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Storm Shadow bowed slightly, his voice steady and serious:
"Uchi no koto wa subete katazuke ta. Ima kara wa… ore wa anata no soba ni iru. Shinu made."
(I have taken care of all the matters at home. From now on… I will remain at your side until I die.)
Ethan nodded slowly, his voice calm, still in Japanese:
"Yōkoso, Storm Shadow."("Okay… welcome back, Storm Shadow.")
Storm Shadow inclined his head respectfully.
"Ore ni totte kōei desu, Ethan-sama. Mata anata no tame ni tsukaemasu."("It is my pleasure to serve you, Ethan-sama once again.")
Ethan remained quiet for a moment, thinking to himself. This was exactly what he had gained when he crushed the Universal Gacha card—Storm Shadow, fully loyal and with the proper background story, now added to his side. Everything fit together perfectly, just as the System had promised, and the timing was right.
Storm Shadow stepped forward and held out the white katana resting on his back.
"Kono katana wa… anata no haha no mono deshita. Ima kara wa… anata no mono desu, Ethan-sama."("This katana belonged to your mother. From now on… it is yours, Ethan-sama.")
Ethan took the sword carefully, feeling the weight and craftsmanship. It was simple, elegant, and perfectly balanced—a true Arashikage katana.
He nodded silently, understanding the gesture.
Storm Shadow then stepped aside and stood silently while Ethan remained kneeling by his mother's grave.
"Hello… can you speak English?" Coulson asked, holding up a hand.
"I can. And who are you?" Storm Shadow replied, turning toward him.
"My name is Robert Flair. I was Ethan's mother's lawyer," Coulson explained.
"I don't recall anyone like you being near the Madam," Storm Shadow said.
"We met during work. She also didn't tell me about you," Coulson added, keeping his tone calm.
"She is Sarah Lane, Ethan's secretary," Sarah said, nodding toward him.
"Can you tell us your relationship with Ethan?" Coulson asked.
Storm Shadow stayed silent for a moment.
Coulson continued, "Because you look like someone he could trust… I assume you were meant to protect him when the time came, so you helped him."
Ethan spoke before Storm Shadow could reply:
"He is reliable. A friend of my mother. My mother saved him, and he vowed to serve her with the rest of his life—but she asked him to change that vow to me. So now, he serves me."
Storm Shadow nodded silently, showing no objection.
"Also… I've seen him in action. He can take a building guarded by a thousand men and walk out alive after… clearing the whole thing," Ethan added quietly.
"So, you don't have to worry about his capabilities" Ethan said as Coulson nodded.
Suddenly, the calm of the cemetery shattered. From the tree line, a group of men in tactical gear appeared, weapons raised and firing. Bullets streaked past Ethan, cutting into the earth and tombstones around him.
Storm Shadow reacted instantly. With fluid precision, he drew a set of shuriken from his belt, spinning and flinging them with deadly accuracy. Each one found its mark, disabling the attackers without hesitation.
"Let's go! It isn't safe here!" Storm Shadow yelled, pulling Ethan back behind a gravestone for cover.
Ethan blinked, heart pounding. He had been expecting surprises—but not this. He cursed silently in his mind: This was not in the script.
[Don't look at me, Host. It is not my doing.]
The System replied as Ethan thought, Are these the same guys who killed the original Ethan… leading me to replace him?
Meanwhile, Coulson and Sarah ducked behind cover, watching cautiously. Storm Shadow fought back with fluid precision, each shuriken and each shot hitting its mark flawlessly.
Soon, the area was clear.
"How many more are coming?" Ethan asked.
"Not much," Storm Shadow replied. "We should leave the area. I can't protect all three of you for long," he said, glancing at Ethan, then at Sarah and Robert/Coulson.
"Okay, back to the car. I have mine modified into bulletproof," Ethan said as Sarah called the Arasaka Phantom over to a safer location.
"Thats why I told you to always have the guards with you! And now look at this!" Sarah admonished him.
"I didn't know some fuckers were after my life," Ethan muttered, pushing a hidden button as the car's voice announced, "Combat mode activated."
"What mode?" Coulson asked.
"Well… I tried to make my car like one of those in James Bond movies," Ethan replied with a wry smile. "Who knows when I might need it?" He'd prepared the excuse long ago.
"Sir, the car is moving on its own!" the driver panicked.
"Don't bother. It's my tech. Just fasten your seatbelt," Ethan said, adjusting his own seatbelt.
"Phantom, get me home," he commanded. The car began to move smoothly, effortlessly navigating the streets.
"Autodrive?" Coulson asked.
Ethan nodded.
The Phantom glided through the streets, tires barely making a sound on the asphalt. It raced breaking many laws.
Suddenly, Ethan noticed two vehicles closing in fast from behind.
"They're after us," Storm Shadow said calmly, scanning the approaching cars with sharp precision.
Ethan's fingers tapped a sequence on the dashboard. "Phantom, activate… Killer Mode."
A robotic voice echoed from the car's internal system: "Activated."
"This thing has killer mode too?" Coulson asked, eyes widening.
Ethan shrugged casually. "James Bond cars have guns and missiles."
All three of them stared at him.
"That is movie and this is real." Storm Shadow added, speechless what else to say.
"Where do you even acquire the bullets and Missiles?," Coulson asked looking at him.
"When did you even build this?" Sarah looked at him as if seeing him for the first time.
"Please, scold me later—after we make it back safely," Ethan replied, lifting his hands in surrender.
Storm Shadow looked out the window toward the pursuing cars.
"Ethan‑sama, if you want, I can eliminate them all. And even capture one alive so we can learn why they're after you."
Ethan considered it for a moment, then shook his head.
"Just stay by my side for now," he said calmly.
Storm Shadow nodded without hesitation. "Understood."