Year 1096, December 23, 19 : 21 PM
Location : Unknown Park
"Thanks to the swift response of the Ursus Guards, the riots in Chernobog will soon come to an end." A male voice echoed from a radio, playing in one of Chernobog's parks, accompanied by the steady rhythm of footsteps and the faint buzzing of drones flying overhead. "The riots have been put down in almost every district, and the situation is now stable."
The broadcast rewound, catching Ace's attention. He glanced at the radio in his hand with a knowing expression. "You've got to hand it to them, spinning fake news like that."
"Hard to believe the Ursus guards would be backed into a corner like this," Dobermann added thoughtfully. "Then again, they probably didn't expect an attack like that in the first place."
Ace nodded as he continued listening to Dobermann. "And they don't seem all that interested in actually stopping the riots either," he added, his tone laced with scepticism.
"Maybe Reunion's pulling strings behind the scenes," Ace mused. "Still, it's hard to imagine them having that much influence."
"It's not impossible, given everything going on." Dobermann's expression turned contemplative.
Dobermann turned her focus toward Amiya, who had been staring at the ground in silence. "Amiya," she called gently.
Amiya looked up, her expression conflicted, meeting Dobermann's eyes.
"I know you want to save everyone, but right now, we can't afford to get involved with anything else." Dobermann's tone was firm but understanding as she glanced back at Amiya. "I get how hard this decision is for you, but our top priority is getting the Doctor to Rhodes Island."
"I understand," Amiya replied softly, her gaze dropping to the floor, sadness evident in her eyes. She couldn't shake the thought of innocent people suffering at the hands of Reunion. Her hand instinctively moved toward her jacket pocket, reaching for the small relic that had always brought her comfort in dark times. But before she could retrieve it, Ace's voice cut through her thoughts.
"You've done well so far, Amiya. Don't lose confidence in yourself."
"Ace..." Amiya looked at him, her eyes brightening with gratitude.
"Besides, there's no need to worry too much. We just need to regroup with Scout and Nearl, then head to the exfil point."
"Right," Amiya nodded, agreeing with Ace's reassuring words. But just as they were about to continue, Doctor Aaron suddenly came to a stop.
"Doktuh?"
"What's wrong, Doc?" both Amiya and Ace asked, turning to him with concern.
"The mist... it's... strange," Doctor Aaron said quietly. Though his tone was calm, there was an underlying sense of warning that instantly put everyone on edge. They all glanced down, noticing the mist slowly creeping in around their feet.
"You're right," Amiya said, her voice tense as the fog thickened. "It's getting harder to see."
Dobermann scanned the surroundings, her eyes sharp and focused, ready for any sign of movement. "Enemy arts, perhaps?" she speculated, her tone steady but laced with caution.
The rest of the team instinctively shifted, eyes darting through the dense mist, trying to make out any shapes or threats hidden within. The growing tension hung in the air, their silent anxiety mounting as visibility decreased.
Doctor Aaron suddenly broke the silence, turning to Ace with a firm command. "Form a circle."
"Roger that," Ace responded without hesitation, immediately addressing the rest of the team. "All combatants, form a circle around the wounded while visibility is still good! Stay alert!"
Without missing a beat, everyone moved into position, quickly surrounding the injured while keeping their weapons at the ready, their eyes fixed on the ever-thickening fog. Doctor Aaron, focused, pulled out his command tablet, and pressed a button that activated the drones hovering above them. The drones began scanning the surrounding area, their sensors humming softly.
"No hostiles detected," the robotic voice chimed, its monotone calm providing little reassurance.
Doctor Aaron frowned and pressed the button again. "Status update."
Amiya's gaze shifted toward him, her ears perked in anticipation as she waited for PRTS to respond.
"Hostile drone in sight," the voice reported, its warning stark and sudden. Almost immediately, explosions echoed in the distance, drawing Amiya's attention.
"All friendly scout drones have been destroyed," the robotic voice declared, its emotionless tone clashing with the growing tension in the air. Everyone instinctively looked up, witnessing the fiery remnants of the drones as they exploded above them.
Dobermann's eyes widened as something metallic descended rapidly from the sky. "All units, under the trees! Quickly!" she shouted.
The team scrambled, darting behind the cover of nearby trees just as a combat drone swooped down, unleashing a relentless barrage of gunfire. The bullets tore through the forest floor, kicking up dirt and debris, the drone's precision unsettling.
As they crouched behind their cover, Doctor Aaron, hiding beside Amiya, voiced his thoughts, his tone calm but serious. "They're trying to intimidate us," he muttered.
Amiya turned to him, her brows furrowed, as if piecing together his statement. "Their goal was to split us up?" she questioned softly, beginning to see the strategy.
Peeking out from behind her cover, Amiya surveyed the thick fog ahead. "The fog is thick... We can't tell where anyone i—"
"AAAAAH! STOPP! LET GO!" A piercing scream suddenly shattered the moment, a woman's voice echoing through the forest. Amiya's heart leapt as she whipped her head in the direction of the sound, her expression filled with alarm.
Amiya instinctively raised her hand, her Arts beginning to channel, but she stopped short, her heart racing as she realized that in the thick fog, she might accidentally strike one of her allies.
"Amiya." A familiar voice called out, pulling her attention. She turned to see Dobermann approaching with a small group of Rhodes Island members following closely behind.
"Dobermann," Amiya acknowledged, lowering her hand but still tense from the situation.
Dobermann knelt beside her, her expression firm but reassuring. "Ace and his team are currently engaged on the other side," she explained, glancing briefly at the thick mist around them. "We don't have a full count yet, but from what I can tell, it doesn't seem like a large force."
