A vase has many uses, a weapon only has one

Kuroda raised a hand and signalled for someone out of sight, and the next moment a very tall woman peeled out of the wall she was standing against and made a beeline for them.

Ivo saw her approach with apprehension. Most of her body seemed to be made of chrome. Her legs were riddled with dark spikes, bent backwards in that same configuration as the guard in the Parallax lab, making her look like a predator that could run for great distances. Her arms were likewise outfitted with spikes and all kinds of combat devices.

Her gaze looked empty and dull. A once beautiful face had been badly scarred, both by the cruelty of time and people.

And then Ivo noticed something else.

The mechanical parts of her started at around the same points the guy on the table had had his limbs cut off.

Ivo couldn't stop his eyes from widening in shock, or hold back his horrified gasp.

Kuroda let out a delighted laugh. "Turn on his translation software," he told Alina.