Cyberpunk: Ultimate Cyborg System

The instant the two black cloaks entered the eight level, it was clear that they were being chased by something. That something appeared followed them the next second, making a few things clear right away.

The first was that gravity had no hold on them. They bounced everywhere, ricocheting off the floor, ceiling, and every building in sight. Everything they touched bent and snapped, breaking under their weight and the force of their movements. Though they were shaped like a human, their appearance suggested otherwise.

Sleek metallic plating, segmented with each part moving in perfect harmony. Power radiated from the seams, mimicking the vigor of flexing muscle despite the rigid parts. Some had blades extending from their hands, others had cannons for arms, their barrels glowing and ready to fire. Their heads were sharp and angular, with only a single lens at the center, a sharp red glimmer shining in its depth.

Those weren't power suits－Dante could tell at first glance, even without Volcan's evaluation. They were far too slim for that to be the case, though their durability and resilience didn't seem to be any lower. Watching as they got closer, Dante began to form a guess.

'Are they… full cyborgs?'

[Duck!]

Though he was busy with his own thoughts, Dante reacted to Volcan's shout, letting his body collapse. The next instant, something zipped above his head. His eyes grew wide as the alloy sheets surrounding him groaned, and when he saw the glowing orange line cutting through the spot where he previously stood, something inside him seemed to snap.

'Now it's personal.' The corners of his mouth slowly rose.

Sliced by the red beam, the alloy huts and makeshift buildings began to fall apart. Dante stepped back into the gap he previously noticed and gave Volcan a command. Since he had yet to receive a threat evaluation, he went with one of his favorites right away.

~[ ]~

The two black cloaks soon passed his position, and their white pursuers were closing in. One of them jumped then thrust his right arm forward, the cannon that replaced his arm glowing red as it prepared to fire. The miniature thrusters spread over his body flickered with a blue flame, subtly adjusting his position. Entering a prime state, he gave the command, and the red beam burst forth, whistling as it burned the air.

The timing was perfect, and the target had nowhere to escape, but something was in the way. Somehow, a black spot appeared in the air just as the red beam was fired, blocking its path. There was no reaction, as if the beam had struck nothing. A loud bang echoed at the same moment, but it came from an entirely different direction.

The entire band of white hunters came to halt. Their heads turned left, their lenses aimed directed at the same spot. One of them was on the ground, motionless. A translucent blue screen covered him from head to toe, but a part of it was a bright orange. The collapsed hunter stood up a second later, and the orange spot began to fade. The screen surrounding him vanished the next second, and his head turned to a certain spot on the ceiling.

Nothing could be seen with how dark it was, but that only applied to the naked human eye. From the hunter's perspective, there was a dark circle on the ceiling. It vanished as soon as they saw it, but it was certainly there.

[New enemy.] On of them said.

[No matter. Target takes priority.] Another replied.

[Proceed with caution.] A third one added.

Their heads turned to the forward at the same time. Locking in on the target, they lunged forward, breaking into a dash. Focusing on speed, they quickly caught up with the target and prepared their weapons. Beams traced red lines in the air, cutting everything in their path.

The targets were able to anticipate their trajectory, moving out just in time to evade being pierced. Once again, a black patch appeared in the air, swallowing one of the beams. At the exact same moment, another beam appeared from a different position, striking one of their comrades.

Another three swiped with their arm, turning the beams into whips intended to cut the target. They all passed the black patch, and as they did, the lines tracing they traced seemed to vanish, only to appear again once they passed it.

The missing parts appeared behind them, like lashes left from a burning whip.

Each time, one of the white hunters was struck, triggering the protective screen surrounding their bodies. The clash of energies created an explosion that sent them flying scattering them around, some smashing into the destroyed buildings, others rolling on the ground.

This time, those that had been struck were quick to rise. One of them had a circular orange spot on his protective screen, showing that he had been struck by the first attack, another three had lines stretching over different part of their bodies. Moving with perfect synchronicity, they gathered around one spot, each one facing a different direction. Those who hadn't been struck formed a second circle around them.

[Analysis,] Once of them spoke. [New enemy is capable of redirecting our energy beams.]

[Possible spatial manipulation ability. Range and calibar unknown.]

[Change target priority. Search for the source of new threats.]

Their head turned as they scoured the area for potential threats, but before they could spot any, another dark spot drew their attention. One of them caught it just as it manifested－a dot barely the size of a speck of dust, but as the others snapped their heads in its direction, it suddenly magnified a thousand times, becoming larger than a person.

The white hunters thrust their arms but held their fire, knowing all too well what it means for their beams to strike the black spot, but that decision was overturned the next instant as something emerged from it.

In a strange turn of events, one of their targets appeared right in front of them.