September 3, 1987

  NOX AEGIS Military Headquarters

  The crack of a gun shattered the pre-dawn silence. The smell of gunpowder filled the underground shooting range. Two officers stood side by side, their guns still raised, their sharp eyes fixed on the target that had just been blown to pieces.

  One bullet. One target. One life.

  Before they had time to lower their weapons, a soldier ran quickly over.

  "Report! Mayor Reza! Mayor Fikri! The General orders you to immediately appear in the command room! Emergency status level red!"

  Both of them immediately lowered their weapons, turning around in unison.

  “Order received. Move now.”

  The thump of combat boots echoed through the steel corridors of the base. Their fighting instincts screamed—something big was about to begin.

  Main Command Room

  The steel door opened slowly. Inside, the general stood in front of a giant holographic screen. His face was cold, his expression piercing.

  “Ready to receive orders, sir!”

  Without a word, the screen lit up.

  The world map unfolds. Red dots appear in various countries.

  “All the global disasters of the last two years — plagues, massive floods, illegal mining, illegal logging, wildlife trafficking, economic manipulation — all stem from one source.”

  One symbol appears in the center of the screen.

  OBSIDIAN.

  “It was all just a curtain in the air,” the general continued.

  “Their main target is Japan.”

  Live map zooms into Japan.

  Fikri held his breath.

  “Excuse me, sir. Isn’t Prime Minister Van Arzello Anim scheduled to go there for a state event?”

  The general gave in slowly.

  “That's their target.”

  The room suddenly felt frozen.

  Reza's hand.

  "This means we have entered the character elimination stage."

  "Correct."

  Fikri stepped forward.

  “What about Alpha, Eagle, and Wolf?”

  The general turned the screen, displaying the secret operation path.

  "They've already made their move. And now, our entire operation will be open warfare on a global scale."

  Reza took a deep breath.

  “Our orders, sir?”

  "Depart for Japan now. You will meet Alpha, Eagle, and Wolf there. All heavy weaponry will be sent by sea. Support troops will be sent by air."

  Fikri straightened his body.

  “Ready to implement.”

  Reza |.

  “Ready пожалуйста.”

  The general's gaze protested.

  “Starting today, NOX AEGIS no longer moves in the shadows.”

  “The war has begun.”

  2 hours earlier – Los Angeles Hospital

  The red alarms on all three of their tactical watches went off simultaneously.

  One code.

  Absolute command.

  Departing for Japan.

  Arman was silent for a moment. His jaw clenched.

  Mahendra glanced at his watch, immediately understanding the scale of the threat.

  And Arga…

  His body stiffened.

  Without saying anything, Arga walked quickly towards the treatment room.

  Melisa's Treatment Room

  The white light of the lamp reflected off Melissa's pale face, still unconscious. The heart monitor beat slowly, each beep seeming to pierce Arga's chest.

  Rapid stood beside Melissa's father and her own mother. Their eyes were red, but they were trying to stay strong.

  Arga approached, his hands trembling as he touched Melissa's hair.

  He lowered his head slowly.

  Kiss her forehead.

  “I’ll be back…” he whispered.

  “And the world will pay for this wound.”

  Melissa's father stood up, his gaze hard, filled with desperately suppressed emotion.

  “If you go back to Los Angeles…” he said heavily,

  " Bring an engagement ring."

  Silence.

  "I bless you."

  Arga's chest trembled.

  “I swear.”

  Rapid stepped forward, staring at Arman.

  “Bang Arman… come home with that bastard’s corpse.”

  Arman's gaze turned cold.

  He stood straight, giving a military salute.

  “Order received.”

  “Permission to leave.”

  In front of the hospital

  Mahendra was already standing near the vehicle. Arman was checking the secret flight route on his tablet.

  Arga came out after him.

  When the three of them stood in line—

  NOX AEGIS combat mode is active.

  No longer friends.

  They are back to being:

  Alpha – Eagle – Wolf.

  In Arga's heart, one name burned:

  Valen Kryos.

  I will hunt you down… to hell.

  In Arman and Mahendra's minds, one goal is absolute:

  Van and Hana must live. No matter what the price.

  The vehicle engine is running.

  The lights penetrated the dark night.

  They sped away from the hospital.

  Towards the biggest war of their lives.

  TOKYO, JAPAN — SEPTEMBER 5, 1987

  7:00 AM

  A thin morning mist still hung between Tokyo's skyscrapers.

  In a deserted underground parking area, five figures stood in a semicircle.

  Alpha.

  Black Eagle.

  Night Wolf.

  Hammer.

  Ghost.

  Without words. Without further ado.

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  The weapon boxes opened one by one.

  The sound of metal clashing could be heard softly among the silence.

