Chapter 131: Weakness

"Presuming it's concluded thus?" Miyamoto uttered in disbelief, "Initiate the beasts' full berserk state; eliminate them!"

The screen, once a flurry of static, restored imagery, albeit curiously fragmenting into seven segments.

The prone beast commenced quivering.

"Still mobile?" 13 scrutinized the beast with its cranium pierced.

Abruptly, it vaulted from the ground. Beneath its thoracic armor, upon its appendages, red luminescence akin to its cranial emanated.

"My apologies, the beasts have grown considerably more formidable than anticipated." Observing the sevenfold 13 on the display, Miyamoto smirked derisively.

"Serpent, I require its data." 13 murmured, inaudible to Zheng Xian, perceiving it as solitary soliloquy.

The beast seized its war blade; prior to any action, a habitual spinning kick propelled it rearward two meters.

"Attending to it promptly!" The serpent's voice resonated in his auditory, eliciting a smile from 13, though imperceptible.

The beast, regaining stability, charged forth, its ponderous footsteps nearly fracturing the flooring. Four blades converged upon the stationary 13. In its berserk state, the beast's velocity surpassed prior, the silver edges vanishing into the ether.

Zheng Xian tensed, nearly vocalizing alarm. Yet 13 reclined effortlessly, the blades grazing his thoracic armor without inflicting harm.

"Swift, yet refuse remains refuse." 13's disparagement clenched Miyamoto's fists.

"Initiate berserk state for all beasts; if 13 evades demise, eliminate his comrades!" A deranged directive. Berserk state, though the pinnacle of combat configuration for beasts, inflicted lethal detriment upon their chassis. The processor, designed for a singular perspective, now contended with eight distinct views upon activation, overclocking the chip. Cessation of berserk state would render the chip irreparably fused. Its merits, however, were evident: expanded visual field through multi-perspective observation amplified attack modalities. Due to the chip's overload, velocity and potency escalated markedly. Crucially, beasts with cranial cameras compromised could persist via alternate lenses, termed "revival" by Japanese scientists.

Upon Miyamoto's command, within the forest and institute, slain beasts resurrected, the eerie red glow proliferating severalfold.

The trio at the elevator egress disregarded these anomalies, engaging the suspension system for descent.

Institute defenders endured greater agony; regions secured witnessed monsters rising anew, blades flailing more rapidly. Beasts reduced to a solitary appendage and bipedal locomotion persisted in crawling assaults, rendering the inequitable conflict even more unjust.

Advancing Pearl and the madman were compelled to retreat into the control chamber, the elder promptly sealing the reinforced portal, the super-alloy barrier affording temporary sanctuary.

A profound sigh alleviated the battle's strain. 24, fatigued to the brink of collapse, revitalized upon noting the chamber's peculiar gazes.

"Another glance, and I'll dispatch you!" His frigid words averted all eyes, including the elder's.

Swiftly donning the madman's garment, the bare-chested madman inquired of the lady.

"Is the miss unharmed?" The madman queried anxiously, Pearl regarding the elder with concern.

"Behold for yourselves..." The elder smiled, gesturing toward the screen. There, the obsidian-armored 13 executed another elegant spinning kick, propelling the beast three meters back.

"A resilient entity." 13's remark bordered on commendation.

"Are you prepared?" 13 addressed the ether.

"Indeed, though scarcely. Retrieving data from the Defense Ministry rivals procuring discs from a repository—spanning 3.7 billion megabytes, excluding compressed files. The Japanese preserve even World War II comfort women lists..." The serpent exclaimed excitedly.

"I demand the beast's data!" 13 reiterated sternly.

"An uninteresting individual..." The serpent grumbled, yet data streamed before 13's eyes.

The recommenced beast charged relentlessly toward its target.

"More vulnerable than imagined..." 13 smiled softly, initiating a charge toward the beast, evading the ephemeral blades effortlessly. His left appendage grazed the beast's left waist. The advancing beast halted abruptly. In 13's erstwhile vacant left hand materialized a 30-centimeter silver screw, glistening with translucent lubricant.

"What's transpired?" Miyamoto, observing the immobilized frame, interrogated the technicians.

"Uncertainty; its chip functions, no other impairments..." A response tantamount to none.

The chassis quivered oddly; from Miyamoto's perspective, merely an angular shift, some frames revealing its own physique upon the metallic flooring.

Discarding the screw amid the debris, 13 approached a severed appendage, appropriating its camera to confront himself.

"I know you're observing." 13 articulated deliberately, "Await your demise; I'll eradicate you all..."

Discarding the metallic limb, he connected to channels 1, 24, and 36.

The trio, engaged with berserk beasts, rejoiced at "Night"'s signal.

