Cyber Era Witch

"Has the attack started?" came the voice of Suzuki Shinji.

"Yes, boss, everything's effective," Asa Katsuragi responded.

"Once we take over Toshiaki Megastore, we can dominate Katagi District."

"Yes!"

"Find an excuse afterward to drive them out."

"What?"

"That guy, we can't hand over the megastore to him. Just find some pretext to get rid of him, killing him is also fine."

"I don't lie."

"Then learn! Katsuragi! Don't make me teach you everything!" the boss hung up the phone.

Katsuragi Asa turned to look at Xu Yang.

Xu Yang could only vaguely hear Suzuki Shinji shouting at Katsuragi Asa. Katsuragi Asa's gaze surprised him; she seemed to bear a certain degree of torment. Was she scolded by the boss again? He wondered what for this time.

"I'm going in," Katsuragi Asa said, holding a pistol and a crowbar, waving her hand forcefully, and with a big shout from the gang members behind her, their spirit soared.

Xu Yang wanted to persuade her to wait a bit more, but she looked annoyed and just wanted to distract herself with fighting, so he gave up on the idea and continued hacking the megastore's network.

I need to stay calm and continue controlling the devices to minimize civilian casualties,

Katsuragi Asa crossed the plaza covered in corpses, quickly advancing, followed closely by the Suzuki Group members dressed in black, like a flock of crows.

Xu Yang continued to check the internal situation of the megastore, finding one thing particularly convenient.

To avoid friendly fire, the Toshiaki Family Group members had added a uniform tag to their recognition codes in the security system and set themselves as friendlies on the network backend.

Now, by simply selecting all the targets with these tags in the backend and resetting them as hostiles, then setting all others as neutral, the devices would neither attack civilians nor the Suzuki Group members who entered afterward.

Though his neural implants were not working, Xu Yang still managed to compensate for the lack of analysis speed with experience.

After Xu Yang's readjustment, the building's automated guns turned on the Toshiaki Family Group members and began firing, causing even more chaos and screams within than before, a hundred times more grisly.

Network technology was exceptional. Xu Yang watched the building silently, where unseen by him, efficient slaughter continued. When one machine took out a target, other machines would immediately receive the signal, switching fire, with not a single bullet wasted on dead bodies, cutting through them with precision.

It was clear, however, that once hacked, it could cause irreparable damage, which is why mega-corporations were always looking for alternatives and took network security very seriously.

Ordinary hackers had to infiltrate through computers, mobile phones, or info terminals, but a neural hacker like me could control directly with the mind.

Xu Yang quietly observed the building's security devices. Through cement walls, they were transparent in his vision like semi-visible domestic appliances.

As for those defense mechanisms that weren't connected to the network and operated independently, Katsuragi Asa and her team should handle them. I've already neutralized more than 80% of the threat. It would be absurd if they couldn't take the rest.

Xu Yang saw a squad of Suzuki Group robots shedding their black suits, revealing thrusters on their backs, and with a roaring sound, they propelled themselves onto the roof or leaped through windows, leaving grey trails behind.

Upon reaching their operation area, their hands transformed, drawing out wrist-mounted machine guns and alloy blades, beginning their search and destroy protocols.

Even the task of dealing with gang affairs was aided by robots; competition was indeed fierce.

Xu Yang accessed the building's cameras, the images transmitted back to his mind. The reception chip was unstable, the signal poor, with occasional delays. The view showed Toshiaki Family Group members caught in their own electric net, automatic guns, laser traps, trip mines, and patrolling robots, while many civilians ducked and trembled in fear.

Aisles in the megastore were demolished in the conflict, and encased robots were damaged before even being unboxed, falling with loud crashes.

The remaining mobsters of the Toshiaki Family Group and the Suzuki Group members engaged in an indoor shootout, yelling and firing at each other, creating a tumultuous noise.

"New era gang warfare. All irrelevant personnel, retreat to the rooftop," Xu Yang transmitted his voice through the building's loudspeakers.

He also saw the figure of Katsuragi Asa on the cameras. Without neural implants, she was recklessly leading the charge in combat, excellent in shooting, bravery, and close combat—clearing a corridor singlehandedly, leaving bodies of Toshiaki Family Group members in her wake.

It seems the advance was successful, so the hacker's work ends here.

Xu Yang turned off Digital Mind and rubbed his throbbing temples.

If the reward is this megastore, then it's truly worth it. If they keep their word, this place will become our shelter for the time being.

Meanwhile, in the main office on the 5th floor of Toshiaki Robot Megastore.

"Boss!" A senior Toshiaki Family Group member looked at the terminal in his hand and reported to the boss, "Messages from all groups! They say the robots and the security systems have all gone haywire! Attacking their own! Can't even shut them down!"

"Damn it—Suzuki, when did he have such skills!" The Toshiaki Family Group boss paled with fear.

He opened the smart screen on his office desk, desperately pressing keys on the master control panel, but all signals were cut off, his permissions erased, rendering him unable to achieve any effective control.

