Loss

  One would've thought Wondurs to stop at least some routes for their railways to bring back their troops and defend their home, but it didn't happen. Strict and 'going for the best option', they let their soldiers wander just a shorter distance than Gexi soldiers before arriving to the capital city. Wondurs was as close as Kunkek, but only Kunkek was small enough to not cause worries, not Wondurs.

  The end result was the brutal destruction of the social order in the 3 largest, most influential cities. The capital wasn’t as widely touched, but it was still worse off than Gexi and Kunkek combined, and once again, no one who was in the police or provisional national guard were left alive. Loba ordered the special agents to steal vital information, after all.

  The enemy coalition was in shambles, but Kunkek had it worse from them all. Gexi and Wondurs knew to differentiate the country’s warning and the frontlines. But Kunkek were all over the place, like ants whose anthill hole was flooded.

  They also imposed a martial law throughout their nation, resulting in sudden deaths from their civilians every day, almost every hour. This curfew was at all times, further stagnating and crippling Kunkek’s livelihood.

  Gexi weren’t better just because they let their nation rot while their frontlines became worried and lost whichever chances to at least step a little further every day they had. Their situation was as bad, but at least they didn’t stop the flow of everything, nor did they kill their own civilians.

  But Wondurs was truly worse off from the attacks of the special agents to them than Gexi and Kunkek. Their largest cities turned to useless piles of cement jungle, also destroyed, besides maiming their flow of resources and credits.

  Their capital was just in the middle of it all, with their systems flooded, exploded, personnel missing, mostly not killed but hidden in embarrassing places, and no security whatsoever. There was no clean water, no incoming food soon enough before starvation occurred as others took more than they should’ve, and no connection to the internet world.

  Moreover, being a large source of resources throughout the central provinces, Wondurs’ 3 largest cities and capital’s failure and its further lack of necessities extended across the nation. No electricity, enough water, and internet spread throughout Wondurs, albeit not entirely nor forever.

  KAA suffers under the war they started, but the Ziacas never let such events happen to them. The enemy coalition’s hoogs never had a chance to trespass the blockade of agents in every city, and when they did, they were rapidly hunted down by other prepared agents.

  Them? Not only was the enemy too busy with the KAA’s sole hoog, they also gave more than enough excuses for any special agent, let alone KAA, who couldn’t have been waiting for longer.

  … As the 5th day of the 5th month’s 2nd week arrived, in the afternoon, the groups sent to Wondurs, Gexi, and Kunkek returned to KAA.

  They were complete. Some were injured, with parts of their NUAs irreparably destroyed, even some from Fox’s chosen agents, but that was to be expected. When Fox was making his way to the noble building through hidden routes under the city, he met with Nala, who led her people.

  She was one of the few who also led about 300 special agents with her, but like him, they all returned complete, with their NUAs still more than 70% of their energy left in them. Smirking for a moment, Fox closed onto the wonderful wife and joined their groups.

  While she wouldn’t show it, Nala watched Fox from the corner of her eye, as if they were holding hands while moving forth. They didn’t speak, however.

  When they entered a large elevator for about 50 people to stand side by side, and more than enough to endure the 50 medium NUAs’ weight, she leaned her helmet on his. Fox stared at her gray, light blue eyes behind their visors, startled but gladdened.

  The doors opened, and with the interiors of the noble building showing to them, they were welcomed by the bright, sunny halls and hundreds of people waiting for them.

  “HURRAAAAAAAAAH!” CHEEERS! CLAMOOR! CLAP, CLAP, CLAP, CLAP…!!

  The numerous elevators around their rear continuously sent people up and opened their gates. Fox was startled again. Nala looked at them with narrowed eyes, fairly impressed, too. The PSD and Fox’s chosen agents looked at this and felt elated, while HL might as well almost have rushed into their fellow nationals and celebrated their first crushing victory; first.

  But they couldn’t. They were special agents first before showing a civilian’s behavior.

  Amidst the ruckus, with the entire noble building celebrating from the top to the bottom, Fox took his left armored wrist off and grabbed Nala’s hand. Then, they went to the general war room as the leading special agents who led in each country.

