The Dragon Escapes into Cyberspace
Lije rested her chin on the car door sill, lost in thought as she gazed outside. Bini, the robot on her lap, wriggled and fidgeted as if begging for play, but it couldn't snap her out of it. Finally, left to beep alone, Bini slumped down dejectedly.
Roque had left her in the Black Knight instead of letting her follow him into the hospital. So now she was idling away the time, staring blankly from inside the car parked on the roadside a short distance from the hospital.
The clear eyes captured the people coming and going in front of the hospital.
The magician Lina hurriedly restored her clothes to their original shape and glanced up.
Flames swirled like a vortex, scattering into the air. It definitely wasn't a natural explosion. It had to be the work of that pure human with his bizarre ability.
He wielded powerful telekinesis without any implants or special gear, like some ancient mage. Even Lina, who thought she'd seen every weird thing swimming through cyberspace, couldn't identify him.
On the other hand, she felt a strange relief at the flames dissipating into the sky. Her sister was in that hospital, after all.
Of course, she hadn't just set off the bomb recklessly. Her sister's room was a premium single in the hospital, with top-priority evacuation for fires or emergencies. True to its reputation as a luxury hospital that guzzled money like water, it had powerful fire suppression systems and fire walls.
Lina had calculated the blast's power, her sister's room location, the hospital's emergency response—everything—before detonating it.
"…"
She trusted her sister would be fine. What worried her wasn't the bomb, but the MLPD's clutches.
She didn't know where those detectives got their info to show up here, but her sister's admission records were flawless. No connection to her at all, and all tests and services were prepaid.
With her sister unconscious and un interrogatable, the cops could do nothing. Plus, the scheduled tests would wrap up in days, followed by transfer to a Japanese university hospital. Unless they had solid evidence, they couldn't hold her as she left Midland.
Her sister would leave Midland, get treated, and start a new life.
"…That's enough."
Faces of those she'd killed flashed in her mind, but she pushed them away. They all deserved it. At least, that's what she believed.
Lina watched the flames fully scatter into the empty sky, then turned. She didn't know what damage the detectives and mystery man took from the blast, but with the flames gone, they'd pursue soon enough.
"…"
Her body froze. Right in front of her landing spot stood a muscle car, and inside, a girl stared at her with an expressionless face.
The moment their clear eyes met, Lina reflexively tried to hack. Just like always, to erase herself from the passerby's visual data.
"---!"
In that instant, Lina's consciousness reeled.
An infinite grid of cyberspace stretched out dizzyingly, and she sensed hyperspatial entities of unrestricted size and form—countless as the space itself. Compared to them, she was a grain of sand on Midland's beach. Each was as vast as the entire shore.
Yet, unlike their immense auras, they spun in tight orbits, mindless and irrational, like forgotten wisdom.
What the hell is this?
Lina muttered unconsciously, and one of the countless entities turned toward her.
No face, no eyes—just an immeasurable blob of light—but she knew it saw her. Terror gripped her under that transcendent gaze.
"…"
But the moment she thought their eyes met, she snapped back to reality. Her right eye throbbed and itched. She rubbed it with the back of her hand.
Blinking her left eye at the girl, she saw the girl rubbing both her eyes too.
"Damn it…"
Lina wanted to drag the girl from the car and confirm what she'd just seen. But a chill stabbed from her nape down her spine.
Whirling around, she spotted the mystery man leaping from the now-empty window frame shattered by the blast. No special wing suit like hers—just diving bare.
Any normal person, even with implants, would be gravely injured from that height. He was either insane or had his own method.
Having lost her two main drones, Lina didn't dawdle. She turned and ran, not even confirming if he landed.
She glimpsed the girl stumbling out of the car but ignored her. Just run. She'd learned from the hospital: hesitate, and you're caught.
Glancing back mid-sprint, she saw the mystery man cradling the collapsed girl on the asphalt. Shockingly, the man who'd chased so fiercely now ignored Lina entirely.
Whatever was happening, it was good for her. She kept running until she spotted a stopped truck ahead and its driver climbing out. She decided to hijack it.
But that plan halted the instant her eyes met the driver's—a woman in a sleek suit. Not figuratively: her thought circuits froze.
By then, men in black suits and sunglasses had grabbed her, jabbing something syringe-like into her neck net socket.
"Lije. Snap out of it, Lije."
Roque held Lije close, calling her name. Her eyes stayed shut, no response.
Using telekinesis to leap from dozens of meters up unscathed was good. His new ability was expanding.
But the moment he landed outside, he saw Lije staggering and collapsing.
He rushed over, catching her just before the asphalt. She was already unconscious. No answer to his calls. Without hesitation, he scooped her up and stood, face hardened, heading back to the hospital.
Then her eyelids fluttered open. Her bright eyes took in his face. The cold rigidity in his expression softened faintly, reflected in those clear eyes.
Still expressionless, he called her name.
"Lije?"
"…I thought of the first sentence."
