Capítulo 6: Side B: Ward 14

In Ward 14 of Porte,

Amid the rows of usual cast-iron buildings and busy streets, an odd dilapidated building stood out like a beacon of mystery.

Wrapped in a shroud of translucent white plastic and cautionary tape, printed on it was cautionary black text reading:

"DO NOT ENTER /// CAGE SIGHTED WITHIN THE VICINITY"

It exuded an air of foreboding that drew the curiously worried gazes of passersby

At its entrance, a formidable presence loomed. Clad in dark tactical gear, two soldiers stood guard, their vigilant eyes scanning the surroundings with unwavering focus.

Their very presence spoke of authority and resolve, hinting at the secrets concealed within the building.

Whispers circulated among the city dwellers, speculating on the nature of the cage within the structure and the reason behind the delayed closure of this anomalous instance.

"What rank was the entity in the cage again?"

"I think it was Echidna ranked"

"Dumbass, only Devil Minors can make cages"

" ~Where are the Magus?"

The incessant whispers guided Holtow toward his destination, weaving through the labyrinth of streets in the ward.

This territory was uncharted for him; ordinarily, he was confined to two of his designated zones. However, today was different.

The entity within this building's walls grew stronger than expected, necessitating a call for reinforcements from nearby Closers.

This sudden mission was brought up during his psych evaluation, Originally this was supposed to be given to Elise but he intercepted the request for her, noticing her unusually grim expression after their last mission, and for other certain reasons.

As Holtow navigated through the throngs of curious onlookers, he cut through the crowd like a ship cleaving through turbulent waters.

With practiced ease, he excused himself, his focus unwavering despite the concerned gazes trailing his path.

Upon reaching the building's entrance, he was met with the menacing barrels of guard rifles, their vigilant eyes fixed upon him.

"STAND BACK!"

Barked one of the guards, the authority in his voice matched only by the readiness of his weapon.

Sensing the tension, Holtow moved swiftly to defuse the situation.

"Wait, wait, wait—don't shoot! I'm the closer you hired from Black Water Company. May I retrieve my identification card?"

His voice was steady, a calm amidst the storm of apprehension.

The guards exchanged wary glances, silent communication passing between them before one reluctantly nodded.

"Pull it out... slowly," he commanded, his tone tinged with suspicion.

Nodding in compliance, Holtow reached into the depths of his jacket pocket, retrieving the sleek black ID card, handing it over to the guard.

The guard's attention lingered on the card for a moment before his demeanor softened, a flicker of recognition crossing his features.

"Let him in," he finally conceded, the tension in the air dissipating with his words.

Inside the building, a flurry of activity unfolded as personnel manned computers and delicately calibrated equipment.

Sage green wallpaper peeled from the walls, mixed with dust and mold that lingered in the stale air.

The building, once an apartment, now bore the scars of neglect, its wooden floors groaning with every step.

Amidst the chaos, a figure approached Holtow, his eyes tinged with an ominous red glow. Clad in a sleek black military uniform adorned with insignia denoting rank, he cut a commanding figure, his presence demanding respect. With a crisp salute, he introduced himself as Lieutenant Markus, the head of the operation.

"I am Lieutenant Markus, the current head of this operation. You are the Closer from Blackwater, I presume?" His voice resonated with authority and urgency.

Returning the salute, Holtow affirmed his identity.

"Affirmative, Lieutenant. My callsign is Holtow, and I am substituting for the original request, Ms. Lambert."

Markus's eyes had a sliver of disdain as he gazed at Holtow.

"We cannot waste any more time," Markus declared solemnly. "Theo will give you the rundown as you approach the armory."

A burly man, armed to the teeth with military gear, stepped forward to guide Holtow. As they ascended the creaking wooden stairs, Theo began to relay crucial information.

"At 1500 yesterday, a resident discovered this cage," Theo explained, his voice grave. "Authorities were notified, and a strike team was dispatched. However, all communication was lost with them at 1900. We suspect they are deceased."

Reaching the second floor, they stopped before a weathered blue door, barely clinging to its hinges. The number "505¹" hung.

"The strike team reported encountering pitch-black darkness upon entering the cage," Theo continued.

"Night vision goggles were ineffective against the entity's ability."

"Which is?" Holtow inquired, his brow furrowing in concern.

"It's invisible," Theo replied matter-of-factly.

"But entities don't emit heat signals." Holtow's confusion was evident before he tried to continue another sentence.

"Wait night vision? wouldnt tha-"

"That's why you're here." Theo's stern gaze bore into Holtow as he cut him off

Pushing open the door, Theo revealed a room brimming with artillery, the ominous blue hums of Daimon devices echoing in the air.

Powered by Seraphite crystals that emit high levels of energy, Daimon devices can protect an individual from damage by creating a force field around the user to deflect a certain amount of incoming damage.

"Your job is to act as a decoy with specialized auditory frequency devices to break its camouflage," Theo explained seriously.

"In English please?" Holtow requested, seeking clarity.

"You'll use loud noises to make it not invisible…" Theo simplified.

"Okay," Holtow nodded.

"You will need to place the devices on one of two points inside the cage. After that, it will be an easy kill for the Magus" Theo added.

"Sounds simple enough. But before I place that device you're telling me to… how will I fight back? Those things are more aggressive than heroin-addicted teenagers," Holtow quipped.

