Swish—
As the Blue Demon's words fell, a dark shadow shot forward instantly, closing the distance to Roland in the blink of an eye. The blade that followed tore through the air like a raging storm.
The pitch-black edge came down like Death's scythe. But without the slightest suspense, Roland merely lifted his arm. A crisp clang rang out, sparks scattering as the attack was once again neutralized.
Suddenly, an ink-dark slash flicked out from the Blue Demon's waist. Roland frowned. His reflexes kicked in, body twisting just enough for a black dagger to graze past his cheek.
The razor edge stirred a faint breeze, followed by a wave of attacks crashing toward him like a rising tide.
Dense black blade light wrapped around Roland from every angle, forming what looked like an airtight cage. Any bystander would've held their breath in panic—but a closer look revealed something else.
The man inside moved as calmly as if he were strolling through a garden. With the slightest shift of his weight or angle, he effortlessly dodged or blocked every strike thrown his way.
Thud!
Catching an opening, Roland drove a kick into the Blue Demon's abdomen. The force sent him sliding back several meters. He panted heavily, staring at Roland in disbelief.
He was losing it. He had used every sword technique he had mastered, yet all of them were countered—and even exploited.
For someone who considered himself a master swordsman, this was intolerable.
No. He refused to believe anyone's swordsmanship could surpass his. So—
The Blue Demon's eyes reddened as he glared at Roland. He wasn't holding back anymore.
The moment the command to activate Sandevistan triggered, everything around him slowed. The entire world seemed to shift into a dull, monochrome oil painting.
One step closed the distance that had felt unreachable seconds before, and the black blade swept toward Roland's throat.
Excitement twisted across the Blue Demon's face. He could already see the moment he cut off the man's head—the thrill made him grin uncontrollably.
Swish—
As the Time Slow field collapsed, the world snapped back to normal. Still wearing that victorious smile, he began to lower his blade to finish the mission target.
A burst of crimson filled his vision.
Heat surged across his chest as blood erupted outward, splattering against the wall ahead.
Thud.
As the sound of someone falling echoed, Roland slid the katana onto his back and walked toward the alley's entrance. Neon lights spilled across his lower body.
He turned his head, removing his helmet to reveal pupils glowing faintly orange.
"Shadows cannot face the light. Challenging me was choosing death."
"Hah… ugh—"
Kneeling with a dagger buried in his throat, the Blue Demon made a faint rasping sound, as if trying to speak. But his head finally slumped to the side, and the light faded from his eyes.
Roland let out a long exhale. Honestly? Using Light's lines to show off… felt pretty damn good.
Well, one more problem taken care of—though the guy had been the one to pick this fight.
Roland rolled his shoulders, then slipped into the coat handed to him by a nearby security robot. His subdermal armor shifted, covering Light's cyberware and restoring the harmless appearance of an ordinary company boss.
"Alright, Thirteen's settled. Next is Pico. After that, back to Night City."
He stretched lazily. He had to admit—having a fight at this level once in a while was good for clearing the mind. Still, with all the restrictions, he couldn't exactly let loose.
...
Meanwhile, Pico, having lost contact with the Blue Demon, slumped lifelessly in his office chair. He rubbed his face, desperately trying to figure out a solution.
After a long silence, a furious roar burst from his office.
His hair was a mess, his eyes bloodshot like a trapped animal. His gaze drifted toward his desk drawer.
His trembling hand opened it and slowly pulled something out. He lifted it to his temple.
After a deep breath, he pulled the trigger.
Bang.
With that single shot, Pico Hammos—the former overlord of Agas City—took his final bow. Rather than endure a more brutal end, he chose to decide his own fate.
The company bosses who had been watching from the sidelines—waiting for Pico's orders—dropped any thoughts of resistance once news of his suicide spread. They quietly joined PROJECT's shared-interest coalition.
With no more resistance from the major corporations, Agas City would soon fall completely under PROJECT's control.
When that happened, PROJECT's value was sure to rise once more.
Still, what Roland valued most were Hammos Industries' industrial park and mineral resources. The deposits weren't large, but minerals were minerals.
Some time later, after Agas City fully stabilized and everything ran smoothly, Roland left Hasaka in charge and told Lissandra to book him a flight back to Night City.
It had been long enough. It was time to return and deal with the backlog waiting for him.
...
When the plane touched down in Night City, Roland headed to the reception lounge arranged by the airline. Before long, Kiwi arrived in a fitted suit.
The sight made Roland unexpectedly reflective. His mood returning this time was nothing like his first arrival.
"Let's go, Kiwi. Back to the company. And call Vilet—I've got something good for her."
"Something good?"
Kiwi blinked, confused, but didn't press. She relayed the message to Vilet.
Roland, meanwhile, noticed something different about her.
"You… changed your hairstyle?"
He raised a brow. Kiwi was now wearing a style similar to Purification, giving him a strange sense of déjà vu.
"Yeah. It just felt better, so I changed it."
Kiwi nodded, then stole a glance at Roland across from her, her eyes faintly aggrieved.
Feeling a bit uneasy under her stare, Roland sighed. "If you've got something to say, just say it. Don't look at me like that. We've known each other long enough—no need to be so stiff."
"Boss… after all this time, shouldn't you think about giving me a raise? And maybe… reward us a little? We've been handling everything for you for so long…"
Roland's mouth twitched, then he chuckled. "Alright. Once we're back at the office, I'll give you a raise."
He hadn't planned to refuse. After all… she'd already boarded the pirate ship. There was no getting off now. A raise was nothing.
What bothered him was: he'd scared her once before, and yet she was relaxed enough now to bring this up…
Had she figured out his Light identity? Even if she had, it wasn't a big deal—
Just a bit embarrassing.
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / GhostParser