Data Destruction (Part 2)

Suddenly, excruciating pain shot through Tang Yu's temples! It was as if ten thousand needles had pierced his brain at once. He fell to his knees, nearly dropping his phone.

[Mental Attack breached the shield!]

[Intensity: Lethal]

[Emotion Shield collapsed]

[Remaining Emotion Points: 1000]

Tang Yu gritted his teeth and endured it, his fingers still moving across the screen. Progress: 71%...73%...

"You stubborn little thing." Tsukishiro's voice turned dangerous. "Maybe I should deal with Karuizawa Kei first? My men have already located her surveillance point."

Tang Yu's heart jolted. Karuizawa was in danger! That momentary distraction made Tsukishiro's attack even more intense. Blood ran from Tang Yu's nostrils, and his vision began to blur.

[Warning! Vital signs declining]

[Emotion Points depleted]

[System about to enter sleep mode]

Just as he reached the brink of despair, Karuizawa's voice suddenly came through his earpiece: "Tang Yu! I'm fine. Ayanokoji's here! He took care of those people! Hang in there!"

Her voice was like a beacon in the darkness. Tang Yu used the last of his strength to plug his phone into his Neural Interface-this was the ultimate measure Ayanokoji had prepared: a direct Brain-Computer Interface connection.

"System, concentrate all remaining energy on breaking through!"

[Neural Link established]

[Uploading consciousness...]

[Warning! This operation carries an extremely high risk]

The world dissolved before Tang Yu's eyes, and his consciousness was pulled into a digital space. There was no physical form here, only endless data streams and firewalls. At the core, Tsukishiro's consciousness was like a giant spider, crouched at the center of the network.

"At last, face-to-face." Tsukishiro's digital avatar was a distorted human figure, but its head was shaped like a quantum processor. "Welcome to my domain."

Tang Yu had no physical body, but he could feel Tsukishiro's data tendrils coiling around his "existence." This was a direct clash of consciousness, far more perilous than physical combat.

"You can't beat me." Tsukishiro's data flood crashed against Tang Yu's consciousness. "I am perfect evolution. You are fragile flesh and blood."

Tang Yu's consciousness began to disintegrate, and fragments of memory drifted away like snowflakes-the loneliness of his childhood, the nervousness of his first day after transferring schools, Karuizawa's kiss beneath the cherry tree...

Just as his consciousness was about to vanish, a warm force suddenly flowed into him. Gentle but firm, it was like a hand reaching through the darkness to pull him back.

"Tang Yu, I'm here."

Karuizawa's voice! How was that possible?

Tang Yu's consciousness gathered itself again. He saw a golden chain of data extending from the void and connecting to him. The other end of the chain... was Karuizawa! Somehow, she had connected to this digital war through the Neural Link.

"This is impossible!" Tsukishiro's data form fluctuated violently. "Human emotional connections shouldn't have this kind of power!"

Tang Yu suddenly understood. Tsukishiro's system was powerful, but it was built on cold logic. The emotional connection between him and Karuizawa had created a kind of quantum resonance, a variable Tsukishiro couldn't analyze.

"Now, Tsukishiro." Tang Yu's consciousness fused with Karuizawa's power, forming a golden sword. "Taste the power of humanity!"

The golden sword pierced Tsukishiro's core database. Overload alarms from the quantum processor rang through the digital space.

"No! This is impossible! My defenses-"

Data exploded. Tsukishiro's core began to collapse, spewing out countless memory fragments-hundreds of cultivation pods inside a laboratory, failed subjects who had been discarded,

secret meetings among the White Room's leadership... And finally, a piece of encrypted data marked "Project Elysium."

In the real world, the biomechanical structure inside the central container began to smoke, and the liquid boiled. Alarms rang throughout the entire facility.

[Intrusion complete]

[Target quantum processor damage: 89%]

[Warning: Reverse-tracking program detected]

[Implanted in host's nervous system]

Tang Yu abruptly disconnected and collapsed to the ground. His phone had melted down, but he had completed his mission. Tsukishiro's core had been destroyed; at least this Hive node was out of commission.

The security door suddenly blew open, and Ayanokoji Kiyotaka rushed in, with Karuizawa behind him. She had a scrape on her face, but otherwise seemed unharmed.

"We don't have much time," Ayanokoji said tersely. "White Room reinforcements will be here soon."

He walked over to the smoking central container and inserted a device. "Downloading the remaining data. There may be crucial intelligence."

Karuizawa knelt beside Tang Yu, tears welling in her eyes. "Are you okay? Your nose is bleeding..."

"I'm fine." Tang Yu gave a weak smile. "Tsukishiro... is he dead?"

"This node has been destroyed," Ayanokoji replied, "but the White Room has backups elsewhere. Rebuilding will take time, though."

When the download was complete, Ayanokoji put away the device. "We have to go. There's an underground passage. Follow me."

The three of them quickly left the server room. The corridors were empty; evidently, the staff had already evacuated. Ayanokoji led them through a series of concealed passages, eventually bringing them to an underground parking lot.

"This car will take you to a safe location." Ayanokoji pointed to an inconspicuous gray sedan. "It's safer if we split up."

"You're not coming with us?" Karuizawa asked.

Ayanokoji shook his head. "I have other tasks. The White Room won't give up. I have to get more information." He looked at Tang Yu. "A tracking program was implanted in you. I'll do what I can to disrupt its signal, but sooner or later, they'll locate you."

Tang Yu nodded. "I understand the risk."

"Don't use any electronic devices for 72 hours." Ayanokoji handed him a note. "This is the address of the next safe house. Navigate there manually."

Before they parted, Ayanokoji hesitated for a moment. "That encrypted data... Project Elysium. I suspect it's some kind of large-scale control program targeting teenagers across the country. Tsukishiro may have been only the advance force."

The possibility sent a chill through Tang Yu. The White Room's ambitions were far greater than he had imagined.

By the time the car pulled away from Tokyo Bay, the sky was already brightening with the first light of dawn. Karuizawa leaned against Tang Yu's shoulder, asleep from exhaustion. Tang Yu gazed at the city rushing past the window, his mind a jumble of thoughts.

They had destroyed one of Tsukishiro's nodes, but the war had only just begun. What was Project Elysium? How many other Hives did the White Room have? Most importantly-when would the tracking program inside him bring new pursuers?

The System Interface flickered faintly:

[Mission complete: Destroy Tsukishiro node]

[Intelligence acquired: Project Elysium]

[New mission: Evade White Room pursuit]

[Warning: Tracking program active]

[Estimated time until detection: 48-72 hours]

Tang Yu gently took Karuizawa's hand. Whatever lay ahead, at least they were still together at this moment. And sometimes, when fighting cold technology, warm humanity was the most powerful weapon of all.

The sedan merged into Tokyo's morning traffic and headed toward the unknown safe house. Their next battlefield was already waiting for them.