Cyberpunk: Arasaka Secret Son

At the same time all the lights in Night City failed.

In a luxurious private villa owned by Arasaka in Kanagawa prefecture, nestled deep within the lush landscapes of Kamakura, a city renowned for its rich history. Meticulously preserved, thanks to Arasaka Corporation's efforts, which had invested significant resources in restoring the environment, ensuring that every stone, every tree, and every corner that told the story of Japanese culture was preserved.

Surrounded by lush gardens and encircled by majestic mountains, the villa was an oasis of tranquility and serenity amidst the bustle of the corporate world. Despite being a luxury residence, the villa was not ostentatious in its design or decoration. Instead, the owner preferred understated elegance and classical architecture over opulence, reflected in the simplicity of the interiors and the gardens.

Technology also played a significant role in the villa's design and materials, not only as a modern convenience but primarily as a security measure. Advanced surveillance systems and discreet fortifications had been installed, turning the villa into an impregnable stronghold amidst its idyllic surroundings.

Within the villa, an employee of the corporation, whom no one had ever seen rush due to his position as a member of Arasaka Corporation's board of shareholders, moved swiftly through the mansion's halls. Upon reaching an imposing door with an exterior of wood but internally lined with resilient armored alloys, the board member paused for a moment, catching his breath, while the guards guarding the door received orders from within to allow his entry.

Once the doors opened, the board member hurriedly burst into Saburo Arasaka's private office. The room was adorned with an impressive collection of historical artifacts that told the story of Japan, from rudimentary sickles used for harvesting rice, hung on the wall, to the first uchikatanas and tachis, to refined katanas and samurai armor, as well as ancient artworks and haiku.

The decoration was not only a tribute to Japan's cultural heritage but also a way to safeguard time and change, as well as a reminder of the Arasaka family's duty. Upon entering, feeling the weight of the dense and tense atmosphere that filled the room, the board member knelt before a graceful staircase leading up to an imposing wooden desk, with a commanding window behind it.

Momentarily paralyzed by the eerie silence surrounding Saburo, seated behind the desk, whose face he couldn't see, only the back of the chair, as if absorbed in contemplation of the gardens through the window, the board member gathered the courage to speak, obviously in Japanese.

"S-Saburo-sama, there has been a situation in Night City, the way it's escalating... perhaps it requires your intervention. Yorinobu-sama has attacked a small company, practically that of his sister, Hanako-sama. It has proven not to be as insignificant as her brother thought."

Instead of a response, the silence persisted. The board member, kneeling in the executive office, felt compelled to insist due to the urgency of the situation: "Saburo-sa-?"

Before he could finish, the guard closest to Saburo emerged from the shadows of the office. With a firm voice, Goro Takemura responded on behalf of his Daimyo: "Saburo-sama is well aware of what's happening."

As Goro finished speaking, he briefly caught Saburo's eyes illuminated as he watched the live coverage on American channel 54, where a disheveled-haired young journalist struggled to narrate the battle unfolding in the heart of Night City from an AV.

The images Saburo witnessed prompted him to hold a grave and tense silence, amidst the chaos wrought by his son Yorinobu's pet and the unruly grandson of his former friend and bodyguard, Musashi Hatake.

Saburo suddenly turned his chair. Addressing the kneeling board member for the first time, he said slowly in Japanese, each word dripping with his ominous mood: "Prepare Izanagi, If the situation continues to escalate, perhaps... it will be necessary."

Upon hearing the name Izanagi, those present in the room who understood its significance were startled by Saburo's unsettling response. It indicated the extreme seriousness with which he was addressing the unfolding events in Night City, enough to be willing to activate the Izanagi facility.

The board member, with his voice trembling slightly, dared to ask again: "S-Saburo-sama, are you sure?"

The icy gaze he received in response dispelled any doubt he might have harbored or would harbor in the future, demonstrating Saburo's determination to take drastic measures if the situation further deteriorated.

Before the board member left the office, Saburo added as he turned his chair back to 'observe' through the window, "Also, locate Hanako, I want to know her opinion on what's happening." Unable to prevent a slight softening of his cold tone when mentioning his daughter.

"Regarding Ha-Hanako-sama... we detected her private AV departing from her residence at Hakonen Castle just a few minutes ago. Despite our attempts, we haven't received any response from her before her coordinates... ceased to be rebroadcast" reported the board member, with a mix of nervousness and respect.

Though the news was not reassuring, Saburo responded with a simple grunt, "Hm, order to investigate her whereabouts."

"So it shall be," nodded the board member, barely managing to contain his own anxiety to leave the office.

-

At unknown coordinates in the lower atmosphere at the highest altitude safely reachable by an AV, Hanako was surrounded by X-75 fighters from the American army.

Inside her private AV, Oda couldn't help but express his concern about the situation they were in and where they were heading to. "Hanako-sama, we're ready to commence boarding maneuvers. Are you sure about this? Once inside, we'll be in enemy territory, and if things go south... I'm not confident I can safely extract you."

Hanako, more worried than ever by the images playing out on her IDn window, displaying the sudden change in her son, was experiencing a strange and almost inexplicable sense of loss, one she hadn't felt since before Sora's birth.

This sensation gripped her body the moment her pet, Niobe, collapsed lifelessly on the floor of the AV. Cementing and confirming that something serious had happened, witnessing the change in Sora.

Even as his mother, she felt terror seeing her son in such a state, resembling a metal beast, who acted like one in the middle of the city. Using Smasher to plow through entire buildings, eventually hurling his gargantuan several-ton body towards a skyscraper in the corporate center.

Hanako didn't need to imagine much, due to the direct trajectory he was taking, where he was planning to bring Smasher... as his father had done before, heading straight for the Arasaka tower in the city.

After a few brief seconds, attempting to conceal all these emotions within her, Hanako responded firmly: "I am fully aware. Give the order for docking to the pilot. We have no time to waste."

A few moments later, as the ship entered the designated hangar and completed the landing maneuver, a woman with Korean features, highly cybernetically augmented, awaited at the foot of Hanako's ship's stairs. "It's an honor to meet you, Hanako-sama. I am Song So Mi, though you probably know me better by my alias of-"

Before So Mi could finish, Hanako interjected: "Songbird, the netrunner, President Mayers's right hand. I am aware of who you are."

