Several police cars and armored vehicles were parked, their blue and red police lights flashing incessantly.
The SWAT Officers responsible for assisting had stationed their men outside, setting up long cordons to prevent the remaining civilians from breaking in and causing trouble.
At the outermost perimeter, there was also an ambulance.
Several blood-covered injured people were being loaded onto stretchers and pushed into the ambulance; their conditions looked far from optimistic.
The scene of the incident was an old residential building where several Compound Eye Demons had broken in and were massacring the tenants in the rental rooms.
This had resulted in multiple deaths.
Now, these Compound Eye Demons were hiding in the corridors and dared not come out. Left with no choice, Chris, the BSAA Squad leader, planned to implement his cat-and-mouse strategy.
He would have some men stationed at the other exit while he led others deep inside to flush the Compound Eye Demons toward the exit for a pincer attack.
It was a very simple tactic.
But the risk factor was not small.
Because the things inside weren't some vicious robbers, but Compound Eye Demons—living monsters that could tear them to shreds at any moment.
"Captain, Position B is secure and stationed. Ready to move at any time...!"
Over the walkie-talkie.
Piers, acting as Chris's second-in-command, was stationed at the corridor exit with two BSAA Squad Members, three assault rifles at the ready. Feeling that there weren't many issues, Piers responded to Chris.
It was no different from when they were in the Edonia Republic.
Piers still maintained the cold demeanor of a young officer.
Seeing Chris pull himself together again to lead the BSAA, Piers feel very happy.
Of course... it would be even better if that rogue-like guy wasn't around.
"Position C is also set up. If they dare to jump down, I guarantee I'll turn them all into Swiss cheese...!"
Just as he thought that.
The voice Piers hated also rang out.
Indeed, this rogue-like and very unreliable voice belonged to Jake. He had a clean, capable buzz cut and a face that carried both ruthlessness and a rebellious air.
He wore standard BSAA Squad Members equipment—a bulletproof vest, combat uniform, and standard weaponry. It was a perfectly normal outfit.
But on Jake, it looked incredibly bizarre, somewhat like a military delinquent, as if he were a street thug who had hung around the alleys for years.
It was as if he had suddenly been snatched up to serve in the military, and the rogue air about him hadn't been fully scrubbed away yet, making him look very strange.
At this moment, Jake was also waiting outside the residential building with two BSAA Squad Members.
They were just waiting for the Compound Eye Demons inside to jump down in desperation, at which point he could lead his men to turn those monsters into Swiss cheese mid-air.
...
"Very well. Then I'll be raiding from Position A. Keep a close watch on your positions. The rest of you, follow me. GO, GO, GO...!!!"
On the other side.
After hearing the responses from Piers and Jake.
Chris, who was at the entrance of the residential building, did not hesitate. He immediately led four BSAA Squad Members, assault rifles in hand, and charged into the corridor entrance.
This time, Chris's command was not hesitant at all.
He had already mentally prepared himself. If an accident occurred, he, as the captain, would be the first to die in front of everyone.
It was precisely because of this mindset.
That Chris now moved without any hesitation. The only thing he needed to do was lead the team forward continuously.
Since he would be the first to die anyway, as long as he died first, he wouldn't have to feel guilty about the deaths of other BSAA Squad Members.
"Heh heh heh..."
"Roar—!!!!"
Just as they charged into the residential building's corridor.
A series of low growls from a Compound Eye Demon quickly came from above. A dark shadow flashed, and a black figure suddenly appeared before Chris and the others. It was incredibly fast, moving like a phantom...!
Volume 9 Resident Evil 6: Chapter 33 Strelats
"Hiss—!!!"
The shadow's cry was very sharp.
By the time the BSAA Squad and the others reacted, things had already taken a turn for the worse; the shadow's speed had already brought it right in front of them.
Seeing this, Chris did not hesitate.
Various past events instantly flooded his mind. This time, he would absolutely not allow any squad member to die before him. Thus, he resolutely lunged toward the dark shadow.
"Bang—!!!"
A dull thud.
Chris and the shadow instantly became entangled in a struggle.
They scuffled frantically in the corridor. In the chaos, Chris pulled out the Tactical Knife from his thigh and slashed viciously at the dark monster in front of him.
With a "squelch."
Blood splattered as the blade directly injured the monster, which let out a roar of pain.
Because even it hadn't expected.
That a human like Chris would dare to charge up and engage it in hand-to-hand combat.
He was far too bold. One had to know it was a bio-organic monster, a complete monster that could tear Chris to shreds at any moment if it found an opening.
But there was no helping it.
That was the result.
Because Chris could no longer bear to see another team member die before his eyes.
Therefore, even if it meant hand-to-hand combat with a bio-organic monster, Chris would be the first to go.
