Tired, stressed, worried, in constant fear. Those were the best words to describe Ben Shaw's disposition. Ever since the drug's effects wore off and he regained consciousness, he realized his worst fears were coming true. WEB had always been a step ahead, and when they finally made a decisive move, both he and Hajime had to pay with their own freedom. Now there they were, at the mercy of what was probably the strongest and most evil organization humanity had ever churned out. Ben knew that they were responsible for stirring society in whichever direction they pleased, since they claimed credit for most revolutions, economic collapses and even border changes. On the deep web, some conspiracy theorists even claimed that WEB had the power to wipe out entire nations off the map. The fact that they were talking about mere humans and not Shishima only made matters worse, since it proved that mankind was capable of doing evils on par with supernatural monsters. Gazing at poor Audra, he mentally regretted that she had to be dragged in their affairs for the simple fact that she was Hajime's girlfriend and she was bearing his child.
"Audra, how are you feeling?" Ben asked, sheer concern in his voice.
"I've had better days..." she replied, taking deep breaths. "I'm scared that I'll have to give birth any second now."
"Don't worry, if I can somehow untie this rope around my wrists, I'll try to help you."
Sweat raced down Audra's face. Her belly stuck out of her short-sleeved white shirt with the picture of a seagull flying above the waves. By contrast, her long dress was jet black, matching with her high heel shoes. Compared to Hajime's and Ben's office suits, she was the most casually-dressed of the three. Of course, Ben recalled, she was just visiting her doctor since the first signs of labor pain were beginning to show. The nurse had given her a glass of water and the next thing she knew, she lost consciousness. Knowing WEB's reputation, they probably bribed the doctor or had one of their men masquerade as a trained professional who wished to step in and take over the case.
"Hajime, where have they taken him?" Audra suddenly asked, interrupting Ben's trail of thought.
"Don't worry, I'm sure that wherever he is, he's fine. This Gumo person didn't strike me as someone who intends to harm him." In hindsight, Ben hoped his speculation was true.
"First Shishima, then that murder cult, now these people... why can't the world just leave Hajime alone for once?! All he wants is to live his life in peace."
"I understand your frustration better than you think, Audra, I really do. As someone who's had to bear a part of his burden for the past few years, believe me when I tell you that I only ever wanted what's best for him. He's suffered so much more than we can both fathom," Ben said, surprising himself with the level of empathy in his voice.
"And all I ever wanted was to make him feel accepted and soothe all those wounds I know he has inside," Audra confessed, on the verge of tears. "We both know that beyond that rough exterior lies a hurt soul who cares for his fellow man more than he lets on."
"Hajime really is lucky to have us both in his life, eh?"
Audra looked at him, taken aback by the remark. Then, with a bittersweet smile, she conceded, "I guess he is."
"Listen, no matter what happens, I promise you we will get out of here alive, the three of us!" Ben said in an effort to reassure her. A few months ago he had been jealous of her for stealing Hajime's heart and being the main target of his affections, especially after she revealed to him that she was pregnant. But while in that life and death situation his envy was but a petty whim. It was obvious that she loved Hajime as much as him if not even more, a feeling that was mutual, so Ben was going to protect her with his own life, if it meant protecting his beloved's happiness.
All of a sudden, Audra started moaning loudly, her body experiencing painful cramps. There was no doubt about it, she was entering labor. Unable to stand around and watch, Ben tried fiddling with the ropes, shaking them in the hopes that the knot would weaken enough for him to try and undo it through friction. The sound of rushed steps made him pause as the door swung open. Jack stepped in, followed by two men in lab coats whose faces were covered by surgical masks, one of them pushing a wheelchair.
"Don't worry, madam, we will take you to a medical facility and help you give birth," the doctor calmly said while helping her up and leading her to his colleague's wheelchair.
"I'm surprised, Jack. I didn't expect your boss to be this empathetic," Ben remarked with his usual snark.
"We're not doing Hajime a favor," Jack coldly replied as he watched the doctors leave the room with Audra. "The boss sees huge potential in the baby. If Hajime refuses to join us, then we'll adopt the kid and raise him or her into WEB's ideals. What better prize can he give back to the mankind he betrayed than this?"
"What?! That's bloody insane! Jack, listen, Audra and the child are not part of this-"
"I don't give a damn about your sob stories. Trusting Hajime has left me and my girlfriend as deformed freaks. As far as I stand, this is me taking justice into my own hands," Jack reasoned as he turned to leave. "Once all is said and done, we'll have dealt both with Shishima and Hajime in one way or another!" Then the door slammed shut, leaving Ben all alone with his thoughts.
