The two elite guards who had been guarding Professor Kurokawa finally intervened. They stepped forward, ready to use their heavy weapons.
The elite guards fired at the same time, and bullets from their railguns quickly filled the air.
But the woman, who had twin Blades in her hands, immediately drew her blades and, with a terrifying movement, blocked all the bullets they fired at her.
The woman bolted forward, moving like a twisting flash, avoiding every obstacle. She was moving so fast and accurately.
Ssshhink…!
One of the units raised his heavy rifle, saw a split-second opening, and she slid in. Her right blade slashed, cutting through the elite unit's knee joint.
He took a step back, his knee armor bending, then crumpled to the ground.
"Pathetic..."
Tchak…!!
Without stopping, she stabbed the helmet's opening with her blade, getting through the optical sensor. There was a mix of optical fluid and blood flowing from the crack.
He let out a scream as his blade was pulled out.
Even though the left side of his head was crushed, he tried to stay strong and keep going. He was ready to fight her again.
But the woman showed no mercy. She moved, and with a slash of her blade, she cut through the hydraulic cables and arteries, severing the man's neck.
Scctt...!!
The unit's head, still attached, was hanging off at an odd angle, and there were sparks flying around.
Dark blood spurted onto the floor, soaking his armor.
When he saw his buddy lying there in such a brutal way, the last remaining elite guard shouted loudly.
"Tch...! You, get the Professor and that anomaly project out of here ASAP!"
"I'll hold this anomaly…"
Professor Kurokawa's voice made it clear that he was worried about his safety.
The other guard moved fast, grabbing me right away and telling Professor Kurokawa to get out of there.
I tried to move, but I was still paralyzed, and it felt like I was in a lot of pain.
I couldn't do anything but stare at him as the guards took me away.
"Argh..."
But—
Wuzzz…!! Cling…!!
One of her blades shot out like an arrow, embedding itself in the floor right next to Professor Kurokawa and his assistant. The blade went deep, blocking their way.
She looked the professor straight in the eye, making it clear that he wasn't getting away from there.
When they saw this, the other elite guards quickly ran forward and attacked her with a lot of rage.
Their big guns fired, sending bullets flying at her.
She moved again, facing them.
"Hagght...!"
The elite guard took a deep breath, mixing it with the roar of the machine in his armor.
A fierce battle erupted once more. Her blade collided with the steel armor.
Krang...!
Sparks flew through the air.
I was shocked, watching every move they made.
She twisted and slid under a bunch of shots, swinging her blade with deadly precision. The elite unit, though strong and well-armed, was forced to retreat.
His armor was beginning to show scratches and dents. She scoured every opening, every weak point, with a terrifying hunger.
She was so flexible and agile, moving like a ninja, that her skills were even better than the combat moves I had just acquired.
I had a feeling she might be the same as me, an anomaly modified by this corporation.
The elite guard was totally overwhelmed. They tried to attack from all sides, but the woman was always one step ahead.
She was like an invisible storm, her blade flashing like lightning, cutting through the layered armor.
She moved quickly again, diving behind her body. She went for the blind spot of her armor, cutting through the gravitational field in her combat armor.
KRASH…!
The elite guard staggered, his knees crushed under the unbearable weight, his body crashing to the floor.
Bruakk…!!
The elite guard gasped, feeling the effect right away.
"Ghk...!"
She didn't give him time to get up.
Instantly, she stomped on the soldier's neck with brutal force.
Then, without wasting any time—
She was about to swing her blade at him, aiming for his neck.
SHINK...!
"Ugh... N-no... Wait..."
Her blade went right through the gap in the neck armor, going into the throat, the spine, and then stopping itself in the floor.
The elite guard started shaking, his hands clenching the blade that had pierced him, desperately trying to pull it out in vain.
Blood was gushing out of the huge cut on his neck, soaking his armor and the floor around him.
"Gglk...hk..."
She twisted the blade's handle roughly.
KRCHT…!!
The elite guard's neck was completely severed.
With that, there were no more elite troops left to protect Professor Kurokawa. It all went down in an instant, and their bodies ended up all over the place. The corridor was a mess, with shattered bodies and pools of blood.
