86-90

Chapter 86: The Sensation of Flesh Being Touched 

“Alright, fine.” 

Riku sighed, accepting the market’s reality. He couldn’t force people to pay up. 

Non-essentials were like that—especially overpriced ones. Nobody needed real meat to survive, especially not at 1,000 eddies per kilo. One meal could cost more than two months’ living expenses for most. Synthetic meat provided protein just fine, and even that was a luxury. Most folks scraped by on protein blocks. 

For a regular wage slave, a job offering protein blocks, veggie paste, and kombucha was already a rare find. 

“Alright, just deliver to the designated spot,” Father replied, sounding relieved. This was his first time dealing in this kind of trade. 

The black market wasn’t easy, especially for food. Unlike guns or vehicles with clear value, rare items like real meat should fetch a fortune in theory. But set a sky-high price, and you still needed buyers willing to bite. The problem? Those who could afford it had legit channels and no reason to touch shady goods. 

“Take it slow,” Riku said, weighing out ten kilos of venison and tossing in an extra half-kilo for good measure, aiming for repeat business. Dreams of overnight riches were unrealistic, but that wasn’t necessarily bad. Too much profit attracted greedy eyes—corpo dogs and rivals were like cats sniffing out fishy opportunities. High profits meant high risks. 

At this price, with his unique product, Riku was already drawing attention. But since this was his first deal and the volume was small, it’d likely fly under the radar—unless the buyer blabbed. Riku figured no sane person would. Even if they wanted to brag, they’d claim it was from a legit source. Admitting to buying black-market meat? That’d just make their flex fall flat. 

“Jack, you free right now?” Riku messaged Jack Welles, planning to hand off the delivery. 

He could’ve done it himself, but he wanted to give Jack and V some involvement. Knowing their personalities, they wouldn’t just take eddies without pulling their weight. 

“Sure, choom, I’m at Misty’s. What’s up?” Jack replied. He’d dropped V off at Vik’s and gone to see Misty. 

“Meat shop’s got a job. Handle the handoff,” Riku said, sending the location and details. 

“! On it!” Jack’s enthusiasm spiked at the sight of a 20,000-eddy deal. 

Soon, Riku met Jack and V at the door. V had tagged along—Vik had made quick work of removing the projectile launcher. 

“This is the 20,000?” Jack asked, taking the meat, his tone skeptical, like it didn’t feel real. 

“Don’t complain. That’s a solid price for the black market,” Riku said, having made peace with it. Treating the 20,000 as found money made it easier to swallow. 

“Uh…” Jack froze, exchanging a glance with V. He wasn’t complaining—far from it. A can of synthetic meat cost 15-20 eddies. Selling at 1,000 per kilo? That was insane. 

They didn’t ask where Riku got it, sensing it wasn’t their place. They packed the meat in a black bag and left. 

Once they were gone, Riku pulled out a looted submachine gun and repeated the flesh activation process. Melee weapons could be flesh-activated, and ranged ones were no exception. Soon, the gun was enveloped in his blood and flesh. 

He set it aside and resumed training. After about an hour, he got feedback that the activation was complete. Picking up the submachine gun, Riku examined it closely. 

Its appearance had changed—now blood-red, etched with eerie dark patterns. Its new ability let Riku manipulate the bullets’ trajectory at will. Even better, if he ran out of ammo, he could replenish it with his flesh. 

As long as Riku held the gun, it was essentially aimbot with infinite, recyclable ammo. 

Bang! 

Riku fired at the wall. The bullet veered, drifting through the room in loops before dropping weakly to the floor. He picked it up, and it melted back into his hand as flesh. 

“No change in raw firepower, but I can control the trajectory. Too many redirects weaken it, though,” Riku noted. The ability was like a smart weapon, but smoother and more precise. The infinite ammo was the real win—saving eddies and reload time. 

Riku experimented further. Without the weapon as a medium, he couldn’t activate bullets alone, just like he couldn’t grow a katana from his hand without a blade. “What about this?” he wondered, activating an armor-piercing round. He couldn’t replicate it independently, but he could load it into the flesh-activated gun. 

“So, I can swap bullet types?” Riku realized. Any bullet compatible with the gun, once flesh-activated, could be loaded with his flesh. 

