The Junior Officer drove them to a dusty training yard filled with worn equipment and battered practice dummies.
JUNIOR OFFICER: (Barking) "Get out, you new recruits! Your exam to see if you should join, you lazy maggots!"
Raiji and Veyra stepped out. Kiro remained seated in the vehicle, arms crossed.
JUNIOR OFFICER: "You, lazy maggot! Get out!"
Kiro turned a death stare on him. "Nobody tells me what to do."
JUNIOR OFFICER: "How dare you, maggot?! That'll cost you two days of food!"
Veyra shot Kiro a warning glare of her own.
Kiro noted it, his defiance softening into a grumble. "Okay, okay. I'll get out. Captain, don't take away my food."
JUNIOR OFFICER: "Good boy. Now get in line." He lowered his voice, leaning toward Veyra with a sneer. "Not you, pretty little lady. The kitchen will wait for you soon. Watch the big, strong men work."
Kiro tensed, rage simmering. Veyra placed a calming hand on his back, her touch steadying him.
JUNIOR OFFICER: "Who's first? Punch that training dummy. Or shoot it. Or whatever."
Raiji stepped forward. Without drawing his sword, he made a single, sharp cutting motion through the air. A blade of wind sliced out, cleaving the dummy's head clean off.
JUNIOR OFFICER: (Unimpressed) "Weak. Next."
Kiro walked up to a fresh dummy. He got close, almost casual, and delivered a light-looking punch, followed by a swift jab. The metal casing of the dummy crushed inward with two massive, fist-shaped dents.
Veyra raised an eyebrow, impressed.
JUNIOR OFFICER: (Forcing a smirk) "Too weak. Well done, maggots. You made it in. You fall under my command now. My new pets."
VEYRA: (Sweetly) "You're missing me, Officer."
JUNIOR OFFICER: "No, I did not. Take your try. Show us how weak you are."
VEYRA: "Sure. I'll 'shoot' the practice dummy." She paused, a dangerous glint in her eye. "Actually... I'll kick the dummy into the air. Listen carefully, Officer."
Before he could process it, she was a blur. A suit-enhanced kick launched the heavy dummy skyward. In the same motion, she drew both revolvers. CRACK-CRACK! Two shock rounds hit the dummy, freezing it mid-air with arcs of electricity. BANG! A single explosive round turned it into a shower of splinters and smoke.
VEYRA: (Holstering her guns, dusting her hands) "Did you get that, Officer?"
JUNIOR OFFICER: (Paling slightly) "Y-yeah. Yeah, got it."
VEYRA: "Good. My turn with you."
She moved. One moment she was ten feet away; the next, she had grabbed the officer by his uniform. With a surge of her suit's strength, she launched him into the air. CRACK-CRACK-CRACK! Shock rounds paralyzed him mid-flight. BANG! A final, concussive explosion at his feet sent him crashing back to earth in a heap, unconscious.
KIRO: (Walking over to the smoldering officer) "That'll teach him. Don't mess with our gunslinger." He bowed his head mockingly. "By the way... you never made me scared. It was her."
RAIJI: "Really? we had to get in stealth."
VEYRA: (Holstering her guns) "Yeah, I did go overboard. But you two are here to handle the grunts."
A young soldier near the wall fumbled for a large, red alarm switch.
RAIJI: "Should we take him out before he hits the alarm?"
VEYRA: "No. Without the Junior Officer, we can't talk our way through security anyway. Let him."
KIRO: (Cracking his knuckles) "More fun this way. We get more people to beat up."
RAIJI: (Hand on Baneblade's hilt) "Can I at least cut the building in half?"
VEYRA: "No. We might need it in the future."
The grunt slammed his palm on the switch. A piercing, electronic WAAAAH screamed across the base, followed by his voice over the crackling PA: "Three recruits attacked the Junior Officer! Send backup to the training yard!"