She started to walk toward us, her steps calm but also scary.
The guard who had been guarding Professor Kuro tried to shield him. His face was pale as a sheet, and his eyes were wide with fear, but he stood in front of Professor Kurokawa, clutching his weapon, which was shaking in his hand.
"Hey, please don't move…! Stay where you are…!" he shouted, his voice hoarse with panic.
But she just ignored him. She kept walking, staring straight ahead. She looked at him coldly, like she was dead inside. It was like the guard was turned to stone, totally helpless in the face of the threatening aura she gave off. Fear held him back, stopping him from acting.
But the guard, somehow finding the last bit of courage he had, tried to shoot the woman. Automatic bullets flew through the air, hurtling toward her.
She raised the blade in her hand and spun it at crazy speed.
Cling...!! Cling...!! Cling...!!
Every time a bullet hit the blade, it made sparks fly, either going back toward the wall or bouncing off the ceiling. She kept deflecting the bullets, moving forward without stopping until she was right in front of the guard.
Her blade was now pointing right at his chest, just inches away. The guard froze, his rifle falling from his shaking hands.
"Get lost…!"
She slashed the assistant with a cold hiss.
SWING...!
The blade cut the guard's body from shoulder to waist. He collapsed instantly, helpless.
"hufft… talk where you're holding Hiro…?"
Professor Kuro took a step back, looking pretty shocked. He was completely helpless, and started babbling deliriously, like he was on the brink of death.
"hmmm... I never expected them to send a masterpiece like you..."
"Don't change the subject, you bastard... show me where sector J-4 is, huh...?" And what do you plan to do to him…?!"
"Enough of your bullshit…! Where the hell is J-4…? And what's the play with him?
"Hmmm... You are indeed a true killer. It's as if you were programmed to only kill your prey. Your eyes don't show the slightest bit of fear..."
"Interesting... If only I knew how you were able to move so perfectly... I would've been able to finish the project quickly..."
She, fed up with his nonsense, swiftly pressed her blade against Professor Kurokawa's chest.
The tip of the blade went through the lab coat, tore the shirt under it, and pressed against the skin. The old guy screamed in pain as the woman pressed the blade deeper, causing blood to seep from the small wound.
"Shut up…!"
But Professor Kurokawa just smiled, a weird, thin smile, like he wasn't scared of the woman's threat.
"Argh... I don't know who you're looking for here... But if you're looking for your colleague... he has nothing to do with me..."
"If they brought your colleague here, it seems another unit has already done the experiment on him..."
"What do you mean by that experiment, huh...?"
"Hmmm... They'll store your colleague's mind like data. Turn him into a program. He'll become part of something bigger..."
"You won't be able to stop it. It'll be completely useless."
"Surrender... murderer's princess!"
"Tch..."
She got angrier, and she grabbed the blade hilt more tightly.
Professor Kurokawa laughed softly, coughing up blood.
"...arghhh... a miracle of engineering. A layer of synthetic brain tissue. You really are perfect..."
"Hmmm... I just want to ask you something. If the rumors are true, then all this time they didn't just order you to be a killing weapon, but—"
She, who had lost her patience, growled deeply. The professor's words only made her angrier.
"Enough with the noise…"
She stabbed her blade deeply, and it went through Professor Kurokawa's organs.
Crtt…!!
Blood spurted high, staining his suit with dark red splatters.
Professor Kurokawa didn't get to finish his story. His body was all messed up and fell to the floor, but his face was still grinning.
I couldn't move; I just stared at the brutal scene, horrified.
I was actually pretty scared of that woman. She was an unstoppable killing machine.
And sure enough, this time she was heading toward me. She moved slowly, and each footprint in the pool of blood felt like a sign that something terrible was about to happen.
I tried to say something, but I was still nervous from the control device earlier. I could only manage a hoarse groan.
I tried to speak, but my face was contorted with fear, and I was straining every muscle to make a sound.
"H-help me..."
But then she swung her blade at me, the blade flying through the air, just inches from my face.
"Argh..."
I made a face and pointed toward Professor Kurokawa's body.
