Volume 2, Chapter 10: Striking Sparks

The air in the workshop buzzed with tension as Aurora Dynamics prepared for the next stage of their battle against Tatsumaki Energy. Akihiko Saito's warning about an impending attack lingered in everyone's minds, pushing the team to work harder and smarter than ever.

Haruto sat in a corner of the workshop, going over the latest prototype of the Aether-2. Aiko entered with two cups of coffee, setting one beside him.

"You've been staring at that for hours," she said. "What's on your mind?"

Haruto sighed, rubbing his temples. "I can't shake the feeling that we're missing something. Tatsumaki won't stop at just sabotage—they'll come for us in ways we can't predict."

Aiko's expression softened. "That's why we're a team. You don't have to carry this alone, Haruto."

Haruto looked up at her, gratitude shining in his tired eyes. "I know. And that's what keeps me going."

The strike came during the early hours of the morning. Mina was the first to notice something was wrong when her monitoring system detected unusual activity in their network.

"Haruto! Aiko! We've got a breach!" she shouted, her fingers flying over the keyboard.

The team scrambled into action. Reiko rushed to secure the workshop's physical perimeter while Kaoru joined Mina at the computer station.

"They're targeting our research files," Mina said, her voice tense. "This isn't just a hack—they're trying to erase everything."

Kaoru adjusted her glasses, her sharp mind already formulating a plan. "Can we reroute them to a decoy server?"

Mina nodded. "It'll take some time, but I can set it up."

Haruto and Aiko stood behind them, watching the chaos unfold. Haruto's fists clenched. "This is Tatsumaki. They're trying to cripple us."

Aiko placed a hand on his arm. "Let's focus on fighting back. We're not losing everything we've worked for."

Mina's voice broke through the tension. "Decoy server's up. Let's see if they take the bait."

The team held their breath as Mina worked. Finally, she exhaled in relief. "They've taken the decoy. We're safe—for now."

Later that day, Akihiko Saito appeared again, this time at Aurora Dynamics' doorstep. His expression was grim, and his tone urgent.

"They've escalated faster than I expected," Akihiko said. "But this isn't the worst of it. Tatsumaki has a plan to discredit you publicly. They're digging for anything they can use against you."

Reiko crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing. "Why should we trust you? You could be feeding us false information to keep us off balance."

Akihiko met her gaze evenly. "Because I've seen what Tatsumaki does to people who cross them. I was part of it once, and I regret every second of it. This is my way of making amends."

Haruto stepped forward. "What do you suggest we do?"

Akihiko hesitated before answering. "Go on the offensive. If you can expose Tatsumaki's tactics before they strike, you'll have the public on your side. But it's a risky move. Once you start, there's no turning back."

Haruto's jaw tightened. "We've come too far to let fear stop us. If Tatsumaki wants a fight, we'll give them one."

The team worked tirelessly to compile evidence of Tatsumaki's unethical practices. Mina dug through data logs, uncovering traces of their sabotage efforts, while Aiko drafted a powerful narrative to accompany the evidence.

"We're not just telling our story," Aiko said during a late-night meeting. "We're telling the story of everyone Tatsumaki has silenced. This has to resonate with people."

Reiko nodded. "And we'll make sure it does. Once this goes live, Tatsumaki won't know what hit them."

As dawn broke, the team uploaded their exposé to every platform they could access. Within hours, the story began to spread. News outlets picked it up, and social media exploded with outrage against Tatsumaki.

At Tatsumaki Energy, Daisuke Kurogane slammed his fist on the table as he watched the news coverage. Kenji Nakamura stood silently beside him, a grim look on his face.

"They've outmaneuvered us," Daisuke growled. "But this isn't over. Prepare a response—and find out who leaked this information."

Back at Aurora Dynamics, the team watched as their campaign gained momentum. Haruto felt a mixture of relief and determination.

"This is just the beginning," he said. "Tatsumaki won't go down without a fight. But neither will we."

Aiko placed a hand on his shoulder. "We'll face whatever comes next—together."

The workshop buzzed with renewed energy as the team prepared for the battles ahead, knowing they had sparked a movement that couldn't be extinguished.

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