章 65: Gone Without a Trace
In the midst of the chaos, Dialla, fueled by rage, issued a brutal order to his troops; to kill anyone in sight, regardless of their identity. This command unleashed a horrifying massacre, and the once lively center north of the slum was now engulfed in a wave of brutality. The anguished cries of innocent lives echoed through the narrow alleys, creating an atmosphere of terror that hung heavily in the air.
As the wails of despair reverberated, Carmella's legs gave way beneath her, and she collapsed to the ground. In a desperate attempt to shut out the haunting sounds, she instinctively covered her ears, her eyes wide with panic. The overwhelming fear paralyzed her, rendering her speechless and disoriented.
"Hang on, Carmella! Let me help you! Put your hand on my shoulder!" Vermilion rushed to Carmella's side, offering support amid the chaos.
"De...a...th... Sc...re...ams..." Carmella muttered, her words trembling with the weight of the unfolding tragedy.
"Oh dear... She seems to have lost consciousness... What do I do now? The explosions are tearing this place apart..." Vermilion surveyed the chaotic scene with a sense of helplessness.
"Tear...ing... do...wn..."
Vermilion grappled with the decision of whether to retreat to the east entrance or search for Ayukawa and the kitty still in their house. The internal struggle played out in her mind as she contemplated the safety of those she cared about.
"Ms. Yeleona!!? Carmella?!!!" A voice pierced through the dark alley, reaching Vermilion's ears.
"Who is calling me...? Oh! Rosseaulyn!!"
"Oh gosh! It's really you two!! What the hell are you two doing here?! I remember I have you two staying at my house!" Rosseaulyn exclaimed, a mix of anger and concern etched on her face.
"I'm sorry! I'm really worried about Ayukawa and the kitty! Carmella also told me she has something really important to retrieve from our house!"
"Even more important than your own lives?!"
"Well... I guess, yes..."
"Sighed... Whatever, just get the hell out of here! The crazy Dialla has gone on a rampage in the residents here! I didn't even manage to evacuate the people yet..."
"Rosseaulyn, how about you help me take care of Carmella first?! I will head back to the house just to take a look and make sure Ayukawa and the kitty have escaped!"
"Are you out... Alright, I understand. Just ten minutes! You must get back to us in ten minutes! I will keep leading the people behind me to the east entrance! Make sure you catch up with us!"
"I got it! I promise!"
"Alright! Hand Carmella over to me! This poor girl has never seen a real war in front of her eyes before. I guess she's just totally freaked out."
"I see..."
"Make sure you know your way back..."
"Yes, I do know!"
Vermilion hurriedly split from Carmella and made her way back to their house on her own. Upon entering the building, soldiers had already arrived on the street, firing shells at the residents and demolishing houses and buildings with their tanks.
"They're here already! I must hurry up! Password… And key…"
Vermilion entered her house, attempting to turn on the lights, but it seemed the power was out of order. She called out for Ayukawa and the kitty, but there was no response.
'As I thought, they've escaped. Oh crap… I forgot to ask Carmella what the thing is she wants to take…'
While Vermilion pondered, a massive blast from a tank destroyed the building right opposite hers. Rushing to the window, she witnessed a tank aiming directly at her window. A shell was fired, brightening her dark room as it approached. Startled for a moment, Vermilion was about to react when the shell hit her unit directly, causing a huge explosion.
"Yeah! That will be the last one! Cleaning done!" A soldier inside the tank declared.
"Hmm… Strange…" Another soldier added.
"Strange? What's strange?"
"The whole building was completely gone… Is our tank that powerful? Look at the other buildings… Some got destroyed to rubble, but some still stood still. And look at this one again… It was completely destroyed, not even a tiny piece could be seen…"
"I guess it's just because the building is too old and dilapidated. Our tank is strong enough to blast it into dust."
"Perhaps…"
"Captain Dialla has ordered to move to the next point! Keep moving!"
"Got it!"
After hearing the explosion very close to Rosseaulyn, she looked back and immediately took a U-turn to check on Vermilion. When she arrived at the scene, the soldiers had already left, and so had the entire building. She clenched her fist tightly, her face filled with a rage that nobody had seen before.
"No… This shouldn't happen… Dialla… Dialla… DIALLA!"
She returned to Carmella and the other survivors, continuing to guide them to the east entrance. After a short while, they reached the east entrance, and the survivors bid their grateful farewells before boarding the bus and leaving. Carmella, who had finally regained her calmness and consciousness, had no idea what had happened.
"Where am I?! Rosse?! Where's Vermilion?"
"She returned to the house earlier, I guess… I guess she's on her way back."
"Oh no… I worry she's not good at memorizing those alleys… She will get lost! I'm going to…"
Rosseaulyn interrupted, "I'm going! I will find her and return to you safely!"
"Alright! I count on you!"
"Rest assured! Anyway, could you stay here and assist the medics in treating the wounded ones?"
"Yeah sure! I will do anything I can! Are you the one who saved all of them?"
"No… Not all… Only half of them… The police are the ones who saved them… I didn't do much after all. I will look for her right now! Don't go inside the slum anymore!"
"I got it! I got it!"
Rosseaulyn gave a smile to Carmella and walked away. She used the walkie-talkie to check on the current assault location from Dialla, "Where's Dialla and his cursed troops right now?!"
"Lieutenant, they were heading to the center south of the slum! Most of our men are still evacuating the people over there!"
