Bell was well aware that capturing Aya alive would pose a significant threat, potentially more dangerous than their current circumstances. As they flew towards the armored necromancer, it was clear that she was summoning an endless undead army while enduring a relentless bombardment from cluster bombs, as seen from their distant viewpoint.
Aya struggled to maintain her magical shield amidst the intense onslaught from all directions, facing weapons she could have never imagined in a fantasy world. She fought alone against an immovable force, and her magical shield began to display cracks under the continuous cluster bombing.
The team landed near Aya, approaching her weakened body, which was already bleeding from her mouth. It was apparent that she was nearing the end of her battle, as her magical energy had nearly depleted. The team surrounded her, their heavy weaponry aimed at her, ready to secure their target.
"Surrender, Aya, you have nowhere to run now!" Lisa shouted, her .338 machine gun aimed directly at Aya.
Aya wiped the blood from her mouth defiantly. "Try me, you lousy demon!" She conjured a bone projectile and launched it towards Lisa, who shattered it with her own magical shield. Lisa retaliated by firing a burst from her machine gun at the shield, attempting to weaken it, but it held firm.
"Bell, shoot your railgun at her leg!" Lisa commanded.
"Copy!" The deafening roar of the railgun echoed through the air as the 30mm sabot round streaked towards Aya. It effortlessly shattered her magical shield and tore through her leg, severing it in two before continuing into the snow behind them, causing a small explosion.
As the snow settled from the explosion, an eerie silence descended upon the battlefield. Aya, now severely wounded, lay in the snow, her eyes reflecting a mixture of pain and defiance while her lifeblood flowed freely, staining the white snow crimson. It was an anticlimactic end to the battle, with a sea of bodies surrounding Aya. Bell couldn't help but feel an odd sense of finality. This woman had been responsible for so much, and yet, with seemingly little effort, she now lay beside the ground.
Struggling for breath, Aya managed a weak smile. "You think... capturing me... changes anything?"
Lisa couldn't help but smirk. "Well, yes, obviously."
"Good luck then," Aya whispered, releasing her last breath before becoming motionless on the ground. Lisa approached the lifeless body, checking for any sign of a pulse. There was none. Aya had died, just as Bell had initially intended, delivering the fatal blow.
"Halt," Bell raised his hand, signaling for the team to stand down. The female priest was no more. It had taken a combination of preparation and an unrelenting drive for revenge, with the involvement of the most highly trained RAA squad, alongside three IPR-1s and F-15EXs, to bring this chapter to a close.
The POOs lowered their rifles as Bell approached the lifeless body of the female priest. He observed her for a moment, contemplating the damage she had caused to their base.
"What shall we do with the body, then?" one of the officers asked.
"Burn it, plain and simple," Bell responded.
"No, don't do that. We should revive her and bring her in," Lisa suggested.
"Are you insane???" one officer protested. "What if she summons more undead in our base? As if dealing with a dragon wasn't enough."
"Have you ever heard of something called MKUltra and what a Manchurian Candidate is, agent?" Sylva interjected. "Furthermore, she lost the battle due to magical exhaustion and blood loss."
"Which means?" another agent inquired.
Bell explained, "In simpler terms, we can manipulate her, or rather, we can turn her into a demon."
"I'm not a fan of the idea, to be honest, sir," an agent admitted.
"Neither am I, but perhaps she can divulge valuable information without even realizing it," Sylva added.
"I like the idea," Lisa chimed in, wearing a sly grin. "If she decides to mess with us, she'll quickly discover why committing genocide against an entire race is a terrible idea."
"Alright, let's retrieve her body, and let's hope your theory holds true," Bell concluded.
"Aye, Bell."
"Call the blackhawk, let's transport the body," Bell ordered.
Six minutes later, a UH-60M Blackhawk helicopter landed amidst the sea of corpses. Lisa carefully loaded Aya's body into a body bag and then onto the helicopter, while other RAA personnel stood guard. As Bell boarded the helicopter, he couldn't help but be surprised by how easily Aya had been defeated. He cast one last look at the desolate battlefield, a graveyard of undead.
As the helicopter lifted off, the team inside fell into a contemplative silence, each lost in their thoughts. Lisa couldn't help but focus on Aya's lifeless form. "So young, and yet, so... evil."
"Evil is relative," Sylva added. "To them, she's a martyr."