No matter what, he would not allow WEB to interfere with Hajime and his family's future. There just had to be a way for him to untie that knot. That was when he felt something poke his thigh. The Shirayama mansion's keys were still in his pocket. If he made the right movements, he could have the tip of the keys stick out and then he could use that to cut the knot loose.
The first thing Hajime knew upon regaining consciousness was the strong smell of tobacco. He rarely smoked, on small occasions and mostly to fit in with his peers, but that was a vice he personally found disgusting. Alcohol was a different matter, he found as much joy in it as he did with tea. He saw a classical painting hanging high on a cavernous wall, depicting a scene where a group of nobles had gathered in a marble palace to witness the torching of a few prisoners. Looking around, he noticed that there were four plush sofas circling the room, a bookshelf behind and a coffee table in front of each, a different self-portrait of Vincent Van Gogh was found near each corner of the room, in the middle there was a long Persian rug, and hanging high above it all there was a large and complex electric chandelier. He was sitting in a regular chair, and in front of him there was a wooden desk filled with papers and files. Two peculiar things which stood out were an ashtray made of onyx and a golden figurine shaped after the Discobolus. Mister Gumo sat opposite him, in a plush armchair and holding an expensive cigar in his right hand.
"Fascinated by the painting?" he asked, motioning to the artwork hanging above him. Hajime remained silent, he continued, "It's called Nero's Torches, by Polish painter Henryk Siemiradzki. It depicts a group of Christians about to be torched by Emperor Nero in front of his famous Domus Aurea palace. It's easily one of my favorite paintings, Mister Shirayama, as it perfectly encapsulates the world around us. WEB and its vast associates are the Roman Empire's administration, while the fools who oppose us are the weak Christians who will become examples, pardon the language, I meant to say 'martyrs'. Yes, that's the colorful term they preferred to justify dying for something as fleeting as primitive superstition."
"Just who do you think you are to play God with human lives?!" asked an indignant Hajime. "What gives you the right?"
"Would you also call curing common diseases and raising life expectancy 'playing God', Mister Shirayama? If yes, then you must admit that we've been doing a fine job at this game. After all, it is said we are made in his image, or rather... we made him in our image. But to answer your question, we have the money, we have the power, we have the influence. Look at our own mark!" Mister Gumo flashed his golden ring with WEB's symbol. "We are the spider that ensnares the Earth with its legs. We capture it, hold it hostage, and ultimately... protect it."
"Protect? I'd hardly call protection what it is you're doing!"
"That's because you are still not privy to the bigger picture. But that will change very soon, Mister Shirayama, once you join our ranks. That duel we had was just a demonstration, to show just how inferior you are when compared to the likes of WEB, but also to give you an opportunity to better yourself. After all, we each have our own path of development while going through life."
"And just what makes you think I'd willingly join you after everything you've done?" Hajime challenged him, crossing his arms and glaring expectantly.
Mister Gumo knowingly smiled back at him and crushed his finished cigar in the ashtray. "Your sense of responsibility. As you are aware, we've been watching you for quite a while now. Sometimes much closer than you'd expect. That's how we knew all about your girlfriend and the baby you two will soon have. But did you know that we were also aware of your hacker friend Ben, his attraction to you and... the conflicted emotions you feel towards him?"
Hajime's jaw dropped. "How did you...?"
"I won't get into details as this is not a teen romcom. Suffice to say, you made a decision, whether you were aware of it or not. When given the option to either stay together with Audra or push her away, disown the child and explore your buried homosexual tendencies, you chose the former. You put the next generation of your family above your own sexual gratification. That is what we here at the World Elite Bureaucracy call responsibility. We need more people like you, especially with your training and wealth."
"To be your lackeys?"
"Oh no, grunt work is reserved for the common folk who join our organization. Such as your friend Jack Thornton. We approached him not long after he and his girlfriend returned to the United States. What we offered to him was a chance to find Shishima and deal with him once and for all. Considering the physical and emotional damage inflicted upon him, he was quick to accept our offer, one might say like a moth to the flame. Of course, the expensive surgeries that he and his girlfriend underwent were funded by us. After all, you need to pet the dog before unleashing him on your enemies."
"You manipulated my friend and are now using him to get to me!" Hajime shouted as he got up from his chair.