“Could a bullet explode inside an enemy for extra damage?” The gun’s quality was higher than the katana’s, offering more abilities. Riku kept testing, gunfire echoing through the room. 

Boom! 

“Shit, Riku! You okay?!” The door burst open, Jack Welles charging in with V close behind, both armed and tense. 

“Uh…” Riku, caught off guard, had already stashed the gun after sensing their approach. But they’d clearly heard the shots. 

“Dammit, no one’s here?! What’re you doing?” V lowered her gun, exasperated. They’d thought the meat deal had gone south and Riku was under attack. 

“Deal’s done?” Riku asked, dodging the question. 

“Of course. What could go wrong?” V said, flopping into a chair and picking up the flesh-activated submachine gun. “What’s this paint job? Pretty cool.” 

“Uh… you good?” V asked, noticing Riku’s odd expression, like he was holding something back. 

“…” 

Riku was indeed holding back. V handling the gun felt like someone was stroking his very flesh—a bizarre, unsettling sensation. 

Chapter 87: Pick a Weapon That Feels Right 

“Did you deal with the junk you picked up?” 

Riku changed the subject, smoothly taking back his gun to keep V from fiddling with it.  

“Hah, Old Vic kept the projectile launcher. Charged him 5,000—guy made a killing!”  

V grinned. Old Vic, the cyberdoc, always had a market for stuff like that.  

“The flamethrower’s still looking for a buyer.”  

Kenryū’s flamethrower wasn’t hard to sell either. Drop the price a bit, and it’d move fast.  

V transferred 1,250 to Riku, splitting the haul fairly since they’d nabbed the loot together on a mission.  

Riku didn’t say much, just sent 3,000 each to Jack Wells and V—their cut from a deer meat deal.  

20,000 total: 1,000 to the priest, 3,000 each to Jack and V, leaving Riku with 13,000.  

“Let’s hit Kenryū. Time to grab a weapon that feels right.”  

Riku stood up. After today’s haul, he’d raked in 21,750. Checking his balance, he had 22,950 left, including what he’d saved before.  

What can you say? Cyber-ronin like them, if they survived, made cash at a speed that’d make regular folks’ jaws drop.  

That kind of money? Normal people would save for years, only to blow it on saving their own skin or their family’s.  

“You got enough eddies for that?”  

V raised an eyebrow, skeptical, hearing Riku’s bold plan to shop at Kenryū—the top-tier melee weapon maker, and naturally, the priciest.  

“Don’t I have you guys?”  

Riku cracked a joke. The latest models were probably out of reach, but even an older Kenryū blade would outshine most knives. He badly needed a better weapon.  

“Tch!”  

Jack Wells and V both flipped him off, laughing.  

“I’ve got some cash left. Haven’t spent much since upgrading my guns. I can spot you—pay me back by next year. I’m saving up for a Nazare.”  

Jack showed off his twin pistols, a pair of shiny gold Hissatsu Babes that had clearly been modded to hell and back.  

Gun modding was huge these days. Street techs loved it—cheaper than new guns, so why not juice up the old reliables?  

“Whoa, ARCH’s Nazare? That concept bike dropping next year?”  

V’s eyes widened. She hadn’t pegged Jack for dreaming that big. That ride? Probably 150,000 eddies, minimum.  

“The Nazare’s not just a bike. It’s a lifestyle. A man’s romance.”  

Jack recited the ad slogan, making V’s lips twitch. Man’s romance, my ass—just rich-guy flexing.  

The trio bantered as they rolled into the city’s commercial district, where Kenryū’s shop stood.  

Next to the corporate plaza, packed with NCPD and company guards, this place felt freer.  

“Fifty years ago, this was just nuclear rubble,” Jack mused, eyeing the massive, gleaming office towers, apartments, corporate hotels, and restaurants.  

Night had fallen, and the district glowed with a lavish vibe—a reminder this wasn’t a place for regular folks.  

This was the high-end district, Night City’s social hub. Prices here? Sky-high.  

The wide, bright streets buzzed with people and traffic, neon signs flashing everywhere.  

Old-school bars, trendy clubs, strip joints, fast-food spots, and “one-night” motels blinked their ads relentlessly.  

The three hopped out of their ride and stepped into Kenryū’s shop. Right away, Riku’s eyes locked onto a particular weapon.  

