Chapter 2: The First Body

"I still don't understand something."

I moved carefully beside the hallway wall while keeping my voice low.

"Why exactly are you coming with me, ma'am?"

Beside me, Aoi immediately glanced sideways.

"Oh?"

A faint teasing smile appeared on her face.

"So now you're calling me ma'am after learning my rank?"

I clicked my tongue quietly.

"I didn't know before."

"So naturally I treated you casually."

"Hm."

Aoi looked forward again.

"Honestly, I preferred that more."

The destroyed shopping floor remained eerily quiet around us.

Broken glass covered the ground.

Smoke drifted lightly through the air.

Somewhere farther away, terrified crying and distant shouting could still be heard.

Meanwhile, both of us moved silently between pillars and abandoned stores.

Then—

Aoi suddenly raised one hand slightly.

I stopped instantly.

Voices.

Right ahead.

We slowly peeked from behind a large marble pillar.

And the scene in front of us immediately darkened my expression.

A terrorist had grabbed a small girl by the arm.

She looked barely five years old.

The child desperately clung to a nearby pillar while crying in fear.

Meanwhile, her mother was on the floor, tightly holding the terrorist's leg with both hands.

"P-Please...!"

The woman cried desperately.

"Leave my daughter alone!!"

The terrorist kicked her violently.

"LET GO!"

But the mother refused.

Even while being beaten, she still held onto him desperately to protect her child.

The little girl screamed while trying not to lose grip of the pillar.

At the same time—

The terrorist completely focused on the mother beneath him.

Which meant...

His attention left the surroundings.

Slowly—

I stepped out from behind the pillar.

Silent.

Careful.

The child suddenly noticed me first.

Her teary eyes widened.

I quietly placed one finger over my lips.

Then gently motioned toward her eyes.

Close them.

The little girl froze briefly before tightly shutting her eyes immediately.

Good.

Meanwhile, the terrorist suddenly frowned slightly.

Maybe instinct.

Maybe experience.

Because he turned his head halfway as if sensing something behind him.

But by then—

I had already disappeared behind the next pillar.

His suspicion faded.

"Tch."

He looked back toward the mother again before trying to pull his leg free violently.

And at that exact moment—

I quietly grabbed the emergency axe attached beside the fire extinguisher cabinet nearby.

The cold metal settled into my hand naturally.

Almost nostalgically.

My footsteps remained silent as I slowly approached from behind.

Closer.

Closer.

Closer.

The terrorist still hadn't noticed me.

His focus remained entirely on the struggling mother and child.

Then finally—

I moved.

In one swift motion, I stepped forward and drove the axe straight through his back.

THUD.

The blade pierced completely through him.

The terrorist's body froze instantly.

No scream.

No final words.

Not even enough time to react.

Just one clean strike.

Blood spread slowly across his uniform before dripping onto the polished mall floor.

The rifle slipped from his hand.

And a second later—

His body collapsed heavily beside the crying mother.

Silence.

Complete silence.

I slowly pulled the axe free without changing expression.

Meanwhile, the little girl carefully opened her eyes again.

And the first thing she saw...

Was me standing beside the dead body while blood quietly dripped from the axe in my hand.

The little girl stared at me silently.

More specifically—

At the blood slowly dripping from the axe in my hand.

For a brief second, her tiny body trembled.

Not from understanding death completely...

But from instinctive fear.

Immediately, I removed my black coat and quietly covered the dead terrorist's body from her view.

At the same time, I stepped directly in front of her so she couldn't see the corpse anymore.

The child looked up at me with watery eyes.

I lowered myself slightly to match her height before speaking gently.

"Hey."

My voice became softer than before.

"Be a good girl, okay?"

She silently sniffed while staring at me.

"Everything's going to be fine."

I lightly smiled.

"So just close your eyes and stay with your mama."

For a few seconds, the child remained frozen.

Then slowly—

She nodded.

"...Okay."

Her tiny hands grabbed her mother's sleeve tightly.

Meanwhile, Aoi calmly walked over beside us as if none of this affected her mentally at all.

But unlike earlier, her voice toward the civilians became surprisingly gentle.

"Listen carefully."

The mother immediately looked toward her.

"Go down to the first floor."