"H-hai chill... I'm not your enemy…! Please just hand over that gizmo next to the old man… This setup's got me locked solid…"
Her eyes showed no emotion. Then, his blade moved a little closer, as if to stab me.
"You gotta be kidding me...!"
But—
Out of the blue, he got a call on his comm panel.
Hey, Yumiki, I just re-acquired his signal…!"
"Huh…!"
Okay, jammer's offline here. Your comms should be clear now. Check for Hiro's GPS—it's gotta be working again…!"
She didn't say anything for a second. She looked from me to the gadget in her hand. She seemed to have gotten a new clue that was way more important than me. She hurried off.
"Huff... Alright, on my way, Rin...!" She cut the comms.
Yumiki, that was her name. The woman looked back at me. She was looking at me like she was deciding whether to kill me or not. She seemed a bit unsure for a second.
"...Please… don't you dare…!"
And then, out of the blue, it happened.
She pulled her blade away from my face but immediately drew a small pistol, her finger quickly ready to pull the trigger.
Bang…!
The loud gunshot broke the silence.
…
CLICK…!
The door opened slowly. She was almost at her destination.
She went straight to the lab.
The room was filled with all kinds of strange experiments, and they were a bit different from the experimental rooms I had entered before.
There are artificial body parts floating in tubes filled with preservative fluid, and there are also piles of unfinished prosthetic limbs scattered around. On the walls, there are some pretty unusual anatomical diagrams on screens, and there are shelves filled with rows of chemical bottles.
She walks carefully, making a faint echo on the floor with her footsteps. kept going deeper into the room until she got to the center.
She was looking at the operating table in front of her.
There was a body on one of the operating tables. His eyes were wide open, and his face was a picture of fear.
"Damn it... I'm late..." Her voice was flat, but there was a hint of dissatisfaction in her tone.
She went over to the operating table and started checking the guy's body for any weird marks.
She stared at the man, whose body was already covered in tubes and foreign cables.
In the silence, his partner's voice broke through.
"Yumi... What's going on…?!"
"Huff... He's dead…"
Then there was silence again, until a few moments later her colleague said something.
"Augh... Damn, we're late…!"
Yumiki went over to Hiro and started feeling him out, looking for scars, special incisions, or stitches that showed he'd been through some major surgery.
Then, her partner's voice came again, this time sharper, telling a special message.
"Yumi..."
"Have they taken Hiro's vital organs...?"
"I'm not sure… Not seeing anything. No surgical marks."
Her fingers retraced Hiro's cold body.
"But... some of these cables are already attached to his body. What the hell did they do to him…?"
"Ugh... Damn it..."
His companion's voice was a mix of anger and despair. They had treated Hiro like some crazy experiment.
"Hey, Yumi, listen up. This is our last shot. It seems like we have to do this..."
"Yumi, let's get this done so we can save the memories in his brain. We've still got a shot at recording Hiro's last memories before he dies, and we'll try to process the data when we get back to base…!"
"Huffft... Alright..."
Yumiki, who was standing next to the table, quickly took out some of his equipment.
The instrument tables nearby shifted, revealing more specialized equipment for the task.
She attached the Brain Stabilizer gear to the man's temple.
The gear hummed softly, processing, as if it were extracting a thought from the man's brain. A faint blue light pulsed from the device, showing that it was keeping the brain active.
After the gear stopped working. She lifted a scalpel, and its blade was all shiny.
She started getting ready to make the cut.
.
.
.
But before she could get started,
"DON'T MOVE…!!!"
Yumiki quickly turned his head and grabbed his scalpel. Her gaze was ready to kill.
The door, which had been slightly open, was now wide open. There was a bunch of heavily armed security forces standing around the doorway. Their weapons were aimed right at the woman's head.
One of the leaders, who had a scar on his face, stepped forward and spoke in a cold voice.
"Don't even think about touching that guy..."
She pointed at Hiro.
"Surrender now or you'll die here…!"
"Hufft…!"
Some of the troops were ready to pull the trigger.
Yumiki took a deep breath. It looked like she was really in a tight spot this time. There wasn't an easy way out.
"So, you're trying to get yourselves killed, huh?
Then, out of the blue, they started shooting at her. Automatic bullets rained down on Yumiki's position.
