Kanesaki left the canteen alone, letting Yasuko and Sakaguchi chatter away as he wandered the base's halls. He stopped at the medical bay, drawing a slow breath as the door slid open with a soft hiss. Inside, the sharp scent of antiseptic and the low hum of machinery filled the air. Medical personnel moved briskly between rooms, tending to wounded soldiers still recovering from the brutal airbase raid.
He made his way to a room marked with a red X - critical condition. Pausing, he pressed the panel and stepped inside.
The pod sat at the room's center, the thick glass tinted slightly from the layers of reinforced protection and medical monitoring arrays. Through it, he saw her.
Hirabayashi.
Her body was still marked with raw, angry burns, suspended in a thick layer of a glowing turquoise gel, preserving her state, preventing any form of outer infections. A network of tubes and wires fed a constant drip of medicine and type-O negative blood into her system, keeping her alive in the quiet hum of suspended agony.
Kanesaki placed a hand gently against the glass, the faintest warmth in his eyes as he managed a small, polite smile.
'Hope you wake up soon, Hirabayashi.'
Taking in a steadying breath, he lowered his hand and turned away, leaving the room and the medical bay behind him.
***
In the operations room, the air buzzed with quiet tension as everyone gathered for the briefing. Yasuko, Sakaguchi, and Nishihara sat together at the back, furthest from the looming screen. Up front, Ike and Horuichi joked with a few other soldiers, their laughter carrying through the otherwise still room. Maeda sat alone in a corner, his Chimeras arranged around him like a silent, watchful circle.
Yasuko peered past Sakaguchi's shoulder, noticing the dark heaviness in Nishihara's eyes. She tapped Sakaguchi, who turned with a questioning glance.
'Something wrong, Nishihara?'
Nishihara lifted his head slightly, shaking it lightly.
'Just… had a long night.'
The two exchanged a brief, puzzled glance, silently questioning what he meant when a new voice cut in.
'Oh, that might be my fault.'
Yasuko twisted in her seat, seeing Yasui walk up and slide into the empty chair beside her. Sakaguchi froze for a moment before a realization dawned across his face.
'Oh—!' He covered his mouth, stifling a laugh as Yasuko glanced between them, her brow furrowing, confusion bubbling into a series of frustrated hums.
Yasui patted her shoulder with an almost too-innocent smile.
'Don't worry, Yasuko. You wouldn't quite get it.'
Yasuko's eyes narrowed as she sputtered incoherent syllables, trying to piece it together, her face scrunching tighter as her confusion deepened. Yasui burst out laughing wildly, while Sakaguchi chuckled under his breath before leaning closer to Nishihara.
'So, how was it?'
Nishihara sighed, rubbing his temple, his voice low and tired. 'Surprisingly good… very, uh, energetic.'
There was a brief silence as Sakaguchi stared at him, his expression unreadable, before he slammed his palm onto the table, cackling loudly as if to announce it to the entire room. Nishihara leaned back in his chair, stretching until his back cracked, releasing a small yawn.
'When's Kanesaki getting here? He should've been first, with how punctual he likes to be.'
Yasuko sat up, ignoring Yasui's ongoing laughter. 'Kanesaki? He said he was heading to med-sec to check on that redhead… what's her name, Hirabayashi? His girlfriend or something? They seemed close before the airbase…'
A thin grin tugged at Nishihara's lips as he stifled another yawn.
'Nah. But it's good he's checking on her. Doc says she might never wake up, but at least she's stable… as stable as she can be.'
A quiet, heavy silence fell over the group as they remembered how Hirabayashi had looked after the raid.
Just then, Kanesaki entered, scanning the room before walking over. He dragged a chair in front of Sakaguchi, turning it around before sitting down heavily. Nishihara's face sobered, noticing the tired, almost hollow look in Kanesaki's eyes.
'How is she?'
Kanesaki let out a small exhale, his voice flat but clear.
'As good as she can be right now. So… decent.'
Nishihara nodded, offering no further words. Sakaguchi's eyes flickered forward as he noticed Yanagi entering, striding to the front of the room.
'Attention!'
The room fell instantly silent. Even the smallest breath seemed to hold itself as everyone straightened, focusing on the captain as he took his place before the massive screen, Wachisaka working in the background to upload the operation's briefing data.
Yanagi stood at the front, rolling his shoulders back as the screen flickered to life, displaying a topographic map layered with pale blue grid lines and several red, pulsing dots clustered around a quarry on the outskirts of a town marked "Eisu".
