Chapter 200

At this time, the temporary base, the assembly point for the agents—

"Nice to meet you both from Xijing City. Let me introduce myself. I am Lapith, the captain of the 'Funeral Bird' Agent Squad from Suzuda City, and the on-site commander of the Suzuda City support force."

All agents have military ranks. As long as they are officially employed agents, they will initially be awarded the rank of "major", while agents in each city will be "colonels".

Unless it's a special case like Anilas, who is appointed as a "lieutenant colonel" as an agent, other agents generally start as majors. Efnir also rose through the ranks from major. Before the establishment of the "Third Group," she was the "chief" agent in Xijing City, holding the rank of "colonel" like Lapith. After becoming the deputy leader of the "Third Group," Efnir was promoted to Masaki Hina.

All the agents were gathered here, fully prepared and ready to go, led by Efnir, Lapith, and Anilas.

The three women represent the First-Generation Agent in Xijing City and the Kite Squad, the Second-Generation Agent in Xijing City and the Suzuda City combat support squad "Funeral Bird," respectively. They are gathered here and will be on standby, ready to be deployed at any time.

The "Funeral Bird" proxy combat squad is a support force from Suzuda City, but it is currently under the unified command and control of Kusei Maki. Kusei Maki and Lapith had previously confirmed the handover of command, which was also for the sake of the efficiency of troop movement and deployment.

"Efnir, the temporary captain of the First-Generation Agent team in Xijing City, it's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Lapith."

"Nice to meet you, Colonel Lapith. I am the interim leader of the Second-Generation Agent team in Xijing City. You can call me Anilas or Gotō Chizuru."

As Efnir introduced herself, Lapith and the group of "Funeral Bird" agents behind her all turned their gazes toward her, especially Lapith.

Lapith gazed at Efnir with curiosity. As a fellow guardian and "chief" agent of the same city, she was particularly interested in Efnir.

And so do the others.

In any city, the presence of a "chief" agent is a symbol of will, and they are all individuals with exceptional personal combat skills. However, they did not see Efnir make a move—by the time they arrived, Efnir and Canary had already finished their battle.

When Anilas spoke up, she also attracted the attention of everyone in Suzuda City.

Some of the agents in the "Funeral Bird" squad arrived at the temporary base first and fought alongside Anilas, so they naturally knew that Anilas was Second-Generation Agent.

Even for agents in a large city like Suzuda City, this was the first time they had ever seen the "Second Generation" in person. Being able to fight alongside the "Second-Generation Agent Second Generation" agents and witness their fighting style and Order Weapon was a unique experience and something they looked forward to.

They exchanged brief greetings. Since they had already learned about each other's basic information before the war, there was no need for them to introduce themselves; they only needed to leave an impression on each other.

This was the first time the three of them had officially met as agents. Unlike when Kusei Maki met with Lapith, since agents do not belong to the military, there are not many restrictions when agents meet each other. Generally speaking, there is no need to address each other by their military rank or salute.

Lapith and Anilas add their military ranks to their titles because of their own habits and their respective roles.

They are different from Efnir. One is Second-Generation Agent experimenter of the military in the Central Province, and the other is the chief Agent Squad leader of a large urban settlement. They have been in contact with the military for a long time, which is why they have this habit.

"Canary, deputy captain of the First-Generation Agent team in Xijing City."

"I am Herul, belonging to the Second-Generation Agent team, and serving as the vice-captain."

"You can call me Trilice, the vice-captain of the 'Funeral Bird' squad."

After Efnir and the others introduced themselves, Canary and the others also introduced themselves, leaving a basic impression on everyone, including each team member.

Canary and Herul are, of course, temporary vice-captains, while Trilice is Lapith's right-hand woman. Her Order Weapon is a long-handled scythe, which is an Order Weapon with excellent penetrating power in a sense, but because it is quite difficult to use, few people have ever seen this type of weapon.

In addition, six of the remaining eight members of the Funeral Bird came here.

"Major General Efnir of Xijing City," Lapith shifted her gaze to Efnir, "Please allow me to address you this way. It's not meant as a sign of disrespect, but it's just that one of my team members was also codenamed 'Ephnel,' and your codename always reminds me of her."

"It's okay, I don't mind."

Since it is "Zeng", then the agent has probably died in the line of duty, and generally speaking there is no need to make a special distinction.

But those present could understand Lapith.

Most agents have dual identities. For them, their code name is like their "name". If one of them dies in battle, her code name will become the mark she leaves in the hearts of others.

Even if a successor emerges, the Beacon name still bears the Trace of the deceased. It is a kind of will that remains in the hearts of others and subtly influences the successor through them. For the agent, the code name is a testament to the inheritance and is something very important.

Therefore, Efnir did not mind the way Lapith used to distinguish herself, as it was a sign of respect for the deceased.

"Thank you for your understanding, Efnir from Xijing City, and Anilas. I look forward to fighting alongside you."

89. Third party

"Before the operation begins, let me briefly explain the current situation."

Anilas stepped forward and said.

