⁕ Something More Than The Blade

As midnight drew close, Kadyn sat by her bedside while reading a small novel. Meanwhile, everyone else was already deep in their sleep. At exactly midnight, Kadyn closed her book and began heading toward the door. Just as she quietly snuck out of the barrack, she was suddenly jump scared by KD-552 who appeared behind her. 

[KD-552] - "Hahaha! Look at you jumping up like a little blonde rabbit. "

[Kadyn] - "Grrrgh... Not funny. "

Said Kadyn with a frustrated expression. 

[KD-552] - "Alright, alright, I'm sorry. So where is our little sis going so late at night? "

[Kadyn] - "It's a private matter. "

Said Kadyn as she began to walk while KD-552 followed her behind.

[KD-552] - "Oh, don't lie to me, you aren't fooling anyone with that perfume you are wearing and those nicely made hair. "

Said KD-552 as she pinched some of Kadyn's hair.

[Kadyn] - "I should be the one asking you why the bloody hell are ya here. "

[KD-552] - "New accent, I see. Who is that lucky boy, is he like Bri'ish? "

Said KD-552 in a sarcastic tone.

[Kadyn] - "Aaaah! Stop asking me! I won't tell you anything. "

Yelled Kadyn as she began walking faster while trying to hide her embarrassment. 

[KD-552] - "Alright, alright, I'll stop. But seriously, I want to know because I don't want you to end up seeing some old bloated bald Englishman named Barry. "

Kadyn sighed heavily before turning into a secluded corner where no one could hear them talk. 

[Kadyn] - "I'll tell you once but this stays between us. "

[KD-552] - "Hey, I promise. "

Said KD-552 as she drew a cross on her chest.

[Kadyn] - "His name is Mike. Fancy guy... good looks and talk strange. "

Said Kadyn as she struggled to find the proper words to describe Mike.

[KD-552] - "Ah... that's quite particular. How old is he? "

[Kadyn] - "Same age as me, seventeen, but most importantly, he is a cyberknight. "

Said Kadyn as she looked away in embarrassment.

A look of surprise and joy quickly appeared on KD-552's face as she excitedly held Kadyn in her arms. 

[KD-552] - "Our little sister hit the jackpot! "

Yelled KD-552 in excitement.

[Kadyn] - "Shhh! Silence! "

Whispered Kadyn with a worried look on her face. 

[KD-552] - "Aw, you know, I'm so proud of you. On my side, meanwhile, I just learned that General Yuan already has a wife and a kid in China. He treats me well but sucks to know that I'm only his sidepiece. "

Not knowing how to respond, Kadyn glanced at the time displayed on her glasses.

[Kadyn] - "Well... I got to go now. I'm already late for... you know. "

[KD-552] - "Sounds sweet. Let me know how it went after. "

Said KD-552 with a wide smile. 

When Kadyn arrived inside the janitor's closet, Mike was nowhere to be found. Thinking that Mike left because she was late, Kadyn began to panic before he suddenly phased out of the wall and jump-scared her. Just like with KD-552, Kadyn jumped up but hit her head against one of the shelves. 

[Mike] - "Gosh, are you ok? "

Said Mike with a concerned look. 

Immediately after standing up, Kadyn slapped Mike in the face and left a large red handprint on his cheek. 

[Mike] - "Ow... I deserved it, haha. "

Said Mike as he struggled to stand upright. 

Kadyn suddenly grabbed Mike's face and kissed where she had slapped him. 

[Kadyn] - "Sorry I put a little too much force there. "

After being together for two years, Kadyn has grown more human but most importantly, more bold. When Kadyn is with Mike, she often feels secure enough to let out a more wild and thrill-seeking side of her personality. 

At the restaurant table, after making their orders, Mike reached for his golden card but found nothing inside his pocket. With a mischievous smile, Kadyn pulled the card out of her dress and allowed the waiter to scan it. As soon as the waiter left, Mike used his ability to pull the card back into his hand. However, instead of an apology, Kadyn simply smiled playfully.

While eating, Kadyn didn't hesitate to occasionally steal some food off Mike's plate. However, this time, Mike was prepared. Just as Kadyn smiled playfully after stealing a slice of steak from him, Mike revealed a cup of ice cream he hid under the table. Before Kadyn could understand the situation, Mike shoved the entire dessert into his mouth.

