My Shard Bearer System - Elias's Legacy-Chapter 59: Target located

Jiece’s voice came through the comms, sharp and measured. Though unseen, the tension in his tone made it clear he was closely monitoring the situation.

"What is it, Kikaru?" he asked, his voice calm but laced with impatience.

"You’re likely encountering a shard user..." Kikaru’s voice came through steady, but there was a sharp edge to it. "I’m sure you know this, but you should play it safe until you’ve drawn them out. I don’t think the person that was shot was the shard user—I didn’t see a shard anywhere on the body from the cam." freewebnøvel_com

Jiece remained silent for a moment, absorbing the information before responding. "You are probably right... but we still need to rescue Warden Dr. Anders before he gets killed. The loss of life is meaningless." His tone was measured, but there was no mistaking the tension underneath.

A brief pause followed before he continued. "Don’t think we haven’t been training to fight shard users either. If anything, their emergence has pushed our training to another level."

"You won’t be needed."

Kikaru sighed, leaning back slightly, shifting her weight against the crate beside her. "I sure hope not..." she muttered, though she doubted things would be that simple.

Inside the facility, Platoons Juliet and Romeo pressed forward, weapons at the ready. Their boots moved swiftly over the sterile floor, the previous carnage now behind them.

They emerged into a pure white chamber, the lighting almost too perfect—no shadows, no indication of where the walls began or ended. In the center of the room, a spiraling staircase stretched upward, its frame sleek and metallic, winding up into the ceiling with no immediate indication of where it led.

"Which direction is the doctor in again?" one of the Juliet squad members asked, scanning the room cautiously.

Jiece’s voice came over the earpiece, steady but firm. "He should be straight across in the next room. The staircase is likely a decoy to distract you. Go ahead and move forward."

The soldiers advanced, rifles up, carefully maneuvering around the base of the staircase. There were no visible threats, no movement—just an unnatural stillness that set everyone on edge.

Then—

The comms glitched.

A sharp static crackled through their earpieces before the familiar, mocking voice returned.

"Oh? So you really do have a good method of tracking your people?"

The soldiers froze.

Jiece’s teeth clenched instinctively at the sound of the voice cutting into their channel once again.

"Nonetheless, I have acquired the target I was looking for... You can have him back now... I mean, if you can survive, of course."

The voice cut out abruptly.

Then, the ceiling rumbled.

A deep, resonating tremor coursed through the structure, dust breaking loose from above, drifting downward in unsettling spirals.

Then—a booming crack split the air, followed by a violent creak of shifting metal.

Jiece’s instincts kicked in immediately.

"BRACE FOR IMPACT!" he shouted over the comms. "THE ROOF’S COMING DOWN! DEPLOY THRUST SHIELDS!"

The moment the order left his lips, the ceiling began to collapse.

Panels ripped free from their fixtures, smashing down in massive slabs. The spiraling staircase twisted under its own weight, collapsing inward as steel supports snapped apart like brittle bones. The air shuddered under the sheer force of the ceiling caving in, sending a wall of dust and debris plummeting toward the squads below.

The Platoon Leader from Juliet reacted first. His arm shot forward, activating the thrust shield just as the first wave of destruction bore down. A high-density energy field expanded outward, a barrier designed to absorb the brunt of the impact.

The Platoon Leader from Romeo followed instantly, his own shield interlocking with the first, their combined power stabilizing the protective field. Chunks of reinforced steel slammed against the barrier, energy rippling outward to disperse the force. The debris broke apart, smaller fragments scattering across the floor, but the larger slabs were held back—barely.

Then came the real test.

A multi-ton slab of ceiling gave way, barreling down like a warhead. The shields flared under the strain, glowing hot as the energy struggled to compensate.

"Push output to full!" Juliet’s leader ordered.

Romeo’s leader adjusted immediately, routing excess power through the field just before impact. The kinetic force rippled outward, breaking the falling structure apart piece by piece.

The final remnants crashed down, scattering across the floor in jagged heaps.

The dust hung in the air, swirling in slow, uneasy movements before finally settling. The shields flickered, then deactivated, steam venting from the emitters as the soldiers lowered their arms.

A moment passed.

Then, a voice crackled through comms. "All accounted for."

Jiece exhaled, his gaze sweeping across the squad. No casualties. He tightened his grip on his sidearm, eyes flicking toward the wreckage.

Both Platoon Leaders from Juliet and Romeo shook off the residual dust from the collapse, stepping back into formation.

The squads advanced cautiously, their boots crunching over the debris-strewn floor as they approached the blank wall ahead. What appeared to be a door stood embedded within the structure, its smooth surface betraying its nature. It didn’t belong here.

Jiece’s voice came through the comms, steady and commanding. "It’s a fake wall. Push through."

The Platoon Leader from Juliet wasted no time. A precise detonation charge was planted along the structure’s base, its energy humming in low pulses before the trigger was pulled. The explosion was controlled but efficient, and the false barrier crumbled like fragile paper, revealing what lay beyond.

The sight froze the squads in place.

The room was a chamber of suffering. Rusted spikes jutted out from the walls, their surfaces coated in old and fresh blood. The ground was uneven, layered with debris and discarded remnants of torn fabric—signs of past captives.

At the center of it all, hanging from the ceiling by his arms, was a man. Ropes cut deep into his wrists, his frail body suspended lifelessly.

Jiece’s voice remained composed. "We have found him. Performing a full sweep before extraction."

The Platoon Leader from Romeo stepped forward, raising his hand in a three-signal gesture. Both squads spread out, clearing the room in careful sweeps.

After several tense minutes, the confirmation came through.

"It’s him. Warden Dr. Anders. Alive, but barely."

Jiece exhaled, nodding. "Proceed with extreme caution."

Kikaru watched the way the squads moved toward Anders, the situation felt nerve wracking even through the eye piece feed. Something felt off. she thought as her ikona slowly poked it’s black eyes out of her shoulder.

Her fingers twitched slightly before she spoke. "Captain Jiece. Requesting audio link."

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