"Are you serious? The bugs?" Junk Dog muttered, his voice laced with unease. "If it fails, they'll die and that would be a waste."
Rikael smirked, unconcerned. "And if it doesn't fail, we gain four new top tier soldiers, almost on par with us. They'll obey whether they want to or not."
The "bugs" were one of Shikkoku's darkest creations, an experiment born not just to enslave bodies, but to shatter souls. Unlike crude methods of brainwashing that erased memory or identity, these bugs were far crueler.
They didn't wipe the mind clean. No, they allowed the victims to keep everything. Every memory, every bond, every emotion remained intact. The warmth of family, the pride of growth, the vows made in blood, all of it stayed.
But one vital piece was cut away, the ability to resent Shikkoku.