“Great taste, sir! That’s our latest chainsaw katana.”  

The clerk caught Riku’s gaze and dove in with enthusiasm.  

“Look at those razor-sharp teeth. They’ll slice through your enemies’ flesh like nothing. Plus, the chainsaw’s got a flame effect—wield this, and your foes will scream in a blaze of blood and fire.”  

The clerk grabbed the chainsaw katana and flicked it on.  

“BZZZZZ!”  

The noise roared through the shop, drawing every eye. The blade spun, flames licking the serrated edges, giving off a loyal, trusty vibe.  

“Sorry, it’s a bit loud. But with this kind of power, who cares?”  

The clerk shrugged, hands trembling slightly as he shut it off and placed it back in the display. Not everyone could handle a weapon like that.  

“Damn, that thing’s psycho,” V muttered, wincing. Getting hit by that? You could imagine the pain.  

“One swing, and you’re donezo.”  

Jack nodded, impressed. The vibration alone would wreck most people, but maybe it was perfect for Riku?  

Riku was tempted. The raw destruction, the special effects, the potential for blood-flesh activation—it was a beast.  

Then he saw the price: 35,000. He held off. Let’s check other options first.  

“Not quite right? How about this Kenryū M-53 Power Tachi?”  

The clerk didn’t miss a beat, guiding them to another display.  

“The Power Tachi is Kenryū’s signature. Unmatched quality. It uses the latest micro-serrated crystal blade tech—cuts through enemies like they’re paper.”  

He showed off the sword, and damn, Riku’s heart skipped again. That shiny blade? Pure kakkoii.  

The price, though? A cool 40,000. Maybe… something else?  

“Still not sold? Check out this classic Ni-Tou single-edge. Timeless perfection. In production since 2019, with a laser-embedded hilt—customize the color, and you’ll be the coolest ronin on the block.”  

The clerk grabbed another blade, less flashy but still sleek. The laser kicked on, and yeah, it was pretty sugoi.  

Bang!  

Before Riku could respond, the clerk’s head exploded right in front of him. He jumped back, barely dodging the splatter.  

“Everybody get the hell out, or we’ll mow you down!”  

A group of goons stormed in, guns out, no masks—pure, reckless yakuza energy.  

Boom!  

The shop’s turret at the door got blasted. The crew rushed in, stuffing weapons into bags.  

Bang! Bang! Bang!  

The staff weren’t so lucky, dropping one by one. The goons had plants in the shop, targeting the employees.  

They weren’t here to slaughter everyone, but stray bullets caught a few unlucky souls, leaving them in pools of blood.  

“What the hell…”  

Jack, V, and Riku crouched among the panicking crowd, faces a mix of shock and adrenaline.  

V shot Riku a look, sending a quick message:  

“We taking these punks out?”  

Chapter 88: The Best Ad for a Weapon is Real Combat 

"Hold up, let 'em leave first." 

V and Riku's sneaky glances were quickly caught by Jack Wells. He shot them a quick message. 

Riku glanced over at Jack, who was crouched to the side, playing the innocent bystander. The burly guy winked at him. 

The message was clear: no need to pick and choose now. Whatever these punks grab, we’ll use. They’re doing a zero-yen shopping spree, and we’re just cleaning up the trash. No reason to turn down a gift from nature itself, right? 

But things didn’t go quite as Riku and the others expected. Out of nowhere, a samurai wielding a dōryoku-ken (power sword) stormed in. 

Clad head-to-toe in crimson samurai armor, the guy’s crystal blade gleamed with an eerie light, like he’d stepped straight out of an Arasaka commercial. 

The red-armored samurai moved like a blur, swinging his dōryoku-ken in a single, deadly arc. The two bandits guarding the door didn’t stand a chance—sliced clean in half at the waist. 

Before anyone could even process it, he flickered again, already at the next bandit’s side. 

Shing! 

With a flick of his glowing crystal blade, one bandit’s head went flying. Another swing, and the next guy was bisected just as easily. 

“AAAAHHH!!!” 

In the blink of an eye, four bandits were reduced to bloody heaps, their limbs scattered across the floor. Only then did the crowd snap out of it, screaming in panic. 

“Damn it! Friggin’ corpo dogs! They set us up!?” 

The surviving bandits, witnessing the carnage, cursed under their breath and bolted for the exit. 

