Ultra Ego

Ejin wasn't kept in the black box for too long before being transferred to the truck that was supposed to transport him in the first place. The vehicle traveled from one city to another, several dozen kilometers away. The young boy didn't understand what was happening, but from the conversations he overheard, he deduced that someone had tried to help him.

Someone had attempted to rescue Ejin but failed due to Agaret's counter-strategy. Ejin couldn't figure out who it was, but he was certain it had something to do with Palon. After all, Palon was the only one left who still cared about him.

'Palon found someone to help me. She must've tried so hard, but here I am...' Ejin thought. He felt utterly useless, just a burden waiting to be saved, with his future held in others' hands. He swore to himself that if he ever had the chance, he would grow stronger and take down those who had hurt him.

The metal doors opened, and strong men came in to drag Ejin out of the truck. In front of him was a factory—not an abandoned one, but a functional factory producing robotic parts. Normally, an industrial plant like this would operate day and night, with workers rotating shifts continuously.

But today, there were no workers, only security guards pretending to be factory staff. The place was patrolled and fortified, looking more like a metal fortress than a robotic parts factory. Apart from the more than a hundred heavily armed guards, there were also combat robots and aerial patrol drones.

It wasn't unusual for transport trucks to arrive at factories at night, so there was nothing suspicious about this setup. Strict security was also standard, given that, in this era, terrorist attacks to steal blueprints or technology from rival companies were common. Even if an entire army were stationed at the factory, no one would question it.

Avid limped out of the truck. Though his implants were damaged due to circuit failures, he could still walk normally. His face was expressionless, as if devoid of any emotion. His grasshopper mask had been destroyed by Asic's power, forcing him to reveal his true face.

Agaret was the last to disembark, his gaze sweeping over the organized deployment of personnel. These weren't members of the Onizuka Tiger gang but part of Joker's forces. Even the factory producing robot parts was just one of Joker's many businesses for laundering illegal money.

"They really pulled out more forces than usual. It looks like they value this cargo," Agaret remarked.

"Is it not usually like this?" Avid asked.

"No. This is almost double the usual amount. Since I started transporting goods for Joker, this is the first time they've deployed this much security. These men are about on par with special forces. They may not be as skilled as those pesky agents, but they're formidable enough. No one would be crazy enough to try and snatch the goods from here," Agaret said confidently. It wasn't just about having special forces-level soldiers with military-grade weaponry; there were also numerous combat robots and drones. Unless someone brought an army, there was no way they'd leave this place alive.

Ejin was put into a wheelchair and dragged inside the factory. The young boy had no strength to resist. He looked around, observing the high-precision machinery used to manufacture robotic parts. Even though these were old robot models, the factory's value must be in the billions of dollars. And yet, it was terrifying to think that this was merely a place used by criminals to launder money.

Ejin was brought to a room within the factory, where no one else was allowed to enter except for Agaret and Avid. Agaret had promised Avid that he'd get to meet Joker. Ejin sat in his wheelchair, feeling like he was awaiting his death. The room was silent until the door behind them opened, revealing a man dressed in what looked like a spacesuit.

"Ah, here we are. Good evening, sir. I'm Agaret from the Onizuka Tiger gang, here to deliver the goods personally. Feel free to inspect the merchandise," Agaret stood up and rubbed his hands, looking at the man in the spacesuit. Avid glanced at the newcomer, wondering if this guy was Joker—the Prince of Crime in the New World, the infamous dealer of death. He looked ridiculous in his astronaut-like suit, lacking any intimidating presence.

"Change of plans. You need to stay longer," the man in the spacesuit announced.

"Change of plans? Sir, I don't understand. I delivered the goods on time, and you're here to receive them. Our mission is complete, so why are you asking me to stay?" Agaret frowned. He had fulfilled his end of the deal precisely, so he should be allowed to leave.

"Joker will come personally to receive the goods. Until then, it's your duty to guard them." The moment the man in the spacesuit spoke, Avid's gaze shot towards Agaret.

"He's not Joker!?"

"Of course not. Did you think Joker always shows up to take deliveries himself? He's far too busy for that," Agaret laughed loudly. Avid's face flushed with rage—he had almost been tricked by Agaret. No, he *had* been tricked, but this time luck was on his side, as Joker was actually coming.

"Hey, don't look at me like that, buddy. I promised to take you to meet Joker, but I never said you'd actually see him. Ha ha ha!"

'Bastard scum,' Avid seethed with rage. Still, he felt lucky; he was going to meet Joker after all. However, the schedule had changed. The goods were supposed to be handed over at eleven, but now the timeline could be delayed by hours. Initially, Joker's representative—this man in the spacesuit—was supposed to take the goods, but now Joker himself was coming.

'Is this kid really that valuable? Almost twice the security forces, Joker coming in person, and that guy willing to go against the Onizuka Tiger gang to save him,' Avid looked at Ejin, trembling in the wheelchair like a fledgling fallen from the nest. He was just an ordinary boy with no background, yet he had become the target of monsters, all fighting over him.

'What do I do now?'

"How long until Joker arrives?" Agaret asked the man in the spacesuit.

