Act 7: Vertigo

Foreword:

Good times don't last forever.

--Ernest Miller Hemingway

[Part 1 - Well done!]

"Come on, shooting star!"

The demons that roam the Shinto City at night eagerly issue duel challenges to criminals.

At this moment, the executioner's logic unit must have malfunctioned. When he bent his arms to hug the frame, he could see the red light emanating from the VENOM core, just like a bug in the program that triggered the fire alarm.

He didn't know, didn't understand, and couldn't comprehend why such feelings were welling up inside him.

--In order to win, in order to defeat this young upstart, he turned off his pain inhibitor.

This means he has to taste pain again, protect his physical body, and confront his fear. But without pain, the outcome would have been decided the moment the kid used his ricochet technique and shrapnel hit him in the head.

The flames hidden within the black stone intensified, causing everything to crumble, including the personality of the executioner.

"You want to fight? I'll gladly oblige!" Meteor rubbed his hands together, walking towards the enemy.

They are about the same height, both over 190 centimeters.

The artificial body of Night Patrol has a unique leg structure, with added energy-absorbing pads to allow it to jump and traverse complex buildings and descent from buildings over ten meters high. It also has bionic paw pads similar to those of felines and is nearly 205 centimeters tall.

A Xing's eyes were fixed on the executioner's right arm, the muscles bulging and the posture perfect.

Once within arm's reach, the red team made the first move.

With a tearing sound, Meteor swept his leg to strike Night Patrol's hip joint, trying to test the android's strong nerves. This was his usual opening move, Ming Ge fighting style that Ming Ge had taught him through countless encounters.

The distance needs to be determined.

Before the thought had even died down in his mind, a sharp alarm bell rang in his heart!

Is it empty?

Did you miss?

He practiced his sweeping kick countless times, yet he missed at this distance?

The Night Patrol deity seemed to lack the concept of "joints." During the probing and ranging rounds, the heavy black leather boots kicked out with a fierce gust of wind. The executioner, in a boxing stance with arms crossed, pulled his legs inward and leaned to one side.

A Xing's leg muscles suddenly tensed and ripped open...

The sole of his boot lightly grazed the executioner's thigh. Like a graceful, agile snake, he casually twisted his hips, easily dodging the fierce kick. Then, he rapidly closed the distance between them until they were face to face, fist to fist.

Meteor lost his balance, and the feeling of being hit in mid-air was terrible. He wasn't an android, and he didn't have electronic brakes in his body.

Too close! We can only shoot at each other!

He shuddered, and as the thought flashed through his mind, he spun half a circle the instant his kick landed. There wasn't enough time to return to his normal stance; he had to change his position immediately!

"Bang!"

A Xing felt a severe blow to his left cheek! It was burning with pain!

Following the semi-circular motion, he unleashed a whip punch, which landed solidly— the Night Patrol didn't react in time.

However, the result of the mutual fire was that the opponent could also seize this opportunity to inflict damage. The Night Patrol's composite sight could lock onto the bullets, and the Meteor's struggle and change of tactics after missing its first shot was also expected.

Seizing the opportunity, they stepped forward and threw punches, their fists landing almost simultaneously.

A Xing's swinging arm left a white mark on Night Patrol's face. The sudden dizziness caused Night Patrol's jab to miss its mark, and the fierce attack originally aimed at the back of the head deviated, tearing off a piece of skin from Meteor's cheek. The force of the punch spread the wound rapidly like a knife.

The two men, having failed to kill each other with a single punch, immediately resumed exchanging blows before they had even settled into their positions.

Fist to fist, knee to knee, shoulder to shoulder; hugs and releases happen and end quickly.

After only ten or so rounds, A Xing's stamina reached its limit. He used to be able to exhale like an arrow and inhale like a bull, but now he had more and more wounds on his face and body, and his complexion turned from red to purple. It looked like he was about to lose his strength due to lack of oxygen.

The executioners were about to continue their fight when suddenly everything went black—

--The meteor's large forehead slammed into the android's head, something Night Patrol hadn't expected. The barcode between its eyebrows was scratched off, its head tilted back, and its neck made a series of strange cracking sounds from the fierce impact.

A Xing gained the upper hand, kicking his enemy out of the dangerous fighting distance, finally able to catch his breath and recover from exhaustion.

"Luckily, I'm still got a damn good brain! Hahahaha!"

The executioner staggered and lost his balance from the blow, seeing stars. Some paint was chipped off his forehead. The composite sight of his prosthetic eye lost its target, but the moment it locked onto the meteor again, he followed up, determined to hold onto the Homo sapiens tightly.

If he could maintain the distance between them, he was quite certain that Bu Liuxing was no match for him.

