A few minutes before the explosion…
"Haaa!!"
He swings his sword quickly.
Krauser dodges the strike and lands a kick on Ghost.
"Haha… is that all?"
Ayato lunges from the side, wielding his translucent swords.
Ghost raises his sword and effortlessly shatters each incoming blade.
Krauser tries to take advantage of the opening, but Ghost counters and pushes him back, stepping forward into the open:
"FIRE!"
The OptiPax members open fire with their guns, unleashing a storm of bullets.
But one of the NWC soldiers spots the source and fires an RPG toward the firing position.
"Ayato… Report from Admiral Anchor… He's infiltrated the depot!" Liv speaks through Ayato's earpiece.
Meanwhile, a few individuals observe the chaos from the rooftop of a nearby house.
Most of them stand ready with weapons, but two figures stand at the front.
One wears a robotic suit with an "X" mark on its face.
The other is dressed in plain black, wearing a cloak-like garment that extends from his right shoulder to below his leg —
I say cloak-like, because it only covers his right side. The left side is exposed.
With a scope in his left hand, he watches the battlefield:
"X, be ready. This belongs to everyone. Once the target appears, assume combat position and wait for my command."
The robotic one — X — responds:
"This is going to be messy. Try not to harm any NWC operatives!"
At that moment, an explosion erupts, drawing everyone's attention.
"Good…" the cloaked man says.
Before long, Ghost's scream is heard.
Barely two minutes later, a second explosion rocks the area.
"Look at that Macu energy! It even turns the flames blue…" X remarks.
"That's not blue. Look closer — it's green…"
"Wait… there's someone over there… get ready!"
—
He steps out…
It's Zack. His hair now much longer than before… only one of his eyes is visible — the left one, glowing red-yellow.
His feet are bare… his clothes torn and ragged…
His body covered in blood…
Even his mouth…
"W-what?! You were supposed to mutate…"
Zack steps forward…
Krauser, masked, moves toward Ayato who also puts on his mask.
Zack locks eyes with Ayato…
Ayato grabs Krauser's arm:
"Let's fall back…
We'll strike when the gas finally clears…"
Krauser doesn't want to leave…
But falling sick or dying here
wouldn't serve his purpose…
Ghost grips the hilt of his sword…
Only the two of them remain standing in the square,
staring at each other like bulls ready to charge…
Zack extends his right hand toward Ghost…
Suddenly, from behind his right shoulder, a black tentacle-like organ emerges (we'll call this Kaishi, and continue to refer to it as such), rushing toward Ghost.
Ghost slashes the Kaishi with his sword…
but when he looks back at Zack — he's gone.
A sudden aerial attack follows.
Ghost reflexively steps back.
Zack's punch shatters the concrete, and without pausing, he raises his arm.
Another Kaishi emerges from his elbow and shoots upward.
Ghost realizes his intention and deflects the attack with his sword.
Suddenly, Zack appears right in front of him and goes for a kick.
Ghost blocks it again with his sword, forced to retreat once more.
"You've gotten better than before…"
Zack attacks again.
Ghost continues to block and speaks:
"But you stayed in there long enough… Based on estimates, you've been exposed to 60-70% of the operation's intended effect.
Your memories are still hazy, aren't they?
Even if your Core Fragment wasn't destroyed, it's badly damaged, isn't it?
You don't know why you're here, do you?
What do you want? Come on! Again!!
Is that all? Faster! Stronger!
Can you defeat me without becoming the 'Black Angel'?!"
But he was wrong… about one thing.
Zack did have a purpose…
The silence, the relentless attacks — it all begins to drive Ghost mad:
"Aaarrrghhh!!
OTTO! BRUTALITY!!!"
He stomps on Zack's foot,
swings his sword hard and slashes right through Zack's midsection.
Zack is split at the waist…
Ghost leaps:
"OTTO!! POWER BURST!"
And lands a powerful kick to Zack's upper half…
Zack's upper body flies off toward the forest behind the depot…
But a Kaishi shoots out from his lower half…
and another Kaishi from the upper half grabs hold!
Ghost tries to stop them — but fails…
Taking advantage of the gas thinning out, NWC forces charge in…
"CAN'T YOU BASTARDS JUST GIVE ME A FUCKING BREAK?!!
OTTO! PHOBOS AND DEIMOS — ANNIHILATION!!"
He slams his sword into the ground…
A massive earthquake follows…
"NOW!! Soldiers, move in!!! Don't let the NWC forces advance!!!"
Saying this, Lie (the cloaked man) steps back:
"He's yours now… X."
"Ay-ay-ay…"
Jerusalem forces begin their assault…
"Ayato!! Ayato!! Jerusalem!! They're here!!"
Ayato:
"What?!"
Liv continues:
"I've established contact with the Admiral… he's alive…"
Buildings start to collapse…
Ghost quickly runs back — into the forested area…
—
File #026
Supreme Authority
The only singular government formed during the establishment of the New World, capable of controlling the entire globe…
It included individuals and officials from every nation…