Cyberpunk Chivalry — Chapter 4

I AM ASH, A WANDERING SWORDSMAN WITH NO AFFILIATION.

I SHALL FACE YOU WITH THIS SWORD YOU SO KINDLY PROVIDED, MASTER SANTA.

SANTA CLAUDE. BARTENDER.

AND I'LL TAKE YOU ON WITH THIS PEACEKEEPER.

HERE I COME.

HE'S FAST!

HE'S NOT JUST FAST.

HE'S ACTUALLY REACTING TO THE SHOTS AND DODGING THEM?!

THAT'S INCREDIBLE!

HE'S OUT OF AMMUNITION!

NOW!!

SURELY HE WAS STILL RELOADING?!

...HA! YOUR SPEECH IS REFINED, BUT YOUR MOVES ARE DOWNRIGHT TERRIFYING.

ARE YOU A HUMANOID BUILT BACK IN THE CORPORATE WAR ERA?

NO, THAT CAN'T BE. AUTONOMOUS PROCESSES WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED YET BACK THEN.

...MORE IMPORTANTLY, DID YOU NOT NEED TO RELOAD JUST NOW?

I DID. AND I RELOADED.

IN SO LITTLE TIME?!

...AN INTRIGUING TECHNIQUE.

Hloh

NOW, HOW ABOUT WE PICK UP THE PACE?

I'VE GOT A ROUGH IDEA OF WHAT YOU CAN DO NOW,

SO LET'S HAVE A PROPER FIGHT,

MR. TECHNO SWORDSMAN.

MISTER!!

THE BULLETS SEEM ALMOST ALIVE.

THERE'S NO WAY TO DODGE THEM!

BULLETS THAT CURVE!

DOES THIS NOT RIVAL THE TANG FAMILY'S THROWING-BLADE TECHNIQUES?

WHAT THE FUCK?! HE'S BATTING BULLETS AWAY WITH A BLADE?!

IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE?!

I'VE SEEN COUNTLESS BATTLES, BUT NEVER ANYTHING LIKE THIS.

THIS WILL NEVER END AT THIS RATE.

NEURO INTERNAL ART ACTIVATED

POWER CONSUMPTION INCREASED REMAINING POWER: 67%

H-HEH HEH!

WHAT... WHAT ARE YOU, REALLY?!

I AM EXACTLY WHO I SAID I WAS WHEN I INTRODUCED MYSELF.

DAMN IT, I HATE THAT ANSWER.

SEE? I TOLD YOU!

MY MR. ASH IS SUPER STRONG!

Boo! Grandpa Santa's a has-been! Booo!

MASTER SANTA, HAVE I PROVEN MY WORTH?

YEAH! YOU'RE NOT JUST USEFUL,

YOU'RE FUCKING USEFUL AS HELL!!

THEN, WILL YOU WRITE THE RECOMMENDATION LETTER?

THAT'S RIGHT! HURRY UP AND GIVE ME MY RECOMMENDATION!

...DAMN IT! I'LL WRITE IT! I'LL WRITE IT!!

SO MUCH HAS HAPPENED.

THIS ISN'T FREE! IT'S ON CREDIT!

WHY DO YOU KEEP GRINNING, YOU LITTLE BRAT?!

I SAID YOU'RE PAYING FOR THIS!!

WITH THE SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT WE SECURED FROM MASTER SANTA,

MY LEFT ARM WAS REPAIRED AND SYNCHRONIZED.

WE ALSO ACQUIRED A SMALL SPACE ON THE REST STOP'S SECOND FLOOR WHERE MISS AKINA AND I COULD STAY,

AND I LAID THE FOUNDATIONS OF MY INTERNAL ART.

IT WILL TAKE SOME TIME TO ADJUST.

WOOHOO! YOU LOOK SO COOL, MR. ASH!

MISS AKINA, WHEN DID YOU ARRIVE?

JUST A LITTLE WHILE AGO!

WHAT OF THE LICENSES?

TA-DA! COOL, RIGHT?

COME ON UP! I'LL SHOW YOU!

VERY WELL.

THERE YOU ARE!

This is so exciting!

HERE.

YOU NEED THIS TO PASS THROUGH THE GATES,

AND IT ALSO LETS YOU USE PATHFINDER-ONLY SERVICES, THE JOB BOARD, AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

OH, IT HOLDS YOUR CREDITS TOO. IT'S BASICALLY YOUR ID AND WALLET IN ONE, SO...

DON'T LOSE IT!

BUT... WHAT IS THIS "BLADE"?

OH, THAT? THERE WERE SEPARATE FIELDS FOR A FIRST AND LAST NAME,

SO I JUST PUT DOWN WHATEVER CAME TO MIND.

THEY SAID IT MIGHT GET REJECTED IF I LEFT IT BLANK OR SOMETHING.

YOU'RE GOOD WITH A SWORD,

SO I PUT DOWN "BLADE," BUT...

DON'T YOU LIKE IT?

SHOULD I CHANGE IT?

I like it...

THERE IS NO NEED.

...A RATHER EVOCATIVE NAME.

...I LIKE IT VERY MUCH.

REALLY? I KNEW YOU WOULD!

THE ION STORM SHOULD DIE DOWN SOON.

THAT'LL PROBABLY BE WHEN WE HEAD OUT FOR THE FIRST TIME.

YOU MEAN THE ACTIVE SEASON? WHEN DOES IT BEGIN?

HMM. I'D HAVE TO CHECK THE WEATHER FORECAST TO BE SURE,

BUT AS EARLY AS TOMORROW, OR MAYBE THE DAY AFTER?

YOU'RE READY TO GO TO THE OUTER, RIGHT, MR. ASH?

I AM READY WHENEVER YOU ARE.

MISS AKINA.

DO YOU REMEMBER THE DAY YOU AWAKENED ME?

OF COURSE. SO MUCH HAS CHANGED SINCE THEN.

WHY DO YOU ASK?

DID YOU NOT ASK FOR MY HELP?

WILL YOU HELP ME IF I TELL YOU?

I WILL.

YOU SAID QUITE CLEARLY...

THAT YOU WOULD REPAIR MY BODY,

AND ASKED ME TO HELP YOU ONCE THE REPAIRS WERE COMPLETE. AND...

MY REPAIRS WERE COMPLETED TODAY.

I NOW HAVE BOTH ARMS AND LEGS.

SO, TELL ME.

HOW CAN I REPAY YOU FOR SAVING MY LIFE?

REVENGE.

I WANT REVENGE.

HEAVENLY DEMON!!

I SWEAR I'LL TEAR YOU APART AND KILL YOU!

I WILL APPEASE THE VENGEFUL SOULS OF MY SECT!

I WILL DESTROY EVERYTHING YOU HAVE!

WITH THESE HANDS! WITH THIS SWORD!!

THE RESEMBLANCE IS PAINFULLY STRIKING.

I SHOULD HEAD INSIDE NOW.

THE ACTIVE SEASON COULD START SOON, AFTER ALL.

Gotta stay in good shape.

SEE YOU TOMORROW, THEN!

ASH AND BLADE, THEN.

FOR ONE WHO KILLED SO MANY,

ONLY TO MEET HIS

OWN DEATH IN EMPTINESS,

THIS IS A FITTING

PUNISHMENT INDEED.