Veyra sighed, drew a revolver, and fired a single shock bullet. It hit the grunt between the shoulder blades, dropping him in a twitching heap.
"Let's move!" she shouted.
They sprinted toward the nearest tall tower for cover. As they ran, the ground began to tremble.
Three armored personnel carriers improvised desert tanks roared around a corner, their turrets swiveling toward the running trio.
Kiro didn't break stride. He angled toward the lead tank, leaped, and drove a fist like a pile-driver into its front plating. The metal cratered inward with a deafening CRUNCH, and the vehicle lurched to a dead stop.
Raiji was already moving. A single, horizontal wind slash, wide as the street, cut through the air. It sheared the turret clean off the second tank and sliced deep into its chassis, causing it to veer wildly and smash into a wall.
As the crew of the third tank scrambled to aim, Veyra planted her feet. Both revolvers barked. BANG-BANG! Two explosive rounds blew its treads apart. The tank ground to a halt, immobilized. She took a final, aimed shot. BOOM! The round punched through the viewport, silencing it.
VEYRA: (Already running again) "Let's get moving! That wasn't even the backup just the normal patrol!"
Back at the training grounds...
A squad of soldiers arrived, finding their unconscious officer and the wrecked tanks.
SOLDIER 1: "Sir, looks like they ran away. What are your orders?"
CAPTAIN RODERICK: (Kneeling by a tank's fist-shaped crater) "Too bad. Alert the whole base. Check the cameras. By the look of it, we've got dangerous people here. Took out three tanks... not a small feat. Notify the General."
SOLDIER 2: "Yes, Captain Roderick!"
Meanwhile, atop the base walls, all four towers flashed a deep, pulsating red. The blaring alarm was joined by a robotic voice over every speaker:
"HIGH ALERT. CODE RED. LOCKDOWN INITIATED."
KIRO: (Peeking from behind a storage container) "Seems like we woke the hornet's nest."
VEYRA: "Too bad for them. We're almost inside the main compound."
Raiji walked up to a heavy metal door marked 'SECTOR 3 - ACCESS'. Instead of looking for a control panel, he simply drew Baneblade and sliced through the locking mechanism in a shower of sparks.
VEYRA: "Really, Raiji? Can't you be a normal person and open the door?"
They rushed through the smoking doorway and skidded to a halt.
A full platoon of over twenty-five soldiers stood in a firing line in the corridor beyond, rifles already raised.
"FIRE!"
A storm of bullets erupted.
Raiji was a blur. He stepped in front, spinning Baneblade in a furious, near-invisible cyclone that became a silver shield. Sparks flew as dozens of rounds were deflected.
In that heartbeat of cover, Veyra leaped straight up, her suit's thrusters flaring. Kiro crouched and sprang after her, using her as a stepping stone to go even higher.
VEYRA: (Hanging in the air, upside down) "Clear!"
BANG! BANG! Two explosive rounds, one from each revolver, slammed into the ceiling directly above the soldier's formation. Chunks of concrete and metal rained down, disrupting their ranks.
Kiro descended like a meteor. He didn't punch he stomped, driving his heel into the floor with all his enhanced strength. A visible shockwave of force rippled out, knocking the disoriented soldiers off their feet.
Before the dust could settle, Raiji was among them. A silent, spinning tempest his "Mininado" technique a whirlwind of precise, non-lethal strikes with the flat of his blade. In seconds, the entire platoon was disarmed and unconscious.
The corridor fell silent, filled with smoke, dust, and groaning bodies.
Kiro stood up, brushing off his clothes. He had a few minor bullet bruises on his arms and a single, bleeding graze on his thigh from a round that got through.
KIRO: (Wincing) "Okay... that hurt."
VEYRA: (Landing lightly, checking his leg) "Yeah, getting shot does. But you'll heal real soon."
KIRO: "Guess you're right. Already healing." The bleeding gash on his thigh visibly knitted itself closed, leaving only a pink scar that faded to nothing.
