Chapter 263: A little tragedy

CRASH!

Blake flinched as another explosion shook the surrounding buildings.

’What is it now?!’

Then, through the gaps between the buildings, he caught a glimpse of someone moving at an absurd speed.

A familiar figure shot across the area, tearing through the dust and debris as though the obstacles in his path were little more than inconveniences.

Zlatan.

Blake’s eyes widened.

’Thank goodness, he’s on his way!’

At least one of them could still move around without having to worry about being a burden. Zlatan already took care of the soldiers.

He glanced down at his damaged visor.

Blake turned toward the distant sounds of combat and started running.

He had to go and see what Alexis was doing.

If he couldn’t help Zlatan reach Alfred, then he could at least check on Alexis. He didn’t need to join the fight. All he had to do was get close enough to understand what was happening and determine whether his teammate needed assistance.

As he approached the final row of buildings, the sounds of combat became clearer.

CLANG!

Blake slowed.

Another metallic impact rang through the area, followed by the unmistakable sound of something heavy scraping across the ground.

He cautiously moved toward the corner of the nearest building and peered around it.

He could see Alexis was fighting someone at close range.

Blake squinted, trying to make out the opponent.

Unfortunately, the damaged visor offered him very little help. The figure was partially obscured by dust, and every time Blake attempted to focus on it, the display flickered and blurred the outline.

He could only make out flashes of metal, the occasional movement of an armored limb, and the violent collisions whenever the two fighters exchanged blows.

But even that was enough to make him frown.

’Wait a second...’

He watched Alexis evade a strike and immediately counter with a kick. His opponent blocked it, and the resulting impact sent a metallic clang echoing across the port.

Blake’s expression changed.

’But how is this possible?’

Alexis was the strongest member of their team when it came to close-range combat. His instincts, physical ability, and experience made him exceptionally difficult to challenge at that distance.

Even Blake, with his enhanced suit, knew better than to underestimate him in a direct exchange.

Yet someone was holding Alexis back.

He leaned forward slightly, trying to get a better look.

Alexis stepped sideways, narrowly avoiding another attack before striking his opponent’s arm. The armored figure stumbled, but immediately recovered and pushed forward again.

Blake couldn’t see the details clearly enough to identify the person.

If Alexis was having trouble dealing with this opponent, then Blake certainly wasn’t going to charge into the fight without understanding what was happening.

He remained behind the corner, observing the exchange for a few more seconds.

Then he heard footsteps, lots of them.

Several people were approaching, their boots striking the pavement in a steady rhythm.

His shoulders stiffened, as he looked back toward Alexis.

He had already dealt with one group. He had absolutely no desire to waste more time.

’I could use my time to check something more important.’

He slipped through the entrance, the interior eerily quiet.

Blake stood just inside the doorway, allowing his eyes to adjust to the dim lighting.

There were several desks near the entrance, a few chairs scattered across the floor, and a reception counter that had been abandoned in a hurry.

Nothing seemed particularly unusual.

He took a few cautious steps forward.

Then he heard it.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Blake stopped.

He turned his head.

Tap. Tap.

Someone, or something, was making a small, repetitive noise behind one of the doors.

Blake hesitated.

His visor attempted to identify the source, but the damaged display returned nothing useful.

He approached the door slowly, keeping his movements quiet.

When he reached it, he leaned forward and pressed his ear against the surface. For several seconds, he heard nothing.

Tap.

Blake drew back slightly.

’...Huh.’

He glanced at the handle.

Should he open it?

The thought crossed his mind, but he quickly dismissed it.

Whatever was happening behind the door, it wasn’t necessarily his responsibility. He was supposed to be checking the area, not investigating every strange noise he encountered.

Besides, there was no guarantee that whatever was inside was even relevant to the mission.

He straightened.

’Well, this isn’t my business.’

He turned away.

’As long as it isn’t someone from the team, it doesn’t matter.’

He took two steps toward the staircase, then paused.

’...That would be rather unrealistic, anyway.’

He started running up the stairs.

The upper floor was just as quiet as the one below. There were several corridors, a handful of offices, and a long row of windows overlooking the port.

But there was no one inside.

Every office was utterly empty.

By the time he reached the end of the floor, his patience had worn thin.

"I guess this is normal, but..."

He looked around at the empty rooms.

"...Seriously?"

He had expected something.

Blake sighed as he approached one of the windows and peered outside.

From this height, he could see several sections of the port. Containers were stacked in long rows, and the roads between them formed a confusing network of narrow passages.

There were a few figures moving in the distance, but his damaged visor couldn’t identify them.

Blake leaned closer to the glass.

Nothing immediately stood out.

