Mutagen

Day 54 – 12:04 PM – Rooftop, OKADA Manila, New Seaside Dr., Parañaque, 1701 Metro Manila

On the rooftop of a casino resort and hotel complex located on the Entertainment City gaming strip just more or less half a kilometer away directly south of the Industrial Area, four figures emerged from a hole in space.

The shortest figure wearing a black cloak spoke and pointed at the direction north of them. From the small voice the figure had, it was obvious that the figure was a girl on her teens. As she was the last figure to come out of the hole, it was more apparent that she was the one responsible for it.

"Spera, why didn't you just transport us directly inside that? I don't think that your portal is this inconvenient."

The tallest and buffest bodies figure spoke towards the short girl. He was wearing a red cloak and a long thin sword was strapped on his waist.

"Shin, you shouldn't on our cute Spera. You will frighten her."

One of the two remaining figures that both wore purple colored cloaks spoke as she hugged Spera like a pet. Her voice was bright and mellow. Those that would hear it would not help but feel attracted to it.

"Yoko, you should stop that. Even if the world suddenly exploded, Spera won't change her expression."

The last one, who was also a female, spoke. Compared to Yoko, her voice was cold and serene. However, it gave the same attractiveness as the other had.

"Yoko, Tsukiko. You two should take this seriously." Spera spoke with her monotonous voice before she turned to Shin and answered his question. "I want to open the portal inside that but it will take too much burden on me. If I forced it, I will use too much energy that we won't be able to open another if we needed to return urgently."

"Are you saying that something is preventing you from opening the portal inside?"

Shin asked with made Spera nod in reply.

"Alright, let's go. That Dopp offered us a good deal just to retrieve him alone."

Hearing the order of their leader, they started to make their way towards the target area, except a single person.

"Spera, what are you doing? Are you scared?"

Yoko asked as they noticed Spera not bulging from her initial spot.

"You three go. I'll wait here."

"Why?"

To that question, Spera looked at the two females in her group.

"As I thought, you two don't feel it." She then turned towards Shin. "You can feel it right?"

"You mean the feeling that I should go in there? As if something is attracting me to that place? It's somewhat nostalgic."

"That's right. I get the same feeling. It's rather unpleasant."

The conversation of Shin and Spera made the other two confused. However, Shin would not let anyone left behind. He picked up the small statured Spera by her waist.

"What are you doing?"

"We can't leave you here whether you like it or not. Aside from your portals, your physical ability is lacking. We also need you to escape if the need came. The energies in that place are rather overwhelming. I think that Dopp succeeded in the ritual after many others in the organization tried several times before. But someone with the same strength as that demon is fighting it."

Spera really did not want to go but with the difference between her strength and Shin's, she could only sigh as she was carried away.

Leaving the rooftop, Shin who carried Spera along with Yoko and Tsukiko jumped down the uneven shaped floors of the casino hotel and made it down unto the road without problems.

Below the building, they encountered a lot of infected as the casino hotel was the one of the most infected areas near Bay City but with their prowess, the infected did not even bothered them as they ran towards Bay City.

***

Day 54 – 12:05 PM – South District, Bay City Settlement, Parañaque, Metro Manila

As the wall of miasma prevented the General and other soldiers from seeing what was happening inside the Industrial Area from the ground level, the General and the Officers moved towards the roof of the closest hotel casino hotel north of the Industrial Area. There, you could at least see the events inside to some degree with the help of binoculars and the scopes of their sniper rifles. They actually tried to fly a camera mounted drone inside but as the drone touched or flew above the black mist like wall, the drone would immediately lose power and crash.

Their soldiers had already retreated outside the area for the most part. However, they did not know if there were soldiers still alive buried under the debris of the collapsed buildings. As the retreat became urgent, they had no time to save them anymore.

"Is he still human?"

The general voiced seeing Mark contend face to face with the three meter tall monster. To their eyes, no matter how trained they were as soldiers, those swings the flame demon that appeared did was hard to see. All they could see were blurs and the large sword already traveled to another point. Not only that but they found it hard to catch up with how fast the flame demon and Mark was moving.

No one could answer the general. All of them were focused on the fight between Mark and Gar'Vlam.

While they were watching, three guests suddenly appeared.

"Miguel, something unusual is happening here, isn't it?"

Hearing that voice, General Perez turned his head by reflex.

"Isaach! What are you doing here?! It's dangerous!"

The general blurted out which snapped the other soldiers from the scene inside the Industrial Area. They all looked the guests that were being escorted by some soldiers serving as bodyguards.

It was Professor Isaach Co. together with his two assistants.

The general glared at the bodyguards making them have troubled expressions but the professor spoke.

"Don't blame them. I forced them to bring me here. Also it's not me who wanted to come here but my children."

Isaach nudged his chin towards Nia and Allen, his personal assistants and foster children.

"Sorry General but we can't help it." Nia apologized. "Both I and Allen felt that we should go here. The feeling is too bad that if Professor did not allow us, we would have sneaked here."