"No, what we did was offer him opportunities, nothing more, nothing less!" Mister Gumo replied as he also got up. "If you wish to blame anyone for his supposed betrayal, then blame him. He is here of his own volition. But we are getting off topic." He made his way around the desk and joined his guest. "As I was saying, grunt work is for the common folk. You, Mister Shirayama, as a respected member of the elites, would have a different role. Information gathering is the first thing that comes to mind, especially since this is something you are really good at. But I'm thinking you can do something with an even greater impact, something more befit to a brilliant man such as yourself!"
Mister Gumo motioned for Hajime to follow him as he walked to a wall and pressed a button. A rumbling noise was heard, then a pathway opened, leading into a windowless laboratory with metallic walls. As they both stepped inside, Hajime saw that there were computer screens all over, alongside a number of strange gadgets he had only seen in sci-fi movies.
"A large office decorated with classical art pieces, now a crazy lab. Just where exactly are we?!" Hajime demanded.
"At WEB's headquarters in Japan, of course. We are on an isolated island in the East China Sea. Don't worry, we are just one hundred fifty-five kilometers away from your precious Sagakin. In less than an hour we can fly you back home, once our business here is finished, of course," Mister Gumo explained as he began tinkering with a computer. "In this very laboratory we build the prototypes for new hacking tools and, most importantly, we control the flow of information." With a single click, he made various statistics and country names appear on all computer screens, covering matters such as religious devotion, economic status, history of violence, intellectual pursuits and general education. He then turned to speak face to face with Hajime.
"What do you mean by 'isolated island'?"
"It means we wiped it off all maps, including satellite view. Every time a ship gets too close, we have the necessary equipment to create the illusion of a powerful storm that scares them away before they can enter a forty kilometer radius. You could say we are in Japan's own Bermuda Triangle," Mister Gumo joked, but his smile faltered once he saw that Hajime did not share his sense of humor. "But let's return to the matters at hand. What we would like you to do for us is a special kind of espionage mission: disinformation."
"Disinformation?" the confused Hajime repeated.
"As previously stated, Mister Shirayama, our organization has been engaging in informational warfare for the past two centuries. In this age of computers and advanced technology, information has become the truest of all currencies. Hah, a privilege for the masses, really. But you and I both know that information has many uses, from dietary choices to protest movements, from properly raising a child to the toppling of governments. Depending which political direction best suits our interests, we release the suited information to stir a country's general public. Anyone can pick it up, from news anchors to social media influencers to whistleblowers to even conspiracy theorists. Just get a juicy bit of news floating out there in the zeitgeist and watch the rest of the world spin in the direction we are pointing. And do you know the beauty of it all?"
"It's comfortable for the likes of you, isn't it? You don't have to actually move a finger or hold a rousing speech to rile up the masses. You just type in a sentence, have it spread around like a virus and reap the benefits?" Hajime wondered.
"You are partially right, I won't deny. But the real beauty of it is that the level of truth doesn't matter. The information we pass on can be the actual truth or it can be fake news with some manufactured evidence for the few skeptics who like digging in too much. For example, we were thinking that your first mission would be to spread some disinformation in your own country of Japan. We do believe the conservative movement that has come in the wake of Shishima's arrival has gone on quite enough. The black markets are now getting over saturated, same for other 'shady' businesses such as prostitution. It is time for the youth to rebel, for the present day hippies to begin protesting their government's stranglehold and promote sexual libertinism and gender ideology once more. Have the sexual minorities fight for some extra rights, have the more socialist-leaning youths fight for their ideology, maybe have the politicians throw them a bone every once in a while. At least for a decade, then we can begin organizing a conservative revival, a much-needed return to maturity, so the more traditionalist folk do not feel marginalized for too long."
"But why? What reason is there to do any of this?"
"Keep the masses complacent and divided in their ideological debates. Then they buy more and invest in whichever company kowtows to their beliefs. The world keeps on moving, a conflict exists to distract the ordinary folk, and all the while WEB solidifies its power even further. And look what we have achieved in the past century! Nowadays we've got people putting all of their efforts in the vain hope that maybe they will earn a good pay: win the lottery, get that coveted job, earn an inheritance, anything to get ahead in life. But we here at the very top know the truth: being rich is not enough to wield true power anymore. Now you must hold the right connections, know whom to manipulate and whom to backstab, a true intellectual war, really."
"So this is it? You want me to act as your spy and spread disinformation just so you can keep on this status quo?" With a clenched fist, Hajime raised his voice, "Give me a good reason to go along with this sick plan, one that doesn't involve blackmail!"
