"There are two ways to effectively counter male Ossarians, you either try to finish them with one hit through the head or the heart, or you outlast them by wasting their Radiance."

"The first choice is preferable and poses the least risk. Only veteran combatants follow the second option in some scenarios." Captain Ramirez said.

"What about female Ossarians?" A female soldier by the name of Rina Kobayashi asked.

"For female soldiers you go for the second option. You try to outlast them since they can only move in one direction when they are boosted by Radiance making their move somewhat predictable. Don't try to take them out since they move so fast which makes it hard to hit them."

"But captain, you said that they don't have blood and all nutrients are transferred through their bones, why target the heart then?"

"It's true that they don't possess blood in the same way humans do. However, their 'heart,' so to speak, serves as a vital hub for their Radiance emission. Even though their nutrients mainly flow through their bones, disrupting the function of this central organ can still incapacitate them. Think of it like breaking the spine of a creature. It may not die immediately, but it loses the ability to fight properly. That organ works the same way. Damage it, and the Ossarian's body begins to fail."

"No heart, no Radiance emission."

"Now for our weapons, we call it Springfield. It comes from the M1903 Springfield with few alterations so that we can accommodate radiance capsules."

"Those capsules are what gives us humans a chance to counter them. It is powerful enough to wipe them out if used in the correct way. I will teach exactly how to handle a weapon. By the end of this session, you will become a weapon expert."

"Handling a weapon requires discipline before anything else. The first rule is simple: treat every weapon as if it is loaded, even when you are certain it is not. Never point the muzzle at yourself, a teammate, or anyone you do not intend to shoot."

His eyes moved across the recruits, hard and unforgiving.

"If any soldier is caught pointing a weapon at his partner as a joke, out of carelessness, or because they think it is unloaded, they will be punished severely. People have died from that shit. Some pulled the trigger thinking the chamber was empty and blew their own heads apart. Others put bullets into their comrades because they assumed the safety was on."

He raised the weapon in his hands.

"Your grip must be firm, but controlled. Your dominant hand holds the weapon, while the other supports it. Keep your feet shoulder-width apart, bend your knees slightly, and make sure your stance is stable before aiming."

He paused, letting the recruits follow his movements.

"The rifle used a simple Springfield-style iron sight, made of a rear notch and a front post. To aim, the shooter had to line the front post in the center of the rear sight, then place it over the target"

"Line up your sights with the target. Focus on the front sight, keep your breathing steady, and do not rush the shot. Breathe in, exhale halfway, hold for a moment, then fire."

His finger rested near the trigger, but not on it.

"Trigger control matters. Press smoothly. Do not jerk your hand. Do not flinch. After firing, keep your sights on the target until you confirm the hit."

Then he gave us a thin smile.

"At first, some of you will close your eyes before pulling the trigger. That is normal. You will get over it with practice."

His smile sharpened.

"Assuming you live long enough to practice. Now, who wants to try first?"

One by one, everyone tried to follow the captain's instructions. Unsurprisingly my shots found their marks with precision, earning a nod of approval from captain Ramirez. Yet, what truly astonished me was the flawless marksmanship displayed by Victoria and Alexander. With unwavering focus, they dispatched each target with deadly accuracy, not a single shot astray.

"Okay, now gather around me."

We stood up and followed and went to the captain. 

"For every mission you will receive a military knife to combat Ossarians in close combat in case that scenario happens. If in fact it happens, you are as good as dead." He said and continued "Oh, it is used to extract their bones as well."

"Secondly you will receive a water bottle specifically for long missions so make sure you try to conserve water as much as possible. You will learn the hard way if you don't."

"You will also receive a small backpack attached to your chest rig. Use it to carry spare magazines, first aid supplies, and any personal essentials you can't afford to lose," he said.

He picked up one of the magazines and held it where we could see.

"Each magazine holds twelve Radiance capsules," he explained. "But do not mistake it for a normal firearm magazine. It does not feed the weapon automatically. The magazine only keeps the capsules protected and organized. After each shot, the spent capsule remains in the chamber, so you have to pull the bolt back to eject it, take a fresh capsule from the magazine, place it into the chamber by hand, then lock the bolt forward before firing again. In other words, every shot must be loaded manually."

