stopped to give the soldier a funny look before we stepped past the soldiers and into the shelter. The entrance led down a long, dimly lit hallway.
"Man, I'm glad we made it," Spencer said, letting out a relieved sigh.
"Me too," Talia agreed, a hint of tension still in her voice.
I paused for a second. Something was wrong.
I could feel it, just like I had in the abandoned diner earlier. An eerie calmness settled over the shelter, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I turned to face the others, my expression serious.
I closed my eyes, focused on my senses. Sure enough, I could feel the presence of something in the air, thick and suffocating.
"Midori," I said, my voice low as I slid beside her. "Can you sense anything?"
Midori also closed her eyes, and I could see her lips moving silently as she concentrated. After a few seconds, she opened her eyes and looked at me.
"There's something in here," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the noise of the shelter. "Something...not right."
We walked into the shelter's main room, where rows of cots had been set up for those seeking refuge from the chaos outside. The room was filled with people, most huddled in small groups, murmuring amongst themselves. The air was thick with the smell of sweat and fear.
As we made our way through the room, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was watching us. It was as if eyes were following our every move. Unseen eyes that hid in the shadows.
A woman dressed in scrubs approached us, blinking as she smiled. There was something off about the way she smiled, something that made me queasy.
"Welcome to the shelter," she greeted us. "I'm Dr. Alvarez, the head medic here. Do you need any medical attention?"
"We're fine, thank you," I replied, eyes scanning the room for any sign of danger.
Dr. Alvarez's smile faltered momentarily as she noticed the tension in my voice. "Is everything okay?" she asked her gaze following mine.
"It's nothing," Midori lied. "We're just a bit rattled. Thank you for your concern, Doctor. Anyway, we're looking for this shelter's Emergency Relief Corps operations room. "Do you know where it is?" Talia asked, her eyes scanning the area.
Dr. Alvarez nodded, pointing towards a corridor on the left. "It's down there, second door on the right."
"Thank you," Talia said, and we started walking toward the operations room.
As we walked down the dimly lit corridor, the unease in my gut only grew stronger. It was as if the air was growing denser and harder to breathe with each step. My hand instinctively brushed over my pistol holstered at my waist, ready for anything that might attack us.
When we reached the door to the operations room, I could see that it was slightly ajar. We opened the door to be greeted by a pair of people in military uniforms sitting behind a desk covered in maps and papers. They looked up at us as we entered, their eyes darting between our faces.
"Who are you?" one of them asked gruffly.
"We're with an Emergency Relief Corps MG team," Midori replied calmly. "We're here to offer assistance."
The soldiers exchanged a look before nodding, their expressions relaxing slightly.
"Right," the other soldier said, gesturing towards the room. "Come on in. Would you like something to drink?"
"No, thank you," Midori replied, walking further into the room.
I stayed close to her, my senses on high alert. There was something off about these soldiers. They were too relaxed, too calm, despite the chaos outside.
"Can you give us an update on the situation?" Spencer asked, pulling out a chair and sitting down in front of the soldier. "Spencer, by the way. Spencer Williams. Tech and electronic warfare cadet."
The soldiers shared another look, and I could feel the tension in the room rise.
"Well," the soldier began, shaking Spencer's voice neutral. "The situation is...complicated."
The man's face suddenly shifted, his features blending until it was no longer a face. A faceless blur looked back at us, devoid of emotion or expression.
Spencer shouted in pain as the soldier's hands transformed into claws, ripping through his flesh. Thin, needle-like nails dug into his hand, charged with blue electricity, and I immediately went for my gun. However, Midori was faster, drawing her sword to slice through the air with a sharp whistle.
The other soldier leaped up from behind the desk, revealing the same faceless features.
They had been replaced by Facestealers, and I felt a wave of panic rush through me.
The Chaos-infected soldier let out a screech of pain as Midori's blade sliced through his neck, severing it from his body. The man's body crumpled forward, blood pooling from his severed neck.
She blurred before my vision again, and the other soldier was also immediately liberated from his head. It rolled across the floor, landing in a pile of papers.
All hell broke loose as I heard the rapid pounding of footsteps outside, and Talia slammed the door shut, locking it in a panic. I reacted instantly, rushing over to Spencer's side.
"Spencer!" I shouted, my voice was shaking.
The room was silent as Spencer slowly stood up, his eyes wide with shock. An eerie blue light emanated from the wound in his hand where the Facestealer had injured him. A spiderweb of blue light began to rapidly spread out from the wound, covering his entire right hand.
Spencer looked up to meet my eyes, and I saw tears form in his eyes as he began to shake in disbelief as the veins started to quickly crawl up his arm.
"Spencer, I... I'm I don't know. I'm sorry. Fuck," I muttered, my voice trembling.
He shook his head and tried to compose himself. "It's not your fault," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I had a feeling something was off too and I sat my ass down anyway. Ikki, find my parents and tell them I love them."
I felt my heart sink, and I swallowed back tears of my own.
"I... I I'll do what I can," I said, my voice wavering as I choked back my tears.
He gave me a weak smile before turning away, his body trembling as the blue veins continued to spread up his arm. Spencer seemed to move in slow motion as my heart pounded in my chest, and the ringing in my ears tuned out the door slamming behind us and the chaos outside.
This.
Was Talia yelling at me? Was Midori?
...
This was the beginning of a whole new nightmare.