"Friendly Forces"

Pursuer.

The giant stepping out of the shipping container was none other than Umbrella's newer generation of bio-weapon: the Pursuer, born from the Nemesis Project at Umbrella's Sixth Research Institute.

The most widely known model of the Pursuer is the T-02 type from the game Resident Evil 3, which relentlessly hunted Jill while constantly shouting "STARS."

This Tyrant model contains a parasite known as NE-Alpha, which allows the host Tyrant to retain a certain level of intelligence and rapidly heal from ordinary wounds.

The drawback is that this parasite makes the host Tyrant's temperament manic and cruel; once its injuries exceed its limit, it reverts to the Tyrant's most primal state—

Destroying everything in sight.

In fact, the Nemesis Project produced four prototypes in total. The T-01 model possessed extremely strong independent thinking capabilities, but after it attempted to escape and failed, it was eliminated by the Sixth Research Institute.

The Pursuer that Sui Bian brought to attack Rockfort Island was the T-02 model, which was also the only model to have undergone long-term training—in other words, the "most obedient one."

"Al...fred!"

The Pursuer gazed at the castle, half of which had been destroyed by the AGM-65 bombardment. It first spread its arms and let out a roar toward the sky, then shouldered its rocket launcher with its right hand and began walking toward the castle with heavy, thundering steps.

The Pursuer's current primary mission objective was to locate, track, and kill Alfred Ashford.

Its secondary mission was to assist the Hive's combat personnel in clearing out all Rockfort Island personnel within sight.

Since it was named the Pursuer, Sui Bian decided to use it to hunt down Alfred, who was hiding somewhere unknown. Perfect.

As the Pursuer marched with heavy steps toward the ruined main gate of the castle, the CH-53, still hovering, opened two of its hatches.

The Charon Task Force, consisting of Marini, Chris, and Jill, deployed via fast-roping through the hatch beneath the fuselage, while twenty Epsilon...

"Thud! Thud-thud!"

...leaped directly from the rear of the cabin, relying on their mechanical exoskeletons to land steadily on the ground, much faster than Chris and the others.

While this method was indeed convenient, it remained a dangerous maneuver compared to using ropes; the Epsilon were purely "showing off."

Even if the USS preferred silence, they still felt the need to display their superiority in front of the company's other units.

Chris, Carl, and the others couldn't help but feel a bit jealous, but having joined the company more recently, the number of mechanical exoskeletons was barely enough for the USS.

Moreover, the MTF did indeed have a gap compared to the USS, especially the Alpha team led by Hunk.

After landing and standing firm, the twenty Epsilon crouched on one knee, scanning the surroundings to ensure no blind-sided enemies could take potshots at them.

However, a simple glance revealed only crater-filled ground and corpses and wreckage that were no longer recognizable as human or vehicle.

A 30mm Gatling cannon would tear a human body to shreds if it so much as grazed them.

The light armor and vehicles had met the same fate.

Safety confirmed.

The Epsilon immediately dispersed, moving toward the castle in groups of four. They used the Pursuer as a mobile cover to enter the castle, with Chris and the others following behind.

Entering the castle, with its complex web of roads and corridors, it felt much narrower than the Spencer Family Castle—a rather stingy, cramped feeling.

This prevented the Epsilon and Chris's team from utilizing their numerical advantage and significantly increased the combat risk for the Epsilon and Charon.

But they had the Pursuer, a humanoid tank.

Inside the castle.

At the corner leading to the bunker entrance.

"Da-! Da-da-!" The gunfire was piercingly loud in the enclosed space.

"Die! Die!"

"Ahhh! Come and get some if you have the guts!"

Before the gate leading to the bunker elevator, thirteen armed security guards from Rockfort Island were holding AKMs, firing continuously and frantically toward the end of the corner ahead.

These guards were Alfred's confidants. While their combat proficiency and experience didn't match the USS, they weren't the type of "stormtrooper" villains from movies who couldn't hit a target or the unlucky ones who died just by lying down, provided they held a favorable position.

Hindered by the "L-shaped" terrain, these thirteen confidants seemed to have successfully blocked the advance of the Epsilon and Charon. However, when the nearly three-meter-tall Pursuer appeared in their field of vision, they were completely stunned.

The 7.62 x 39mm bullets from the AKMs could not penetrate the Pursuer's restraints (the black trench coat). Even when bullets struck the Pursuer's exposed skin, they were nothing more than minor, inconsequential scratches.

"Al...fred!!!"

These minor wounds only served to enrage the Pursuer. It spread its arms, let out a deafening roar, and charged rapidly toward the reckless guards.

"Thump! Thump!" Its heavy frame made everyone feel as if the earth itself were trembling.

"Ku! Chi!" With a sickening sound, one guard was pinned directly against the wall by the charging Pursuer. As for his fate...

The simplest description would be "meat paste."

Having charged into the crowd of guards, the Pursuer acted like a protagonist in a Dynasty Warriors game who had just activated their ultimate ability.

Fueled by rage, the Pursuer swung the rocket launcher in its right hand like a club, sending four guards flying.

"Crack!" The sound of bone-shattering, sickening fractures echoed in everyone's ears.

"Splat!" The four corpses slumped onto the ground, limp and broken.

Having tasted the thrill of swinging people around, the Pursuer made short work of the twelve guards, leaving only one poor wretch who had long since emptied his magazine but kept his index finger pressed firmly against the trigger.

"No... don't come over! Don't come over!"

The last remaining henchman had been driven to the brink of insanity by the rampaging Pursuer.

Whoosh! A sound cut through the air.

Squelch! The sound of a body being pierced by a sharp object.

The Pursuer lashed out with the purple tentacle on its left arm, driving it straight through the poor wretch's abdomen.

Immediately after, the Pursuer retracted the tentacle, dragging the henchman along with it, before grabbing the man's head with its left hand and hoisting him high into the air.

"Spare me! Please! Spare—splat!!"

The only reward for his begging was having his head crushed by the Pursuer's grip.

"Ash... ford..."

Looking down at the corpses scattered across the floor, the Pursuer muttered a single phrase, as if its rage had finally subsided.

Once the Pursuer had finished off all of Alfred's henchmen, Epsilon and the Charon Task Force emerged from around the corner, quickly gathering in front of the elevator gate.

"Good god..."

At this, Brad Vickers—the STARS member in the yellow vest—glanced at the Pursuer, then at the headless corpse, and couldn't help but reach up to touch his own head, sighing, "Thank goodness they're on our side, or we'd be meeting the same fate..."