Arasaka Tower in Night City was one hundred and twenty floors tall. The presidential floor was on the very top of it. The bunker protocols dictated putting the non-combatants into stable underground chambers, which were part of the twenty basement sub-floors beneath ground level. At the very bottom of these subfloors, various tunnels extended outwards like the roots of a tree, going to various top-secret facilities and chambers that were not listed on any official document.
The elevator in Arasaka Tower was industry standard. It traveled up and down at roughly five-hundred floors per minute, and had three total systems to allow this, for the sake of redundancy and ease of repair. Going from the top floor to sub-floor five (the floor in which the bunker chambers were stored) therefore took roughly fifteen seconds. Traveling from the president's office to the elevator took an additional ten seconds. Traveling from the elevator exit to the last known location of the intruder would take an estimated five seconds.
All in all, it took Kagekaze about half a minute to reach the last known location of Shaitan. Now, the race was on to find him. Kagekaze was intimately familiar with the Eclipse frame, it was the frame he had used for so many years. Even to this day, his frame was technically still an Eclipse, albeit a heavily modified and overhauled one.
The Eclipse was designed from the ground up for total stealth capabilities, being heavily specialized for that role. In actual combat it was somewhat unfocused, being split between both lethal combat options and non-lethal combat options. In addition to all of that, it contained several multitools specifically useful for covert operations, such as a lockpick in the right index finger, a micro-bomb in the left middle finger, and a host of other little tools in the fingers. It was an excellent all rounder frame for any given special forces unit that required black ops capability.
That was also its chief limitation. The stock Eclipse frame was an all rounder unit. It was specialized for stealth, yes, but outside of stealth it was somewhat unfocused. Lethal and non-lethal options, a variety of tools and components to enhance utility, ranged and melee options. The stock Eclipse was good at stealth, and good enough at all the things that might relate to stealth. That was not a problem for most, as they would give it after-market modifications suited to their particular specialities.
It made Eclipse frames in particular difficult to predict though. Very rarely was an Eclipse frame ever left in its stock configuration. It also sometimes left Kagekaze in an awkward position, as rare as it was that he actually had to fight a peer opponent head on.
His frame was specifically useful for assassination and mobility. That was what Lord Arasaka required of his ghost, and that's what purpose he had been modified for. His loadout was purely lethal, but his armor and structure were left unenhanced to prevent additional weight that might disrupt his ability to move. He could not afford to stack plates of armor on like young Adam, and bulldoze everything in his way.
Shaitan could have anything in his frame, Kagekaze simply didn't have the information to be absolutely sure. He could make a few assumptions though.
Shaitan likely had at least one retractable monoblade, owing to his habit of cutting an 'S' into target locations. He probably had the full stealth system loadout of the original frame, if not more. He likely had the full sensor array loadout of the original frame, if not more. He likely had speedware of some kind, being so incredibly useful to combatants in the modern age. Everything else was an open question.
The Eclipse frame's stealth systems were not truly innovative, but rather were simply the best combination of a variety of existing systems. The 'Chameleon Plating' was simply a built-in version of the existing Militech Ghostsuit. The sound-absorbing pads on the feet were, again, simply built-in versions of the Catspaw Stealthfoot common among covert street samurai. The ECM generator was a downscaled version of the previous Militech model. The IR-Thermal Dam was outsourced from IEC's model for their Dragoon prototype. The only new tech incorporated into the frame was the fuzzy-logic sound cancellers, and those were quickly reverse-engineered by other corporations.
It was simply a good suit, put together from a wide variety of existing technologies, and the kinks ironed out to make them all work in tandem. It made locating an Eclipse that didn't want to be found exceptionally difficult. Kagekaze had no sensor that was capable of locating himself normally.
Normally being the keep word here.
The Chameleon Plating rendered conventional optics useless. The IR Thermal Dam did the same to render his Infrared optics similarly impotent. The Sound Canceller and Stealthfoot combined to make auditory methods of detection nigh-impossible. The ECM ruined any hope of using radar, sonar, or motion detectors to determine a location.
You cannot see the enemy. You cannot hear the enemy. You cannot sense the enemy. How do you find the enemy?
An armored plate slid away in his left thigh to reveal a larger internal compartment filled to the brim with loose ball bearings. He pulled out a handful at one end of the hallway, and activated his sandevistan.
He threw them to form a perfect grid pattern, covering every location an Eclipse borg-sized object could be hidden from sight.