Yumiki jumped and dodged quickly, rolling behind shelves filled with tubes and strange equipment. The sound of bullets hitting metal and glass echoed around her. Sparks and shards of glass flew everywhere.
The guards kept shooting at Yumiki with their automatic rifles, and the bullets were wearing down the wall behind her. Yumiki managed to dodge most of the bullets, but unfortunately, two of them hit her body. One hit her left arm, ripping through the fabric and flesh, and another hit her lower right abdomen.
She reacted quickly, jumping backward to avoid the bullets that nearly hit her vital organs.
"Damn...!"
There was blood flowing freely from her lower abdomen, soaking her clothes and staining the floor slightly. She wanted to use a medkit, and it looked like this was the last one she had.
She was actually pretty fast. It's deadly. But she was already exhausted from her previous battles, and fighting a group of armed guards like this was going to take a lot out of her.
After using her last medkit, she tried to get up, holding her blade tightly, her eyes flashing with madness. She seemed to be planning a brutal move that would risk her life.
"She's cornered! We have to kill him quickly!" shouted one of the guards.
They all aimed back at Yumiki's hiding place, their fingers ready to pull the triggers.
Out of the blue—
Bang…!
A series of loud gunshots broke the silence outside the room. Bullets were flying everywhere, hitting several guards at once. They were startled, and their formation scattered.
Bang…! Bang…! Bang…!
"Argh…!"
There I stood. My hands gripped the automatic rifle I had taken from the dead guards. A thin trail of smoke rose from the barrel. The outdoor scene erupted. Screams, gunfire, and the thud of bodies.
The guards inside the room were briefly puzzled by what had happened outside. Their concentration was broken.
She had a feeling something was off with the guards. She looked out for a second, her face still blank. Her lips still had traces of dried blood. She glanced at her opponent.
Outside, there was a fierce gunfight going on.
I kept shooting at the guards, trying to get closer to me. You could hear the gunfire and explosions from outside.
"Ha…ha!!! It's that anomaly...! He's here too…!!!" several guards shouted outside, recognizing my presence.
I grinned.
"You want to fight, huh…? Let's make it harder for you guys...!"
Some of them shot at me, while others charged at me from close range. The people opposing me seemed to be quite a lot. I was hit with one attack after another. But I quickly dodged, letting the bullets miss, and occasionally fired back, taking them down one by one.
The guards inside the room were totally blindsided. The chaos outside and inside made them panic. One of them told everyone to send the rest of the units.
"Guards...! Send the rest of the backup security forces...! We're facing a big problem...!"
But Yumiki, seeing this great opportunity, didn't waste any time. She lunged toward the guards inside the room. Some of them had let their guard down and were listening to the fierce battle outside.
They didn't notice the threat that was closer. Yumiki quickly maneuvered to take them down. Her moves were like a dance, so fast and precise, stabbing vital points with accuracy. She took them out one by one, ruthlessly, exploiting their confusion.
They started to see that there were two problems to deal with. I didn't have the skills to fight as flexibly or brutally as that woman, but with my hacking and data vision abilities, I would try to face them.
I used special commands on the holographic display. The virtual screen flickered, and I saw a data grid in front of me. I looked for a way to beat them quickly. I'm on the lookout for weaknesses and movement patterns. I couldn't see the guards' movements until I found the thermal mode, which showed what was going on behind the walls. You could clearly see the heat from their bodies.
"Yeah... perfect…!!"
I was able to see them easily and attack them from their blind spots.
I hurried through the hallway, bullets still flying, but now my shots were more on target. I shot a guard hiding behind a pillar in the leg. He fell, screaming.
Then I slammed my body against the wall next to him, grabbed another guard, and smashed his head against the concrete until he stopped moving. I managed to take them all down one by one.
Until there were no more gunshots from outside.
It seemed like they were all down. The guards inside the room were also defeated. I went back into the room.
.
.
.
Yeah, as I figured, she took them all down. The guards' bodies were scattered, brutally strewn. Her blade was covered in blood. It probably looked easy for her, considering her abilities.
But then I saw her standing there, breathing heavily, her shoulders rising and falling. I could still see the bullet wounds on her body.