Aoi pointed toward the emergency hallway nearby.

"At the far end, there'll be a locked staff room."

"Hide there."

"And don't open the door until police arrive."

The mother trembled slightly before nodding repeatedly.

"O-Okay..."

She looked between both of us with eyes filled with disbelief and gratitude.

Then slowly—

She brought both hands together shakily in front of her chest.

A silent prayer.

A silent thank you.

Honestly...

That kind of thing always felt uncomfortable to me.

Still, neither me nor Aoi stopped her.

The mother bowed her head one last time before carefully taking her daughter away.

The little girl glanced back once while holding her mother's hand tightly.

I simply gave her another small smile.

And eventually—

They disappeared down the hallway safely.

Silence returned once again.

The body of the terrorist remained on the floor between us.

Blood slowly spread across the polished tiles beneath him.

Meanwhile, Aoi looked down at the corpse before calmly speaking.

"Clean strike."

I shrugged lightly.

"He was distracted."

"Most people still hesitate."

Her crimson eyes moved toward me again.

"You didn't."

I looked at the axe quietly for a moment.

Then answered calmly.

"...Hesitation gets people killed."

For several seconds, neither of us spoke again.

Then finally—

Aoi suddenly smirked faintly.

"You really weren't joking earlier."

"...About what?"

"About killing every terrorist here."

I slowly placed the emergency axe against my shoulder.

My expression didn't change at all.

"I never joke during work."

A faint electronic sound echoed near my ear.

Beep.

At almost the same moment, the same sound came from Aoi's neck device too.

The hidden communication system activated instantly.

A transparent interface briefly flickered near my vision before stabilizing.

Connection Established.
JP Federation Intelligence Division Connected.
Defense Intelligence Command Linked.

Then several voices entered the channel at once.

The ISIA chief sighed in relief first.

"As requested, we've completed the connection."

"The Federation Defense Intelligence Directorate officially approved operational authority."

Another calm female voice entered immediately afterward.

"So it's true after all."

The voice sounded mature.

Strict too.

One of the senior commanders from the Federation Defense Intelligence Directorate.

"You really got dragged into another disaster again, PS."

I clicked my tongue lightly.

"Can everyone stop talking like I'm the problem here?"

Meanwhile, another male officer suddenly spoke through the channel.

"Commander Aoi?!"

His voice carried complete disbelief.

"What are you doing in Republic of Ind?!"

Beside me, Aoi calmly folded her arms.

"Working."

"Commander, with all respect, that answer explains absolutely nothing."

The ISIA chief suddenly laughed awkwardly through the communication line.

"Trust me, dealing with those two together is already exhausting enough."

"Especially that idiot."

"...Can you all stop insulting me during a live terrorist attack?"

The Federation Defense Intelligence Directorate immediately answered.

"To be fair, you cause overtime for us every single time you appear."

"Was that my choice?!"

"Yes."

"No it wasn't."

"Yes it was."

I rubbed my forehead tiredly.

"We literally have mechanical organs implanted inside our bodies. Do you think I asked for this kind of life?"

"That part's fair," another operator admitted quietly.

Meanwhile, Aoi casually interrupted everyone.

"I'm taking operational lead here."

The communication channel immediately went silent for a second.

Then—

"...Understood, Commander."

I raised an eyebrow.

"See? Nobody argues with you."

Aoi smirked slightly.

"That's because unlike you, I actually know how to behave professionally."

"...You threatened someone to die five minutes ago."

"That's still professionalism."

I stared at her blankly.

Honestly...

I had no response to that.

Then suddenly—

"And stop calling me ma'am already."

Aoi looked directly at me.

"You know my name now."

"...Fine."

"And stop sounding so formal."

"...Fine, Aoi."

A faint smile appeared on her face.

"There. Better."

Then her crimson eyes narrowed slightly in amusement.

"Besides..."

"You were the one asking me out earlier."

The communication line instantly exploded with reactions.

"WAIT WHAT?!"

"PS ASKED THE COMMANDER OUT?!"

"HE FINALLY LOST HIS MIND!"

I immediately frowned.

"Can everyone shut up?"

One of my unit members laughed loudly.

"Our anti-social weapon finally evolved emotionally."

"I'm muting you."