,m To her words, Allen nodded with seriousness.

"What Nia said is true general."

"Can you two explain?"

"Sorry general but it's hard to explain."

Nia answered the general's inquiry but her attention was already on the ongoing fight inside the Industrial Area. Allen was the same.

Before the general could probe any further, a message came from his radio.

"General! Miss Mei Xiao returned! She is at the eastern gates requesting for entry!"

"What are you doing?" The General bellowed on the radio. "Let her in! Why do you have to ask me?"

From the information he had and Mark's appearance, he already deduced that the figure that fought the sword wielding man before was Mei. The proof of it was the very same sniper rifle Mei used was with that figure. When the two left the area, Mei did not return and instead Mark returned with a dragon. It was very likely that she was somewhere outside.

"General, she's not alone. I don't know how but the two girls in Team Fairy are with her. There was also a dragon with her, two strangers and a weird looking creature."

Hearing that, the general understood. The guards left at other positions had no idea what was happening here.

"Don't bother. Just let them in! Ask them where they want to go and if they said that they wanted to go in the operations area, escort them with all hospitality."

"Yes Sir!"

The communication ended with the General's sigh. At least, it was confirmed that Mei Xiao was safe. Beside the General, Major Lopez was also relieved although he was still feeling guilty about being powerless at that time to protect his people.

Before the General could take a breather…

"General! Look there!"

Captain Dela Rosa shouted with shock while looking through his binoculars.

The entrance of the Industrial Area was still surrounded by soldiers despite the wall of miasma being present. It was to stop anyone from entering and exiting the operation area.

When the General and other soldiers looked that the same direction using their binoculars, they saw four robed figures walking towards the entrance. There were soldiers around the four but instead of intercepting the four, all the soldiers were just standing without moving. They were all blankly staring in front like mannequins.

"General, should we shoot?"

One of the snipers inquired. However, the General shook his head.

"Don't agitate them. They might have employed some hypnotic power to pass through without fighting. With ability like that, they could have caused more harm but they didn't. Just let them pass."

It was a rational decision. Strong beings were coming one after another. Them, humans, should stay at the side for now.

They watched the four walked towards the entrance. The one walking in front pulled out his sword and slashed towards the wall of miasma making a gap between the walls. The four then hurried inside before the wall returned to what it looked like before.

Fortunately, when the four entered, the soldiers outside snapped back to reality and moved.

It made everyone watching felt relieved specially the General who made the right gamble. He then felt a pat on his shoulder.

"It's not easy calling the shots, isn't it?"

Professor Isaach spoke sympathizing with the general.

Soon, as the General expected, Mei and her entourage came to this very location. Aimee's appearance caused some disturbance but it was not that bad as she was with the renowned Fairy Sniper. Many of them also recognized Karlene who was an actress before the apocalypse.

There was not much words exchanged afterwards. They all just watched the events happening inside the Industrial Area.

No one noticed however, Iola was glaring at Nia and Allen stealthily.

***

Day 54 – 12:10 PM – Industrial Area, South District, Bay City Settlement, Parañaque, Metro Manila

Flames raged inside the Industrial Area as sounds of swords clashing and destruction echoed within.

Only a few was left among the members of Auraboros and not because they were had to kill but Mark purposely left them behind. Among them were Dopp and Emmette who had both of their legs crippled. Their muffled painful cries were apparent but as they were still holding unto hope of surviving, they held it in.

Gar'Vlam was enraged to a frightening degree now.

"You're not taking me seriously aren't you?"

The flame demon spoke in a grave tone. All this time, Mark was only evading his attacks and aimed at the people he was protecting. He could already hear the mocking voices of the other beings at the top of Auraboros in his ears.

To his enraged question however…

"Took you long enough." Mark smiled with ridicule. "You're strong. I admit it. But it seems that you never improved after thousands of years. You still fight the same way as you fought that Deity of Bloodshed, or should I say, you got weaker."

"You…"

Gar'Vlam pointed his large finger towards Mark, shaking in anger.

"You're forcing me."

His eyes glowed like magma.

Finally, Mark felt some pressure. The air was shaking fiercely as Gar'Vlam released energy straight from his spirit.

"Arise!"

The Flame demon shouted.

Flames circled around the demon before a tower of flames burst into the skies piercing through the clouds Mark gathered. The temperature around the area started to rise which forced Mark to cover himself with Miasma.

Balls of flames then flew from the tower falling unto every dead body present in the area.

There, their bodies burned leaving their charred skeletons behind. That however, was not the end of it. The skulls of the skeletons burst into flames and were raised from the ground leaving the rest or their bodies.

In the blink of an eye, hundreds of flaming skulls littered the Industrial Area.

KEKEKEKEKE!

Eerie rattling laughs could be heard that even the four intruders could not help but feel unsettled.

Still, Shin and Spera felt the tugging feeling inside them way stronger than before.