In terms of on-site combat command, Anilas naturally slightly better than Efnir, while Lapith, who came as an aid, did not fully understand the overall situation of the battle. Therefore, Anilas naturally took on the role of pre-battle commander and analyst for the agents.

"This place is about to become a battlefield."

Anilas spread out a map of the Garrison District and began assigning tasks.

The unit's combat mission this time was very simple.

After the defeat of the Apostle, the final attack by the Angel left a "time bomb" for the Maesakagawa Garrison District. Due to insufficient energy, the Boundary Stele Barrier of the Maesakagawa Garrison District will have a brief "window period" before the power is re-established, Garrison District will be completely exposed to the Erosion Entity from Beyond the Boundary.

This will undoubtedly attract the Erosion Entity that have already been driven away from the Garrison District back.

Therefore, the core objective of this operation is to "block the resurgence of the Erosion Entity" and isolate all the dangers of the Erosion Entity outside Beyond the Boundary.

The first step is for the military to clean up the Dregs in the Garrison District and clear the streets and roads, which is already being carried out by Kusei Maki. In addition, the Suzuda City fleet is dropping Lure Shell on the Beyond the Boundary region and concentrating its bombing on areas where Dregs has accumulated, in order to reduce the pressure on the upcoming battle.

The second part is the agents' job; they need to eliminate all the Erosion Entity within their Garrison District.

In short, the mission involves being dispersed along the edges of various Garrison District, using the entire Garrison District as strategic depth, and cooperating with soldiers to encircle and eliminate Erosion Entity within the Garrison District. With the support of the Suzuda City Fleet dropping Lure Shell, this mission is not particularly difficult, but it is by no means simple either.

Anilas's task was to assign tasks to the agents present based on the current distribution of the Erosion Entity roaming the Beyond the Boundary region, while Efnir and Lapith were there to offer suggestions on Anilas's task assignments.

After all, there are differences in strength and Order Weapon among the agents, and each person is good at dealing with different combat scenarios. Only three people who know each other very well can reasonably allocate this task and avoid serious accidents.

Several potential issues and corresponding countermeasures also need to be discussed.

"The engineering team is carrying out emergency repairs. The battle will be over in forty minutes, but that doesn't mean there's no danger. On the contrary, the primary threat we must be wary of is the 'Angel'."

No one disagrees with this.

Even Lapith discussed the matter with a serious expression. Although she had no experience fighting Angel directly, she had received information about Angel before the battle and had a very clear understanding of Angel strength.

"What was the Angel's motive for finally appearing at the Boundary Stele Administration Office and launching the attack? It's possible that the Apostle were forced by some strategic considerations, and the Angel attacked the Boundary Stele immediately after being awakened. But the most crucial question is whether there is any other overlooked intelligence."

"The most important point is that the Angel have disappeared again. We cannot track Angel location, and we don't know if they will reappear. Everyone here should be prepared to fight the Angel head-on. In this situation, the Angel could appear in any direction. If this happens, please be sure to send a signal flare to spread this information to the other agents."

Efnir added.

"Therefore, when assigning tasks, we will focus on making up for and exchanging positions and regions for everyone."

"Major General Efnir, Colonel Lapith, and myself," Anilas explained, "The three of us will each be responsible for a large area. Once the Angel appear, we will rush to their aid as quickly as possible, while the rest of us will be dispersed and deployed to some extent."

Simply put, if we divide the entire outer defense zone of the Garrison District, we can think of it as a wooden barrel made up of several wooden pieces.

The areas that Efnir, Anilas, and Lapith are responsible for, when connected, form an equilateral triangle.

The wooden pieces between them were formed by the small teams behind them, which was to maximize the advantages of the Second-Generation Agent, since their combat range was the widest and farthest, and they could provide good support to other team members in the vicinity. At the same time, it was also to take care of Canary and others who were more seriously injured, and to share the pressure with them.

"Besides the Angel, we also need to be wary of any other suspicious activity. A four-person team of Apostle has successfully escaped, and their current location is unknown. However, based on the circumstances of their evacuation, it's clear that they have a 'base' somewhere Beyond the Boundary. This means that there may be far more Apostle than just them."

"However, there's no need to worry too much. Once the Apostle are discovered, our soldiers and the support forces from Suzuda City will suppress them. Our mission is to prevent the Apostle from taking the opportunity to attack our Defense Line and to intercept the Erosion Entity summoned by the 'Corruption Crystal'."

Pre-battle operational discussions are still ongoing.

At this moment, in Maesakagawa Garrison District—

This is a deep tunnel, the quiet air flowing like the echo of a conch shell, cold and dry. The railway tracks on the ground emit a cold light, and the distance between the two walls is only a few meters, just enough for a train to pass through.

Snap--

In the dim light, a small flame suddenly ignited, illuminating the girl's indifferent profile.

She leaned against the train carriage, lit a cigarette with a lighter, and a wisp of bluish-gray smoke rose.