He paused, letting the warning sink in.

"So if you panic during a fight, fumble the capsules, or forget the order, you're dead before the Ossarian even reaches you."

'Does every sentence this man says has to come with a death threat' I thought.

All in all, his explanation was smooth and I found it easy to follow up. There is a clear structure of things inside this shelter and I kind of like it.

***

Days went by until all cadets we were ready and equipped with necessary information and military training. But theory could only take us so far. No amount of drills, lectures, or target practice could prepare us for the real thing. If we wanted to understand the Ossarians, we needed field experience.

And unfortunately, the only real way to gain that experience was through direct confrontation.

" Aaron Smith, Alexander Schmidt, Ivan Petrovich, Harper Robinson, and Hannah Lewis, listen up. As of now, you are Team A. You'll train as one, work as one, and ultimately, complete missions as one unit. Your commanding officer will be Marcus Sullivan. I expect nothing less than utmost respect when he is around. Remember, your success hinges on your ability to function as a unified unit under his command. Make me proud." 

I approached Alexander, noticing his distant demeanor, and gently brought up the topic. "Are you worried about your sister?" I asked.

"Kind of, yeah," Alexander replied, his voice tinged with apprehension.

"Well, you should worry about yourself," I responded matter-of-factly, shifting the focus to our upcoming mission. "Although the mission is ranked F, it's quite difficult. We need to drive a water tanker, which by nature is loud, to a nearby river. Fill it up and then, we have to return here with the said truck."

I paused, letting the gravity of the task sink in before continuing. "It might sound easy, but it's everything but that. Water tankers may attract enemy attention, and if a large enough squid gathers around us, we could potentially be wiped out."

"I know, but I couldn't help but worry about her," Alexander admitted, his concern evident.

"Well, if anything, the Ossarians should be the ones worrying about her," I said, trying to lighten his mood. "From what I've seen, she's practically unstoppable."

Indeed, Victoria was in a league of her own.

Perfect scores in theory, flawless performance in physical training, and a level of military understanding that made the rest of us look painfully unprepared. Even with my military background, I couldn't beat her when it came to strategy.

Fire and maneuver, for example, was a basic combat tactic where one group suppresses the enemy with continuous fire while the other moves to a better position. Simple in theory, but difficult in practice. Timing, positioning, cover, communication, and trust all had to work together. One mistake, and the moving team would be exposed. Another mistake, and the firing team would waste ammunition or hit their own allies.

Yet Victoria understood it almost instantly.

During training, she predicted enemy movement faster than anyone else, corrected bad positioning before the instructor even spoke, and always found the safest route to advance without exposing the team. It was frustrating. I had actual experience, yet she somehow saw the battlefield as if it were a puzzle already solved in her mind.

Her aim was even worse.

Not worse in skill. Worse for my pride.

Every time she raised her rifle, the target might as well have already been hit. Standing, kneeling, moving, under pressure, it barely mattered. Her shots always landed with precision

I glanced at Alexander, who was watching his sister with a faint smile.

"Is she really just a chemistry student?" I asked. "Be honest. Did she join some military training when she was young?"

Alexander chuckled and shook his head.

"Nah, man. Nothing like that. We used to go hunting with our father, so I guess we both have some experience."

"Hunting?" I repeated.

"Deer mostly. Sometimes wild boar. Our father was strict about it too. Breathing, patience, aim, tracking, he treated it like discipline, not a hobby."

"That explains her aim," I muttered.

Alexander looked at me with a raised brow.

"But you're one to talk. You stand out too. Your aim is good, and you already seem familiar with military tactics."

I laughed lightly, trying to brush it off.

"We also used to hunt moose where I'm from. In some parts of Russia, that kind of thing is built into us. I even know people who used to hunt bears."

Alexander stared at me.

"Bears?"

"Not me," I said quickly. "I'm not that insane."

He smirked. "But your friends are?"

"Some of them, yes."

For a moment, the two of us simply watched as Victoria fired again, landing another clean shot.

Alexander sighed.

"Still, hunting animals is one thing. Fighting Ossarians is another."

I nodded, my smile fading.

"Yeah," I said quietly. "And I have a bad feeling about this mission."