"Fastest estimate is two hours, slowest is three. Don't worry; you'll be compensated for every minute," the man emphasized. Agaret's mission wasn't over—he still had to protect the goods, even with the factory's state-of-the-art security. This implied that Joker trusted Agaret more than the factory's highly advanced defense systems.

"Well then, make sure to pay us generously," Agaret grinned at the mention of per-minute compensation. After all, he would be sleeping on the way back anyway. Staying a few more hours for hundreds of dollars a minute would net him tens of thousands of dollars—there was no reason to refuse easy money. Besides, who would be foolish enough to attack this heavily fortified factory?

A few hours later, as Avid and Agaret waited anxiously for Joker's arrival at the steel fortress with its top-tier security that no one would dare challenge, a lone figure began walking towards the facility. Each step was steady, with purple lightning surging through his body.

The black coat fluttered in the strong wind, the weather turning turbulent. The dark night sky was covered with black clouds, with lightning flashing above. The fierce wind scattered dust and leaves everywhere.

Heavy footsteps struck the concrete ground. The powerful gusts struck the mask covering his face. At his side hung a katana, the sheath made of special material with three separate locks. As he approached the factory, patrol drones reported his presence to the control room immediately.

"There is an unauthorized individual at the factory entrance," an alert echoed throughout the facility. Both Avid and Agaret were taken aback. Ejin's eyes widened as the room filled with an image on the screen—a man in a black coat with a mask resembling a crow's beak. He looked like a plague doctor from the Great Plague of 1347, a symbol of misfortune and darkness, but in truth, he was a savior to someone.

"That damn pup's still alive?" Agaret wasn't surprised that the enemy knew where the exchange would happen, but he was shocked because he was sure he had shot near his heart with a Sui bullet—an almost guaranteed death. Was he seeing things? A glance at Avid, who looked like he'd seen a ghost, confirmed that Agaret wasn't mistaken. That guy wasn't just alive; he was brazenly attacking this place.

Ejin stared at the figure that had appeared at the factory gates. The intense purple lightning flowing around him sparked a memory in Ejin's mind—the kind older brother he had met on the train, who had saved the lives of passengers and his loved ones once. He hadn't even had the chance to thank him from the bottom of his heart.

Ejin's amber eyes filled with tears. Though his face was hidden behind a mask, the man's aura was unmistakable. The deep purple Asra energy roared like a volcanic eruption. The surrounding storm seemed to enhance his presence, making him look like a fearsome demon.

Not even ten kilometers away, two women used drones to monitor the movement at the robot parts factory, watching the masked man facing off against the world's top-level criminals. To them, it looked like a moth diving into a flame.

He had no support, no allies. Besides the revolver and short shotgun hidden under his large coat, he carried a katana, 130 centimeters long—almost half a meter longer than a regular katana. Ivy had asked if he needed more weapons, but he shook his head, saying that the sword was enough.

'Come back to me, Asic.'

"...." Asic stood facing the factory, with a formidable force that even agents dared not assault. Based on a rough assessment, it would take two battalions of special police and five agents to clear this place. Yet Asic chose to storm in head-on without a plan. In front of this steel fortress, with the strongest security system in the world, sneaking in to rescue a hostage was almost impossible.

Asic listened to the wind blowing past. He could hear the voices of his comrades who had died during missions. Memories flooded in—images that might have shaken him emotionally if not for his usual sedatives. But this time, he didn't want to rely on them.

"I'm talking to you all now," Asic spoke softly, his hand slowly unlocking the three locks on his sword's sheath, one by one.

"How long have you all been with me? One year? Two years? Or maybe even longer. You are important to me. You promised to stay by my side, but in the end, you all left me alone, left me to fight on my own. But that's okay, because I know that even if you're gone, you're still right here with me." Asic unlocked the second latch.

"I wanted to follow you so many times. Every mission I hoped I would fail and join you. Unfortunately, I'm too skilled, so I haven't died yet. But my juniors, my new friends—they've already joined you. But that's alright. I'm just a little lonely."

"Now my brother is dead. He should be with you, but I don't know if he'll fit in because I fear he might've been a criminal. But it doesn't matter, because it's my duty to find out who he really was. It's our job to find the evidence and uncover the truth, isn't it?" Asic unlocked the final latch. The purple lightning that had gathered for so long surged into the blade, rumbling loudly. His gloved hand gripped the handle but didn't draw it yet. The fog of doubt that had clouded his heart had disappeared, leaving only an indomitable will.

"I will be the brightest light for the people, the darkest despair for scum." Asic drew the katana, revealing a blade of dark purple. Lightning erupted around him. The once deep purple Asra power now slowly shifted to black—his aura, the lightning, and the Blue Dragon Qi were all dyed in a dark, ominous red.

"Criminal or legitimate businessman, anyone who crosses my line will be destroyed." Asic spoke with a voice that was fierce, filled with a violent emotion devoid of gentleness and chivalry, as if the outer shell had been cracked to reveal his true self. The amethyst eyes beneath his mask started to glow faintly red, the murderous aura radiating off him chilling to the bone. It was as if this Asic was not the same person as before—it was hard to tell which version of him was his true self.