Ch.448Episode 17 – The Blood-Drinking Tree

“…According to information provided by the Inquisition, the group that stole the Saint’s blood has been identified as a cult organization called ‘Al Khair.'”

The bluish lighting washes over the screen, and indigo light seeps through the cracks in the wall.

Curly handwriting dances across the white background. The moment I press the button, photos appear beneath the religious group’s symbol.

I pointed to the building in the photo.

“The Al Khair members are currently believed to be staying on Ash Tree Street in Necropolis. As you can see, there are two three-story buildings here, which are the houses where they’re residing.”

“……”

“For convenience, we’ve designated them as Building A and Building B, with eight people living in them. Surveillance has confirmed individuals matching the description of the suspects who infiltrated the refugee camp.”

Photos captured by the camp’s surveillance equipment and reconnaissance photos taken by Kher appeared simultaneously. Men with tanned skin, locals. The Templar soldiers stared intently at those photos.

After displaying photos and blueprints of Buildings A and B, I looked around the audience with a serious expression. Then I explained to the Templar Knights and the operation team.

“The operation will commence at midnight tonight. Since the eve of the ‘Walpurgisnacht’ festival will begin in the evening, we estimate that many residents near the houses will leave for the festival streets, but not all residents will participate.”

“Therefore, you need to be extremely cautious not only when approaching the target location but also while carrying out the operation inside the buildings. The longer it takes, the greater the risk becomes.”

“While you subdue the cultists and search the buildings, our team members will be positioned on the perimeter to support you.”

I added several pieces of information that the Templar Knights needed to know.

The fact that illegal firearms had flooded into Necropolis due to the civil war, that the cultists only use the front door and keep the back door locked, the existence of a basement discovered by pressuring the architect who designed the building, and so on.

“I haven’t been able to determine the purpose of the basement, but I believe there’s a high probability that the blood packs are there. The materials I’m about to distribute contain personal information on the group that infiltrated the refugee camp. Memorize them thoroughly, and if you encounter any of these individuals on site, eliminate them immediately.”

“Now I’ll explain the operation. The target area consists of Buildings A and B. I’ll take Building A, and Ismail will take Building B. After subduing the cultists inside, we’ll conduct SSE to secure information and the holy blood…”

Ibrahim, who was in command, took over and began explaining the plan.

As his explanation was coming to an end.

One of the Templar Knights quietly raised his hand.

“Are there civilians other than cultists inside the buildings?”

I shrugged my shoulders as I leaned against the wall.

“There were people coming and going from the buildings while we were questioning neighbors and conducting surveillance. However, we couldn’t confirm whether they were members of ‘Al Khair’ or family members of the cult group.”

“Then what are the rules of engagement?”

Ibrahim began to glance at me.

Matt, who was sitting in the corner changing into his military uniform, also looked at me.

“……”

Rules of engagement, huh.

Well, is there really a need to worry about that?

I took out a cigarette and bluntly said:

“…Do whatever you want. You can shoot anything that moves.”

After all, if things go south, you’ll have no choice but to shoot everything anyway.

Even if you don’t want to, that is.

Episode 17 – The Tree That Drinks Blood

Thud! The sensation of dust-mixed stone powder hitting my uniform was vivid. The scattered powder sprayed all over my body like water being poured.

The soldiers moved before the shock of the explosion had even subsided. As the soldier who kicked down the gate stepped back, the pointman shouldered his weapon.

“Entering.”

The soldier in position one crossed the doorway. As his rattling equipment was about to disappear to the right, another soldier waiting by the stone wall opposite entered from the left.

Two more Templar Knights followed through the front gate. The soldiers who flowed into the courtyard like water secured the perimeter, and shortly after, they sent a radio message.

-‘Courtyard secured.’

Ibrahim briefly patted the shoulder of the soldier in front of him. Receiving the signal, the soldier pressed his weapon close to his body and quickly crossed the gate.

Twelve soldiers entered the courtyard in the blink of an eye. With each soldier crossing the threshold, they spread out, gradually taking control of the courtyard.

I entered the courtyard last, along with the rear security.

After confirming that all soldiers had joined, Ibrahim issued orders through the radio network.

“Move to the buildings. Gregory-6 will take Building A, Gregory-7 will take Building B.”

The 92541st Unit of the Templar Knights. The deputy commander of the Jutland Knights began to move, leading five soldiers. They were the team assigned to Building B.

While four soldiers secured the courtyard and buildings, the soldier responsible for breaching approached Building A.

“……”

After quickly examining the door to determine its material, the soldier reported into his radio.

“Building A entrance. Wooden. Will use explosives.”

“Covering you.”

Two soldiers who had been securing the perimeter approached Building A. While laser sights visible only through night vision goggles targeted the first-floor windows, the crouching soldier retrieved explosives secured to his gear with rubber bands.

Shhrrip…. The transparent paper covering the adhesive fell away, and the breaching explosive stuck firmly to the handle.

After securely fixing the explosive to prevent it from falling off, the soldier took the detonator and carefully backed away.