Homo sapiens' metabolism has its limits. The previous ten or so rounds gave Meteor no chance to catch his breath. Every time they fought and exchanged injuries, both sides had to maintain a high level of concentration, choose their attack route, find out the speed of their punches, and kill the opponent's attack intentions or absorb the damage. For the executioner, the VENOM mechanism would do the pre-rehearsal calculations for him.

However, Bu Liuxing does not possess such divine power, and his synchronization rate with Hot Wind is inevitably inferior to that of a cyborg with two souls in one body.

As long as you can get close to him, you can win!

A fierce and soaring fire of victory ignited in the executioner's eyes.

He wanted to win, he wanted to win this duel!

The dormant id personality within the body has awakened, and the synchronization rate of VENOM is decreasing.

In the past, we always acted according to the mission objectives of the security center, and decided on tactics and strategies based on the prompts broadcast by VENOM during combat. We were like puppets, always controlled by others.

At this moment, he desperately craved victory, as if a part of Hot Wind's genes were at work, it was his very nature.

If [Mr. Wei Meng Rap] can provide a fair and just dueling environment for both sides...

So, Bu Liuxing, this opponent, has completely ignited the executioner's passion!

"It's on fire! Bu Liuxing!"

A bright red glow bursts forth from the VENOM, the standard equipment for Night Patrol.

The second round of the brawl has begun.

--Ah A Xing showed no intention of backing down.

He cannot retreat. In this confined space, retreating would result in loss of strength and balance. The force transmitted from his calves and thighs to his waist and arms requires the support of the ground. Creating distance would mean losing the initiative.

He did not respond to the executioner's battle cry, blood and sweat flowing from the wounds on his forehead and cheeks.

Silence speaks louder than words; a sharp gaze is the best answer.

The executioner's ventilation holes spewed out scalding steam. The intense heat left by the electronic brakes in the steel bones and muscles turned into a cloud of mist. A ferocious figure burst out of the mist, its bright red eyes like those of a demon, and suddenly pounced into Meteor's arms.

Meteor calmly shook and retaliated by hitting her head, leaving her with new abrasions on her chin.

The fake skin around the executioner's eyes and brows fell off, his body lunged forward, and he ordered Meteor to grab his arms and subdue him. Then his lower body spun on its own, and when the two landed, he asked Shrimp to unlock the device.

Unable to stretch his arms and legs on the floor, Meteor raised his fist and punched the executioner's head. The first punch was effective, and the second punch immediately struck the sharp elbow, breaking the middle finger as well.

The executioner tried to escape the terrifying chokehold, raising his arms, curling up his body, and kicking at the platform. As he looked down, he saw his enemy's knee flying towards him, cracking his nose from the impact.

Meteor was about to pursue when he launched a second knee strike, combining it with a powerful waist thrust. However, the executioner twisted his body and turned his head to dodge, and when he stood up again, the two were fighting once more.

A Xing was about to dive down and grab her waist, trying to take control of the situation, as this android wasn't good at ground combat.

His head dropped, losing his aerial view and preventing him from observing the movements of his opponent's shoulders and arms from his 192-centimeter position, immediately slowing him down slightly.

A strong wind blew in my face, from bottom to top!

A punch landed in his blind spot, A Xing almost lost focus, his body stiffening as he was about to fall backward.

The executioner lunged forward, preparing to deliver the final blow. His right hand drew a dotted circle, as if to fling out layers of steam from the vents to confuse the meteor's judgment. The enemy swayed, seemingly just one last blow away from being knocked down!

Meteor was seeing stars and feeling dizzy. He backed away while reaching out to scratch the executioner's face. In just a fraction of a second, he managed to grab the fatal right wrist and snap out of his dazed state.

The fist came down! It came down!

A Xing took the first punch hard into his stomach, then opened his eyes wide as the excruciating pain in his internal organs caused him to foam at the mouth.

The powerful knee strike sent him flying off the ground, but his weight saved his life!

The executioner no longer has the right to pursue! His decisive round is over. Bu Liuxing's terrifying fighting spirit makes it difficult for him to launch an attack in the right half of the court, and he can only inflict this much damage!

A Xing lowered his head again

Executioner: "Trying again?!"

The sudden descent was so familiar; it was the root of the executioner's suffering.

If this guy grabs you and you have to fight him on the ground, it will be very difficult to win and escape.

The moment the two made contact, the executioner threw punches and raised his legs, his steel knees and iron elbows aimed at shattering the meteor!

But this time it's different.

The nameless warrior covered his chin with one arm, almost hiding his skull in his other arm. He made no move to open his arm and embrace him! He charged straight ahead like a dump truck!

The executioner was lifted off the ground on one leg, and when he tried to fight back, someone grabbed his foot, leaving him horrified.

Meteor loosened his defensive stance and lunged forward, pressing himself against the executioner's waist and abdomen at point-blank range. He used one hand to lock the throat and the other to grab the thigh, intending to drag the enemy to the ground.

