"Ichirō Yashida was diagnosed with malignant tumors about six months ago. The cancer cells spread rapidly, and current medical technology simply couldn't cure it."
Elektra accompanied Sean to the hotel they were staying at, located right by Tokyo Bay...
The dazzling lights stretching across the bay flickered amidst the storm, appearing and disappearing like a hazy dreamlike beauty.
The young man stood before the floor-to-ceiling window, his gaze piercing through the misty rain to vaguely make out the Yashida estate on the opposite shore. The towering ancient mansion loomed like a silent beast crouching by Tokyo Bay.
"At that time, the Hand had already used the last remaining Dragon Bone elixir on me. So Yashida Ichirō, being terrified of death, ruthlessly cast aside his former partners and threw himself into the arms of Hydra..."
Elektra pulled out a bottle of high-end red wine from the cabinet, serving Sean with the grace of an attendant, welcoming him to Tokyo with the finest hospitality.
The young man picked up the wine glass on the table, swirling the deep crimson liquid, its rich aroma filling the air...
He had already pieced together the sequence of events... one of Hydra's factions stationed in Japan had approached Yashida Ichirō, luring him with the promise of prolonged life and securing the trust and investment of this Japanese business tycoon.
"Over the past six months, Yashida Pharmaceuticals has poured billions into biotech research, even secretly establishing a lab and stockpiling large quantities of Adamantium. As a result, many of the small and medium-sized enterprises under the Yashida family are on the brink of bankruptcy. Once Yashida Ichirō dies, the massive debts and unrecoverable investments will be exposed, and the Yashida family will plummet from the heavens straight into the dirt..."
Elektra neatly summarized the intelligence gathered by the Hand...
When she said this country was drowning in shadows, it was because the collapse of the Yashida family would trigger a domino effect, potentially leading to the complete economic collapse of Japan.
"So what's the deal with the Progenitor Virus?" Sean swirled his wine glass as flashes of lightning illuminated the window.
Outside, the storm raged, rain pelting against the glass like bullets.
As the founder of Umbrella, hearing about the Progenitor Virus from someone else felt oddly surreal. Those Hydra bastards were totally stealing his thunder!
Researching viruses, unleashing them upon the world, spreading panic, and destroying civilization... these were the classic duties of a supervillain! That was 'his' role to play!
Why weren't those Nazi remnants busy fighting S.H.I.E.L.D.? What were they doing in this island nation, playing Resident Evil?
"The Yashida family purged the Hand's black-clad ninjas and replaced them with entirely new security personnel. The Progenitor Virus is their most closely guarded secret. All I know is that Hydra discovered a plant called the Stairway of the Sun in the tribal ruins of West Africa. It contains a form of viral agent, and the serum extracted from it can enhance human abilities and extend lifespan..."
A faint smirk tugged at Sean's lips. He tapped his miniature earpiece, using Skynet's capabilities to infiltrate Hydra's Japanese branch database, searching for related keywords.
Half a year ago, Yashida Ichirō had secretly established a lab in Yokohama dedicated to researching the Progenitor Virus and Adamantium.
Countless encrypted files and data archives were silently copied. On this planet, there was no firewall Skynet couldn't breach... not even the nuclear launch codes classified as top-secret in the White House.
Sean skimmed through the data at lightning speed...
From a biological perspective, the viral agent extracted from the Stairway of the Sun had properties that could accelerate human evolution... hence its ability to enhance physical capabilities and prolong life.
However, the toxins in the virus would also overstimulate the human immune system, leading to systemic inflammation, necrosis of the skin and outer tissues, massive fluid loss, and secondary infections from various diseases.
This would result in sepsis, severe shock, and ultimately, death...
According to the lab's clinical data, hundreds had already died this way, with an almost nonexistent survival rate. Only a tiny fraction of individuals experienced mutations in their immune receptors after infection, preventing the virus's superantigen toxins from overstimulating their cells.
But these people would transform into something else entirely; losing all human rationality, acting on instinct, possessing terrifying resilience, and harboring an insatiable hunger for flesh...
Those Hydra troublemakers had accidentally stumbled upon the creation of zombies... biological weapons of mass destruction.
"So they targeted Umbrella because they wanted the Human Enhancement Serum?" Sean connected all the dots.
Hydra's research on the Progenitor Virus had strayed from its original purpose, instead yielding various bioweapons.
But what Yashida Ichirō wanted wasn't to become a mindless zombie... he craved prolonged life and restored youth. Unfortunately, his massive investments had yet to bear fruit.
Clearly, Hydra's current progress wasn't enough to satisfy Yashida Ichirō. So the old man had prepared a backup plan... finding Wolverine, Logan, and attempting to extract his healing factor to extend his own life.
At the same time, to compensate for the flaws in the Progenitor Virus, they sought the genetic recombination formula from Umbrella's Human Enhancement Serum, hoping to create a perfect super-soldier serum...
"Harry's kidnapping, Wolverine's arrival in Tokyo, the frequent cannibalistic incidents..." Sean clapped his hands together, inwardly marveling at the unfolding drama.
'What an entertaining spectacle...' he mused.
Elektra looked at him softly, asking, "What do you plan to do?"
Originally, she had been overwhelmed by this chain of events...
The Hand couldn't openly oppose the Yashida family, and Hydra's influence was steadily encroaching, squeezing their foothold in Japan.
If no solution was found, it wouldn't be long before the Hand was completely eradicated or driven out of the country. As its sole leader and the vessel of the Black Sky, Elektra had been at her wit's end... that was until Sean's arrival, which calmed her restless heart...
After all, from the moment she had met him, this young man had never failed... whether facing the Hand's Five Fingers or Hell's Kitchen's street-level heroes...
"I can't intervene directly... that would draw attention from both Hydra and S.H.I.E.L.D... So finding a collaborator is the best approach." Sean set down his wine glass, his fingers trailing through Elektra's dark hair.
A faint smile played on his lips, "Yashida Ichirō and Hydra are definitely not ideal partners. They're like gamblers who've lost their minds. One is terrified of death, the other consumed by madness. And they even set their sights on Umbrella. Next is Logan. That lone wolf probably has no idea what's going on. Given his reckless nature, once he learns the truth, he'll likely storm the Yashida estate and rip the old man's head off."
After mentally sifting through potential candidates, Sean finally settled on his collaborator.
He needed to appear as an uninvolved bystander. Jumping straight into the Yashida family's internal strife would seem far too suspicious.
Elektra listened quietly to his musings before asking softly, "When do we act?"
Sean shook his head, replying, "No. For now, we do nothing. We wait for the prey to come to us."
Given the Yashida family's immense influence in Tokyo, Sean was certain news of his arrival had already reached Yashida Ichirō.
Perhaps tomorrow, someone would come knocking...
"The night is long. Rather than dwelling on these tedious troubles, why not do something more meaningful?" With that, Sean swept Elektra into his arms, carrying the Hand's sole leader bridal-style toward the plush bed in the bedroom.
Outside, the storm raged on, thunder rumbling. Inside, however, the air was thick with passion and whispered moans...