Cyberpunk Edgerunners: Demon Cyborg Genos [24]

“Do you even know the kind of trouble you’ve gotten yourself into, boy?” It was Murakami Hiro’s older brother—Goro Murakami.

“I’ll crush you to death and make you taste a pain worse than dying!” The deep, guttural voice echoed from the far end of the corridor, filled with menace.

Ethan, relying on his life-sensing ability, focused his attention on the shadowy space ahead. And what he sensed… was massive. As the vibrations in the ground grew stronger, Ethan finally saw it—a towering figure stepping out from the darkness.

Standing nearly three meters tall, it was a hulking black metal exosuit, resembling something straight out of a mech combat simulation—a suit of armor as intimidating as a Hulkbuster.

The man piloting it bore a striking resemblance to Hiro Murakami, though older, broader, and infinitely more menacing.

“So, this is Hiro’s big brother—Murakami Goro,” Ethan thought to himself, noting the family resemblance.

“That armor’s flashy, I’ll give him that.”

Murakami’s voice rumbled like a drum.

“I’ve seen your tricks—you can fire some kind of energy cannon, can’t you? But don’t get cocky.”

He took a step forward, the ground trembling with his movements.

“Your pathetic energy blasts won’t even scratch my Titan V-Class Armor.”

The sheer confidence in his tone matched the oppressive aura of his exosuit. As Goro strode forward, the Arasaka security personnel silently stepped aside, clearing a path for him.

Even they, hardened and conditioned to face danger, couldn’t suppress the intimidation they felt from Goro’s presence.

Finally, Goro came to a stop before Ethan. Standing tall, his posture exuded the arrogance of someone who believed himself invincible.

From his towering height, Goro looked down at Ethan, sneering with disdain.

“I’ll kill you,” he growled, his voice dripping with hatred. “And then I’ll place your head as an offering at my brother’s shrine.” His eyes burned with fury and vengeance. Then—without warning— He activated his Sandevistan.

With a burst of speed that defied his bulky frame, Goro lunged forward, his massive right fist accelerating with crushing force.

The punch, powered by the full might of his enhanced exosuit, crashed into Ethan’s chest with an earth-shaking impact.

And then— Something unexpected happened. Ethan didn’t budge. Not an inch. Not even a single step back. Instead, the impact rebounded. Goro froze as a sickening crunch echoed through the corridor.

His right arm—encased in the Titan V-Class Armor—had been shattered. The kinetic plating of the exosuit crumbled into fragments, scattering across the floor like broken glass. And his actual arm beneath the armor? Pulverized.

A grotesque sight of splintered bone and ruptured muscle. The corridor fell silent. The Arasaka guards, who had been expecting Ethan to be sent flying, stared in disbelief.

Goro himself took a staggering step back, his expression contorted in pain and shock. Ethan, unfazed, looked down at the hulking man.

“This kind of massage… isn’t strong enough.” He shook his head, his tone one of disappointment rather than mockery.

Goro’s face twisted in fury and humiliation.

Before he could process what had happened, Ethan calmly raised his right hand and placed it against Goro’s abdomen.

The heat radiating from Ethan’s palm began to climb—slowly at first, then exponentially. Goro’s eyes widened as a wave of terror overtook him. Every fiber of his body, every nerve, screamed in primal fear.

“No… no! I can’t die here! I can’t—” His voice cracked, growing more desperate as the heat intensified, his words becoming a panicked jumble.

But Ethan? He didn’t respond. He didn’t say anything. He just watched. The judgment was already passed.

Before Murakami Goro could finish his desperate plea, the incineration cannon erupted from Ethan’s right hand.

A searing beam of golden energy burst forth, consuming Goro, his Titan V-Class Armor, and the dozen Arasaka guards standing along the corridor.

In an instant— Everything was obliterated.

The sheer heat of the blast left nothing behind—no bodies, no debris, not even ash. The corridor was filled with a blinding golden light for a brief moment, followed by a deafening silence.

Two seconds later, the light faded, and Ethan stood before a newly created charred path, smoke curling up from the scorched ground.

The high-strength metal walls of the corridor had managed to withstand the blast, but only just. The once smooth and polished surfaces were now warped, twisted, and partially melted, glowing faintly from residual heat.

Ethan’s gaze remained calm as he raised his hand, watching the faint embers dissipate into the air.

Without hesitation, he activated his life-sensing ability again, scanning the surrounding area for any remaining lifeforms.

This time, his enhanced senses locked onto a single presence.

At the far end of the corridor, deep within the underground space, was the only survivor.

“Rebecca… I’m here to get you out.”

His voice was barely above a whisper, yet it carried the weight of an unshakable resolve.

And then— He vanished.

In the blink of an eye, Ethan’s figure disappeared, leaving behind only the faint smell of burnt metal and the ominous silence of a corridor that had just witnessed absolute annihilation.

Deep within the underground facility, past a maze of heavily armed security checkpoints and training rooms, Ethan finally found what he was looking for.

A metallic security vault—its surface rattling violently from within. Using his life-sensing ability, he could clearly see that Rebecca was inside.

And she wasn’t hurt. She was lively. Annoyed, but completely unharmed.

Her mouth was taped shut, preventing her from spewing whatever colorful obscenities she no doubt wanted to hurl at her captors.

Her arms were tied behind her back, restricting her movements.

Yet, even in captivity, Rebecca remained Rebecca.

She was kicking the walls of the security vault furiously, the metal trembling under her relentless struggle.

Seeing that she was safe, Ethan felt a wave of relief.

But outside— Things were getting messy.

Through his enhanced senses, he detected massive reinforcements gathering above. Arasaka had mobilized everything. His mental simulation painted a clear picture:

Corporate spec-ops. Heavily armed military forces. Even NCPD riot teams had been deployed, forming a perimeter around the facility. Some of them were already positioned outside the exits.

And to make things worse— News media had arrived.