The high-ranking members of Hydra gathered in a dark room for an emergency meeting. Baron Strucker, Viper, Arnim Zola, and Alexander Pierce sat around a holographic conference table, their faces grim and serious.
Baron Strucker spoke in a low voice, "Our operation failed. Andre and Electro have escaped."
Viper sneered. "They're too powerful! Electro's energy control ability far exceeded our expectations, and Andre's strength was beyond imagination."
Arnim Zola, dressed in a suit with a blank expression, said calmly, "Our weapons aren't powerful enough to threaten them. We need to improve our technological arsenal."
Alexander Pierce nodded in agreement. "Yes, we need more advanced weapons to deal with them. Strucker, you must accelerate the research and development program. We can't let them slip away again."
"Come on, he's the one experimenting on superhumans—wasn't that his idea to begin with?" Viper said mockingly.
"What do you mean by that, Viper? You didn't invest much in this project yourself," Baron Strucker said, visibly displeased.
"Well, Alexander, I heard you lost half your soldiers. You must be heartbroken. But you're in America, right? Need me to lend you a hand?" Viper asked with a teasing smile.
"No need," Alexander Pierce replied coldly.
"I'll be leaving first," Arnim Zola said flatly before disconnecting.
"I'm leaving too," Viper said, and went offline.
"I have other matters to attend to," Pierce added, nodding to Strucker before logging off as well.
"Damn it!" Strucker cursed.
—Inside Umbrella—
At that moment, the meeting lineup consisted of Nathan Hawke, Wesker, Andre, Electro, and the Invisible Man. As for Sengoku Ryoma, he wasn't interested and had Nathan Hawke's permission to skip the meeting.
"According to our investigation, Hydra's opposition this time seems to be Baron Strucker in Europe," Nathan Hawke said seriously.
"Europe?" Andre raised an eyebrow.
Noticing Nathan's glance, Andre gave an awkward smile and fell silent.
Wesker raised his hand, then stood up. "Umbrella Corporation has identified several enemy bases. This time, Andre, Electro, and I will lead the operation. As for the Invisible Man, your influence in Hollywood is considerable, and you have a charity gala that conflicts with the mission—so you're excused."
The Invisible Man nodded in understanding.
"Your adjutants will brief you on the mission details later," Wesker continued.
Both Andre and Electro nodded. Truthfully, they weren't great leaders, but given their strength, they had to take point this time.
"Get ready and coordinate with your adjutants," Wesker instructed.
"Meeting adjourned."
After the others left, Wesker followed Nathan Hawke down to Umbrella's underground facility. Sengoku Ryoma tagged along out of curiosity, hands fidgeting with excitement.
A six-pointed star formation glowed brilliantly, illuminating the entire chamber.
"Is it here?"
A deep, calm voice spoke, filled with solemnity and mystery.
A tall, strikingly handsome man with long silver hair appeared. He wore a black buttoned coat, silver pauldrons, and a cross-shaped black strap across his chest.
"Welcome to Umbrella Corporation. You must be the one we summoned," Wesker said, studying the tall man before him.
"Summoned?" The man frowned.
"That's right—you can't return for now," Sengoku Ryoma said cheerfully, spreading his arms in a welcoming gesture.
"I remember…" the man murmured, deep in thought.
Nathan Hawke stared intently at the summoned man. His name was—
Sephiroth.
A result of Shinra's massive experiment, injected with cells from an extraterrestrial life form—Jenova—while still in the womb. A member of Shinra's elite "SOLDIER" unit, Sephiroth was a First Class, the highest rank, and considered the strongest among them. Known as a legendary hero—the perfect creation of the Jenova Project.
And that very project…Nathan's mind filled with images of countless dead infants.
"Eight Blades Shining."
Sephiroth's calm voice echoed through the chamber as he launched into motion, his sword slicing through the air with dazzling precision. Eight slashes flashed like flowing light, each strike swift and deadly, cutting through the air toward Wesker.
Wesker's cold eyes betrayed no emotion. He dodged fluidly, evading each slash with inhuman agility, counterattacking between the bursts of swordlight.
"Earth-Shatter!"
Unfazed, Sephiroth transitioned seamlessly, unleashing four consecutive strikes in a flurry of blinding swordlight. The final blow hit with immense force, sending Wesker flying.
Wesker twisted midair, landing heavily but regaining his stance, eyes now fierce and body radiating raw power.
Sengoku Ryoma watched in awe, eyes gleaming with excitement.
Wesker charged again, his body moving at near-blinding speed, the air around him cracking from the force.
Sephiroth sensed the threat but didn't back down. With two swift strikes, his blade gleamed like lightning, sending Wesker spinning back once more.
But Wesker wasn't defeated. He landed, stabilized himself, and stared back at Sephiroth, his expression icy and resolute.
Sephiroth frowned—his opponent's wounds were already closing as if he had never been injured.
"That's enough testing for now, don't you think?" Nathan Hawke said, glancing at Sephiroth. The swordsman showed no killing intent.
"I need to understand where I am. I'll take a look around first," Sephiroth replied, sheathing his blade and turning toward Nathan.
"Ryoma, show him around—and don't bother him unless he allows it," Nathan instructed.
"Got it," Ryoma said with a grin and an OK gesture. He wasn't stupid—he wouldn't risk provoking someone with that level of power.
Nathan left soon after. He wanted to gauge the true extent of Sephiroth's strength—at least the portion he could currently access.
Inside Nathan Hawke's private combat arena, he reflected silently.
"There's hidden potential within me… but faint. Maybe Jenova's cells aren't compatible with my body."
Compared to Wesker's virus, Jenova cells were far more selective—almost conscious in choosing their host—while Wesker's Ouroboros virus simply assimilated.
Collecting his thoughts, Nathan picked up a sword and began to practice.
Thirty minutes.Sixty minutes.Two hours.
"No… this isn't right. This is Sephiroth's technique, not his power." Nathan frowned, realizing that Jenova's cells within him remained dormant.
"I'll train for a few more days, then extract my blood and cells at Umbrella."Determined, he tossed aside the sword and began a new regimen based on combat data analysis.
Elsewhere—
"If you seek revenge, Hammer Industries will be your strongest ally."
"No need. I'll destroy them myself."
As time passed, Umbrella's strike on Hydra's European base was finally ready.
Location: Monaco.
"Got any good work for today?" Nathan asked, glancing at a grinning Justin Hammer.
Hammer smirked slyly. "Thanks to you, Hammer Industries' stock has soared. Come on, let's have a drink."
"No, everyone's earned their share. You've done your part too," Nathan replied, politely refusing.
Nathan knew Hammer's ambitions—especially his desire to monitor superheroes.
But after realizing how dangerous Nathan was—and surviving multiple assassination attempts alongside him—Hammer abandoned any thoughts of betrayal.
The incident where Nathan was nearly assassinated sent shockwaves through their circle of elites, cooling their greed for a while.
Hammer's handling of the situation also pleased Nathan, shielding him from political leeches eager to exploit the chaos.
"By the way," Hammer said with a grin, "there's a great Stark movie premiering tonight. You'll love it—tons of live-action explosions."
"Oh? Then I'll look forward to it," Nathan replied with a polite smile.
"You'll love it," Hammer said with a knowing smirk.
"Oh, damn. Maybe I should install my JARVIS into a Formula One car," Nathan muttered dryly.
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