CHAPTER 192: Blood War-8

CHAPTER 192: Blood War-8

The dark forest surrounding the former Nazi base was wrapped in an unsettling silence, broken only by the whispers of the wind and the dry crackles under the soldiers' boots. Tension was palpable in the air. Alpha and Bravo Teams advanced in formation, prepared for a mission that many considered suicidal: to exterminate Marius and his pack.

In a clearing surrounded by twisted trees, both teams gathered. The commander of Alpha Team, a man with a face weathered by years and a gaze that seemed to pierce everything, unfolded a detailed map of the lair on the damp ground. Flashlights illuminated the paper among trembling shadows.

"This is the main entrance," he pointed, marking a spot with his finger. "It's the most direct route… and the most dangerous. Here we will initiate the attack to create chaos."

He then slid his finger toward other sectors of the map.

"Bravo Team, you will take the east flank and enter through the emergency exit. Alpha will handle the west wing. There are reports that they may be holding hostages or priority material in that area."

He slowly looked up, scanning the tense faces of his men.

"Remember one thing: our main target is Marius. If he falls, everything falls. But do not underestimate the lycans. They are fast, brutal, and… vicious. Do not hesitate to shoot."

One of the soldiers from Bravo Team, young and visibly nervous, raised his hand.

"Sir… how reliable is the map? What if there are surprises?"

"There are always surprises," the commander replied with cutting serenity. "That's why we go in shooting. We will cause confusion from the very first second. Alpha on one side, Bravo on the other. And no one improvises without a direct order."

The soldiers nodded almost in unison. With silent, precise movements, they approached the main entrance of the old base. The commander raised his fist, stopping the group. Everything was too quiet. Too perfect.

"Now!" he roared.

The explosion thundered among the trees. The base's metal doors gave way instantly, hurled inward by the blast wave. Alpha and Bravo burst in firing, their silver bullets piercing the darkness like bright arrows. From inside, the roars of the lycans answered, guttural and furious, announcing an imminent carnage.

Alpha Team turned right as they entered, while Bravo took the opposite flank. The former Nazi base transformed into an infernal battlefield. Bullets whistled, bodies fell, and the air became impregnated with a metallic and wild smell.

In the midst of the chaos, amidst flashes of gunfire and torn screams, a figure emerged walking with absolute calm.

Marius.

Leader of the lycans. Monster among monsters.

He advanced as if the hell unleashed around him were nothing but a murmur. Over his shoulders he carried the unconscious bodies of Selene and Michael, showing no effort whatsoever.

Not far from him, Raze, his right-hand man, fired from behind makeshift cover. Seeing his leader, Marius raised his voice, which thundered even over the din of the battle:

"Raze! Abandon this useless fight. Take our guests to a place where they cannot escape. Chain them with silver shackles."

Raze did not question a single word. He ran to him, took the bodies, and disappeared into the base's underground passages.

The remaining soldiers focused all their fire on Marius. A rain of silver bullets enveloped him… but he moved with supernatural agility, almost anticipating every shot. The few bullets that hit were instantly expelled by the contraction of his muscles.

With a cruel smile, he inhaled deeply.

"My turn."

He drew from his belt a gigantic Wildey Firearms Semi-Automatic .475 Magnum, whose sound as he cocked it thundered like a death sentence. He began to fire. Each bullet found its target. Each impact meant a corpse. In less than ten seconds, half of Alpha and Bravo lay in pools of blood.

When the magazine was empty, he dropped the pistol. The metallic sound was almost ceremonial.

Then he advanced.

Unarmed. Unhurried.

His brutality was absolute. He crushed skulls as if they were glass, tore off limbs, split bodies in two with bare hands. The main entrance of the base was stained red within minutes.

When the last scream faded, only silence remained. A silence broken only by the dripping of blood.

In a corner, hidden behind a corpse and trembling like never before in her life, Enid tried to breathe without making a sound. Her helmet was covered in blood. Her hands shook. And yet, Marius had smelled her long before seeing her.

He approached with slow, inexorable steps. He stopped in front of her.

"Get up," he ordered in a low, dangerous voice.

Enid obeyed, though her legs barely responded.

"Take off the helmet."

She did. Her face was pale, covered in sweat and bloodstains.

Marius softly inhaled the air.

"Well, well…" he whispered. "Another lycan among these pathetic humans. What were you doing here, little one? Playing at being one of them?"

Enid could not utter a word.

Marius tilted his head, studying her with contempt… and a strange hint of recognition.

"You know, I can be many things: a psychopath, a monster, a tyrant. But I never harm my own kind. Today you're lucky. I'll let you live."

He turned around and walked away without looking back, leaving Enid kneeling on a floor covered in death.

She remained motionless, her breathing ragged, her heart pounding violently. The blood of others soaked her clothes. Her mind was a chaotic whirlwind.

Why didn't he kill me? How did he know…? No.

The room was an icy cubicle of stone and metal, lit only by a hanging bulb that flickered intermittently. Shadows crawled up the walls like living figures. In the center, two steel gurneys held Selene and Michael immobile, trapped by thick silver shackles around their wrists and ankles. Contact with the metal burned like liquid fire, impregnating the air with a faint smell of burnt flesh.