Order of the Elements-Chapter 76: A Mission Went Wrong

Agent 084 stood in front of the final door on the upper floor of the barnhouse.

"Kuhh-kkrgh!"

He coughed violently, blood spilling from his mouth as the jagged bone remained impaled straight through his chest.

Behind him, Agents 049, 111, and 139 froze – all three staring with wide eyes, stunned and horrified.

"A-Agent 084?" Agent 049 muttered, barely able to speak.

Then–

Slllllk...

The bone slid out of Agent 084's body with a sickening sound, retreating through the locked door from where it had come.

Agent 084 stumbled forward.

Thud.

He collapsed to the floor – his chest soaked in blood, his mouth dripping with red as more leaked out with each shallow breath.

"Agent 084!" Agent 049 shouted, instantly dropping to his knees beside him. Agent 111 and 139 rushed over, rifles slung back, panic settling in fast.

049 pressed his hands to the gaping wound, applying pressure, but the blood just kept coming. It was too much. Too fast.

He looked Agent 084 in the eye.

"Stay with me! You're going to be okay! You will live!" freewёbn૦νeɭ.com

But Agent 084 couldn't speak – only choking more blood, the crimson staining his lips and teeth.

"F*ck!" Agent 139 yelled, backing away slightly, breathing heavy. "What the hell was that? I didn't see anything but a damn bone!"

Agent 049 grit his teeth, hands still pressing down, voice tight with urgency.

"That must be his ability. It has to be. He's a mutant who can control bones..."

He turned back to 084, gripping his vest tightly.

"Agent 084, just hang on–"

But then, he stopped.

The breath left his lungs.

084's chest had stopped rising. His hands no longer twitched. His eyes stared past 049, unfocused... lifeless.

Agent 084 was dead.

The hallway went silent, except for the rapid breathing of Agents 049, 111, and 139.

Agent 049 just stared at the lifeless body of Agent 084, unmoving. A heavy sigh escaped.

Slowly, he reached for the walkie-talkie strapped to his right chest and pressed the button.

Tsshhh...

"Agent 007, this is Agent 049. Agent 084... is K.I.A."

There was a pause on the other end – a moment heavy with silent understanding.

"Affirmative, 049," came Agent 007's voice through the comm.

Silence settled again – thick, suffocating.

Agents 049, 111, and 139 all remained still, eyes fixed on Agent 084's lifeless form sprawled out on the floor. Blood pooled beneath him.

Then, Agent 049 slowly turned his head toward the hole in the final door – the one that the bone had come from.

And then...

He saw it.

A silhouette. A figure standing in the centre of the room beyond the final door. Still. Watching.

Agent 049's jaw tightened. His grip on the rifle hardened as he raised it, barrel aimed straight at the door.

"Agent 111. Agent 139."

His voice was sharp.

Both agents snapped their attention to him.

"Weapons free." Agent 049's voice was cold now. Deadly. "Shoot the dam door."

The two agents nodded instantly, raising their rifles alongside his.

And then–

KRRACK-KRRACK-KRRACK!

Gunfire erupted as all three agents opened fire, unleashing a concentrated storm of bullets into the final door. The hallway lit up with muzzle flashes, and sound of metal biting into wood and plaster drowned everything else.

From downstairs...

Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.

Agent 069's head shot upward. The ceiling above him trembled faintly with the thundering blasts.

"What was that?" he muttered, eyes narrowing.

The other agents – 095, 123, 164, 165, and 222 – all looked up too.

"Gunshots?" Agent 095 said, puzzled.

"They... must need our help." Agent 165 said as he stepped forward, urgency in his voice. "Let's go!"

They began to move toward the stairs–

But then–

"H-Hey..."

Agent 123 froze.

He wasn't looking at the ceiling anymore. His eyes were fixed straight ahead.

At the front door.

The front door that had been closed just moments ago.

And standing there...

...was the figure.

The same figure from the upstairs room.

Already there. At the entrance. Silent. Still.

As Agents 049, 111, and 139 continued to unload their rifles into the final door, the sound of gunfire shook the narrow upstairs hallway like rolling thunder. Bullet casings scattered across the wooden floor.

"Stop!" Agent 049 suddenly shouted.

All three of them ceased fire. The hallway fell into a deafening silence, smoke curling from their rifle barrels.

"The mutant must be dead now," Agent 049 said, stepping forward.

He approached the door with measured caution, hand gripping the knob. Slowly he turned it.

Click – Crrreeeeakkk...

The door creaked open. Light from the hallway spilled inside.

Agent 049's eyes widened.

"...What the f*ck..." he muttered, horrified.

Inside the room were five bodies – sprawled in twisted positions across the blood-soaked floor. But what made it worse...

Two more corpses stood upright, nailed to the wall by sharpened bones driven straight through their hands and torsos. Their heads hung low, lifeless and dripping.

Agent 111 and 139 stepped into the room beside him, rifles lowered.

Agent 139 immediately raised a hand to his mouth, eyes wide and face pale. He looked like he was going to be sick.

"It's... no doubt," Agent 111 said grimly, stepping forward. "These five... that's the family. And the nailed to the wall... must've been the police officers."

Agent 139 clenched his fists tightly, his jaw trembling as his eyes fixed on the smallest body among the dead – a toddler, no older than three.

"That mutant..." he seethed. "That heartless f*cking monster. Killing kids... even the baby. What kind of monster does this?"

Agent 049 didn't speak. He was already scanning the room again, trying to focus through the thick stench of death.

Where is he?

He studied the corners, the furniture, the shadows.

Then...

His eyes locked onto something.

The window.

It was open – just slightly – but enough.

He stepped toward it, eyes narrowing.

"That mutant... must've escaped through here." He clenched his jaw.

