"Keep your spacing!" Amith barked. "Don't get overrun!"
The soldiers moved in tight formation, leapfrogging forward, using abandoned vehicles as cover.
0730 Hours – Strategic Funnel Activated
Firewall Team had completed the barricades and chokepoints along C.D. Chowk on main road. Explosives had been placed to create kill zones.
"Commander, traps are set," Kabirreported.
"Detonate them when they hit the kill box," Advik Bhardwaj ordered.
Moments later, the zombie horde moved into the chokepoint, a large stretch of road barricaded on both sides.
"Fire in the hole!" Kabir called.
The C4 charges detonated, ripping through the first wave of zombies. The explosions funneled them directly into the gunfire of Hammer Team, forcing them to cluster tightly into the narrow path.
Snipers from Eagle Eye began picking off key targets—eliminating runners and potential threats before they could reach the main force.
1045 Hours.
With the outer perimeter steadily being cleared, Advik Bhardwaj gave the next order.
"Razor Team, move in."
Sandeep and his 500 infantry and 100 Special Forces operators surged forward, splitting into squads.
Objective: Secure key buildings (V3S Mall Arena, IKEA, and Underground Parking).
"Go silent," Sandeep ordered. "We're not wasting ammo in close quarters."
Using flashbangs and suppressed weapons, the first breach teams entered IKEA.
Inside, the massive warehouse-like store had turned into a deathtrap. The entire first floor was packed with zombies.
"We need a lure," one of the Special Forces operators suggested.
Sandeep pointed at the store's PA system. "Set a high-frequency siren at the far end of the store. Draw them there."
A soldier rigged the system, and seconds later, a blaring alarm rang out on the opposite side of IKEA.
The zombies turned en masse, shambling toward the noise.
"Move now!" Sandeep ordered.
The troops advanced quickly, clearing small groups of stragglers with knives and silenced pistols. The team reached the second level, where fewer zombies roamed.
"Secure the exits. We hold this position," Sandeep instructed.
Eagle Eye snipers provided overwatch, eliminating any zombies trying to re-enter the building.
1500 Hours.
Meanwhile, another detachment moved toward V3S Mall Arena, where a dense horde of at least 50,000 zombies was gathered.
"Heavy weapons team, you're up," Advik Bhardwaj said through comms.
The M136 AT4 rocket launchers fired first, launching high-explosive warheads into the crowd. The detonations sent flaming bodies flying.
Following up, two flamethrower teams equipped with M9E1 was advanced, spreading streams of fire across the arena entrance, creating an impassable wall of flames.
"Keep them burning!" Amith shouted.
As the zombies screamed and burned alive, machine gunners positioned on the arena's rooftop rained down fire, ensuring nothing survived.
The massacre continued for ten minutes before only a few stragglers remained.
"V3S Mall Arena secured," Amith confirmed.
1900 Hours.
Back at the command center, Advik Bhardwaj monitored the drone feed.
"All breaching teams, fall back from underground," he ordered.
Explosives had been strategically placed at key structural points in the underground parking structures.
"On my mark… Detonate."
A moment later, the ground trembled as multiple controlled explosions went off. The entire parking complex collapsed, burying thousands of zombies alive.
Sunil, monitoring from the rooftop, whistled. "That's one way to clear them out."
Sandeep's voice came through comms. "Underground threat neutralized."
2230 Hours.
With most open areas cleared, the remaining zombies were pinned down inside the main mall structure.
"All teams, regroup. Final assault on the V3S mall begins," Advik Bhardwaj ordered.
With snipers covering entrances, heavy weapons softening defenses, and firebreaks set, the soldiers stormed the mall, clearing it floor by floor.
Sandeep's team moved swiftly, using flashbangs to stun zombies before executing them.
By Day 2, 0230 hours, the last of the undead had been wiped out.
V3S Mall Complex was officially reclaimed.
Advik Bhardwaj stood at the center of the mall's atrium, where a massive V3S Mall sign still hung. Around him, soldiers cheered, exhausted but victorious.
Sandeep approached, blood and sweat covering his uniform. "We did it, boss."
Advik Bhardwaj surveyed the area—the dead lay scattered, barricades in place, key structures secured.
"We did more than win," he said. "We just took back the city."
[Total Enemy Eliminated: 350,000+ Zombies
Friendly Casualties: Littlest
V3S Mall Complex Fully Secured]
Day 2 – 0300 Hours.
The battle for the V3S Mall Complex was over, but the work had only just begun. The aftermath of the operation left streets, hallways, and buildings littered with rotting corpses, burned remains, and pools of coagulated blood. The stench of decay mixed with the lingering scent of gunpowder and burnt flesh, creating a suffocating atmosphere.
Standing at the center of the mall atrium, Advik Bhardwaj issued his next command.
"Initiate the cleanup operation. I want this entire area secured and cleared by 0800 hours. All fire teams, burn the bodies. Engineers, assess structural integrity. Medics, prepare triage for any survivors."
0305 Hours.
The "Firewall" team, led by Captain Kabir, began setting up controlled burn pits around the complex. The sheer volume of corpses required multiple incineration sites, with soldiers stacking bodies onto makeshift pyres built from broken furniture, wooden pallets, and debris.
"Gasoline ready," one engineer reported.
"Light it up," Kabir ordered.
A single flare ignited the first burn pile, quickly spreading flames across the mass of corpses. Thick black smoke rose into the night sky, carrying the last remnants of the undead into oblivion.
Meanwhile, a secondary team worked on clearing debris from key roadways, using bulldozers and forklifts recovered from abandoned construction sites. They pushed the burned remains into large craters created during the battle, covering them with rubble and concrete to prevent future contamination.
0320 Hours.
The engineering teams spread out across the complex to evaluate building integrity. The heavy use of explosives and incendiary weapons during the purge had weakened some structures, particularly in the underground parking lots and IKEA.
At the V3S Mall Arena, Captain Kabir inspected a collapsed section near the east wing.
"Structural damage here is bad. Reinforcements are needed to prevent further collapse."
"Understood," Advik Bhardwaj responded. "Salvage what we can. If it's unsalvageable, we'll demolish it and rebuild."