"What?"
Roque blinked, not grasping the sudden words. Then he remembered the homework he'd given her: describe your life in three sentences.
Looking up from his arms, she said,
"First sentence. 'Lije is glad she met Roque.'"
Roque said nothing, just stared at Lije with lips pressed tight. She blinked back, expression unchanging.
After a moment, he asked,
"…So what's the second?"
"Next time. I just barely got the first one."
Her casual reply drew a hollow chuckle from him. Her face and calm tone made it seem like she'd just woken from a nap.
He asked,
"What happened? Why'd you collapse?"
Lije looked puzzled, as if not understanding. Then her already round eyes widened further as she muttered,
"Oh. Big trouble."
She grabbed his collar urgently, looking around, then pointed at one spot. In a rare loud voice, she shouted,
"Catch them, Roque! The escapee's in that truck!"
A large truck was pulling away where she pointed. Roque spotted a small emblem in the cargo corner: a triangle inside a black O. Isumi Corp's insignia.
"How is she? Any response?"
Tachibana Yoko, secretary office staffer for Isumi Corp, crossed her legs and asked without much hope. Inside the truck: various cyberspace gear, order processors, and the bound, unconscious woman.
The researcher checked Lina and said,
"Hm. Hard to say. But there's a slight possibility."
Yoko, fidgeting irritably at her temple, blinked in surprise.
"Really? This woman's the 'ghost' we've been after?"
"The media called her the East Babylon ghost, right? A ghost's a ghost."
Yoko frowned at the joke.
"Don't mess around."
The researcher adjusted Lina's vitals and replied,
"Not certain. Only a tiny fraction matches the ghost's signal waves. Coincidence or connection? Need to hook into the company data servers to check."
Yoko's expression brightened.
"So there's progress. Good thing—the crazy ninja's left me nothing to report to the chairman…"
The researcher, connecting a cable to Lina's net socket, chuckled softly.
"That ninja's an Aura Master, right? Targeting secret labs and special sites."
"Probably the one who wrecked the Zero One project and stole the test subject. No net socket, so couldn't erase data himself—likely tied to the real 'ghost.' To catch him, we'll need the chairman's guard detail or other test subjects."
Feeling better, Yoko spilled unasked details. The researcher nodded along, connecting the cable. A click sounded from the perfect fit.
Suddenly, the smoothly moving truck jolted to a halt like it hit something. Yoko nearly toppled from her crossed-leg pose, scowling irritably.
"What kind of driving—"
She stood and moved forward.
"What's going on?"
"I-I don't—"
The driver gripped the wheel in panic, flooring the accelerator. But the truck didn't move—instead, its wheels spun in midair, slowly lifting off the road. No collision ahead; just clear coastal outskirts.
As the truck rose, Yoko's face grew serious. She shouted back inside,
"Battle stations!"
Black-suited men in the rear seats drew heavy pistols—Isumi's EP13 machine pistols, firing dozens of rounds per second.
The moment they drew, the floating truck dropped with a thud, shaking violently. The suits and Yoko staggered, fighting for balance.
Then the rear door tore off like paper.
The tangled suits and Yoko looked out. In the road's center stood a black-haired man facing them.
Seeing the gray Aura Blade in his hand, Yoko muttered,
"…Ronin."
The man—Roque—swung the Aura Blade playfully and said to those inside,
"Wondered when you'd show. Nice timing, anyway. The one I'm after's in there."
Yoko shoved a leg off her stomach and stood. At her command, the suits had drawn pistols but didn't aim at Roque. Fear flickered in their eyes at the Aura Blade.
Yoko straightened her suit and stood tall.
"First time meeting. I'm Tachibana Yoko. Pleased to meet Midland's mercenary mystery."
Roque didn't reply, just stared steadily.
"…Looks like we targeted the same goal. Hm, hiring a merc now… MLPD, maybe? Right?"
To her successive greetings, Roque answered by subtly pointing the drooping Aura Blade tip at her. Shut up and move.
But Yoko, knowing Aura Masters' stubbornness from someone under the chairman, saw it as his concession.
Don't want to die? Stop pretending to know me and hand over what I want.
"…Fair enough, not worth dying over. Fine."
Sweat beaded unbidden at the Aura Blade aimed at her. She signaled the researcher behind to release the bound Lina.
The researcher, tangled with others, hurried to unbind her.
Meanwhile, Yoko smiled faintly at Roque.
"You know protocol, at least. Merc habit? Some Aura Masters draw on HQ staff without a word."
Roque knew who. He'd crossed blades with him, heard his vow over his dead brother.
And Roque had no blame for him.
"You've heard it from corps plenty these years, but just in case: HQ meets all your—"
Yoko's face went blank mid-sentence, gaze vacant like staring into infinity.
Roque narrowed his eyes at the oddity. The rising black suits froze similarly, expressions dumb.
Then a high-pitched ring like tinnitus pierced his ears.
"Kyaaak!"