I mustered the courage to ask.
"Hey, who are you and how'd you get into this building…?"
She gave me a look for a second. His eyes were sharp, cold, and cautious. And it looked like he was going to attack me too.
She was very alert and immediately raised his blade again, pointing it at me.
"Hey, hey… take it easy, psycho...! I'm the one from earlier...!" I said, trying not to get too close.
"I only came to say thanks for cutting me loose from that old bastard's gizmo. Wouldn't have made it without ya…!"
She didn't say anything and started pulling out her blade.
Then she looked back at the operating table in front of her and refocused on her task. She grabbed a scalpel and started getting ready for the execution.
I watched this with a furrowed brow.
"Argg... you want to skin the corpse, huh…?"
"That's not important..." she cut in, her voice hoarse but full of menace.
"Keep your mouth shut… I don't care what you are. Stand in my path, you're dead…"
Her words were terrifying, the tone of death clear in every word. I was truly horrified by what she had just said.
"Okay… calm down..." I said, trying not to get too close.
"I have no idea how I ended up here, but one thing's for sure—they'll do to me what they did to this man..."
She kept working and didn't even look at me. The scalpel blade moved slowly across the man's neck, looking for the right spot.
.
.
.
I kept watching this gross process.
Her knife's nano-blade vibrated slightly, ready to cut through flesh and bone like a kitchen knife slicing butter.
Yumiki grabbed the man's hair. He moved the knife quickly and precisely, cutting through the muscles and tendons of the neck.
Schlick…!
When the assassin cut through the neck, the head turned to the side.
CRACK…!
With a strong push, the spine snapped, and the head detached from the body with a sound like raw meat being crushed. There was a brief spray of blood before it stopped.
"Ugh...! Is she turning this guy into a zombie or an even crazier project?"
It was all too gross. I'd better get out of this room and keep an eye on the extra troops heading this way.
"Well... I'll wait outside...! I'm keeping an eye on them in case they try to storm this place again..."
.
.
.
She took out the sterilization tool, a small tube that sprayed a thick blue liquid onto Hiro's head. As soon as the liquid touched the flesh, the skin and hair shriveled and hardened like a plastic layer. The blood that was sticking to it evaporated with a quick hiss, leaving the head looking clean, almost like a statue.
But her work wasn't done yet.
At last, she put his head into a special container. It was a clear tube with a pale yellow liquid that quickly filled Hiro's mouth and nostrils.
"hufft... that was exhausting..."
She turned and left the room. Behind her, the monitor next to the operating table was still on, showing a flashing red message:
[SUBJECT: NEURAL DATA TRANSFER]
[CONTINUE ALL PROCESSES? Y/N]
.
.
.
I waited in front of the door, feeling a bit bored and still confused about who this woman really was, if she was friend or foe.
I figured I'd better follow her, though, in case I could get out of here.
She walked casually through the door shortly after.
"Ha..ha...! You're done...!"
She immediately took off without even noticing me.
"Shit…!"
I let out a deep sigh, then hurried after her
…
We ran down the hall together.
Yumiki would sometimes attack the guards blocking her path. Her blade flashed quickly, taking them down with brutal efficiency. I followed behind her, still relying on my thermal mode to avoid the oncoming guards.
I shouted at her, trying to keep up with her fast pace.
"Hey, you... Psyco...!"
"...hufft... What's your problem?"
"Hey… I've got one burning question. Who exactly are you supposed to be? And what's the damn deal with this whole operation?"
Yumiki kept her eyes on the road, not even batting an eye. She was looking ahead, at the escape route.
"Listen up…! I'm not your savior. I don't need your help either. Now shut your mouth, you idiot. If you want to escape from this place, just follow me, or I'll rip your throat out if you keep distracting me…!"
She didn't answer my question properly; her response only made me angrier.
As long as he could help me escape, I was fine with it. I had no other choice.
.
.
.
We got to the park lobby, which was an open area I had passed through before. The atmosphere was quiet; it was empty.
I thought we'd beaten back all the security guards protecting this place.
Thankfully. It felt like we had broken through the defense.
Yumiki seemed to feel the same way. She glanced at the map on her gadget and started heading for the gate in the western sector, where the escape door might be.