  Jue Soyeon and Li Yachi, who left before Fox, the latter wanting to try the hoog headquarters there a little more, were already inside and waiting for them. Tang Wei and Haoran Dongmei stood beside Bai Natasha, with Esmeralda standing in front of her, wearing double emerald shoulder pads.

  The doors were open, so as soon as Fox and Nala stepped into view, Esmeralda looked up, and her profound black eyes brightened like never before in the past several days. They almost smiled, but she kept a strict expression.

  “Come on in— PR’s spokespeople are arriving soon. Close the gate,” Bai Natasha worded. Fox and Nala went in, passing by the people still applauding near the war room, some were even special agents of the entry level.

  As soon as the gates closed, the sound from the outside muffled, and Fox was once again in proximity of his sweet wives. Esmeralda looked cuter when being strict and all so serious. Luis was nothing like this. If only Fox had met Roroa in the past, too…

  “Congratulations,” Bai Natasha articulated. “Wondurs, Gexi, and Kunkek, and even our northeastern neighbors are changing their… ‘faces’.”

  Fox walked to a gear-shaped spot with Nala, standing just beside her, but she took a step backwards and let him face the rest alone. Fox blinked a few times before nodding.

  “I assume we’ll resume with the second half before KAA can take further action. We’ll talk more about it once the others return as well. If you’re curious to see how it has been going, we have started communications. ‘Party citadel’ and ‘party rebel’ initially responded, but only party citadel seems aligned to aid after these… victories.” Natasha briefed Fox a bit.

  Fox silently nodded again. Natasha stared at him before resuming, “Party rebel is silent still, but the Sovereigns and I believe this to change when the operation is complete. Again, congra-”

  Tumph~. The gates opened again, revealing Lean, Kusmina, and Nikitina. They were healthy and complete, with bright eyes and confident auras. They were the farthest from KAA, but they still arrived a few minutes after Kunkek and Wondurs’ groups.

  “I apologize for the interruption,” Lean said before walking together to a spot. Natasha looked at them with drooped eyelids, “Take a seat. Junior Tang Wei will brief you on the session until now.”

  The PR group nodded, staring directly at the Supreme Leader before hearing from Tang Wei. However, they continued to stare at Bai Natasha. Furthermore, their gazes were different to when they first arrived, no longer troublesome and slightly complicated, but warm, like family.

  That was at least from their part. Natasha didn’t stare anywhere near their general direction after that. And at this moment, Esmeralda jolted on her spot standing in front of Natasha and excitedly said, “Foxie, we have a lot to talk about. Senior Natasha might not show it, but she’s helped me so much!”

  “…” Natasha looked down at Esmeralda from behind her, her expression wordless. Fox blinked as a small grin formed at his lips for a moment. Nala tilted her head behind his, also inexpressive. Fox gestured, wanting softness after having fun outside, “Miss Natasha, Esme, I want to talk elsewhere. Where to?”

  The PR groups didn’t have their full NUAs on anymore, but he and Nala did. Now that they were in closed doors and PR group has arrived, Fox took them off after making the request.

  “This compartment,” Natasha nodded, slowly blinking before nudging her chin in the air towards a hidden door. Esmeralda blinked both eyes to him before walking there herself. Fox kept his helmet under his armpit and followed, with Nala behind.

  They went through a narrow hallway between bookshelves, which led to a thin-looking wall. Esmeralda gently palmed it before pulling it, showing an unnaturally wide door before going in.

  As soon as they went in, Esmeralda quickly took Fox’s armor off and hugged him, pushing her face hard into his neck, chest, and face. Fox held her cheek with his right hand and rubbed their glabellae together, ever so slightly.

  “She’s a treasure.” Natasha stood at the side, watching for a couple of seconds while blinking before commenting. Fox nudged his head upwards and smooched Esmeralda’s tip of her nose before turning to Natasha, “She is more than that, and better than any. Mm.”

  “Thank you,” Fox added amidst Natasha’s left eyebrow’s jump and startlement. Nala grabbed Esmeralda’s hands and kissed her forehead afterwards before facing Natasha as well. Bai Natasha nodded and said, crossing her arms, “She doesn’t have any issue with her body, nor is breath simply not that fluent for her. It is like a color blind person being told which is color is which and to remember it from then on.”