Bang! Bang! Bang! 

One hand lugging bags of loot, the other unloading a hail of bullets, the five or six remaining bandits formed a desperate fire net, all aimed at the red-armored samurai. 

“Face justice!”  

The samurai let out a booming shout, leaping forward. His dōryoku-ken danced in his hands, deflecting every bullet with precision. 

“Ha!” 

With another yell, he landed right in the middle of the bandits. His power sword slashed left and right, sending severed limbs flying in a gruesome display. 

“AAAAHHH!!!” 

The bandits’ screams were gut-wrenching. Against this red-armored samurai, they were utterly powerless. 

But somehow, one bandit managed to slip out of the shop unscathed, his luck so unreal it raised suspicions. 

The samurai didn’t chase him. Instead, he struck a dramatic pose, holding his dōryoku-ken aloft, as if admiring the weapon in his hands. 

Then, in a slow, deliberate tone, he delivered his line: 

“Kenritsu Dōryoku-ken. Quality guaranteed. Cutting-edge micro-serrated crystal blade technology. Slice your enemies to pieces.” 

With the floor littered with severed limbs and bisected bandits, the ad’s credibility was off the charts. You couldn’t not believe it. 

“...” 

Riku’s jaw dropped. This was a damn commercial?!  

“Damn it! After that guy!”  

Snapping out of his shock, Riku remembered their goal. If they didn’t move now, nature’s gift was gonna slip away! 

The three of them bolted out, blending in with the other lucky survivors scrambling to escape. 

“No! No way!” 

Out on the streets, the lone bandit ran in a blind panic, not daring to look back. He darted into a shadowy alley. 

Like the rest of Yoru no Machi (Night City), the commercial district had a darker side—hidden by day, alive at night. Dark alleys, grimy corners, seedy hotels. Thugs from every district gathered here for their vices: drug deals, illegal chōmu (braindance), you name it. Even the city center wasn’t immune. 

“That bastard was really trying to kill me!”  

The bandit gasped for air, heart pounding. He’d come this close to dying back there. 

“Those damn bastards! They played me!” 

This was a staged robbery. The bandit was actually a Kenritsu employee. 

Under the company’s orders, he’d rounded up a bunch of dimwitted goons and armed them for the job. He’d told each one that Kenritsu would only kill half of them, convincing every single one they’d be the half that survived. 

But Kenritsu didn’t just screw over the goons—they screwed him too! They were planning to take him out along with the rest, just like the poor saps working the shop counter. 

If he hadn’t installed a reflex booster, barely dodging that fatal strike, he’d be a headless corpse right now. 

“Mr. Hinton, you shouldn’t have run. You knew you couldn’t escape.” 

The bandit froze. At the end of the alley stood a man holding a katana. 

Unlike the red-armored samurai, this guy wasn’t decked out in flashy armor. He wore a sleek, black yoroi (night suit), his face hidden like a classic Japanese ninja. 

“Stay put and die quietly. The company will compensate your family.” 

The ninja with the katana stepped forward slowly, each step heavy with the weight of death. 

“Compensate my family? Screw that!” 

Hinton gritted his teeth, pulling a dōryoku-ken from his bag and tossing the loot aside. 

“Who’s that fast?” 

At the alley’s corner, Riku, V, and Jack Wells watched the bandit face off with the black-clad figure. They held back, not making a move. 

They’d tailed the bandit into the alley, but before they could act, someone else had beaten them to it. Not surprising—plenty of people saw the guy flee with the bag. They weren’t the only ones eyeing nature’s gift. 

Bang! Bang! Bang! 

Gunshots echoed through the alley. Hinton knew it was futile, but he still emptied a clip at the ninja. 

The black-clad figure swayed, closing the distance while dodging every bullet with ease. In a flash, he was in front of Hinton, his katana slicing down. 

“Damn it!” 

Hinton cursed, tossing his gun aside and raising his dōryoku-ken to meet the attack. 

Clang! 

The clash of blades rang out. The ninja’s strike was blocked, a flicker of surprise crossing his face before he regained his cool. 

“No wonder you got away. You’ve got a Kerenzikov installed.” 

The ninja swung again, his blade aimed at Hinton’s neck, moving a clear notch faster than his opponent. 

“Too bad it’s low-grade.” 

