Cloudtop People

Night, Arasaka Tower.

"Miss Hanako, this is the detailed briefing for the operation. Please review it."

Oda Sandayu bowed slightly and presented the file marked "Access" to Hanako Arasaka behind the desk with both hands.

Under the overhead lights, the file's casing gleamed with a cold blue light. The tamper-proof seal along its edges was entirely intact, clearly untouched.

Hanako's slender fingers brushed across the file's surface. The lock looked like the mechanical kind commonly used half a century ago—antiquated in appearance, yet cutting-edge in essence. As her fingers passed over it, the biometric system immediately emitted a soft confirmation beep.

With that beep, the file unfolded and a holographic projection appeared. Scene after scene began playing across it.

Combat footage recorded by hackers flickered across her irises—concrete fragments blasted up by explosions, black tactical uniforms weaving through gunfire, and finally, Aketchi's negotiations with Hansen at Gemini Sapphire Tower.

Hanako Arasaka's gaze slowly swept over the report, condensed to an almost harsh degree.

From time to time, her fingertips lightly tapped the floating display, enlarging holographic footage of certain battle records—the instant the Akechi Squad encountered enemies in Dogtown's narrow alleys. Bullet trajectories flashed through the data stream like torrential rain, only to be covered by precisely calculated counterattack routes the next second.

She nodded lightly, not in approval, but as if confirming something she had expected.

"It appears Aketchi's written report..." She suddenly gave a soft laugh, gracefully swiping her finger. The holographic projection shut down at once, the display folding into a silver line before fading into the air. "...was even more modest than I imagined."

Oda's Adam's apple shifted almost imperceptibly.

He noticed that Hanako's fingertips were unconsciously rubbing one corner of the file—the section recording the squad's casualties. A bright red "three" stood out sharply against