The executioner tried to unlock the weapon, his right arm still struggling against the arm that had lifted the meteor's leg, while his left hand was already stabbing towards those piercing eyes.

"Click--"

The two protruding fingers were bitten tightly by the fierce warrior.

"Ugh!!!--" A deep growl came from A Xing's throat!

With a lift and a slam, he grabbed the executioner's crotch and thigh, slamming the 300-kilogram electronic man into the processing table.

In that instant, the executioner's spine broke, and his lower body, deprived of the control of artificial nerves, turned into soft, mushy pulp.

The meteor lost his strength and staggered back two steps. The surge of adrenaline made him feel intensely dizzy.

The executioner slid off the platform and fell to the floor; the two men's VENOM energy was also about to reach zero.

Bu Liuxing's face turned from purple to red, then gradually to white, indicating that he was exhausted and about to collapse.

"I won! Kid! I won!"

The executioner finally managed to turn over, his eyelids drooping as if he might fall asleep at any moment.

But he didn't want to sleep; he didn't want to go back to that [Extreme Bliss Space]. The ghosts in Venom were guiding him, educating him, reminding him, and demanding that he make a choice.

"You won, congratulations!"

Bu Liuxing laughed loudly, "I knew it! You're no match for me! Hehehe! Hahahaha!"

Executioner: "Ha!"

Bu Liuxing's eyes widened. "What are you laughing at! Shouldn't you be crying? Give me a good taste of the shame of defeat!"

Executioner: "I don't know, Bu Liuxing, I don't know."

The artificial prosthesis's cooling system stopped, and the fan noise ceased.

The blood on Bu Liuxing's face gradually dried.

The artificial blood in the executioner's mouth was increasing, resembling milk; his blood was white.

"I feel so happy, Bu Liuxing. Why is that? I feel so happy."

"Is it because I lost? Do I like losing?"

What is it that I like? I've never known.

What's going on?

He looked at his palm; there were teeth marks on his index and middle fingers.

He looked around at everything, and a hot, humid wind blew in from the hole in the room.

"What's going on here?"

The sound of VENOM grew fainter and fainter until it was almost inaudible, and everything fell silent.

The electronic prosthetic eye has entered energy-saving mode, and everything has turned into black and white.

"I have absolutely no idea what to do, I'm completely clueless."

Bu Liuxing remained motionless, his smile vanishing. In an instant, this playful boy reverted to his twenty-six-year-old self. "What riddle are you telling me?!"

The executioner shook his head slightly, and the strained joints in his neck emitted a terrifying cracking sound.

"I don't know, I don't know"

He looked at the shooting star and saw only a bright red streak against the black and white sky.

"Bu Liuxing, I think I'm alive again, but only for a moment, just a few minutes."

A Xing didn't answer. He could feel a slight tremor coming from the Venom in his right arm, as if Hot Wind Boy was both excited and angry.

Executioner: "If only I could live a little longer."

"Let's fight again?!" Bu Liuxing shouted, "You come and fight me!"

Executioner: "Is it okay? Is it really okay?"

Bu Liuxing: "Why not!"

[Part 2: What about yesterday?]

The executioner shook his head, his breath weak.

"I'm afraid that won't work; I won't remember that story."

"A thick, dark fog was about to envelop me, and in those few short minutes of fierce, desperate fighting with you, I felt everything become clear."

"This is the Eternal World do."

"Cough cough."

The executioner vomited more and more white milk, and his prosthetic eye went completely black. The most expensive sense in the human body is vision, and when death approaches, the eyes are the first to stop working.

This phenomenon is called personality fragmentation; we can no longer distinguish who we are.

I won't meet you here, because this memory must be erased.

"I will not experience any of this here, because it is illegal."

"The next time we meet, I still won't be able to beat you—I can't learn any new skills."

"Hot Wind, can you hear me?"

Bu Liuxing raised his right arm--

The ghost remained silent, seemingly Hot Wind in the strange child, even though he was a clone of the ghost and a continuation of the ghost's genes.

The executioner. "Bu Liuxing, did my father respond to me?"

Bu Liuxing: "He spoke."

[What nonsense are you talking about?]

The person being executed could not see anything, so they could only look up to follow the direction of the sound.

"In schools for typical humans, there are many, many Angel Infant like me."

"The Eternal World tells us to be as strong as the Hot Wind, to become a father, to become the phantom of a father. I have never seen a father, never."

"It was as if in the instant the black mist dissipated, I saw him, but I could never become him."

"I want to hear his voice, but it seems I can't."

"What is the meaning of my existence in this world? What is my value?"

"Cough cough."

The blood is increasing, and the executioner is about to return to hell, but this redundant data will not be included in the VR training courses of the Eternal World.

"What did he say? Bu Liuxing?"

"I asked the executioner."