Amiya nodded, her mind racing. "But in this fog, even a few could overwhelm us. We need to regroup with Ace quickly." She glanced around nervously, the eerie silence of the fog making the situation even more unsettling. "We can't afford to lose anyone."
Dobermann's eyes widened in alarm as she loaded the flare gun in her hand. "I'll shoot up a flare for backup," she said, her voice steady but tense.
Amiya nodded in agreement. "Then we need to find whoever's manipulating this mist."
"Right," Dobermann agreed. But just as she prepared to fire, Amiya's expression suddenly shifted, her eyes widening with fear.
"Amiya?" Dobermann asked, noticing the panic in her gaze.
"Doctor Aaron. Where is he?" Amiya's voice was tight with concern, her eyes scanning the thick fog frantically.
Dobermann's heart sank. "What? Wasn't he with you?" she asked, her voice filled with shock as she quickly began looking around, her mind racing.
Year 1096, December 23, 19 : 19 PM
Location : Unknown house rooftop
A gentle breeze swept across the crumbling rooftop of a destroyed house, stirring up bits of debris and forgotten papers scattered by the wind. Among the drifting refuse, a worn-out piece of newspaper fluttered aimlessly before landing on the face of Ronin, who lay motionless on his side. Blood spattered the floor near his mouth, dried and dark against the cracked surface.
The wind gusted again, lifting the newspaper from Ronin's face and sending it tumbling into the air. In that instant, his eye shot open. Without hesitation, he jolted up into a sitting position, his hand instinctively clutching his chest as he gasped for breath. His breath came out in uneven, ragged bursts as he struggled to regain control.
As his breathing slowed, Ronin's head gradually lowered, his gaze falling to the ruined ground beneath him. He planted his hand to his side for support, the muscles in his arm tensing from the strain.
"Rise and shine, princess." came Shinji's voice in his head, laced with sarcasm.
"Shut up," Ronin muttered with a low, irritated grunt, weariness evident in his voice. It was far too early to engage in banter, but the familiar voice in his head brought a strange sense of stability amid the chaos. Slowly, he pushed himself up, his legs shaky under the weight of exhaustion.
"Ugh... my head." Ronin's hand instinctively moved to his forehead as a sudden, sharp pain surged through his skull, forcing his eye shut and causing him to collapse back onto the ground.
"Don't force yourself, Ronin! Your body's still exhausted, you need to rest," Takeo's voice echoed in his mind, carrying a tone of calm but clear concern.
"I... I can't rest. Not right now," Ronin replied, his voice strained. He lay still for a moment, waiting for the pain to subside.
"I have to agree with Takeo on this one, Ronin. We don't know how much worse your condition has gotten," Shinji chimed in, his tone more serious than usual.
"I... I can't." Ronin's voice was more insistent now, driven by urgency. When the pain finally faded, he reopened his eye, more alert and determined. His gaze swept across the rooftop, taking in the scattered debris and swirling papers that danced in the gusts of wind, which howled through the dilapidated structure.
"This place wasn't like this when I got here," he murmured, his breaths heavy as he processed the state of disarray around him.
Slowly, he rose to his feet, steadying himself as he caught his breath. When he felt more collected, Ronin made his way to the edge of the rooftop. Peering down, he surveyed the grim remains of the battlefield below, a wasteland of debris left from the fierce clash between Reunion and Rhodes Island. Yet something caught his attention, setting off alarms in his mind.
The Reunion soldiers who had been detained earlier, bound with their hands behind their backs, were nowhere to be seen.
"The detained ones are gone." Ronin's voice was tight with realization.
"Reunion patrol must've found them and freed them," Takeo speculated, a note of concern creeping into his voice.
"Most likely," Shinji chimed in, though Ronin remained focused, his eyes scanning the area with growing urgency.
Before they could fully assess the situation, a low rumble echoed across the sky, thunder. Ronin's gaze snapped upward, locking onto the dark clouds churning overhead as the storm drew nearer. The air crackled with electricity, the ominous flash of yellow lightning illuminating the horizon.
"It seems the storm has gotten stronger and nearer while we were out of commission." Takeo's voice brought Ronin back to the present as he watched the approaching tempest, irritation flickering in his eye.
"We need to act fast, Ronin. With the storm that close, we can't waste even a minute. We need to find Amiya and her team and help them." Takeo urged, his tone laced with urgency.
"Y-Yeah... agreed," Ronin muttered, his voice shaky as a wave of dizziness hit him hard. He stumbled forward, almost crashing face-first onto the ground, but his hand shot out just in time to brace himself against the floor. His body trembled from the effort, muscles barely cooperating, and his breathing turned ragged.
"Ronin!" Takeo's voice cut through the haze, filled with urgency and concern.
The world around him blurred, twisting and distorting. He fought to stay conscious, his pulse pounding in his ears, and his vision warped as though the very air was closing in on him.
Ronin gritted his teeth, forcing himself to stand up, his arm bracing against his knee as he slowly rose to his feet and stood straight. He takes a step back, his movements are sluggish, every muscle aching under the weight of his exhaustion. He summoned flames that coiled around his fingers with trembling hand, casting a faint glow. Pressing his fiery hand to his chest, he channelled the energy inward, a desperate surge to stabilize himself. His breathing remained heavy, but the glow offered some relief, grounding him enough to stay on his feet.
YOU ARE READING
Arknights Chronicles One
Action"Wherever he stepped, the battlefield trembled at his presence. "For some, it stirred fear; for others, a thrill of excitement." "Eyes followed him, some filled with hatred, others with respect." "Warriors from every race sought to strip him of his...