“……”

Looking at the tightly closed front door of Building A, I thought:

The explosive sound had already rung out clearly when we breached the main gate. There’s no way they didn’t hear that loud noise.

Therefore.

“…Detonating. Three, two,”

We need to move as quickly as possible.

“One.”

Click, the sound of the detonator being pressed was heard briefly. An explosion occurred at the lock, and the front door began to shake.

At that moment, a scream came from inside the entrance.

The Templar Knights who rushed in with their weapons discovered a man crawling on the floor. After securing the corner, a soldier grabbed the man with a rough hand, lifted him up, and pushed him against the wall.

I stepped lightly over the debris left by the explosion and approached the man. The soldier quickly removed his night vision goggles and shined a light on the local’s face.

Opening the map pouch wrapped around my wrist, I confirmed the man’s identity.

A face that matched exactly with the person in the photo.

After examining his face, I pressed my rifle against his abdomen and fired.

– ̶ ̶ ̶ ̶ ̶ ̶ ̶ !!

Ibrahim, who was crossing the entrance, witnessed the scene.

“……”

He briefly exchanged glances with me, and then.

“One cultist eliminated. I repeat. One member of ‘Al Khair’ has been eliminated.”

He reported the situation over the radio.

Four soldiers completed their search of the first floor and gathered in the hallway. Ibrahim stood next to the stairs with his subordinate, and I quietly joined him.

A hand carefully placed on Ibrahim’s shoulder.

Receiving the signal, he spoke in a low voice.

“We’re going up to the second floor.”

*

We entered the building where the cultists were residing.

One subject encountered on the first floor. One of the cult members captured on the camp’s surveillance equipment.

“What was that just now?”

“…A cultist has been killed.”

Matt answered the intelligence officer’s question.

With his Kiyen rifle slung around his neck, Matt surveyed the city streets with calm eyes. Beyond the shimmering translucent veil, the quiet street came into view.

The intelligence officer, checking the veil with a magical instrument, reported:

“Based on the remaining amount of divine power, the veil will last for a maximum of 60 minutes, minimum of 50 minutes.”

Matt nodded and picked up his radio.

“We have 60 minutes at most. We need to finish and get out within 50 minutes at least. The veil won’t hold beyond that.”

Ibrahim responded to the voice coming through the commander’s radio channel:

“Understood. Watch our backs.”

Ibrahim’s five-person team was ready to ascend to the second floor. The soldier responsible for rear security remained on the first floor, monitoring potential threats that might be waiting in the basement.

The interior of the building was pitch black, but the soldiers wearing night vision goggles easily found the stairs.

-Creeak.

A small creaking sound was heard each time combat boots stepped on the stairs. It was a small yet disturbingly explicit sound.

The pointman who climbed the stairs stood there, surveying the corridor. A corridor that split in two directions from the central staircase. It was exactly as shown in the blueprints.

Going out into the corridor, there would be two doors on each side, for a total of four doors. Four rooms on one corridor, four on the other. A total of eight rooms existed on the second floor.

“Entering.”

The pointman waiting on the last step whispered.

He immediately went up to the second floor, and the soldier waiting right behind him went to the opposite corridor. Thus, the five Templar Knights and one intelligence officer took positions on the second floor of Building A.

The moment Ibrahim’s order came down, the soldiers began clearing the rooms. While one soldier guarded the corridor, two soldiers opened a door and entered the room, quickly confirming it was empty before returning to the corridor and advancing to the next door.

At that moment, the soldiers who had secured the third room on the left corridor discovered something. The door across the corridor was slightly ajar.

A soldier sent a hand signal and carefully pressed against the wall to touch the doorknob. The door yielded to even the slightest pressure, with no resistance felt. After confirming this, the soldier kicked the door open forcefully and entered with his light on.

– ̶ ̶ ̶ ̶ !! ̶ ̶ ̶ ̶ !!

Two gunshots shook the bedroom.

The soldier pulled the trigger, and the target hit by the bullets fell behind a chair. The soldiers who had been moving slowly through the rooms quickly entered the corridor. The soldiers who rushed into the bedroom checked the corners, and after securing safety, the soldier who had just taken down the subject fired a couple more shots into the chest of the fallen cultist.

“What happened?”

Ibrahim, who was searching the third room on the right corridor, spoke up. The soldier who confirmed the subject was no longer moving pressed his radio and answered:

-‘One subject eliminated in the left compartment.’

“Confirm identity later.”

-‘Understood.’

After completing his search, Ibrahim came out into the corridor. A soldier watching a tightly closed door signaled that ‘the door is locked.’

After a moment of thought, he issued a new order. The soldier moved his weapon aside, took out a shotgun, and pressed it against the lock.

-BANG! BANG!

With a clean explosive sound, the door was shredded. After destroying the lock, the soldier stepped back and kicked the door, and Frederick, who had been waiting with his muzzle raised, entered the room.

A man came into Ibrahim’s view as he followed the intelligence officer through the doorway. Seemingly just awakened from sleep, the man in pajamas was startled by the intruders and reached for the wall.

At that moment, the clear outline of a firearm hanging on the wall was distinctly visible through the night vision goggles.