  Alpha held a short-barreled rifle with a silencer, two spare pistols, a lightweight ballistic vest, and a black, non-marking mask. His movements were calm and precise, as if every detail was ingrained in his muscles.

  Night Wolf wore a combat vest, two combat knives tucked into his arms, one on his back, and two flash grenades and one frag grenade. His gaze was cold, filled with the embers of controlled revenge.

  Palu raised his short assault rifle, checked the magazine, locked the safety, then nodded briefly.

  The ghost prepared a small SMG, a micro communication device, and a security system unlocking device.

  Unlike the others, Black Eagle only took a small pistol, an ultra-light folding sniper rifle, and his tablet. His fingers danced quickly, checking the satellite system, the city network, and the thermal map of Tokyo.

  Alpha glanced around, making sure everything was ready.

  “Check.”

  “The wolf is ready.”

  “The ghost is ready.”

  “The hammer is ready.”

  “Eagle online.”

  Alpha nodded.

  “Operation formation: moving shadow. Primary target: Van Arzello Anim and his entourage.”

  His voice was flat, cold, full of control.

  “There are no heroes. There are no mistakes. Van's one life is more important than this entire city.”

  No one denies it.

  "Move."

  SEPARATE POSITIONS

  The eagle shot first.

  Her body moved effortlessly, leaping from one emergency staircase to another, blending into the city's silhouette. Within minutes, she was on the tallest building within the security radius.

  From there, the entire convoy route was clearly visible.

  Meanwhile, Alpha, Wolf, Ghost, and Hammer infiltrate the city center, blending in with the thousands of anime cosplayers filling the streets of Tokyo. Their colorful costumes, loud music, and joyful shouts provide the perfect cover for the shadowy army.

  No one realized that in the midst of the festival, a war was being prepared.

  EAGLE POSITION — THE TALLEST BUILDING

  The eagle crept slowly to the edge of the building, activating thermal mode on his tablet.

  One by one hot spots appeared.

  So-

  Two silhouettes stood on the roof of the building opposite.

  Sniper equipment. Heavy weapons. Strategic firing positions.

  Obsidians.

  The eagle narrowed its eyes.

  “Alpha,” he whispered into the microphone, his voice barely audible.

  “Visual contact. Two targets in sector Charlie-7. Sniper. Dominant position.”

  A few seconds of silence.

  Then Alpha's voice came in, cold and absolute.

  “Finish. Silence. Disappear before the wind shifts.”

  The eagle exhaled slowly.

  "Accepted."

  He slipped the sniper back in.

  A thin knife appeared in his hand.

  In one breath—

  The eagle's body shot up.

  His steps were nearly silent as he leaped to the opposite building. He rolled across the concrete, blending into the shadows.

  The first target just turned around—

  SRET.

  The knife penetrated the neck.

  The blood didn't even have time to gush out.

  The body collapsed without a sound.

  The second target of the reflex turns back—

  Late.

  The eagle appeared from behind, locked onto his neck, turned sharply.

  CRACK.

  Broken bone.

  Silence returns.

  Two bodies were pulled into a dark corner, camouflaged behind an air conditioning panel.

  Eagle reactivates the tablet.

  “Charlie-7 is clean.”

  Alpha answered briefly.

  “Continue observation.”

  An eagle gazes down at the city of Tokyo from a height.

  In his heart, he muttered:

  This is just the opening.

  IN THE CROWD — GROUND TEAM

  The wolf walked among the cosplayers armed with giant toy weapons, his face half-masked. His hand occasionally touched the hilt of a knife, his instincts screaming.

  Palu plays the role of a tourist, camera around his neck, but eyes constantly scanning for threats.

  Ghosts infiltrate the city's camera network, altering feeds, cutting off blind spots, opening safe paths.

  Alpha leads from the middle.

  “Focus. They must be spread across the sector.”

  The wolf answered softly.

  “Let them come.”

  In his mind, there was only one face:

  Valen Kryos.

  And one oath:

  You will die before sunset.

  TOKYO — SEPTEMBER 5, 1987

  At 2:00 PM

  The afternoon breeze blew through Tokyo's tall buildings.

  At the top of a skyscraper, the Black Eagle lay prone, a sniper rifle securely fastened to his shoulder. His scope shone straight down the main street downtown.

  Down there—

  The convoy of armored vehicles moved slowly, parting the sea of people, closely guarded by high-level security forces.

  In the middle of the convoy, the state flag was flying.

  Van Arzello Anim.

  The eagle held its breath.

  His eyes narrowed, his focus sharp.

  In his heart he whispered,

  No one can touch you, my brother.

  He pressed the microphone.

  “Alpha. Target convoy moving. Estimated two minutes into the main sector.”

