The Sister-Branch of the Kusanagi Clan was known throughout the land as the "Steam Cathedral" Situated at the heart of Ferrum City, it was a massive, gothic structure of iron and stone. While other clans controlled the outskirts, the Kusanagi held the "Bore-Hole"—the central industrial hub that powered the entire region.
Deep within the laboratory levels, the engineers were in a state of high anxiety. Rumors of the lost Blueprint had spread like wildfire.
"Did you hear?" one technician whispered. "The Steam-Walkers lost it to a group of underground thugs."
"I heard they even deployed an Overclocker to guard it," another replied, "and they still lost it."
The chatter died instantly as the door hissed open. Professor Herdam entered, flanked by his three Elite Engineers. He moved to a high-backed wooden chair and sat, stroking his sharp-edged, silver beard.
"Shane," Herdam addressed the man with jet-black hair and piercing red eyes.
"Yes, Professor," Shane replied. "I want you to organize an emergency Council meeting immediately. We need all members present."
As Shane hurried off, a female engineer with silver hair and blue-tinted glasses—Lillie—stepped forward, clutching a stack of confidential files to her chest.
"Sir," she asked softly. "The last Hammer Council meeting was a disaster. The other Professors are divided into factions. Are you sure you want to call them now?"
Herdam leaned back, a small, dark smile forming on his lips. "Lillie, when too many geniuses gather in one room, the floor becomes a more dangerous battlefield than the front lines. I count on that chaos."
A third engineer, a massive, muscular man with blonde hair and emerald eyes, looked at the Professor with confusion. "I don't understand, sir. Why call the Council now? How can we operate the 'Giant' without the Blueprint?"
The Professor's eyes lit up with a strange, intellectual fire.
"You think we've lost hope because the Blueprint is gone? No. I want to see how the 'Genius Brains' of the West think differently from the rest of us. Tell me, do you know why they call the West Continent the Land of the Scholars?"
The two engineers nodded silently.
"Because," Herdam whispered, "the neurons of a Westerner hold secrets that simply do not exist in any other land. We aren't just looking for a map, my friends. We are looking for the evolution of the machine itself."
The summons rippled across the Western Land like a shockwave. From the soot-stained industrial docks of Gear Port to the gleaming, high-altitude spires of Arie New, letters sealed in crimson wax found their way into the hands of the continent's most powerful figures.
The reactions were as varied as the recipients. Some aristocrats scoffed, annoyed by the sudden demand on their time; others offered thin, predatory smiles, sensing an opportunity. But many simply fell silent, their faces clouding with the gravity of what a Kusanagi summons implied.
In a cluttered workshop on the outskirts of the city, a similar letter lay upon a grease-stained oak table.
Professor Dallas stared at the seal—the unmistakable crest of the Kusanagi Clan. His eyes narrowed, the pupils dilating as he recognized the weight of the authority behind it.
Nearby, Jax lay on a makeshift cot, his breathing shallow. His health had stabilized, but he was far from recovered. Yuna stood vigil near the stone wall, her shadow long and sharp in the flickering lamplight, while Rick stood at Dallas's shoulder, his expression grim.
Dallas reached out with a steady hand, broke the seal, and began to read. As his eyes moved across the parchment, a bead of sweat rolled down his temple.
"What have I done?" he whispered to his inner self, his heart hammering against his ribs. "I've crossed paths with a Kusanagi shadow-op. If they track the energy signature of the heist back here, they won't just come for the Blueprint. They'll come for the kid. I have to shield him... no matter the cost."