  Fox curiously frowned while Esmeralda nodded continuously, her pretty big eyes blinking and stuck on him and Nala. Natasha added, “It’s a condition that has no name. Almost not even a condition… just a style of life.”

  “Treasure.” Fox slightly pouted his lips in a smile. He caressed Esmeralda’s cheek with his right thumb. Natasha leaned her head to the right, a bit confused. Then, she understood. “Treasure breath? Treasure… flow of Treasure?”

  “All that is fine.” Fox coiled his arms around his wifey’s waist, Nala looked with some tenderness in her eyes, new but all so welcome. Natasha watched and wondered who knew what and who knew how much in her head until Fox turned to her again.

  “About the second half… I got new ideas… and have new guesses.” Fox’s words intrigued Natasha, who didn’t forget how he addressed her before, so she commented. “Only you dare to call me miss, you know? Alright, let’s go talk it with the rest.”

  … Several hours later, until the deep of the following night. After talking it out, and giving the special agents more than enough resting time, the operation had to continue.

  Before, the HL agents had been mostly unwilling to cause so much distress in Kunkek and Gexi, only joining as the situation could have been worse, or more of the same, and killed the worrisome variables.

  Wondurs was another matter, it was to obey Nala or step back; and thus, what happened happened, and half of Wondurs became cripples. But while that was temporary, for most of the affected regions, the entire nation was curled with fear.

  Now, the situation was a little different. Knight Assembly Association has shown the world, and more so their immediate neighbors and the Dawn supercontinent, that their enemies weren’t that powerful. More so, they recuperated the notion that the Ziacas weren’t a people to bully.

  The entire world has watched and heard of what happened in those cities, especially Wondurs’s largest cities and capital, and so have the westernmost Dawn countries, and the rest of the south.

  But the south wasn’t yet decided, while the westernmost regions seemed just about to start talking. Thus, considering the prospects, the second half would be about the K Tribe nations.

  They each had Kunkek military bases in their countries, way before even this century, whereas they’ve been bullied worse than when they haven’t been built. To help them recuperate that part of peacefulness they had only the first century after the Green Humanism as a whole.

  The remaining of the K Tribe nations had been living in the shadow of Kunkek afterwards, slowly spreading from Kunkakt to Kakikak. The only K Tribe nations who didn’t suffer this were the ‘original’ Korkan in the north and westernmost Kekkaki. But these were scaredy neutrals, unlike the oppressed south.

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  For this, although Ziaca’s special forces were straight out victorious against Kunkek’s ‘new borders’ before, the enemy coalition still had a lot to pull from. They recuperated as much as they could, albeit afraid of another special agent ‘supremacy’ rushing past them.

  This time, however, the special forces would go all out to destroy and annihilate them while the special forces focused on liberating the southern K Tribe nations from Kunkek… and ANS.

  This time, they were moving through land and in even smaller groups, as well as with smaller quantities. With the previous major successes, the enemy would love to get back at them, so most HL agents were ready to detect and fend off any enemy special agents that came to KAA cities and strongholds.

  In this case, Fox selected all his chosen special agents, about 115 people including him. Nala wanted to also bring a small amount of agents, but this time, Esmeralda wasn’t staying behind. Her breath wasn’t stagnated like before, but still short of enough.

  She needed experience, and more so, to be tempered by the brutality and superhumanity of 1st Grade-Captain level of battles in the secret world. Thus, Nala would lead 230 agents instead, like most others.

  Each southern K Tribe nation had at least 9 Kunkek military bases. The one with the most, 13 military bases, was Kunkakt, which was also where Fox was tasked to carry on the task. Out of each country’s 9, they should at least take 7 out for an entire completion ratio and consider the operation a success.

  The problem was, with the enemy being more than ready to get back at them, and having fortified their defenses in just these hours, they also ought to know to defend their remaining strategic points. Those military bases would be filled to the brim with soldiers and special agents, no doubt.

  Fearing this outcome, and hearing Fox’s words out like a sacred creed, HL and PR elites further went with the motion. Furthermore, they took some notes to analyze the enemy’s defenses and manpower in a secret world headquarters, this time only stronghold-level, from Fox as well.

  Fox flew in the heavy combat helicopter along many KAA combat helicopters, bringing a few thousand at most to the southern borders. The enemy saw this, but what could they do?