Bell then raised a concern, "So, what do we plan to do with her? Please tell me we're not turning her into a cyborg."
Lisa reassured him, "I have a friend in the anesthesiology and reanimation department. He'll figure something out, and the medical team has found something called Project Mindslot. It'll be useful for this kind of situation. Trust me, I know how it will work out for us in the end. Take us to The Facility. I've briefed a team specifically designed for this even before we planned to capture her."
The flight back to The Facility was swift, and upon arrival, Aya's body was taken to a high-security room where a team of doctors and researchers awaited. The top brass of the RAA had been informed of the plan, and despite some reservations, they believed the potential benefits outweighed the risks. In the center of the room was a bed adorned with runes and circles, directly below which was a crude yet effective means of reviving a person.
Aya was placed on the bed, her leg secured with a tourniquet to stop the bleeding. Suddenly, a dark and sinister energy enveloped her body. The spell's operation was simple: it replaced her old aether energy with the new one from the demons, albeit at the cost of completely overwriting her genetic code to match that of a demon.
"It appears to be working. Initiate the sedation procedure. Get the propofol, ventilator, and everything ready," the anesthesiologist ordered as he approached the bed. He inserted a multitude of tubes into Aya's body, and various liquids began to flow into her. Her appearance also gradually began to change, with her hair whitening, and a slight bulge appearing on her head.
Bell observed the transformation, not fully comprehending the intricacies of how Project Mindslot worked, but it seemed to involve plugging something in. Recalling the condition that anyone integrated into his system couldn't revolt or betray him, Bell decided to place Aya into the training program.
[Attention! Subject is not willing]
Bell quickly realized that integrating Aya into the training program wouldn't work without her cooperation. He wasn't privy to Lisa's plans on how to make her cooperate, and he harbored some reservations about the methods that might be employed. Dirty tricks and manipulation were often used in such situations, but he wasn't sure how far they were willing to go for just one individual.
Lisa gently tugged on Bell's clothes and suggested, "Hey, why don't you return to the Base? People are waiting for their first victory speech."
Bell nodded, torn between his concern for Aya and his responsibilities as a leader. He left the high-security room, Room 101, leaving Aya's fate in the hands of the specialized team, knowing that the situation was far from resolved.
Bell was well aware that capturing Aya alive would pose a significant threat, potentially more dangerous than their current circumstances. As they flew towards the armored necromancer, it was clear that she was summoning an endless undead army while enduring a relentless bombardment from cluster bombs, as seen from their distant viewpoint.
Aya struggled to maintain her magical shield amidst the intense onslaught from all directions, facing weapons she could have never imagined in a fantasy world. She fought alone against an immovable force, and her magical shield began to display cracks under the continuous cluster bombing.
The team landed near Aya, approaching her weakened body, which was already bleeding from her mouth. It was apparent that she was nearing the end of her battle, as her magical energy had nearly depleted. The team surrounded her, their heavy weaponry aimed at her, ready to secure their target.
"Surrender, Aya, you have nowhere to run now!" Lisa shouted, her .338 machine gun aimed directly at Aya.
Aya wiped the blood from her mouth defiantly. "Try me, you lousy demon!" She conjured a bone projectile and launched it towards Lisa, who shattered it with her own magical shield. Lisa retaliated by firing a burst from her machine gun at the shield, attempting to weaken it, but it held firm.
"Bell, shoot your railgun at her leg!" Lisa commanded.
"Copy!" The deafening roar of the railgun echoed through the air as the 30mm sabot round streaked towards Aya. It effortlessly shattered her magical shield and tore through her leg, severing it in two before continuing into the snow behind them, causing a small explosion.
As the snow settled from the explosion, an eerie silence descended upon the battlefield. Aya, now severely wounded, lay in the snow, her eyes reflecting a mixture of pain and defiance while her lifeblood flowed freely, staining the white snow crimson. It was an anticlimactic end to the battle, with a sea of bodies surrounding Aya. Bell couldn't help but feel an odd sense of finality. This woman had been responsible for so much, and yet, with seemingly little effort, she now lay beside the ground.
Struggling for breath, Aya managed a weak smile. "You think... capturing me... changes anything?"
Lisa couldn't help but smirk. "Well, yes, obviously."
"Good luck then," Aya whispered, releasing her last breath before becoming motionless on the ground. Lisa approached the lifeless body, checking for any sign of a pulse. There was none. Aya had died, just as Bell had initially intended, delivering the fatal blow.
