The prison yard shook as Hellion's forces descended like a storm.
Heavy mechs locked into firing positions. Troopers in black combat armor lined up, rifles humming with charged plasma rounds.
And standing at the center of it all—
Project 003.
The Iron Maiden.
Her red eyes burned as she studied Ryo, a smirk curling at her lips.
> "You're disappointing already, 001."
She raised her blade, a serrated plasma edge glowing crimson in the dim light.
> "Let me show you what a real Ironborn can do."
No Running This Time
Serra pulled Ryo back, whispering urgently. "This is bad. We're outnumbered and outgunned."
Ryo didn't take his eyes off 003.
> "Good. That means they won't run."
He rolled his shoulders, energy pulsing through his cybernetic veins.
The fight with 002 had pushed him to his limits.
Now?
He had to go past them.
> [IRONBORN LIMITER OVERRIDE AVAILABLE.]
[WARNING: EXCEEDING SAFETY THRESHOLDS.]
> "Pffft. Safety is for people who don't fight walking war crimes, rookie. Let's do this."
The First Strike
003 vanished.
Then—
She was on him.
A blur of motion, her plasma blade swinging straight for his neck.
Ryo reacted on instinct, dodging by a hair.
The blade sliced the air, scorching the side of his face.
Before he could counter—she twisted, landing a brutal kick to his ribs.
Ryo skidded backward, slamming into a concrete barrier.
Pain exploded through his chest.
> [WARNING: FRACTURED RIBS DETECTED.]
003 didn't stop.
She closed the distance instantly, fist hammering toward his skull.
Ryo **barely got his arms up in time—**but the force still sent him crashing through a steel barricade.
He hit the ground hard, coughing blood.
She stalked toward him, calm, effortless.
> "002 was always weak."
She tilted her head.
> "But you? You're just pathetic."
Pushing Past the Limit
Ryo's vision blurred.
Not from pain.
From something else.
Something awakening inside him.
The system pinged.
> [EMERGENCY PROTOCOLS UNLOCKED.]
[OVERDRIVE MODE ENGAGED.]
His muscles locked up. Twitched. Then—exploded with power.
The pain? Gone.
The exhaustion? Burned away.
Everything around him slowed.
And then—
He moved.
Predator Mode: Active
003 swung again.
This time—
Ryo saw everything.
The exact angle of her attack. The slight shift in her stance.
> [CALCULATING COUNTER.]
He ducked low, dodging by mere inches—
Then drove his fist into her gut.
CRACK.
She staggered, eyes widening in shock.
Ryo didn't stop.
A brutal elbow to her jaw—
Then a spinning kick that sent her flying.
She crashed into a Hellion soldier, crumpling him like paper.
Silence.
The battlefield froze.
The Iron Maiden shook her head, dazed.
Then—she grinned.
> "Oh. That's more like it."
She wiped blood from her lip.
> "Now we can have some real fun."
The War Has Begun
Hellion's soldiers raised their weapons.
The mechs whirred to life.
The entire prison yard erupted into war.
Ryo didn't hesitate.
This wasn't just survival anymore.
This was the first true battle of the Iron Rebellion.
And he was ready.