Mister Gumo smiled once more, ever sly and knowing, as if he were reading Hajime like a book. "You can't deny that we need a level of control in our society. This is how our species has evolved across history. When the public grows too alarmed, establishments fall, power is lost. We've witnessed this happen plenty of times, in many cases we've also influenced it. But we don't want the same to happen to us, because if the World Elite Bureaucracy falls, then mankind as a species is doomed to the future envisioned by the Spawns of Shishima. If you find it hard to view us as protectors, Mister Shirayama, then you can at least agree that we are a necessary evil, the necessary evil."
"If you think I can in good conscience renounce my morals and stoop to your level, then you've got the wrong person, Mister Gumo! You're not a necessary evil, you're just evil, no different from Shishima! Like him, you also seek control over our world. Sure, the methods and intentions differ, but at the end of the day you've got the same goal. It's because of people like you that I hate being associated with the so-called 'elites', since at the core of my very being I am not a self-serving monster."
"There you go again, Mister Shirayama, with the childish heroics. And we were making such good progress too!" Mister Gumo decried, his expression having grown cold with sheer disgust. "Then I will have to put it for you in another way: you are not Saint George, I am not a dragon, this matter goes far beyond a fairy tale conflict of good and evil. The tables have turned ever since the world was made aware of Shishima's existence." He motioned for Hajime to leave and then both walked out of the laboratory, its doors automatically closing and hiding it behind the inconspicuous cavern walls.
Ben Shaw's luck was definitely improving. First he managed to untie the knot, then he found out that Jack had forgotten to lock the door, and lastly he managed to knock out a lone guard with a carotid punch and steal his uniform. Now he freely roamed the cavernous corridors, in search of Hajime and Audra. Great was his surprise when he instead found none other than Shishima. The same Shishima who brought fear into his heart back in the MI6 days, the same Shishima whom Hajime claimed had been exorcised, the same Shishima who terrorized an entire planet had been reduced to a weakling who was tied up on an operation table, connected to various machines and being tested upon by robots. The mighty had indeed fallen. So many questions arose from that single scene. Did Hajime lie regarding Shishima's defeat? Did WEB capture Shishima? Or were they the latest batch of blind worshipers after the failed Spawns of Shishima?
His pondering was interrupted by a familiar scream. It came from a nearby room, its door painted with a red cross. Taking careful steps, he approached it and peeked inside. Audra was lying on a hospital bed, the two uniformed men from before by her side, Jack standing by in a corner, watching them.
"She's fully dilated, everything is under control," said one of the doctors.
"Okay, this will all be over soon, madam. What we need you to do now is push," the other doctor instructed as he lifted the covers, ready to help her deliver the baby.
"Hajime... where is Hajime?" Audra asked through her sobs.
"He'll be here soon. Now please focus, I can see the baby's head!"
One push, two pushes, at the third they all heard an innocent cry fill the room. A new life had entered the world. The doctor was quick to pick up the baby, clamp off the umbilical cord and wrap a towel around the newborn.
"Congratulations, madam, you've given birth to a healthy baby girl!" he said while cradling the infant.
"My little girl, please let me see her," the weakened Audra demanded.
"Change of plans, I'm afraid," Jack intervened, walking out of the shadows. "Mister Gumo said she's outlived her usefulness." In the very next moment, he pulled out his gun and shot a laser between her eyes without hesitation. Audra's head fell on the pillow, smoke coming out from the hole in her forehead.
"Sir, didn't Mister Gumo say that she was a hostage who should remain unharmed?" asked the other doctor.
"The baby is now the best hostage, since it can't ever reveal what has happened here today and can be easily swayed to see the world through our lens. The other two should be made examples of, just to prove to Hajime that we mean business," Jack said while reading off his cell phone. "The boss's exact words. I'm just following orders."
Ben slowly backed away. Hajime's child was in the hands of those monsters. Something had to be done. But what?
"They've captured me," Shishima's voice suddenly echoed in his mind. He turned to the large glass window and his eyes met those of the bound fiend who had once been humanity's worst nightmare. "Free me, then I'll make the entirety of WEB pay dearly for everything!"
Upon seeing the research robots exit the operating room and head into the opposite direction, Ben immediately sought shelter there. Getting a better look, he saw that Shishima's wrists and ankles were cuffed with thick metal rings which held him strapped to the table. Four ECG wires were attached to his chest, two intravenous tubes stuck into his left arm were feeding data to a computer, and a gas mask was covering the lower half of his face.
"Suppose I trust you, how the hell do you expect me to free you? I fear I may trigger some kind of alarm in the very second I take off one of those wires," Ben argued.