"You can't."

Meanwhile, Aoi casually added fuel to the chaos.

"I might actually consider it."

The communication channel became completely silent.

Then—

"...What."

Even the ISIA chief sounded traumatized hearing that.

I sighed deeply.

"This is why I hate teamwork."

Aoi lightly laughed before returning to a serious expression again.

"Enough playing around."

Immediately, the atmosphere shifted.

Operation mode.

Everyone on the channel became serious instantly.

I leaned slightly against the hallway wall while speaking calmly.

"We split responsibilities."

"I'm the blade."

Aoi nodded.

"And I'm support and command."

"I'll monitor movement, provide tactical routes, and secure survivors."

The JP Federation  operators immediately started organizing data.

The ISIA chief spoke again.

"We currently estimate twenty-one terrorists inside the building."

I glanced at the corpse beside me briefly.

"Make it twenty."

A short silence followed.

Then one operator quietly muttered—

"...Right."

At the same time, I crouched beside the dead terrorist and grabbed the communication device attached near his vest.

The frequency scanner inside my mechanical implant immediately activated.

A faint pulse echoed inside my ear.

Beep. Beep.

Signal Mapping Initiated.

My eyes narrowed slightly.

"...Interesting."

Aoi looked at me.

"What?"

I stood up slowly.

"The local communication network was disabled the moment the terrorists attacked."

"Meaning phones inside the building became almost useless."

The operators on the channel immediately understood the implication.

"But the terrorists themselves are still communicating," Aoi added.

"Exactly."

I lightly tapped the stolen radio device.

"They're using an isolated radio-frequency network."

"Four connected signal hubs minimum."

The operators immediately started analyzing possible relay points.

The ISIA chief sounded confused.

"So they prepared this operation in advance?"

"Far more than you expected."

My expression darkened slightly.

"This isn't some random hostage situation anymore."

The hallway became quiet again.

Then finally—

I asked the most important question.

"...Can anyone confirm something for me?"

"What is it?" Aoi asked.

I slowly looked upward toward the ceiling above us.

"...Check whether this building contains explosives."

The communication line became silent for several seconds after my question.

Meanwhile, both me and Aoi continued moving carefully through the damaged hallway.

Broken lights flickered above us.

Smoke drifted through the air.

And somewhere in the distance—

More crying echoed faintly.

Then finally, one of the intelligence analysts spoke.

"...We found something."

Immediately, both me and Aoi stopped walking.

The analyst continued.

"We can't fully confirm it yet..."

"But based on the frequency interference, thermal readings, and the terrorists' communication pattern..."

A second operator interrupted nervously.

"...There is a high probability explosives are inside the building."

I closed my eyes briefly.

Of course there were.

Aoi crossed her arms calmly.

"Type?"

The operators hesitated.

Then finally—

"...Not RDX."

That answer alone immediately changed the atmosphere.

"What?"

The voice on the channel became heavier.

"It's a steroid-based experimental explosive."

My eyes narrowed instantly.

No way.

The operator continued speaking quickly.

"And the amount detected isn't small."

"Estimated total payload..."

Papers shuffled rapidly in the background.

"...Approximately three kilograms."

Silence.

Complete silence.

Even the ISIA chief stopped speaking.

Because everyone understood what that meant.

Then another analyst suddenly shouted from the background.

"We found additional network traces!"

"Multiple private communication relays connected through hidden telecom servers!"

The data streams updated rapidly across my visual interface.

Estimated Terrorists: 32
Confirmed Frequency Nodes: 4
Explosive Probability: Extremely High

Thirty-two.

Not twenty.

Not twenty-one.

Thirty-two armed terrorists.

And they had enough explosive material to erase an entire section of the city.

The operator's voice became tense.

"If the explosive activates..."

"...the entire mall will disappear instantly."

Another voice immediately added—

"And due to the chemical composition, secondary thermal radiation will spread outward."

A digital radius appeared across my vision.

7 Kilometer Estimated Impact Zone

Even I stayed silent seeing that.

Hundreds of thousands of civilians.

Dead.

Just like that.

The ISIA chief spoke quietly.

"...Can you do this?"

I slowly exhaled.

Meanwhile, another voice entered the communication channel.

