The Prison
"When did you get involved with these people?" Takemura Goro asked, clutching the hilt of his katana, his stance low, eyes fixed on the approaching enemy.
"Does it matter?" Lily Cross snapped, licking her parched lips and trying to steady herself. She hadn't eaten or even had a sip of water in days. Her body was running on fumes.
"The real question is—how the hell do we get out of here?"
"Let me guess," sneered Sis Weis, flashing sharp, blade-like teeth. "You're not seriously thinking of escaping from me, are you?"
One of Biotech's top three genetically-enhanced warriors, Sis Weis was more than a simple enemy. He was a monster shaped by science and war.
Takemura Goro didn't respond. He was strong—but even at his peak, facing someone like Sis Weis alone would be a gamble. And now, with depleted stamina and injuries, it bordered on suicidal.
"Do you think you can beat him?" Lily asked, quickly analyzing their opponent and the situation.
"Are you kidding?" Takemura scoffed. "Even if I were at full strength, I wouldn't bet on it."
Every megacorporation had its secret weapons. Arasaka had Adam Smasher. Biotech had Sis Weis. These were war machines in human skin.
"We don't have a choice. Either we fight or we die here!" Lily growled. Without hesitation, she raised her pistol and fired a shot at Sis Weis.
The bullet whizzed through the air—Lily was already backing away to avoid the counterattack.
"Damn it!" Takemura cursed as he charged in, fully aware that Lily had left him to take the brunt of the response. Still, he had no room for hesitation. He drew Jinzong Maru, his legendary katana, and swung with all his might.
Thud.
The sword struck with a sound like chopping wood—but the blade was stopped cold by Sis Weis's arm.
Takemura's eyes narrowed. Even Jinzong Maru couldn't cut through this freak.
At nearly the same time, Lily's bullet struck Sis Weis square in the forehead.
It didn't even pierce the skin.
"Katana Jinzong Maru," Sis Weis grinned. "A fine blade."
Then, with a flex of his left arm, his muscles rippled unnaturally as power gathered, surging through his body like a wave. With the force of a collapsing mountain, he launched a punch toward Takemura.
Takemura reacted instinctively, twisting his body and raising his sword just in time. The force of the blow still hurled him backward. His feet smashed into the concrete floor repeatedly, each impact cracking the ground.
Before he could recover, a surge of danger prickled down his spine. His sixth sense flared.
Move!
He ducked instantly—just as Sis Weis's leg came whipping through the air in a brutal kick. The air itself sliced past, leaving a sting on his cheek.
Using the ground and his sword as leverage, Takemura flipped forward into the air and slashed down with another heavy strike, his blade radiating deadly intent.
Sis Weis leaned back—his upper body bending at an impossible angle, like a snake coiling mid-strike. The flexibility of his genetically altered body was grotesque.
"Excellent reflexes. Super-intuitive evasion... Impressive," Sis Weis muttered, unfazed by the blade that passed just inches from his face.
In a world dominated by cyberware, encountering a martial artist who had refined his body through years of physical discipline was a rarity. And a breath of fresh air.
Most modern warriors relied on implants, enhancements, and shortcuts. But Takemura Goro represented an older era—an era of patience and purpose.
Takemura didn't respond. He stepped forward with fluid grace and swung his katana in a seamless arc, the edge howling through the air.
"You're really obsessed with my head, huh?" Sis Weis taunted. "Fine. Let me show you what real power looks like."
He raised both hands and shouted, "Grow!"
Suddenly, his limp hair stood on end—growing rapidly, transforming into a whip-like mass. Then it shot forward like a barrage of steel spears.
Takemura's senses screamed. He straightened his posture and gripped his sword with both hands. Then, while retreating, he began slicing at the oncoming tendrils.
Clang! Clang!
The once-soft strands had hardened into metallic cords, clashing with his blade and throwing off sparks with every strike. Each collision drained Takemura's strength—but he didn't falter.
I can't die here.
I still need to uncover the truth behind my master's death.
He grit his teeth, parrying each strike, his arms burning, his lungs screaming.
Sis Weis narrowed his eyes in mild surprise. "You're more persistent than I expected," he said calmly. "Still, I'm only using fifty percent of my strength."
It was true. Takemura's cyberware had been partially disabled. Compared to a fully enhanced soldier like Sis Weis, he was human—fragile, bleeding, limited.
But he held on.
---
Elsewhere…
While the two titans clashed, Lily Cross was sprinting through the half-constructed ruins of Meiquan District. Abandoned buildings loomed around her. Concrete shells. No people. No cars.
But what she did have—was speed.
"Damn dogs!" she shouted, hearing the barks behind her. A pack of bio-engineered hounds closed in fast.
She activated her ankle cyberware, pushing her body to its limit. For a short time, she could outrun even them. But she knew: cyberware overheats. When it does, she's done.
"This whole district's empty!" she gasped. "No gangs? No squatters? What a waste of space!"
The cyberware warning light blinked red. Overheat approaching.
She cursed—and then saw it.
Headlights.
In the distance, a convoy of vehicles.
Her heart surged with hope.
A ride! A car is all I need! With wheels, I can circle the Earth!
But then…
Something felt wrong.
Too clean. Too fast. Too precise.
This wasn't a normal convoy—it was a military operation.
They saw her, too.
"Target sighted. 350 meters. Awaiting orders," the hacker said, his voice emotionless through his neural link.
"Kill her," came the reply.
"Understood."
Immediately, the vehicles shifted—panels sliding open, compartments transforming.
A 32mm automatic cannon rose from one roof.
Side panels deployed rotating machine guns, their barrels glowing with internal charge.
A command was issued:
"Confirm target. Lock. Engage."
Lily's HUD exploded with red alerts.
WARNING: YOU ARE BEING TARGETED.
WARNING: YOU ARE BEING TARGETED.
"Oh no... Military Tech's smart squad!" she gasped, watching in horror as the caravan transformed into a death machine.
"They're not here to rescue me… they're here to eliminate me.".
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