She rounded a corner and dashed off the main road just as a shell exploded where she'd been seconds ago. The massive shockwave flung Lily Cross through the air. Rolling across the pavement, she landed hard but scrambled to her feet and sprinted back without hesitation.
"Military Technology and Biotech? Well, this just got interesting," she muttered, wiping the blood from her cheek—scraped by flying debris. Despite the injuries, her eyes gleamed with excitement.
Her initial plan had been to escape solo, but reality had other ideas. The bio-engineered dogs were too fast; there was no outrunning them.
Biotech's mobile units were usually sluggish due to their heavy bio-suits, which drained stamina fast. Their individual combat strength wasn't always top-tier. But that didn't make them pushovers—especially considering the lethal biochemical weapons they carried.
Even the bio-canines were a nightmare. Genetically enhanced, they had both speed and brute strength. Their movements were erratic and unpredictable. Heavy firepower couldn't lock on, and lighter weapons barely made a dent. Worse, their bodies carried highly contagious bacteria. One bite could mean a slow, miserable death.
The only reliable way to kill them was to sever their heads clean off—but even that had risks. The creatures' blood was highly corrosive, capable of eating through most materials—and flesh.
Back near the collapsed structure, Sis Weis paused mid-attack against Takemura Goro, his instincts kicking in.
BOOM!
The other half of the crumbling building was obliterated as four automated combat vehicles rolled into view.
"Military Technology?" Sis Weis narrowed his eyes.
While Biotech and Militech weren't exactly sworn enemies, they weren't allies either. And the convoy's clearing formation was unmistakably hostile.
Most Biotech fighters had eccentric, aggressive personalities—Sis Weis was no exception.
"Tch. Deal with them," he snapped.
His security team launched forward like trained beasts.
In the backmost command vehicle of the convoy, a technician stared at the screen. "New visual. Biotech personnel identified."
A voice buzzed in his earpiece. "If they obstruct the mission, eliminate them. If necessary, trigger self-destruct. We can't allow tech leaks."
The Hacker Legion project was top-secret, and the intelligent squad was one of its prototypes. It wasn't the most valuable asset—but valuable enough to protect at all costs.
Back in the fray, Takemura Goro was catching his breath when a familiar voice shouted from behind him.
"Run! What are you still doing here?!"
He turned. "Lily? Why are you back?"
"To save your ass, what else?!" she shot back, panting. Not that she'd admit she came back because she couldn't escape. Pride was everything.
Takemura didn't argue. Instead, he took another deep breath and moved toward her.
"You two? Where do you think you're going?" Sis Weis turned his attention back to them. Takemura wasn't important—but Lily Cross was a priority capture.
Lily smirked. "Mr. Sis Weis, you may not know the full specs of an intelligent squad, but let me remind you. A team like this, with five automated combat vehicles, usually has a big guy in reserve."
As she finished, the ground trembled. A six-meter-tall war machine dropped from above, landing between them and Sis Weis with a seismic crash. Its red laser eyes locked onto the Biotech soldier.
"Target located. Initiating clearance protocol."
"Target located. Initiating clearance protocol."
Sis Weis raised an eyebrow, seemingly unimpressed. "You think this tin can is going to stop me?"
Of course not, Lily thought. But it would buy time—which was all they needed.
She didn't answer him. Instead, her lips curled into a knowing smile.
Her "stroll" earlier hadn't just been a desperate run. She had a secondary objective—escaping Militech's signal jamming zone.
Big corporations operated like machines: Target. Jam. Eliminate.
Lily knew their playbook well. She also knew the signal jamming radius was limited.
So she ran—gambling she could cross the boundary in time.
And she had.
Once she breached the edge, her internal system kicked in, and she fired off a location beacon to her squad.
Her heart pounded—not from fear, but relief. She was back on the grid.
Leon Black would get the signal. He was fast. With any luck, he'd arrive in ten minutes. All she had to do was hold out with Takemura and the war machine.
Ding~
Leon glanced at the message flashing across his HUD. His expression didn't change, but a spark lit behind his calm eyes. He stood slowly, letting his coat ripple.
His voice was soft but carried across the entire dining hall. "Alright, folks. Break time's over. Let's get to work."
"Heh. Didn't expect Lily to run into Takemura Goro," Ethan Cross chuckled as he wiped grease from his chin. "And end up facing Biotech? She's got luck, I'll give her that."
"She's always had Lady Luck on her side," agreed Mike Taylor, nodding thoughtfully.
If anyone in their team had lived a charmed life, it was Lily Cross.
She grew up in a well-off, loving family. Her father was a senior engineer in Arasaka's weapons division, and her mother a master instructor at Arasaka Academy.
From a young age, Lily had been immersed in tech and mechanics. Her father's influence nurtured a fascination with weapon molds and designs, while her mother shaped her learning habits and discipline.
Her path to becoming a mechanic was natural—and golden.
When she entered the workforce, her academic and field test scores were top-tier. She aced everything—written exams, hands-on demonstrations, interviews.
Her performance shone like a star. It wasn't long before she joined the Security Division's Logistics Department.
Later, her father helped arrange a transfer to a field unit to give her some frontline experience. But even then, he made sure she was placed in a safer-than-average squad—the humble but reliable Seventeen Squad.
At first, Lily didn't adjust well to the unit's laid-back structure. But before long, she was thriving—using her seniority to boss around rookies like Arasaka Yuto, revealing her sharp wit and fiery personality.
But she always kept things balanced. Her instincts for teamwork and her sense of timing made her indispensable—even Leon Black couldn't do much about her antics.
She became the team's chaos engine—and its heart.
Mission after mission passed with minimal injury. Thrilling, but never truly dangerous.
This time was no exception.
Although it was chaotic, Lily's luck hadn't run out yet. And with Leon en route?
The real fight was just about to begin.
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