With those words, the katana sliced through Hinton’s neck. His head flew, slamming into the wall, his face frozen in a mix of defiance and fear. 

“...” 

From their corner, Riku, V, and Jack watched the whole fight. They exchanged glances. Jack’s eyes screamed retreat—this wasn’t worth it. 

I hereby declare Palworld the true successor to Pokémon! 

Chapter 89: A New Use for Kekkijutsu 

Getting away wasn’t gonna be that easy. The black-clad ninja had already spotted them. 

He charged straight at them, moving like a blur—no intention of stopping for a friendly chat.  

“Kuso!”  

V cursed, looking pissed, and didn’t hesitate to open fire. Her Ajax rifle unleashed a storm of bullets.  

The ninja deflected with his katana, dodging and weaving, but he was noticeably slower than before. Several rounds hit their mark.  

“He’s not daring to overuse his Sandevistan!”  

Jack Wells caught on quick. The ninja was clearly saving his Sandevistan for critical moments.  

That kind of cyberware puts a crazy strain on the body. Even with heavy cyberization, you can’t just spam it.  

“Fall back and cover me. I’ll test this guy’s mettle.”  

Riku drew his blade and stepped forward, the blood-red katana pulsing with dense kekkijutsu energy.  

Clang!  

No fancy footwork here—just a straight-up clash. Riku’s blade met the ninja’s head-on.  

The ninja staggered back a few steps, looking rough. Shock flashed in his eyes—he clearly hadn’t expected this outcome.  

Riku paused too, feeling his katana groan under the strain, like it was struggling to keep up.  

That one strike told him a lot. First, there was a clear gap in weapon quality.  

Second, this ninja had physical capabilities way beyond normal—more like top-tier cyberware.  

To take that hit head-on and only stumble back a few steps? No regular human body could pull that off.  

Even if it wasn’t obvious on the outside, this ninja’s body was likely packed with high-end cybernetic parts.  

Riku pressed forward, gripping his katana tightly, slashing with relentless ferocity like a tidal wave.  

“Mizu no Kokyū: Shi no Kata - Uderu Shio!” (Water Breathing: Fourth Form - Striking Tide!)  

Riku’s blood was pumping. This guy was a solid opponent—perfect for testing his combat skills.  

Sure, his katana wasn’t as good, but it wouldn’t break that easily. And even if it did, he could restore it instantly.  

“Be careful!”  

V’s shout carried a hint of worry, but she and Jack didn’t rush in recklessly.  

Charging in would only mess things up. Better to play to their strengths and provide ranged support.  

“I really need to upgrade my cyberware,” V muttered, clenching her jaw.  

Her cyberization was pretty light—no heavy-duty implants.  

Always letting Riku take the front line made her feel guilty. If they had subdermal armor, they could tank some hits too.  

“This guy’s subdermal armor is high-grade!”  

Jack’s armor-piercing rounds had hit the ninja earlier but barely scratched him.  

The ninja’s armor was leagues above the street punks they’d faced before—way harder to punch through.  

“Aim for the eyes! Time to show off your shashin skills!”  

V took aim, steadying her shot. She was starting to think that instead of more cyberware, a tech weapon like the Tsunami Nekomata would be a better investment.  

With a Nekomata in hand, this ninja wouldn’t dare charge her head-on. One shot, and his head would be sayonara!  

Clang! Clang! Clang!  

The ninja kept retreating, parrying Riku’s onslaught.  

“Some kinda Beast Gang muscle mod?”  

The ninja’s cybernetic eyes scanned Riku. No major cyberware detected, yet his strength was inhuman—definitely some kind of bio-modification.  

His own arm implants—nanofiber muscles, bionic joints—were straining under the pressure.  

And this big guy wasn’t just strong. He was fast, not clunky at all, like some natural-born predator.  

The ninja noticed Riku’s breathing pattern—deep, rhythmic, sucking in tons of oxygen. His heart was pounding, blood flowing at a crazy rate.  

Just pumping adrenaline, huh? Like I can’t do that too!  

Huff!  

The ninja activated his adrenaline booster. His breathing sped up, heart racing, pupils dilating as his whole body surged with excitement.  

Bzzt!  

He triggered his Sandevistan again. The world slowed to a crawl in his eyes, even Riku’s swift movements turning sluggish.  