  After landing and before leaving, Fox grabbed a motorcycle and neared Nala and Esmeralda. They were readied to move out, with sounds of the special forces once again surprising the enemy before they, the special agents, were detected, heard from the distance.

  “Tomorrow we’ll decide if we continue. There might be a chance they won’t respond fast enough, holing in their capitals. It would be a sorrowful defeat if we did hit that, so we could extend the second half.” Fox said to Nala. Esmeralda looked at them, her expression focused.

  “That’s good. But don’t overextend yourself, mm? Don’t go around killing your folk.” Esmeralda commented, while Nala simply nodded. They had done lots of bed’s talks about life when resting for 2 short hours before flying here.

  “I won’t. We’ll return home after this, and Lymoca will grant us vacations… We can plan ‘things’ then, mm?” Fox spoke gently. This time, he brought Nala’s wholehearted attention to himself, with Esmeralda nodding with a warm smile.

  “Well then,” Fox put his helmet on and spoke with his helmet’s communications. “Good hunt— lye.”

  “Lye.” - “Lye~.” Nala and Esmeralda called back respectively. The rest of the Firsters and Captains, including Miros, Elega, and the rest of Nala’s team, also called out. “Lye!!”

  The PR and HL looked at this development with silence; respectful, courteous silence. Then, Fox drove his motorcycle to his group’s front and faced the southwest, with Kunkeet just north. He gave his wives one last, long look before hurrying forth.

  “…” - “…” Nala and Esmeralda watched him go before moving forth, heading to their task.

  Neither had to command their people for this, working with those they worked the best with all these years. Besides unstoppable, they would prove themselves to be a scary force among all, however small they are.

  … The first day went by with ease, even when many groups faced tough resistance. To start the early morning, everyone in the same group went towards one of the most important military bases of their respective target country. The enemy was ready, but still bested.

  There was about the same amount of special agents, from 200 to 300 at most, with over a thousand special forces elements and almost 5,000 soldiers. Such was the enemy’s formation.

  Thankfully, despite their preparations, they still couldn’t quite detect the Vipers, and they still didn’t know how silently lethal the Insect Snakes are, exposing everyone to the special agents’ hands. Fox’s group didn’t take more than an hour to finish their military base off.

  Thus, after a victory, melting the military base even to the underground ‘secret’ bases, they went for another 3.

  When everyone returned to their rendezvous point, all group leaders meeting, they decided to keep going for another 2 days, exerting as much as they could. KAA’s fate very well depended on this. They had a little experience and lots of feedback, which they could share on and on as the days went by to further annihilate these bases. Besides Fox, only Nala took 3 military bases, while the others took only 2 down in total for the first day.

  They also reported back to KAA, ensuring the K Tribe nations in question were reported with what was happening. Before the second day’s morning lights, the special agents’ groups set off again, this time more lethal and ruthless than before. Nala’s style on Wondurs; for comparison.

  One of the notable differences was that they spread this time. They divided into 2 groups, 3 for those with at least 200+ special agents in their group. Fox also divided twice, sending 50 and 65 chosen agents around Kunkek’s northern regions to melt the military bases down.

  He was in the 50-large group, which took 3 military bases on the second day, while the 65-large group took 2. When they reunited before returning to the rendezvous point, they were roughened up but mostly fine. Fox’s group was a little better in comparison.

  The second day went as such. Thus, the other groups destroyed about 5 military bases in total for the second day, while Nala, whose targeted country had 11 military bases, had melted 7 down. From 3 on the first day to 4 on the second, having dividing their groups into 4 this time. They also had the less damage and injuries, with no casualties, which wasn’t the case for all the other groups.

  This time, their shared information was immense, especially from Nala, who taught the other groups like an adult surrounded by children. Esmeralda helped, but only a little. Nala was quite passionate of her explanations, and proud after seeing Fox’s face once she finished.

  The third day began. They would finally return to KAA at night and take the vacations they fucking deserved.

  This time, Fox divided his group into 3. 20 went with him, with 45 and 40 dividing into another 2 groups. Like this, they targeted the remaining 4 military bases. At first, however, it was only 3.