"The circle of salt," Shishima weakly replied. Indeed, the operating table had been circled with sacred salt, one of his few weaknesses which was deeply rooted in Shinto. "Get rid of it, then I'll fully regain my powers."
Ben took cautious steps as he approached Shishima. With a single movement from his left foot, he disturbed the circle and then...
"You made a mistake coming here," another familiar voice spoke, prompting both to turn to the entrance where Mister Gumo was standing with an expectant glare. "I have given strict orders to my personnel not to set foot in this room; precisely because I expected intruders to interfere with my biggest trophy yet. Isn't that right, Ben Shaw?"
Upon hearing his name, Ben turned to face him and took off the guard's uniform. "I suppose my reputation precedes me."
"Indeed it does. Not as much as your friend Hajime Shirayama, but being born to a couple of somewhat influential British politicians has its own advantages. Your intellect and your resume with the secret services are also nothing to scoff at. Which is why I wish to pose an offer to you, one fairly similar to Hajime's," Mister Gumo said while slowly approaching him like a predator stalking its prey. "Come work for us, we always welcome hackers among our ranks. Of course, since you are not part of the elites per se, you would not benefit from the same advantages or information privileges that Hajime would. But still, working from home, behind a computer and while in your pajamas is much better than the grunt work we make others do."
"And live in constant fear that you would one day change your mind about me and have a lowlife like Jack shoot me in the head? I'm sorry, but with all due respect: piss off!" Ben replied with disgust and immediately took out his deck.
"I'm afraid that's the wrong answer." With one hand, Mister Gumo took out his own deck to accept the challenge. With the other, he took out a remote control and made a security camera focus on the two of them. "Hajime is currently in my office, strapped to a chair. He will be watching our duel. This will be yet another proof that he and his forces are inferior to my intelligence and skills. Who knows, perhaps once he's suffered enough losses, he will join our ranks willingly."
Two dueling tables arose from the metallic floor between them. Both players set their cards and five rectangular shields materialized above each, thus marking the beginning of their duel.
"I cast Emergency Typhoon." Mister Gumo drew two cards and discarded Ballcadeia NEX, Lord of Demon Dragons.
"I summon Kiyuri, Coral Faerie." A mermaid with a long blue fishtail and turquoise hair which covered her eyes appeared by Ben's side. "She makes the first creature I summon cost one mana less. She also can't be chosen by any of your effects."
"I cast another Emergency Typhoon." Mister Gumo once more drew two cards and then discarded Codecommand Death Marriage. "Graveyard evolution - I evolve Ballcadeia NEX into Death March, Reaper Puppeteer." A blue jester marionette appeared by his side, holding various smaller stringed puppets with its long fingers.
"Kiyuri reduces his cost by one, I reduce his cost by two from his own effect and evolve her into Manifest (Reef Star)!" The mermaid got enveloped by a blue aura and transformed into a green-maned blue lion with crystal wings sticking out of his back. "I attack with Reef Star and invade Code:Ikouze (Adam Star) onto him!" The lion got enveloped by a blue aura and transformed into a chrome robotic dragon with three jets on its back and two flying saucers attached to its arms. "With Reef Star's effect, I search my deck and add two cards to my hand. Then with Adam Star's effect, I draw a card and send Death March back to your hand. Then, until the start of my next turn, you can't play any new Death March! Now go, double break his shields!" The robotic dragon fired two beams from its arms and shattered two opposing shields.
"Shield trigger, I cast Shikumi of the Shadow World," Mister Gumo calmly replied and watched how HEAVEN Kid, White Knight Elemental, The Clock, Ragnarok and Worm Gowarski, Masked Insect fell from his deck into his graveyard. "Don't think that Death March is my only graveyard evolution, Mister Shaw! I revive Worm Gowarski, Masked Insect and graveyard evolution, he comes with Death Marriage underneath!" A muscular humanoid with sickly purple skin, a horned red skull for a head and a long worm wrapped around its shoulders like a scarf appeared in the battle zone. "Now it's my turn, I cast Dragon Pulse Technique - Fortress Destroyer and send Worm Gowarski's card back into my hand, the evolution bait remaining." A torrent of water surrounded the purple humanoid and made it disappear, then out of it emerged a purple angel wielding rainbow-colored shields and with a golden demonic head coming out of its chest. "I degenerate Codecommand Death Marriage! Now you can no longer cast spells. Go, Death Marriage, destroy Adam Star!"