We'd walked a few meters toward the western gate.
Until—
The situation that should have been the end unexpectedly got worse.
Bzzzzt…!!
A heavy thud from above. A huge shadow jumped from the top floor, hitting the lobby floor right in front of us with enough force to shake the whole building. There was a lot of smoke and dust where it hit.
We turned toward the object.
As the dust settled, a giant figure appeared. It's a mecha robot that looks like a human. It's got a super muscular body. It was about three meters tall, with thick black armor, more terrifying than any armor worn by any elite personnel we had ever faced.
Its eyes glowed red like burning coals, and it had a cold, menacing vibe.
"What the hell...?"
Yumiki's brow furrowed, and his breathing sped up. It seemed like she was also unhappy with the situation.
"Ugh... bastard..." she muttered, twisting the blade in his hand.
"Okay, this is obviously not on the same level as the guard folks we dealt with before…!"
It had a pretty destructive vibe.
The mecha robot raised the cannon in its right hand, and the barrel was humming louder and louder. A heavy robotic voice echoed through the room.
"TARGET LOCKED. EXECUTION BEGINS…!"
BOOOM…!
The mecha robot launched its first attack. A laser beam shot out, hitting the floor where we had been standing just seconds earlier. The concrete floor shattered, marble cracked, and debris flew everywhere. The laser cannon had a huge impact.
Yumi and I managed to jump out of the way, but the heat from the explosion burned my skin. Man, this shot could really do a number on the building. I figured four more shots could level this place and trap us under the rubble.
I tried to reactivate my abilities, displaying a holographic panel. I had to scan and hack the mecha robot.
"SUBJECT SCANNING IN PROGRESS..."
The data started flowing, but it took a while to scan the mecha robot's data.
The robot didn't give us a break. It kept firing missiles at us, dropping them on every spot we used for cover.
"Tch..."
The scanning process was briefly interrupted by this hail of missiles.
I saw a visual "ERROR" alert. I was trying to stay focused, but it was hard.
It was clear that I couldn't fight it with my bare hands. My new abilities were helpful, but fighting a machine with perfect defenses was a real challenge.
Not far from here, I got another notification on my system.
"OBJECT CANNOT BE SCANNED…!"
A red pop-up flashed before my eyes.
"C'mon... why isn't it working...! Is the system stronger than I thought...?"
I watched her movements. Yumiki. She didn't wait. She ran forward at high speed, ignoring the hail of bullets. She tried to attack with her blade.
"Wow, this psycho is so brave and doing something beyond reason. Facing that armored monster head-on...!?"
She jumped upward, using her momentum, trying to do the same thing—attack the blind spot behind the mecha robot's neck, an area often considered a weakness in combat units.
SWING…!
Her blade struck.
But—
The blade didn't go in at all.
It only left a shallow scratch.
"Tch…!"
The mecha robot had sensors in its blind spot. Its movements instantly reversed, leaving Yumi no time to dodge.
It hit Shadow's arm hard.
DUAGH!
Yumi was thrown backward, crashing into the wall with a loud thud.
I saw her; she was thrown pretty hard.
"Hey!"
Debris and smoke billowed around her.
Shadow let out a growl, breathing heavily. Thankfully, she was still alive.
"Ugh... we need something bigger to take down this old piece of junk..."
The mecha unit was looking at me. Its bright red eyes checked out my body, showing me data about the anomalies it found. And sure enough, after scanning and realizing that I was its target, the mecha robot quickly aimed its arm at me, ready to fire its cannon.
FSSSHHH…!! BOOM…!!!
Missiles rained down on me, shattering the air in front of me. I moved out of the way just before the explosion destroyed the ground under my feet. The ground shook, and the heat was really burning my skin.
But—
It kept going after them. This time, it reached out again. The electromagnetic cannon on its arm hummed, emitting static energy that grew denser.
BZZZT…!
The sound made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
An electromagnetic wave spread like a blue electric shock, filling the entire room.
"Aaargh!"
My head was pounding from the pain. It felt like thousands of bees were stinging my head.
I dropped to the ground right away, the effects of the electric wave making me dizzy.
