"Mr. Brill, run! We'll hold him off!"
The Militech security personnel didn't hesitate. They stepped forward at once, forcing themselves between Brill and Zed, raised their weapons, and opened fire.
Whoosh—
In the blink of an eye, a shadow vanished from everyone's sight.
Pfft!
One of the Militech guards heard a sound like water gushing out. He instinctively turned his head—only to see a headless corpse still squeezing the trigger of an empty gun, driven purely by muscle memory.
Whoosh—
The instant he turned back, a streak of crimson blade light flashed past him. His consciousness plunged straight into darkness.
Bang!
Zed's eyes flickered wildly, capturing every movement around him. Like a dancer, he slipped through the hail of bullets, evading every shot as he closed in on Brill at terrifying speed.
The fist blades in his hands turned into arcs of red light. With a sharp flick of his wrist, several shuriken shot out, shattering every remaining light source.
The security personnel, still firing blindly, were thrown into chaos. Some even ended up hitting their own people.
"Aaah—!"
A single scream rang out, instantly drawing everyone's attention—and more gunfire. The flashes from the muzzles exposed everyone's positions.
Between those bursts of light, black silhouettes surged forward, followed by wave after wave of terrified screams.
To Brill, the screams sounded as if they were right next to his ears. His face was pale with terror, his whole body trembling so badly he could barely move. He had ordered the deaths of countless people before—but witnessing something this bloody in person… this was his first time.
Before long, the surroundings fell silent.
So silent that Brill could only hear his own heartbeat—and a steady dripping sound, like water falling. He knew full well it was blood.
Ding!
A crisp sound rang out. Dim green light slowly spread as the emergency lighting came online, finally revealing everything around him.
Blood splattered the walls and floors. Severed limbs lay scattered everywhere. The thick stench of blood flooded his nose, making his stomach churn.
But even more terrifying than the scene itself was the man standing in front of him, staring at him coldly.
That man slowly raised the fist blade in his hand.
"N-no, no, no… you can't kill me. I'm a High R—ghh…"
The words never finished, dissolving into a hollow, leaking sound.
Zed glanced at Brill, who was clutching his throat, eyes filled with unwillingness. He flicked the blood from his fist blade and headed toward the next floor.
At the same time, large-scale emergency vital-sign alerts caught the attention of Trauma Team, prompting them to dispatch multiple squads to investigate the Militech building.
However, their upper management remained cautious. They first needed to confirm whether this was a corporate conflict. If it was… then there was no need to send in follow-up forces.
Ever since that incident, Trauma Team had stopped intervening in conflicts between corporations. The cost was simply too high—especially when it amounted to corporations tearing each other apart.
"Trauma Team has been alerted. Zed, you need to move faster."
Kelly had already noticed and immediately warned Zed over the comms.
"I know."
Zed nodded and cut the connection, then looked at the many members before him.
"Speed up. We're heading for the central elevator."
Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh—
As his words fell, the figures vanished in an instant, scattering in all directions to clear every obstacle in their path.
Boom!
Just as the area emptied, a thunderous crash erupted from a nearby wall. Smoke and dust billowed out, but a massive silhouette could still be seen slowly standing up inside it.
Whoosh—bang—
Zed leapt backward, narrowly avoiding the attack, then glanced at the enormous crack carved into the floor.
"Didn't expect someone to dare attack a Militech building. Still, at least it gives me something to do—keeps things from getting boring!"
As the dust settled, a tall, heavily built man spoke in a booming voice. A horn-like protrusion jutted from his head, and his skin looked like solid steel.
Zed merely narrowed his eyes, then extended his fist blade.
"You're in my way."
Whoosh—
A terrifying tearing sound cut through the air as Zed appeared in front of him in an instant.
"Hah!"
Boom!
The man raised both arms high and smashed them down. In a split second, debris flew everywhere. The sheer force pulverized the ground, even exposing the floor below.
Yet he didn't even touch the edge of Zed's clothing.
"Is dodging all you can do, insect?!"
The man roared as he stood back up. Zed only gave him a cold glance, retracted his fist blade, and calmly walked deeper into the building.
"You—"
Just as the man tried to speak, his eyes bulged wide. Blood vessels instantly filled his vision. Four sickening sounds of flesh tearing rang out, and an X-shaped wound appeared across his body.
Blood burst out like a fountain, instantly dyeing everything around him red. His massive body collapsed to the ground.
Thud!
By then, Zed had already reached the elevator shaft.
"I'm at the designated location. What's next?"
"Just throw those two little darlings down there and you can leave. You've got about thirty seconds to get out."
"Understood."
Zed nodded. After ending the call, he tossed them straight down.
Then, along with the surrounding figures, he sank into the ground.
Looking back along the way, everything was deathly silent—an efficiency of slaughter taken to its extreme. This was the Shadow Stream.
As for Trauma Team's AV… it had indeed arrived, but it had already been shot down. The reinforcements were still on their way.
Zed and his group were already aboard an armed AV, speeding off into the distance.
Thirty seconds passed in the blink of an eye.
The NCPD officers surrounding the area, along with the arriving Trauma Team AVs, stood there in a daze, staring at what lay before them.
A deafening roar blasted through everyone's ears. Those nearby were left with ringing heads, while the blinding white light made it impossible to open their eyes.
When the light finally faded, thick black smoke had formed a small mushroom cloud. Towering flames illuminated every face, scorching heat slamming into everyone nearby.
Yet a chill ran through every heart.
It's worth noting that the moment something happened to the Militech building, nearby corporations reacted instantly. They didn't hesitate for even a second—especially with Arasaka as a cautionary example. Every surrounding corp fled at top speed.
Still, being so close meant that some facilities were inevitably lost. The only thing that was truly saved… was personnel.
When Trauma Team's upper management received the news, they didn't hesitate either. They immediately ordered their people to erase the incident as if it had never happened, then tearfully prepared to refund the fees for those with heirs.
As for Trauma Team's opinion on who was behind all this…
Much as he hated to admit it, he thought it was Arasaka.
Arasaka: ?