  Below, Alpha, disguised among the anime cosplayers, immediately responded.

  “Acknowledged. All units, combat mode active.”

  Her tone was cold. Firm. Without emotion.

  The Night Wolf shifted position, his body crouched low. His fingers gripped the hilt of his knife, his muscles tensing like a wild animal before he pounced.

  The hammer positioned itself near the vehicle's path, pretending to photograph the crowd, while the Ghost immersed itself in the city's data stream, closing all of the camera's blind spots.

  “No one escapes,” muttered the Wolf.

  “Even if it's just an ant.”

  Alpha answered briefly, "Focus."

  DEBIT EXPLOSION

  Suddenly-

  BOOM!

  A large explosion rocked an intersection, not far from the prime minister's motorcade.

  Black smoke billowed high.

  Human screams. Panic. The crowd scatters.

  Alpha reflexively shouted,

  “All units—to the blast point! Now!”

  Wolf, Hammer, and Ghost immediately moved, breaking through the crowd.

  In a matter of seconds, they were in the center of chaos.

  However-

  There are no enemy troops.

  There were no further attacks.

  Only an empty car was blown up.

  Alpha frowned.

  “This… is too easy.”

  The ghost checked quickly.

  “There’s no enemy signal. This is a decoy.”

  The next second—

  DOZENS OF FIGURES JUMPED OUT OF THE CROWD.

  Black uniform. Face covered. Automatic weapon in hand.

  Obsidian's elite troops.

  “They are among the people!” shouted Palu.

  The eagle immediately pulled the trigger.

  PTUK! PTUK! PTUK!

  Three silent bullets hit the heads of the first three enemies.

  Their bodies collapsed before they even had a chance to shoot.

  The wolf grinned faintly.

  “My turn.”

  He shot forward.

  The knife in his hand flashed like lightning.

  SRET! SRET!

  Two throats split.

  One enemy tries to pull the trigger—

  The wolf kicked his knee.

  CRACK!

  The body fell, and a stab pierced his heart.

  Her movements were brutal. Efficient. Without hesitation.

  Anger, revenge, and the wounds in his heart merged into one dance of death.

  In a matter of seconds, the last five enemies fell at his own hands.

  The wolf's breath was ragged.

  His eyes were red.

  But he was not satisfied.

  Alpha looked around.

  "Status."

  “Total elimination,” Palu replied.

  Eagle reports, “Clean sector.”

  The ghost was silent for a moment.

  Then his voice turned serious.

  “Too fast. Too neat.”

  Alpha immediately understood.

  "This is not the main attack."

  PSYCHOLOGICAL WAR BEGINS

  Suddenly-

  ALL THE BILLBOARD SCREENS AROUND THEM LIGHTED UP SIMULTANEOUSLY.

  Ads disappear.

  Replaced by a black display.

  So-

  Five figures appeared.

  Orion Kael Draven.

  Magnus Aetherion.

  Seraph Noctis.

  Valen Kryos.

  And a huge shadow behind them.

  Leader of the Obsidian Legion.

  The crowd fell silent.

  Alpha raised his face.

  The wolf growled softly.

  On the screen, Orion smiled arrogantly.

  “Welcome to Tokyo, Nox Aegis.”

  His tone was full of mockery.

  “Beautiful, isn't it? A busy city, full of color, full of innocence.”

  The screen changes.

  Featuring Alpha, Wolf, Hammer, and Ghost in the middle of the cosplayers.

  “I didn't expect it,” Orion continued, “just the four of you.”

  The wolf spat on the ground.

  “Bastard.”

  Orion chuckled.

  “I'm sure… another one is hiding in the skies of Tokyo.”

  A moment later, Valen moved his finger in the air.

  Codes run across the screen.

  The eagle suddenly froze.

  The tablet was flashing wildly.

  “Alpha…,” he whispered tensely, “my position—”

  Instantly, a satellite map of Tokyo appeared on the billboard.

  A red dot lit up at the top of the building where the Eagle was.

  “Detected,” Valen muttered on the screen, smiling coldly.

  Without hesitation, Elang immediately fought back.

  Her fingers danced crazily.

  Firewall after firewall was breached.

  Trojans hit each other.

  The satellite system is vibrating.

  In a matter of seconds, a global-scale digital war broke out.

  Sweat dripped down Elang's temples.

  “You digital devil…”

  On screen, Valen chuckled.

  “I miss you, Eagle.”

  But the Eagles turned the system around.

  One second. Two seconds.

  The red dot disappears.

  Blackout system.

  The eagle had already jumped to another building.

  His breathing was heavy.

  “Safe position.”

  Alpha nodded.

  But the screen hasn't gone out yet.

