------------
Seven days later, under a hazy summer moon, deep in the remote mountains of the Dongyao Range in the southeast, inside a secret military base belonging to the Southern Command, China.
Bright beams of light swept through the night sky as sentry posts surrounded the base, security was tight, and floodlights lit up the area. It was past midnight, but unlike the usual calm, the asphalt road leading to the base was filled with the roar of engines. Military trucks covered in camouflage nets came and went, each guarded by armed soldiers every dozen meters, with armored vehicles patrolling the perimeter. Tall X-shaped watchtowers and blinding searchlights swept the area, making the atmosphere inside the base more tense than ever.
The military trucks slowly drove up to the entrance of a massive warehouse built into the mountainside—solid and well-hidden. The heavy metal doors were open, letting the trucks enter. Guards were posted outside, with over a hundred armed soldiers on alert, artillery set up nearby, and even two tanks patrolling around the warehouse.
About a kilometer away in a wooded hill, two gunmen in camouflage lay flat on the ground, their faces streaked with paint. One, the sniper 'Scorpio,' held a modified 2A anti-materiel sniper rifle, using a night scope to observe. The other, the observer 'Weasel,' had a portable military infrared night vision binocular. Both watched the military base closely through their lenses.
"Scorpio, do you think those heavy metal crates the Chinese soldiers are unloading from the trucks are what the BSS are after?" the observer asked in a whisper.
"Yeah, most likely! Weasel, did you see those crates? They look heavy, and they definitely aren’t stuffed with KF chicken wings! Besides, that type of metal crate isn’t for storing weapons. If we’re guessing right, it’s what the BSS want!" Scorpio replied in a low voice.
"Uh—but the Chinese military hid this stuff deep in the mountains, and there’s at least a battalion of troops, tanks, artillery, and armored vehicles! This is a tough nut to crack," Weasel said, frowning.
"Heh—whether it’s crackable is up to those Japanese. We in the Night Wraith Mercenary Group are just here for recon and cover, not the main assault. The Japanese Iga Ninja Clan’s Black Spider Ninja Corps is leading this operation! Plus, those Nine Chrysanthemums Society sorcerers are cocky as hell. Their skills and gear are top-notch in Asia—heck, maybe the world! Let them deal with the Chinese troops. We just watch and collect our paycheck!" Scorpio said, chuckling.
"Oh—the Chinese Army’s supposed to be tough, and I heard they’ve got experts from the Military Paranormal Unit and fighters from the Three Great Houses of China working together. That’s some scary power! Can those Japanese even handle it?" Weasel asked, sounding worried.
"Relax! The Japanese are all in this time, sending their top experts specifically to deal with those Military Paranormal Unit specialists and fighters from the Three Great Houses! Plus, the Chinese military, trying to avoid attention, only stationed a reinforced battalion from the Southern Command. That’s who the Japanese are up against! Even though this place is deep in the mountains, it’s only about thirty kilometers from the southeast coast. If we move fast and hit hard, the fight won’t last an hour. Before Chinese reinforcements arrive, we’ll have already moved the goods from the warehouse to the coast. Once there, the Japanese have advanced submarines waiting—if all goes to plan, it’s a done deal!" Scorpio whispered.
"Wow—if the Japanese and Chinese go head-to-head, it’s going to be epic! They’ll fight to the death. This is practically a mini war!" Weasel whispered excitedly.
"Heh—even if it is a war, it’s not really our problem. We’re just mercenaries. As long as we help the Japanese grab those crates and cover their retreat to the coast, we get paid and walk away. Let them fight to the death!" Scorpio said with a cold laugh.
"Heh, exactly! Honestly, I’d love to see those cocky Japanese get their butts kicked. But they’re our BSS right now, so we’ve got no choice but to be on their side—for now!" Weasel whispered.
"Keep it down. That Japanese ninja working with us could be hiding nearby. If you want to get paid, quit badmouthing them!" Scorpio warned in a low voice.
"Oh, come on, Scorpio! You don’t have to be so paranoid. It’s just you and me out here. That Japanese ninja must’ve been holding it in too long, or maybe he’s lost his mind or got a stomachache—he disappeared right after we set out, and he’s supposed to be some famous Iga ninja!" Weasel said dismissively.
Before Weasel could finish, a sudden chill swept past his ear. He felt a sting on his cheek, reached up, and pulled out a blood-stained wild grass blade. At the same time, he heard a cold, sinister snort: "This is a warning. If you keep running your mouth, next time I’ll cut out your tongue!"
Weasel’s scalp tingled as he clutched his cheek and looked around, but saw no one. Just as he was wondering, a shadow suddenly dropped from the tree above, landing silently and snorting again: "Useless."
Startled, Weasel realized the figure before him was the masked ninja who’d vanished right after they set out.
But after cursing him, the ninja ignored Weasel, pulled out a gray-black sheet of paper from his coat, folded it skillfully into a paper bird, muttered an incantation, and tossed it into the air—"whoosh—" The folded bird flashed with starlight and instantly transformed into a black-gray bat, flapping its wings and flying straight toward the military base.
"Oh—my god!" Scorpio and Weasel stared in shock, mouths agape at the unbelievable scene.