The reason he dared to agree to Piers's request to take command of the BSAA Squad was not that Chris had truly moved past his trauma; a large part of it was actually that Chris had come here to seek death.
"Captain, Captain Chris...?!!!!"
Seeing the scene before them.
The other BSAA Squad Members also immediately panicked.
They hurriedly raised their assault rifles to aim at the monster, but because Captain Chris was also entangled in the struggle.
The scene was incredibly chaotic.
These BSAA Squad Members didn't dare to pull the trigger and fire at will. After all, if they weren't careful, they might accidentally injure Chris, their captain.
However.
Because Captain Chris had taken the initiative to engage the bio-organic monster in physical combat, it allowed them to witness the true appearance of the monster before them.
It was a c-virus mutant similar to a lizard.
Its body was covered in sharp spikes. It lacked strong arms, having short forelimbs like a Tyrannosaurus Rex, and its appearance closely resembled a Frilled Lizard.
This was one of the c-virus mutants.
It was also a new species born after the Pupation of a Compound Eye Demon. Besides the Rasklapanje and Neopteran, there were also two other types: the Strelats and the Mesets.
And the Frilled Lizard-like monster before them was the famous Strelats—
The Strelats is one of the Complete Mutations created by the c-virus. Its name, Strelats, is derived from the Serbian word for "shooter."
The Strelats's head is covered in fish-scale-like armor, and sharp horns grow around its head and neck. Although the Strelats's body size isn't small, it is one of the fastest-moving pupa mutations in the game.
When a Strelats is far from an enemy, it will stand up and, after waiting a few seconds, quickly spray spikes from its head to attack distant enemies.
And when it is close.
It releases toxic gas. Like most lizard-like creatures, they can freely climb walls and ceilings...
"Hiss hiss hiss...!!!"
"Squelch—!!!"
The Strelats had originally intended to launch a surprise attack on the BSAA Squad, but it hadn't expected a madman like Chris to suddenly charge up and engage it in hand-to-hand combat.
This caused the Strelats to panic for a moment.
But now that it had reacted, the Strelats began to use the weapons on its body. After a sharp hiss, the skin and spikes on its cheeks suddenly flared open.
It was just like a Frilled Lizard opening its neck frill to intimidate predators. But the only difference was that a Frilled Lizard's frill was only for intimidation.
Whereas the Strelats before them could violently shoot sharp spikes from its sides.
Like arrows, they were fast and had strong piercing power. If one were accidentally hit, the spikes would pierce through the body, causing very serious injuries.
"Scatter... this beast is about to attack—!"
At this moment.
Chris also realized that things were going south.
After all, he wasn't a fool. As soon as he saw the Strelats suddenly flare its cheek skin, he knew the thing was about to attack.
Because a cobra looked the same way when it was about to bite.
Thus, Chris hurriedly shouted to warn the BSAA Squad behind him, while he himself quickly released his grip on the Strelats and rolled away to the side, Tactical Knife in hand.
"Thump!"
"Swish, swish, swish—!!!"
The next second.
The expected attack indeed occurred.
The Strelats's cheek skin bulged, and the spikes on both sides shot out rapidly like pressurized spears. About six or seven needles flew out together.
The three or four BSAA Squad Members, having been warned, retreated and took cover, avoiding being injured by these spear-like needles.
But Chris was unlucky.
Because he was closest to the Strelats, one spear-like needle accurately hit his back. Caught off guard, Chris was knocked forward and slammed into the corridor wall.
"Ungh...!"
A massive force came from his back.
Making Chris let out a muffled groan, but the expected injury of a spear-like needle piercing through his chest did not happen.
Because Chris was wearing a Level IV bulletproof vest.
Its defensive power could withstand sniper rifle rounds, let alone these needle spears.
Although the vest had a dent, it hadn't caused a serious injury, only leaving the skin underneath red, swollen, and bruised.
...
"Now! Open fire on that monster! Quick, pull Captain Chris back...!"
At this time.
Taking advantage of the gap in the Strelats's attacks—when it needed to regenerate the spikes on its cheek skin—the BSAA Squad Members hiding in the back immediately shouted.
Assault rifles were instantly raised, triggers pulled, and a burst of intense "rat-tat-tat" gunfire suddenly rang out, sparks flying throughout the corridor.
Under the suppression of the heavy firepower.
One squad member ducked and rushed forward, pulling back the fallen Captain Chris.
"Hiss hiss hiss...!!!"
Bombarded by the firepower of three or four assault rifles, the Strelats let out continuous howls of pain, its body riddled with dense, bloody bullet holes.
It looked like it had sustained significant injuries, but unfortunately, the Strelats is the fastest of all c-virus mutations.
Thus, in the blink of an eye.
The Strelats used its legs to scale the corridor walls, moving across the narrow residential building with incredible speed. It vanished from everyone's sight in an instant, likely having fled to the floor above.