With a knowing and somewhat proud smile, So Mi welcomed Hanako and her security entourage on board. "As expected of Hanako Arasaka. Please, come in. Welcome to the Space Force One. You'll be able to meet with President Mayers in the Oval Office once we've exited the atmosphere"

"T-thanks," Hanako responded, unable to prevent the slight tremor in her voice after reading the message one of her spies within her father's villa had just sent her, informing about the activation of the Izanagi facility.

-

Meanwhile, in Night City, at the NCPD blockade separating Vista del Rey from the Corporate center...

Sora strode ahead of the terrified officers who had witnessed him hurling Smasher over their heads, causing him to crash into one of the skyscrapers behind the blockade in the corporate center.

In the worst-case scenario feared by the city mayor, realizing he had been deceived by Yorinobu after assisting him and clearing out any NCPD agents from Vista del Rey during his operation.

Amidst the mayor's screams ordering his arrest, there were agents bold or foolhardy enough to stand in Sora's path, shouting at the top of their lungs, attempting to mask the fear in their voices unsuccessfully: "S-STOP! Y-YOU CAN'T PASS!" naively adding, "Y-YOU'RE... UNDER ARREST!"

Despite their "arrest" order, Sora continued walking without altering his pace, pushing through anything in his way, be it mobile barricades or patrol cars, as if nothing around him existed except Smasher.

This prompted the agents to comply with the mayor's order, shouted through the NCPD channel, commanding them to draw their weapons and aim at him

The agents hesitated for a moment, then regretted their actions. Their faces paled, and they fell to the ground, having managed to detain Sora. However, their actions aiming at him caused all their weapons to be recognized by him, and thus their very existence as well.

This caused each of them to feel an uncontrollable murderous intent released by the bright four red eyes that looked at them for the first time, creating an imminent sense of danger in each of them, as if they were standing in front of the barrel of a gun about to go off, or... facing a beast about to pounce on their necks.

After managing to regain control, Sora averted his gaze from the frightened agents and resumed his heavy march toward the corporate center, while making a subtle gesture with his hand hidden beneath his cloak, commanding the nanobots he released into the air with each step he took to move.

Amidst the mayor's persistent shouts, urging them to fire, the agents had no choice but to open fire. However, as they squeezed the triggers of their weapons, they all fell apart in their disbelieving yet somehow grateful hands.

As they watched him stride into the corporate center, the agents couldn't fully grasp the luck they'd had after betting and winning a metaphorical coin toss with their lives in play. After Sora managed to regain enough control to command his nanobots to devour their weapons, rather than themselves.

However, like all things, luck eventually runs out. From the rubble where Smasher had impacted, a small sun emerged, melting everything in its direct path toward Sora. Before it could touch him, he withdrew one of his arms from beneath his cloak, and casually struck the small sun aside with the exterior of his fist, diverting it behind him.

The AVs flying over the area broadcasted live footage showing how Smasher's shot, reflected by Sora, ended the lives of many NCPD agents at the blockade.... behind him.

Sora didn't redirect the projectile toward the blockade out of vengeance or resentment, but out of sheer ignorance or acknowledgment of their existence, which had disappeared for his mind the moment he lifted his gaze from them.

Contrary to Sora, Smasher, aware of the agents when he shot, didn't care in the slightest about their deaths. As he emerged from the rubble, he aimed his PEF once again at Sora, while replacements for his armor began to replace the shattered head of the Dai Oni.

Watching as he prepared to shoot again, Sora drew Getsuga, which in his hands resembled a wakizashi. Before Smasher could even mock his weapon choice, Sora's black cloak vanished, enveloping itself around Getsuga.

The sheer number of nanobots was such that the Getsuga's blade transformed into an imposing mass of black steel, with a dark, straight edge that seemed impossible to wield due to its almost impractical size, while its hilt doubled in length.

Smasher, believing Sora was preparing to cut through the shot from his PEF, wanted to see him try and squeezed the trigger, causing his weapon to roar as a miniature sun burst from its barrel, burning everything in its path until it reached Sora.

As Sora swung Getsuga, a whirlwind was generated by its gigantic size. Just as its edge was about to impact the tiny sun, Sora twisted Getsuga and batted it instead of cutting it.

["Fuck!"] Smasher exclaimed as he watched the tiny sun return to its origin, having to use his 27 thrusters to narrowly dodge his own shot, which destroyed the walls of the skyscraper he had just hit, creating a circular hole through it, revealing Corpo Plaza on the other side.

When Smasher averted his gaze from the narrowly avoided fate, he was met with Sora's unsettling four red eyes right in front of him. Suddenly, two of them went dark, leaving only the ones on the right side shining intensely.

At the same time, gripping Getsuga with both hands over his head, lifting it from his back. The jaws of his helmet clenched tightly, as hundreds of liters of carbon dioxide condensed from his breath before escaping as a white cloud between his tightly clenched metallic fangs.

To execute a simple yet familiar vertical cut, with only two of his four eyes open, as if, despite his condition... Sora was mimicking someone.

The cut was accompanied by a furious roar that erupted from Sora's jaws, which opened wide as he released all the strength he had gathered from every inch of his body and nanobots. Upon impact, a deafening blast resounded as Getsuga struck directly on the chest of the gigantic Dai-Oni armor, with such force that it deformed it, before cutting through it.

The resulting force penetrated inside the armor, shaking Smasher's brain so much that he momentarily lost consciousness as he was thrown through the newly formed hole behind him, straight towards the Corpo Plaza.

His 'landing' was devastating, triggering the explosion of vehicles in his path as he continued to roll over more of them. Until he finally came to a halt when he crashed into the structure at the center of the Corpo Plaza.

This impact caused the holographic cannons to glitch, momentarily interrupting the hologram of the two large carps swimming peacefully. In contrast to the streets below them, where multiple explosions and chain collisions occurred, creating pandemonium with just one swing of a sword... a 'great' sword.

The roar of explosions spread throughout the corporate center, and soon the people occupying the offices in the skyscrapers of the major corporations surrounding the plaza began to fill the windows. Watching with awe and fear the chaos unleashed beneath them.

When Smasher regained consciousness and emerged once more from the rubble in which he had been buried, he realized that he had released his weapon upon impact.

Spotting it again, in Sora's hands as he traversed the hole through which he had been thrown. Upon finally crossing it, Smasher could see him clearly, to his surprise, he noticed that he was not holding the PEF, but... had merged with it.

As soon as Sora reached Corpo Plaza, he raised his right arm and... began firing miniature suns at Smasher from the PEF merged into it. While the first Avs from NCPD and Max Tac began to arrive. 

