Riven's jeep finally came to a stop.
I opened the door and immediately stepped out, raising Splitfang.
Gunfire echoed from every direction.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Small explosions shook the front courtyard of Green Serpent's mansion.
Black smoke continued to billow up from behind the iron gates.
I peeked out from behind the vehicle.
The sight before me caught me by surprise.
Dozens of rookie scavengers were assaulting the front gate.
Some were taking cover behind the wrecks of abandoned vehicles.
Others kept advancing while firing at Green Serpent members defending the iron fence.
"Their numbers..."
I murmured quietly.
"More than I expected."
Reina nodded.
"Yeah."
"Green Serpent has made a lot of enemies."
Her eyes suddenly glowed.
"Hm?"
"There are two people you know."
I frowned.
"Who?"
"Anna."
"And Vela."
I immediately looked where Reina indicated.
Sure enough.
Near the rear line of the attackers, I saw Anna giving orders while occasionally firing her weapon.
Beside her, Vela was leading several other rookies into cover behind piles of rubble.
I honestly hadn't expected that.
"Why are they here?"
Reina answered quietly.
"They're rookie scavengers too."
"I think they've had enough of Green Serpent."
"They were probably involved in planning this assault."
I watched them for a few seconds.
Then shook my head.
"...Ignore them."
"Our mission isn't to help them."
Reina nodded.
"Agreed."
At that moment, Riven tapped my shoulder.
"We're going around the back."
I immediately followed him.
Instead of heading toward the main gate, we circled around the mansion.
The farther we moved away from the main battlefield, the quieter the gunfire became.
We passed through tall bushes.
The remains of a stone wall.
Then a narrow passage almost completely hidden by overgrown vegetation.
Riven stopped.
"Go in."
I studied the passage.
If he hadn't pointed it out, I never would have noticed it.
"A secret route?"
"Yeah."
"Green Serpent's logistics staff use it."
We moved quickly.
Several minutes later, we reached the rear of the mansion.
Just as Riven had predicted...
There were far fewer guards.
Most of Green Serpent's forces had already been pulled to the front to deal with the rookies.
Even so...
A handful of guards still remained.
One of them spotted us immediately.
"Hey!"
"Intruders!"
I didn't give him the chance to do anything else.
Bang!
Splitfang barked in my hands.
The man's head snapped backward.
His body collapsed before he could even raise his weapon.
"Enemies in the rear!"
"Attack!"
Shouts immediately rang out.
Three other Green Serpent members dove behind logistics crates.
Bullets began flying toward us.
Tat! Tat! Tat!
I immediately dropped behind a stone wall.
Chunks of concrete exploded around me as bullets slammed into my cover.
"Arche."
"Two targets."
"One behind the crate on the right."
"One behind the vehicle."
I took a deep breath.
"Got it."
I peeked out briefly.
The instant one of them exposed himself—
Bang!
My bullet struck his shoulder.
The man cried out in pain and ducked back into cover.
But before he could move again—
Boom!
My second shot pierced his neck.
His body immediately collapsed.
Meanwhile...
Riven moved.
He was far faster than I'd expected.
He sprinted straight toward a stone pillar.
As though the hail of bullets raining toward him meant nothing.
One Green Serpent member tried to swing his rifle toward him.
Too late.
Bang!
One shot.
Straight through the forehead.
The man dropped instantly.
"Left side!"
Reina shouted.
I spun around immediately.
A Green Serpent member burst out through the mansion's rear door carrying an automatic rifle.
He immediately pulled the trigger.
Tatatatat!
I rolled sideways.
The bullets tore into the ground exactly where I'd been standing.
"Wire Hook!"
I raised my left hand.
"Reina!"
"I've got a lock!"
Shhhk!
The steel cable shot forward.
Hooking onto the man's leg.
Before he could react, Reina yanked the cable with all her strength.
"What—?!"
He lost his balance.
I didn't waste the opportunity.
Bang!
Splitfang's bullet tore through his chest.
He was thrown backward and lay motionless.
The gunfire gradually began to fade.
I let out a breath while loading a fresh magazine.
Riven walked over without a single scratch.
He glanced at the bodies scattered across the rear courtyard before giving a slight nod.
"Good."
"The way inside is open."
He raised his rifle again and looked toward the mansion's back entrance.
"From here on..."
"The real defenses begin."
I burst through the mansion's side entrance alongside Riven just as the gunfire from the front courtyard shook the entire building.
The alarm wailed.
"Contact in the rear!"
"Hold them back!"
Footsteps immediately filled the hallway.