"I've returned, though that's incidental. The beasts have augmented slightly..." 13's words were interrupted by 36's indignation.

"You assess this? Witness our predicament!" 36 complained, felling another with a punch, "Damned indestructible zombies, merely slightly augmented? You excel; divulge the extermination method!"

"Beneath their left thoracic armor, ten centimeters, lurks a silver nut, concealed behind several metal plates." 13 smiled, "That secures their appendages' joints, akin to a human spine. The rest is self-evident." Terminating communication, in the institute's alternate sector, three frenzied individuals initiated vengeful dismantling, beast components scattering. As screw removers, they were exemplary...

"How could this be?" Miyamoto stared blankly at the latest reports. As guardians of Noah's weapon vulnerabilities, only Shintai, Ryuuichi, and Shuumei were privy; even elite spies couldn't unearth such secrets.

"Sir, Shuumei's communication; connect?" The communication soldier inquired.

"Absolutely, connect immediately!" The potential savior emerged.

The link established, Shuumei's familiar visage appeared on the screen. Evidently deprived of rest for days, the once vibrant Shuumei appeared haggard, evoking tears in Miyamoto.

"Sir, long absent!" Miyamoto bowed formally.

"Indeed, battle status?" Shuumei bypassed pleasantries; the conflict was paramount.

"Subordinate apologizes; no primary personnel eliminated, merely beasts infiltrating the institute." Miyamoto expressed shame, nearly seppuku.

"Exemplary; surpasses projections..." Shuumei praised with a smile.

"Sir, a critical matter to report!" Miyamoto's demeanor turned grave.

"Proceed..." Shuumei's intuition sensed adversity.

"Upper echelons exhibit severe intelligence leakage; beast vulnerabilities fully grasped by 13 et al. Even berserk states endure mere seconds..." Miyamoto paused, noting Shuumei's contemplation.

The oppressive five minutes elapsed. Miyamoto awaited Shuumei's directive.

"Withdraw the beasts! Those outside the institute retreat beyond the cavern. Internal ones delay maximally. Fifteen minutes until arrival, at the town before Mount Wu Tai..." Shuumei's expression tensed with orders.

"Sir, what's unfolded?" Miyamoto detected the anomaly.

"If my deduction holds..." Shuumei's face paled, "They've activated the 'Serpent' system..."

Miyamoto gaped, speechless.

"Logical deduction. In Seoul, 13 clashed with beast legions; that encounter was pyrrhic. Thus, they were unaware of vulnerabilities then. Now, beasts penetrating the institute interior indicates prior ignorance. How could they ascertain such classified data so swiftly? Sole explanation: one among them initiated the Serpent system. Who identified the vulnerability first?" Shuumei interrogated sternly.

Miyamoto sweated profusely, "13!"

"Again, him!" Shuumei roared.

After composed respiration, Shuumei calmed, "Very well, adhere to my commands. Regardless of Serpent's activator, prior to my arrival, encircle only."

"Sir." Miyamoto contemplated a dire issue, "If 13 indeed activated the Serpent system, accessing 'Yamata' data, your safety... Sir, permit a bold request; halt troop advance, deliberate strategy."

"Impossible!" Shuumei's tone lethally frigid, "Resolution today; their capabilities demand elimination now, or escape's inevitable, even encircled by iron. Allowing 13 with Serpent to vanish is unimaginable for Japan's future."

Miyamoto's reminder lingered, yet the prospect of Shuumei combating Serpent-equipped 13 instilled dread.

"No concerns." Shuumei knew Miyamoto's thoughts, "Serpent's aid is inconsequential."

"Yet vulnerabilities are exposed."

"Vulnerabilities?" Shuumei smiled, "'Yamata' harbors none; the epitome of weaponry. Today, 13 learns of unbeatable power, including SEED!"

Shuumei's words jolted Miyamoto; the conflict mirrored Taipei's, outcome divine.

In the lab, the third squad arrived, but upon the debris, their role reduced to aiding the unconscious uncle. 13 approached Zheng Xian, habitually wiping her tears.

"I assured no worry; see, I've returned unscathed?" Removing his helmet, 13 smiled.

"This suffices." Embracing 13 tightly, she kissed deeply—this union of lips, beyond gratitude or affection, an earnest expression of love.

"Boy! My turn for a kiss!" The serpent teased from the helmet.

"Can't you remain silent two minutes?" 13 sighed, glancing at his helmet.

"What's that?" Zheng Xian startled at the serpent's outburst.

"Right, the serpent you wished activated; it's in the helmet, observe." Placing the heavy helmet on Zheng Xian.

With a beauty's presence, the serpent dominated the holographic display.

"How's this? Quite dashing?" The serpent boasted.

"What a corpulent worm..." Zheng Xian remarked.

"..." The serpent fell silent.