A commotion gradually came from the end of the passageway, followed by hurried footsteps. The girl turned her gaze and soon, four girls came into her sight. The four girls looked quite disheveled, panting, exhausted, and covered in injuries. Only one of them had relatively intact clothes.

If Ayse were here, she would definitely find these people familiar, because they were the Apostle who successfully escaped Ayse's pursuit. However, due to being ambushed by the "Funeral Bird" squad, they ultimately lost several members, and only they survived.

"You're so slow."

A wisp of white smoke rose from the girl's mouth and nose, and her gaze remained unmoved as she looked at the group of people.

However, upon hearing the girl's words, the Apostle girl and the others were taken aback and immediately became alert.

"Who are you!"

You don't need to know.

The girl didn't intend to answer the Apostle's question, but instead took out a cell phone and started swiping on the screen.

The four Apostle girls looked at each other, unsure of what to do.

The "Enhancement Agent" they had used up were all used up in the battle. Now they were out of Synchronization and unable to Apostle Form, their combat power was reduced to less than one-tenth.

The girl's sudden appearance in such a confidential place is suspicious.

With Fujisaki Ryoka absent, the Apostle were unsure how to approach the girl.

At that moment, the girl suddenly raised her phone, turned the screen towards the Apostle, and walked towards them.

The Apostle drew his pistol and cautiously took a step back.

"Don't come any closer!"

But the moment she uttered her words, the pistol in her hand suddenly made a strange, sharp sound, then bent, twisted, and in the blink of an eye turned into a pile of scrap metal that fell to her feet.

The scene left everyone stunned.

The girl moved closer, almost touching them, and waved her phone screen in front of them. One of the girls looked quite familiar; if Efnir were there, she would definitely recognize the girl on the screen as "Codename H," Xijing City had been tracking.

Have you seen her?

The girl's gaze was calm, yet it was filled with a captivating aura.

90. Rooftop

The rain had stopped, and the thick, layered clouds were tinged with twilight.

On the rooftop of an abandoned building, Shinomiyami Nami led several special forces members to set up a temporary observation post, where three snipers were positioned.

Efnir stood on the rooftop water tower, gazing into the distance.

Efnir had changed into a combat uniform and received basic medical treatment. The hem of her long coat billowed in the wind, and her eyes, hidden beneath her hood, were fixed on the distant street where a pair of soldiers were fighting against the Dregs had appeared on the street.

The Maesakagawa Garrison District is not as bustling Xijing City. There are no towering buildings and wide streets. 60% of the Garrison District area is endless fields and crop cultivation greenhouses. Half of the remaining 40% is controlled by the Garrison District management agency and research institute. The last part is commercial and residential land.

Simply put, this is a satellite city that doesn't quite have anything to do with "urban scenery," but it has been given the romance of an endless countryside, which makes the cleanup of Dregs much easier.

The layout of the buildings in the Garrison District is the result of careful planning to ensure that crops receive the best growing conditions. As a result, the views here are also excellent, allowing you to see very far.

Beyond Efnir's line of sight lay a hazy white mist. At this moment, soldiers could be seen moving about on the streets below, erecting roadblocks between roads and buildings, clearing Dregs from the surrounding neighborhoods, and preparing for the impending battle.

Bang--

A dull thud followed, spent cartridge cases hit the ground, and Dregs corpse lay at the far end of the street. At the same time, the combatant directed the movement of soldiers on the street.

Efnir glanced at it and then looked away. More than the Dregs, she was concerned about the potential threat posed by the Apostle that might reappear. Four members of the Apostle Squad that Ayse had been chasing had successfully escaped. According to Ayse, these Apostle likely had a fixed outpost in the Maesakagawa Garrison District, or even a passage connecting to the Beyond the Boundary, but the exact location was still unknown.

This will take some time to pry it out of the captured Apostle —most of these Apostle are just teenage girls. Even though they have undergone a certain degree of rigorous training and developed a soldier-like will, only a few can be as difficult to deal with as Sakurai Sachi. Efnir believes that Kusei Maki will definitely be able to get a lot of useful information from them.

And clues about Angel.

Is there any hope for Qinglan and Flying Swallow? What happened to them? Were they being controlled? And where did the "Angel" technology possessed by the Apostle Organization originate?

What is the Apostle's purpose? What are they searching for?

Besides that, there were other things that bothered Efnir. Efnir wasn't sure if she could call it that fleeting intuition, but she always felt like she was missing some important information, though she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"Efnir!"

Just then, a call interrupted Efnir's thoughts. Shinomiyami Nami climbed the ladder to the water tower, and Efnir reached out and pulled her up, smiling and teasingly saying:

"Miss Nami, you seem to have gained weight."

"You're the one who's gained weight!"

Shinomiyami Nami her eyes at Efnir, then looked around after climbing the water tower, took a deep breath, and stretched under Efnir's gaze.

This is how Shinomiyami Nami is often in front of Efnir, a stark contrast to her work persona.

"Why doesn't Efnir take a rest? We're in charge of the current combat missions; just leave it to us."