Cyberpunk Chivalry — Chapter 7

THEY'RE A MEGACORP THAT CONTROLS EVERY KIND OF MEDIA CHANNEL IN SANCTUM.

IT BREATHES LIFE INTO THE ENCLOSED CITY BY PROVIDING ITS CITIZENS WITH DREAMS, HOPE, AND A ""LITTLE"" ENTERTAINMENT.

IT CALLS ITS AFFILIATED PATHFINDERS ""IDOLS""

AND DEVOTES ITSELF WHOLEHEARTEDLY TO VIVIDLY BROADCASTING THEIR HEROIC EXPLOITS.

IDOLS WON'T HESITATE TO DO CRAZY THINGS IF IT MAKES FOR GREAT CONTENT,

SO IF YOU MEET ONE, YOU ABSOLUTELY MUST BE CAREFUL!

TA-DA! YOUR LEAST FAVORITE BITCH IS HERE!!

WHY?! FUCK! WHY THE HELL ARE YOU DOING THIS?!

WHAT DID WE EVER DO WRONG?!

HOW THE HELL SHOULD I KNOW?

WH-WHAT...?

I SAID, HOW SHOULD I KNOW WHAT YOU DID WRONG?

YOU'RE DYING SIMPLY BECAUSE YOU'RE A R.E.S.T MAN.

BECAUSE THERE'S NOTHING IN THIS WORLD I HATE MORE THAN R.E.S.T MEN.

YOU CRAZY BITCH!

WOW!

DID YOU ALL SEE THAT? THAT WAS SOME INSANE DESTRUCTIVE POWER! THAT'S THE BLOODY HEART MK. 7, THE LATEST MODEL FROM "CHAKA CHAKA INDUSTRIES" FOR YA!

AAARGH! DIE!!!!!

KILLER DESIGN, RIGHT? ITS PERFORMANCE IS EVEN DEADLIER! BUY YOURS NOW!

OH, DON'T FORGET TO LIST "IFRIT" AS YOUR REFERRER FOR A 5% DISCOUNT!

CUE THE MUSIC~ ♡

BGM: IFRIT - READY, KILL, GO!

EVERYONE! I'M SORRY, BUT I NEED TO TAKE A LITTLE BREAK TO RECHARGE!

YOU'VE GOT TO COME BACK LATER, OKAY? PROMISE ME!

THIS HAS BEEN IFRIT.

SEE YOU IN AN HOUR.

UGH! HOW THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO USE THIS THING?

A PISTOL THAT FIRES LARGE-CALIBER ROUNDS? IT'S NOT LIKE MY ARM IS TITANIUM.

WHAT DUMBASS CAME UP WITH THIS IDEA?

THOSE CHAKA CHAKA BASTARDS REALLY TAKE THE CAKE WHEN IT COMES TO BEING FUCKING INSANE.

UGH! IF IT WEREN'T FOR THAT CONTRACT...

HUH?

SERIOUSLY, EVEN IF THIS IS THE OUTER, YOU CAN'T JUST LITTER LIKE THIS.

AND BANANA FLAVOR IS BETTER THAN STRAWBERRY.

Someone has no taste.

COME OUT.

DON'T WANT TO? THEN I'LL COME TO YOU.

THAT'S FAR ENOUGH. COME NO CLOSER.

WHAT? A HUMANOID?

DOES IT MATTER WHAT I AM?

I HID BECAUSE I WISHED TO AVOID NEEDLESS TROUBLE,

SO I WOULD LIKE TO ASK YOU TO SIMPLY LEAVE, MY LADY.

I SHALL LET THE KILLING JUST NOW PASS WITHOUT QUESTION.

CUT THE BULLSHIT AND SHOW YOURSELF.

MUST I REALLY HAVE TO?

YOU REFUSING?

YOU REALLY ARE A HUMANOID, HUH?

GREETINGS. I AM ASH BLADE.

I'M IFRIT. ARE YOU ALONE?

I AM.

SO YOU'RE TELLING ME YOU ATE THIS?

INDEED.

I DON'T LIKE LIARS.

AND I DISLIKE THOSE WHO KILL FOR AMUSEMENT.

WOW! IT'S ELEMENTARY GIRLS!

AREN'T YOU IFRIT FROM ELEMENTARY GIRLS?

I'M A HUGE FAN!

I EVEN KNOW YOUR SONG. UM, HOW DID IT GO?

SET YOUR HEART ABLAZE, FIRE IN THE HOLE! YEAH~

OH DEAR, THIS IS A DISASTER. THAT COULD NEVER RESOLVE THIS SITUATION.

Is she trying to provoke her?

MISS AKINA, THAT IS QUITE ENOUGH...

PWAHAHAHA!

YOU GOT IT ALL WRONG, KID!

AND HOW FAR BACK DID YOU DIG FOR THAT SONG?

THE ELEMENTARY GIRLS BROKE UP AGES AGO.

