The ship turns violently.
"INCOMING FIRE!"
Explosions tore through the sky as the fleet descended toward the armory facility.
Akane grabbed onto the side of the ship, struggling to stay upright as the entire structure trembled.
One soldier murmured.
They were waiting for us…
Another blast hit nearby—
The ship tilted hard.
"Brace for impact!"
The ship slammed into the ground.
A loud metallic screech echoed as it skidded forward before coming to a violent stop.
For a moment—
Silence.
Then—
"MOVE OUT! MOVE!"
The doors burst open.
Cold air rushed in.
Gunfire followed immediately.
Akane rushed out—
—and froze for half a second.
This wasn't like before.
This wasn't infected chaos.
This was organized.
Structured.
Deadly.
"CONTACT FROM HUMAN HOSTILES!"
Gunfire rained down from elevated positions.
Mercenaries.
They were already in position.
Already aiming.
Already firing.
Akane dropped behind cover as bullets slammed into the metal wall beside him.
"…They're… different…"
A soldier next to him fired back.
"Mercenaries! Don't peek for too long otherwise they'll take your head off!"
Akane inhaled slowly.
Then peeked out—
Fired.
One shot.
Hit.
Another.
Hit.
…I can see where they'll move…
His eyes tracked their movements.
Patterns.
Openings.
Mistakes.
"Push forward! We need to break their line!"
The squad moved.
Akane followed.
Explosions erupted ahead.
A group of soldiers went down instantly.
"SNIPERS!"
"TAKE COVER!"
Akane dropped again, his heartbeat starting to rise.
Faster.
Louder.
Why does this feel familiar…?
His grip tightened on his weapon.
His breathing slowed—
But his chest felt tighter.
Like something was building.
Then—
A scream.
To his left—
A soldier was pinned down.
"HELP—!"
Gunfire cut him off.
Akane turned and acted fast.
His body moved before he could think.
He fired—
One shot.
Two.
Three.
Enemies dropped.
He grabbed the fallen soldier and dragged him behind cover.
"…You good?" Akane muttered.
The soldier stared at him.
"…Y-yeah…"
Akane paused to think to himself.
Why did I do that…?
The battlefield intensified.
More mercenaries pushed forward.
More explosions.
More chaos.
"WE'RE GETTING PUSHED BACK!"
"IS THERE ANY BACK UP?!"
"FALL BACK TO THE SECOND LINE!"
Akane stepped back with the others—
But something felt wrong.
That pressure again.
Stronger now.
His heartbeat—
Too loud.
Too fast.
What is this strange feeling…?
A sudden explosion hit near him.
The force threw him across the ground.
His weapon flew out of his hands.
His ears rang.
His vision blurred.
He tried to get up—
But his body didn't respond.
"…Move…"
Nothing.
Footsteps approached.
Slow.
Calm.
A mercenary stepped into view.
Weapon raised.
"…Target neutralized."
Akane's eyes widened.
No…
He tried to move—
Nothing.
As the mercenary pulled the trigger—
Something snapped inside him.
A violent surge shot through Akane's body.
Like electricity ripping through his nerves.
His eyes widened—
His vision sharpened instantly.
The world slowed down crazily.
The sound of gunfire stretched and distorted.
Every movement became clear.
Every detail—
Is visible.
What… is this…?
His fingers moved.
Strength returned—
Akane moved.
In an instant—
He rolled to the side.
Grabbed his weapon mid-motion—
Fired.
The mercenary dropped before finishing his shot.
Akane stood.
Slowly.
Everything felt… different.
Another enemy fired—
Akane moved before the bullet reached him.
Dodged.
Countered.
Hit.
Two more rushed him—
He stepped forward—
Struck—
Fired—
Both dropped instantly.
"…What the—?!"
The nearby enemy soldiers said.
"He's moving too fast—!"
"I can't track him!"
Inside akane's mind
Everything felt clear.
Too clear.
He knows where they'll be…
Before they even move…
His breathing was steady.
His body light.
His reactions—
Perfect.
But—
Something was wrong.
A sharp pain spread through his arms.
His muscles tightened unnaturally.
His head throbbed.
This… isn't normal…
Instinct Takes Over
He moved again—
Faster.
More aggressive.
Another enemy—
Down.
Another—
Down.
His movements became duller slowly.
Lest precise.
"HEY—WATCH YOUR AIM!" a soldier shouted as Akane nearly fired past him.
Akane froze.
For a split second—
A flash.
Fire.
War.
Destruction.
A younger voice—
Commanding.
Cold.
"Advance! Don't stop!"
Akane's breath hitched.
"…That voice…"
The feeling started fading.
Fast.
His body suddenly felt heavy.
His vision shook.
Pain surged through him.
"…Tch—!"
He dropped to one knee.
His arm trembled.
"…What… was that…?"
A soldier ran up to him.
"…You just overclocked."
Akane looked up.
"…Overclock…?"
The soldier nodded.
"Yeah… probably phase 1."
Akane stayed silent.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
Overclock…
Ahead—
The massive armory facility loomed.
Fortified.
Guarded.
Waiting.
More enemies gathered.
More battles coming.
Akane slowly stood up.
His grip tightened around his weapon.
His heart still raced—
But not from fear.
From something else.
That power…
It felt… familiar.
As if—
He had used it before.