"Star Evolution, although Adam Star gets destroyed, Reef Star remains!" Ben intervened and watched how his creature was hacked into pieces by the sharp shields, only for the winged lion to emerge from the encounter, unharmed. "My turn then, I expand Joe Star of Hope and all cards lose their civilizations!" Their surrounding sights then began to change to those of the cosmos, a small planet resembling Earth floating in the middle. "Graveyard evolution works only on Darkness creatures. Let's see you pull that when there are no civilizations left! Reef Star, attack! I search my deck and add two more cards to my hand. Go, double break his shields!" Flapping his wings, the lion dashed headfirst through two more shields.
"A mere setback that is unimpressive at best," Mister Gumo dismissively stated. "I cast Emergency Typhoon." He drew two cards and tossed Ballcadeia NEX, Lord of Demon Dragons into his graveyard once more. "Then I summon HEAVEN Kid, White Knight Elemental and send Joe Star of Hope to your shields face down." An angelic dwarf in blue and golden armor who was wielding two purple swords appeared and used his weapons to hack at the small planet, making the cosmic surroundings vanish, reverting them to the operating room. "All cards have civilizations once more, your ploy was for naught, Mister Shaw. Death Marriage, destroy Reef Star!"
"Star Evolution, Kiyuri remains!" Ben said as the winged lion was also hacked into pieces, the small mermaid being his only remaining creature. "It's my turn again, I summon Jasmine's Rune and ramp a mana." A clay tablet depicting a deformed faerie with green hair and a brown dress appeared by his side. "Then I evolve it into Manifest (Marco Star)!" The tablet got enveloped by a blue aura and transformed into a green-maned blue lion with tentacles sticking out of his body. "With his effect, I send Death Marriage back into your hand! I now attack with Marco Star, draw three cards and discard Charisma Manifest. Break his final shield!" Heeding his order, the creature stretched its tentacles and tore through the last opposing shield. "Whose strategy was inferior again? Kiyuri, todo-"
"Shield trigger, I summon Weimodel, Gig!" A small purple robot wielding a plastic sword appeared, causing the top three cards of Mister Gumo's deck to land into his graveyard: Death March, Reaper Puppeteer, Emergency Typhoon and HEAVEN Kid, White Knight Elemental. "I'll revive The Clock, Ragnarok and end the turn here!" A muscular humanoid with spiky blue hair and two golden clock arms coming out of his chest also appeared, freezing all creatures in place. "To answer your question, Mister Shaw, the inferior strategy is yours. Graveyard evolution - Ballcadeia NEX evolves into Death March, Reaper Puppeteer. Then I cast Dragon Pulse Technique - Fortress Destroyer to return Death March to my hand and degenerate Ballcadeia NEX, Lord of Demon Dragons!" Another torrent of water surrounded the small marionette and made it disappear, then out of it emerged a gigantic hybrid between an angel, a demon and a dragon with three pairs of wings: white, blue and red. Its body was covered by a brilliant golden armor, its head had blue demonic horns and the red face of a dragon, and its arms were covered in scorching flames.
"It can't be..." the shocked Ben muttered as he took a step back.
"I attack with Ballcadeia NEX, destroy Marco Star and bring Genmu Emperor, Infinite Dragon out from my deck. Now go, break all of his shields!" The titanic creature fired a torrent of flame from its hands which destroyed the tentacled lion, then an eyeless shadowy dragon joined Mister Gumo's army of creatures.
Great despair fell upon Ben as he checked his shields, having not received any answers to his opponent's threatening board presence. His luck had run out.
"You've proven my point once again, Mister Shaw. And now it's time to make an example out of you as well - Weimodel, todomeda!" Mister Gumo ordered and the robot dashed ahead and its sword collided with Ben's chest, the sheer force of their impact throwing him against the wall, knocking his head against the sharp rocks and breaking his skull.
Triumphant, he packed his deck and walked towards his former opponent, placing an index and middle finger on his neck, looking for a pulse. There was none, that collision had been fatal. Satisfied, he turned to the security camera and spoke directly:
"Do you see what happens when you refuse WEB's generous offer, Mister Shirayama? Those whom you cherish the most are taken away from you. If you keep forcing my hand, I will make more examples. But alas, I've given you enough time to reconsider my offer. I will join you in a few minutes to discuss the terms and conditions of your contract."
And thus Mister Gumo left the operating room. He would later have Jack come to dispose of the body. But little did he know that the circle of salt was still disturbed, Shishima's eyes glowing red with anticipation.