His sandevistan deactivated, and all but three of the ball bearings flew through the hall and eventually bounced and rolled to a stop at the other end. The three that did not instead soundlessly bounced off the air, and rolled back towards him.
He leapt forwards and lashed out, letting his monoblade slide out of his right forearm as he did. His blade crashed against another, and the form of a customized Eclipse frame slowly melted into view. Their blades were locked, and his skeletal optics glared into a crimson visor.
To find an enemy you cannot detect, you first must hit them.
They were silent as their servos strained against each other, the sound cancellers made sure of that. Kagekaze lashed out in a vibrating palm strike against Shaitan, which was parried. Shaitan twisted that arm to try and place his own arm in a lock pressed against his torso, Kagekaze used the opportunity to deliver a rising knee to the hip-servo, forcing Shaitan to abort his attack and retreat with a leap.
There was a moment of silence. Kagekaze was not the best in open conflict, he had to use every advantage he could. So he began to taunt.
"Is your hatred for Arasaka so great that you would place bystanders in the crossfire, Eclipse Shaitan?" He spoke, to absolutely no response. Shaitan just kept staring at him, silently, weapons readied. Kagekaze continued, "Surely you knew that others would be killed in the chaos you engulfed the city in? How many innocents will die for your grudge?"
The psychological profile on Shaitan from decades of information would normally indicate a response by now. Kagekaze narrowed his optics, suspicion starting to form. He raised his left arm and let the silenced handgun pop-up to fire a round. In order for a weapon to be silenced, it must first be subsonic, and usually must also be rather small in caliber. The weapon that was in his arm was not in any way a threat to the armored plating of a borg of any type, it was too weak.
Shaitan could have completely ignored it for all the damage it would do. He instead lashed out with his monoblade and split the bullet in the air. Kagekaze observed his form. It was perfect.
Perfect, with no embellishments, no flairs, no signs of personal experience. A textbook slice with a right forearm mounted retractable monoblade. Kagekaze nearly cursed to himself in quite a rude manner as he activated his sandevistan and rushed forwards.
Shaitan was not fast enough to react to Kagekaze's blade splitting his head in twain, revealing a purely mechanical interior instead of a biopod.
It was a drone piloting a spare frame, not Shaitan.
He was already racing for the elevator again. That battle had taken no longer than two minutes. It had taken him thirty seconds to get down here, it would take him thirty seconds to get back to the president's office. Three minutes of time in total away from the president.
Kagekaze was very familiar with assassinations. If he were an Eclipse frame trying to assassinate a high level corporate executive, where and when would he infiltrate? He would infiltrate the office weeks before, and wait for the perfect time to strike. Three minutes was an eternity in a battle, and Jugemu Jun was in no way a warrior.
He got out of the elevator and raced down the hall. Once he got within range of the now-armored door of the office, he leapt forwards, leg lashing out in a vibrating kick.
The door exploded inwards, revealing the office.
The president was alive, judging from his breathing, although he certainly didn't look like it. His face had been pulped and crushed into a nearly flat, hamburger-like consistency, and his tendons were surgically sliced in such a way as to prevent movement but not cause severe blood loss. He was being held up by the throat by a heavily modified Eclipse frame.
A bestial faceplate with twisted curling sensory extensions on either side of the grinning mask, and mounted over a glowing red monoeye visor.
Kagekaze did not stop in his movement forwards. He activated his sandevistan. Using his extendable glider flaps to adjust his rotation in the air and kick off the wall again towards Shaitan with the monoblade extended.
Shaitan reacted in time, his own sandevistan active. Their blades clashed, and Kagekaze used his momentum to shove Shaitan away. Kagekaze slid back against the floor, digging grooves with his grip-feet to stop himself. Shaitan caught himself, and braced against the wall, sliding down to land on the ground. All of this, without a sound outside of the storm raging outside.
Shaitan was heavier than a normal Eclipse borg. Perhaps a hundred pounds or so more than standard. His frame was reinforced.
Their sandevistans deactivated. The protections breached, some of the armored paneling began to retract upwards into the ceiling again, a safety measure to allow potential escapes through the window. The light from the city outside began to more properly illuminate the room, a curtain of light trailing upwards from their feet to their heads.
Priority one, protect the president. Priority two, stall for reinforcements. Priority three, destroy the enemy.
"That was a clever distraction, Eclipse Shaitan." He complimented. His enemy quite rudely did not return the banter, merely staring and waiting. No doubt waiting for his sandevistan to refresh. "I applaud you for it."
There was a moment of silence. A flash of lightning illuminated the room. Their sandevistans activated.