---

Several minutes earlier...

A mother and her teenage son dashed through the bustling lobby of Megabuilding H4, their hearts pounding as they made their way through the panicked crowd. Quickly, they headed towards the nearest elevator, intending to take refuge in their apartment until the chaos subsided.

Only moments before, they had been shopping in Arroyo, visiting several stores to gather everything her son needed for for his new course, in his new academy. Thanks to the her tireless efforts as a paramedic, she was able to enroll her son in the prestigious Arasaka Academy.

They had to make a stop at a music store, to persuade her son to accompany her. However, in the midst of their shopping, the ground began to tremble, and explosions echoed on the horizon, accompanied by dense columns of smoke rising from the adjacent Vista del Rey district.

Alarmed, she decided to return home. Unfortunately, upon reentering to their Megabuilding, the massive armored security doors slammed shut behind them with a deafening thud, sealing all exits as the building's security mode activated

The armored shields deployed, covering the windows with thick, reinforced steel plates, supposedly designed to withstand even the radiation from a nuclear blast. This included the large skylight in the middle of the Megabuilding, leaving its interior dark and illuminated only by the eerie yellow emergency lights.

This sudden lockdown left the residents trapped inside, with no way out or means of seeking help. Just seconds after the lockdown, several backpacks with explosives detonated on different floors and throughout the Megabuilding.

All of this orchestrated by the same woman who capitalized on the absence of the Valentinos and the disturbances caused by Smasher in the city to eliminate her competition. She had infiltrated the building's control room and activated the security system, sealing it off from the outside world.

But not before the drug lord known as Ma-Ma placed several bomb-laden backpacks in front of the safe houses of the other gangs in the Megabuilding. The resistance from these gangs sparked a fierce war that spread through almost every floor, putting its residents in grave danger.

When the mother and her son reached their apartment level and the elevator doors opened, they were greeted by a group of Ma-Ma gang members who controlled the floor. With their weapons raised, they ordered them to exit the elevator and join the rest of their neighbors, who were corralled into a corner of the lobby after being forced out of their homes.

Some of her neighbors were injured or, worse, dead. Upon refusing to leave, their homes were forcefully raided, and those who resisted or showed dissent were severely beaten for their refusal to "cooperate." In the most extreme cases, it resulted in fatalities.

Gloria's steadfast refusal to leave the elevator, after witnessing the state of her neighbors, didn't please the nearest gang member to the door, who forcefully grabbed her arm, attempting to drag her out.

Her son, standing behind her, drew his bass guitar from its case. Though he always meticulously cared for it, he had his priorities straight, and used it to strike the gang member in the head.

This courageous and daring attempt to protect his mother left the gang member bleeding profusely from his new wound, displaying a clear expression of rage, as he aimed his gun directly at the young man, preparing to open fire as disproportionate retaliation.

This over-the-top reaction from the gang member, to a son trying to protect his mother, was exacerbated by the effects of Slow-Syn, a drug patented by 'Ma' herself. This compound reduced the mental strain of using cyberware and induced a sense of euphoria and unease.

Most Ma-Ma gang members consumed this drug to calm their nerves and facilitate the use of the military cyberware they had been installing over the past few months, thanks to the success of Slow-Syn, anticipating an opportunity to expand their influence in H4, such as the one they were currently seizing.

Fear gripped Gloria as she saw her son in danger, and without a second thought, she stepped between him and the gang member, embracing him and shielding him with her own body. Just as the gang member fired, the elevator doors slammed shut and began to move automatically.

"Mom! Are you okay?" David asked loudly as he checked his mother's back with his hands.

"What were you thinking..." Gloria muttered weakly, seeming to struggle to breathe, worrying David, who exclaimed again, "Mom!"

But in reality, Gloria was taking a breath to shout at the top of her lungs, right into David's ear, whom she was still embracing. "WHO ON EARTH THINKS IT'S A GOOD IDEA TO USE A BASS TO HIT SOMEONE ARMED! DAVID, WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?"

With his mother's voice still ringing in his ears, David sighed in relief. "Thank goodness you're okay."

"That doesn't answer my question, what on earth were you thinking?" his mother asked, shaking her son's shoulders, causing David's head to move with the same intensity.

David, unsure how to explain his actions, was adorably honest. "I'm sorry, Mom... It's just that... when he grabbed you... I had to do something."

"Tch, it's a nuisance when you're so adora- hmpt," Gloria corrected herself, not wanting to reveal the latent power her son had over her. She corrected herself and concluded, "But let that be the last time you do something like this, do you hear me?"

"Yes... but, Mom, were you the one who activated the elevator?" David asked. Confused, Gloria replied, "Huh? I didn't, I thought it was you."

"So..." Struggling to understand what had happened, David concluded, "did it activate on its own?"

After checking the elevator, Gloria said, "Seems like it, the buttons aren't working, and we've stopped between floors, although... If they're forcing people out of their homes, this might be the safest place..."

Thinking about everything happening in the city, Gloria sighed exasperatedly as she slowly sank to the floor, her back against the wall. "Ahmm... what the heck is going on in this city!"

"Right!?" David responded, but with a meaning entirely opposite to what his mother meant, as he sat abruptly with his legs crossed on the elevator floor and opened the Channel 54 app on his IDn.

After a few seconds of watching the images broadcast on the window that appeared in front of his vision, David exclaimed, "Mom, you won't believe who's fighting in Vista del Rey!"

Caught by her son's tone, Gloria asked, "Huh, who?"

A few minutes later, after the city's electricity flickered off, when it came back, all systems rebooted, including the elevator system of Tower H4, which resumed its motion.

Upon the doors opening on her floor again, Gloria couldn't help but be overwhelmed, bringing her hands to her face at the change she met on their floor in so little time. Multiple bloodstains glowed on the floor, walls, and even ceiling, illuminated by the intermittent yellow emergency lights.

The area where their neighbors had been held captive now had an increased number of corpses. While most of the gang members who had detained them were now deceased.

Seeing the multiple Inhalers on the ground, the same ones they used to administer Slow-Syn, the drug they were addicted to, and bloodstains reminiscent of those she encountered in certain cases during her job as an EMT, triggered a dangerous assumption in Gloria's mind, prompting her to grab David's arm and run.

They moved quickly down the hallway toward their apartment, but just as they reached their corridor, they hid without turning the corner, prompted by desperate screams accompanied by heavy pounding on a door. "Let me in, damn it! He's got to be about to arrive!"