RAIJI: "That's faster than before."
KIRO: "Yeah. Every time I get damage, it heals a little quicker. So that's maybe my Cube's ability? Adapting."
They sprinted up a staircase to the second floor.
VEYRA: (Scanning the hallway) "Maybe it's adapting. Like a cockroach. You're a cockroach. Quickly becoming gross and turning into one."
KIRO: "No! I am not that pathetic. Nope. Not that."
RAIJI: "Gross, Kiro. Really gross."
A heavy clang echoed behind them. A solid iron blast door slammed shut, blocking the staircase. Another identical door slid down ahead, sealing the hallway.
RAIJI: (Tapping the door with his knuckle) "Someone doesn't want us going through. I can't cut pure iron yet. Kiro?"
KIRO: "What, me? Oh, wait..." He cracked his neck, wound up, and drove his fist into the center of the door. BOOM! A massive dent appeared. A second, piston-driven punch right beside it. CRASH! The entire door tore free from its housing and clattered to the floor. A security camera in the corner whirred, tracking their movement.
In the Security Room...
Captain Roderick watched the feed, stroking his chin.
CAPTAIN RODERICK: "Interesting. Regenerative healing and super strength... and the swordsman's weakness is iron. Good. Send in the robots."
SOLDIER 1: "Sir, we've got a limited number in this sector. Only two."
CAPTAIN RODERICK: "Only two? Fine. Send all fifty men from Barracks C after them. And I'll go after the girl. She's the smart one. The General can handle that 'Kiro' guy."
Back on the 2nd floor...
They approached a crossroads with three branching paths.
VEYRA: "Okay, three paths. Time to split up. I'll take the right."
RAIJI: "This should be fun. I'll take the left. Kiro, you go middle. I've got a feeling the boss is there. Enjoy. We'll meet up if it's a dead end."
VEYRA: "That should work. We meet back in the middle. In case of a dead end, mark an 'X' on the wall to show you're done."
They split up. As they entered their chosen corridors, heavy iron doors slid shut behind each of them, sealing them in.
KIRO'S PATH (MIDDLE)
Kiro's corridor led to a set of stairs, opening into a vast, warehouse-like space on the third floor. It was empty except for a single figure standing in the center.
A man in a crisp, high-ranking army suit, standing a solid 6 feet tall. He radiated an aura of calm authority.
Kiro cracked his knuckles as he stepped forward.
KIRO: "You must be the General. Nice to meet you. You've got two choices: leave, or I beat you. Please pick 'I beat you up.' That's the fun option."
GENERAL: (A cold, dismissive smile) "You? Beat me? Keep dreaming."
Kiro's grin turned feral. He vanished in a burst of speed, reappearing to throw a devastating punch at the General's head.
The General didn't flinch. With impossible, fluid ease, he swayed aside, letting the fist pass so close it ruffled his hair.
GENERAL: "Too slow."
RAIJI'S PATH (LEFT)
Raiji walked down a long, empty hallway. It ended at a solid, featureless iron wall.
RAIJI: "Okay. This is a dead end."
As he spoke, the wall before him and the door behind him both rumbled open. From the front hall and the rear corridor, two hulking, bipedal combat robots stepped into view, their optical sensors glowing red. Behind each robot, a squad of twenty-five soldiers formed up, rifles trained on him.
Raiji's hand settled on Baneblade's hilt. A faint, eager smile touched his lips.
VEYRA'S PATH (RIGHT)
Veyra moved cautiously down a dimly lit corridor lined with sealed doors. "Nice. I got the boring path. No fight."
A heavy clang echoed. An iron door ahead of her slid open.
Captain Roderick stepped through, now clad in a reinforced command suit. He stood at 6 feet, his expression one of cold calculation.
CAPTAIN RODERICK: "Guess again, girl. You're unlucky. Now... you fight me."