They rushed forwards to meet each other in the middle of the room. Kagekaze lashed out with a punch that Shaitan met with an open palm. When he attempted to pull his hand away, it took a fraction of a second longer than he was expecting. Shaitan had magnetic palms.
Kagekaze was delayed just long enough to be unable to react to Shaitan's next attack aside from a hasty block. A spin kick crashed into his side and sent him flying fast enough to crash through the window. Shaitan had customized his frame for immense strength as well.
An unfortunate fact of these windows, they were designed to be heavily armored from the outside but easy to break from the inside. Kagekaze crashed through the window, but raised his left arm to fire a magnetic grapple line from his palm. It collided with Shaitan, who wasn't expecting it, pulling him outside as well. Their sandevistans deactivated.
A roll of thunder swept through the area. Their grip-feet slid down and latched onto the exterior wall of the tower after a second or so of falling. The enemy was removed from the VIP. Proceed with the engagement.
Shaitan grabbed the grapple line on his chest, and pulled it with all of his immense strength. Kagekaze did not try to resist the pull. Instead he kicked off the wall and deployed his glider to sail upwards to the roof of the tower and just beyond Shaitan's reach. Their optics locked as he passed.
He shot his right arm grapple line once his body passed the edge, latching onto the heavy door leading down into the tower from the roof and using the strength of both grapple's retracting to pull Shaitan up and over his head to slam down on the roof in front of him.
The side of the wall was advantageous for neither of them. It was in both of their best interests to get to the roof.
Shaitan slammed down, having twisted midair and landing on his feet. The roof cracked under his weight, and Kagekaze withdrew both lines into his palms once more. Now it was only them, the roof, and the raging storm.
There was a pause in the fighting as they observed each other. Kagekaze's arm and right side was damaged from the earlier kick. Shaitan's legs were both damaged from the slam. They were roughly even at the current moment. Kagekaze took the opportunity to stall for a bit more time.
"Surely you know what the consequences of this night will be? You will be hunted in fullest capacity, rather than being mostly dismissed beforehand." He politely taunted. Shaitan did not respond except to get into his stance again, shuffling slightly, so he continued. "Your goal is to destroy Arasaka, is it not? You cannot do that if you are dead."
Finally, Shaitan responded in a gravely tone. "...I've been dead for a long time, Shinobi. It doesn't matter if I get put down after tonight."
Kagekaze paused and took in that statement, it was painfully nostalgic, and looked closer at his opponent. He sounded worn. "Your goal for decades doesn't matter?" He calmly inquired, his light taunting gone.
Shaitan shook his head. "It was never about the destruction of Arasaka. It was always about an oath."
They started circling each other on that storming rooftop. Kagekaze responded, "What kind of oath would compel you to attack Arasaka above all other things, but is not about its destruction?"
Shaitan replied in an old fury. "The kind that a father swears upon the graves of his children. The kind that a husband swears upon the graves of his wives. The kind a man swears upon finding their defiled corpses." He swept a hand to his side, now beginning to shout. "Never forgive them! Never forget them! To never be a friend to Arasaka!"
A flash of lightning. Their sandevistans activated.
Shaitan leapt forwards, lashing out with his monoblade. Kagekaze spun around the blade and lashed out with his own slash. Shaitan ducked under it, and attempted to rise in an uppercut. Kagekaze gripped onto the roof with one foot, and leaned away from the punch, lashing out with a kick that sent Shaitan flying back.
Their sandevistans deactivated. A rumble of thunder.
It was always unfortunate to come across the results of undisciplined subordinates. He would have to find the ones that committed such an act and see if they were still alive to punish. Their actions have created quite an enemy of Arasaka.
"I am sorry for your loss, Eclipse Shaitan. I will see to it that they are punished if still alive. Indulge me, if you would, why are you telling me this?" It was quite unusual overall, if Kagekaze was being entirely truthful. Most people do not speak about their motivating tragedies so lightly.
Shaitan had landed on his feet. He was silent for a moment. "...I suppose it's something of a confession, before my death. I would want someone to know, even if only my enemy."
Reinforcements had not yet arrived. He had to stall more. "You did not answer me earlier. Why have you decided to die tonight?"
Shaitan did not reply for a long moment. Kagekaze was patient, he was only benefitting from a longer period of inactivity here. Finally, with a particularly strong gust of wind, Shaitan responded.
"...Old killers begin to accumulate regrets. If I get any more, I might stop entirely." Shaitan firmed his stance, and glared at him. "I'd rather die."
