Alt District.
Time: 17:11.
A riot had broken out here not long ago. To prevent another incident, or perhaps under pressure from the Wetting Conglomerate, the Peacekeeping Forces had increased their patrols in the area.
A gang riot was quite different from a fight between gangs. An act that threatened a conglomerate's fundamental interests would undoubtedly strike a sensitive nerve among certain people in power.
Whatever disputes and negotiations had taken place among the Wetting Conglomerate's executives, the Peacekeeping Forces had ultimately decided to tighten security in the Alt District.
Normally, no one would have courted the Wetting Conglomerate's wrath at a time like this.
Yet it was precisely at this moment that a bombing occurred, one no one had anticipated.
The explosion shook the entire Alt District.
The Peacekeeping Forces rushed to the scene almost immediately.
A large force surrounded the blast site... What they had not expected was that the entire bombing was merely a diversion by the Destiny Organization, a feint to lure them away.
The Wetting Conglomerate's Alt District branch, which had only recently endured a bombardment, came under attack by the Destiny Organization once again...
Unlike last time, however, the Destiny Organization would now face security measures prepared well in advance, along with fully armed troops.
The members of the Destiny Organization had no idea that their operation had been doomed to failure before it even began.
Inside a dim room, a fully armed tactical squad of roughly twenty to thirty people stood behind a man clad in heavy black tactical armor.
Black protective gear concealed his face, hiding his features. His burly, two-meter frame radiated an imposing presence.
Instead of a gun, he carried an alloy sword half a person's height at his waist, with a white skull ornament dangling from its hilt.
Anyone who recognized that ornament would immediately know who he was.
-Kinoshita Ren, the [Demon Samurai], captain of the Destiny Organization's Fourth Special Operations Team.
He had once hacked apart a Combat Type II tactical mech single-handedly, without wearing any protective gear.
That feat had earned him his own title and made him one of District 25's hottest rising talents at the time.
Countless conglomerates had offered to recruit him. Just when everyone thought he would rise to the pinnacle of success, he had rejected every offer and instead joined Destiny Organization, then labeled a terrorist insurgent organization, becoming captain of its Fourth Task Force.
Even Ian, who thought highly of himself, could not help feeling nervous before a man like him.
Standing before the Special Task Force inside the workshop, Kinoshita Ren looked at Ian. The voice that emerged from his mask betrayed no emotion.
"So, Mr. Ian, have you accomplished nothing all this time?"
Ian Strala's expression darkened. Looking at the man before him, he said:
"I still haven't found a way to crack the Wetting Conglomerate's security system, but I've obtained a map of their security deployments. The emergency passage at the Alt branch has the weakest security."
"Then when can we proceed?"
Ignoring Ian's explanation, Kinoshita Ren posed the question.
He had never expected Ian to obtain any useful information in the first place. Hearing him say this was actually quite a surprise.
At least he had obtained a map of the Alt branch's security deployments. That counted as good news for them.
"We should act within the next half hour. The Peacekeeping Forces will probably catch on soon. If we haven't rescued Amau Sueko before then, getting out unscathed afterward will be difficult."
As he spoke, Ian cast a tentative glance at Kinoshita Ren. The man remained silent for quite some time, making Ian uneasy, as though he feared the man might see through something.
Fortunately, the silence lasted only a short while before he spoke again.
"Then let's begin the operation."
Time: 17:31.
Unidentified assailants attacked the Wetting Conglomerate's branch building.
Security forces failed to provide support in time, resulting in a breach of the building's defenses.
Inside the Wetting Conglomerate's emergency passage, Kinoshita Ren casually ripped a surveillance camera off the wall. A low voice emerged from his mask as he spoke, seemingly to someone over comms.
"Locate Amau Sueko. Once you find the target, rescue her and withdraw immediately."
The moment he finished speaking, a teammate's voice came through the Communicator.
"We've breached the second-floor defenses. Searching for the target."
Hearing this, Kinoshita Ren felt a flicker of doubt.
He was just about to ask a question when a scream came through the Communicator, followed by an unbroken barrage of gunfire.
The voice over the Communicator sounded somewhat panicked as the man spoke urgently.
"Th-there's an ambush!!"
"Retreat! Retreat now!"
The instant he heard those words, a sense of foreboding rose within Kinoshita Ren.
A moment later, muzzle flashes and countless gunshots tore his armor apart, sending blood and flesh spraying out from beneath it.
Kinoshita Ren let out a muffled grunt, his towering body dropping to its knees.
Even that storm of gunfire had failed to bring him down completely.
He raised his head, his crimson eyes fixing on the figure slowly approaching him.
Behind the girl, countless concealed guns rose into view.
As though he had known all along that an ambush like this could not finish off the man called the [Demon Samurai], Jonas had already chosen someone to end him.
Her short black hair fluttered in the wind as the girl's bold, poised figure appeared before Kinoshita Ren-
Esnie Nora, the [Black Valkyrie].
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