'Alright, listen up. We've got a pack of Yatzuls-' he tapped the screen, zooming in on the quarry's rocky outlines, '-about forty-five to sixty of them, confirmed via recon drones exactly four days ago, moving in from the north-east savannah. They're commuting near this quarry, and a few strays have already pushed closer to Eisu's perimeters.'
A low murmur swept through the room. Sakaguchi's eyes widened slightly as he leaned back, whistling under his breath.
'That many Yatzuls, this close to a town? Dangerous to be waiting until now, no?'
Yanagi nodded firmly. 'If they establish a territory here, the casualties will be catastrophic. Civilians, supply routes, and the outpost itself will be under constant threat. We're looking at a mandatory wipeout operation before dawn tomorrow.'
Wachisaka switched the slide, bringing up thermal clips showing clusters of massive, large, planter-like outlines, their limbs long and contorted, limp spikes reflecting under moonlight as they moved in eerie formation around the quarry. Some appeared to be tearing into animal carcasses, while others dug into rock crevices, forming early dens.
Nishihara folded his arms, eyes fixed on the screen.
'Any idea why they're settling there specifically?'
Yanagi glanced over his notes.
'Geothermal pockets near the quarry's base. Warmer climate, consistent prey traffic, caves for dens - textbook conditions for a communal spot.'
Yasui stretched her arms overhead lazily, her smile sharp but unfazed. 'Night op, huh?'
Maeda, seated in the back, spoke without raising his head, his voice muffled but clear.
'Break their cohesion, scatter the pack. If they start assimilating each other, fall back or switch to containment immediately.'
Yanagi nodded.
'Exactly. We have Horuichi's armed unit for numbers and heavy support, and Maeda's Chimeras for flank control. Outpost 68's personnel will provide overwatch and sniper suppression from the quarry's ridge.'
Kanesaki raised a hand slightly, eyes narrowing.
'What about civilians in Eisu? They're getting evacuated, right?'
Yanagi glanced back at him, tapping the map again.
'Local garrison is evacuating the town quietly tonight. They've been told it's a "chemical hazard drill." We can't afford panic leaks, but by 0200, most civilians will be gone.'
Ike, standing near Horuichi, cracked his neck. 'We hit them before dawn?'
Yanagi's eyes swept across the gathered teams.
'We roll out soon. Hit them in full darkness while maintaining infrared comms and drone uplinks. Objectives are clear: eliminate or scatter the pack. We avoid prolonged engagements. Quick strikes, coordinated sweeps.'
He looked at each of them, letting the silence hang.
'Yatzuls are quick, but they're cocky in groups. If they get momentum, they'll overrun a squad in seconds. Maintain formation discipline, and don't chase strays. Remember, this isn't just about clearing monsters; this is about protecting Eisu and our perimeter.'
Yanagi clicked the remote, switching to a final slide showing the team breakdowns, designated approach points, and fallback zones.
'Horuichi's team, forward assault from the south slope. Yasui, take your officers with Ike on the north ridge for crossfire, Nishihara, you're with them. Maeda, your clones will hold the eastern perimeter, preventing escape routes with the second platoon. Outpost 68's snipers will be in the quarry's western ridge for support. Kanesaki, Yasuko, Sakaguchi - you're with me on center sweep. Wachisaka, you hold a defensive line behind Horuichi's team, provide Comms, meds and rearmament.'
Yanagi paused, eyes sharpening.
'This will be a dangerous operation, but it's necessary. We can't allow them to get a foothold in civilian territory. Prep your gear, check your thermal optics, confirm ammo and ration checks. We deploy in four hours.'
A tense stillness settled over the room. The only sound was the soft hum of the projector and the low exhale of those preparing themselves mentally for what lay ahead.
Sakaguchi shifted, trying to lighten the air with a thin grin. 'Night hunt, huh? I guess it's been a while since we had one of those.'
Kanesaki closed his eyes briefly, gripping the edge of his chair before looking at Yanagi. 'We'll get it done.'
Maeda finally lifted his gaze, the lenses of his glasses reflecting the screen. 'Understood.'
Yanagi lowered the remote, stepping away from the screen. 'Dismissed. Four hours. Get ready, get rest, get focused.'
The room began to break apart, each group moving with silent determination. Gear checks, quiet conversations, nervous laughter. Outside the briefing room, the darkened hallways buzzed with preparation as the night settled heavily over Outpost 34, waiting for the quiet hum of dropships to break it.
Chapter 39 - end