With her heart pounding, Gloria peeked down the hallway and saw one of "Ma-Ma's" gang members pounding on an apartment door, pleading through sobs, "I'm sorry for dragging you out of your homes and beating you, it was Ma's orders, but damn it, he'll kill me if you don't open the door... please!"

His cries caught the attention of the bloodstained figure that emerged from the opposite end of the hallway. Upon seeing him, the gang member intensified his pleas and cries, relentlessly pounding on the door.

The blood-covered figure was also a member of Ma-Ma's gang, the same one David had struck. He was drenched in blood after suffering a bout of Cyberpsychosis from a Slow-S overdose. Suddenly, the Cyberpsycho charged toward his fellow gang member, shouting nonsensical noises in euphoria.

The gang member pounding on the door, believing it wouldn't open, sprinted down the hallway in the same direction where David and Gloria were. Unfortunately for him, as he moved a few meters away, the door swung open to let him in before slamming shut.

Upon witnessing this, the gang member regretted his decision, tears escaping from his eyes. Just as he reached the end of the hallway, the Cyberpsycho leaped onto him, grabbing him by the thighs with his gorilla prosthetics, producing a gruesome and audible sound of bones breaking as it simultaneously shattered both femurs.

The gang member screamed in agony, writhing on the floor while David and Gloria remained like statues around the corner, covering their mouths to avoid giving themselves away, as they watched the gang member's upper body contort and writhe on the ground beside them.

Due to the pain, it took a moment for the gang member to realize David and Gloria's presence just around the corner, barely a meter away from him. The three of them exchanged glances for a moment before the gang member opened his mouth, tempted to give them away in a desperate attempt to escape.

However, feeling the stabbing pain of his broken legs, the gang member closed his mouth, emitting a muffled groan before disappearing from Gloria and David's view as he was dragged along the ground.

They could hear his cries and the sound of his nails "clinging" desperately to the concrete floor, staining it with his blood as he futilely tried to resist wherever his cyber-psychotic companion was taking him.

As they vanished from the hallway, Gloria grabbed her pale son, obviously unaccustomed to seeing people in agony or blood, unlike her in her EMT work. With no other option, Gloria followed the unsettling trail of blood left by the gang member's fingers to reach their apartment.

Moving as quietly as possible with the disturbing sound of thuds in the background, as if someone were pounding the floor forcefully, Gloria and David made their way to the door of their apartment.

But just when they thought they would finally be safe, as Gloria finished entering the code, the door speakers activated. "You are 18 hours overdue on your rent payment, the first step before eviction has been initiated," a robotic voice informed.

Immediately after, a screen displaying moans from a Milfguard ad appeared in front of their door. Pausing the ad, the voice added, "If you want to skip 1/3 of the ads, please pay your rent."

"Damn it!" Gloria unintentionally exclaimed as she realized she had forgotten to pay the rent due to buying supplies for David's Arasaka Academy. Normally, it wouldn't be an issue, since neither of them minded watching a couple of ads before being able to enter their home.

However, given the current circumstances, Gloria couldn't imagine a worse moment. As the moans from the Milfguard ad faded, signaling the start of the second ad for Mr. Stud, the disturbing sound of pounding ceased in the background.

A few seconds later, the Cyberpsycho reappeared down the hallway, dragging along the lifeless, headless body of the gang member he caught, as if he had beaten it to a pulp with his gorilla arms.

As he spotted them, the Cyberpsycho let out a euphoric shout and tossed the corpse of his companion through a gaping hole in the middle of the Megabuilding, sending it plummeting hundreds of meters.

Gloria and David stood paralyzed at the sight of Cyberpsycho rapidly approaching, their gazes frozen on his cybernetic implants stained with blood, dripping profusely, glowing under the yellow emergency lights.

When the distance between them was halved, their survival instincts screaming, Gloria desperately struggled with the apartment door, while David grabbed his bass with all his strength and with his trembling legs prepared to protect his mother once more.

However, in the instant David raised his bass, Gloria immobilized him by embracing him protectively, if only for a few seconds. With her eyes tightly shut, bracing for the impending pain, Gloria instead felt a calloused hand on her shoulder pushing her and her son behind him.

In the next instant, a loud bang and sparks filled David and Gloria's eyes as they saw a Hiroyuki' Mantis blades, stopping the Cyberpsycho's blood-soaked Gorilla arms.

Without averting his gaze from the Cyberpsycho, Hiroyuki said, "Step back a few paces."

As they did so, Hiroyuki retracted the Mantis blade that clashed with the gorilla arms, swiftly redirecting its force and aligning both arms together. Then, before they could misalign, he deployed the Mantis blade from his other arm and pierced both gorilla arms, embedding them into the wall.

Hiroyuki ejected the blade from the structure and leaped backward, distancing himself from Cyberpsycho, immobilizing him against the wall. While replacing the ejected blade with a new one by retracting the empty structure into his forearm.

The Cyberpsycho, immobilized, began to scream and frantically attempted to free himself from the Mantis blade piercing his arms.

Due to his loud cries, Ma's reinforcements, dispatched to investigate what had happened in the level, appeared from both sides of the hallway.

Seeing they were surrounded, Hiroyuki was the first to act, seizing the mantis blade embedded in the wall and freeing the Cyberpsycho with a kick to one of the side of the hallway. He forgot about Hiroyuki the moment he saw more meat to grind in front of him, which he threw without hesitation.

Then, Hiroyuki positioned himself in front of Gloria and David, shielding them, and focused on the other side of the hallway. The first action he took was to free his hands, hurling the spare mantis blade at the first gang member who approached them, burying it deep into his shoulder. He then dispatched the rest of his companions, using the narrow corridor to his advantage, disposing of them one by one.

While engaged in the middle of the combat, David alerted Hiroyuki, "Si-sir, behind..." warning him of the Cyberpsycho, which had already dispatched his group of 'meat' and was heading their way.

Hiroyuki continued fighting/striking the gang members until the Cyberpsycho leaped toward the mother and son. Activating his Sandevistan, Hiroyuki appeared beneath the Cybersyco, seizing his raised arm and redirecting it with a jiu-jitsu lock towards the remaining gang members he was fighting.

Amidst the screams prompted by a Cyberpsycho being thrown at them, Hiroyuki grabbed Gloria and David, swiftly ushering them to safety in their apartment.