…Ah, he saw what was happening now…
Kagekaze raised his extended monoblade in a warrior's salute. Shaitan glared suspiciously. Kagekaze announced strongly over the roaring winds.
"From one Eclipse to another, I will grant you an honorable death, Shaitan."
He had played the part of executioner before, this was no different. To atone for the dishonor of those Arasaka employees so long ago, this was cheap. Shaitan was silent for a moment, before he scoffed.
"I have no intentions on an honorable death, Shinobi."
The reply was simple. "And you will receive one all the same."
A flash of lightning. Their sandevistans activated.
Kagekaze leapt forwards in a vibrating kick. Shaitan moved to cut his leg off with his monoblade. A dreaded mistake. Kagekaze deployed one of his glider wings, using it to turn in the middle of the air, dodging the swinging blade and sending his foot around in a circle.
His foot crashed against Shaitan's other arm.
Their sandevistans deactivated. Shaitan was sent rolling back, arm heavily damaged. A rumble of thunder.
Kagekaze could have pursued, and capitalized on the attack. He did not. He merely waited for Shaitan to rise once more. Shaitan pushed himself up, glaring.
It was not a fair fight, even with his less heavy frame. Kagekaze had more than twenty years of experience in an Eclipse frame more than Shaitan. Kagekaze was raised from birth to be the head of one of the two great shinobi clans of Japan. Kagekaze knew the secret art of panzerfaust.
There wasn't a way for Shaitan to win this battle. Both of them knew that.
Shaitan readied himself for an open charge. Kagekaze returned the stance. They waited for a long moment for their sandevistans to refresh.
For a moment, all there was was the howling winds and crashing rain.
A flash of lightning. Their sandevistans activated.
They charged each other. Their monoblades clashed as they passed each other by. They twisted into a simultaneous set of stabs. Their shoulders locked as their blades went through each other's torsos.
Shaitan had struck an unimportant section of side torso armor. Kagekaze had pierced the central battery unit. A fatal blow for a borg unless they had an independent biopod. Kagekaze did not know if Shaitan did or not.
Shaitan slumped against him. His biopod was integrated.
Kagekaze lowered him down to the floor. Shaitan's hand held onto his wrist as he slowly lost power.
"You fought well." Kagekaze said simply. Shaitan stared up at the storm for a moment. He rolled his head to look at Kagekaze and huffed.
"I told you I had no intention of dying honorably. Why did you bother, shinobi?"
"Because I intended on killing you honorably." The truth was self evident, in the end. He lost nothing for it, and his honor was preserved by doing so. Shaitan stared at his faceplate for another moment. He looked up to the storm, and his optics lit up for a moment. His chyron was clearly active.
Soon, it went dark again, and Shaitan spoke. "...There is a nuclear weapon with a yield of ten kilotons in my central torso. You have one minute."
Shaitan's optics went dark as his body slumped. He had activated his kill switch. Kagekaze's optics opened in horrified realization.
He forced his sandevistan active again. He manually locked it on.
He had to disable the bomb…
No, no time. He wasn't trained in disarming nuclear weapons either. It was never something that came up.
Grabbing Shaitan's body with his legs, Kagekaze fired his grapple lines towards the metal door on the opposite side of the roof. He deployed his glider wings, and let the retracting grapple lines pull him and his cargo into the air.
He immediately began a divebomb to build up speed, pulling the body upwards to make it flush with his body and therefore more aerodynamic.
He pulled up and shot horizontally, towards the ocean.
He had time to think as he approached it. He would not have enough speed to glide away afterwards, not with a detonation of ten kilotons. Rain splashed against his faceplate in slow motion.
…That was fine.
He was Kagekaze. The shadow of the wind. He existed to serve Arasaka. He was a shinobi, tool and weapon of his lord. He had long since redeemed the honor of his son. A flash of lightning in the distance.
If this was where the heavens had ordained his second death, then so be it. He chuckled to himself. He never thought that his death would be so heroic, it was like one of those anime that the children enjoyed so much.
…Ah…
His students would likely be upset, but they would move on. Adam was likely to be furious, but he would not falter.
He approached the ocean, letting himself dive down into the waters that would hopefully contain at least some of the blast.
It was something of a shame though. He was hoping to see young Martinez create that new fighting style.
The water covered his head. He began to sink below the waves.
Geh, how frustrating. He hates it when saltwater gets into his cybernetics.
…
Ten seconds after Kagekaze plummeted into the bay, the Militech Backpack Nuke in Shaitan's chest counted down to zero.
And the bay turned into a volcano of saltwater.