"Halt," Bell raised his hand, signaling for the team to stand down. The female priest was no more. It had taken a combination of preparation and an unrelenting drive for revenge, with the involvement of the most highly trained RAA squad, alongside three IPR-1s and F-15EXs, to bring this chapter to a close.
The POOs lowered their rifles as Bell approached the lifeless body of the female priest. He observed her for a moment, contemplating the damage she had caused to their base.
"What shall we do with the body, then?" one of the officers asked.
"Burn it, plain and simple," Bell responded.
"No, don't do that. We should revive her and bring her in," Lisa suggested.
"Are you insane???" one officer protested. "What if she summons more undead in our base? As if dealing with a dragon wasn't enough."
"Have you ever heard of something called MKUltra and what a Manchurian Candidate is, agent?" Sylva interjected. "Furthermore, she lost the battle due to magical exhaustion and blood loss."
"Which means?" another agent inquired.
Bell explained, "In simpler terms, we can manipulate her, or rather, we can turn her into a demon."
"I'm not a fan of the idea, to be honest, sir," an agent admitted.
"Neither am I, but perhaps she can divulge valuable information without even realizing it," Sylva added.
"I like the idea," Lisa chimed in, wearing a sly grin. "If she decides to mess with us, she'll quickly discover why committing genocide against an entire race is a terrible idea."
"Alright, let's retrieve her body, and let's hope your theory holds true," Bell concluded.
"Aye, Bell."
"Call the blackhawk, let's transport the body," Bell ordered.
Six minutes later, a UH-60M Blackhawk helicopter landed amidst the sea of corpses. Lisa carefully loaded Aya's body into a body bag and then onto the helicopter, while other RAA personnel stood guard. As Bell boarded the helicopter, he couldn't help but be surprised by how easily Aya had been defeated. He cast one last look at the desolate battlefield, a graveyard of undead.
As the helicopter lifted off, the team inside fell into a contemplative silence, each lost in their thoughts. Lisa couldn't help but focus on Aya's lifeless form. "So young, and yet, so... evil."
"Evil is relative," Sylva added. "To them, she's a martyr."
Bell then raised a concern, "So, what do we plan to do with her? Please tell me we're not turning her into a cyborg."
Lisa reassured him, "I have a friend in the anesthesiology and reanimation department. He'll figure something out, and the medical team has found something called Project Mindslot. It'll be useful for this kind of situation. Trust me, I know how it will work out for us in the end. Take us to The Facility. I've briefed a team specifically designed for this even before we planned to capture her."
The flight back to The Facility was swift, and upon arrival, Aya's body was taken to a high-security room where a team of doctors and researchers awaited. The top brass of the RAA had been informed of the plan, and despite some reservations, they believed the potential benefits outweighed the risks. In the center of the room was a bed adorned with runes and circles, directly below which was a crude yet effective means of reviving a person.
Aya was placed on the bed, her leg secured with a tourniquet to stop the bleeding. Suddenly, a dark and sinister energy enveloped her body. The spell's operation was simple: it replaced her old aether energy with the new one from the demons, albeit at the cost of completely overwriting her genetic code to match that of a demon.
"It appears to be working. Initiate the sedation procedure. Get the propofol, ventilator, and everything ready," the anesthesiologist ordered as he approached the bed. He inserted a multitude of tubes into Aya's body, and various liquids began to flow into her. Her appearance also gradually began to change, with her hair whitening, and a slight bulge appearing on her head.
Bell observed the transformation, not fully comprehending the intricacies of how Project Mindslot worked, but it seemed to involve plugging something in. Recalling the condition that anyone integrated into his system couldn't revolt or betray him, Bell decided to place Aya into the training program.
[Attention! Subject is not willing]
Bell quickly realized that integrating Aya into the training program wouldn't work without her cooperation. He wasn't privy to Lisa's plans on how to make her cooperate, and he harbored some reservations about the methods that might be employed. Dirty tricks and manipulation were often used in such situations, but he wasn't sure how far they were willing to go for just one individual.
Lisa gently tugged on Bell's clothes and suggested, "Hey, why don't you return to the Base? People are waiting for their first victory speech."
Bell nodded, torn between his concern for Aya and his responsibilities as a leader. He left the high-security room, Room 101, leaving Aya's fate in the hands of the specialized team, knowing that the situation was far from resolved.