After a moment to catch their breath, now safe, Gloria wasted no time in expressing her gratitude;

"I didn't know we had a neighbor like you. Thank you so much for intervening; if it weren't for you... thank you! Not many people would have done the same." Although she found it peculiar that one of their neighbors wore such an expensive suit like Hiroyuki's, she couldn't think of any other reason for his presence in H4, saving their lives

Feeling undeserving of the gratitude he believed he didn't deserve, Hiroyuki responded humbly, "I don't deserve it. I'm not your neighbor; I was just sent to protect you and you son, nothing more."

His honest response puzzled Gloria. "Protect us?" She couldn't fathom who would order to protect them, as they had nothing of value or held any significant positions.

Meanwhile, her son, equally perplexed, interjected, "Us? Sir, I think you've mistaken."

Not liking the idea of her son doubting the person who had just saved them, Gloria exclaimed, "David!"

Looking at her, her son defended himself, "What? It was a good mistake; at least he saved our lives!"

Appreciating the close bond between mother and son, Hiroyuki intervened, "I haven't mistaken..." Noticing the bass that David was holding, it make him add. "David, right? I'll have to inform Sora about how you're using the bass he sent you."

This caused David to widen his eyes, asking confusedly, "Wait, Sora? Do you mean Jackie?"

"Something like that. Mrs Martinez could—" Before he could continue, Gloria intervened, correcting him, "Miss."

"Hmpt..." Clearing his throat slightly, Hiroyuki, unaware of Sora's whereabouts since the city lights went out, along with Jarvis's sudden disappearance, said, "Miss Martinez could put on the news to find out what's happening in the city? Don't worry, when the commotion outside dies down, I'll leave you and your son in peace."

After his request, Gloria wastes no time in ordering her son, "David, put on the news." Turning to Hiroyuki, She says to him, "Don't worry, please, take all the time you need..." Not wanting to sound desperate, Gloria added, "I mean, David's safety is what matters most to me."

With the remote in hand, searching for the N54 channel, David interjected, "Good save, Mom."

"Shh! Shut up... thanks." Said his mother, before acting as if nothing had happened in front of Hiroyuki.

When he finally tuned into the news channel, the three of them were left speechless at the sight of Corpo Plaza's condition. Fires billowed dense smoke everywhere, from the abandoned cars in the roundabout to the destroyed NCPD and Max-Tac AVs strewn across the streets and pedestrian walkways, some walkways crumbled as they crashed onto them.

Even the surrounding skyscrapers bore damage, with spherical holes piercing through them, yet still showcasing evacuating figures.

But, above all, what struck them the most was the state of the ring-shaped structure in the middle of the plaza, Memorial Park. The very place where Mother and son first encountered the young stranger who saved them from a robbery by hurling the thief into the road, nearly getting run over.

The massive glass dome of Memorial Park lay utterly destroyed, with the gardens beneath it engulfed in flames, as if most of the battle had taken place within.

Seeing the state his nephew was in, Hiroyuki incredulously muttered to himself, "Sora... what has happened?"

The mention of that name again... made David start to connect the dots in his mind, overlaying the terrifying sight of the black power armor with red eyes with the memory he held of the older brother figure who sent him his beloved bass.

Who didn't stop pounding Smasher's shield with his massive sword. Watching him attack frantically, David was reminded of the Cybersycho he had just escaped from.

Suddenly, on the news broadcast, white steam began to pour out from all over the black armor. With his next sword strike, accompanied by an uncontrollable roar that a human would be unable to produce, he broke through Smasher's defense, causing him to open his arms, leaving an opening in the chest, cut and deformed, of his armor.

Upon which it received a brutal Spartan kick, "inviting" Smasher to "enter" the completely black, windowless massive skyscraper behind him.

The tower, towards which Sora began his solitary march following him, with his massive sword resting on his shoulder, boasted an intimidating architecture, akin to a warning to its enemies who razed its predecessor in 2023. Over the years, it had become a symbol of both oppression and success in Night City."

Hiroyuki, upon seeing him enter Arasaka Tower, prepared to leave the apartment. Before he could, Gloria intervened, "Wait! It's still dangerous outside!"

Thinking she referred to her and her son's safety, Hiroyuki responded sharply, alarming Gloria a bit, "Don't worry... I won't let anything that could endanger you or you son move before I leave"

As he stepped out, Gloria muttered to herself, "I didn't mean us..." worried about the well-being of the attractive man who had just saved them, adding with regret, "He didn't even tell us his name..."

-

After being kicked like never before, Smasher found himself in the familiar, cold lobby of the Arasaka Tower. As he got to his feet, his mind spun again, unable to grasp how things had gone so wrong.

This was his long-awaited chance for revenge, to prove to the world he wasn't an outdated relic. Yet, ever since that "damn" black power armor had appeared, comparable or superior to the Dai-Oni, things were far from how he had imagined.

Watching him approach through the same hole he had been thrown from, Smasher hurled his trusty shield, which had been keeping him safe from his gigantic sword, and fired his two compact DF-MG-02 machine guns, simultaneously deploying the cannons from his forearms and launching the last volley of missiles he had left.

Losing sight of him in the massive explosion resulting from over 50 missiles, capable of leveling a 5-story building, as it had already demonstrated, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition that tore apart and riddled the facade of the tower entrance.

When the flames subsided, Smasher didn't naively believe he had been able to finish him off. Instead, he scanned the area with anticipation, hoping at least he was as damaged as he was...

But, to his surprise, he found him motionless amidst the flames, perched on one of the entrance structures that had withstood the explosion. Still as a gargoyle, gripping his sword with an arm leaning on his shoulder, or at least what was left of it.

Half of the nanobots that composed it swirled around him like a shapeless black cloak, shifting between solid and gaseous, the only part moving while he seemed utterly still, shielding him from the flames.

Until his four eyes lit up intensely again, locking onto Smasher. Neither of them moved, creating a moment of stillness between them, as the tower's security filled the lobby. Aiming all their weapons at Sora, who stood out easily against the ruined structure of the entrance.

This moment of stillness came to an end when Sora's black cloak disappeared completely, and his colossal sword was completed again, but this time with a noticeable difference to counteract Smasher's annoying shield.

Then... ["Fire!"] commanded Smasher, causing all the soldiers to open fire, losing sight of Sora again due to the dust that the hundreds of shots created upon impacting the structure he was on.

When the dust settled, he was no longer there. Finding him in mid-air above Smasher, ºhe swiftly spun around, dragging his massive sword along, utilizing centrifugal force to amplify the power of his attack against Smasher.

