Watson, northern industrial district.
Inside the abandoned steelworks workshop.
As the enormous red square of light dropped over the area, the firearms in the hands of Militech's operatives were yanked free and pulled upward into the sky.
Everyone on the Militech side looked up and saw two black armed AVs hovering overhead, projecting the red magnetic field grid.
On the sides of the AVs were Arasaka's unmistakable white triple-circle logos.
"Arasaka armed AV magnetic field!"
Someone quickly recognized what was above them.
Meredith frowned as she looked up at the sky. She had not expected Arasaka reinforcements to arrive at a time like this.
"Is this really about to turn into a full-scale battle?"
She had no intention of escalating the clash with Arasaka.
Her goal had been simple. Wipe out Caitlin and the Arasaka force she brought, pin everything on Maine's crew, take the implant, and leave with every objective accomplished.
But now this sudden Arasaka force had pushed things beyond her control, and whatever came next would become much harder to handle.
And the arriving Arasaka force was not remotely comparable to the tactical personnel Caitlin had brought.
The moment Meredith saw that magnetic field, she almost instantly judged that this new unit was an Arasaka elite squad.
The strongest force in Arasaka security, an elite unit specifically assigned to protect Arasaka Tower and the company's highest-ranking executives. They were on a completely different level from field tactical teams sent out on ordinary missions.
That meant Arasaka upper management had likely become aware of what was happening here, which was why they had taken the rare step of deploying an elite squad.
At this point Meredith could no longer clearly read Arasaka's hand, so she chose to remain outwardly calm and wait for the other side to move first.
As for Caitlin, who had been kicked to the ground nearby, the sudden arrival of Arasaka AVs felt like a drowning person grabbing onto the last rope left in the world.
She struggled to her feet, waving frantically at the AVs overhead, trying to get their attention. Her damaged facial chrome made it impossible for her to pronounce words properly.
"S-save..."
Even though she couldn't form the words clearly, she could already see hope of survival and was trembling with excitement.
After years in Special Ops, she recognized at a glance that the AVs above belonged to an Arasaka elite squad. That meant they had to be here under orders from someone at the very top.
It was even possible that an Arasaka executive had personally arrived on the scene, and the only person who both knew about this matter and might come here in person was Director Susan.
If the one seated inside that luxurious private AV was really Director Susan, then Meredith would never dare act recklessly again.
And that meant Caitlin might still escape this alive.
With that thought in mind, Caitlin almost crazily forced herself up and ran beneath the AVs, waving nonstop. Her dislocated jaw chrome spun and sparked as she tried to shout.
"S-save... me..."
Meredith made no move to stop her desperate plea for rescue.
If the Arasaka executive who had arrived really intended to save Caitlin, then Meredith could hardly kill an Arasaka deputy director right in front of them.
At worst, she would just have to let Caitlin go.
What made things difficult was the pile of Arasaka tactical personnel already lying dead all around them.
Below, Caitlin watched the armed AVs disarm Militech's people and then turned toward Meredith with cold triumph in her eyes, even though she could barely speak.
Meredith didn't spare her a glance. Her attention remained fixed on the three AVs overhead.
She had clearly seen the two Arasaka armed AVs escorting a luxurious private one in the center.
"Could it really be Susan after all?"
For once, Meredith genuinely wasn't sure.
The only person who could bring an Arasaka elite squad to accompany a mission like this, and who was also tied to the current situation, really was Susan. Especially with one of her subordinates still down here on the ground.
Caitlin, standing below, watched that central luxury AV slowly descend and felt herself shaking with excitement.
Her eyes were even starting to fill with tears. She had never imagined Director Susan would personally come to save her at such a critical moment.
"When we get back, I'll devote myself to Director Susan completely. Even if I have to be a..."
She didn't even get to finish the thought.
The two Arasaka armed AVs overhead continued broadcasting their warning.
"Arasaka Counterintel is carrying out a special operation. All unrelated personnel are to clear the area immediately!"
Caitlin froze.
Counterintel?
Weren't they supposed to begin their action at nine-thirty?
And the one supposed to be leading it, Carter Smith, would never be able to mobilize an Arasaka elite squad.
Then who could it be?
She stared at the luxury AV descending in front of her, disbelief and confusion mixing together, until the side door slowly lifted upward.
Not only Caitlin, but Maine's group as well wanted to know exactly who had arrived.
A moment earlier, Maine, Rebecca, and the others had already been ready to go all out and die fighting if they had to.
Even if they died here, they had fully intended to drag a few Militech people down with them.
But at the last possible moment, Arasaka reinforcements had arrived, and not just any reinforcements either, but an Arasaka elite squad with serious weight behind it.
Judging by Caitlin's excitement, whoever had come was probably her direct superior.
Whoever it was, the main conflict was no longer centered on Maine's crew. It had shifted to Militech and Arasaka.
But Kiwi felt the situation wasn't that simple.
The warning had specifically stated that Counterintel was carrying out the operation, which lined up perfectly with the Arasaka executive from that department who had previously made a deal with them.
There was a good chance it was him.
Mr. Kai.
Kiwi didn't voice her guess yet. Instead, she first signaled Rebecca and Pilar to lower their guns.
"Don't do anything stupid. Let the dogs tear at each other."
Maine agreed with that assessment and lowered his arm cannon as well, waiting to see how things developed.
Under everyone's puzzled and watchful gaze, the AV settled into place and the massive black door lifted fully open.
Kai was sitting inside on a deep red leather sofa, wearing the black-framed Dragon Fist glasses, smiling as he looked out at everything beyond the door.
Caitlin stood closest to him.
Meredith watched with a deep furrow in her brow.
Militech's soldiers looked on.
Maine and the others stared from within the encirclement.
Kai rose from the luxury AV and stepped out, then walked to the center of the scene and slowly swept his gaze across everyone present.
The side panels of the two hovering Arasaka armed AVs opened, and from each one, two fully armed members of the Arasaka elite squad jumped down.
They wore powered tactical uniforms and carried electromagnetic pulse machine guns. Blue current flickered faintly across both the weapons and their suits.
Four Arasaka elite security operators took positions to either side of Kai, forming a protective ring around him.
With an Arasaka elite squad deployed as his personal escort, Kai's entrance had all the pressure and spectacle it could possibly need.
The entire area fell utterly silent.
Every eye turned toward Kai, as though waiting for his next move.
(End of Chapter)
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