Chapter Twenty-Five:
Exiting the elevator I cautiously step into the foyer of the penthouse. The area was huge and largely ornamented in traditional Japanese cultural objects. I observe carefully proceeding in further.
"I assure that politician will be taken care of, Hiroshi sama." I heard a conversation in broken English. Still I advance as carefully as possible.
"Rats, do well to be silent if cheese is it's goal." Ryobi spoke stepping into the light. Shit he heard us. The middle age asian male with the short cut hair in a chestnut plaid suit makes himself fully known.
"Ryobi Nurakami I presume!"
"独なネズミ、彼の死を求めています。彼が喜んで私に近づくのはばかげています。" He utters something in Japanese and Mottly translates it.
"Lone Rat, seeks his death. Foolish he is to approach me willingly." Mottly translate.
"The only one who's a rat is you. You executed my father over his work. So now I'll take my revenge and retrieve all the data you have on his works." I said as we slowly circle one another.
"私は荒坂家のためにたくさん殺し、血で手を汚しました。私が殺したすべての犬を私が覚えているとは期待できません！あなたは？"
"Ive killed plenty, sullied and dirtied my hands in blood all for the Arasaka family. You can't expect me to remember every dog I've slain! Do you?" Mottly say's.
"Dr. Ashwell was my father, he wasn't a dog. But you killed him like one all for the retrieval of information regarding project A.I.M.!" I scream hoarsely. "Now I'm taking back his work and you're the only one standing in my way."
"ああ、アッシュウェル博士、私は喜んで彼を倒しました。それはとても単純なことでしたが、彼の子供が彼に復讐するためにここにいると思う.残念ながら、あなたにはチャンスがありません。はい、私は彼のデータシャードに関するすべての情報を持っています。回収する前に死んでしまうのは残念です。"
"Ah, Dr. Ashwell I took pleasure in putting him down. It was so simple, but to think his child would be here to avenge him. Unfortunately you stand no chance. And yes I do have all information regarding his work on my laptop. Too bad you'll die before retrieving it." Mottly transcribe, and suddenly my eyes were alight with fire.
"Bastard!" I scream boiling my fist ready to charge him.
"Yes come and get some!" He laughs cockily.
Ryobi sides steps and pulls a ornamental katana from a rack unsheathing it. He takes a wide stance, slashing forward stepping out to the side. I roll under the blade and remove the second katana from the rack unsheathing it fastly. "Together!" I command Mottly, next thing I know I'm countering Ryobi second attack.
"That was interesting." Ryobi says stepping back and holding his katana as it's sides curl inwards.
"Ryobi you're the one who started this war. You stole my father's work! Violent delights meet violent ends" I declare.
"You shall not have it. Make one move towards me and I will kill you!" Ryobi threatens with fire in his eyes.
"Use your cybernetics, make quick work of him." Mottly suggest aggressively.
"No this is personal!" I tell him. I lift the katana and dash towards Ryobi. He blocks the strike and swipes with his blade, my hand sways awkwardly to the side. His counter attack lacerates my leg. I topple to the ground, but recoils out the way as Ryobi is poised to strike at my neck. Instinctively my katana thrust upward stopping his attack with blunt force, as my body tumble forward uncontrollably.
"What the!?" Ryobi says a hint of shock on his face.
Finally I've managed to catch myself on my knee trying to get up as I only manage sidestepping around his next attack. Ryobi steps backwards at my ability to wield this katana. Rushing back up I step forward before, Ryobi is back in the fight after a momentarily lapse. Now it was my turn to go on the offensive. Quickly turn around before I leapt with a strong downward thrust, slashing towards his midsection. I was successfully able to bisect his abdomen.
He fell to his knees clutching his midsection in pain.
"Stop! What you seek is in the bedroom ." He pleads. I flick the katana as the blood splashes across the carpeted floor.
"I bet my father begged for his life. You didn't grant him mercy, why should I show you any mercy?" I scream in his face, yanking his head up by his hair.
"Mercy, I beg thee. Mercy I only acted on Hiroshi orders. He's the one you really want." His broken English failing him with a strain voice.
I raise my fist back and socked him in the jaw with all my might, knocking his head down. I watch as teeth spill from his mouth.
"That's not good enough. I want you to pay!" I scream punching him again and again. I didn't care if he tried countering or getting up. I'd continue to fight him till I was completely satisfied. I can feel a delightful grimace crawl across my face as I step away. I cackle in awe watching Ryobi slowly trying to stumble to his feet. All he mange to do was stagger around before he falls flat on his back again. Ryobi was running on fumes with no energy left to fight.
Or so I thought.
Ryobi cries out in pain trying to stand back up using his katana as a crutch. I watch in sick amusement at his feeble attempt. He hobbles still bleeding from his midsection. He holds up his katana defiantly, stepping into a stance ment to launch him forward. I took my own stance. This battle will be decided on whom had the quickest draw. This final attack, one last ditch effort to end the battle. These were death blows if landed, like you see in movies.
The two of us circle each other, once again. Who was going to win, because Ryobi is formidable adversary. I count down the seconds in my head as we encircle the large lounge area. Yet in a flash, suddenly we both dart towards the opposite wall at the same tim. Then charge towards the other. My katana flying through the air. Ryobi launches his katana at me with blinding speed.
Our blades working on finding its mark. I scream at the top of my lungs as we collide with a thunderous thud, stepping past the other before stopping.
I'm breathing heavily the adrenaline from the fight fueling me. We're now standing back to back not moving, unaware of who landed the fatal strike. Seconds become moment's of stillness, my shirt tears open from the slash. But there is mild pain, and yet I still couldn't tell what happened. Until suddenly Ryobi crumples to the floor. I feel faint for a moment, failing to my knees. My breathing slows and my sight goes white momentarily.