Who grabbed his shield at the last second and held it with both hands to be able to stop the blow, fearing for a moment that the servos of his armor might not be able to withstand it completely.

The resulting clash of the sword against the shield filled the room with the screams of the soldiers, who felt the impact and the subsequent shockwave in their bones. Some, the closest ones, were even thrown into the air, while the dust cloud spread throughout the lobby.

Unable to perceive clearly what was happening due to the dust cloud enveloping them, the soldiers were suddenly assaulted by an unpleasant sound of metal scraping metal, whose volume and frequency increased with each passing second. Until, from within the dense dust, an intense shower of sparks began to sprout.

Under his shield, Smasher felt a violent vibration, causing him to raise his sensors, and incredulously detect how his previously resilient shield, impervious to the onslaught of Sora's gigantic sword, began to give way and be cut, or rather... sawed.

Through the growing fissure in his shield, Smasher could discern with astonishment the cause: the edge of his sword had split apart, leaving space between the two sides for a long, black serrated chain, akin to that of a... chainsaw.

In the instant Smasher realized the true nature of the "sword," he could see how the jaws of Sora's helmet lifted, forming a sinister smile, before increasing the revolutions of his Great Chainsword and sawing through his troublesome shield in half.

For the first time, without diverting his gaze from the dangerous Great Chainsword, imagining the damage it could inflict on his armor, Smasher acknowledged his fear and cautiously took a step back, contemplating escape.

As Adam took a step back, resembling a frightened prey, Sora, resting his Great Chainsword on his shoulder, took a step forward, as his four red eyes shining intensely at him, making it clear that no matter where he run... he would pursue him.

-

Meanwhile, outside the tower, N54 Channel took advantage of the fact that they obviously didn't dare to venture onto Arasaka's private property to interrupt the live broadcast and introduce a special news segment to cover the dramatic events that shook Night City, with Gillean Jordan appearing live from the N54 news studio.

After introducing himself in front of the cameras, Gillean wasted no time in asking, "Eddie, this is Gillean! What's the situation at the Arasaka Tower?"

The screen split, showing Eddie inside the AV, hovering over the area. "Gillean, since Smasher and the Mercenary Okami entered the tower, we have no way of knowing what's happening inside..."

Eddie had to pause when, a massive explosion rocked the lower floors of the Arasaka tower, prompting him to exclaim live, "Did you see that!? It seems like the fight is still ongoing inside... Unfortunately, we can't get any closer...".

Pointing his camera at the AVs blocking their path, Eddie added, "As you can see, Arasaka's AVs are blocking us."

With her usual pro-corporate mindset, Gillean quickly intervened, attempting to soften her colleague's blunt comment. "We see it, Eddie. They're probably doing it for your safety."

However, she didn't expect Eddie to question her propaganda. "I highly doubt that, Gillean..." Zooming in on the soldiers inside, who were aiming their weapons at them, left Gillean uncomfortably silent in her shot before changing the subject.

Redirecting the conversation, she inquired, "Eddie, given that we can't see what's happening and so much has transpired, how about you fill us in on the events at Corpo Plaza?

Also, addressing our viewers' question from social media: 'Where did the mercenary get the power armor from?' since it's a hot topic.

Due to the city's electrical network failure, by the time we could resume the live, the Mercenary was already suited up in their Power armor. Hopefully, having been on-site, you can address our queries."

"Well, regarding the Okami's Power Armor... as you mentioned, everything happened when the city was in darkness. When he emerged from the rubble of a building, he already had it on, and due to the magnitude of Smasher's attack moments before, perhaps we missed something," Eddie replied, without mentioning everything he had seen when the signal was cut off.

Adding convincingly, "Moments earlier, the Mercenary received a weapon in the form of a capsule launched from one of the city buildings. Judging by the trajectory, it seemed to come from Malorian Arms. Perhaps the Mercenary received his armor in the same way, and what we're seeing is some kind of experimental power armor from Malorian Arms..."

"I see, although it's unconfirmed information, that clears up a lot of doubts. Thank you very much, Eddie..." Gillean paused for a moment as a new explosion occurred on the intermediate levels within the tower, demonstrating that the fight was ongoing and gradually escalating. Resuming the conversation, she asked, "Hmpt. Now, could you tell us about the events that occurred inside Corpo Plaza, after the arrival of Max-Tac?"

"About that... When the Mercenary used Smasher's weapon against him, the destruction focused on Memorial Park. Although Smasher attempted to evade and dodge his attacks, gradually, his armor started to sustain damage, particularly to his limbs.

When it seemed like the Mercenary was going to finish him off, the NCPD Avs and Max-Tac arrived, shooting intensely at Mercenary and Smasher in an attempt to subdue them. Their attack must have caused some damage to Okami's armor... judging by how erratically it moved afterward, as if he couldn't control it.

During this time, Smasher received the last parts from the satellite, which you can see on your screens; it's been motionless since then." Eddie concluded his words with an image of the satellite floating above the city. "With his new limbs and a large shield, Smasher lost it and started shooting at everything in his path, whether it was NCPD members, Max-Tac, the Mercenary, or civilians; he even shot at the media's AVs."

The Viewers didn't miss his live expression of surprise when Gillean, seized on the smallest detail of everything he had just said and attempted to twist it by asking, "So, Eddie, are you saying that the damage to the surrounding buildings was caused by the Mercenary firing his weapon?"

"Huh?" Confused by his companion's misinterpretation, Eddie replied, "Yes and no. The shots that destroyed and pierced the skyscrapers were partly his fault and Smasher's.

Up until that moment, the Mercenary had been directing the weapon's damage towards Memorial Park. It wasn't until Smasher went full cybersycho, attacking everyone, that he started using his shield to deflect projectiles against the NCPD, Max-Tac and press AVs hovering over the area, causing the destruction to spiral out of control and damaging many of the skyscrapers you mentioned

In fact, this ceased after Okami destroyed the glass dome where they were fighting, shifting the combat to the inner gardens. Saving the lives of many civilians, NCPD and Max-Tac agents, including myself and the pilot of Channel 54's AV" Without allowing his companion to attempt to twist the news again, Eddie didn't let her interrupt and continued after taking a breath. "After that, Max-Tac agents regrouped and attempted to once again stop Smasher and the Mercenary fighting in the gardens.

We're unsure of the agents' status or what happened inside, but... We believe Smasher's weapon overheated, exploding in a blinding flash of light that launched both the Mercenary and Smasher out of Memorial Park, ultimately ending up in front of the Arasaka Tower."

