I grip the Limit Breaker chip in my palm, staring at its blinking light with a mixture of awe and trepidation. If I close my eyes, I can almost feel it pulsing in sync with my racing heart. Around me, Neo-Tokyo sprawls out like a gigantic electric tapestry. From my vantage point in the hovering craft, the city looks alive—like it could reach out and swallow me whole if I lose my focus for even a moment.

Rose stands at the control panel in front, a tall silhouette against the city’s brilliant glow. Her pink hair drapes over her shoulders in gentle waves, but her gaze is hard as she scans the flickering displays. “We need to descend,” she murmurs without turning, her voice carrying the weight of urgency and unwavering resolve.

I glance up from the chip, swallowing the knot in my throat. “Right,” I say, working to keep my tone steady. My mind keeps drifting back to the encounter with Inazuma—the mercenary who left me with more questions than answers. Sometimes it feels like every new face in this city only adds another layer of complexity I can’t quite unravel.

The craft tilts forward, slipping below the low-hanging clouds and into the pulsing neon. The glare of electric billboards and the chaotic swirl of traffic envelop us, a reminder that whatever we face tonight, the city is always there, unyielding and unstoppable.

Hidari’s voice crackles in my ear: “Tatsuya, data projects a 67% chance of armed conflict escalating. Keep your guard up.”

I force a tight smile, resisting the urge to rub at the tension building between my temples. “Thanks for the heads-up, Hidari. Let’s hope we don’t push those odds any higher tonight.”

Behind me, Rose nods. “We have to secure the tech, Tatsuya. If the Rebels get it—or anyone else who’d misuse it—this city won’t recover from the fallout.”

She doesn’t have to explain the stakes to me. I clench the Limit Breaker chip, remembering the times I’ve glimpsed its power but never fully grasped it. The realization hits me that no matter what I’ve lost—my memories, my old life—right now, I’m part of something bigger than myself. A piece of Akira’s legacy, whether I like it or not.

I meet Rose’s eyes. “I won’t run from this. It’s time I stepped up.”

Her gaze flickers with unspoken gratitude, and for a second, I sense a warm thread of camaraderie weaving between us. “Deploy now,” she orders, her tone reverting to that firm Guardian cadence.

I grab my gear and slip out of the craft, descending into the neon-choked streets below. The city’s heartbeat thuds through the pavement, pushing adrenaline into my veins.

We move through the crowded alleyways like two shadows on a mission. Around us, the tension is almost tangible—an undercurrent of rebellion rippling just beneath the surface of neon-lit signs and bustling foot traffic.

Denkou Tower rises ahead, a skeletal titan thrusting into the sky, ringed in swirling lights. The closer we get, the more I can sense the charge in the air. People gather in clusters, eyes sharp with anticipation. Smoke drifts around them, tinted red by the glow of glaring billboards.

Leila Grisha is waiting at the tower’s entrance, arms crossed. She shoots me a look that’s half-challenge, half-sympathy. “The Rebels are already in motion,” she tells us, voice clipped. “This place could blow any second.”

Rose wastes no time. “Leila, keep the lower floors locked down. No sense in letting a riot spill out into the streets.” Then she turns to me. “Mia’s waiting at the relay point. You ready?”

It’s not really a question, because none of us have the luxury of hesitation. I nod firmly. “Let’s do it.”

Mia materializes from the shadows, radiating that quiet confidence that makes me wonder if she’s ever truly scared. “I’d prefer a straightforward job,” she says, lips quirking into a faint grin. “But we both know there’s no such thing in Neo-Tokyo.”

Leila’s smirk in response is quick and razor-sharp. “We play the hand we’re dealt,” she says before melting back into the crowd.

Mia and I push past the throngs, slipping into the warren of side passages that snake around Denkou Tower. Hidari’s voice occasionally buzzes through my earpiece, rattling off threat assessments, but my thoughts are already humming a mile a minute. Each step echoes with the weight of unspoken fears. What if we’re too late? What if the chip in my pocket sparks a worse conflict?

Stay focused, I tell myself. One crisis at a time.

Denkou Tower’s interior is all frantic movement and electric tension. The Rebels have set up a command center somewhere above, I can sense it in the pulse of the building. My instincts scream that time is short, that we’re teetering on the edge of something big—maybe catastrophic.

Kazuya, the self-appointed leader, is rumored to be somewhere at the top, orchestrating a rebellion that might tear Neo-Tokyo in two. Smoke thickens the air, carrying the scent of burned electronics and raw anger. My pulse drums in my ears.

Haruto’s voice cuts through the chaos over our comm: “There’s been a change in plans. We’ve got new players in the mix.”

A second later, I hear the heavy thud of boots echoing in the corridor behind me. My stomach tightens when I glimpse metallic armor plates glinting in the sporadic strobe lights. The Rangers. Their presence means this situation might be spiraling out of control faster than we can contain it.

Mia’s jaw sets. “Great. Exactly what we didn’t need—Rangers stepping in.”

From somewhere above us, a furious cry resonates: “Interlopers! You undermine our cause!” I can only guess that Kazuya or one of his lieutenants spotted the new arrivals.

Caught between the Rebels’ defiance and the Rangers’ enforcement, I can practically taste the sparks about to fly. My breath hitches as I feel the Limit Breaker chip warm against my palm. What am I supposed to do, again?

I recall Rose’s words, quietly resolute: “We face this together.” That memory steadies me, even though she isn’t by my side in this exact moment.

Suddenly the building’s overhead lights flare, bright enough to pierce the haze of smoke. I blink against the glare. The Rebels and Rangers confront each other in a harsh spotlight—guns, Breaker powers, anger all on display.

Mia pulls out her weapons, shimmering with energy that hums like a promise. “Stick close,” she hisses. “We need to find Kazuya and end this standoff before it ignites the whole city.”

I manage a curt nod, my thoughts a tangled knot of adrenaline, dread, and something like fierce determination. The chip in my hand pulses, as if reminding me that this moment is more than just a random scuffle. It’s a fulcrum. If I fail here, if we fail, Neo-Tokyo might fracture beyond repair.

This is about forging a future, I realize. Not burying the past or punishing the present, but choosing what happens next. The Rebels want to topple a system they view as rotten. The Rangers want to reinforce order. And I—I just want to protect what’s left and discover who I am in the process.

Hidari’s voice murmurs softly, “Projecting multiple outcomes. Chaos remains the highest probability, Tatsuya.”

A thin smile tugs at my lips. “Then we’ll just have to defy the odds.”

As the first shots are fired and a wave of Breaker powers crash through the corridor, I clench the chip tighter, stepping forward into the swirling heat of the conflict. This is the battleground between ideals—where everything I’ve learned, everything I suspect about Akira’s legacy and my own identity, will be tested.

In the distance, I catch a glimpse of Rose storming in from another hallway, determination blazing in her eyes. Our gazes meet for half a second. It’s enough to remind me: We stand together, no matter what.

And with that, I plunge into the chaos, trusting that somewhere in this melee of clashing ambitions, I’ll find the path that leads me closer to the truth—and maybe even a chance to reshape it.