At dawn on Day 8, golden sunlight broke over the high concrete walls of New Bilibid Prison.
In the administrative staging yard, four hundred thirty-two soldiers of 1st Battalion stood in flawless company formations alongside twelve SIMBA 4x4 APCs and ten Kia KM-450 tactical utility trucks.
At the front of the battalion, eleven awakened Super Warriors stood in tactical combat gear alongside Maya.
"1st Battalion at full combat readiness, Supreme Commander!" Battalion Commander Mateo Cruz reported smartly.
"Breach Maximum Security Gate 1," Elias commanded.
"Creak... Clang!"
The heavy twenty-foot iron gates winched open, revealing the massive inner surface yard of the Maximum Security Compound.
"Grrr... Raaagh!"
A terrifying roar echoed across the concrete courtyard as thousands of turned inmates surged out from the dormitory cellblocks!
"Hostiles advancing! All squads, open fire!" 1st Company Commander Sergeant Santos barked!
"Rat-tat-tat-tat!"
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Heavy 5.56mm gunfire erupted from the dismounted platoons, but the soldiers gasped in shock as several front-line zombies absorbed the bullet impacts without falling!
"What the hell is wrong with these things?!" a 1st Squad rifleman shouted, watching bullets ricochet off thick bone plates on a zombie's chest!
They were facing an unexpected, strange new variant covered in thick, calcified bone armor across their limbs and torsos, possessing raw physical strength equal to a Physical Awakener!
"Maintain firing lines! Target their heads and legs!" Battalion Commander Cruz shouted over the comms.
Elias stepped past the infantry firing line, his eyes glowing with cold grey energy.
"Rumble...!"
Elias slammed his hand toward the pavement, unleashing his Level 1 Earth Control within his thirty-meter domain!
"Crash! Boom!"
The concrete road erupted, raising three ten-foot earth ramparts that completely sealed off the side alleyways, funneling the entire zombie horde into a tight kill zone!
Elias gestured with his arm, propelling dozens of razor-sharp stone spikes directly into the front lines of the horde!
"Squelch! Squelch! Squelch!"
The heavy stone spikes impaled twenty armored zombies simultaneously, crushing their bone armor and pinning them to the asphalt!
Seeing Supreme Commander Elias's dominant elemental power, the Super Warriors charged forward into combat!
"CRASH!"
Civilian Super Warrior Team Leader Marco Valerio swung a heavy steel construction bar with 2x Peak Human strength, shattering an armored zombie's bone chest plate!
Beside him, Dante Soriano and Rene Ramos tackled two armored variants, breaking their bone arms with raw physical force!
"Grrr!"
Javier Mendoza roared as his Wolf Beast Awakener traits manifested, sprouting sharp bone claws and grey wolf fur across his arms!
"Swish! Squelch!"
Javier blurred with 3x speed, dodging an ambush from an Evolved Hunter leaping off a wall and tearing its throat open with his fangs!
Along the left flank, Elite Super Warrior Squad Leader Corporal Joaquin Roxas led his tactical breach team.
PFC Brandon Velasco manifested his Bear Beast semi-transformation, his shoulders bulking with thick bear hide as he absorbed an armored zombie's heavy punch without flinching!
"Crack!"
Velasco grabbed the armored zombie's head, snapping its neck with 3x Bear strength!
PFC Andres Silang sprinted in semi-panther form, slicing three Hunter zombies in mid-air with razor bone claws!
"Slash! Squelch!"
At the rear of the firing line, a dense wave of fifty armored zombies threatened to breach the 2nd Company flank.
"Brother Elias, I've got the left flank!" Maya called out, stepping up under her brother's domain protection.
Maya raised her hands, focusing her Level 1 Fire Control as bright crimson sparks ignited around her palms.
"Fwhoosh!"
A roaring cone of intense fire burst from Maya's hands, engulfing the entire choke point in a wall of searing flames!
"Crack... Squelch!"
The intense heat scorched the bone armor, causing thick hairline cracks to spread rapidly across their calcified chest plates!
"Focus fire on the burning target zone!" 2nd Company Commander Sergeant Navarro ordered!
"Rat-tat-tat-tat!"
The dismounted riflemen concentrated their fire into the burning choke point, their 5.56mm rounds easily shattering the heat-cracked bone armor and dropping every mutant!
"BOOM! BOOM!"
Roof-mounted .50 Cal heavy machine guns on the SIMBA APCs roared, blowing apart two 2.5-meter Brute giants attempting to charge the main gate!
Within forty minutes, the Maximum Security surface yard was completely cleared, establishing a secure frontline foothold inside the compound.
***
Following the battle, Elias stood near the entrance of Block A, crouching beside a fallen armored zombie corpse alongside Battalion Commander Cruz, Santos, Navarro, and Marco Valerio.
Elias drew his tactical knife, tapping the calcified bone plates covering the zombie's torso.
"Look closely," Elias pointed out to his commanders and Super Warriors.
"This is a new mutated variant created by yesterday's Second Crimson Rain—a Skeletal Armored Zombie."
"They make up about one out of every twenty zombies in this compound."
"They possess physical strength equivalent to a Level 1 Physical Awakener, and their bone armor can deflect light bullet strikes."
Sergeant Santos nodded solemnly. "No wonder our initial rifle bursts ricocheted off their chests, Supreme Commander."
"They have two major tactical weaknesses," Elias explained, demonstrating with his knife.
"First, thermal stress. Maya's fire or intense heat rapidly expands and cracks their calcified bone armor, making it brittle enough for standard 5.56mm rifle rounds to shatter."
"Second, joint connections and heavy blunt force. Physical Awakeners like Marco can crush their bone plates with heavy blunt strikes, while riflemen should focus fire on their unarmored neck joints."
Elias stood up, raising his tactical radio to his lips.
"Torres, deploy your law enforcement officers to escort and secure the civilian extraction teams," Elias commanded over the radio comms.
"Have your officers escort the civilians into the surface yard to harvest every Red Core while 1st Battalion prepares to breach Block A."
"Understood, Supreme Commander! My officers will escort and secure the extraction teams immediately!" Senior Officer Torres reported over the comms.
"Also, Torres, begin a comprehensive fortress census," Elias instructed firmly.
"Register every civilian survivor and surviving inmate inside Bilibid Fortress."
"Record their full names, ages, past pre-apocalypse professions, technical skills, and trade expertise."
"We need a complete roster of engineers, mechanics, construction supervisors, medical personnel, and technicians to assign them to fortress development."
"Copy that, Supreme Commander! We will begin full registration and skill cataloging right away!" Torres replied smartly over the comms.
Elias lowered his radio, looking toward the dark, quiet entrance of Block A with unshakeable resolve.
"Stay sharp, everyone. We breach Block A next."