Arthur's Omni-Tool buzzed with Shifty's voice. "Commander, we're approaching the coordinates for Area H. But something's off—the readings are too uniform. No craters, no blast scars. It's like the battlefield was... erased."
Scarlet halted, her gaze narrowing as she surveyed the flat, unnaturally even ground. "This doesn't match the reports. A Heretic clash with Matis and Unlimited should have left this place a wasteland of craters and debris. It's too clean, too perfect."
Maxwell knelt, running her fingers over the soil. It felt artificial, compacted in a way that screamed engineering rather than natural erosion. "Shifty, double-check the topography. Cross-reference with pre-op scans."
There was a pause, then Shifty's voice returned, laced with alarm. "Holy circuits... Commander, this isn't the original ground level. The terrain here is artificial—built up about 200 meters above the actual surface. It's a cover, a massive one. Whatever happened here, someone or something went to extreme lengths to bury it."
"Bury it or protect it? Either way, we're standing on a secret. Scarlet, fire a flare. Signal our position to Absolute and Monarks. If they're tracking us, we need to regroup before we dig deeper."
Scarlet nodded, loading a flare into her launcher and sending it skyward in a brilliant arc of red light. It soared high, illuminating the barren expanse, but before it could fully bloom, a sharp crack echoed—a sniper round from the distance struck it down, extinguishing the signal in a puff of smoke.
"Well, they saw it," Drake grunted, a smirk playing on her lips. "And from the precision, I'd bet it's Eunhwa. She's still pissed. No cooling off there."
Laplace scanned the horizon, her idealistic fervor tempered by caution. "That shot came from the east—our former allies aren't far. But if they're shooting down our signals, reconciliation might be off the table."
Arthur clenched his jaw, his prosthetic arms flexing instinctively. "Shifty, confirm: are we at the right spot?"
"Coordinates match, Commander. But yeah, this flatland is bogus. Artificial all the way. I'm detecting hollow spaces below—could be chambers or tunnels. Proceed with extreme caution."
The group spread out, weapons raised, as an uneasy silence settled. Then, without warning, the ground trembled. Tentacles burst from the earth like serpents from the abyss, thick and biomechanical, lashing out with barbed tips aimed at the Nikkes. One coiled toward Laplace, but she reacted with heroic precision, her laser cannon slicing through it in a blaze of energy. The severed appendage writhed and disintegrated, but more erupted, jabbing at the squad.
"Ambush!" Arthur shouted, his N7 Typhoon barking to life. Armor-piercing rounds tore into the emerging limbs, shredding them before they could latch on. Scarlet danced through the chaos, her SMG a whirlwind of suppressive fire, while Maxwell picked targets with calculated shots. Drake smashed one tentacle into pulp with her bare hands, laughing maniacally. "Come on, you squirmy bastards!"
The assault ended as quickly as it began, the tentacles retreating into the soil, leaving scorched craters. Arthur scanned his team. "Status report—everyone intact?"
Laplace nodded, wiping residue from her cannon. "Fine here. Those things were probing, not committing. Like sentries."
Scarlet tapped her comms. "Shifty, update: no Rapture signals on my sensors. Jamming?"
"Affirmative. Something underground is blocking scans. And that artificial layer? It's masking a massive structure below. We're talking engineered elevation—200 meters of cover. This isn't random; it's deliberate secrecy."
Maxwell crossed her arms, pondering. "200 meters... that's not just hiding a battlefield. That's entombing something. Heretic remnants?"
Scarlet frowned, her mind echoing Maxwell's thoughts. "Whatever it is, it's worth the effort. But why now?"
"We uncover it. But stay sharp—"
The ground shook again, this time with greater violence. Raptures erupted from below and swooped from the air—Ant-types scuttling in hordes, their segmented bodies gleaming; aerial units diving with screeching dives; and heavier variants lumbering forth. Visual count alone surpassed a hundred, a swarm blotting the horizon.
"Incoming!" Drake bellowed, charging forward with reckless abandon. Her shotgun pulverized the first wave of Ants, sending chitin flying.
Matis didn't falter. Laplace led the charge, her laser cannon carving paths through the throng. "For Justice!" she cried, beams vaporizing clusters. Maxwell coordinated, her rifle picking off flyers with precision. "Flank left—don't let them surround us!"
Arthur and Scarlet moved as one, a deadly tandem. His N7 Typhoon's rounds pierced armored hides, while her SMG mowed down the stragglers. They weaved through the chaos, back-to-back, their synergy a testament of trust. "Like old times," Scarlet quipped, dodging a claw swipe.
But then, the true horror emerged. From the depths rose Harvester, a Tyrant-class monstrosity, spider-like in form with elongated limbs and a maw capable of devouring Nikkes whole to mend its wounds. Its carapace shimmered, invisible to standard sensors, a predator evolved for ambush.
Arthur's frustration boiled over. "Not again! This is the third Harvester I've tangled with." Memories flashed—the first with Matis months ago, a grueling hunt; the second a betrayal by Syuen, who summoned Raptures via a beacon during a Monarks op. "Damn it, why does this keep happening?"
Laplace grinned, firing her cannon at the beast's legs. "Nice to fight with you again, Commander. No babysitting needed—you hold your own."
Drake laughed, smashing through minions to reach the Tyrant. "Yeah, you're no fragile human. Refreshing!"
The Harvester lunged, its limbs whipping like scythes. Arthur rolled aside, his goddesium legs absorbing the impact. He countered with the Omni-blade extending from his arm, slicing deep into a joint. Sparks flew, but the creature regenerated, tendrils snaking out to grab at the Nikkes.
Scarlet vaulted over debris, her SMG chattering. "Eyes on the core—it's vulnerable there!" She and Arthur danced through the fray, bullets and blade in harmony, a lethal ballet that left Raptures in ruins.
Laplace watched in awe, her ideals challenged. "You two... fighting as equals. It's mesmerizing. Not superior, not subordinate—just together."
Maxwell nodded, covering their flank. "That's the Monarks way. Strength in unity."
The swarm pressed, overwhelming in numbers, but the squad's resolve held. Drake's shotgun destroyed skulls, Laplace's beams cleared paths, and Arthur's armor-piercing rounds hammered the Harvester's armor, cracking it open. The Tyrant reared, maw gaping, but a final coordinated assault—Omni-blade thrust, laser blast, and shotgun shot—brought it crashing down.
The beast toppled, its body convulsing in defeat, the ground shuddering with the impact. Smoke rose from its form, and the remaining Raptures scattered. But as the dust settled, a low rumble echoed from below, the artificial terrain cracking open to reveal darkness beneath.