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Footsteps wriggled through the dimly lit, dark corridors of the hospital. The sound of the fight could be heard in the distance. Small crystals, lying on the floor between ash and dust, twinkled in the light of the lamps. An automatic door tried to close but was blocked time after time by an arm lying in the dust.

"The explosion must have been more violent than we thought," said one soldier, noticing the flickering lights that occasionally illuminated the corridor. Some had torn off from the ceiling and large parts of the walls were riddled with cracks.

"Everything secured," reported another soldier and locked the door next to him.

"Ok, go on to the next one," replied the group leader and pointed with his hand into the next corridor.

"What did Tyler mean by it's only getting worse?" Zane asked through his headset as they searched the third corridor of the hospital on the first floor.

The group moved slowly through the corridors in a line. Three soldiers were positioned at the front and three at the rear. Nathan secured the way back, while Zane and the group leader supported the top. Zero and Asagi were in the middle with some distance from the others.

"He probably meant that the infection could spread even further if we won't stop it quickly," Nathan reported back while his group locked the previously secured rooms.

"As far as I know, we are already in a class two outbreak," added Zero, who impatiently watched from a distance as the group with Zane carefully opened one room after the other to check for possible infected or survivors.

The group leader, as well as one of the soldiers in Nathan’s group, had sensors with them that could detect the smallest movements within a radius of several meters. However, the use in the hospital was restricted by the strong insulation of the walls, as a result the sensor only recorded a small radius. However, it was large enough to record the movements at least partially in the adjacent rooms and the floors below and above.

In addition to the motion sensor, the group leader had another display on his arm, which he constantly checked nervously.

"How do you know that Zero?" Zane asked surprised.

“The creature earlier. It was one of the higher levels of the infected," he explained. "An outbreak is measured by the degree of infection and thus by the number of Infected and Akuryuma that appear."

Everyone listened to Zero's explanation as they ventured deeper into the hospital.

"Earlier you said something about the blood of the uh ... the creature Zero," Zane hesitated. "What about it?"

"Right, you missed the class ...", Zero started. "The blood is infectious, if you come into contact with it, you will also be infected."

"What?! Then why are we here in the first place? Aren't we in danger?!” Zane started, turning around and looking at Zero.

"Quiet!" The group leader told him off, whereupon Zane winced.

"Sorry."

"But the question is understandable," said the group leader to Zane's remark. "We're here to evacuate potential survivors before they become infected and the outbreak spreads."

"May I ask something?" Asagi asked, walking close behind Zero as if she wanted to hide. "Shouldn't we wear protective equipment if the blood is infectious?" She asked and looked at Zero, expecting an answer.

"Right, we didn't get anything but the vests," added Zane, looking at his clothes.

"It's very simple ..." began Zero. "We are all already potentially infected."

"What ?!" Zane was startled, a murmur also went through the soldiers.

"That's true. As mentioned before, we are all already considered first-class infected,” explained the group leader.

"But how come?" Asked Zane.

"Radiation," replied Nathan.

"Radiation?"

"Exactly," Zero agreed. “In the previous outbreaks, radiation was always measurable. It is therefore assumed that the radiation is the origin of the infection, which then spreads through the blood."

"You mean this light from earlier?" Asagi asked.

"I'm assuming it, yes."

"You have quite some knowledge... you are Zero, right?" The group leader looked back at Zero.

"A little, yes ..." Zero scratched his head, avoiding the group leader's gaze.

"That means we are all infected already? Are we going to…” Zane asked in the hope that someone would contradict him.

"Not necessarily," said the group leader, who turned around again and gave the order to move on. "If we are infected, then only lightly, otherwise we would have ended up like the others a long time ago..."

"And what are we going to do then?" Asagi asked.

"That can be dealt with," Zero explained. "You should be safe Asagi," Zero smiled at her.

"Why is that?" Zane asked incomprehensibly.

“Mytics are magical beings. The infection only works with biological matter. Since Mytics are of magical origin, their body itself is also made of magic."

“But we also have magic flowing through us,” Zane contradicted.

"Yes, but not in the concentration Mytics have, Zane," Nathan explained.

"Ah ok ... But that doesn't explain why we are not wearing protective clothing."

"Why? Because we hardly had time to prepare. The order came from the regional leadership. They apparently want to get the outbreak under control as quickly as possible,” explained the group leader. “Our protective equipment protects us from attacks by the infected at least. But as Zero said, as long as we stay away from their blood, nothing should happen."

“What if radiation reappears?” One of the soldiers by the group leader asked nervously.

“That's why we're here”. Zane swallowed nervously at the group leader's words. “We should find the source of the radiation before there is further contamination. This display on my arm shows me the radiation levels,” he explained and raised his arm to show the people around him the display on his upper arm.

“Should there be another contamination…”, the group leader hesitated, “then we are probably too close. So we should hurry...", he made the situation clear to the troops.

Everyone looked at each other nervously.

"But if you are right and we go up another level Zero, Shelter will show up here soon," Nathan took up Zero's explanation again.

"Shelter is coming ?!" Zane yelled so loudly that everyone could hear it even without the headsets.

"Quiet damn it!" the group leader told Zane off again, who shrank back in shock.

