Otaku Card System

ROOAR!!

A white tiger paced around the enclosed space, eyes trained on the young woman twirling daggers in her hand. They sized up each other, one wary the other lazy.

On the other side of the wall, a small crowd gathered, observing the fight.

A new recruit turned to his mentor. "Why is she sparring with a tiger?"

Most people in the training room practiced against dummies or sparring partners. If they used guns, there was a specialized target range. He had never seen someone in the Organization practice with ferocious beasts before.

The mentor sighed. "That's Albino Widow."

The young recruit paled. "She's the poison expert who ranked number one in solo assassination?" His eyes showed a trace of reverence. "I heard she mentored Blackbird and the miracle doctor of the Omega Team!" He stared inside the glass with a worshipping gaze.

His mentor nodded solemnly. "She is the only ace in the Organization who refused to join a team. Though with a 100% mission rate and her status, it's no wonder she could put in such a request."

The recruit scratched his head. "But why is she fighting a tiger?"

The mentor coughed awkwardly. "The senior members of the Organization have another codename for her." He avoided looking at the young recruit whose idol image was about to be destroyed. "Lazy Potion Master."

"Ehh?"

"Although she excels in chemistry and poison — that's the potion part — she is obsessed with anime and manga. She often spends most of her time away from the lab, shut within her so-called 'otaku lair'." The mentor looked helpless.

" . . . "

"Initially, the higher ups wanted to make her part of Team Omega, but she refused on the grounds that teams missions go on for many days, taking away her anime and gaming time!"

" . . . "

"I heard she refused to use guns and decided to train with daggers and swords instead. It took half a year for them to convince her to drop swords. Now, although she is proficient in guns, she mainly uses daggers. Moreover she always requests the train with beasts so the Organization started to breed tigers and wolves every year. Many suspect it's because she loves hunting beasts in games . . . "

The recruit looked depressed. "The famous Albino Widow is actually has a chunni complex?"

The mentor wacked his head. "So what? If you're strong, who cares what quirks you have? Hurry up and train harder if you want privileges like her!"

In the cage, the tiger finally lost its patience and pounced toward the woman with a roar. The woman rushed forward as well. Just when it looked as if the two were to collide, she twisted to the left.

Her daggers flashed, leaving two deep wounds in the side of the tiger. Immediately, she rolled over its back, leaving more marks.

A wicked smile bloomed on her face. The woman eyed the tiger like she was the true predator.

Half a dozen slashes later, the tiger fell down, bleeding profusely from its wounds. Barely alive.

The woman blinked, tossing the daggers aside. She left the room expressionless as aides rushed in to save the tiger.

As the woman walked down the corridor toward her lab, her smartwatch blinked. "Hana, your shipment of novels has arrived."

Despite her moniker as the infamous Albino Widow, the codename Lazy Potion Master was definitely more fitting at this time.

Hana grinned, immediately switching directions. The indifferent face switched into that of a cheerful teenager. Her new books have arrived! Spending a part of her commission on advance shipping was so worth it!

A large box sat at her foot of her door. Hana immediately unlocked the door and pushed the box inside. Tearing open the box, she immediately grabbed a stack of volumes and jumped onto her bed. Immediately, she lost herself in another world for the next few hours.

Around midnight, the lights in her room flickered, then went out. "What the hell!" Hana cursed. She was in the middle of the climax! Her room was entirely black since she lived in the basement level. "I knew I should have petitioned those old bastards to move to a higher floor."

Wait, why weren't the backup generators working? Hana felt around for her daggers, a sense of unease filling her. The room was eerily quiet. Her room was soundproofed as part of her privileges, but now she couldn't hear anything outside.

Was headquarters under attack? Hana's eyes darkened. Ever since Team Omega died on their S ranked mission months ago, many forces had been eyeing the Organization. Without their trump card, they had been marked as weakened force.

She held up her smartwatch. "I want all visuals within headquarters now!"

"Apologies Hana, the central system has been overridden. Access to visuals denied." Hana narrowed her eyes. It seems like there was an inside job. The system that controlled headquarters was designed by that person. Only someone within the Organization would be able to gain control of the system.

She checked the door. Locked.

Hah, she snorted. Sheathing her daggers behind her, she felt around for the vent. With her familiarity of her room, she was in the ventilation system in minutes. She crawled forward quickly. Through other vents, she could see the halls were bathed in blood. Those in their own rooms where probably unaware due to the soundproofing walls, although the more senior agents would have guessed what was happening.

Hana navigated though the maze before she found the main control center. Dark, except the bright computers. She could see dark blood splattered across the screens. Looks like they targeted this room first.

Removing the grate, she dropped down silently into the room. She glanced around, then launched a knife into a dark corner.

"Your breathing is noisy."

"An ace of the Organization lives up to reputation." A man slipped out of the shadows, her knife in hand. He smirked coldly. "The Albino Widow, Zhao Hana. The mentor of the Omega team sure lives up to her prestige."

Hana drew two gleaming daggers, twirling them easily. She smiled, her gait carefree."It seems like you did your research. Then you must also know." Her eyes turned cold and she launched forward. "My kill rate is 100%."

Clang! He countered her blade with her own, drawing a metal bo staff with the other hand. He leapt back, tossing her knife aside. "I would also like to see the skills of the assassin who trained the legendary 7 geniuses." He smirked as he twirled his staff expertly.

Hana eyed him expressionlessly, a whirlwind of slashes dancing from her daggers. He parried effortlessly and struck her shoulder. Hana twisted, the staff grazing her as she launched a kick toward his temple. Her dagger shot forward like a snake, drawing blood from his cheek.

He hissed, flipping backward. He tried to strike her thigh. Hana arched back and snagged the staff with the crook of her knee. Pivoting she slashed up at his wrists, severing the arteries. He groaned and released the staff.

Hana threw the staff behind her, flipping gracefully back into position. The man sneered at her, clenching his wrist tightly. "You truly are skilled Widow." He smirked.

A dagger appeared next to his neck. "Who sent you?" she demanded coldly. She didn't recognize him so he wasn't the mole. Meaning he was part of the invaders.

"Heh, the Organization is no more. The deaths of Team Omega in Siberia was your reckoning day. We have already eliminated everyone else. Now, it's only you."

Hana's icy mask cracked slightly. "Impossible." The Organization had 24 elite teams and over ten thousand operatives and trainees around the world. They wouldn't simply disappear overnight.

The man smiled savagely. "Our mission was only to keep you all in." Hana's heart trembled. "Without your networks, it means you lose air and space detection." He looked at her in glee.

"Checkmate."

Hana widened her eyes. "Above –"

A loud explosion rocked her ears and she fell into the darkness.