When Gillean attempted to divert attention from Arasaka and lay blame on the Mercenary for what happened, despite Eddie's words doing the opposite, it was a change in the tower that halted her.

Where the white Arasaka symbol atop the tower began to flicker, as if the building were experiencing power issues. Then, a chain of violent explosions could be heard, seemingly bursting forth from the inside.

Until the cause — a brilliant blue flash — abruptly appeared, escaping from within after tearing through everything in its path, engulfing the Arasaka symbol atop the tower in an explosion.

As the flames subsided, the symbol had vanished, along with the facade surrounding it, revealing a fraction of the tower's interior. Eddie wasted no time in ordering the pilot to gain altitude to capture images of what was happening.

In doing so, Eddie managed to capture a shot of Smasher, or what was left of him amidst the ruins of the collapsed facade, with part of his armor motionless, protruding from the makeshift precipice formed atop the tower.

A few seconds later, Eddie managed to capture Sora slowly approaching Smasher. His right arm still raised and smoking after the last attack, while he destroyed the ground dragging his gigantic chainsword with his left arm

Meanwhile, more Arasaka Avs appeared in the surroundings, blocking the press Avs and standing in front of the cameras, hindering the transmission of what was happening. They didn't intervene in the battle, as if they were waiting...

Upon reaching Smasher, without hesitation, Sora lifted Getsuga and violently plunged it into the inert and damaged chest of the Dai-Oni. Activating its serrated edge, it created a curtain of thousands of sparks and hundreds of small pieces that jumped as the sword slowly sank into it.

-

Minutes before.

The confrontation that began in the hall quickly spread throughout the tower, mainly due to Smasher's strategy, using the Arasaka soldiers as flesh shields to either attack or buy time to attempt an escape. Even so, his efforts were in vain, as Sora pursued him relentlessly wherever he ran.

Hoping that he would at least tire out at some point, Smasher deliberately led Sora towards the various troops gathered throughout the tower, causing the battle to escalate and casualties to increase, as he led them to the "meat grinder" that Sora had become at this point, covered in blood after killing so many Arasaka soldiers.

To his surprise, rather than diminishing, the ferocity of Sora's attacks intensified, showing no signs of fatigue.

After reaching the higher levels, with no more troops to lead to their deaths and with few floors left for him to escape through, desperate Smasher came up with a reckless idea.

As happen with Max-tac's previous intervention that saved his life in his battle at Memorial Park, before he could finish him off with his own PEF. Max-tac's intervention preventing him from killing them caused Sora to become exposed as he tried to restrain himself from killing them.

Attempting the same, Smasher inquired, ["Answer me this before we proceed, tell me who has died? From what I'm told, your girl is still alive..."] Following Sora's obvious silence, Smasher, falsely surprised, added with a hint of mockery, ["Don't tell me she was... pregnant."] To conclude, as if it were a good thing: ["Well, one less bastard in the world."]

This cruel remark created interference in Sora's four-eyed helmet when he heard it.

Thinking he was making progress, Smasher prepared to say more; however, seeing Sora drive his sword into the ground and grab his right arm as if it were a weapon, while hundreds of cables emerged from his back, piercing through walls, ceilings, and floors to connect to the tower's power grid, made him pause.

Drawing as much power as he could, the lights throughout the tower began to flicker. Until Sora released it all at once in a giant blue laser that erupted from his right palm, engulfing the room they were in entirely.

Creating explosions in its wake until he escaped the tower, destroying the Arasaka symbol that crowned it. Consuming and pushing Smasher until his charred armor was literally hanging over a precipice.

Caught by the press Avs' cameras through the gap in the facade that came loose... With his right arm still smoking, as he dragged his sword along the ground, approaching Smasher.

-

Broadcasting live.

Sora could no longer contain himself and released Getsuga, still embedded in Smasher. With his hands transformed into claws, he began to tear and scratch frantically at the armor's chest, pausing only to brutally rip off any part of the armor or any large piece that got in his way.

As he approached his "capsule"... the Dai Oni came back to life with a discomforting squeak, desperately moving its lone remaining arm, trying to push him off of itself.

Completely ignored by Sora, who didn't even bother to look at the arm trying to stop him, he grabbed Getsuga again and drove it into the joints of Dai-Oni's shoulder. Turning the handle as if it were a motorcycle throttle, he activated the chainsaw blade, causing the arm to fall inert and powerless once more, unable to stop what was about to happen to it.

Inside Dai-Oni, Smasher was trapped in total darkness. With all the sensors in his armor destroyed, his only option to see anything was to activate the lenses in his head within the capsule where he was. However, all it saw was the oppressive blackness surrounding it.

Along with the sound of something frantically scraping echoing throughout the capsule, causing its walls to seem to close in with each scratch. For Smasher, it was as if the whole world had shrunk to that tiny capsule, feeling more and more powerless, more defenseless, more defeated, and finally... more resigned to his fate, knowing he couldn't escape what was coming.

After a few more slashes, Sora stumbled upon a different layer within the armor, resembling a white capsule. Upon opening it, tearing it with his claws, Sora was met with the pitiful state of its pilot.

His face was bloodied, due to the artificial blood escaping from leaks in the "tank" or artificial dura mater housing his brain at the back of his head. Attached to a spine filled with cables, flanked by two lungs and a solitary heart beating within a transparent artificial pericardium.

Sora stared fixedly at the lenses on Smasher's head, who returned the gaze, looking into his four red eyes. Neither said a word, as Sora raised his hand, which briefly illuminated before Getsuga's hilt was drawn towards it.

Rising to his feet, pointing Getsuda downwards. Maintaining eye contact, he gripped the hilt with both hands, and... being broadcasted live to the entire world... Sora, with all his strength, plunged the colosal Getsuga into Smasher's heart, crushing it mercilessly.

Not done yet, he activated the chainsaw blade, shredding Smasher's lungs and spine while maneuvering the blade to maximize damage. All of this happened while Smasher was unable to look away from his killer, watching helplessly as his life faded away along with his last remaining organs being destroyed before him.

When his lenses began to dim slowly, Sora abruptly leaned closer to Smasher's face. As the nanobots comprising his helmet shifted to ensure that the last thing Smasher would see... was the face of his killer.

Preventing his face from being captured, he left a thin layer of nanobots on his face, distorting the image captured by the cameras.