He could see no obvious signs of activity near the building, and the footsteps he’d heard earlier seemed to have moved farther away.

’That is... good enough.’

He stepped back from the window.

Then, rather than wasting time returning to the stairs, he opened it and climbed onto the ledge.

His metal shoes activated.

WHIRRR—

The propulsion units beneath them hummed softly as Blake lowered himself toward the ground. He controlled his descent carefully, keeping the thrust low enough to avoid attracting unnecessary attention.

A moment later, he landed behind the building.

He bent his knees to absorb the impact, then straightened and looked around.

Still clear.

Blake exhaled.

His gaze shifted toward the rows of shipping containers.

If there was anything worth investigating, it would probably be there.

’I am a little scared to ass it but... if we were to get ahold of those bodies, then...’

Blake took off running.

The farther he moved into the port, the more unsettling the scene became.

Workers were scattered across the ground between the containers.

By the time he reached the nearest container, Blake was beginning to suspect that the workers’ condition was connected to whatever had been happening around the port.

He placed one hand against the container’s metal surface.

He walked around it, looking for an entrance or some indication that it had been tampered with, but the container was tightly closed.

He tried pulling at the doors, but they didn’t budge.

His expression darkened.

’Seriously?’

He braced himself and pulled harder.

The metal creaked faintly, but the doors remained shut.

Blake stepped back and examined the hinges.

They were reinforced.

The locking mechanism was more substantial than he had expected, and the container itself appeared to be designed to withstand considerable force.

He glanced down at his hands.

Then at the container.

"...All right."

He clenched his fist and punched the metal.

BANG!

The impact echoed through the port.

The container shuddered, but the doors remained closed.

Blake stared at them.

He punched it again.

BANG!

Not even a meaningful dent.

He took a breath, his patience rapidly evaporating.

"Damn it..."

He could use one of the energy beams Myles had provided through his suit. A concentrated blast would probably make short work of the locking mechanism.

’But I wouldn’t want to taint the bodies... actually, I doubt that all of them are dead.’

Blake lowered his arm.

’Come on, think...’

He examined the container again, searching for another way to open it.

***

CLANG!

Alexis barely managed to block the incoming strike.

The impact forced him backward, his boots scraping across the pavement as he struggled to maintain his balance.

Trail-X pressed forward immediately.

The armored man had become increasingly aggressive over the course of their fight. His attacks were faster now, but also more reckless, each strike carrying enough force to threaten Alexis’s guard if he failed to react in time.

"How much punishment can you take?!"

Trail-X didn’t answer.

Instead, he stepped backward.

For the first time in several minutes, he wasn’t immediately trying to close the distance.

Alexis narrowed his eyes.

Something had changed.

Trail-X glanced past him, toward the far side of the port.

"What are you looking at?"

Trail-X didn’t respond.

His breathing had become heavier, and his shoulders rose and fell beneath the armored plating. His damaged arm hung awkwardly at his side, and his stance was no longer as stable as it had been at the beginning of the fight.

Trail-X suddenly moved away from him.

Alexis’s eyes widened.

"What—?"

WHOOOOSH!

Trail-X shot upward and forward, clearing the distance between them before Alexis could intercept him.

Alexis lunged, reaching for his opponent’s leg, but caught nothing except empty air.

"HEY!"

Trail-X flew past him.

Alexis immediately turned and looked toward the direction he was heading.

The port stretched ahead, its containers forming narrow corridors between the towering stacks of metal. Beyond them lay the main access routes, along with the buildings that connected the industrial section to the rest of the facility.

Trail-X was heading straight toward them.

Alexis’s expression hardened.

’He’s running?’

After all that effort, after pushing himself to the point where his movements were becoming sloppy, Trail-X had decided to abandon the fight entirely.

Alexis wasn’t about to let him go.

He activated the propulsion system beneath his own shoes and launched himself forward.

WHOOSH!

The two figures raced between the containers.

"GET OVER HERE!"

Trail-X finally glanced over his shoulder.

For a split second, their eyes met, then Trail-X turned forward again.

And Alexis saw what lay ahead.

A figure was lying motionless on the ground near the edge of the next passageway.

The sight was partially obscured by a stack of containers, but there was no mistaking the familiar clothing.

Alfred.

Trail-X’s trajectory faltered.

His propulsion sputtered as he descended awkwardly, his boots striking the pavement with a heavy impact. He stumbled forward, almost falling, before catching himself.

Alexis landed several meters behind him.

He immediately raised his guard, expecting Trail-X to turn and attack again.

But the armored man didn’t move.

He was staring ahead, at the body.

For a moment, the entire port seemed to fall silent.

Trail-X took one uncertain step forward.

Then another.

"No..."

His voice was barely audible.

"Mister...!"