"Sorry," Zane whispered somewhat embarrassed when Asagi began to giggle softly, whereupon Zero smiled too.

"That probably caught your attention Zane," Nathan laughed as well.

“Concentration!” The group leader warned them. "We are right here in action!"

"We're sorry". Zero apologized on behalf of everyone while the group leader continued.

"Tyler allowed you to come along way too easily...", he sighed. "But Shelter probably already knows ..."

"They know?" Nathan asked.

"Probably. Any outbreak will be relayed to them. According to the agreements, however, they only interfere from a class three outbreak onwards."

"Why is that?" Zane wanted to know while they were about to turn into the next corridor when one of the soldiers, who was looking around the corner in front of them, reported frantically.

"Sir!"

"What is it?" He asked as he commanded the soldiers behind him to stop with a closed, raised fist.

"There is a light in front," reported the soldier.

"Light? Are the lights working again?” Zane asked.

"I'm coming. Hold position!” The group leader ran to the soldier in front. When he got behind him, he patted him on the shoulder and the soldier took a step back." What the ...?" Said the group leader as he looked around the corner.

In the meantime, everyone had advanced the corridor as far as possible because it ended abruptly. Instead, a huge abyss opened up before them. There was a huge 30-meter hole in the floor, right in the middle of the hospital.

"It's pretty deep ..." said one of the soldiers as he carefully leaned forward while small parts of the ground fell down under his feet.

“Something must have exploded,” replied the next.

"Was that the bang from earlier?" Asked another.

"How deep are the bunkers actually?" Nathan asked suddenly.

"20 meters. That's enough for most bombings,” explained one of the soldiers, while Zane's eyes fell onto the hole.

Zane went pale and pressed his hands together. All the rubble from the upper floors had fallen into the hole and the depth was difficult to gauge. Zero and Asagi, who immediately went to the group leader after the shock over the abyss, stood in the corridor with another soldier. The group leader had finished his report to the leadership and shouted: "Come on, let's keep looking."

"How is the situation outside?" Asked Zero, who was leaning against the wall.

“So far, we seem to have succeeded in narrowing the outbreak, as there seem to be not too many infected people. But there are problems with evacuating the bunker. Some of the sealed bunker entrances cannot be opened. The electronics appear damaged, or something is blocking the gates from the inside. Therefore, our new assignment is to go to the bunker access inside of the hospital and try to unlock it from there."

“Aren't we too few for the job?” Asked one of the soldiers.

"We'll surely get reinforcements," remarked another.

"Unfortunately, we won't get any reinforcements ..." the group leader began. "Despite the information about the outbreak, the Teikoku attack continues undeterred," he destroyed the hopes of the young soldiers.

"Why is that?" Asked Nathan.

“The Teikoku troops have been informed on the situation of the outbreak, but their attack continues. Therefore, all forces are occupied, and no reinforcements can be send to us."

"Are they stupid?! Shouldn't they help us in this situation rather than attack us?” Zane asked annoyed.

"Anyway," the group leader continued. "We should prioritize the opening of the bunker."

"Does that mean that we give up on the evacuation of the hospital?" Asagi asked, dismayed, while she held her arm.

"But we can't leave them here," Zane protested.

"I can understand you, but if we don't free the people in the bunker, there could be even more victims," ​​the group leader tried to make it clear to the two, while the soldiers looked uncertainly between the group leader and Asagi and Zane.

"You should know what could happen by now," the group leader reminded them as he turned into the corridor, which was flooded with black sand.

Following the group leader's gaze, they all realized what he meant, whereupon they lowered their heads in dismay.

"Maybe there are still survivors," Zero tried to lighten the mood when he patted Asagi on the back.

"But Zero. What about Carol?” She looked at him, while he gave her a forced smile as if to say that everything would be fine.

There was silence.

"What if nobody's alive anymore?" Zane asked, remembering the man at the main entrance.

“You mustn't think like that!” Zero shouted back angrily.

"I'm sorry, it just slipped out," Zane apologized, who again took a step back in shock. "I did not mean it like that…"

Seeing Zane in front of him, Zero was shocked by the tone of voice himself and immediately began to apologize as well. "No, I'm sorry, I was out of control ..."

The mood seemed to have bottomed out, everyone was afraid. They all doubted the benefit of the operation. Not just Zane but the soldiers too. The group was about to break up before the mission even started.

"Do you want to give up already?" The group leader asked the troops, as he felt the depressed mood.

"What do you mean by that?" Zane asked.

"If you give up now, you cannot save anyone," he began, feeling everyone's eyes on him. “The bunker is radiation-proof, and all civilians should have been brought into the bunker as soon as the alarm for the attack went off. Or do you think we just ran wild?” Laughed the group leader.

"Does that mean we're going to save someone after all?" Zane asked with clenched fists.

"That's what we're here for," the group leader spanked Zane on the arm with a motivating gesture.

"You guys, did you hear that?" Zane turned enthusiastically to them.

"We have headsets Zane," Nathan laughed from behind, while Zero nodded to Zane with a grin.

The soldiers looked at each other and nodded, infected by Zane's new courage. Asagi looked at Zero, who gave her another smile, but this time a real one.

"Come on then!" Zane shouted again.

"You should still be quiet!" The group leader grumbled while a giggle rang through the group.