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...
Whoosh—
With a single forceful sweep of her right hand, Vilet scattered the dust around her, revealing her lean, compact frame and those oversized energy gauntlets.
Kiwi walked up beside her.
"I'm guessing the damage you just did in two hits is about as much as they've spent ages trying to knock down. You're getting your pay docked for sure."
Vilet froze for a moment, then cleared her throat.
"I'm still getting used to this power. I just need a bit more time."
"Alright. By the way, you didn't accidentally kill him, right? Boss said we need him alive."
Kiwi shrugged and glanced toward the silent pile of rubble.
"No way. I held back a little at the end. If he still can't take it… well, that's not on me…"
As they talked, a massive katana suddenly sliced through the air toward them.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Two energy bolts shot out, knocking the spinning blade out of the air and snapping it clean in half. The shattered pieces embedded themselves into the ground.
Clatter!
Ando stumbled out of the rubble—looking absolutely wrecked.
His back was deeply caved in, his face almost entirely torn apart, and a gaping wound was open across his chest. It was horrifying. And yet… every wound was slowly knitting itself back together.
They even glowed faintly green.
Seeing this, Kiwi narrowed her eyes and activated the Tactical Analysis on her helmet.
The results startled her. The stuff running through his system was a combination of their corporation's medical serum and nanobot therapy—apparently tied to that Berserk Module.
But as far as Kiwi knew, their corporation wasn't developing any new Berserk Module. Sandevistan tech was the one under research.
Meaning… someone "borrowed" their corporation's product.
"Looks like we can expect a bonus."
Vilet cracked her neck, flexed her fists, and grinned.
"Yeah. Unexpected, but not bad."
Swish—
The two clashed again. Judgment's sheer impact clearly overwhelmed Ando—his body screeched with the sound of metal being pushed past its limit.
The middle-aged man watching from afar looked a bit resigned, but not the least bit nervous. He already had the data he wanted. As for whether anyone could trace it back to him…
He was confident they couldn't. He had never appeared directly.
Thud! Thud!
Vilet's two punches forced Ando's arms wide open. His core was exposed—one punch to the heart and it would all be over.
Snap!
Suddenly, two Mantis Blades shot out from his abdomen, forcing Vilet back. Both blades snapped in the process.
Kiwi seized the opening—three bolts fired instantly, each one striking with perfect accuracy, burying themselves in Ando's eyes and chest.
A scream of raw agony tore out of him.
Then a surge of rage consumed him, and he began lashing out blindly in every direction.
Vilet stepped back, created distance, then darted in with a punch aimed straight at Ando's skull.
Thud!
Instead of the impact she expected, there was a burst of clashing energy. Vilet froze for a moment—then raised a brow as she saw who intervened.
"Pyke, what the hell?!"
Ignoring her, Pyke twisted his waist. His Dagger spun through the air—several crimson flashes streaked past as Ando's limbs were severed in an instant. Pyke grabbed Ando's head immediately afterward.
Electromagnetic paralysis triggered—Ando fell still.
Only once everything was done did Pyke turn to look at Vilet.
"Boss ordered him taken alive. That punch of yours would've killed him—and wiped every bit of data inside."
Vilet stiffened, took a small step back, and muttered,
"I just got caught up in the moment…"
Roland had never told them Pyke's true nature—only that he was a special asset in the squad who handled assassination work, which was why he usually didn't step in.
Pyke didn't bother responding. After finishing up with Ando, he handed him off to Kiwi and Vilet.
"I've got other tasks. This place is yours now."
With a flash of fishbone-like energy, Pyke vanished.
Vilet let out a long sigh.
"You get used to it. Pyke gives me the same vibe as Jhin."
Kiwi shrugged.
"Don't think too hard about it."
"That's not what I meant…"
"Then what?"
"I mean—you guys all seem to have stealth. I don't."
Vilet sounded genuinely frustrated. Kiwi thought about it for a moment… and yeah, it was true. Oh—and Light's didn't have it either.
"Light's doesn't have it either."
"That doesn't count… Light's Sandevistan high-speed movement—how's that any different from stealth? It's even stronger…"
Yes, they still assumed it was a Sandevistan.
"My mod feels like it's been nerfed…"
Vilet grumbled.
Kiwi laughed softly.
"Then ask the boss. Maybe he'll upgrade you—give you something like a Sandevistan."
"Oh—right. Good idea. I'll bring it up when we get back."
The two chatted as they dragged Ando toward the PROJECT AV that had just flown in.
...
After they were gone, Jackie and V finally stepped out.
"Didn't expect PROJECT Corporation's firepower to be that insane…"
V clicked her tongue as she watched the AV disappear into the sky.
"Well, they're famous in Night City for both security and tech. Honestly, these days their security reputation might even be bigger."
Jackie shrugged.
"Oh? Why's that? Is there some story behind it?"
V tilted her head.
"You didn't know?" Jackie looked at her, surprised.
"I'm still in school. Just finishing those Braindance assignments is already killing me. I don't have time to learn all the details around here."
"Well then, I gotta educate you. Come on—I'm buying. Call it a celebration that we're still alive, chica."
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / GhostParser