Cyberpunk: Ultimate Cyborg System-Chapter 164: Utterly Overwhelmed.

Their first clash should have been a warning, but Brody still failed to anticipate the speed of his opponent.

"Shi-"

Swiping his hand, he hastily formed a barrier in front of him, knowing it would instantly shatter. But the punch he prepared to block didn’t arrive. The assailant pivoted at the last instant and changed target, lunging at Elias instead.

The rugged guard didn’t allow himself to be taken off guard again, but the air missiles he launched never found their target, which appeared to vanish, appearing a short distance to the side before vanishing again.

Once again, the sound of his metallic soles was what alerted Elias to his presence. Having stepped behind him, the armored assailant pulled his fist back and he prepared to attack, but then he vanished again, appearing beside Brody once more. His fist shot out, hitting the spiky-haired guard in the arm, the force of the blow made all the more gruesome by a sudden intense flash.

Yet to recognize what happened, Brody watched the world around him tilt slightly before everything blurred. Though he realized that he had been sent flying, the shock traveling through his body left him completely stunned, unable to make the slightest movements.

Just as he thought he would be falling off the rooftop, he slammed into something and he was brought to a stop.

"Eli...as..."

"Get your act together, idiot!" The rugged guard hissed at his partner, still glaring at the armored assailant. "That thing is trouble. We can’t keep taking this lightly."

"No... shit..."

Barely two minutes had passed since his appearance yet they were utterly overwhelmed. It was their fault for not being prepared. They allowed themselves to be lax despite the nature of their occupation, and because of that lax attitude, they were put in this situation and were currently paying the price.

"Who... is this guy?" Elias asked. "Why is he attacking us?"

"You’re... supposed to be... the smart one..." Coughing, Brody placed a hand on his broken arm and gazed at their assailant. "Remember why we’re here?"

This encounter was not a coincidence; both Stahlkorps members realized that. Their opponent had to have a reason for targeting them, and trying to discern it led to an obvious conclusion. Soon enough, both of them were convinced—the red-haired youth was the one inside that armor/

"Clever bastard..." A faint white light spread from Brody’s hand, enveloping his broken right arm. "He went through all that trouble just to draw us out here."

"So that’s how it is." Finally understanding, Elias couldn’t help but smile. "Guess Makoto was right after all."

Being a part of Klaus Stahlwölfe’s elite guards made the two a valuable source of information, so the enemy had tossed the bait and waited for them to take it, drawing them away from the rest of their team and into a trap that had already been prepared.

The incident from a few days ago was likely a part of the plan, and so were the riots and pseudo-Genomes, though that felt like a stretch. Whatever the case, they still fell for it in the end.

"Well, tough luck." Standing up, Brody began rotating his right arm, showing that it was no longer broken. "We aren’t going down easily."

It might have been a difficult fight, but it was nothing they couldn’t handle.

"I will support you." Elias said and took a step back. "Let’s finish this and go back. I’m not spending another night on that cheap mattress."

Seeing that he gave them the time to converse and recover, the two guards were convinced that their opponent was out of steam. The continuous bursts of speed came with a price, and it seems that he was no longer able to pay it, requiring time to recover as well.

Unfortunately for him, the two of them were trained specialist, and prolonged battles were their strong suit. They were far from reaching their limit, and if what he had shown them earlier was the extent of his ability, then they had nothing to fear.

Glancing over his shoulder, Brody and Elias nodded then turned to the stranger in black armor, glaring at him as they activated another one of their Arts: Greater Concealment.

A wisp of fog rose from their feet, moving slowly at first before enveloping his entire body in an instant. A gust of wind blew it away right after, leaving nothing behind.

Though it appeared as if they had disappeared just then, in truth, the two guards were already on the move even before the fog appeared, having left a mirage behind to hide their movements.

Greater Concealment was one of the main Arts the Shirogane Clan bestowed upon its best disciples. It was a stealth-type sorcery that hadn’t fallen behind the times, giving the user the ability to perfectly conceal their presence, making them undetectable not only by human senses, but also by all types of cameras and sensors. freewebnoveℓ.com

Despite originating from the Radmir Union, both Brody and Elias had shown enough talent and devotion after being adopted into the clan, earning the right to learn it. In the past, it was mainly used in assassination, but nowadays, it has become a main requirement for the guard duty they perform.

Though they made it sound as if only one of them was going to attack while the other stayed behind and offered ranged support, the two guards had tacitly agreed to attack at the same time, with Brody taking the left while Elias attacked from the right.

They circled the armored assailant, scattering cone-shaped missiles while solidifying air into bladed weapons using the Hidden Blade Art. Unsure if it would be enough to penetrate the dark armor, they channeled more mana into their weapons, enhancing their durability and sharpness.

Though they were hidden from each other, Brody and Elias knew each other well enough to time their actions, ensuring their attacks were synchronized. They stood on opposite sides from their mysterious assailant, their bodies poised for a swift burst, but just as they were about to commence, a sudden change occurred.

Right before their eyes, the strange assailant began to glow. Ribbons of light burst from the center of his chest and quickly wrapped around his figure, gradually changing its contour until it was entirely different from before. However, the real changes became apparent only after the light vanished.

The dark armor was gone without a trace, replaced by a different set that contrasted with it in every aspect. It was much bulkier, consisting of white plating that covered everything from head to toe, and had a design that was reminiscent of the armors worn by the paladins of old, although with a high-tech touch to it.

The new armor brought the two guards to a halt, forcing them to reconsider their approach. In that moment of hesitation, the mysterious assailant raised his right hand and placed his thumb and middle finger together.

SNAP

A dome of white energy spread out along with the sound. It washed over Brody and Elias before they could react, and though it didn’t appear to have an immediate effect, they both sensed that something was very wrong with what had happened just now.

That feeling was confirmed when they realized that they could see each other, and as if to set in the idea, the weapons in their hands suddenly crumbled, once again turning into nothing but air.

With a single snap of his fingers, their opponent rendered their greatest weapons entirely meaningless, sending a message that shattered their confidence.

The outcome of the fight had long since been decided, and their chances at winning were zero from the very beginning.