In those final moments, Smasher could see a "familiar" face resembling that of his father, yet radically different. His pale skin was marked by black veins that spread like poisonous roots. His demonic eyes were entirely black, except for a pair of red pupils that gleamed intensely amidst the darkness, emanating a profound and ruthless hatred towards whatever they gazed upon.

Through his lips, parted by anger, one could glimpse his teeth clenched ferociously, with sharp fangs protruding, more akin to those of a beast than a human being. That terrifying visage filled with hatred towards him was the last thing Smasher saw before his lenses went dark.

As they dimmed completely, Sora's nanobots reorganized to rebuild his helmet once more. As he lifted his face and let out a scream, releasing all the hatred and sorrow he still harbored, even after the death of ONE of the culprits for his unborn child's loss, it resonated like a heart-wrenching howl escaping from the jaws of his helmet.

Upon finishing, Sora seized Getsuga, intending to obliterate Smasher's head before heading towards the outskirts of the city to deal with another individual more. However, something unexpected happened. The section of the capsule where Smasher's head was located abruptly closed, severing it from his spine.

Then, It was ejected, simultaneously as the Dai-Oni's fusion core remotely overloaded, triggering a massive explosion that blew away a third of the Arasaka Tower.

The ejected section emerged from the flames, heading towards one of the AVs awaiting it, hovering in the area. However, after jumping from the tower without hesitation, a black hand emerged amidst the flames, seizing the capsule with his claws.

Before he could fully grab it, the capsule accelerated, narrowly escaping his grasp. Still, Sora was not about to let Smasher's head slip away. Emerging from the flames, he used his momentum to horizontally spin his body, dragging Getsuga along with him.

Performing a sweeping vertical swing, managing to graze a few thrusters of the capsule with the tip of Getsuga, causing them to explode and diverting the capsule from the AV awaiting its evacuation.

One of Arasaka's AVs headed toward the capsule, while the rest dove towards Sora, who was falling after his attack, plummeting to shoot him. Upon receiving the initial gunfire, he deployed his grapple to latch onto the nearest AV. Utilizing the momentum from the swing, Sora swiftly leaped towards another AV a few meters higher.

From the second Av, with his gaze fixed on the capsule, Sora devised a route to reach it. As he mapped out a path in his mind, Sora focused all his strength in his legs. Simultaneously, a jump kit formed once again from the back of his hips.

Eddie, narrating live everything that was happening, had to pause when he was surprised to see Sora looking at the camera, or rather where the camera was located, his Av. Understanding his intention, Eddie quickly leaned out from the side door, waving his arms desperately trying to stop Sora before he suddenly... disappeared.

Next, both Eddie and the rest of the spectators witnessed an explosion caused by Arasaka's AV from which Sora disappeared. Its roof warped before being violently pushed downward, colliding with the other AV just below, with both engulfing each other in a massive explosion.

From it, a black blur shot out from amidst the flames, soaring upward like an arrow shot into the air. For the spectators, it was as if the blur was trying to escape their screens, due to the direct path Sora took heading towards Channel 54's AV which was recording him.

As the blur exited the frame, the screen image of all the spectators trembled intensely, accompanied by sharp, almost woman-like screams picked up by Eddie's microphone. Due to the intense turbulence they were experiencing, caused by the sudden "arrival" of a new occupant clinging to the outer fuselage.

The pilot had to struggle to regain control of the craft, which was perilously close to one of the skyscrapers. As the situation worsened, reaching the point where the pilot thought they were about to crash live on air, the AV was pushed in the opposite direction, giving the pilot time to regain control.

Thanks to the energy transfer from his former occupant upon jumping from the AV to the building they were about to crash into, he began running vertically up its facade, shattering windows with each step as flames erupted from his jump kit, increasing his speed.

When the facade came to an end, all spectators watched as the Mercenary leapt into the void, grabbing his colossal sword from his back and raising it above his head with both hands... before plummeting like a black meteor straight toward the capsule containing Smasher's head, which was still struggling to stay airborne...

Simultaneously, Arasaka's AV, under orders to secure the capsule, had the unfortunate timing to attempt it, hovering over the capsule at the worst possible moment. As it began to descend upon it, something they couldn't identify suddenly pierced through it, literally slicing the AV in half as he did so.

Without further obstacles, Sora aimed Getsuga downwards and drove his feet on the reverse of his sword. Plummeting, like a stake into the heart, towards the capsule...

Just as the tip of Getsuga was starting to breach the capsule, the satellite that had been hovering motionless over the city until then... crashed down onto Sora, shoving him and brutally smashing him against a nearby building, while another Arasaka AV appeared and magnetically clasped the capsule to its underbelly before darting out of the city.

Watching them fade... away Sora, sinking his claws into the bulding where he had landed, issued a command through the connection he shared with all his AIs, gritting his teeth tightly say: ["Bring me the Blackaquila."]

-

At the same time, in the somber bunker, upon learning of Judy's pregnancy news following the chaos caused by the father of the lost child, Peter urgently called Aoi and Ainara as he witnessed the futuristic craft, peacefully resting inside, sprang to life.

Its fuselage lights flickered into a violent red glow, gradually spreading throughout the vessel as if a Daemon were infecting it. While Aoi wasn't a tech expert, she was aware of her grandson's "aerial" battle status.

With that knowledge in mind, Aoi wasted no time in stating, "Peter, stop it by any means necessary. Don't let the ship take off."

Perplexed by the situation, Peter responded, "What? Why?"

Causing Ainara's exasperated response to her husband;, "Why? Are you blind? Look at everything this kid has done so far. Now imagine what he could do if he can also fly. He could end up going straight to Saburo Arasaka himself if he's involved in the attack on our 'ranita'. He'll want to take out all those bastards, just like I want him to! But that's too dangerous. Peter, you must stop the takeoff."

Understanding, Peter affirmed and dashed towards the terminal at the foot of the landing zone, attempting to activate any locks or emergency closures he could find. Meanwhile, when the red light reached the engines at the tips of its wings, they suddenly ignited, roaring loudly.

"I've got it!" exclaimed Peter just as he found what he was looking for, and emergency locks deployed from the landing zone. However, it was already too late; the ship rose in a hasty takeoff, causing the craft to groan and complain as it flew unsteadily.

Immediately, the double doors swung open wide, simultaneously, the Blackaquila's new twin engines reversed, pushing Peter to the ground due to the sudden thrust generated as it flew out of the bunker.

Upon seeing the ship fade away,... Aoi and Ainara both put their hands to their heads, fearing what "he" would do next with the ship.