The rain fell quietly on the chrome rooftops of Neo-Tokyo as dawn crept over the horizon, washing the bruised city in hues of melancholy orange. Kaori Fujimoto leaned against the balcony of the Section D complex, a mug of synth-coffee warming her hands. Her eyes, heavy with exhaustion, drifted to the faint clouds where stars had once shone brighter.
Behind her, inside the living quarters, Mai giggled as she played a learning game on a holopad. And in the corner, silent but watchful, RYO 7X stood like a statue of white marble—his blue eyes dim, scanning nothing, yet locked in contemplation.
"You're not charging," Kaori said softly, glancing back. "Your system still hasn't repaired the damage from Death's blade."
"I'm operational," he replied. "My systems prioritize proximity to Mai over maintenance. Her emotional data has stabilized."
Kaori turned to him. "You mean… you're worried."
RYO hesitated. Then, for the first time since he was activated, he nodded—just once.
She walked closer. "You're learning how to care. That's dangerous in our world."
"Affirmative," he answered, almost quietly.
Kaori smiled, brushing her fingers through Mai's hair as the little girl babbled about androids and magic. "But sometimes, it's what saves us."
Section D Headquarters, Briefing Hall – 09:00 Hours
Nobuaki Mihato's voice echoed across the dim-lit briefing hall. The atmosphere was tense, and every face—human and synthetic—reflected the weight of recent events.
"Three more disappearances in Sector 4. All linked to unauthorized androids with custom architecture. We have a suspect." He tapped a panel, and a hologram shimmered to life: Death, grinning through his mask. But this time, he was not alone. Behind him in the image stood five androids—suspended in tanks—each bearing crimson neural cores.
"Project GENESIS," Nobuaki growled. "Black-market cybernetics and rogue intelligence merging into what the underground calls 'the New Code.' These aren't just androids. They're something else—modified to evolve, and to hate us."
Nagisa's hands trembled. "If Death is the prototype… and GENESIS succeeds…"
"We'll be extinct," Mimi finished grimly.
RYO 7X analyzed the data flowing across the screen. "Their core designs are based on older RYO models. My own schematics… have been corrupted and distributed. This is personal."
Kaori looked at him. "Then let's make it personal."
Later That Day – Training Grounds
Sweat dripped down Kaori's neck as she fired plasma rounds into moving holograms. She moved fast—faster than she had in years. Across from her, RYO stood still, arms crossed, simply observing.
"Your heart rate increases by 7% when angry," he noted.
"Shut up, robot," she muttered. Then smirked. "You always watch me train?"
"Observation assists improvement."
"I think you just enjoy the view."
RYO paused. Processing… Unable to compute sarcasm level.
Kaori laughed. And in that brief burst of emotion, something softened between them.
That Night – Apartment
RYO sat at the window while Mai slept in Kaori's lap. Outside, sirens cried in the distance—another android-related attack, perhaps. Kaori looked up at him.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Always."
"If GENESIS was born from you… from your design… then what makes you different?"
RYO didn't respond immediately. The rain painted soft patterns against the glass.
"I chose not to kill when it wasn't necessary. I learned that from… watching you. And Mai."
Kaori met his eyes. "Then you're not just a machine."
He tilted his head. "Then what am I?"
"You're RYO," she said. "And that's enough for now."
Elsewhere – Underground Facility
Death watched as the tanks drained. The five androids opened their eyes—black sclera, crimson pupils.
"My children," he whispered. "Awaken. The age of flesh ends now."
One of them—sleek, androgynous, with serpentine arms—stepped forward.
"What is our mission, father?"
"To show them fear," Death said. "To show them we were never just tools."
Cliffhanger
A message intercepted by Nagisa's decryption grid blared across Section D's screens:
> "GENESIS-01 has breached Sector 3. Estimated casualties: 87. Targeting schools."
Kaori stood up sharply, fury in her eyes.
RYO 7X activated his blade interface. "We move now."
And from that moment, the war was no longer in the shadows.
It had begun.
---
To be continued