THAT ACTUALLY WORKED?

Oh, my sides! Hahaha!

AH, I HAVEN'T LAUGHED LIKE THAT IN A WHILE.

YOU TWO A TEAM? OUT EXPLORING?

YES! WE'RE HERE TO DO SOME MAPPING. WHAT ABOUT YOU?

JUST ENJOYING MY HOBBY.

ANYWAY, AS LONG AS YOU'RE NOT R.E.S.T MEN, WE'RE GOOD.

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR MAPPING OR WHATEVER, KID.

IF THINGS GET DANGEROUS, HIDE LIKE YOU DID JUST NOW.

B-BYE, IFRIT!

YEAH. LET'S NOT MEET AGAIN.

PHEW. IT FEELS LIKE AN ION STORM JUST SWEPT THROUGH.

YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE INTERVENED.

THAT WOMAN WAS TRULY DANGEROUS.

BOTH PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY.

I KNOW. THAT'S WHY I STEPPED IN. I WAS AFRAID SHE'D GET INTO A FIGHT WITH YOU.

IFRIT IS A PRETTY FAMOUS IDOL, YOU KNOW.

THEN YOU HAD ALL THE MORE REASON NOT TO INTERVENE.

I SEE NO REASON TO REMAIN HERE ANY LONGER.

THAT COMMOTION MAY DRAW OTHER THINGS HERE.

...ALRIGHT, I'M SORRY.

SHALL WE GET GOING?

LET US.

OH! HOLD ON.

CAN'T MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE TWICE.

THOSE WE WISH TO SEE EASILY DRIFT AWAY,

WHILE THOSE WE WISH TO AVOID INVARIABLY CROSS OUR PATH AGAIN.

WE CALL THAT FATE.

JUST LIKE THIS MOMENT.

HUH...?

WE MEET AGAIN, MY LADY.

HELLO!

UH, UM... HI?

SO, UH, HOW'S THE MAPPING COMING ALONG?

QUITE WELL.

RIGHT...

AND HOW IS YOUR HOBBY GOING?

NOT WELL. CAN'T FIND WHERE THEY'VE HIDDEN.

I SEE.

...OH, FORGET IT! WE'VE BOTH GOT PLACES TO BE, SO LET'S JUST SPLIT UP.

THIS IS TOO AWKWARD. I CAN'T STAND IT.

AGREED. ESPECIALLY THE PART ABOUT IT BEING AWKWARD.

GOOD. THEN BACK UP.

WE HAVE WALKED A LONG WAY. YOU SHOULD BACK UP, MY LADY.

HA! SO HAVE I!

I FIND THAT HARD TO BELIEVE.

THAT MAKES TWO OF US!

YOU KNOW, I'M INCREDIBLY STUBBORN.

HOW INTERESTING. ON THE OTHER HAND, I AM VERY PATIENT.

DON'T WASTE YOUR ENERGY, AND JUST MAKE WAY. YOU'VE GOT MAPPING TO DO, RIGHT?

WILL YOU CATCH ANY R.E.S.T MEN AT THIS LEISURELY PACE?

GODDAMMIT, GET OUT OF THE WAY!

THE HUMAN SPIRIT SEEKS PURITY, YET THE MIND DISTURBS IT. THE HUMAN MIND SEEKS STILLNESS, YET DESIRE DRAWS IT AWAY.

WH-WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!

IT MEANS YOU SHOULD CALM YOUR MIND AND STEP BACK.

YOU REALLY WANT TO GO AT IT, HUH?

U-UM!

INSTEAD OF FIGHTING,

COULDN'T WE JUST HUG OPPOSITE WALLS AND SQUEEZE PAST EACH OTHER?

IT LOOKS WIDE ENOUGH FOR THAT...

OUT OF THE QUESTION. THAT WOULD BRING ME FAR TOO CLOSE TO THAT LADY...

BUT WE'RE THE ONES RUNNING SHORT ON TIME.

SHE IS RIGHT.

THE TIME WE HAVE IS LIMITED.

WE MUST FINISH MAPPING AND ARRIVE AT THE RENDEZVOUS ON TIME.

WE CANNOT WASTE TIME ON THIS PETTY BATTLE OF WILLS.

IN THAT CASE... I MUST PUT AN END TO THIS ABSURD STANDOFF.

WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT? I TOLD YOU I'M NOT MOVING! Not a chance!

MISS AKINA, HOLD ON TIGHT.

HUH? WHY, MR. ASH...? WHAT'S GOTTEN INTO—

AAH!

FLYING SHADOW OVER THE CLOUD SEA

WH-WHOA?!

ARE YOU HURT ANYWHERE?

WE SHALL TAKE OUR LEAVE. YOU SHOULD BE ON YOUR WAY AS WELL, MY LADY.

AND MAY WE NEVER CROSS PATHS AGAIN.

...I SHOULD'VE GOTTEN THAT ON THE STREAM.