Grey: Monsters

The civilians inside the rovers stared blankly, wondering what was causing the delay. They hadn't noticed the arrival of the striking woman at the entry point yet.

I couldn't understand why Captain Soyo was so furious at the sight of her. She didn't appear human, nor did she resemble a Nephilim—but did she know the woman from somewhere?

"Damn you, bitch!"

Captain Soyo drew her blade, ready to strike.

"Wait, Soyo!" Captain Leonard tried to stop her, but it was already too late. She lunged forward, driving her blade into the woman's chest.

"I knew you weren't normal," she snarled, dragging the blade downward. A spray of dark blue blood filled the air, splattering across the ground.

The civilians, now aware of what had just transpired, screamed and began to panic. Even the Rangers, tasked with calming them, were bewildered.

The blonde woman knelt on the ground, a prideful smirk on her face. "If you want to kill me, come to the West Ward—alone." She spoke calmly, then exploded into a mess of flesh and blood.

Captain Soyo's face was taut with rage as Captain Leonard approached her.

"I'm staying here and going after that bitch," she growled.

"You can't be serious—?"

"Leo, that bitch killed Furahashi."

Captain Leonard froze, his blue eyes widening.

"How are you...so sure about that?" he asked.

"Her name is Mayu…"

"Mayu as in 'elegant'?"

"Yes!"

"Then I'm coming with you."

"Are you sure? She said I should come alone."

Captain Leonard helped her up. "You're facing a Nephilim or something beyond what we know, and you plan on going alone? You'd have to be crazy to take that kind of risk."

Captain Leonard looked around at the confused faces of the people, then addressed the crowd to soothe the rising panic.

"The plan remains the same! All rovers to the helicopters; Ranger units serve as guards!"

"Roger!"

With his orders, everyone sprang into action. The engines roared to life, and one by one, the rovers ascended to the higher ground, making their way toward the landing area.

'Bro?'

B's voice echoed in my head.

'What is it?'

'That was Wolot's doing. Stay on guard. I'll warn you if anything unusual happens.'

'Thanks, man.'

The rovers returned, some making additional trips to retrieve the remaining Rangers who hadn't fit on the first round. The helicopters then transported everyone back to Shibuya, completing the first and second phases of the mission. Now, the final phase awaited us: extermination.

For this phase, we were divided into four teams to clear each ward, as people in Hokkaido called them.

The three Captains—Leonard, Soyo, and Reiko—headed to the West Ward. Nagato, Haruchi, and Hinetsu from Squad Six took the East. Kitetsu, Saiya, and another girl handled the South, and finally, Issei, a beauty from Squad Six, and I took the North.

I had no idea why I was paired with Issei. He was surprisingly calm, and I learned he was a lieutenant—probably physically stronger than me. Nothing for me to boast about. But strength isn't everything. Captain Leonard isn't exactly strong-looking either, yet he became a captain. What are the criteria to become a captain?

"Hey," I tapped the girl beside me. "How are captains chosen among the Rangers?"

"Oh, that? I heard it depends on the amount of power someone can draw from their suit, without their quincy's help. A minimum of ninety percent, I think."

She didn't seem entirely certain—

"You're right," Issei spoke from behind, "for a lieutenant, it's usually seventy-five to eighty percent."

Seventy-five to eighty for a lieutenant, and ninety for a captain?! Then Issei must be around eighty, and Captain Leonard ninety. There's no room for a loser like me.

"Do you know Captain Leonard's physical capability?" I asked.

"He doesn't have any," she replied, a spark of hope rising in me.

"Seriously?! Does that mean he can't fight?"

"Can't fight? What are you talking about?"

"Haven't you heard of Synth Humans?" Issei interjected.

"Nope."

He shook his head, looking almost disappointed. "An experiment was conducted five years before the Nephilims attacked. It was a three-country alliance between Japan, the United States, and South Korea to create soldiers designed as killing machines to lead troops if a world war ever broke out. Some call it a success, others a disaster. Out of the thirty participants, only two survived: Herbert Leonard for the U.S. and Son Yun Wong, whom we know as Captain Soyo, for South Korea. They're known as Synth Humans—the strongest form of humanity, with human-like traits but superhuman strength."

Information overload—my head was spinning.

"So that's why they weren't given suits. But why are they in Japan?" I asked.

"Because the experiment was conducted here, wimp—sorry."

Thanks to Issei's explanation, I now knew who to be wary of. Lieutenants, captains, and especially Captain Leonard and Captain Soyo.

***

The East and West Wards had mostly residential buildings, but the lab and military base were located in the West. Meanwhile, the North and South Wards held the gates leading to the base and beyond, with a mix of residential and commercial buildings around.

At the West Ward, Reiko, Leonard, and Soyo made their way toward the lab area. They weren't sure where exactly to wait for Mayu, who had announced she'd be in the West Ward.

As they approached, they saw a towering figure—muscle-bound, red in color, visible to the naked eye. It had no nose, and its eyes were covered by a white layer of flesh. This being, as humans called them—a Nephilim—sat cross-legged on the ground, with a middle-aged man perched on its shoulder.

"What is that?" Reiko asked, her eyes fixed on the figure. None of them had noticed the man on its shoulder yet.

"It's similar to the one we captured, but bigger," Leonard replied.

"I've been waiting for you," the man's deep voice echoed.

"Where is Mayu?" Soyo demanded.

"Apologies, but Anix isn't available at the moment. But you will see her—if you get through me."

All three captains exchanged glances, each silently asking the same question.

"Who is Anix?"

"The individual you humans call Mayu," he clarified.

The man leapt from the Nephilim's shoulder, landing with a thud that kicked up dust. He walked toward them, stopping midway.

"You're human, right? Why are you allied with that Nephilim, and Mayu as well?" Soyo's curiosity was evident.

"I'm not obliged to explain. But I'll say this—I am neither human nor Nephilim. If you want to know more, you'll have to beat me."

"So we have to defeat you to meet Mayu and get answers?" Reiko asked, bracing herself. Large knuckles materialized on both her hands, merging with her suit.

"Indeed, but…doesn't this seem a bit unfair?" he mused.

"How so?"

"I called for Soyo, but the two of you joined her. It's one against three captains—unfair."

All three captains tensed, sensing something was coming.

"You're a Nephilim, so we're just being cautious—"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk." He clicked his tongue, cutting off Reiko's response.

"Nobody likes to lose a fight. How about this…"

The massive Nephilim behind him tore its flesh into eight pieces that scattered across the ground. From these chunks, similar beings sprang up, each one identical to the original.

"...now the odds are reversed. You three are captains after all. I'm just taking precautions."