This one carried authority far beyond the others.

Cold.

Official.

"As acting Special Commander of the JP Federation Intelligence Division..."

The entire communication network immediately went silent.

Even the operators straightened themselves.

"under direct approval from the Prime Minister and President of the JP Federation—"

Aoi's expression became serious instantly.

The voice continued.

"Operatives PS and Commander Aoi Aizawa are hereby granted full operational authorization."

A faint pulse echoed inside my neck implant.

Authorization Request Received.

The official voice continued.

"No restrictions."

"No interrogation."

"No liability."

"You are authorized to utilize one hundred percent of your combat capability."

The digital interface in front of my eyes slowly changed color.

Restriction Lock — Pending Removal

The voice became even heavier.

"This authority is recognized under emergency world defense regulation Section 17."

"Government of the Republic of Ind  has acknowledged temporary operational override under JP Federation jurisdiction."

Even the ISIA chief remained completely silent now.

Because this wasn't normal authority anymore.

This was wartime authorization.

Then finally—

The final words came.

"Operation Formation-17 is now active."

Aoi slowly closed her eyes.

Meanwhile, the system inside my neck emitted another faint electronic sound.

Restriction Lock Removed.
Combat Limiter — OFF

The voice delivered the final order calmly.

"You both are authorized to eliminate hostile targets on sight."

"No further approval required."

"And from this moment onward..."

The communication line became deadly silent.

"...The success of this mission depends entirely on the two of you."

For several seconds—

Neither me nor Aoi spoke.

Then eventually, I slowly looked toward her.

"...Well."

I adjusted my blood-stained sleeve calmly.

"Looks like we're officially allowed to be monsters again."

Aoi stared at me quietly.

Then—

A faint smile appeared on her face.

"No."

Her crimson eyes glowed slightly beneath the broken mall lights.

"...We're being ordered to."

The moment the authorization ended—

I moved.

Fast.

I grabbed the dead terrorist's rifle from the floor and immediately checked the remaining ammunition.

Loaded.

Good enough.

Meanwhile, Aoi quietly watched me from beside the hallway.

"...You already have a plan."

"I always do."

Without wasting another second, I dragged the dead terrorist's body into a nearby clothing store.

The blood trail smeared lightly across the polished floor before disappearing behind the entrance.

Then I positioned the corpse carefully behind a broken display shelf.

From a distance—

It would almost look like someone had been shot and collapsed there.

I quickly spread some of the terrorist's blood across my sleeve and shoulder before lying partially exposed near the entrance.

Aoi immediately understood the idea.

"Bait?"

"Bait."

I adjusted my breathing before firing a single shot toward the ceiling.

BANG!

The gunshot echoed across the entire floor.

Then silence.

A few seconds later—

The terrorists' radios instantly became active.

"What was that?!"

"Gunshot near Sector C!"

"Check it out!"

Footsteps.

Coming fast.

I quietly lowered my body further while keeping one eye barely open.

From a distance, with the blood and angle—

It looked convincing enough.

Like I had been shot during an ambush.

Meanwhile, Aoi completely disappeared from sight.

Hidden.

Perfect positioning.

The approaching terrorist slowly moved into the hallway with his rifle raised carefully.

He looked around cautiously.

"...What happened here?"

Step.

Step.

Step.

Closer.

His eyes landed on me.

Then on the blood.

Then toward the hidden body inside the store.

Confusion appeared on his face instantly.

He slowly approached while scanning the surroundings.

Trying to locate the supposed shooter.

Exactly as expected.

I remained motionless.

Not even breathing deeply.

The terrorist finally reached only a few feet away from me.

Still searching for danger.

Still unaware he was already dead.

Then—

I slowly opened one eye.

And looked directly at him.

The terrorist froze.

For one tiny second—

Pure instinctive fear crossed his face.

I gave him a small smile.

Then lightly raised one finger.

Tick.

At that exact moment—

PHSHH!

A suppressed gunshot echoed softly from behind him.

The bullet pierced straight through his head instantly.

The terrorist's body jerked violently before collapsing beside me without even understanding what happened.

Blood splattered lightly across the floor tiles.

Meanwhile, Aoi stepped out silently from the shadows behind him while holding a suppressed pistol calmly in one hand.