"He's already gone."

Then–

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

The scream echoed from downstairs.

Agent 049, 111, and 139 all snapped their heads toward the scream echoing through the barnhouse.

"What was that?" Agent 111 asked, tension surging in his voice.

"It's the others! Let's go!" Agent 049 shouted, immediately taking off down the hallway and heading for the stairs. Agents 111 and 139 followed behind, leaving behind the lifeless body of Agent 084.

As they descended the stairs and stepped back into the living room, all three agents froze in horror at what they saw.

The rest of their squad – Agents 069, 095, 123, 164, 165, and 222 – were all dead.

Beheaded. Split in half. Ripped apart. Impaled.

Blood painted the walls and ceiling in gruesome streaks. Body parts were strewn across the floor like discarded toys.

Agent 111's voice trembled as he whispered, "W-What the f–"

SHUNK!

A sickening sound cut the air.

Agent 111's eyes widened – then glazed over.

He collapsed instantly.

A long, jagged bone jutted from the side of his neck.

"Sh*t!" Agent 049 cursed, rushing to his fallen comrade. He dropped to one knee beside Agent 111's body and immediately reached for the walkie-talkie on his chest.

Tsshhh...

"Agent 007, this is Agent 049! The other agents are K.I.A.! It's just me and Agent 139 left. I repeat – only me and Agent 139 are alive!"

There was a brief pause. Then–

"I'm sorry – only you and Agent 139 are still alive?" Agent 007's voice replied, strained.

"Affirmative, sir! This house is compromised. I repeat, this house is compromised. It's definitely an S-Rank Mutant. Requesting exfil immediately!"

"Copy that! Chopper inbounded. ETA thirty seconds. Hold your position. Out!"

Agent 049 turned sharply toward Agent 139, who was trembling uncontrollably as he stared at the mutilated bodies of their comrades.

"Agent 139!" 049 barked. "We're pulling out now! Abandon the mission!"

"Y-Yeah!" Agent 139 stammered, snapping out of his shock.

The two remaining agents bolted toward the front door of the barnhouse.

As they burst into the open air, Agent 139 glanced back over his shoulder – and froze in terror.

The figure stood calmly in the barnhouse doorway, watching them.

Long white hair fell across his shoulders like ghostly strands. His eyes – black as night – glowed faintly beneath heavy lids. His skin was pale as bone, almost corpse-like. His ragged clothing clung loosely to his lean, wiry frame. The mutant looked more like a wraith than a man.

"Sir... he's right behind us," Agent 139 said, voice cracking.

Agent 049 turned toward him. "What?"

Suddenly–

THUD!

Agent 049 collapsed to the ground with a grunt.

His body began sliding backward – dragged by an invisible force.

He clawed at the ground, but it was useless. His limbs moved on their own, contorted by something unseen.

Then he saw it.

The mutant was standing, one hand extended – fingers lightly curled.

He's... controlling my bones.

Agent 049's eyes widened in horror as he felt his joints twist unnaturally. His body jerked backward toward the barnhouse, pulled by the very structure that held him together.

Agent 139 skidded to a halt and turned around, eyes wide with panic as he watched Agent 049 being dragged helplessly across the field – pulled back toward the barnhouse.

"049! Agent 139 shouted, stepping forward instinctively.

Then–

"NO!" Agent 049 cried out in agony as he felt his bones twist unnaturally, yanked by an invisible force.

"Huh?" Agent 139 froze, paralyzed by the sight.

"Don't worry about me, 139!" Agent 049 shouted, struggling against the pull. "I'll deal with the mutant. You just GO!"

"But..." Agent 139 trembled, his heart pounding.

"If you try to help me... Agh! We'll both die here – with the intel," Agent 049 groaned, still being dragged across the grass.

Agent 139 remained frozen in place, shaking with fear and helplessness.

What should I do?

Then–

Agent 049, despite the pain etched across his face, gave a thumbs-up and forced a strained smile.

"Go! Go and meet your wife! See your child, 139!" he shouted.

Agent 139 clenched his fists, eye glimmering, then gave a firm nod.

"Yes!" he called out. "It's been an honour fighting beside you these ten years, 049!"

"Likewise... 139," Agent 049 said, his voice faltering.

Agent 139 turned, pulling his gas mask down over his face, and ran – full spring – into the fog-choked forest.

Agent 049 watched him disappear into the mist. A faint smile still lingered on his face... until he turned his head back.

His eyes widened in horror.

There – just a few feet away – stood the white-haired mutant.

His pale skin glowed faintly in the moonlight. Long, bone-white hair drifted over his shoulders, and his black, hollow eyes stared down at Agent 049 with merciless calm.

The mutant raised his hand. A sharp, ivory bone extended from his palm like a blade.

He swung his hand downward.

"WAI–!"

SHUNK!

Agen 049's head was cleaved cleanly from his shoulders. Blood spilled across the grass in a vivid spray.

Silence.

Then–

Tsshhh...

"Agent 049, this is Agent 007. What's your status?" the voice crackled faintly from the walkie-talkie on his chest.

The mutant crouched.

Without a word, he plucked the device from Agent 049's body and–

CRACK!

–smashed it underfoot.

He stared into the fog where Agent 139 had fled.

"So... only one survived, huh?" he muttered with a scowl. "Tch. What a waste of time."

He reached into his pocket and unfolded a weathered map. His piercing eyes scanned it with narrowed focus.

Seika High School – X

Saginuma's Sushi – X

Tanaka's Barn – X

Only one location remained.

Village of Blacksmith.

"The Village of Blacksmith, huh?" the mutant murmured. "Sounds very fitting... for the Element of Steel."

TO BE CONTINUED!!!