"I've, I've been bested. You've won this battle but you're unlikely to escape alive." Ryobi chuckles before a gasping nosie echos out. I turn to find him choking on his own blood. I watch as his face turns different colors as he now fades away.
I catch my breath and stand back up dropping the Katana. I limp slowly towards the bedroom and on a night stand is a laptop. I turn it on and mull through the files to I come across the gold-mine of information. Project A.I.M. I download all relative information to a data-shard ejecting from the laptop. I pocket the shard proceed to leave.
"Alright we done here Mottly, how we getting out of here?" I ask.
"Like this, get into the elevator and watch the show and grab that damn sword." Mottly express. So I picked up the Katana, looking over at Ryobi corpse. If I was leaving it would have to be now before Trauma arrives, scum like that got platinum for certain. So I rush into the elevator and press lobby.
Outgoing Call-
Ryan: Del I'm needing that pickup. Front entrance.
Delemain: Right away sir.
Call Ended-
Lights flicker red inside the elevator as the alert of a potential fire outbreak on a upper level, causing in an alarm to wail. Over the P.A. system a automated voice declares a emergency evacuation. And although somehow my bloodstained tattered clothing was likely going make me antarget. But I knew once I race past the atrium, it all smooth sailing.
The lobby has erupted into chaos as guest flee or run around like chickens without a head. Guards are on the patrol, this is what I saw as the elevator open.
"Halt," shouts a guard with his semi automatic rifle aimed at me. I don't bother with his words activating my Synaptic Accelerator. The world around me grinds to crawl allowing me the freedom to sprint at a much faster speed. I blind side the first guard slashing him with the katana as I make my way to the next two. They are all unaware of what's taking place so without a hitch I cut them down to size leaping over a couch and dive kicking another guard.
"You're facing me punk," shouts a figure approaching me. He's wearing a leather jacket, shades and seems to be covered in chrome. He's on equal footing as he leaps unrestricted by the use of my Accelerator. He reveals his Mantis Blades, that had an electrical charge to them. Getting hit by them would be a problem, I didn't have the time to dodge their electric shock. So I counter with the katana. I felt the surge of electricity race up my hands, but I steel myself, his two blades pushing back against the katana.
"Out of the way!" I yell as I made a bee line for him. He quickly got behind a couch attempting to adjust his shades. Seeing that it leaves him off guard. I decided to jump on him and give him a savage punch on the back of his head. He looked up surprised and reached back for me. I let go of his hair as I'm tossed like a ragdoll to the ground. Neither one of us advancing. Just who was this fucker? He's providing more of a challenge than Ryobi.
He had to be Saka ninja, from an elite class of soldiers. It's not possible for someone like this to be here. What kind of bad luck was I experiencing? I didn't have long till my Synaptic Accelerator shuts off to recharge. If that happens it'll be open season for the other men to gun me down. Quickly I leap back up needing to deliver a fatal blow to this man. At the same time I attempt to give him the death blow I must dodge a slashing of his Mantis Blades at the same time. I need to keep on my feet. So I leap and parry the slash to the right of my katana. Then I jump across the room landing in a roll to avoid a barrage of bullets coming my way. He's very versatile to dodge and let off a volley of shots at me. I nearly get filled with lead.
Taking a second to focus on how I'm going to bring him down in the remaining time I have left. It was going to require something risky. I already have half a dozen men on me, impossible to take out a crowd of soldiers. I'm certain that this guy I can maybe take down. Just need to be bold to use this risky tactic. It's now or never!
Definitely running out of time here, down to the wire. This is dire. What I would do for my guns right about now. Fuck it! I convince myself as I charge him with a fake out. He buys it and reacts accordingly. Pretending to strike, he positions himself to counter. This risk would of been if he seen this coming. Thankfully his blunder allows me roll to the ground. That now I am successfully able to land a vicious kick to the back of his knees, bringing him down. He tumbles forward. Decisively I leap towards his face, sliding my katana through his skull, the light of his life ebbs out with the blood splatter. I emerge victorious but there was no time to dawdle.
I seriously don't have enough time to yank free the katana, I left it. Now with mere precious seconds left I bolt for the entrance. The car is just in sight, with the automatic door open. Rushing past the detector, my Synaptic Accelerator stop's.
My body is washed in a wave of pain. The surge of fading adrenaline is harsh. I've never tried pushing this hard on the Accelerator. Yet a swiftly as possible I dive into the back seat colliding with the other door.
"Hit it Del!" I nearly scream bloody murder. The doors shut close and Del takes off.
"You are injured, Linear service activated. Taking defensive maneuvers." I watch as everything in the turning night scape blur as we barrel out of Arasaka Waterfront. "Dispensing a MaxDoc Mk.3. Allow me to attend to your wounds." Suddenly wires and I don't even know what spring forth and out of different areas in the vehicle. I take hold of the inhaler, taking a large puff of the MaxDoc. My vitals begin to regulate almost simultaneously. The pain is non existent.
Yet somehow Delemain has striped me of my clothing and began sealing wounds with a bright light till there virtually gone. Both my legs and chest were good as new. Whatever Linear service was, I liked it. The technology was impressive it's no wonder why the cab service is highly rated and used.
"Bring us back to the Afterlife club." I command slipping my pants back on. Not much can be done about the shirt. I lean back closing my eyes for a moment. I earn a moment of peace.
A/N: Just pushing out this chapters fast cause they've been preplanned. Forgive my sloppy approach to sword fighting. But it fits with Ryan as he's traditional a gunslinger. Gonna be a while till the next chapter is out. Next two chapters will bring some truth to life as well meld with the last episode of the show. Listen don't expect it to go as planned. I have a few surprises left. Thanks for reading.