Lu Jing gazed at the last sentence of her report, to which she had appended the intelligence gathered from Hara Yoshio’s home—many girls had been murdered and skinned within his walls; she also attached the investigation of the male witch’s identity from the Wind Sea Color Inn murder case, who had traveled from the distant Hot Tree Continent and had multiple criminal records.
As such, it was clear that the Shadow of the Cyber Specter was not a malicious ghost killing without reason, but rather a dark hero promoting good by punishing evil. The Cyber Specter itself possessed a certain level of technical skill, beyond what the three of them could handle, and therefore, the pursuit had to be abandoned...
"What are you thinking!" a Power Armored Soldier slapped Lu Jing hard, "How can we leave Archipelago Continent without capturing the Cyber Specter!"
"The Cyber Specter and its shadow... have done many good deeds and contributions. For just a few pieces of nano armor..." Lu Jing rubbed her shoulder, unable to help but speak out.
"We can only transfer posts if we achieve significant accomplishments, don’t talk about these irrelevant things." another soldier complained, "Don’t you miss Xin’an Prefecture?"
Suddenly, news on the Aizu City forum rapidly filled the screen, drawing Lu Jing’s attention.
Toshiaki Megastore was under attack.
Realizing the gravity of the situation, they set aside their dispute, and the Heavenly Cardinal Manufacturing Squadron quickly assembled and took a shuttle machine to the megastore. Surrounded by dismembered limbs and bodies everywhere, they immediately went on high alert, with the shuttle patrolling back and forth through the streets, continuously capturing and recording the surrounding environment.
"There’s witch activity, but no traces left at the scene," a Power Armored Soldier investigated, "It must be an unconventional type of magic power."
"They went that way." another Power Armored Soldier scouted the movement, "A whole convoy of them, quite substantial."
"..." Lu Jing looked at the corpses of the victims, remaining silent.
"What’s the matter?" the Power Armored Soldier frowned, "Xiao Lu, now is not the time to be sentimental."
"But I... just feel sentimental!" Lu Jing blurted out, "So many people have died, look at this street, how many died so senselessly, without warning. I thought the Katsuragi Gang could bring peace to this place, but I fear they will have a hard time holding out."
"It’s not our concern," the Power Armored Soldier said, "The company wants us to look for the Cyber Specter, not get involved in gang warfare."
"Look—" Lu Jing cut to a video clip uploaded to the forum by a citizen. A white shuttle moving along with the Suzuki Group convoy, "Isn’t that... isn’t that the ’Silverfish’ class shuttle machine from Lighthouse Core? It’s strange for Lighthouse Core people to come here! And there’s also a witch... with special powers... If we follow this, we might make unexpected new discoveries! What if it’s a Messenger of Peace?"
"Go against Lighthouse Core, eh..."
"Our security department has been investigating Lighthouse Core’s witches. Those ’Messengers of Peace’ have caused billions in losses to Heavenly Cardinal Manufacturing." Lu Jing spoke hurriedly, "If we capture one alive, to avenge the company’s losses over these years, wouldn’t it be much more valuable than that Cyber Specter!"
The Power Armored Soldier looked towards the end of the street at Suzuki Springs, where figures loomed.
"It’s possible, but your reluctance to investigate the Cyber Specter inevitably makes one suspect you’ve struck some deal with him," he said, his tone serious.
"Let’s say I’m scared, then." Lu Jing climbed onto the shuttle machine, "...I don’t want to communicate with him ever again. Let’s go, let’s catch a ’Messenger of Peace’."
Meanwhile, at Suzuki Springs.
It was like a dream. Xu Yang watched Lila beside him in bed. She looked particularly innocent and pure, bare-skinned, her stunning beauty hard for him to forget.
Yet, Lila had forgotten many key things and often repeated confirmations about the past with Xu Yang.
Her memory archives were incomplete, not looking like a machine defect; it was her own effort to modify them, a matter of extreme concern to Xu Yang.
"You should remember those things," Xu Yang said patiently, "It’s the past that shapes us now... If you forget that, you will... completely change."
"What about those ageing people, those with amnesia?" Lila said dismissively, "Humans, when they get old, forget most of their past. Does that mean they’re no longer themselves either?"
"It’s different," Xu Yang tried to make Lila remember the past, "Lila, listen to me, your past is actually very bumpy, far off there are Reality Manipulators, closer there’s Huang Feng..."
"I don’t want to hear it." Lila grabbed her clothes and gun, turning her back to Xu Yang.
"Painful memories are still memories, you must learn from your failures," Xu Yang said, "Or else you’re doomed to repeat them."
Piercing alarms sounded repeatedly.
Xu Yang rushed to the smart screen, connecting to intelligence, only to see Guan Wancang with furrowed brows, communicating with Xu Yang through the Rat Paths.
"We’ve uncovered countless enemies," Guan Wancang said, "Heading your way, now at Toshiaki Megastore, and soon to reach Suzuki Springs. Not lacking shuttle machines, motorcycles, and gangsters, seems like Suzuki Group people."