"Uwaaak!"
The ring passed, and blank-faced Yoko and suits screamed, clutching heads. Eyes rolling, they collapsed.
"…What now?"
"Emergency! Emergency!"
Roque turned at the voice. Lije, told to stay back, came running. Bini beeped alarms behind her.
"Roque, emergency! Real emergency! Escapee's about to break out again!"
"What?"
Lije's face was urgently distinct from before. Her pupils spun with fierce light rings.
"Hm…!"
Roque's senses pinged too—his enhanced post-dive awareness alarming. His gaze went to the Isumi truck. The researcher freeing the killer mage clutched his head like the others, collapsed.
The mage was still out. Oddity: sparks flickered from the cable in her net socket.
"No! Can't let the dragon loose in cyberspace!"
Lije shouted desperately at the socket and cable. Roque didn't overthink—kicked off and leaped.
His body arrowed over the open rear, landing by the mage's restraints. His right hand slashed a line.
A clean cut glowed red-hot over Isumi's pricey gear—including the cable to her net socket.
"…Done?"
No more light flickers from the severed cable. Just sparks, typical for Aura Blade-sliced electronics. He turned to Lije.
Urgent moments ago, she now backed from the truck, staring high like awed by something huge.
Roque realized he saw oddities too: faint grids, glowing data servers.
"Now I'm seeing ghosts."
Rubbing his eyes, he confirmed: not illusions. Cyberspace fields overlaid reality like augmented vision. He sliced the truck roof with the Aura Blade and climbed atop.
Midland's landscape became a blinding city of light, cyberspace grids superimposed on reality.
"…And what's that?"
In the cyberspace realm, a massive lizard crawled toward downtown. In reality, it'd be dozens of meters long, twenty-plus high—a colossal beast.
"Roque sees it too?"
Lije looked up from below. Her pupils' light rings glowed white-hot like molten iron.
"Aleicand. Nasty-tempered dragon in life. Thanks to your cut, he's a half-beast now."
"…Time to explain properly."
Lije blinked, choosing words. Calmly,
"Aleicand escaped the dragon pen. Goal: reach cyberspace, gain its unfathomable hyperspace, become transcendent. But your interruption left him mindless beast."
Roque eyed her babble and the lizard illusion heading from coast to city.
"…So that's real now?"
"No. Not reality. You're seeing cyberspace forcibly pulled close. Incomplete transplant means he can't affect the middle world—Middle-Earth—physically."
Roque sighed.
"Bet he wrecks cyberspace big time."
"Right. Beast-Aleicand will drag Midland's cyberspace near reality, smash data servers, devour the net. That's all he knows now."
Roque glanced at the Isumi staff in the truck. Bad shape.
Twitching on the floor like half-paralyzed, some soiling themselves in spasms. The researcher sparked from his exposed net socket—brain half-fried.
"…If this hits downtown, spectacle. Midland blows up."
"Modern intelligences all dip into cyberspace. That's why implant-free Roque's fine."
Roque met her eyes again. Staring at the glowing rings, he hopped down.
Her eyes sharpened: like twin burning wagon wheels inside.
He said,
"How many like that in your eyes?"
She blinked.
"A lot."
Roque smiled faintly, checking the lizard's path to the industrial zone.
"So… half-assed dragon, but real dragon neck to sever… Problem though."
"What?"
He gauged the distant beast's size.
"Too big. Aura Blade'd be like toothpick-poking."
"Don't worry."
Lije picked up Bini, beeping at her feet.
"Lije and Bini help."
Bini beeped mechanically, shaking its four legs confidently.
Bini's body extended a cable-linked net gear. Lije fiddled, donned it on her forehead, and beckoned Roque to sit.
He sat cross-legged on the road, placing the Aura Blade hilt before his knees.
Lije glanced at the lizard. Smoke and evacuation alarms rose from its entered industrial zone.
"Ready?"
Roque nodded. Half-done lizard or not, he'd stumbled into dragon hunting—something even old seniors rarely did. Amid the absurdity, he thought: finish this, then hear Lije's full story calmly.
As his brief reverie hit, Lije's hand touched his forehead center, her other lowering the net gear. Connected Bini beeped rhythmically.
Guided by the tones, Roque's vision expanded from the vanishing point. The faint overlaid cyberspace grids welcomed him fully.
Unlike prior dives, expansion was dozens-fold. Optic and sensory nerves broke bodily limits, magnified.
When Roque opened his eyes, he overlooked a fused cyberspace-Midland cityscape from on high. Cyberspace colors deeper than before; reality now overlaid on it.
He realized: he was a colossal digital steel giant, towering over the lizard turning at his approach.
Beast-dragon Aleicand bared teeth at the steel giant.
Facing it, Roque clenched a fist—hundreds of tons in reality—raising it to face height. Aleicand shrank instinctively.
Feeling power surge with his giant form, Roque charged the mega-lizard.
The giant's strides shook all of Midland's cyberspace.