“No reaction booster, huh?”  

The ninja exhaled in relief. He’d thought he was up against a real monster.  

Riku’s vision blurred as the ninja rushed him at blinding speed—too fast to react.  

“Kage Ookami!” (Shadow Wolf!)  

Sensing the Sandevistan, Riku summoned his shadow. It surged from the ground, shielding his side.  

Slash!  

The ninja’s katana carved through the Kage Ookami. It hadn’t even fully formed before the blade tore it apart.  

But cutting through the shadow drained the strike’s force. The blade hit Riku’s subdermal armor—and didn’t break through.  

“What the hell?!”  

The ninja froze, thrown off. It felt like his katana had sunk into a swamp, barely breaking free.  

Clang!  

Riku swung back instantly, his blade slicing toward the ninja who’d appeared at his side.  

Boom!  

The strike didn’t pierce the ninja’s armor but sent him flying, crashing into a wall.  

Bang! Bang! Bang!  

Riku yanked the submachine gun from his waist, unloading a clip of armor-piercing rounds at the ninja.  

But the ninja reacted, his figure blurring again as he closed the distance like a teleporting shinobi.  

“Kage Ookami!”  

Another unformed shadow surged out, blocking the ninja’s blade. Riku had stumbled onto a new use for his Kekkijutsu: Kage.  

Back when he fought Sakonji Urokodaki, he’d used Kage Ookami to block damage out of desperation.  

Now, it was intentional. He didn’t even need the wolf to fully form.  

He could summon the shadow into a Kage Tate (Shadow Shield), a barrier to block attacks.  

The shield wasn’t super tough, but its ability to slow and cling to enemy strikes was insane—perfect for blocking melee and ranged attacks.  

“What the hell is this?!”  

The ninja’s eyes widened as he slashed through the shadow again. He saw it clearly this time—but he didn’t get it!  

Bzzt!  

The bullets Riku fired curved mid-air, homing in on the ninja’s eyes.  

The ninja dodged backward, slashing his katana to cut down the weird tracking rounds.  

“Smart weapons?! No way!”  

He shouted in confusion. He’d seen it clear as day—that gun wasn’t smart tech!  

Bang! Bang! Bang!  

V and Jack seized the moment, unloading rounds at the ninja.  

His subdermal armor was tough, but even top-grade armor couldn’t hold up forever against specialized armor-piercing ammo.  

“Kage Ookami.”  

Riku summoned the shadow again, this time letting it fully form.  

The ninja went on high alert. This thing was beyond his understanding—completely unknown tech!  

Man, this Phantom Beast Palu’s got some charm. It’s a bit rough around the edges, but if they keep it up without screwing around, it’s got serious breakout potential.  

Chapter 90: A Big Haul 

The black-clad ninja’s guard was up, but it didn’t matter. Kage-ōkami (Shadow Wolf) didn’t attack him. Instead, it darted out, snatched Hinton’s dōryoku-ken (power sword) in its jaws, and zipped back to Riku’s side before vanishing. 

“Alright, now the real fight begins.” 

Riku swapped weapons, striking a forward-leaning stance, his feet surging with power as he lunged. The tip of his blade aimed straight for the ninja’s chest. 

Shizuku Hamon Gekitotsu (Droplet Ripple Thrust), the fastest lunging sword form of Mizu no Kokyū (Water Breathing). The blade struck like raindrops hitting a pond, rippling outward in waves. 

Buzz! 

The world slowed in the ninja’s eyes as he triggered his Sandevistan again. 

His body screamed warnings—Sandevistan was tearing him apart from the inside. 

But he had no choice. If he didn’t use it, he’d be dead. 

The ninja sidestepped Riku’s thrust, then mustered every ounce of strength, slashing his katana toward Riku’s neck. 

His cybernetic arm was in overload mode, teetering on the edge of breaking. Adrenaline pumped wildly, his body temperature skyrocketed, and his nanofiber muscles bulged to their limit. 

If this strike failed, he’d bolt. He was just an agent—why risk his life for this? 

Shing! 

That shadowy figure blocked his blade again, like a swamp sucking in his strike, slowing its force. 

“AAAARGH!!!” 

The ninja roared, swinging with all his might. He finally broke through the shadow’s defense, his blade slicing into Riku’s neck. 

