A month may seem insignificant for many things, but in a cyberpunk world, it's more than enough time for a major corporation to reshape an entire city.
Agas City was now evolving toward a more advanced state. Surveillance Cameras lined every street, and intelligent security robots produced by PROJECT Corporation patrolled alongside Security Bureau officers.
This severely compressed the space where gangs could operate. Even so, Roland hadn't chosen to wipe out the remaining corporations and gangs—he simply wasn't at that stage yet.
At the same time, Roland was using Agas City as an experiment. After all, his real target was still Night City, not this small metropolis.
This gave him the chance to test what it truly took to seize full control of a city, and what kind of changes he could actually bring to one.
The first changes appeared in industry. Here, he didn't need to hold back—he directly established PROJECT-owned hospitals, engineering teams, and more.
But it hadn't been long enough. These industries needed time for their influence to take effect.
It could already be said, though, that the bustling district of Agas City was beginning to resemble Night City's affluent zones—bright nights and endless crowds.
Amid the sea of pedestrians, a man wearing a blue Oni mask stood still, looking up at the PROJECT Corporation tower.
A passerby noticed the strange figure, motionless in the surging crowd. Just as he tried to get a better look, the masked man vanished in an instant.
"That's weird… I could've sworn I saw someone…"
Scratching his head in confusion, the passerby eventually gave up—he still had overtime to get to.
"Mr. Roland, we've detected a suspected target on the western street of the city center."
A white-bodied intelligent robot turned its head toward Roland as it spoke.
This was one of the new blueprints Roland had obtained this month—the [β-Type Intelligent Security Robot]. It had powerful artificial intelligence but no combat capabilities.
Its primary role was monitoring and information processing, and it could even function as a secretary. Roland built one for himself in Agas City for exactly that purpose; the others were responsible for monitoring the city's Surveillance Cameras.
"Oh? Pull it up."
Roland stroked his chin and looked up at the screen.
A short segment of surveillance footage appeared, showing the man with the blue Oni mask.
"Well well… looks like someone from the rankings."
Roland picked up the tablet beside him, which displayed an assassin leaderboard. The person in the footage was listed as the thirteenth-ranked assassin—codename: Blue Demon.
He specialized in custom cold weapons like katana. Based on Roland's estimation, the man was very likely a Sandevistan user—though the exact model was unclear.
The records noted that he preferred exceptionally brutal methods to kill his targets.
After reviewing several photos in the file, Roland narrowed his eyes. If this guy liked to play games, Roland would let him play a few of his own.
...
In a pitch-black alleyway, Blue Demon silently wiped his Katana. The viper-patterned handle contrasted sharply with the ink-black blade.
Suddenly, he froze, then slowly turned his head as if sensing something behind him.
A figure stepped out of the bright street and into the darkness of the alley. Outside, neon-lit skyscrapers flickered; in here, the air was damp and shadowed.
Blue Demon said nothing. His bloodthirsty eyes lifted toward the newcomer, his stance lowering as he tightened his grip on the blade.
Half his body already swallowed by darkness, Roland slowly put on his Exoskeleton mask. He then drew a weapon he had prepared in advance. Since he wasn't planning to end the fight quickly, he didn't bother selecting something overwhelming.
Instead, with a touch of malicious amusement, he spoke:
"I'll teach you how to use a sword."
As the words fell, Roland saw Blue Demon's body tremble slightly. He figured the man must be furious.
Boom!
While Roland was still thinking, an explosive crack split the air.
Swish—Clang—
An ink-black slash cut through the space between them as Blue Demon crossed nearly ten meters in the blink of an eye. The shattered debris on the ground testified to the force of his sudden burst.
But that perfect strike came to an abrupt halt—Roland flicked his wrist, catching the katana's hilt at a bizarre angle.
"Your sword is too slow."
Before the echo faded, Roland twisted his waist and drove a spinning kick, trailing an orange streak of light, straight into Blue Demon's chest.
Thud!
A white shockwave erupted. Blue Demon let out a muffled grunt as he slammed into the wall, leaving a spiderweb crack on impact.
"Huh? Blocked?"
Roland raised an eyebrow. Seeing the katana held crosswise, he realized the man had parried the kick.
Blue Demon still said nothing. He simply resumed his stance. It looked like he still refused to activate his Sandevistan—probably pride…
"Then it's my turn."
Hearing that, Blue Demon's pupils shrank. A gust of Wind rushed past his right side, and he reacted instantly, slashing toward it. The blade carved a terrifying gouge into the wall.
Realizing he'd missed, he immediately dropped low and swung upward.
Clang!
A shower of sparks lit the narrow alley.
His muscles and Cyberware fired at once, and with a surge of power, he redirected the katana into a diagonal slash.
Swish—
Roland shifted lightly, kicked off the ground, and flipped over Blue Demon's body.
As Blue Demon rose again, a faint sting touched the back of his neck. He reached back—his palm came away red.
He froze. A chill ran down his spine. He knew—if his opponent had wanted to, he could've killed him in that instant.
"Who… who are you?"
The hoarse question left Blue Demon's lips, but Roland didn't respond. He simply raised his weapon.
"Submit or die. Those are your only options."
"Arrogant bastard."
Blue Demon tore open his clothing, revealing a body almost entirely converted into mechanical Cyberware. The outer layer of subdermal armor darkened into pitch black.
"I'll show you the price of arrogance."