"I really don't understand what goes through the minds of those Umbrella scientists," Daniel muttered to himself. "Instead of developing bio-weapons, why don't they stick to pharmaceuticals? Sure, bio-weapons yield quick, explosive results, but drug development is profitable and far less risky."
Though Ruriko's forces had unleashed Tyrant-class bio-weapons, Ryouko's side quickly countered after the initial shock. Against rocket launchers, Javelin missiles, and tanks, the Tyrants stood no chance. Ryouko's forces were vastly better equipped than Ruriko's—despite Ruriko's impressive array of tanks, helicopters, and even a small battleship, all suggesting strong military connections. But in the end, Ryouko's portable yet powerful weapons tore through her opponent's arsenal.
As Daniel watched, it became clear that Ryouko's side was going to win.
"Madam! Over here!" one of Ryouko's maids called out, drawing her attention to a surveillance screen. Curious, Daniel walked over as well.
"What's that?" he muttered, pausing in surprise at the sight on the monitor: a massive white serpent, at least thirty meters long, slithering through the sewers beneath the building. Ryouko's guards stationed in the sewers immediately opened fire, but the bullets had no effect. The serpent struck swiftly, devouring them as it made its way into the building's basement.
Following the snake were twenty smaller, green lizard-like creatures and eight centipede-shaped robotic drones.
"Is this the effect of the Elixir of Eternal Youth?" Daniel wondered, now understanding why Ruriko had been so obsessed with researching it. This kind of attack was completely unexpected, and it was clear that Ryouko hadn't anticipated such a threat. With her confidence in her defenses, the building's interior had minimal security.
"This must be her trump card—the real attack, with the rest as decoys," Daniel speculated.
The white serpent drew most of the defensive fire, allowing the swift, nimble green creatures to ambush Ryouko's men, supported by the centipede-like drones. The green creatures were especially deadly; their speed made them hard to track, and their razor-sharp claws shredded even the guards' protective gear.
"Miss Yakushiji, it seems you've lost," a white-haired woman sneered, speaking to a camera as she and her armed entourage approached the building entrance. She stood confidently, as if victory was already hers.
"Lost? It's not over yet," Ryouko replied into the intercom, crushing it after delivering her message.
She turned to Daniel with a faint smile. "I apologize for dragging you into this."
"I don't see any apology in your eyes. You invited me here precisely because you anticipated this situation, didn't you?" Daniel felt slightly annoyed. He'd intended to stay out of this, but now he had no choice but to act.
"As if I could predict the future." Ryouko laughed.
"Protect your mistress," Daniel instructed the maids with a sigh before stepping out of the room.
"We can't let you face them alone," Ryouko said, following him with her two maids. Marianne, one of the maids, retrieved a large case filled with various weapons, even including grenades.
Marianne was a weapons expert skilled with all types of firearms and vehicles, capable of piloting planes and submarines alike. Lucienne, on the other hand, was a talented hacker, though perhaps not quite at the level of Skye, who was gifted with exceptional hacking skills. Currently, Skye seemed to be transitioning more into combat, especially after developing her quake abilities.
"I won't be needing those. I have these," Daniel said, holding up two pistols: one automatic, and the other a revolver loaded with custom rounds.
Thanks to his sealing techniques, Daniel could create bullets with unique properties.
After arming themselves, they moved downstairs. Ryouko intended to confront Ruriko directly, though any attempt to escape by helicopter was likely futile, as it would probably be shot down immediately.
Along the way, they first encountered the small green creatures, which Daniel dispatched easily with his sensory abilities. Ryouko and her maids didn't even have a chance to fire a shot.
"Watch out, autonomous defense drones," Ryouko warned as they encountered the centipede-like robots. Equipped with head-mounted machine guns and blade-like pincers, the robots were highly dangerous.
"There's no need to hide," Daniel replied, firing his revolver and destroying one of the robots with a single bullet, which exploded upon impact.
"What a ridiculous design," Daniel observed. The robot's camera was positioned conspicuously on its forehead, aligned with its weaponry, meaning it had to expose its camera whenever it used its weapons.
"Agreed. It's idiotic," Ryouko nodded.
Finally, on the first floor, they encountered Ruriko and her men. Ruriko, surprised to see them alive, raised an eyebrow. Though she'd clearly lost most of her forces, she remained confident—likely due to the massive white serpent by her side.
"I may have underestimated you, Miss Yakushiji," Ruriko said, impressed. Yet she still wore a look of certainty, as if she held a decisive advantage.