"Can you tell me what he said?"

"I heard Hot Wind say that!" Bu Liuxing shouted without hesitation, "Well done! You did a great job!"

Executioner: "Really?"

Bu Liuxing: "I never lie! A real man doesn't lie!"

The executioner struggled to get up, but his broken spine wouldn't allow him to.

"That would be wonderful!"

"I wish we could have another round!"

"I want to... I still want to."

"Think"

The android's breathing is getting slower and slower, which is a sign that its energy is running out.

He reached for his right arm and gently stroked the red and black VENOM mechanism on it.

"I want to escape this cage."

"I don't want it. I don't want it."

"It's for you."

The meteor instinctively raised its hand to block it--

--The VENOM machine on Night Patrol flew through the air and struck his palm. Before he could even grasp it, it turned into a cloud of black smoke.

The executioner lost his sight, and his blood pressure dropped sharply before he died.

The enzyme cascade reaction stops, body temperature drops sharply, and the sense of taste and smell gradually disappear.

He lacked an outer and inner ear structure, but retained hair cells containing cochlear fluid, which allowed him to hear faint sounds just like a normal person in the moment of his death.

Hearing is the last sense organ a person retains before death.

Bu Liuxing was astonished to see his right arm covered in a dark mesh fabric. "What's going on?!"

The executioner heard the rushing sound of nanomachines and breathed his last.

When he comes into the world again, he will no longer be himself.

Without the support of Night Patrol, the Kyoraku Special Squad suffered repeated defeats.

The destruction caused by the nameless demon king has exceeded the limits of what the Kanto City administrative center can handle. The gods on Day Patrol rushed to provide assistance, searching along both sides of the old city canal streets, where the scene was nothing Human Hell.

As a clone of the same Hot Wind, the Sun God has much richer emotions and harbors immense fear.

At that very moment, a drone descended from mid-air; it was the [Hayabusa] God of War arriving on the battlefield.

"Yoguang, what are you hesitating about? What are you afraid of?"

The term "[Yoguang]" appears in mythology in pairs with "[Yezhong]", and is the name of the day-roaming god and the Night Wanderer before they attained enlightenment. They are ghosts and monsters. In the eyes of the Six Divisions of Shinto, the Day Patrol and the Night Patrol are ghosts and monsters bound in chains.

Soldiers from other units called Day Patrol "Yoguang" and Night Patrol "Yezhong".

"Hayabusa!" the Day Patrol shouted in Japanese, "The enemy that has come this time is very powerful!"

The points of light in mid-air gradually descended, and a burly giant, nearly three meters tall, stepped onto the street.

He was a bald man, without a universal fiber optic interface, with fierce eyes and heart-shaped double pupils. His cybernetic remains were covered in heavy armor, unlike the Day and Night Gods who were naked.

--The Hayabusa god wears full armor when not in combat; his dark skin suggests that he also has an inner armor layer.

The three-meter-tall giant grinned and said, "So what? Defeating you proves nothing—it only confirms your incompetence once again."

The Day Patrol gritted his teeth and shouted, "Falcon!"

Hayabusa patted his carrying gear, then patted his huge gun holster and melee weapons.

"I am a soldier, you are just a guard. Know your place. You must kneel before your superiors, understand?"

The knees of the Day Patrol buckled involuntarily. The VENOM organization gave him an order to kneel, and he knelt down before the Hayabusa without hesitation.

Hayabusa laugh.

"That's more like it! Good dog! Good dog!"

After saying this, the burly man boasted and raised his arm, flexing his biceps.

"I'd like to see what kind of insect is giving you such a headache. When it comes to dealing with Homo sapiens in VR training, I'm an expert."

Jiang Xueming's voice came from afar, emanating from loudspeakers at various broadcasting stations.

"--You sound really impressive?"

Hayabusa's gaze shifted, changing from violent and ruthless to cunning and sinister.

"Hahaha! You've been eavesdropping all along? You cowardly coward?!"

Jiang Xueming: "I have great respect for my opponents, so of course I'll gather intelligence beforehand—tell me, how good are you?"

Swing your arms in Hayabusa, straighten your chest and lift your head.

"I killed more than forty elite soldiers like the Day Patrol Night Patrol!"

He gently pressed down on the Day Patrol's head.

"The hypothetical enemies in VR training are all these battle-hardened, high-value units!"

Jiang Xueming: "Great!"

Hayabusa exclaimed excitedly, "Right! Right! Only an opponent like you can give me some fun!"

Jiang Xueming: "You killed more than forty people?"

Hayabusa wore a smug expression.

"That's right! That's right! Hmm!"

Jiang Xueming: "Well done!"

Hayabusa: "Heroes cherish heroes! Hmm!"

Jiang Xueming: "And what about yesterday?"

The Hayabusa smile froze on his face.

"Uh-huh?"