The cybernetic man smiled like he had all the time in the world.
Ryo, on the other hand, felt like his entire existence had been drop-kicked into a meat grinder.
> Ironborn.
Prototype 001.
Not just a random transmigrant.
His body was changing, repairing itself far too quickly. His mind was receiving signals like a machine. And worst of all—
Some part of him already knew this was true.
Vos and Karin stood tense, weapons still raised, waiting for an opening.
But Ryo wasn't sure if he wanted to shoot this bastard or demand answers.
He gritted his teeth. "Talk. Now."
The man exhaled, amused.
> "Very well."
The Ironborn Conspiracy
The cybernetic soldier gestured around the lab.
"This place was never just a Hellion experiment. It was a sanctuary. A place to create something… better."
He met Ryo's gaze.
> "A new kind of soldier. One who could fight without fear, without weakness. Who could evolve beyond the limitations of flesh."
Ryo's jaw tightened. "And you're saying I was part of this?"
The man chuckled. "Not was. Are."
He took a slow step forward.
"You aren't just some lost soldier. You are Prototype 001. The first attempt at a true Ironborn."
Ryo's stomach twisted. "That's impossible. I—"
The man tilted his head. "Then tell me, Ryo Kisaragi—"
> "How did you survive everything up until now?"
Ryo's pulse spiked.
"You were dropped into a warzone, no training, no background, and yet—you adapted. You dodged bullets. You took down a War Walker. You resisted the Forgotten Ones. You survived an encounter with me."
The man's smile widened.
> "You call it luck."
"I call it instinct."
Ryo felt a cold sweat creeping over his back.
Because deep down—he knew.
This wasn't normal.
His reflexes. His ability to process information mid-combat. The way his body was adapting to injuries.
Even before the system gave him powers, something was already different.
And the worst part?
> It felt… familiar.
A War That Never Ended
Karin's grip on her rifle tightened. "You're saying he's one of you? Then why don't we remember any of this?"
The man sighed. "Because Ironborn soldiers were meant to be erased."
He gestured to the sleeping pods lining the walls.
> "The first generations were… unstable. Too aware of what they had lost. They went rogue. The Hellions tried to shut the project down. We refused."
His glowing blue eyes darkened.
"So they wiped us out."
A bitter chuckle.
"Or at least, they thought they did."
Ryo stared. "You mean to tell me—"
"Yes. You weren't born in another world, Ryo. You were rebuilt. And when you failed—"
His expression sharpened.
> "They erased your memories and sent you away."
A Past Stolen
Ryo's head spun.
No. That didn't make sense. He had a life. A family. A past.
Didn't he?
> "Ohhh, shit. This just got spicy."
> "You sure you want to know the truth, rookie?"
Ryo swallowed hard. "Prove it."
The cybernetic soldier smirked. "Gladly."
He raised his hand—and the room shifted.
The holo-terminals flickered to life. Data flooded the screens.
A file appeared.
> PROJECT IRONBORN: PROTOTYPE 001
SUBJECT: RYO KISARAGI
STATUS: ERASED.
And then—
A video log.
The Truth on Tape
A grainy recording began to play.
Ryo saw a lab—this lab—still operational, still filled with scientists in Hellion uniforms.
In the center of the room was a glass containment pod.
Inside it—
> Him.
Ryo's stomach dropped.
His own face stared back from the screen.
Except this version of him was restrained, metal wires snaking into his skull, his chest covered in cybernetic plating.
And then—he screamed.
Not a normal scream.
A machine-distorted, agony-laced sound.
The scientists shouted something. Alarms blared. The containment pod exploded from the inside.
The recording glitched.
A single frame remained.
Ryo—standing in the wreckage of the pod.
> Eyes glowing blue.
Then the screen cut to black.
Rebellion or Control?
Ryo staggered back. "No… no, this has to be fake. I—"
But the memories were surfacing.
Flashes. Pain. Needles. Metal against bone. The rage of being locked in a cage, forced into something inhuman.
It wasn't a lie.
This was him.
> "Well… shit."
> "I guess you really were built different, rookie."
Karin's voice was quiet. "Ryo…?"
He clenched his fists. "I—"
He didn't know what to say.
But the cybernetic man's grin remained.
> "Now do you understand?"
Ryo's eyes snapped to him. "What the hell do you want from me?"
The man chuckled.
> "The same thing I've always wanted."
> "For you to wake up."
He extended a hand.
> "Join us, Prototype 001."
> "Reclaim what was stolen from you."
A Choice That Would Change Everything
Ryo stared.
The truth was out.
He wasn't just some random guy trapped in a war.
He was built for it.
And now—he had to decide.
Would he fight against what he was?
Or would he embrace it?
The choice was his.