The attack came without warning.


    A convoy of Shirogiri supply shipments—carrying weapons, data drives, and critical funds—was hit just outside the city''s industrial zone.


    By the time Ash and Kaito arrived on site, the trucks were burning. The bodies of fallen guards lay scattered, the scent of scorched metal thick in the air. The Shirogiri insignia had been desecrated, spray-painted over with a rival clan''s mark.


    Kaito''s jaw tightened. "The Tetsujin Clan. Looks like they don''t respect neutrality."


    Ash knelt beside one of the fallen. His fingers curled into fists. "Then we remind them why the Shirogiri name was once feared."


    He turned to his newly assembled force. "We''re not waiting. We hit them back. Tonight."


    THE STRATEGY


    Back at the Shirogiri stronghold, Ash stood before his team, a digital map of the Tetsujin Clan''s operations flickering in front of them.


    "They hit us fast, so they think we''ll hesitate," Kaito said, his tone cold. "We don''t. We retaliate harder. Smarter."


    Kenshiko''s voice came through the speakers. "I''ve already infiltrated their comms. The Tetsujin think they got away clean, but they were sloppy. I traced their escape route to a storage facility in the Lower Sectors."


    Ash''s eyes narrowed. "That''s where we start."


    He scanned his assembled force—mercenaries, cyber-assassins, and operatives who had chosen to stand with the Shirogiri.


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "We go in fast. No negotiations. We take back what''s ours, and we send a message. The Tetsujin thought we were weak. Let''s prove them wrong."


    THE STRIKE


    Midnight.


    The Lower Sectors pulsed with neon light and smog, a wasteland of forgotten buildings and lawless dealings. The Tetsujin''s stolen cargo was being processed inside an abandoned freight terminal, their men stationed like they had nothing to fear.


    They were wrong.


    Ash and his team moved like shadows, slipping past perimeter guards without a sound. Kenshiko had already disabled the security feeds, feeding false data into their systems. The Tetsujin still thought they were alone.


    Then the first shot rang out.


    A sniper—one of Ash''s own—dropped the sentry at the entrance. Before the body hit the ground, the Shirogiri force moved in.


    Gunfire erupted, cutting through the silence. Ash was the first to breach, his blade slicing through the first enemy in his path. He weaved through the chaos, striking with precision—one down, two, then three.


    Kaito covered the flanks, leading a team through the side corridors, cutting off the Tetsujin''s escape routes.


    The warehouse became a battlefield.


    THE TURNING POINT


    A hulking Tetsujin enforcer, cybernetic arms gleaming under the dim lights, stormed toward Ash with a roar.


    "You should''ve stayed in the shadows, Shirogiri!"


    Ash sidestepped the first blow, feeling the shockwave of metal fists slamming into concrete. The enforcer was fast—but Ash was faster. He twisted, drove a knife into the weak joint of the man''s cybernetic frame, then finished with a precise strike to the throat.


    The enforcer collapsed.


    Across the battlefield, the Tetsujin forces broke rank. Their chain of command was falling apart. Kaito''s team had already secured the stolen cargo, and the last remaining resistance crumbled within minutes.


    THE MESSAGE


    As the last of the enemy forces lay subdued, Ash stepped forward, his voice steady. "The Tetsujin thought the Shirogiri were ghosts. A forgotten name."


    He let his gaze sweep across the surviving enemies. "Now they know better."


    With a nod, Kaito signaled their forces. The Shirogiri insignia was painted back over the stolen cargo.


    The Tetsujin had made their move. Ash had answered.


    And this was only the beginning.