In the sky above the New City district, a giant ship floated weightlessly, as if brazenly defying the laws of physics. The alloy monstrosity was a war machine created for times of conflict, but today, it was brought into the middle of a bustling city to act as a deterrence—A warning to anyone who might try to interfere with the most important operation Neo-Vatra had ever seen.
Jordan Evans, the NVPD Commissioner, personally commanded the coalition’s forces from aboard the Cloud Chaser. The start had been much slower than anticipated. In fact, very few things went according to plan.
Losing control over the hotel’s main AI had dealt the coalition an unexpected blow, and as if to show that things could still get worse, three heroes had been struck down, vanishing soon after their vitals were confirmed to have gone silent.
Finding out that the third party they had underestimated was capable of defeating a team of trained Genomes was a bitter experience. What’s worse, since they had yet to confirm their intentions, there was no sure way to counter them.
"What do you mean they... Are you sure?"
As he was deep in thought, the Commissioner noticed that some of the operators manning the bridge were getting a little restless. Realizing they were the team responsible for communicating with the invading force, he was about to walk over and ask what was happening, but one of them turned around and gave him a confused look.
"Sir, I believe you need to hear this."
"Alright. Redirect it to me."
The call came from one of the officers on the ground, as shown by the mark at the center of the screen that popped up upon receiving the call.
"What is it?" The commissioner asked.
[Commissioner Evans, sir!] A tense voice spoke from the other end. [We still don’t understand what’s happening, but the enemy forces seem to have lost their powers all of a sudden.]
[It is mainly members of the Romano family. We believe it has something to do with the light from below.]
Just as he asked that question, another operator jumped from his seat.
"Sir, there is an emergency!"
The large screen at the front of the bridge blinked, and several windows appeared at the same time, each one showing the feed from surveillance cameras and drones. Jordan recognized the outer parameter of the blockade without anyone having to inform him. Made from much simpler barriers with mostly mundane officers handling it, the main purpose of installing it was to divert traffic and stop vehicles from reaching the areas surrounding Blue Ember.
There hadn’t been any problems since the parameter was set earlier that day, but that seems to have changed not that long ago. The barriers were smashed or tossed aside, and the cars stationed there were set on fire. Shadows danced over the unmoving bodies strewn on the ground, most of which belonged to officers. Then there were those responsible for the grim sight, still spreading chaos as they forced their way through.
Armored vehicles that resembled tanks more than cars shattered the barriers and chased away those standing behind them. As they carved a path ahead, a long caravan of cars and bikes followed.
One only needed to look at the outer appearance to know what kind of people drove such vehicles. Most appeared like they had been patched from a collection of mismatching parts, with rust scarred steel panels welded together over the original frame, jury-rigged armor plates painted with chaotic graffiti, and saw-blended fenders.
Expose engine pistons throbbed like the heart of a living beast, surrounded by a tangle of oil-stained cables. Exhaust pipes roared, sending clouds of smoke into the already polluted air of the city.
Each of the vehicles was mounted with turrets and various kinds of weaponry. Some fired flamethrowers into the air, lighting up the streets with vibrant orange colors, while others shot rounds into the air, uncaring about the surrounding buildings.
Similar scenes were captured all over the New City district. As the highest authority in the Neo-Vatra Police Department, Jordan was quick to recognize each of the caravans and the group leading them.
The Daggers, the Red Hawks, Dragon Tail, and many more. They were all gangs from the surrounding districts, but not just any gangs. They were the most ruthless, violent mobs in the country, with some of their members being on the country’s terror list, and their not-so-sudden appearance only meant one thing.
"So it’s starting..." Taking a deep breath, the Commissioner hardened his expression and turned to his subordinates with orders. "Send word to the inner parameter. Do not hold back! Wipe them out if you must!"
Trapped in a cage, the Romanos and Stahlwölfes were bound to try everything to free themselves. One of their options had always been hiring the city’s outlaws to weaken the blockade, and with the infinite resources in their hands, there was simply no way their offer would get rejected, even if it meant starting a war against the city’s authorities.
The gangs are likely the first wave, intended to weaken the barrier. Once it is time for the top to make their escape, professional mercenaries are bound to show up, accompanied by the two families’ personal military.
Watching the rioting gangs for a few more seconds, the Commissioner reached for a nearby panel and tapped a few buttons. The circle surrounding his feet lit up with a faint blue color and a translucent barrier rose from the floor.
"Night Gale. What is this I’m hearing about the enemy losing their powers?"
A reply came soon after, preceded by the sounds of the rampant battle.
[Not a very good time for a report, Commissioner.] A violent gale bellowed on the other side. [We don’t know what happened, either. Light just started flashing from the floor and the enemy’s powers just stopped working. Most of them were Romano Sorcerers so I think it had something to do with that.]
"The Romano Sorcerers..."
[Well, it has already stopped, and we’re losing the advantage we gained from that opening so-]
"Blizzard Force has already reached your position, correct?"
"Leave dealing with the Romanos to them." Said the Commissioner. "You and your team must carve a path ahead and retrieve the relic."
As the contact ended, Jordan’s expression darkened. The mysterious light had been mentioned twice so far, and apparently it has a property that allows it to interfere with sorcerous Arts. Something like that would have been a great advantage in a campaign against a powerful Sorcerer family such as the Romanos, but the problem was that neither the NVPD nor the BEO had anything remotely similar, which could only mean that it came from the third party trying to interfere with the operation.
"An enemy of the Romanos?" He mumbled to himself. "Could it be they are after..."
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