The sharp edge hit Riku’s subdermal armor and reinforced synth-skin, which fought stubbornly against the cut. 

But Kenritsu Group wasn’t kidding about their product quality. Their blades were the real deal—every sword top-notch.  

The blade met resistance but soon sliced through the subdermal armor and synth-skin, cutting into Riku’s flesh. 

To the ninja’s shock, this big guy’s flesh was unnaturally tough. He nearly got his blade stuck in Riku’s neck muscles. 

“Damn it! My eddies!” 

Pain shot through Riku’s neck, but his first thought was the 110,000 eddies he’d spent on that subdermal armor! Fueled by pure rage, he swung his blade at the ninja who’d appeared at his side. 

The ninja didn’t dodge, still struggling to finish the job and take Riku’s head. He was this close. 

Shing! 

He did it. With one final, desperate swing, the ninja’s blade, sharp as ever, cleaved Riku’s head clean off. 

“Finally…” 

The ninja let out a long breath. That was one hell of a fight. 

This guy had some weird tech—like an auto-defense system that could morph into a shield or even a giant wolf. It was agile, mind-blowing stuff he’d never heard of. 

Clang! 

He casually deflected a slash from the headless corpse’s final swing, his trembling arm barely holding up. 

But the moment he blocked it, his face twisted. No way a headless corpse should have that kind of strength! 

BOOM! 

The ninja was sent flying, crashing into a wall, his face blank with confusion, like he was stuck in a dream. 

Shing! 

Before he could react, a blade flew at him, piercing his chest and pinning him to the wall, straight through his heart. 

His backup heart kicked in. Gasping for air, the ninja’s confusion turned to raw fear of the unknown. He couldn’t wrap his head around this. What the hell was happening?! 

The headless corpse lunged forward, grabbed the blade’s handle, and twisted it viciously, shredding half the ninja’s body. Kenritsu’s blade proved its worth again, slicing through the backup heart as cybernetic overload and blood loss hit at once. Blood sprayed everywhere. 

The ninja opened his mouth, but before he could speak, the headless corpse swung again, lopping off his head. 

Kage-ōkami padded over to the headless body. Riku’s head sat on its back. The body picked it up, reattached it to his neck, and the wound sealed up in seconds. 

“That was… a weird feeling.” 

Riku muttered, shaking his head. Head detached, yet he could still control his body perfectly. Words couldn’t describe it. 

He eyed the ninja’s corpse, swallowing hard. Reaching out, he grabbed the severed head. 

First, he yanked out the cybernetic eyes, then ripped out the neural interface. No way was he letting this guy leave any footage behind. 

The fight ended fast. Unless this guy was live-streaming his vision to someone else, any recording wouldn’t have had time to upload. 

“Riku…” 

V and Jack Wells stepped closer, their faces a mix of shock and awe. They’d seen everything. 

“We’ll talk later. Let’s grab the loot first.” 

Riku waved them off. Now wasn’t the time for chit-chat—safety first. 

V and Jack exchanged a glance and nodded. They got it. Questions could wait; grabbing the loot and getting out was priority one. 

“This guy’s got some nice gear,” V said, eyeing the ninja’s body, practically drooling. “That Sandevistan alone’s worth a fortune.” 

“Might still be salvageable,” Riku agreed. He’d hacked the guy to pieces, so the organs were toast, but the Sandevistan might still be intact. 

“No clue how to pull it,” Jack muttered. 

The three stared at each other. No tech expert in the crew meant they were clueless about handling cyberware. 

“Can’t take the whole body. Too risky—could have trackers,” Riku said, shutting down the idea. Too many unknowns. 

To be safe, he smeared a layer of his own bio-flesh over the neural interface and cyber-eyes, letting it slowly meld and neutralize any potential trackers. 

“Screw it! Let’s just rip it out!”  

V gritted his teeth and got to work, proving why he was the king of scavenging. The Sandevistan was an OS chip tied to the spine. No idea how to extract it? Simple—yank out the whole spine. 

Riku grabbed the bag of swords and, for good measure, ripped out the bandit’s spine too. One smooth motion, and he was practically drooling over the haul. 

With the bodies stripped, the three hightailed it out of there. 

Another weekend gone, and I haven’t done a damn thing. 

(Chapter End)