"Yeah, better hurry up! Forget about the center north part; it just turned into hell a few minutes ago."
"Oh damn… They suddenly advanced faster than we expected."
"One more thing, they haven't even truly clashed with the attackers so far. It seems like the attackers are playing mind games with them."
"Why is it?"
"Not sure, I could only tell that the real battle hasn't started yet. Be ready at any time to retreat."
"Got it! How about you? Where are you right now?"
"I'm heading to the center south too. You guys keep doing your job while I have another job to do… Don't mind about me."
"Yes Ma'am…"
Rosseaulyn walked in a fast pace and entered the center south of the slum. She was walking on the main street while her eyes were still full of rage. As she continued her walk, she happened to encounter a group of people who were carrying the ballistic shield, and a very skinny-looking man was behind them.
"Leader! There's a monstrously tall woman standing right in front of us… Ah! She's wearing the military uniform!" One of the assassin's followers said.
"Monstrously tall??? How monstrous is that? I see… Wow! Taller than me for sure! Hahahahaha!!" The assassin exclaimed.
"Why is she… standing there and staring at us so fiercely?! Even I can barely feel the angry atmosphere surrounding her…"
"Watch out! She took out her pistol already!" Another follower added.
"Take cover!"
"Hmm?! That's not a pistol! It's a…!!!" The assassin said.
Rosseaulyn fired her M79 Sawed Off that hit directly on the shield, causing an explosion and aftershock that sent all of them flying away. The shield was completely shattered, and the wielder had a broken arm. The assassin wasn't harmed by the blast as he reacted fast.
Rosseaulyn, once again, pointed her M79 Sawed Off at the assassin from a distance. The assassin, aware that he had no chance against her from afar, stood still, closely monitoring Rosseaulyn's every move.
"Not only is her height monstrous, but as a human too… Truly terrifying! Hahahahaha!!"
"You there! The laughing one… You are the one who's behind all of this chaos, am I right?" Rosseaulyn asked seriously.
"You are right that I'm the one behind all of this but not chaos; I call it the art of retribution! Hahahahaha."
"Whatever… Just release the daughter of the President, and then I will end your life."
"Whoa! Who are you exactly, lady? You're not one of them, aren't you?"
"I don't belong to any party."
"Then why are you wearing a military uniform then?"
"None of your business!"
"So harsh! You look like you've known me for a long time. Have we met before? Or is there some friction between me and you?"
"Yeah, a few."
"But why can't I recall anything about it? Mind telling me?"
"You messed with the military HQ. Second, you messed with Captain Raynolds. Third, you messed with the lives of the people here. Fourth, you killed my beloved comrade…"
"Wait a minute… I truly concern about the fourth reason… I've killed your beloved comrade!? I'm not hearing anything wrong, am I? Comrade?! Are you sure about that? I think the soldiers that I killed so far are all Dialla's men.
"Yeah, you killed her just now. She's not a soldier anyway."
"Woahoa! Must be a mistake! I never ever kill any innocent people, and I have not even harmed any dear lady in my entire life except for a violet-haired monster! I could tell the violet-haired monster is definitely not your beloved comrade and she is still alive! Show me the evidence that I've killed your beloved comrade!"
"She got blasted to the heavens by the tank just now. You're the one who started all of this! You're the one to blame for this!!"
"Lady, this is too ridiculous… After I heard all the reasons that you want to kill me, I truly think it's ridiculous… All of these four reasons are because of Dialla! Not me! You should find him! I bet you should have known who he is, right?"
"As I said, he's the one who did it, but you are the one who started all of it…"
"No! I strongly disagree with the way you think! By the way, you mentioned Captain Raynolds… Is he the one who has a pair of blue eyes?"
"Yeah! The one who beat your ass in our HQ."
"Hahahahaha!! I heard that he is a well-respected soldier here! You are one of the admirers too? I guess yes."
"When will you stop running your mouth? Show me where is the daughter of the President now!"
"I know something you sure will be very interested in! I saw how Captain Raynolds was killed on that night in Nisaeria…"
"Pardon? What the hell did you just say?!"
"I saw how he died… And I know who killed him!"
"Don't try to nonsense around…"
"I'm not. I was actually even thinking to help him that night! But I can't fight all the soldiers, you know? At least I managed to blind an eye of Dialla."
"Then tell me who is the killer! Tell me everything on that night! Although I already know who it could be..."
"Hahahahaha!! So, you are interested to hear more about this… Listen well, I…" The assassin turned around and ran away.
"Stop right there! Don't try to escape from me!"
"I'm not escaping! Come and chase me!! Hahahahaha!!"
"I'm chasing right behind you! You will regret for provoking me!"
"I'm not provoking! I really want you to chase behind me! Hahahahaha!!"
The assassin kept running while Rosseaulyn was chasing tightly after him until the assassin stopped in front of a building. He looked at Rosseaulyn and gestured for her to follow him inside.
"Don't get me wrong, lady! I just want to show you where the baby girl of the President is!"
"You kidnapped and kept her inside here?! Or are you trying to trick me?!"
"Hold on! Hold on! I never kidnapped her! She voluntarily stays here by herself! I never force her! I even treat her as an important guest!"
"How could I believe a single word from a maniac?"
"Ah, here it is! Just wait here! I'll show you!"
"Go ahead!"
"Just watch yourself!"
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