These people had come back.
"I sense familiar auras," Guan Wancang said, "Those were the people I saw at the excavation site, and because of them, that day I specifically called you from Holy Favor Garden to Rat Village."
The investigation team at the heart of Lighthouse. Xu Yang quickly recalled the information from that day. The pale armor, the witch whose capabilities were unknown. They were coming for Farosa.
Seeing Xu Yang’s expression, Lila couldn’t help feeling a wave of worry.
"We need to retreat back to the industrial park, Suzuki Springs isn’t safe," she said.
"Given the situation, we can only fight; there’s no other way out," Xu Yang sent a message to Farosa, asking her to assemble the Witch Division and quickly bring them to Suzuki Springs.
Xu Yang logged into the network node of Aizu City and found that the Toshiaki Robot Megastore and its surrounding facilities had all gone offline, many damaged, clearly conquered by the enemy. From the plaza to Suzuki Springs, there was nothing but open ground.
He tried to reboot the systems but found the archives had been tampered with, all replaced with identical graphics, specifically the arrogant declaration of "Forever Mireya."
This name was not unfamiliar to Xu Yang.
He had come across it in his investigation of Blackfire’s files. Originally, a witch under Black Fire Innovation had been deemed irrecoverable after minimal contact with Mireya and was executed.
This meant that they could not confront Mireya directly; her magic power was of an extremely special kind. Moreover, the enemy had the ability to control surrounding information equipment, either through a hacker in their ranks or perhaps a feat of Mireya herself.
Xu Yang’s face was grave. The enemy was heading straight for Suzuki Springs with immediate combat forces from the Suzuki Group, along with an unknown witch, secret weapons, and hackers. Their aggressive approach implied no intention of sparing them, determined to conquer this place and utterly destroy the Katsuragi Gang.
If they gave up the Katsuragi Gang, shifted strategy, and returned Suzuki Springs to the Suzuki Group, then all previous efforts would be wasted. The turf, fame, and credibility the Katsuragi Gang had so hardly won, as well as the Nestor Corporation, would all be considerably damaged.
The Corporate Alliance had long ago transferred ownership of Farosa to Lighthouse Core; they had come to "collect the goods."
They must be cautious and win this battle, the biggest challenge the Nestor Corporation had faced since its development.
Xu Yang went over all the combat forces he had at hand: the Katsuragi Gang, Innovation, the Witch Division, and...
At that moment, A40 was having fun in an underground amusement park with Huang Feng. They sat on adjacent carousel horses, which spun around the central axis, bobbing wildly. As a synthetic human, A40 felt nothing unusual, while Huang Feng laughed with joy.
Huang Feng, sometimes acting mad, sometimes believing herself not to be, just wanted to squander away eternity with her illness and A40, such a cute companion.
An abnormal synthetic human, a mad reality manipulator, fitting together like a jigsaw puzzle.
"Ah, boss!" A40, upon receiving Xu Yang’s call, immediately responded, "What’s happened?"
"Suzuki Springs is under siege, come straight here," Xu Yang instructed.
"Roger that! I’ll join the battle right away!" A40, who loved fighting, promptly jumped off the carousel horse.
"Where are you going?" Huang Feng anxiously followed behind A40, "Don’t leave me! I said don’t leave me!"
"A brave samurai is always on the path to battle!" A40 held the Alloy Warblade high, "Only in battle can I find my true self! Off to Suzuki Springs now!"
"That’s not what you said in the room yesterday," Huang Feng laughed, then she turned to her guardian, "Rolo, let’s go, what’s this Suzuki Springs place?"
"A place targeted by Mireya, she’s controlling civilians again," Rolo looked down at the smart screen, the videos from the Aizu City forum revealing much, citizens harmed, moving like zombies.
"Mireya," Huang Feng smiled faintly, "Her power is so dumb, making people reveal themselves."
"Her real name isn’t Mireya. ’Forever Mireya’ commemorates the first holder of this power, dating back ten thousand years," Rolo said.
"Interrupting our date time is unforgivable," Huang Feng warmed up her fists.
"Relying on your bare hands?" Rolo loaded high-explosive bullets into his heavy sniper rifle Iron Inkstone.
"You want to kill too?" Huang Feng raised an eyebrow.
"Blackfire brings renovation to the world, and the decaying New Taixi State is high on the list for purification," Rolo breathed heavily through his thick Armor and mask that hid his entire visage, "Huh... A40, I’ve taught you all the ways to deflect bullets."
"Watch how I cut a path in and out seven times, slashing my way to the enemy commander," A40 was eager to try.
"Rolo, I’ve been good for the last two weeks, take off my Restrictor, as you said, I can’t possibly go beat her with my hands," Huang Feng suddenly spoke out.
"How do you want to proceed?" Rolo verified through the subdermal implant, grasped the Dark Gold Spear behind Huang Feng, and slowly drew it out.
"I want to play her to death," said Huang Feng, licking the corner of her mouth.