Ibrahim pulled the trigger toward the man reaching for the gun. Frederick also fired at the bed. The bullets crossed in mid-air and hit different targets.

After confirming the man had fallen, Ibrahim turned his head toward the bed.

A woman, presumably the man’s wife, was rolling off the wooden furniture common in the Mauritanian continent.

Frederick spoke:

“Two subjects eliminated in the fourth compartment on the right corridor. Firearms confirmed. Everyone be cautious.”

The intelligence officer, after releasing the radio, began walking briskly. Toward the bed.

Frederick, stepping over the wife’s body, removed the rifle from the wall. After removing the magazine and pulling the bolt to eject any remaining ammunition, he threw both the rifle and ammunition out the window.

The intelligence officer, who had lowered the window, looked at the Templar commander.

“Three down, five to go.”

“…Let’s go.”

Frederick picked up his rifle and left the room.

*

The world seen through night vision goggles was a tiringly drab green.

Several laser beams scanning windows and balconies, soldiers occasionally passing by windows, and the sight of muzzles flashing when doors opened were all clearly visible.

Building A had been secured up to the second floor, and Building B was about halfway through its second-floor search. Given that Building B was much larger than Building A, this wasn’t particularly unusual.

However, a problem arose.

-Ratatatatata!! Ratatata!!

Just as they were about to exit a room and enter the corridor, terrifying gunfire swept past. The soldier about to leave the room instantly shrank back, and his comrade following behind grabbed and pulled him back.

The direction from which the bullets came was the far end of the second-floor corridor, where stairs led to the third floor.

-Bang!! Bang! Ratatatatang!! Bang! Bang!

The loud gunfire continued. Recognizing the firefight, a soldier picked up a mirror scattered on a dressing table and used it to check the end of the corridor.

Flash, flash. The clear muzzle flashes reflected in the glass. After tilting the mirror this way and that to assess the situation in the corridor, the Templar Knight called for help on his radio.

“Building B, cultist at the end of the second-floor corridor. He’s holding position in front of the stairs to the third floor. Can anyone provide fire support?”

As soon as he released the button, noise flowed through, followed by a thin, cat-like voice from the radio.

-‘Which direction?’

“North.”

-‘Can’t see any windows.’

Wait a moment.

The soldier lowered his radio and began to visualize the corridor’s structure in his mind.

The corridor was a long straight line. Like a highway, it was wide open, so if the windows were cleared, it would be clearly visible from outside.

“Cover me!”

While his comrade leaned out from the doorframe to provide suppressive fire, the soldier who surveyed the corridor found a window.

The soldier who jumped into the bullet-ridden corridor raised his rifle and began smashing the glass. He forcefully pierced the window and then swung his weapon to shatter the remaining pieces.

Amidst the flying fragments, the soldier who broke the window hurriedly dove back into the room and shouted:

“Now!”

And then,

The green world seen through night vision goggles.

As the green light from the night vision equipment flowed in,

A long barrel and scope mounted on a waterproof gun bag and ballistic helmet,

The clear image of the second-floor corridor formed in the lens.

“…Meow.”

Kher, lying prone on the building’s roof, pulled the trigger.

A dull impact like being hit with a hammer struck the shoulder. A sharp noise piercing sensitive ears.

As a tiny object streaked across the falling glass, something burst with a thud! and the gunfire abruptly ceased.

The beastkin confirmed through the scope that a human figure had fallen. Only then did Kher release the trigger and whisper into the radio:

“Target neutralized, nya.”

The Templar Knights heard the radio message and emerged into the corridor of Building B. The soldier who had broken the window did the same.

After confirming the cultist collapsed at the end of the corridor, he turned and waved his hand toward the window.

*

A soldier stands at the top of what appears to be three or four steps.

The soldier who climbed the stairs was securing the area above. It was the landing leading to the third floor.

A person lay collapsed at the point where the stairs met the corridor, and thick streams of blood flowed down along the varying heights of the steps. The bright red blood pouring from the corpse spread outward, expanding its territory.

“……”

Looking back, I saw the soldiers stretched out in a line. Four soldiers, including Ibrahim, were waiting with their weapons.

My eyes met with the PT who had moved to the middle. The PT, feeling the pressure and fatigue from searching the first and second floors, had switched positions with a comrade on the commander’s orders.

At that moment, another team’s voice came through the common channel. News that Building B had been secured up to the second floor.

The Templar Knights’ radio transmissions were contained by their headsets. Matt’s voice was heard just as the blood soaking the floor began to pour down the stairs.

-‘…16 minutes have passed. The street is quiet, but I think it would be best to hurry as much as possible.’

Frederick looked forward again. And he lowered his muzzle, which had been pointing at the ceiling.

Both Buildings A and B had secured their second floors.

Now what remained was,

The final third floor.

Frederick carefully placed his hand on the PT’s shoulder. It was a signal that everyone was ready.

“…Entering.”

With a creaking sound, the pointman moved forward.

The soldiers lined up in a row began to ascend the stairs one by one, treading lightly on the steps.