The battlefield had changed.
What was once an organized assault had become something far worse.
A beacon.
Gunfire.
Explosions.
Naval bombardment.
Airstrikes.
All of it—
Had drawn attention.
And now—
They were coming.
The Swarm that had been waiting for the right time.
At first, it was distant.
Low.
Almost like wind.
Then it grew louder.
A sound no one wanted to hear.
"…Do you hear that…?" a soldier whispered.
Akane froze.
He heard it too.
Not gunfire.
Not explosions.
Something else.
A roar.
No—
Thousands of them.
Too Many
From beyond the ruined structures—
From the snowfields—
From the broken streets—
They came.
What looks like endlees wave from every direction.
A tide of infected pouring toward the battlefield.
"…that isn't friendlys or mercenaries…" one of the untrained soldiers muttered.
"No… that's a swarm…" a elite soldier answered.
Then...
Static burst through the comms.
"This is Supervisor Command."
Everyone went silent.
"Due to excessive engagement activity, you have attracted a large-scale infected swarm."
A pause.
Then—
"Mission update: Armory retake is no longer possible."
Silence.
"…What…?" a soldier muttered.
"You are ordered to retreat immediately."
"…We just fought all that for nothing…?" someone said.
"We lost half our units—!"
"No… no, we can't just leave it—!"
The voice cut in again.
"This is not a request."
"Retreat. Now."
For a moment—
No one moved.
All that effort.
All those deaths.
For nothing.
Akane stood still.
Retreat…
That word echoed in his mind.
Reality Returns
"ALL UNITS—FALL BACK TO EXTRACTION POINT!"
That snapped everyone out of it.
Movement exploded instantly.
"GO! GO!"
"LEAVE HEAVY EQUIPMENT!"
"DON'T STOP!"
Someone screamed.
"MEDIC!... HELP—!"
Akane turned immediately.
A soldier lay on the ground, bleeding heavily.
Behind him—
The swarm was getting closer.
Fast.
Akane rushed forward anyway.
"…Hold on," he muttered.
His hands moved quickly.
Stabilizing.
Injecting.
Sealing.
But this time—
It wasn't enough.
"…I can't carry you," Akane said quietly.
The soldier looked at him.
Fear in his eyes.
"…Just go…"
Akane froze.
The sound of the swarm grew louder.
Closer.
Others were already running.
"SOLDIER! MOVE!" someone shouted at him.
His hands trembled.
I can save him…
No.
I can't…
The soldier grabbed his arm weakly.
"…Don't die here too…"
Akane's grip tightened.
Then—
Slowly—
He stood up.
And stepped back.
He ran.
Not fast.
Not like before.
Just human.
Behind him—
Screams.
He didn't look back.
The infected crashed into the battlefield like a tidal wave.
Gunfire erupted again—
But it didn't matter.
They were too many.
Barricades broke instantly.
Soldiers were dragged down.
Entire squads disappeared in seconds.
"FORGET FORMATION—JUST RUN!"
Everybody scattered.
No structure.
No order.
Just survival.
Akane's Struggle
Akane ran through the ruined streets.
His breathing grew heavier.
His legs slowed.
I left him…
That thought repeated.
Over and over.
Guilt hit him.
I'm a medic…
I'm supposed to save people…
Another explosion shook the ground.
He stumbled—
Then kept running.
At the extraction Point.
Ships were already preparing to leave.
"MOVE! THIS IS THE LAST WAVE!"
Soldiers rushed toward the ramps.
Some made it.
Some dragged by infecteds.
Akane pushed forward—
Exhausted.
The swarm was right behind them now.
Too close.
He could hear them.
Feel them.
Almost Too Late
A hand grabbed his leg—
Akane fell hard.
"…!"
An infected clawed toward him.
His weapon slipped from his hand.
Survival instinct kicked in.
He desperately hold the infected head away from his face.
No Power. No Escape.
Overclock…
Nothing.
A shot rang out.
The infected dropped.
A soldier grabbed him.
"GET UP!"
Akane was pulled to his feet and shoved toward the ship.
He ran—
With everything he had left.
And jumped onto the ship.
The doors slammed shut behind him.
The ship lifted.
Below them..
Was screams of helpless soldiers who were left behind.
Inside the ship.
Silence.
No one spoke.
many were missing.
Akane sat down slowly.
His hands still shaking.
His eyes distant.
I left him…
The comms activated one last time.
"Surviving units you will all be dropped in planet caleum ."
Akane closed his eyes.
No victory.
No success.
Only survival.
And the war was just starting