  But as 12 out of 13 enemy military bases were destroyed, with these 3 last ones hosting scared special agents, let alone special forces or even soldiers and provisional national guard, Fox decided to end it all. If Kunkek was completely driven off the other southern K Tribe nations, with the spirit of all Kunkek and KAA’s neighbors, they might stand up in a jiffy, emboldened to no end.

  Thus, with his 20 chosen agents, Fox remained in Kunkakt and hunted for the last military base while the others left and reunited with the rest of the groups.

  … Fox spent only about 30 minutes swooping through the military base, using the ‘outdated’ rifles and submachine guns besides Miros’s babies. Furthermore, they had a Fox. All he had to do is use his left arm, grab a SM, and tie it around heavy-weight explosives to shock the entire military base again and again before reaping them many by many in the confusion.

  Now, the only thing left was their ‘secret’ base below. Fox led his still 20 chosen agents down to finish whatever was left.

  Step, step, step, step… Once underground, Fox frowned. He started hearing the same sounds repeatedly, muffled and in a specific area instead of all over the place. It wasn’t the typical, same confusion, fear for their lives, and hushing of their voices so they won’t be heard, all in vain.

  But with the evening approaching, Fox motioned to move a little faster. The place was empty, with the only movement coming from an armored room. Fox waited in front of it as an agent pressed commands on a panel at the side. The walls parted to the sides, showing a glass window with… a variety of people in there.

  There were what seemed like K Tribe nations’ people, mostly black-skinned, with some other different ones. But there were also lab-coats inside, pushed and squeezed, with some blood and mushed flesh below their feet from the stomping and an earlier revenge killing, perhaps.

  Tck… “!” Just as Fox thought of aiming to destroy the window, which wasn’t armored in the slightest, he heard the tiniest of sounds. Immediately, he turned around and roared, “Incursion!!”

  Tr- rrrrrr r r r r rr r rr r rr r r r r r r- bang bang bang bang bang- BAAAAAAAANG! BOOM BOOM…!

  His chosen agents took positions and fired at a plethora of non-anti-KAA coalition agents, sending all their pivots one time after another. They further prepared to use their comets and threw as many explosive bions as available. Fox grabbed multiple SMs from his NUA’s storage pockets and did the same, but at some point, an enormous explosion went off.

  Fox’s harshly eyes widened after it happened, coming behind a wall which didn’t make a single sound before. Watching through the hole of the explosion, several hundred meters away, there was a tank aiming at them, and with its second cannon just positioning to fire as well.

  Half his agents from before were reached. Their arms burned, and their helmets were off, a couple died with incomplete heads, hanging eyes, and melted brain matter. The enemy continued to pop in, but another shot was fired from the tank.

  Fox ignored another a few of his chosen agents getting hit, dying immediately or on their way to as they convulsed, before throwing a SM with his left arm. The tank tried to fire at it with small turrets, but the concrete between them blocked too many bullets before destroying the walls. The SM flew into the second cannon and exploded just as the third cannon was charging.

  BOOOOOOOM! The tank was destroyed, causing a lot of shaking in the secret base, but hundreds of enemy special agents continued pouring in. Fox’s eyes trembled a bit, his senses becoming hyper sensitive after a long time, and his ultra nails instantly came out as he stood up from his position.

  Only 5 of his chosen agents remained, while those still agonizing on the floor were executed by enemy agents, firing them down after surrounding them without stopping. Most of them avoided Fox, and the tank had even… even aimed so it wouldn’t hit him and he could escape.

  But this made only Fox madder. Before those 5 were bested, Fox dashed forwards, entering into the enemy ranks and brandishing his arms like an animal, throwing his comets off without noticing, killing some through gaps and cracks.

  He focused on his ultra nails and teeth, biting through armor and injuring his mouth time and again. Whatever SMs he had remaining were utilized, blowing away dozens of enemies at times. Whoever got close enough or thought of facing him at melee became little unrecognizable parts from the torso to the feet while Fox was shot from all angles, melting his NUA. But he didn’t care.

  Within minutes, as hundreds and hundreds of special agents at the level of Firsters joined, Fox’s NUA was wholly broken. His nails continued penetrating through, at least from his left arm, but his teeth became chunks of fragments, while his right arm was broken on several fractions.

