Cyberpunk: Ultimate Cyborg System-Chapter 149: Would Be Catastrophic

After leaving the dark office with the wall-sized aquarium, Dante was led back to the elevator he had taken before. This time, the suited man with sharp eyes didn’t follow him inside. Dante was hoping to ask him a few questions on the way down, but he was just told to return to his post and continue his work.

’That... that was stressful...’

[Indeed,] Volcan said. [Aetherions sure are a difficult enemy to deal with.]

’You said it.’

Truth compulsion magic. Just knowing they were dealing with something like that changed his whole perspective on the heist.

’Don’t tell me they have some bastard that can read minds, too...’

[That would be catastrophic.]

Dante found himself looking for reasons as to why someone like that definitely didn’t exist. For starters, why bother with the magic equivalent of truth serum when they could just have someone read the target’s thoughts? And why not use that power to screen employees to ensure there are no rats among them?

’... Damn it...’

As if Cyborgs and Genomes weren’t enough trouble, now they have to deal with wizards as well. The upcoming war between the Stahlwölfes and law enforcement was looking to be quite brutal. There was also the Romanos to consider, too. All of a sudden, twenty million no longer felt like a sufficient reward for being embroiled in such a disaster.

~[ ]~

Blue Ember, the thirty-sixth floor. One of the luxurious suits had long since been dedicated as a resting area for the Stahlkorps, Klaus Stahlwölfe’s squad of elite bodyguards. All thirty members belonged to the same clan, and each one was a practitioner of the same mystical art, though their levels of proficiency varied to some extent.

At any given moment, fifteen of its members are scattered around the mansion on the thirty-seventh floor, overseeing the mundane guards and ensuring any threats beyond the capabilities of normal humans are dealt with. The remaining fifteen spend their time in the suit on the thirty-sixth floor, guarding the outer barrier while resting to recover.

Shirogane Makoto and the rest of the fifth team had their rest scheduled for the morning of November 16, but there wasn’t much rest to be had with their employer’s wedding approaching. Makoto, in particular, was entrusted with summoning a certain low-ranking employee from one of the hotel’s restaurants. The youth was a suspect in the ongoing investigation of an incident that took place just the day before.

There were still a few days before the Romanos arrived yet they were already having trouble. On November 15th, around 12:02, someone attempted to spy on the mansion they were tasked with guarding. Such an occurrence wasn’t out of the ordinary; a powerful man such as Klaus Stahlwölfe had far too many enemies, so it wasn’t unusual for some of them to send spies or assassins from time to time. Most would be captured and dealt with appropriately, but this time things were different.

Whoever made yesterday’s attempt retreated after discovering the barrier surrounding the thirty-seventh floor, and though their presence was noticed in time, they were still able to escape without leaving a trace behind, confusing all members of the squad.

Was the intruder incapable of infiltrating the barrier? Or were they unprepared and thus decided to make a temporary retreat to ensure their next attempt is more successful?

Whatever the case, the Stahlkorp had to ensure that the threat had been neutralized as soon as possible. Those who weren’t on guard duty had been assigned to investigate the potential suspects, and once a suspect is discovered, one of the team leaders is sent to summon them to a meeting with the squad leader.

The suspect Makoto was tasked with handling was employed less than a week ago. He had the bearing of a thug, with bright red hair that seemed natural, and dead eyes that spoke of a not-so-clean past. The only enhancement he had was on his hands, likely a common implant that fortifies the bones.

All in all, the red-haired youth didn’t appear like someone capable of outplaying the trained members of the Stahlkorps. Makoto saw no reason to bother with a kid so worthless he has to wash dishes for a living, and he expected his assessment to be proven true once the leader was done with the interrogation.

"Have two of your men follow that one."

Makoto was momentarily stunned, but he was quick to regain his composure.

"Understood." He said and bowed his head. "But, Sir, may I ask why you chose him specifically?"

"It’s just a feeling, but... he might have noticed my influence..."

The revelation struck like a hammer, instantly shattering Makoto’s previous assumptions.

"He... he noticed your influence..."

An odd silence filled the dark room. Some time later, a long sigh sounded and the chair behind the desk shifted. The man sitting on it, Shirogane Ushida, stood up and walked toward Makoto, his nephew, placing a hand on his shoulder and smiling wryly.

"His records show that he had been arrested before so it might just be that he was on guard against being questioned. I’m not suggesting that he’s the perpetrator, but it’s better to be sure."

Makoto’s eyes slowly narrowed, and the urge to argue ignited in his heart. His uncle had long since mastered Tongue of Truth, a powerful art that allows the user to draw a truthful answer out of anyone regardless of their will. The target might be able to resist the compulsion of the art for a short while, but requires a lot of mental fortitude, something a normal thug wouldn’t have.

"Sir, shouldn’t we eliminate him just in case?" Makoto asked.

"Makoto..." Sighing, Ushida slowly shook his head. "Our job is to protect the Stahlwölfe scion, not to hunt every rat that happened to wander into his land."

"... understand."

"That said, I will leave the final call to you. If it appears that he has more to him than meets the eye, don’t hesitate to bring down your blade."

Once again, Makoto’s expression hardened and his eyes regained their sharpness. Placing his right hand on the left side of his chest, he raised his head high and spoke with a determined voice.

"Sir! I will do everything in my power to carry out our duty with utmost care." Looking his uncle in the eyes, he added. "Consider this matter done."