[Mike] - "Now we are even. "

[Kadyn] - "How so? I don't understand why you just... "

A realization suddenly hit Kadyn as she angrily stood up.

[Kadyn] - "You did not! "

Yelled Kadyn while showing a cute angry expression.

[Mike] - "Oh, why do you think I allowed you to steal so easily from me this time, huh? I went to the kitchen and got your dessert beforehand just in case you went food goblin on me again. "

Said Mike with a smug expression on his face. 

Kadyn slowly sat back down but crossed her arms while angrily staring at Mike. 

[Mike] - "Haha... Fine, I'm a strategist, not a monster. Here! "

Said Mike as he put down another cup of ice cream in front of Kadyn. 

Instantly, Kadyn regained her smile and pinched the cherry off the top of the scoops. While Mike finished his meal with a dose of wine, Kadyn began playing with the cherry using her tongue. However, the cherry suddenly fell out of her mouth and landed between her breasts. This immediately caught Mike's attention but instead of pulling the cherry out, Kadyn simply leaned forward and waited for him to react.

After their meal, the two quickly booked a hotel room. As soon as Mike closed the door behind him, Kadyn allowed her red dress to fall to the ground. This time, none of them hesitated as they jumped into bed and embraced each other. By the time they finally settled down from their tsunami of fiery passion, the first light of morning was already shining on the horizon. 

[Kadyn] - "I wish I could do this every day with you. "

[Mike] - "I share your sentiment. "

[Kadyn] - "Just imagine how awesome would it be if I could wake up every morning in your arms. I'll kill just to make that a reality. "

[Mike] - "Unfortunately, however you see it, it is nothing but wishful thinking. "

Kadyn turned toward Mike and pressed her head on his arm. 

[Kadyn] - "That's just a dream of mine. I'm fine with the way things are for now. Even though we only meet every once in a while, you never fail to turn every moment into a lifelong memory. "

Suddenly the alarm on the bedstand began to ring.

[Mike] - "Bloody hell, already? "

Said Mike in a frustrated voice.

Kadyn sat up from the bed and stretched her arms upward. 

[Kadyn] - "Come on, we both have our duty, Mikey. "

[Mike] - "So you said you are departing for a mission today. "

[Kadyn] - "Mhm. If I'm correct, I should be deployed in Dubai inside the United Arab Emirates. Eh... I think I have to execute the 3rd prince in the royal family who isn't contributing enough money to the Imperial cause. "

Said Kadyn as she began to dress up. 

[Mike] - "Shouldn't be a long mission I suppose. "

Said Mike as he also began to dress up. 

[Kadyn] - "Gotta infiltrate one of his leisure parties as one of the attending models. "

Mike suddenly turned around.

[Mike] - "Oh, isn't that kind of party just a bloody orgy? "

Seeing the concern on Mike's face, Kadyn quickly extended her wrist blade which shined against the sunlight.

[Kadyn] - "Don't worry, my body is exclusive for my Mike. If they even dare touch me, you know, chop-chop. "

Said Kadyn as she swung her blade around. 

[Mike] - "Remember though, no innocent. "

[Kadyn] - "No worries. "

Said Kadyn with a smile.

After depositing Kadyn inside one of the bathroom stalls in the barrack, Mike quickly disappeared into the wall. Immediately after, Kadyn hid her dress inside a plastic bag before walking out of the stall in her usual work uniform. 

[KD-554] - "Huh? Since when were you here, KD-555? "

Said KD-554 with a surprised look while leaning against the sink.

[Kadyn] - "I was here before you arrived. I got work to attend to, talk to you another time. "

Said Kadyn as she passed behind KD-554.

[KD-554] - "I swear, gosh, you always pop out of random places as if you are a ghost. "

Once she arrived in front of her bunkbed, she quickly hid the dress below her mattress. 

[KD-553] - "You seriously don't have to sneak around. You do realize I don't give a fuck about whatever your business is. "

Kadyn turned around to see KD-553 on her work laptop while sipping on a cup of coffee. However, despite KD-553's words of assurance, Kadyn still chose to push her dress deeper into her bed. After standing up, Kadyn's eyes abruptly stopped to stare at the empty bed above hers. 

