Arknights: Reunion's Conqueror Of The North

Et tu, Ifrit?

Chapter 37:

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Knocking out two of his close friends, and locking his bestest friend in the bridge, alone and scared takes a hefty toll on Blitz's sanity. He is aware there is a crowd waiting for him downstairs, outside. He can't get distracted with such grief and guilt, not when there are people outside waiting to take him captive.

When he stops mid-steps to process the pain both Texas and Mostima dealt with him, he tricks himself to believe that the three of them were sent there, deliberately by the people downstairs. He spends a few moments halfway down the stairs leading to the bridge to convince himself to get mad that they sent HIS friends to die.

After fully convincing himself, muttering to himself that he is gonna kill every last one of the sons of bitches who sent his best friend there to get herself killed, he stomps down the steps, vowing to massacre them all; especially the bastard who lead this group.

When he exited the stairwell, he comes across the headless bodies of his men. Their rifles are left on the floor, and among the litter of weapons was Mostima's staff of time manipulation. The glowing tip suggests it started up again, though bringing that with him would be more danger to himself; that and how it's gonna be heavy considering he's carrying way too many weapons. It's also disrespectful to Mostima, so he leaves it be.

As for his deceased men? It took a while for him to look away, but he feels grief for each of his unlucky soldiers because some of them are either with him during his first meeting with the Reunion, or they're sons or fathers they conscripted in Kalinatrov.

This thought disturbs him so. They may be obstacles in the eyes of Exusiai, Texas, and Mostima, but to Blitz, they're his family. He can't let his grief get in the way of his goals though, so he moves on.

On the way to the ground floor to confront his supposed assassins, he encounters more and more dead bodies of his men. They are strewn about every floor; each of the women up top leaving their mark on how they die. Bullet holes on the walls and bodies, laceration cuts added, and ash piles are scattered throughout.

He promised these men they can go home after this, and he gave these guns for the sole reason they can go back with ease, but this?... Blitz gets more and more vengeful every time he comes across deceased cadavers of his beloved soldiers.

When he finally reaches the bottom floor, he scans his surroundings to see yet more of his dead men. To his left, he hears the sound of battle; probably his troops fighting off the supposed last Ursus battalion that landed in the city. To his right is a door that's been kicked open by presumably Texas. It's bright outside, obscuring the looks of his captors.

He could get his men so he could take them on with ease, but Blitz prefers to face his fate like a man, and not cheat his way on by just cowardly commanding his men so they could pepper them with bullets.

As he strides over to the door, he feels a sharp sting on the left side of his face. He leans against the wall, groaning all the while; grasping his head instinctively. His bad eye began throbbing, indicating bad news.

He suddenly feels like he's gonna blackout, but suddenly...he feels more energetic than ever. It's like he received another dose of adrenaline as if it's an ability of his. Whatever this phenomenon is, he decided not to waste this adrenaline rush, and walks out the door looking as if he's unhurt from the previous fight.

He raised his hands, knowing that whatever he is putting himself through, showing that he is unarmed would get his captors to hear him out. He is relying on the mercy of this enemy, and that's considered taking a gamble, but thinking that what Exusiai saw would make her hate him for all eternity, he believes that he has nothing to lose...