Theo shot him a glare, but ignored the out of pocket comment.

Instead, he reached for a glove device with a screen affixed to it.

"This is a Zeigen, a sonar device used for detecting entities."

Holtow eyed the device skeptically. "A sonar device for entities? That sounds very practical and very safe. They will not see me coming at all… no," he remarked ironically, punctuating his statement with an exaggerated thumbs-up.

Theo sighed in exasperation, clicking his tongue in irritation. "Damn mercenary… So, are you gonna do this or not?"

Holtow met Theo's gaze, his eyes sparking with frenzied excitement his mouth, concealed beneath the mask, inches toward a subtle yet manic smile.

"Is that even a question? This operation sounds fun. I'm in."

"Damn psycho. Guess the rumors of the Black Water mercs being crazy were real. Well, don't have to feel bad then..." Theo thought to himself distraught of Holtow's behavior.

"So, am I going in solo?" Holtow inquired.

"Of course not. you'll be with two Magus and the other Closer we hired,"

Theo assured, gesturing towards a woman with striking blue hair and dark black eyes. She sat silently, checking the ammunition of her gun, lost in her thoughts.

"Well, I would talk to her, but she doesn't understand anything we're saying right now," Theo observed her further.

"What do you mean?" Holtow asked, puzzled.

"여보," the woman muttered under her breath.

"Oh," Holtow nodded in understanding.

"Her callsign is Gwisin. I'll give you five minutes to prep before entering. Good luck," Theo concluded, his voice tinged with a sense of urgency as he left the room.

As Holtow geared up, memories of his recent exchange with his "therapist" swirled in his mind.

"I don't understand why you try to act like them," his therapist's cold voice sliced through the air.

His eyes, a piercing shade of ice blue, while his hair, as white as freshly fallen snow, framed his stoic expression.

"I wasn't aware therapists these days took cues from the voices in my head," Holtow retorted wryly.

"It's not as if it's your burden to bear the way things have turned out... Why do you continue to strive so hard to-"

"If that's all you have to say, I'm out," Holtow interrupted abruptly, his patience wearing thin.

"..." the therapist fell silent momentarily, before continuing, "No, there's a mission, ranked C."

"C-rank? On the same day? Are the higher-ups sending us off to die? Damn, just hand me my shotgun-"

"Vance" the therapist's interruption was sharp, his tone tolerating any argument.

"..." Holtow's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Don't call me that."

The therapist sighed his expression a mixture of frustration and resignation.

"I really don't understand you."

"So, what's the mission about?" Holtow inquired, his curiosity piqued.

"It's not for you; it's for... your team member."

"James? He's practically useless after the last one; fuckers traumatized I doubt he's fit for duty."

"No... Elise" the therapist revealed.

"Elise? Why her?"

"Good question. It's highly unusual for the company to assign an F-rank Closer to a C-rank Cage. When I spoke with the adviser, he was clearly evading the question. Something isn't adding up here."

"If the company can kill quitting members, they can easily throw some fodder into some suicide mission. Just another day at the office if you ask me" Holtow remarked bitterly.

"...I suppose so, but this feels different."

"Oh yeah? How so?" Holtow sat down on the couch looking unamused he stared at the ceiling

"The contractor, Lieutenant Markus, is suspected of having ties to the Anomaly Cult."

"The Anomaly Cult?" Holtow pondered in silence before replying. "Uh….what's that?"

"They're a group of extremists who target Magus royalty and attempt to destabilize entire sectors."

Holtow lurched his head back looking towards the therapist

"So, what? Are you suggesting she's some cute lost princess who magically ended up working for some shady company or something? Shit if you were this creative you might as well become a writer"

"I can't say for certain, but we can't afford to risk her taking on this mission. If an entity were to consume royal flesh, this city would be another crater."

Holtow sighed heavily. "Is this where you tell me I'm the one who has to step in?"

"Here are the mission details."

"Son of a bitch," Holtow cursed under his breath. "How do you plan to wiggle yourself out of this with the advisors?"

"I have my methods," the therapist replied cryptically, his expression grave. "If the cult is involved, it spells nothing but trouble... heh, Isn't this what you wanted to do anyway? To protect people? How ironic," he sneered at Holtow.

"What ward is the mission in?"

"Ward 14."

As Holtow snapped back to reality, he stood stood steadfast before an ominous wooden door with Gwisin, equipped with heavy armor and armed with their Daimon and Zeigen devices they held their rifles high, on their waists were the specialized devices to be placed in the mission. Their poses grew tense, priming for action.

In stark contrast, two figures in the most casual civilian attire stood beside them. One, with maroon eyes, sported athletic shorts and a crisp white sleeveless shirt. The other, with green eyes, exuded an air of effortless elegance, clad in vintage fashion clothing and luxury sunglasses.

Approaching Holtow and Gwisin with a tone dripping in condescension, the woman sneered, "Don't slow us down, regulars."

Her companion let out a tired yawn, his voice laced with disinterest. "Can we hurry this up? I wanna get back to sleep."

Theo, positioned by the ominous brown door, locked eyes with the team. "Remember, never let your guard down in there."

With a steady hand, Theo turned the knob of the door, revealing a sight that defied expectation Beyond the door revealed what appears to be a closed shopping mall.