The blanket was cleanly folded and KD-551's belongings remained where they were two years ago. Above the mattress, multiple pictures of the five sisters were pinned on the wall. Slowly, memories of Kadyn's last interaction with KD-551 came back to her. She still remembered it clearly as if it happened yesterday.

On the second morning after KD-552 left the barrack to join General Yuan in his personal residence, KD-551 was assigned to a mission she would never return from. As KD-551 prepared to board the transport ship, all three available sisters gathered around to wish her good luck. 

[KD-551] - "You guys, it's not as if I won't return. Stop making this so difficult. "

[Kadyn] - "Still, you'll be gone for a whole nine months. "

Said KD-555 while shedding a few tears. 

[KD-554] - "We always support each other just like the day we fought against the freaks. No matter how strong we might be, there is still a risk on these kind of missions. "

[KD-551] - "Ah, by the way, while I'm gone, take care of my belongings for me, okay? Don't let them fondle with my stuff. "

Whispered KD-551 as she leaned toward Kadyn.

[KD-553] - "As if I would give a fuck about the crap you own. "

Said KD-553 in a gloomy voice. 

[KD-554] - "Ah, you and your darn attitude! I swear I'm going to rip out your vocal cord someday. "

Yelled KD-554 in frustration. 

[KD-553] - "Not if I fucking gut your ass first, bitch! "

The two sisters soon began to bicker between them but KD-551 quickly seized the moment and led Kadyn to the side.

[KD-551] - "I'm going to miss you, little sis. You might cry the most among all of us but you are also the bravest. I'm sure, unlike those two, a bright future awaits you just around the corner. "

Said KD-551 as she gave Kadyn a strong hug. 

[Kadyn] - "I'm sure they'll become better. They just need some time. "

[KD-551] - "Sigh... With this kind of enthusiasm in their line of work, I can only see them stray farther and farther away from being seen as something else than murder machines. Just don't be like them. "

[Kadyn] - "Don't worry about me. I can handle things well on my own. "

Said Kadyn with a wide smile. 

[KD-551] - "Before I go, I want to tell you something. You see, we, unlike the other demi-humans, are special. We were born with something amazing; The ability to create life. We are the only demi-humans designed with a functioning reproductive system. Do you know what that means? "

Kadyn shook her head. 

[KD-551] - "That, combined with our ability to develop empathy and feelings, means that we can be more than just killer machines. We can choose to leave behind this destiny assigned to us at birth and walk the path we want instead. We can become human, we can blend in with society, and we can give life instead of taking it away. "

[Kadyn] - "I... I never thought of it this way. I thought what we had down there was just to convince the humans we are not machines. "

[KD-551] - "Well now you know. It's not too late to consider a different path in life, KD-555. Anyways, take care, little sister. May God protect you. "

Said KD-551 as she turned to board the ship. 

As KD-551 waved goodbye through the ship's window, KD-555 also waved her hand while wiping the tears off her face using the other. Upon hearing the roar of the ship's engine coming to life, KD-554 broke off from her fight and rushed to wave at KD-551. As the ship left the ground, KD-551 also saw KD-553 waving her hand shyly behind the two other sisters. 

[KD-551] - "Goodbye you guys, thank you for all the memories. "

Said KD-551 as sadness slowly washed over her. 

KD-551 never returned. Upon landing in Munich, Germany, mission control quickly lost contact with her. Later investigation concluded two possibilities concerning her fate.

According to the IEEB, the designated target she was sent after was aware of a possible assassination attempt, thus he paid for security to set up a "Faraday's cage". In this context, a "Faraday's cage" is a trap consisting of a heavily reinforced room made of compressed tungsten under heavy pressure which is extremely resistant to even the KD-series' anti-material blades. Then, once the target is trapped inside the cage, a 500 000 volt current would be passed through the negatively charged ceiling and anything standing inside the cage would become a lightning rod for the electricity which wants to reach the positively charged floor. It was a trap specifically designed to deal with the KD-series' assassin which gained notoriety for how almost nothing could stop them once they were on the hunt. 

