Thin Line of Madness

"Authority is really scraping the bottom of the barrel."

Remarked a man sporting a massive red exoskeleton. He towered over the crowd, his exoskeleton making him look like some kind of futuristic giant.

'Seriously, though. So cool.'

Axel thought to himself, unable to contain his awe but when he noticed a hint of red in the man's pupils, he was taken aback for a moment. Yet, he quickly dismissed it, attributing it to a trick of the light or a figment of his imagination

"They always chit chat like this. Look at the fatty!!"

Remarked a girl with a short hair with bob cut, rocking a black sleeveless tee and a matching black and red mini skirt. Her knee-high boots and fingerless gloves added an edgy vibe to her outfit.

Perched on her shoulder was a katana, gleaming menacingly in the holographic light.

'Damn, she's smoking hot. But looks like she's got some screws loose. Poor thing. Poor thing even wearing a damn collar. Is she some kinda slave?'

Feeling his gaze, the girl whipped around, shooting him a scowl dripping with disdain, like he was something she'd just scraped off her boot.

"You bastard! I'll slice your head off if you dare to look at me!"

'Whoa, scary bitch! But damn, she's still fine.'

He ignored the crazy bitch and returned his gaze to the projection.

Fuming with humiliation that this scrawny little cockroach dared to ignore her, her anger reached a boiling point. She was already seething, and now this insignificant little twerp dared to insult her?

"You dare ignore me! I swear I'll chop your damn head off!"

She spat, pointing a trembling finger in Axel's direction.

"Easy there, Kuro Sama. He's just a gaijin(outsider). Look at his dress. There's no need for you to berate him. Perhaps he was just mesmerized by your beauty."

A man intervened, his arm wrapping around Axel's shoulder in a way that felt a little too familiar for comfort. They weren't exactly buddies, but the guy seemed to think otherwise.

Axel turned to get a good look at the man. He had to crane his neck up to meet his gaze, the guy was that tall. Thin with short black hair, sharp jawline, and a golden tooth at the front. His eyes were black but with these strange circle patterns that made them look kinda hypnotic.

He was dressed in a fancy yukata, golden and all, but with longer sleeves that flowed like a cape.

"Who are you?"

Axel asked, eyeing the stranger suspiciously.

"Oh, my bad! I'm Tetsuya."

The tall man replied, offering his hand for a shake.

"Axel," he introduced himself, shaking Tetsuya's hand.

"Pleasure to meet you, Axel-san. So, what brings you here?" Tetsuya inquired. "See that fiery lady over there? She's like a ticking time bomb. Don't mess with her, or even glance her way. Her and her crew can chop you up real quickly."

He stated it matter-of-factly, his words devoid of any hint of fear as he locked eyes with the girl.

Tetsuya seemed like the type who'd only bother talking to you if he figured you weren't a threat or if you were just some insignificant speck in his world. If it weren't for that wild girl screaming her head off, he probably wouldn't have spared Axel a second glance. People like him got on Axel's nerves.

Unlike Quinn, who exuded an early sense of care and warmth, almost like family, Tatsuya gave off an unsettling vibe, like that of an insecure young master, accustomed to having everything bend to his will.

'Some type of family feud?'

"You son of a bitch! I'll kick your sorry ass in the tournament. Just you wait and see! You're nothing but a worthless cockroach, an insect! Nothing!"

The girl brandished her katana, the blade mere inches from Tetsuya's eyes.

"Whoa, watch out! Don't hurt us, princes!"

Tetsuya retorted, raising his hands in mock surrender. Laughter erupted from some people nearby, probably Tetsuya's buddies, as they joined in on the mockery.

Axel had to hand it to her—the girl had some serious guts. But as she stood there, breathing heavily, he couldn't help but notice the slight tremble in her lips. It was a telltale sign of someone on the brink of a breakdown, despite her outward confidence.

"Listen up, man. I've been around here for two decades, seen a lot of stuff go down. Trust me when I say, don't go picking fights, especially if you're not from around here. I've seen too many outsiders like you end up in trouble, and it never ends well. This place is like a war zone."

Axel couldn't help but begrudgingly acknowledge the truth in Tatsuya's advice, despite his growing dislike for the guy. It was a straightforward warning, free from any hidden agendas or hostility Axel had sensed earlier.

Axel glanced over at the girl, her anger practically radiating off of her. Her hands shook, and she was now grinding her teeth in fury. It felt like any second she could unleash whatever darkness lurked within her.

Axel knew he didn't want to stick around for that. He was smarter than that at least.

"Thanks for the heads up. I'm outta here. Got someone to find."

Axel said, sidestepping Tetsuya, who gave him a friendly pat on the back before exiting the Holo Chamber.

As he was about to climb onto Ghost, he heard a tiny crackle emanating from his hand's disk reader, sending a small shock through his fingers.

"Damn it, the data card."

With a quick mental command, he ejected the data card. It emerged slowly, accompanied by a small electric arc.

"Shit. Did it get fried? Damn, I need to hurry up and find that guy."

He waited for the card to fully resurface, but before he could react, it vanished before his eyes. It was as if a lightning bolt had struck, someone snatching the data card so swiftly he couldn't even register it.

"What the..."

"Yo!"

A voice shouted, accompanied by a figure leaping into the air, the data card clutched in his hands.

"What the hell?!"

"You looking for this, dude?"

The guy grinned, resembling a kid with his sleeveless shirt and shorts. But his hands were prosthetics, gleaming black steel, and his legs replaced by steel ones.

'That's quite the pricey upgrade. But those aren't cyberware.'

Or at least, the ones he haven't seen yet.

"Why don't you hand it over, kid?"

"Why don't you come get it? I'm not just going to hand it to you. You'll have to earn it."

"Give it back. This is your last warning."

"You're not even gonna take me seriously, huh? Guess you really are just a noob."

The kid smirked at him.

Axel felt an overwhelming urge to chase the kid down and pummel him senseless. The thought of his fist connecting with the kid's face, the satisfying crunch and wetness as his hand caved in the boy's features, flashed through his mind.

Axel's frown deepened as the boy effortlessly leaped three meters into the air, putting a considerable distance between them.

"How in the world am I supposed to compete with that?"

The boy ran like a cheetah, and his leaps were so high that Axel wouldn't stand a chance of catching him, even with his cyberware enhancements.

"Kid, if you don't hand over that card, I'll rip your balls and—"

Axel's threat was cut short as he realized the boy had vanished into thin air, taking the data card with him.

Byte meowed at him, as if scolding him for his carelessness, then darted off behind the kid. Instead of plunging into the busy crowd, Byte vaulted over dividers, walls, and even rooftops.

The boy had fled into an alleyway, where Axel couldn't take his Ghost.

"When will I ever catch a break."

He groaned, feeling like an old man as he lamented his luck before sprinting after the kid.