I threw myself behind the first wall.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Bullets slammed into the corner, sending splinters of wood flying.
"Arche," Reina's voice remained calm. "Four targets. Two directly ahead in the hallway. Two more moving in from the right."
"I hear you."
I pulled a Thermal Scrambler from my pocket.
"Throw it now."
I tossed it toward the end of the hallway.
The small device slid across the floor.
A few seconds later...
Beep...
Beep...
The decoy heat signature activated.
"Over there!"
"There's another one!"
Three Green Serpent members immediately swung their rifles toward the false target.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Their entire volley tore into an empty wall.
"Now!"
I burst out of cover.
Splitfang switched to burst fire.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The first round pierced one man's shoulder.
The second struck his neck.
The third sent him crashing backward.
The second target managed to turn around.
I shifted my aim.
Bang! Bang!
Two rounds slammed into his chest before he collapsed.
"Nice."
But the other two had already realized what had happened.
"He's on the left!"
Bullets flew toward me.
I ducked back behind cover.
The wall beside my head exploded apart.
"Damn..."
Riven appeared from the opposite side of the hallway.
His heavy rifle roared.
DOOM!
A single shot blasted straight through the wooden wall in front of the Green Serpent operative—and through the man hiding behind it.
"Clear."
"No," Reina immediately corrected. "Twelve meters."
I turned.
Someone emerged from the next room.
Too late.
Bang!
A bullet struck my left shoulder.
"Ugh!"
The impact shoved me backward.
A burning pain spread through my arm.
"Inside!"
I dove into an office.
Bullets chased after me.
The windows shattered.
The wooden desk was riddled with holes.
I pressed a hand against my shoulder.
"Not much bleeding," Reina said. "The bullet only grazed you."
"Thank goodness..."
I replaced my magazine.
Click.
Reina spoke again.
"Two targets are approaching the door."
I looked around.
The office had two exits.
The main entrance.
And another leading into a smaller hallway.
"Any ideas?"
"Hmm..."
My eyes settled on a large wardrobe against the wall.
I smiled faintly.
"Reina."
"I know."
I tossed a Thermal Scrambler behind the wardrobe.
Then quietly slipped out through the side door.
Several seconds later...
Crash!
The main door was kicked open.
"There's a heat signature over there!"
"Open fire!"
A barrage of bullets shredded the wardrobe.
They never noticed I'd already left through the other exit.
I appeared directly behind them.
I raised Splitfang.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The first man's back was ripped apart.
The second managed to turn around.
I kicked his knee.
He dropped to one knee.
My Cinder-9 sidearm came up and pointed straight at his forehead.
Bang.
His body collapsed.
"Good."
But before I could even catch my breath—
"Twelve new targets."
"What?"
"They're coming down from the upper floor."
I looked up.
The grand staircase in the central hall was filling with Green Serpent members.
"Enemies below!"
"Kill them!"
A storm of bullets rained down.
Riven and I simultaneously dove behind marble pillars.
Dust filled the air.
Riven reloaded.
"Getting to the second floor is impossible."
"I know."
Suddenly Reina spoke.
"Arche."
"What?"
"Look at the chandelier."
I looked up.
A massive crystal chandelier hung in the center of the hall.
"The chain."
I understood immediately.
I raised Splitfang.
Took a breath.
Aimed.
Bang!
The first bullet ricocheted off.
"A little to the right."
I adjusted my aim.
Bang!
The iron chain snapped.
Everyone looked up.
"Look out!"
The gigantic chandelier crashed down.
BRAAAK!!
The hall shook violently.
Crystal shards exploded in every direction.
Screams filled the room.
Several Green Serpent members were crushed instantly.
The rest were forced to retreat.
"The smoke and dust are blocking their vision," Reina said.
"Perfect opportunity."
Riven immediately stood.
"Move!"
We sprinted through the dust-filled hall.
Several stray bullets still flew blindly through the haze.
I had almost reached the staircase when—
Bang!
Another bullet struck my side.
"Argh!"
I lost my footing.
My body slammed against the stairs.
"Arche!"
"I can still move..."
I gritted my teeth.
My Scrapweave Jacket absorbed most of the impact, but the pain still shot through my ribs.
"The bullet didn't penetrate," Reina said quickly. "Your jacket saved you."
I nodded slowly.
"Then..."
I stood back up.
Raised Splitfang.
Faced the second floor.
"The path to Garrick is still above us."
Riven was already several steps ahead.
He glanced back briefly.
"Keep moving."
I took a deep breath.
"Alright."