A second version of the story was conjured by an investigation by the cardinal cyberknights commissioned by Doctor Tsujinaka who was not satisfied with the IEEB's version of the story. According to an unnamed cardinal, KD-551 may have possibly faked her death and gone rogue. However, due to the ongoing nature of the investigation, no further detail is yet available. 

However, to Kadyn and her sisters, KD-551's fate was probably similar to the one described by the IEEB. Since to them, it was illogical that KD-551 would go rogue for no reason and abandon her sisters. 

As Kadyn prepared to board her ship, two of her remaining sisters came to wish her good luck. 

[KD-552] - "Hey, don't take too long, little sis. Cut and flee, ya hear me? "

Said KD-552 as she gave Kadyn a thigh hug. 

[KD-554] - "Hey, good luck. Don't forget the techniques I taught you! "

Said KD-554 as she gave Kadyn the thumbs up. 

[KD-555] - "Yeah, yeah, I'm not about to brutalize my victims like you. I'll just cut and flee. "

[KD-552] - "Haha, that's my blonde little rabbit! "

Said KD-552 as she messed with Kadyn's hair. 

A message suddenly popped into Kadyn's sight on her glasses. 

[Kadyn] - "Oh... looks like the departure will be delayed by 30 minutes. "

[KD-552] - "Sigh... well, I got to leave. I have a dinner planned with Mister Yuan. "

Said KD-552 as she discreetly winked at KD-554. 

[KD-554] - "Oh, me too. I got a mission briefing in 5 minutes, so I better get going. "

The two sisters quickly walked away while waving their hands at Kadyn. As soon as they disappeared out of sight, Kadyn turned around to suddenly find KD-553 standing in front of her. 

[Kadyn] - "Bloody hell, you almost scared me to death! "

Yelled Kadyn as she recoiled in fear. 

[KD-553] - "I used my Conagher system, so know that I'm not a ghost. "

[Kadyn] - "Well... do you need something? "

[KD-553] - "Sigh... I might not give a fuck about your business but I still give a fuck about you. "

KD-553 advanced toward Kadyn before hugging her. 

[KD-553] - "Good luck, little sis. "

[Kadyn] - "Not even you with the "little sis". "

KD-553 smirked a little. 

[KD-553] - "I technically exited my pod 25 microseconds before you, so it still means I'm older than you. "

[Kadyn] - "You and your bloody data. "

Said Kadyn with an amused expression. 

[KD-553] - "Just come back, okay? Don't end up like KD-551. I just wish I said something to her that day instead of fighting with KD-554. "

Kadyn gently returned the gesture and held KD-553 close to her. 

[Kadyn] - "I promise I'll come back. Don't you worry about it. "

[KD-553] - "Alright, enough empathy for one day. Go do your shit now. "

Said KD-553 as she pushed Kadyn away from her. 

Without looking back, KD-553 walked away while her eyes remained fixed on her screen. Meanwhile, Kadyn smiled while shaking her head.

[Kadyn] - "Classic KD-553. "

Time flew by like a breeze and before long, Kadyn was up in the air. 

Meanwhile, in Berlin, Germany, a man dressed in a dark coat passed through the crowd in a flea market. On his neck, the distinct symbol of the cardinal cyberknights was dangling at the bottom of his silver necklace. After turning into a secluded corner, a wave of surveillance droids suddenly descended from the sky and landed on his shoulders. 

[Cardinal knight] - "My beautiful crows, what have you found? "

One of the droids suddenly seemed to become more excited than the others. 

[Cardinal knight] - "Igor, what do you have for me? "

In an instant, the droid began to project its surveillance footage onto the wall beside its master. Inside the footage, a normal crowd of citizens roamed a busy intersection before the droid highlighted one of the women among the commuters. After zooming on several times the initial magnification, the droid paused the footage and showed a large picture of the woman's eyes. 

[Cardinal knight] - "Ah... bingo! Doctor Tsujinaka will be pleased. "

The irises of the woman were separated by small black divider lines unlike that of a normal human. And with a total of eight sections, it represented the eight types of vision and iris colours applicable to the fifth-gen KD-series assassins. 

To be continued...