"...Nice acting."

I stood up slowly.

"You shot half a second later than expected."

"You still survived."

"Barely."

Aoi glanced down at the corpse.

Then toward the hallway ahead.

"Thirty left."

I looked at the blood spreading around our feet.

"...Long night."

I picked up the remaining equipment from the dead terrorists while checking their ammunition quickly.

Then I glanced toward Aoi.

"...Ma'am."

She immediately frowned.

"Stop calling me that already."

I shrugged.

"Fine. Commander?"

"I know what you're trying to do."

Aoi crossed her arms while staring at me calmly.

"I stay above and monitor movement."

"You infiltrate the ground floor."

I blinked once.

"...How did you know that?"

"I'm your commander."

"...That's unfair."

A faint smirk appeared on her face.

"And stop acting like you're some bullied junior officer."

"I never said that."

"You implied it."

I sighed dramatically.

"You're surprisingly mean, you know that?"

"And you're surprisingly annoying."

"...Ouch."

Despite saying that, I still smiled slightly.

Meanwhile, Aoi looked toward the ground-floor hall through the broken railing above us.

"Anyway."

Her expression became serious again.

"The hostage zone is directly below."

"I'll track terrorist movement from the first floor."

"And you?"

I picked up one of the terrorists' jackets before covering my face with the black cloth attached to it.

"I'll join the crowd."

Aoi stared at me for a second before nodding slowly.

"...Be careful."

I adjusted the disguise properly before looking back at her again.

"You know..."

A small grin appeared on my face.

"You actually look cute when you're worried."

Aoi's eyes narrowed instantly.

"...Focus on the mission."

"Hah."

I lightly laughed.

"Still, I really do want to go out with you after this."

To my surprise—

Aoi answered calmly.

"...I was considering it too."

For one brief second, I genuinely froze.

Meanwhile, she casually continued walking toward the upper hallway.

"But before that..."

Her voice turned cold again.

"...we end this stupid game first."

And just like that—

The commander disappeared into the shadows above.

Meanwhile, I headed downstairs alone.

The ground floor looked even worse than expected.

Dozens of civilians sat on the floor with their hands behind their heads.

Children cried quietly.

Several injured people leaned against pillars while armed terrorists patrolled around them.

The fear in the air was suffocating.

Still—

Nobody paid much attention to me after seeing the disguise.

Interesting.

As I quietly moved among them, I noticed something strange.

The terrorists barely used names.

No direct identification.

No personal communication.

Whenever they referred to someone, it was always:

"That guy."

"Other side."

"Move there."

"Switch position."

At first it sounded normal.

But after hearing it repeatedly—

A conclusion formed inside my head.

...They don't fully know each other.

Or at the very least—

They were intentionally keeping identities hidden even among themselves.

Compartmentalization.

Professional setup.

That explained the radio structure too.

This operation was far more organized than a normal terrorist attack.

Meanwhile, another armed man approached me casually.

He lightly bumped fists with me before speaking.

"I'm taking break."

He pointed toward the civilians.

"Your turn. Make sure nobody causes trouble."

I simply nodded without speaking much.

The less I talked—

The safer the disguise remained.

Soon, I positioned myself near two other terrorists guarding a section of hostages.

One of the civilians suddenly glared at us hatefully.

"You people are insane."

His voice trembled with anger.

"The army will kill all of you eventually."

One of the terrorists instantly kicked the man back down.

"Shut up."

But the civilian continued angrily.

"You think you'll escape this—"

At that exact moment—

An opening appeared.

I suddenly lifted my rifle slightly as if preparing to shoot the hostage.

Then intentionally jammed the weapon.

Click.

"...Tch."

Both terrorists beside me immediately looked over.

"What happened?"

"My gun jammed."

One of them stepped closer instantly.

"Give it here."

Perfect.

While they focused entirely on the rifle—

My hands already moved.

Two hidden knives slid silently from my sleeves.

Then—

In one smooth motion—

I drove both blades directly into their necks at the same time.

THK.

The attacks were precise.

Calculated.

The blades severed critical nerves instantly.

Their bodies froze before they could even react properly.

One dropped his rifle immediately.

The other tried to speak—

But only broken choking sounds escaped his throat.