  Orion spoke again.

  “We are not interested in getting our hands dirty for the sake of one prime minister.”

  His face sharpened.

  “There is something far more valuable.”

  The wolf stiffened.

  "Nonsense."

  Orion raised a finger.

  “Twelve mice… are enough to entertain us.”

  The screen goes black.

  The silence suddenly became tense.

  The ghost froze.

  "Twelve…?"

  The eagle widened its eyes.

  All the data is connected in his head.

  Disaster. Outbreak. Van. Date. Tokyo.

  Then one name—

  Hannah.

  “Eagle, report!” Alpha snapped.

  The eagle speaks fast.

  “It’s not about Van. Tokyo is just a stage. The real target is… Hana.”

  The whole team was silent.

  Alpha clenched his fists.

  The wolf froze.

  Palu swallowed hard.

  Ghost whispered, “They sacrificed twelve troops… just to trick us.”

  Suddenly Alpha's phone vibrated.

  One message came in.

  Van:

  'Please save Hana.'

  Alpha's heart felt like it had been hit by a sledgehammer.

  His face turned cold.

  Very cold.

  He raised his head.

  “All units.”

  The tone of his voice changed.

  No longer just a commander.

  But the executioner.

  “New target: Hana.”

  “Zone: school area near Mount Fuji.”

  The wolf grinned bloodthirsty.

  "Finally."

  Hammer loads the magazine.

  Ghosts break the transport network.

  Eagle locks coordinates.

  Alpha tightened his gloves.

  “Obsidian has challenged us.”

  He looked up at the Tokyo sky.

  “They will regret being born.”

  In his heart, one sentence echoed:

  This is no longer a mission. This is a massacre.

  When NOX AEGIS arrived at the school nestled at the foot of Mount Fuji, the surroundings felt all too calm—peaceful, orderly, as if nothing had ever happened. The sky was clear, the mountain breeze blew lightly, and the students' footsteps sounded normal. But it was precisely this calm that gave them a sense of foreboding.

  Alpha slowly removed his mask. His gaze swept across every corner of the courtyard, hallway, and building. His heart rate accelerated. He ran through the crowd, mindlessly bumping into people's shoulders, his eyes searching for a familiar figure.

  In his mind there was only one name.

  Hannah.

  His breath quickened. He walked down hallway after hallway, up stairs, and forced open classroom doors. Nothing. Empty. It was as if the figure had vanished without a trace. His chest felt tight, but he refused to stop.

  In the distance, Elang observed from a prime shooting position. His sniper scope moved steadily, scanning the entire area with extreme precision. The tablet beside him scanned for the signal on the cell phone he had locked. Seconds passed, until a coordinate finally appeared on the screen.

  But that point is not on land.

  The eagle froze.

  His gaze shifted to a small runway on the outskirts of town. Through the lens, he saw a private jet preparing for takeoff. The engines roared softly, the navigation lights flashed, and the landing gear began to move.

  The tablet confirmed what he feared most.

  The cell phone signal was inside the plane.

  For a moment, the world seemed to stop.

  The eagle remained on the lookout, but his finger trembled on the trigger. His chest heaved, his breath hitched, and for the first time, tears welled up in his eyes. His vision blurred, but he didn't lower his binoculars.

  The communication channels kept calling his name.

  No answer.

  The wolf, who was closest, immediately realized something was wrong. He turned and saw the eagle standing still, his face wet with tears. With just one look, he understood.

  He activated the team channel.

  “Alpha… Obsidian has taken off. They have successfully captured the target.”

  The sentence felt like a sledgehammer.

  Alpha stopped walking.

  The world around him seemed to collapse silently. His head hung low, his jaw clenched, his breath hitched. For the first time since the organization's founding, NOX AEGIS had failed.

  Not a failure in an ordinary mission.

  They failed to save their own comrades.

  Silence enveloped the entire team. No one spoke. No one moved. Only the sound of the plane's engines receded, taking with them the life they were supposed to protect.

  Regret bites one by one.

  Alpha clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white. His heart churned with anger, disappointment, and piercing guilt. Images of the past came flooding back—previous failures, a friend now lying in the hospital, and now another one snatched away right before their eyes.

  It all happened too fast.

  They are too confident.

  They were caught off guard.

  And the price of that negligence is loss.

  The wolf lowered his head, holding back his anger. The eagle remained frozen, his tears falling silently. Meanwhile, Alpha stood in the crowd, alone in his own thoughts, bearing the burden of being a leader who, for the first time, had to face a harsh reality:

  Not all missions can they win.

  But deep down, a determination slowly grew—cold, hard, and unwavering.

  They will chase.

  They will hunt.

  And whatever the risk, they will bring their friends home.