CHAPTER 3 — THE BLADE AWAKENS
543 Words
The railgun shot hit Kazuro’s chest—
—but instead of tearing through armor and shattering his core, the bullet dissolved into a burst of crimson sparks the moment it touched him.
Kazuro staggered back.
“What—?”
The Blood Blade on his back vibrated violently, glowing bright red like molten metal.
“Do not fear.”
“I’ll protect the vessel.”
The voice echoed through his mind again—
clearer now, stronger, almost… conscious.
The masked sniper lowered his rifle in disbelief.
“That shouldn’t be possible… Unless—”
He cut himself off and took a step back.
“No. The Blade has synced with you already?”
Kazuro raised the weapon, gripping it with both hands.
The warmth of the sword spread through his body like liquid fire.
“Tell me what Project Zero is,” Kazuro growled.
The sniper laughed—low, bitter.
“You were supposed to be dead six years ago. That’s all you need to know.”
He fired another round.
Kazuro slashed mid-air.
The world flashed red.
A perfect crescent of energy erupted from the Blood Blade, slicing the bullet cleanly in half.
Even the sniper froze.
“…That attack isn’t possible without Stage-2 Resonance.”
He stared at Kazuro in horror.
“You’re not supposed to awaken this early.”
Kazuro’s eyes narrowed.
“Then start talking.”
The sniper clenched his jaw, tapping a device on his wrist.
[REMOTE EXTRACTION INITIATED]
A high-frequency pulse burst out.
The ground trembled.
Kazuro’s sensors spiked.
Something massive approached—fast.
A four-legged mech unit—black, armored, and bristling with plasma cannons—charged through the smoke, metal claws digging into concrete.
A Hound-Class Execution Droid.
Designed for one purpose: hunting traitors.
Kazuro barely had time to react.
The mech lunged with a roar of spinning saws.
“Kazuro,” the Blade’s voice whispered, almost gentle.
“Stop holding back.”
“I’m not—”
“You are.”
A surge of power slammed through his body.
His joints unlocked.
His muscles—both mechanical and organic—tightened with unnatural force.
The Blood Blade ignited, glowing with violent red arcs.
Kazuro moved.
One heartbeat—
and he was already behind the Execution Hound.
A single s***h split the mech in two.
Sparks exploded like a firestorm.
Half the unit crumbled to ash before it hit the ground.
Kazuro breathed hard, staring at the severed wreck.
“What… did you just do to me?”
“I returned what they stole.”
He turned the sword, studying its glowing core.
“Who are you?”
A long silence.
Then—
“I am the Zero Core.”
“The heart of Project Zero.”
Kazuro’s blood ran cold.
“The heart… of me?”
The sword pulsed once—
slow, ancient, undeniable.
“They didn’t create you, Kazuro.”
“They rebuilt you.”
Before he could process the words, his sensors flared again.
A dozen drones descended from above—
sleek, black, armed with glowing red target beams all locked on him.
The AI voice thundered across the battlefield:
“TERMINATION ATTEMPT TWO INITIATED.”
Kazuro tightened his grip on the Blade.
“Then let them come.”
To be continued…
- Writer