He moved closer, so fast, his black shadow getting bigger.
"Shit…!"
It's all over.
He was about to fire that powerful laser at me again. The laser energy was building up in the barrel of his cannon, shining a bright, deadly light.
Not here, not now. I forced myself to get up, my muscles tensing as I tried to get up from where I had fallen. I can't even imagine what I'd look like if that deadly laser plasma hit me.
BOOM…!
A huge explosion hit with a crazy punch! The attack hit its target and burned the whole body.
I was taken aback.
It wasn't me who got hit, but the mecha unit in front of me.
I felt a wave of heat hit my face.
There was a lot of thick smoke and dust, and it covered its motionless body.
"What the hell was that attack?! Where did it even come from…?"
It's a sneering expression.
From the north, a figure appeared on the upper floor of the damaged wall that had been broken through by the mecha robot. There was a guy with a rocket launcher on his shoulder, and the barrel was still smoking a little.
His gaze was scary.
"augh… Time to rest, pal…!
But it looked like the Android robot could still move. The mecha's body shook, and the red lights in its eyes started flashing again, like it was about to rise from the smoke.
Without wasting any time, the man aimed the rocket launcher again.
FSSSHHH…!!!
Another powerful RPG rocket flew toward the robot. I tried to dodge it, but the RPG rounds fired one after another, hitting the same spot on the robot's body.
BOOM…! BOOM…! BOOM…!
The Android robot took a few steps back, not able to handle the steady stream of RPGs. Its armor was torn, sparks flew, and it emitted a sorrowful metallic screech.
It was still in the corner of the rubble, covered in smoke and dust.
Everyone's quiet because there's no sign of the robot coming back up.
Then, out of the blue, the guy jumps down to the lower floor.
DUAGH…!
"You really know how to cause chaos, Yumi..."
It looks like he's her partner.
Yumiki, still staggering near the wall, snorts.
"Finally decided to show up, huh, asshole…?"
"Easy there, Yumi. My apologies for the grand entrance. Turns out, breaking free from an angry mob isn't as simple as pulling a rabbit out of a hat."
He offered to help, putting out his arm to pull Yumiki up.
But she just gave him a cold stare. She tried to get up on her own, she couldn't accept her partner's hand.
"Hufft… Stubborn to a fault, aren't we…?
She didn't say anything, just focused on the pain and exhaustion that was starting to set in.
Then, a voice came over the intercom in her partner's ear.
"Kenjiro…! We've managed to sabotage the main gate and incapacitate the guard personnel in the background...! We're currently facing the guards at the main entrance of the building. Hurry up and get here, we're going to escape…!"
"Kenjiro…! Listen up… We're at the front main entrance, facing resistance. Get here, now! We're pulling out…!"
"Yeah, we're on our way, Rin…!. Stay safe…!"
The two of them ran toward the west, heading for the main gate. They were moving quickly, and now the lobby was filled with debris.
I'm amazed that that huge mecha robot fell into a pile of smoke. Thankfully, though.
I saw them run off, so I quickly followed them.
.
.
.
They ran toward the exit, going through the western corridor.
"Huh... "This old piece of shit still kicks…?" Yumiki said, looking at the RPG her companion carried.
"Ha…ah! was right. That reactor they've got is perfect for fueling this little boy!"
"Never doubt the power of a classic weapon… well, I didn't bring it for nothing…!"
"Better be…!"
.
.
.
The main gate was coming up fast. Then, a flash of light blinded them.
But it seemed like there were a few guards standing guard in this area.
Without a second thought, Kenjiro pulled out his shotgun, which was hidden behind his back.
He pulled the trigger with his finger.
BLARR...!
The sound of gunfire filled the air. The guards fell, some of them flying through the air with their bodies shattered.
He ran out, a grin spreading across his face.
…
The scene outside the building was a total mess because of the fight between Kejiro's allies. The loud noise of machines and guns could be heard all over the courtyard. There are military vehicles all over the place, and there are still flames burning in a few spots.
From a distance, his friend can be seen going after the guards with everything they've got. He hits the men with such force that they're sent reeling. He charges relentlessly, like a bull, his body moving brutally.