Their nervous systems collapsed instantly.

No screaming.

No gunshots.

No alarms.

Just silence.

The nearby hostages stared at me in horror.

Immediately, I raised one finger toward my lips.

Quiet.

Then I gestured carefully toward the children.

"Close their eyes."

Some parents understood instantly.

Others froze in shock.

"Do it," I whispered coldly.

"If you don't want them remembering this."

That finally forced them to move.

Parents quickly covered the children's eyes.

Some adults shut their own eyes too.

A few idiots still stared.

Curiosity.

Fear.

Disbelief.

Humans always looked at things they shouldn't.

Meanwhile, the two terrorists remained barely alive on the floor.

Dangerous.

If left breathing, they could still trigger alarms somehow.

So without expression—

I finished the job quickly and silently.

No hesitation.

No emotion.

Only efficiency.

Because leaving enemies alive in a situation like this...

Got innocent people killed.

The two terrorists collapsed onto the floor almost at the same time.

Their bodies twitched briefly before becoming completely still.

Silence immediately swallowed the area.

The nearby civilians stared at me with pale faces.

Some looked terrified.

Others looked like they were about to throw up.

Meanwhile, I calmly wiped the blood from one of the knives before raising a finger toward my lips.

"Quiet."

My voice stayed low.

But sharp enough to freeze everyone instantly.

"If any of you scream..."

My eyes slowly moved across the civilians.

"...then both you and I die together."

Nobody dared respond.

Even the children stayed silent after seeing the expressions on the adults around them.

Good.

Without wasting another second, I quickly removed the bloodstained outer clothing I had used earlier upstairs and switched into more neutral clothes taken from the terrorists.

Then—

I simply walked into the middle of the hostage crowd and sat down among them like another terrified civilian.

Several people immediately shifted nervously to make space for me.

The same older man from earlier—the one who had yelled at me inside the bathroom—stared at me blankly.

"...Who exactly are you?"

Others nearby looked at me too.

One woman whispered carefully.

"Are you from the Republic of Ind military?"

"Nah."

I answered casually while leaning slightly against a pillar.

"I'm not connected to the Republic of Ind military."

The civilians exchanged confused looks.

"Then who are you?"

I stayed silent for a second before answering quietly.

"...An agent working under the JP Federation government."

That answer only confused them more.

"...JP Federation government?"

"What does the JP Federation have to do with this?"

"Is this attack connected to them?"

The panic in their voices started rising again.

Immediately, I sighed softly.

"Relax."

I looked at them calmly.

"The JP Federation government is helping."

"That's all you need to know."

Still, the uncle beside me frowned deeply.

"But... you look like you're from the Republic of Ind."

"...And?"

He froze slightly after hearing my tone.

"It doesn't matter what I look like."

The old man stayed quiet after that.

Meanwhile, I kept my eyes focused straight ahead toward the far side of the hall.

Toward the direction where the bodies of the terrorists now lay hidden from the main crowd.

Everyone around me unconsciously started staring in the same direction too.

Then the uncle suddenly asked another question quietly.

"...Then why are you sitting here with us?"

This time—

I finally glanced at him directly.

"Because I trust terrorists more than panic."

"...What?"

"I know civilians can accidentally ruin situations."

I looked away again.

"But you?"

A faint tired smile appeared on my face.

"I don't think you'd betray me."

The uncle looked genuinely stunned hearing that.

Before he could answer—

I spoke again loudly enough for the nearby civilians to hear.

"One more thing."

Everyone nearby immediately focused on me.

"Anyone with children..."

My eyes slowly moved toward the terrified families nearby.

"...make sure they close their eyes whenever things start happening."

The atmosphere became heavier instantly.

"And people with weak hearts too."

I leaned my head lightly against the pillar behind me.

"I'm serious."

Some civilians nervously looked at each other.

Meanwhile, I continued calmly.

"If you can't handle brutality..."

"...then don't look."

A woman immediately covered her child's ears tightly after hearing that.

Good.

Because honestly—

Things were only going to get worse from here.

I closed my eyes briefly before adding one final sentence.

"And if you ignore my warning and end up unable to sleep afterward..."

I opened my eyes again slowly.

"...that's not my responsibility."