Chapter 644: Chapter 644: Fight Harder (Part 4)

Charles waking up changed everything for a few precious seconds.

Not enough to stop the horde.

But enough to breathe.

Enough to move first.

K-4 immediately took advantage of it. The moment two more from the horde climbed over the rooftop edge near him, he surged forward and clotheslined both at once.

His injured shoulder visibly lagged during the motion, muscles tightening beneath the torn sleeve of his uniform, but the impact still carried monstrous force.

They folded backward over his arm before all three slammed into the rooftop ledge together. K-4 planted his boots hard and kept driving forward until both bodies tipped over the side.

Then he stayed there.

He didn’t retreat.

The second another hand reached upward over the ledge, K-4 stomped downward violently. CRACK!~ Fingers snapped beneath his boot.

Another tried climbing immediately after and he smashed its face with the heel of his foot hard enough to send teeth and blood spraying down the building wall.

One more climbed. He grabbed it by the throat and repeatedly slammed its skull against the rooftop edge until the concrete itself chipped apart.

His movements were still fast.

Still lethal.

But exhaustion had become visible now.

His breaths came harder through his nose. His injured hand trembled faintly every time he flexed it after the tongue had pierced through. Blood still dripped from the wound onto the rooftop gravel beneath him.

Across the rooftop, Don launched a kick into another one’s chest just as it climbed over.

The impact lifted it fully off the ground and sent it tumbling backward into several others still climbing.

Their bodies collided together before vanishing over the edge in a violent pileup.

More immediately started replacing them.

Don stepped forward again.

Then clapped his hands together.

BOOOOM!~

The burst of compressed wind exploded outward from the impact point.

Dust, loose debris, blood, shattered glass and multiple of the horde were blown backward instantly.

Some lost their grip immediately while others smashed into the building exterior before falling.

One had nearly made it fully over the edge before the force tore its hands free from the rooftop.

Its scream never reached Don.

None of them did.

Only pressure.

Only distorted vibration.

His hearing had started returning slightly now, but it came in fragments that felt wrong.

Distant vibrations scratched at the inside of his skull like static buried underwater.

Occasionally he caught something resembling sound before it twisted into ringing distortion again.

Every time his jaw clenched, he could hear faint crunching inside his own head.

It made concentration harder.

His body however still moved explosively.

Every strike carried force.

Every motion came fast.

Yet his eyes had changed.

The aggression remained, but fatigue had settled deep behind it now.

Sweat rolled down his face in streaks through grime and blood while his breathing grew heavier with each exchange.

Mentally, the endless pressure had begun wearing at him little by little.

Not enough to stop him.

But enough to notice.

Behind him, Charles leaned harder against the ventilation unit after trying to fire another set of feathers.

His remaining wing twitched weakly before partially folding inward again.

Blood had dried across the side of his face and collar while his breathing remained uneven. He glanced toward Olynk’s unconscious body briefly before bringing his hand toward his ear.

His fingers touched dried blood.

Charles paused.

Then rubbed his fingers together slowly while staring at them.

Understanding crossed his face immediately.

Same as Don.

Same as K-4.

Gone.

His hearing too.

Nearby, the rooftop itself continued trembling beneath the sheer number of infected scaling upward.

Loose pebbles bounced subtly across the concrete surface while distant glass shattered somewhere lower in the tower.

Smoke drifted between nearby buildings from burning streets below, turning sections of the skyline dark gray beneath the evening light.

Then—

Far above the city.

A formation cut through the smoke-covered skies.

The Aegis-9 strikers moved in disciplined military formation, massive rotor systems chopping through the air with brutal force.

The helicopters looked heavily armored from nose to tail, painted dark navy blue with reinforced plating around the cockpit and engine sections.

White UPSDF insignias marked the sides alongside unit numbering near the rear compartments.

Missile pods sat mounted beneath shortened wings while heavy rotary cannons rested beneath the nose assemblies.

Further outward from the formation flew four UPSDF superhuman soldiers.

They moved independently through the air without visible equipment supporting them, maintaining a diamond-shaped perimeter around the lead striker.

Their fitted combat uniforms hugged tightly against armored physiques, dark tactical material reinforced by segmented plating along vital areas.

Full helmets concealed most facial features beneath black visors glowing faintly with combat displays.

Thruster-like bursts occasionally corrected their positioning mid-flight while rifles remained magnetically secured across their backs.

Inside the lead helicopter, the atmosphere matched the aircraft itself.

Functional.

Heavy.

Cold.

Seven soldiers occupied the cabin.

All wore similar UPSDF combat uniforms though each had personalized loadouts fitted to their specialties.

One woman with a muscular frame sat nearest the side door holding an enormous sniper rifle across her lap, the weapon almost absurdly large even for anti-material standards.

Another woman farther back adjusted combat gauntlets around her forearms while checking ammunition mounted along her vest.

One man wore heavier armor plating than the rest, his helmet scratched deeply across one side.

Another carried compact blades attached along both thighs.

Across from him sat a broad-shouldered man with a shaved head and full beard, his visor currently lifted above stern eyes.

His physique was second only to the massive soldier near the rear ramp.

Near him, another operative projected a holographic screen outward from his wrist device.

An older woman appeared on the display.

White hair pulled tightly behind her head. Dark officer uniform decorated heavily with insignias and medals.

Behind her sat a polished military office lined with operation screens, tactical maps and banners bearing UPSDF markings. Her posture alone carried authority.

The man with a shaved head spoke first.

"Ma’am, may I ask why you requested contact during this operation? You are not our handling commander."

The older woman answered immediately.

"I’m aware, Captain Walker. This is a separate matter."

Her eyes narrowed slightly.

"There is an asset I’d like you to retrieve inside the city before beginning your assigned operation."

Walker exhaled once through his nose.

"Who’s the asset?"

"Charles Monclaire," she replied. "My grandchild."

Nobody inside the cabin reacted outwardly.

The woman continued calmly.

"I do not expect failure. General Wilson has already reviewed the request and approved operational overlap regarding retrieval priority."

Walker nodded once.

"Copy that."

The feed vanished immediately afterward.

The operative maintaining the projection switched screens, replacing the officer with a live tactical map of Santos City.

Multiple red markers blinked across the city while one active signal pulsed near the district Don and the others occupied.

"This is the location we’ve been sent, sir," the operative said. "Signal’s live."

Walker looked toward the map briefly before lowering his visor back over his eyes.

"Then let’s go get this kid."

The soldiers immediately checked weapons and restraints.

One near the rear ramp struck his fist against his chest armor.

"Steel holds."

The others answered almost immediately.

"Until the end."

THOOM THOOM THOOM THOOM!~

The helicopters continued deeper into Santos City.