27: loyalty!

After Joa's command rang out from the walkie-talkie.

All the mercenaries in the camp immediately sprang into action.

"Quick! Quick!"

Five armed helicopters took off one after another.

Twenty mercenaries and two Instructors quickly boarded the troop transport helicopters carrying ammunition boxes.

In less than three minutes.

All support forces had departed.

Staring intently at the monitor, at the scene of the advance team's mercenaries constantly being forced back by the zombie horde.

Joa let out a soft breath.

"Whew!"

"Hope it's not too late!"

Human stamina has its limits.

The advance team didn't bring much ammunition.

It wasn't that he didn't want to airdrop ammunition.

But the ruins were completely surrounded by dense forest.

Airdrop boxes would get stuck in the trees.

"If these zombies cannot be completely annihilated at the entrance of the ruins."

"Then when people are sent over later, the danger level will greatly increase."

".....Should I send some more robot dogs?"

Thinking of the limited eight hundred robot dogs gifted by East University from the system space.

Joa was conflicted.

He didn't want to waste the robot dogs in such a place.

He wanted to save these robot dogs for street fighting after Raccoon City was completely zombified.

Once in Raccoon City, the robot dogs would be responsible for clearing zombies, while the mercenaries would be responsible for scavenging and transporting gold.

Hearing Joa's low murmur, Polaris didn't disturb him, sitting quietly to the side.

"There are less than 150 people and forty robot dogs left in the camp, so even if there are losses, it doesn't matter."

With that thought, Joa got up and walked out.

He took out forty robot dogs from the system space and found forty mercenaries who could remotely control them.

Joa then ordered them to go provide support.

After returning to the command center, he sat down in his chair.

Joa's restless feeling then eased.

'This should be fine now.'

······

At the entrance of the ruins, below the steps.

Dozens of meters away.

"Fall back! Fall back!"

"...Instructor... If we fall back any further, we'll enter the dense forest!"

Hearing this, the three Instructors quickly glanced behind them.

Their hearts all trembled.

'Damn it! We've retreated this far?'

Everyone in the advance team knew.

They absolutely could not enter the dense forest.

Once they entered the dense forest, with their vision obscured by trees, they would quickly be overwhelmed by the zombie horde.

Taking a deep breath!

The three Instructors exchanged glances.

Their eyes met, seeing the determination in each other's eyes.

The three of them shouted while firing.

"Brothers!"

"We all served in the military."

"Obeying orders from above, we fought wars everywhere."

"However, this didn't change our lives at all."

"Even after joining Merryweather, life didn't improve much."

".....Until the boss took over Merryweather."

"We lived the life we once dreamed of!"

"Our families are proud of us!"

"Our children also attend the best schools! Receiving the best education!"

Hearing this, everyone present realized what the Instructor might say next.

"······"

Silence. Everyone present recalled everything from the past, and the smiles on their families' faces in the past month, while continuously reloading and firing their weapons.

After a few breaths.

The three Instructors continued.

"Brothers, it is my honor to fight alongside you!"

"Now! The time has come to fulfill our loyalty!"

"Stake our lives! Push these monsters back!"

"Clear the enemies for the boss! Clear the obstacles!"

"These monsters must not be allowed to enter the dense forest!"

Without much explanation, everyone understood how much resistance and danger Joa would face if he sent people to clear these monsters once they entered the dense forest.

"Loyalty! Loyalty! Loyalty!"

Disorganized shouts.

Short, but powerful.

The thirty-three advance team members had firm gazes and no longer retreated a single step.

Instead, they continuously pushed forward, step by step, against the zombie horde.

However... their actions also placed them in an extremely dangerous situation.

As expected.

Soon.

Casualties appeared.

Click, click, click!

One of the team members walking at the very front widened his eyes upon hearing the sound from his rifle.

"My gun jammed!"

Shouting out urgently, the team member quickly threw away his rifle and pulled out the pistol from his leg holster.

But even though he reported the situation in time, reacted without problems, and was fast enough.

Yet... the zombie that should have fallen to his rifle just now, not far away...

Still rushed in front of him in just a few seconds, tackling him to the ground.

Immediately after, countless zombies overwhelmed him.

"Ahhhhh!"

Screams rang out, frantically stimulating the nerves of others.

"No!"

"Fuck!"

"Damn monsters!"

Watching their familiar teammate being engulfed by the zombie horde.

All the advance team members cursed out loud.

At the same time, their actions of firing and reloading became faster.

However...

With such high-intensity firing, their weapons and ammunition would soon give out.

······

Command center.

Sitting in front of the monitor, Joa had been slightly agape and looked complicated, remaining silent for a long time since he heard the advance team member's words.

Compared to the relatively rational Joa, Polaris, who was beside him, couldn't hold back first.

"Joa! Let me go!"

"They... shouldn't die there!"

Hearing this, Joa closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and said softly.

"Even if you go now, you might not make it in time."

"What's more, the support I sent is almost here, just wait a little longer."

Hearing Joa say this, Polaris slowly lowered her head, her voice low.

"They... might die there."

"I know, I know, I will give their families a generous pension, and their salaries will still be paid."

"But... their children have lost their fathers..."

"Others don't matter... but they are your loyal subordinates... can you really stand by and watch them all die there?"

Polaris's words deeply pierced Joa's heart.

Gritting his teeth, Joa was conflicted.

If his subordinates were all scheming, he wouldn't care if they died.

But... these people... truly knew how to be grateful and were willing to sacrifice their lives for Joa's goals.

One breath, two breaths.

Joa's clenched fists loosened, he suddenly opened his eyes, and grabbed the walkie-talkie on the table.

"leviathan fighter ready!"

"Depart immediately!"

"Blow open the ruins for me!"

After relaying the order.

Joa stood up and looked at Polaris.

"Can you ride a motorcycle?"

Polaris nodded, not understanding, and quietly looked at Joa.

"You're right, they shouldn't die here! Shouldn't die at the hands of these zombies!"

With that, Joa turned and walked out.

Watching Joa's back, Polaris's lips unconsciously curled up.

Then, she followed without hesitation.

"Everyone! Hold the camp until I return!"

"Yes, sir!"

He took out two Tyrant MK2s from the system space.

Joa and Polaris, under everyone's gaze, rode the Mark 2s and soared into the sky.

Chasing after the leviathan fighter that had already flown a long distance.