At the University of Tokyo's Institute of Artificial Intelligence, Murakami Mizutome and the entire R&D team were on edge.
Rukawa was missing, and his phone had been unreachable for hours.
It was not a good sign.
For days now, they'd been trying to find a way to eliminate "Azure." The disaster it caused had already led to astronomical losses for the island nation, yet there was still no effective solution to get rid of it.
Now, with Rukawa suddenly disappearing, a deep sense of unease settled over everyone.
"What do we do now? The Marching Ant Company is turning its attention toward us. If anything leaks out... If people find out the 'Satan' virus is actually our lab's 'Tianzhao' project, we're finished."
"If we want to avoid that, we need to completely wipe the 'Tianzhao' program—destroy all the evidence. Even if we're questioned, we stick to one story. Without proof, they can't touch us."
"No."
Murakami Mizutome's expression darkened.
"'Azure' is the closest thing to a true advanced artificial intelligence. We're on the verge of success. It's the culmination of our team's years of hard work—we can't just destroy it."
"And what do you suggest we do instead?" one of the senior researchers snapped. His hair was graying, and his expression was furious. "We're already under fire. Rukawa ran off, and if this gets out, we're all screwed! You were the one who proposed the 'Artificial Intelligence Hybrid' plan in the first place. You started this mess—now when it's falling apart, you won't even let us deal with it properly?"
Inside a van parked near the university, a task force from the Ministry of Internal Affairs was listening in through surveillance equipment.
Okada Shirohane wore headphones, his face pale with disbelief. Around him, the other agents were similarly shocked.
They had just overheard something terrifying.
They were the investigation team tasked with uncovering the origin of the 'Satan' virus. Officially, they had a visible presence. Unofficially, they had a shadow team conducting deep surveillance.
They already suspected the University of Tokyo was the source, but couldn't narrow it down to specific individuals.
The university's cybersecurity division had subtly hinted at involvement from within the institution itself, drawing the Marching Ant Company's attention. That clue had prompted the task force to investigate more aggressively.
After several days of quiet monitoring, they had finally turned their attention to the Institute of Artificial Intelligence.
They planted a micro-listening device on the research team. What they overheard was worse than they imagined.
The 'Satan' virus was not just a weaponized virus. It was a self-evolving artificial intelligence—born from the lab's 'Tianzhao' project.
This was no longer a cybersecurity issue. It was a global tech crisis.
"What now?" one of the team members asked Okada, his voice trembling.
Artificial intelligence run amok—something straight out of science fiction. It wasn't as dramatic as the movies, but it was real... and it was dangerous.
"Contain everyone on the research team. No leaks," Okada ordered. "I'm reporting directly to the section chief."
The blame had already been pinned on the Marching Ant Company. That narrative needed to stay. No one could know the truth—not yet. Not that the AI came from their own soil.
'Satan' was an artificial intelligence. And it had originated in Japan.
If that truth came to light, the consequences would be catastrophic.
While these dark machinations played out in secret, the public was focused elsewhere.
Marching Ant Company retaliates against U.S. sanctions?
University of Tokyo accuses Marching Ant of cyber sabotage?
Two major headlines were trending, dominating newsfeeds.
The Marching Ant Company had just canceled an order for seismic monitoring equipment intended for the United States. This bold move sent shockwaves across global markets and drew public applause in some corners.
Typically, when the U.S. sanctioned a company, the target would quietly back down. Not this time. The Marching Ant Company was fighting back.
Their seismographs had saved thousands of lives by predicting several recent earthquakes in seismic zones. These devices had earned Chen Mo the nickname "Time Giant," a recognition of his life-saving innovations.
Canceling the seismograph contract was a calculated move—one that could haunt the U.S. government. If a future earthquake struck without adequate warning, public outrage would be swift and unforgiving.
The tech behind the seismograph was proprietary, and despite numerous attempts, no other country had been able to replicate it. Only the Marching Ant Company held the key.
Now, protesters had taken to the streets in places like Los Angeles and Hawaii, urging their governments to reverse course. Even Australia felt the heat from opposition parties.
Mainstream Western media downplayed the Marching Ant Company's involvement with the 'Satan' virus. Without concrete proof, most outlets chose not to escalate tensions.
Back in the Marching Ant Company's home country, online discussions were another matter. Conspiracy theories, trolls, and agitators stirred the pot, drowning out the company's official statements.
Regardless of the narrative, one thing was clear—the 'Satan' virus continued to wreak havoc across the internet.
Unless users were running the Marching Ant's Termite system, their only options were to disconnect entirely or risk exposure.
Major cybersecurity firms were racing to crack the virus. Whoever succeeded would gain instant credibility—and unimaginable profits.
Rukawa groggily opened his eyes and stared around at the unfamiliar room. Confusion filled his gaze.
He remembered boarding a flight from Canada... and then falling asleep in a taxi. Now, he was tied up, restrained, and under guard.
"Who are you people? Why did you kidnap me?" he asked in shaky Japanese.
"Relax," said a blonde-haired man, smirking as he spoke fluent Japanese. "We just want answers. Cooperate, and you'll be fine. Resist... and we'll make sure you talk."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Rukawa mumbled, trying to keep his composure.
"You don't?" another man with a black beard scoffed. He pulled out a knife and slowly brought it close to Rukawa's face.
The cold steel made Rukawa's fear spike. He was already scared when he fled—now that he'd been abducted, panic overwhelmed him.
"What do you want?" he cried.
"Tell us everything you know about the 'Satan' virus," the blonde man said calmly. "If not... well, I'll let my friend here do the talking."
"No, wait! Don't hurt me!" Rukawa stammered. "I'll talk! I'll tell you everything!"
"Smart," the blonde man nodded approvingly. "You're valuable to us. Give us what we want, and you'll be safe. We can even offer you money. Women, too. Just tell us."
"Are you serious?" Rukawa asked cautiously.
"Of course. Killing you does nothing for us. We just want the truth."
Rukawa took a shaky breath. "The 'Satan' virus is actually called 'Azure.' It's an advanced AI we were developing in the lab. It went out of control during a machine learning test... We didn't mean for this to happen."
The two men exchanged startled glances.
An artificial intelligence? That wasn't what they'd expected.
"What about the source code?"
"I don't have it. Only Professor Murakami has the full access permissions. He kept the source code under strict control," Rukawa confessed, clearly terrified.
"So you're useless to us, is that it?" the blonde man said coldly.
"No! I'm a researcher. I can work for you! Please don't kill me! I only handled part of the machine learning code—I swear!"
The blonde-haired man gave his partner a look. Then he stepped away.
"Contact HQ. Let them know—'Satan' is an artificial intelligence."