"Quick, send a message to Nakai-sama! It looks like the men downstairs can't hold out much longer!"

"Gochu, you idiot! Can they dig through the ground and jump up to save us? Katagi District is like a can of fish in the lowest deck of an ocean liner—completely out of reach!"

"So what do we do now?"

The boss grabbed a katana off the wall,

"Members of the Toshiaki Family Group don't surrender without a fight! I'm going out and putting up a fight!"

"Boss—"

"I must defend my honor! I refuse to be captured alive by that wild boar Suzuki Shinji! You go down the maintenance shaft to the third floor and activate the self-destruct program of those combat robots, and show the spirit of a warrior ready to die a glorious death!"

"Yes!"

The Toshiaki Family Group leader brandished his katana, shouting at the top of his lungs as he charged into the corridor.

"Idiots of the Suzuki Group! I'm coming for you!"

A concealed smart sniper rifle peeked out from a corner of the ceiling, its alarm blaring incessantly.

"An enemy? Where's the enemy?" The leader instantly became alert, swinging his katana in the air, "Woah!"

Bang!

The sound of gunfire erupted.

The leader's body flew backward, collapsing limply, while his katana slid across the ground, stopping near the feet of a senior member back in the office.

The sniper rifle, initially installed to guard against assassins and spies, now had its recognition software altered and treated its own protector as a mortal enemy. After firing, the rifle's muzzle still pointed at the headless corpse of the leader.

The senior member peered out cautiously, only to see that the leader's head had been blown apart, his brain's implants shattered into metallic fragments mixed with grey matter, his body motionless.

Only now did he understand the messages his comrades had sent from downstairs.

Their own stronghold was no longer trustworthy.

Damn! Damn! His mind was muddled, utterly confounded by the events of the past ten minutes.

The leader had purchased a full set of intelligent security systems from "The Big Shot," transforming the Toshiaki Robot Megastore into an impregnable fortress. Not only was there substantial firepower outside, but inside were also numerous death traps that could be controlled via network by the leader's side. Any fools from the Suzuki Group coming their way would die, one by one. Just moments ago, they had easily repelled an ambush from them, making the enemy suffer great losses… But now everything had changed!

All systems were out of control! They'd all turned traitor!

It was terrifying...

Only a top hacker could possibly hijack control of these devices, but aside from foolishly clashing with a giant corporation, how could they encounter someone of that caliber?

After much thought, the senior member could not recall any unforgivable acts committed by the Toshiaki Family Group.

Perhaps it was a phantom, a monster from ancient times reincarnated as a Cyber Ghost seeking revenge... With even the Ratman returning, nothing seemed impossible.

Fear crawled up his spine, sending chills throughout his body. The leader had ordered him downstairs, but he felt drained, too weak to move recklessly.

Everything in front of him defied all logic!

He forcefully pulled out the katana, holding the blade across his abdomen.

With things as they were, there was no other option but to follow his leader to the netherworld and continue serving with loyalty!

Just then, he heard unhurried footsteps – a young man with an indifferent expression was riding the elevator up, heading towards the central office.

In spite of being within firing range of every internal defense installation, he walked undisturbed, like a deity, strolling among the traps unharmed.

The senior member was initially stunned, but soon realized something was amiss.

Could it be that this man was the mastermind behind all this?

...Having dealt such a harsh blow to the Toshiaki Family Group, unforgivable!

Clenching his katana tightly, the senior member hid under the desk, waiting for the other to enter.

Step by step, the footsteps drew nearer. Initially, the senior member felt a thrill, knowing his enemy was about to enter his lethal range. Then he heard another set of footsteps.

"Xu Yang!" a female voice called out, followed by the sound of rapid footsteps.

"I'm here to check the main control console."

The senior member vaguely recognized the voice as Asa Katsuragi's.

That woman was a capable henchwoman under Suzuki, a brainless thug, an uneducated fool, a blindly loyal swine, a tasteless cur, easily bamboozled by the slightest wits.

Hearing the two approaching the office, the senior member steeled his resolve; it was time to face off with them!

The leader was dead; it was up to him to protect the Toshiaki Family Group!

Xu Yang didn't enter the office, his attention caught by a corpse in the hallway with its head blown off, while Asa Katsuragi strode directly inside.

A man in a red suit burst forth, brandishing a katana as he slashed at Asa Katsuragi.

There was a proverbial wall between those unarmed and those wielding weapons.

Asa Katsuragi, her expression unchanged, swiftly retreated backwards, dodging the blade, then tripped the man with a low sweep, sending him crashing to the ground with a cry of pain. His katana flew from his grasp as Asa Katsuragi stomped down hard on his chest.

Bang—

The sound of bones shattering echoed as his chest caved in. His body shook violently, a torrent of blood spurted from his mouth, his eyes bulging, filled with extreme reluctance as he breathed his last.

"Who is this guy?" Xu Yang asked.

"Gochu Kensan, the most arrogant among the Toshiaki Family Group's executives."