  With his bloody sight, and all his chosen agents turned to unrecognizable mixes of shrapnel and flesh, Fox was thrown to the ground, several high NUA boots stomping on his bare head and back, crushing his limbs. His mouth was extremely bloody as the rest of his face except for his eyes and the upper side of his nose’s bridge.

  Slowly… as he tried to lift his eyes, wanting to see who were above and his polycoria eyes focused on data, his everything darkened…

  … 4 hours later. Once Fox’s chosen agents returned to the rendezvous point, they notified Esmeralda and Nala, who were asked about Fox by PR and HL’s elite leaders. They waited some more, but an hour felt like it was too much. They still decided to wait a little more, when they received an alerting notification, delayed but secure, from Fox’s WID about being more careful and extra cautious of hidden enemies.

  Thus, they went to look for him after 3 hours. When they arrived at the scene, only seeing the massacred people in a glass room, and about 15 or so unrecognizable corpses with only the rests of many more dead but brought away. Nala and Esmeralda were angered… but also fearful and nervous.

  . . .

  2 weeks later. Lymoca, presidential office.

  Luis had gone out of the ‘honeymoon phase’, whereas he had started to see the matters of nowadays Lymoca. The regions were stabilized, and help was abundant everywhere. Many Lys gained jobs through the new regions’ projects, building and helping people. There was even this Pearl Eyes organization, which began gaining fame and love in Terka since about 2 years ago.

  However, having settled down and faced multiple serious matters with Lesly and his cabinet, and all the lower cabinet, everything floated in balance. This brought serene progress to the new Lys and Lymoca that was much required. Thankfully, it arrived as soon as possible.

  But this also made Luis wonder what was happening on the other side. The 6th month was just starting, and he had yet to receive word from them. Why was his sweet, married daughter not back yet?

  Riiing- beep. As if to answer him, because the universe obviously listened to Lymoca’s needs, Luis received a call from his daughter. He snapped his neck just to look at it quickly, with his hand’s movement precise and trained. Luis took the call and smiled, “Hey, Esme~. Why-”

  “Dad, Fox was… Fox was taken away from us.” Esmeralda’s voice slightly trembled. Luis’s face fell. She continued, “We are trying to locate where they brought him, whoever they were. It was hard… almost impossible to find something, but even the EPA Commonwealth has come to aid us. We’ll… be off for a while until we find him, okay? Contact you then… bye… Take care, okay?”

  “…” Luis’s face further worsened. He slowly stood up. Just in time, Roam opened the doors to his office and entered, about to greet the President, but stopped when he felt the atmosphere and saw Luis.

  Slowly… with his fingers bleeding… Luis crushed his cellphone. He was angered.

  Roam waited a few minutes before walking forth to help clean the President’s hand, but he was unresponsive throughout, staring off at the window without acknowledging him. Until Lesly came. Her at ease smile also erased the moment he saw Luis.

  ***

  Fox couldn’t tell what was happening, he was lost, and he felt no physical remembrance; now added to his sentimental. Thankfully, he wasn't truly alone. Something only he could understand, and he was taken care of.

  Sometimes, he saw the blue above, or the ground below, moving while some boots, shoes, and bare feet looked blurry, unintelligible. Other times, he saw interiors. From buildings, small and big, to those of planes, kitchens, laboratories, and even airports, as well as underwater. His eyes went through all kinds of moving footage as he felt the movement.

  But his mind couldn’t process it. Everything… it was just too much. While Fox saw numerous images, especially with muffled sounds gently banging at his ears, teasing him because he could not hear nor identify a thing, he mostly saw black.

  It wasn’t until he felt cold around his wrists, shoulders, elbows, and between his fingers; that he realized he could wake up now. His eyes were tired, and he was sure he wasn’t opening them, but he could lift his head. Just then, a voice sounded before him, from one of the 2 white figures standing in front of him, blurry and… so vulnerable.

  “Oho? It can move already. Isn’t the drug still affective? Hey~! You there! What’s going on?” - “Hah. Hells know. Give him more! We need to experiment first. Otherwise, I feel shy.” - “Hahahahahaha, so funny.”

  …

  This is the end of Volume 8 — A World Suffocated.

  Let It Rain's note: Thanks for reading.