Cyberpunk: Ultimate Cyborg System-Chapter 462: Revival.

In a world where the sky was eternally dark, the ever-present silence was shattered by the violent sounds of blunt metal clashing. The sounds appeared like fast-paced rattling, as if two machines were constantly slamming into each other.

The reality was a bit more complicated. One of the two was indeed a machine, while the other was only half. Moreover, their movements weren’t those of machines. They were varied, fluid, and connected perfectly despite their apparent randomness.

Robotic arms shot back and forth, orange sparks scattering a their alloy plating clashed. One thrust forward in an attack, and another blocked it, shooting forth, only to be blocked as well.

The exchange continued. Jabs thrown from every angle. Fingers clawing, trying to hold onto something. Chops aimed to break things as if they were wooden planks. Each time, they are blocked, deflected, parried.

Every now and then, one of the attacks landed. Not on the half-human. No. He was unscathed, never taking a single blow. It was the android facing him that absorbed the impacts of his fists, recoiling ever so lightly.

At one point, the blows became more frequent. The android was unable to do anything about them, somehow failing to react every time. After one particularly fast combo, the two leaped back, putting some distance between each other. Their posture relaxed soon after.

"I think this is enough." Said Dante while rotating his right arm. Despite the intense exercise he had just gone through, he wasn’t even a little short of breath. Having two upgraded bionic lungs made it so he could run for miles without panting once.

[Understood.] Volcan replied.

Walking over, Dante placed his hand on the android’s shoulder, beginning the process of storing it.

[I don’t understand.]

"Say what now?"

Dante was very confused for a moment there.

[I have studied the behavioral matrixes of multiple martial artists. I even analyzed all your moves.] Said Volcan. [Why do I still lose?]

"Maybe I’m just that good?" Dante replied.

The android vanished just then, and Volcan’s voice returned to the inside of his head.

[That is irrelevant.] He said. [I have the superior processing power. I am capable of predicting each possible move you might make, and yet...]

"As I said." Dante smiled. "Maybe I’m just that good."

Stretching his body, he then went about doing some simple exercises, testing his flexibility and range of movement.

"Well, I’m not exactly at my best-best." He said. "I’m a little rusty, on top of everything."

[How is it possible for a normal human to be capable of that much?]

"It’s nothing that impressive, you know? Without any of these implants, you would have crushed me in less than a second."

[Even then...]

"Well, you don’t have to worry about it that much." Said Dante. "Martial arts are good and all, but there is no point to them in a world where people can shoot lasers."

It was difficult to come to terms with that reality. No matter how good at fighting with your fists you get, one random street rat with a gun could easily end your life. Guns were more efficient. Why bother trying to punch someone to death when you can just put a bullet between their brows?

"Alright, I guess it’s time to head back." Putting the matter in a corner of his mind, Dante gave the command to equip one of his armors. [Let’s go finish our business.]

~[ ]~

Eight days have passed since he almost died. Dante had tried not to think about what happened, wanting to focus on his recovery. Now that he was back in shape, mostly, he had things to deal with.

Second, after he stepped out of the portal, he received a message from Suzuka saying she found Finn’s location. Instead of just giving it to him so he could go get the little shit, she asked to meet at a place he didn’t expect to hear about.

Dante had been planning on passing by it to begin with, so he decided to walk there. There was an additional reason why he was taking that stroll.

’I should do some shopping later...’

Though it was barely noticeable, adding all those bionics to his body increased his size a little. The Ares Iron Cage was mostly responsible—a bone replacement implant for the upper body was bound to buff him up a little, and when you add the MBI docks and 4-3’s Modules, Dante appeared as if he had been spending a bit more time in the gym.

His clothes barely fit now, with most being tight enough to be ripped if he flexed too much. His jackets, once a crucial part of his identity, couldn’t be closed without appearing to be one size too small.

Dante didn’t hate that look all that much—he appeared a couple of centimeters taller, after all. Still, it would probably be for the best to stock up on clothes, not that he wouldn’t risk ripping them every time he moved.

Putting his hands in the pockets of another one of his red jackets, Dante began his march. It was around noon, and the sky was bright. Not that it mattered in a district like Hollowgrid, where the gigantic structures cast their shadows all day long. With springtime coming, the weather was getting warmer. Rats came out of their holes during such days, and suddenly every corner became a hanging spot for a bunch of losers with nothing better to do with their lives.

Dante walked those streets with his head held high, as if he had nothing to worry about. As usual, people would follow him with their eyes, and as usual, they would ignore him right after. Only this time, more than a few heads snapped in his direction right after. Eyes went wide with shock, and the whispers began.

[It seems like word had spread about you.] Said Volcan. [They say you took down more than fifty bounty hunters with your bare hands.]

’Was it that much?’

Though his memories of the time were a little blurry, Dante was sure he hadn’t killed that many people with his bare hands.

[It is likely an exaggerated retelling of what happened.] Volcan said.

Dante walked deliberately slowly, as if to give people the chance to see him and make up their minds. None came to follow him, however. People got out of the way to let him pass, and others turned around and took off running as soon as they saw his face.

[The androids you sent to help with the search for Finn Ward are back.] Said Volcan. [I will have them remain concealed as they follow you.]

’Now that I think about it, what happened to them when we were in that pocket dimension? You can’t operate them from there, right?’

[I took into account the chances of my connection being severed in certain situations and created basic AIs to operate the androids in my absence.]

’Uh-oh, that doesn’t sound ominous at all.’

[There is no need for concern. They are only capable of executing commands with no chance of misinterpreting them. In other words, they have common sense.]

’Ooh... now I’m even more worried...’

In the end, no one came to attack Dante during his walk. From what Volcan overheard, the bounty placed on his head was still up, but no one dared to try their luck. Being described as a very good Diver was what drew the bunch from a week ago. Back then, most didn’t know that he was a capable fighter, but now that word of what he was capable of got around, no one dared to pick a bone with him. Those who saw what happened were so afraid that he would remember their faces that they ran at the sight of him.

’We need to find the bastard who put up that bounty.’ Dante thought. ’We also need to...’

Dante arrived at a familiar corner. It was the same one he had collapsed in when his heart collapsed, but he had already passed that spot, barely sparing it a glance. His mind was on what lay behind the wall to his left. He felt unready to see it, and so he stopped, taking a moment to organize his thoughts. Taking a deep breath, he finally gathered the resolve and stepped out.

"... huh?"

In his mind, Dante had expected to see a black spot where one of the ground-floor shops was supposed to be. The flames had climbed up the building, eating at the building as their smoke trailed into the sky, but when he looked at it now, there was nothing. Not even a trace of that fire.

No, there was a trace, only it wasn’t what he expected it to be. The shop that had been there long before he found it was gone, another front having taken its place. Dante panicked, thinking that something had come and taken its place while he was gone.

It has been only eight days, yet the world has already passed on. That’s what he thought when he raised his gaze to look at the sign hanging over the door. As he read the words, overwhelming relief flooded his heart. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

"The Bowl of Fortune."