Destined For Doom

Chapter 12 - Strategy

-12-

-Strategy-

Koyane walked calmly through the concrete hallway. Nearly seventy years had passed since he had last been in Harbin, but his facility had remained relatively unchanged. This had been his research base during the Second World War, a staging ground for the most ambitious experiment of all time. His special operations team, Unit 731, had officially been known as the Epidemic Prevention and Water Purification Department. Unofficially, it was a covert research team dedicated to experimenting with chemical and biological agents to be used in warfare. Even more unofficially, it was the focus of Koyane's attention for the better part of ten years.

He had personally overseen the experiments; the dissections performed on tens of thousands of prisoners entrusted to his care by the Japanese military. In the space of a few short years his understanding of magic was changed fundamentally, but the ultimate goal still eluded him. Nearly none of the prisoners survived the experiments, but these were acceptable losses in the grand scheme of things. They would have almost definitely done nothing truly meaningful with their lives anyway; at least they ended up serving a greater purpose in the end.

One of the lower ranking security guards approached him, a man that would usually answer to Jun. With his acolyte occupied with the situation in Japan, this menial task had to be taken up personally. It was mind-numbing to say the least.

"Sir, the facility is almost ready for occupation." The guard bowed lowly, "If you would like, we could arrange for test subjects to be brought by nightfall."

"I am not here for experimentation."

"You aren't?"

"No, and I would advise you to remember your place. Asking too many questions never ends well for people of your pay-grade."

"Of course," he hastily apologised. "I'm sorry sir, I didn't mean to pry."

"Save your grovelling for someone who will reward you. If you want my appreciation, give me results."

"Yes sir."

"Good. Set up defences on all sides of the facility and watch the ventilation shafts around the clock. Nobody gets into this building without my knowledge, am I clear?"

The guard nodded. "Yes sir, absolutely. What kind of attack are we expecting? I'll need to know, so I can tell the guardsmen."

"At the moment, that is unclear. We must be prepared for all eventualities. Hiro is in your company, yes?"

"Y... Yes sir, he was most pleased to hear of your arrival."

"Good. I will take him as my personal guard for the duration of my stay, I'm sure your men can manage without him for a few days. Send him to me at once, we have much to discuss."

"Of course, sir."

The old man nodded firmly. Hiro Ito was older brother of Moriko, the monster hunter currently in Koyane's employ. Among other things, he was a master of the Chinese Quandao spear. Koyane had personally overseen his tutelage as a favour to the Ito family. While the boy had taken a different path to his monster hunting sister, he was still quite an accomplished killer. Currently, he held a key place on the team of mercenaries hired to defend this building.

To be honest, common mercenary work was a waste of Hiro's natural talent. His skill with his weapon of choice went almost unrivalled, and he had even been considered to be Koyane's acolyte at one stage. That was, before Jun was discovered. Still, in the absence of his present acolyte Hiro would make a suitable replacement.