Kenjiro and Yumiki, who saw this, immediately came to his aid, joining the brief battle to eliminate the remaining resistance.
.
.
.
The three of them were now all together.
"Aight, that was… mildly entertaining. These dudes kept coming, but I just kept pushing through, every single one."
"Okay, guys, we're outta here…!"
They ran towards their car, which was close by. There was an orange heavy-duty van waiting among the rubble, its engine still running, ready to roll.
In the back seat, another woman was busy typing on her gadget, controlling the security system from a distance. She was the mastermind of the operation, planning out where they should go and giving them instructions. She let her colleagues know via the communication panel.
"Hurry up and get here...! I've managed to sabotage the gate in the building area so that some of their troops won't chase us..."
.
.
.
I was still breathing heavily from a distance, seeing the bright light from outside. The light of freedom. This was the last straw.
But—
"W-wait..."
I squinted my eyes. The steel gate in the distance, which had been wide open, was now slowly closing.
"Damn it..."
I had to move fast! My legs were working hard, gathering the last of my strength.
As soon as they got to the front of the car, the sound of the engines and gunfire outside started to fade away. Things calmed down again. Kenjiro, Yumiki, and their companion, a well-built man, were already by the van.
The burly man asked Yumiki.
"Yo, Luchsa, what's the deal?"
Yumiki lifted a small storage tube containing Hiro's severed head.
"Arghh... damn, he's dead...!" He sounded frustrated.
"If only we had gotten here sooner, ugh!"
"Man, if I'd just sped up, for real…!"
Kenjiro calmed him down.
"But there's still hope...! Getting his memories is enough for now…!"
His eyes were on the tube Yumiki was holding like it was the most valuable thing in the world.
Their companion, who was looking through the car window, saw the contents of the tube and was left in a state of sad amazement.
"Forgive us, Hiro…!"
They all hopped in the car quickly. Yumiki passed the tube to Rin inside, who took it carefully.
Then they all hopped in the car and took off.
I was still out of breath, but I caught up with them just as Kenjiro was about to get into the passenger seat.
"Hey... wait...!"
They looked at me. Everyone looked at me, seeming to be on the lookout for anything out of the ordinary.
"Please...! Take me with you…!!!
I looked at them, trying to show that I was very confident and needed a ride to get out of there.
But before I could say another word, Kenjiro raised his hand and pointed his shotgun straight at me, the barrel right at my chest.
"Hey! Freeze! Just what the hell are you doing here…? And who in God's name are you…?"
His voice was cold, like he was ready to pull the trigger.
"Hey, chill out! I'm not your enemy... I'm the one who saved your friend..."
Yumiki let out a deep sigh, then shrugged.
"huffft... annoying..."
Yumiki looked at Kenjiro, still with that cold expression.
"I don't know who he is... He's in the facility. He could be a prisoner or an experimental subject. I'm not sure..."
"Hey... SERIOUSLY...?"
Please get out…!
"arggh… Look, I don't know who you are or what you're doing here, but I know one thing—this place is full of crazy experiments, and I'm one of the prisoners! I don't want to stay here any longer…!"
Kenjiro still seemed a bit unsure. His face showed the risks he didn't know about.
But before they could keep talking,
BOOM…!
A huge explosion shook the main gate where we had just gotten out of the car. Smoke spread quickly, and we couldn't see a thing. There was a vague shadow of a person behind it.
"Damn…!"
DUG…!!! DUG…!! DUG...!
The footsteps were heavy and loud, and each thud shook the nearby debris. A strong tremor ran through the ground.
"Oh... don't tell me…!!"
The mecha robot Executor has risen again!
Its system was flickering with sparks of electricity, and part of its armor was severely damaged from the RPG explosion. Some of the steel had bent, showing severed cables and smoking machinery. But its eyes still glowed red.
And this time, its vibe was more unsettling and ominous. The Android robot straightened its body, then raised its left hand upward.
"ACTIVATING DESTRUCTION MODE."
Out of nowhere, the armor on its arm opened up, and there was a row of small missiles ready to be fired at us. Each missile was glowing dimly, ready to launch.
"Man… this finna be a whole mess…!"
BOOOM…!