01:20 PM – Central Experimentation Hall, Black Lotus Garden Base
Red lights flashed frantically like an alarm. Sirens gradually wailed in rhythm, accompanied by tremors in the floor from small explosions spreading from the experiment tanks.
Death stood still, the black katana in his hand reflecting the flashing lights. His icy gaze was fixed on the enemy before him—the half-human, half-machine man named GRAY-01, head of BLOOD LOTUS's genetic enhancement unit.
"Feelings are unnecessary in killing," GRAY-01 stated, his voice as cold as a machine. "But they will make you… die slowly."
Fwoosh!
GRAY-01's body shot forward, almost too fast to see. The sound of metal scraping against the floor echoed. Death parried with his sword. CLANG! Sparks flew everywhere.
The immense impact forced Death back three steps. He stood firm, a trickle of blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.
"Fast indeed…" he murmured.
Alice, behind him, immediately fired her pistol. BANG! BANG! BANG! The bullets only partially pierced GRAY-01's metallic shell before he spun, dodging, and slammed a steel palm into her chest.
"Ugh!" Alice tumbled to the floor, her body hitting the wall. A faint crack of bone was heard.
"Alice!!" Death shouted.
He lunged to intercept before GRAY-01 could follow up. The black katana swung down from above. SWISH!! The immense force of the blow cracked the concrete floor.
GRAY-01 plugged a mechanical arm into a connector beneath his foot. Blue energy erupted from his body. "Initiating phase two transformation… unlocking human limits."
"GRRRRRR!!"
His body transformed. His limbs enlarged. Energy panels sprouted from his back. Purple light shot from his eyes.
01:32 PM – The Beginning of the Slaughter
Death focused, his eyes razor-sharp. He changed his sword grip, slowly stepping forward.
"Deep Black State… Activate."
A voice echoed in Death's subconscious. For a moment, the images in his mind shifted. He saw a little girl from the past… May… his sister, smiling at him from the house balcony… followed by the image of her near death at the hands of the same organization, even while in their grandfather's care.
"I have no right to die until I've destroyed all of you…"
He raised the katana above his head. Intense black light enveloped the blade. All surrounding sounds vanished, leaving only the beat of his own heart.
"Fwump!"
Death's movement vanished from GRAY-01's sight as if he had disappeared, only to reappear behind his opponent in an instant.
"SCHLICK!!"
GRAY-01's right mechanical arm was severed. A thunderous clap echoed, even underground.
"This is... the lost Black Sword of the LEO PROJECT..." GRAY-01 said, his voice breaking. "It... is alive…"
Blood mixed with energy fluid poured onto the floor. He hadn't fallen, but his systems were failing. External parts cracked and shattered.
01:40 PM – Alice's Awakening
Alice struggled to her feet, amidst the pain. Her body trembled, but her eyes shone brightly. She squeezed her eyes shut… memories flooded in.
She saw herself in a lab, saw other little girls being injected with substances, crying. She saw her own mother—Dr. Lilia—watching coldly.
"…I don't belong to you…"
A voice echoed in her own head.
"I will not be an experiment anymore!"
A hidden power within Alice awakened. Certain veins glowed faintly. Her hand gripped the pistol tightly again.
She rose slowly, walking beside Death. "I'm not just a model… I am Alice… and I will avenge everyone you've killed."
Death nodded without a word… He knew she had truly awakened.
01:45 PM – GRAY-01's End
GRAY-01 attempted to unleash a final blast from the energy panel on his back, but Death gave him no chance. He thrust his sword through his opponent's chest and twisted the blade upwards diagonally. "SCHLICK!!"
GRAY-01's body disintegrated into scattered fragments, leaving only silence in the lab.
Alice slumped down beside him, her voice soft. "Is it over…?"
Death shook his head slightly. "Not yet… The one behind all of this is still there."
He pointed to a steel door at the far end, which had just slowly creaked open.
"BLOOD LOTUS's main control room."
01:48 PM – Central Hall of the BLOOD LOTUS Base
A giant steel door opened slowly, the sound of metal scraping against the floor echoing throughout. A chillingly cold draft blew out, hitting their faces. The smell of chemicals mixed with old blood hung heavy in the air.
Inside the room, there was no sound, no movement. Greenish-white light shone down from the high ceiling. Consoles lined the walls. And in the center… dozens of transparent cylindrical test tubes stood in rows.
In each tube… a female human figure in a white gown floated in clear liquid, eyes closed, motionless.
Alice raised a hand to her mouth, frozen, tears welling up.
"...Them…"
"Yes," Death replied softly. "They… are the failed samples of 'Project ALICE'."
Alice sank down beside one of the tubes, her hand touching the glass. "They look just like me…"
Then a voice spoke.
"But you are not like them…"
A resonant, mysterious, cold female voice descended from above.
A cloud of black smoke coalesced into the figure of a woman in a black dress, long hair, and a half-mask concealing her emotions and intentions.
"I am MOTHER LOTUS – the progenitor of BLOOD LOTUS, and your creator… Alice."
Death immediately stepped in front of Alice, his eyes calm and steady. "You're the one behind everything, aren't you?"
The woman chuckled softly. "Not entirely… I am the beginning, but the true controller… resides in a deeper shadow."
Alice frowned. "Who?"
MOTHER LOTUS turned to a monitor behind her. The screen displayed a room filled with hundreds of wires and machines. In the center of the room… a young man sat amidst dim light. His face… was familiar.
Death froze. "...Impossible…"
Alice turned to look at him. "You know him?"
"His name… is Lux," Death said softly. "My friend. We were kidnapped together as children. But after that… we never saw each other again."
MOTHER LOTUS continued, "He is the 'prototype of the LEO Project'… chosen and trained specifically to be the leader of a new species."
From the shadows behind the control room door, a young man in a white suit slowly walked out.
Death stared intently. "Lux…"
Lux smiled faintly, his face eerily calm. "Glad you still remember me, brother."
Death frowned. "...We're not brothers."
"Not by blood," Lux replied. "But in the past, you were the only one I trusted… until the day they separated us and changed me into something new."
Alice spoke softly, "Then why are you still here?"
Lux turned to her, his eyes empty. "Because I choose to be… to create a new world in my own image."
02:00 PM – The Beginning of War
Lux raised his hand. A certain sound wave spread throughout the room. The test tubes began to vibrate. The liquid inside turned blood red.
The young women in the test tubes began to open their eyes—their gazes empty, no longer human.
"They've created an army of clones…" Death cursed inwardly.
Lux spoke flatly, "Weak humans deserve to be replaced… and we are the new answer for the world."
Alice gripped Death's hand tightly. "We will stop him, no matter the cost."
Death nodded, his eyes resolute.
"This isn't just about survival anymore…" he whispered. "This is war… for truth, and the future of humanity."
The alarm sirens shrieked… and the long-awaited battle had finally begun.
TO BE CONTINUED…