In the streets of Slavara, a group of soldiers sprinted through the shadows. Their armor clinked with every movement, weapons swaying in the air.
"Keep your eyes open!"
one of them shouted as they ran. But before another step could be taken—
BAM! BAM! BAM!
Consecutive sniper shots echoed through the distance. The group froze. Panic seized their bodies, cold sweat trickling down their backs. Without a word, they split into two squads, diving into adjacent alleys for cover.
"S-Squad Leader... we weren't informed there were any snipers… w-what are we going to d-do…"
one of the soldiers whispered, his voice trembling as much as his body.
The squad leader spun around, eyes blazing.
"Will you shut up for god's sake?!" he hissed.
"It's bad enough we've got snipers on the field, I don't want to hear another damn word!"
The group fell silent. The leader sighed, then glanced toward the other squad hiding across the alleyway. He gave a subtle hand signal: Advance slowly.
Both squads began creeping forward, bodies pressed tightly against the walls, doing their best to remain hidden. Then, just as one soldier peeked out to scout ahead—
BAM!
A bullet tore through his skull. He collapsed instantly.
The others flinched in horror, eyes wide as they watched their comrade's lifeless body hit the pavement with a sickening thud. Blood pooled around his head like a spreading shadow.
"L-Luka…"
one of them muttered, his face etched with shock and grief.
The rest stood frozen, haunted by the same paralyzing dread.
"Don't let his death rattle you," the squad leader said coldly.
"We'll all end up like him if we're not careful."
He pressed forward again. The others followed, heads bowed as they passed Luka's corpse.
"Fucking humans…"
one whispered bitterly.
Each step felt like walking toward death. The sniper shots in the distance grew louder, sharper, closer. Their crawl finally came to a halt as a massive dark wall loomed before them. They stared, stunned.
"What is this…?"
one murmured.
"This wall… it's weird…"
another added.
"Silence!"
the squad leader barked, and all chatter ceased.
He stepped toward the towering structure, his footsteps slow and heavy. Despite the strength in his posture, doubt crept across his face. He gazed upward, taking in the sheer scale of the wall.
"Just like… a pyramid…" he thought. And then, the realization hit him.
"N-no… it can't be…!"
His pace quickened as he approached. Then he stopped, and froze.
It wasn't a wall.
It was a pile of bodies.
Hundreds of them, stacked together, each shot cleanly through the chest or head. All dead. A mountain of corpses.
The other soldiers caught up and immediately recoiled in horror.
"H-How… is this possible…?"
They gripped their weapons tightly, their limbs quaking. The air grew heavier.
"No… this isn't real…"
Some of them snapped. Dropping their weapons, they bolted in panic.
"No! I can't! I don't want to die!"
they screamed, running into the open.
The squad leader turned sharply.
"You fools!!!"
But before he could say more—
BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!
All of them collapsed, a bullet cleanly piercing the back of each skull. Silence fell again, cold, absolute.
"This isn't something we can win…"
the squad leader whispered, staring at the fallen.
The remaining soldiers dropped their weapons, fear overtaking discipline. Slowly, they climbed the hill of corpses. Once at the top, they raised their hands, heads bowed.
"We surrender!!!"
the squad leader declared, his face steeled, bracing for the worst. The rest followed, silent and still.
Suddenly, a small spherical object rolled toward them.
"H-huh?!"
The squad leader's eyes widened as the ball landed at his feet. Within seconds, it burst open, releasing a cloud of purple gas.
"What is this?!"
the soldiers cried, clutching their mouths and noses in panic.
The gas engulfed them, and one by one, they dropped to the ground.
"I… I can't see…"
the squad leader choked out, his vision dimming.
"This… is…"
He collapsed mid-sentence.
The smoke cleared, revealing a rooftop high above.
"Thank you... for surrendering,"
muttered Ruya, crouched on the ledge, rifle in hand. His gaze stayed locked on the scope as he tracked and eliminated more enemy soldiers.
KILL COUNT: 9,346