Ryouko glanced at Daniel, handing him an elegant perfume bottle.
"You're familiar with the Soul Return technique?" she asked him.
"The technique of Saiho, the necromancer?" Daniel nodded, recalling the information he'd obtained from Gao.
"This is specifically designed to counter it," Ryouko explained. The life forms created through Soul Return had a critical flaw that made them vulnerable to this substance.
"Well, it seems you came well-prepared." Daniel took the bottle, gauged Ruriko's position, then tossed it her way, shooting the bottle mid-air to spread the perfume across the room in a fine mist.
Almost immediately, an agonized scream echoed throughout the building as Ruriko and a young man beside her began to decay visibly, their skin melting as the scent permeated the area.
"You knew about this…?" Ruriko's voice was strained as she glared at Ryouko. Her calm demeanor stood in stark contrast to the young man, who thrashed and screamed in terror, seemingly unaware of what was happening.
Within moments, his body disintegrated completely, leaving only his clothes behind. Ruriko, meanwhile, seemed to decay at a slower rate.
"If you escape this time, I'll see you again," Ruriko sneered before commanding the white serpent to attack.
Bang.
At that moment, Daniel fired a shot, and the serpent's head suddenly began to swell, then exploded in a shower of flesh and scales. His revolver was loaded with a Rasengan-infused bullet for this exact purpose.
"It seems I've won this time," Ryouko sighed in relief as the serpent collapsed.
"Goodbye, Miss Yakushiji," Ruriko smirked as she disintegrated into ash, leaving behind only her clothes, just as the young man had.
With Ruriko dead, the remaining skirmishes were quickly handled by Ryouko's maids, who finished off the last of Ruriko's men.
"Strange, isn't it?" Daniel mused, noting that Ruriko's men fought to the death even after their leader was gone. Examining their corpses, he discovered an odd detail: each wore an unusual earpiece containing what appeared to be some kind of plant.
"It's finally over. Marianne, Lucienne, handle the cleanup. We're leaving," Ryouko instructed her maids after the battle.
"The drill was very realistic," Daniel noted dryly. The aftermath was as if nothing had happened. Construction crews moved into the area to repair the damage, while official announcements framed the incident as an anti-terrorism drill involving real weapons and creatures.
Online, speculation ran rampant, with some questioning whether a larger cover-up was in play. After all, New York had recently faced an alien invasion, and the public's imagination ran wild.
But attention soon shifted to the ADDC9 scandal, a far juicier topic.
"Interested in taking a look?" Ryouko suggested, leading Daniel to the ADDC9 research facility in Kamurocho. Today, the police were conducting arrests. Though Ryouko was with Interpol, her family's influence was strong enough that even her rival, the woman in glasses, couldn't have her removed.
What should have been a straightforward raid took an unexpected turn, as a high-ranking police official suddenly took the lead ADDC9 researcher, Shono, hostage. Ryouko took full advantage of this, relentlessly mocking the woman in glasses.
Negotiations with the police turned into a gunfight, leaving the officer dead and a young detective wounded.
"Yagami, are you all right?" Midori, Ryouko's friend, rushed to the injured detective's side, immediately ordering an ambulance. But the detective waved her off, refusing to leave.
Ryouko watched the exchange thoughtfully.
"You don't understand! I've succeeded! My research is complete!" Shono shouted, brandishing an ADDC9 syringe, his fanatical expression leaving the police unsure how to proceed. All eyes turned to the woman in glasses.
"Shono, stop this madness. Put down the syringe," said Yagami, the young detective, stepping forward despite his injury. He had stayed precisely for this moment.
"Madness? No, I'm not wrong. None of you believe me, but I'll prove my research is sound," Shono said, injecting himself with ADDC9.
"I've succeeded," he declared triumphantly when nothing happened at first, looking around with an
exhilarated grin.
Daniel, watching with a faint smile, spoke up. "You haven't succeeded. This drug won't work."
Having tested ADDC9 himself, Daniel was confident it was fundamentally flawed. If the drug had any positive effects, he could mitigate or eliminate the side effects. But the formulation itself was toxic. Though it did show some effect against Alzheimer's, it was the drug's toxicity that provided this "benefit." Any overdose could be fatal. This was not a cure but merely a case of fighting fire with fire.
As Daniel explained, Shono screamed in denial. Moments later, he collapsed, struggling to breathe as his eyes turned a haunting shade of purple, staring vacantly as his life slipped away.
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