Chapter 24: Shadows of the Apex Vipers
Ryo soared through the sky, his magic tech Suit humming as it cut through the air. His boosters roared, stabilizing his descent as he scanned the streets below. He couldn't afford to land in an open area—there were too many eyes watching, too many cameras.
Finally, he found a deserted alleyway, wedged between two towering buildings. With a silent command, his exosuit plates shifted, retracting back into the air in a synchronized sequence giving a faint steam. The last pieces dissolved neatly into the surrounding , leaving no trace of the cybernetic armor that had just carried him across the city.
Taking a deep breath, he adjusted his uniform and sprinted toward his father's company.
---
The sight before him was worse up close.
The once pristine facility looked like it had been through a war. The walls bore deep claw marks, shattered glass littered the ground, and entire sections of the infrastructure were reduced to rubble.
Workers were frantically repairing what they could, while police officers and military personnel surveyed the damage. Some were interviewing survivors, others were securing the perimeter. The air smelled of burnt circuits, fuel, and blood.
Ryo felt his heart tighten.
He pushed through the crowd, his eyes darting around as he searched for his father moving to and fro to be assured of his father's survival.
"Excuse me—where's Mr. Masaru?" he asked one of the shaken workers.
The man, still visibly distressed, pointed toward the front entrance.
"He's inside… talking to the police."
Ryo nodded and made his way in.
Inside, the air was tense.
His father sat at his wrecked desk, his normally well-groomed suit slightly disheveled. He was deep in conversation with two policemen and a military officer, his fingers drumming anxiously against the desk in a sequencial manner.
Despite his calm expression, Ryo could see the stress in his father's eyes.
"Father," Ryo called out.
His father looked up, visibly surprised. "Ryo? What are you doing here?"
"I came as soon as I heard," Ryo replied, stepping closer. "This wasn't just some random attack, was it?"
His father sighed, rubbing his temples.
"It was… an unfortunate accident," he muttered."probably the cause of wild zoo animals out of control ".
Ryo's eyes narrowed. "Really? Then why do you look like you're about to collapse from stress?"
His father stiffened.
Ryo folded his arms. "I heard rumors… about the Apex Vipers."
Silence.
His father's grip on the desk tightened. The military officer exchanged a glance with the policemen, but no one spoke.
Ryo took a step forward.
"Are they involved?"
His father hesitated before changing the subject.
"Shouldn't you be in school?"
Ryo gritted his teeth.
"I finished my test early," he said. "I came straight here because I needed to know what happened."
His father exhaled deeply, shaking his head. "Ryo, I don't want you involved in this."
His evasive tone confirmed everything.
The Apex Vipers the very same Gangstar groups were behind this.
Clenching his fists, Ryo turned on his heel and stormed out of the office.
---
Outside, he pulled out his phone and began searching online.
The Apex Vipers were a well-known but untouchable gang, feared for their control over illegal enhancements, underground fights, and black-market deals.
It didn't take long before he found a list of their suspected locations.
One stood out:
A secluded warehouse near the city docks.
Ryo's eyes hardened.
"This is where I start."
But before he could leave—
"Ryo!"
He turned to see Dave, Taka, Hailey, and Ben rushing toward him.
Their faces were a mix of worry and frustration.
Taka crossed his arms. "Dude, you just ran off! We thought you skipped the rest of the test."
Hailey sighed. "We get it, your dad's company was attacked, but you could've at least told us what was going on."
Ben smirked, tossing Ryo a water bottle. "We thought you were out there fighting a the monsters or something trying to protect your dad's company like you always wanted to do."
Ryo forced a small smile but didn't answer.
They didn't know how right Ben was.
Seeing his friends' concern softened his anger slightly.
"Sorry," he muttered. "I just… needed to be here."
Dave patted his back. "Don't sweat it. We're just glad you're okay.And more importantly I heard that cyber ninja was here did you get a video"
"No" ryo answered
"How could you be so unprepared" tucker said "How can we be his fan group when we don't even have any videos of him"
"Come on tucker,how can you be so insensitive "heyley said "don't you realize his dad just lost half of his company.
Taka sighed. "Since you're here, we were going to help with repairing the damages. You in?"
Ryo hesitated.
Part of him wanted to chase after the Apex Vipers immediately.
But he knew that if he left without calming down, he'd act on pure rage.
And he needed to be smart about this.
Finally, he nodded. "Yeah, I'm in."
As they got to work clearing debris and helping the workers, Ryo made a silent vow to himself—
He was going to find out who was behind this.
And when he did—
He would destroy them.
---
In the Den of the Apex Vipers
That night, Mr azel and daizo sat in his room,their eyes locked on a giant screen with an evil smile on their face.
He had pulled up security footage from the attack, scanning every frame for clues.
Then, he saw truck, parked near the company gates—just as the security guards had said.
The footage showed a man stepping out, his face hidden by a hood, before he slipped away moments before the beasts were released.
"Now this will teach them not to mess with the Apex vipers"
Mr Daizo said as he face his uncle who was seated drinking a glass of red wine with an even grin in his face.
Mean while ryo was busy late at night when everyone was asleep, he used his magic to restore some of the broke wall and windows after he had put a sleeping spell on the security guards causing the to fall asleep.
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