Fall of an Empire - A zako story (4 Viewers)

[ZakoLover]

Wow pretty good! You thinking of using drawing along with the story rather than only cosplay images? Heck, you could even illustrate some of the kills and such if you wanted. I can't speak for everyone since that'd be a big style shift, but I certainly think that could be cool to try every once and a while.

Yeah, that's the plan. But first I need to practice more

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Chapter 5 - 1

When I woke up, the sun was shining through the curtains, illuminating the room. It must have been already nine o'clock in the morning. I used to get up much earlier, but my routine had changed a lot. For the last few weeks, I spent most of the time lying idly on my bed. After all, they told me to rest, so I rested.

I looked at my bandaged arm. It was shorter than I remembered, and now I could no longer use it to hold anything. My trusty sword, which I got from my first battle, was leaning against the wall near my bed. Louise had brought it back with me, but I doubted that I would have any use for it from now on.

That was a nightmarish battle. I still remembered when the catgirl’s claws cut through my wrist like butter. It was so fast that I wasn’t able to realize that I had lost my hand until several seconds later when the unbearable pain began to kick in. I was bleeding all over the place and my body was completely numb when I was about to lost my consciousness. If Cecilia and Louise hadn’t found me and brought me back, I would have died there.

“But I didn’t die. You died.” I said to the thing on the cabinet.

I got out of the bed and approached it, or should I say her? She still looked the same as she did that night. Pretty, scary, and crazy. I was impressed by the preservation technique of this land. If it wasn’t for the fact that her body was nowhere to be found, anyone would have thought that she was still alive. Her hair, her complexion, her eyes, her nose, her lips. Everything was perfect. Even the thirsty expression was kept on her face. Only when I touched her skin, the lack of warmth confirmed to me that yes, the catgirl that nearly killed me was indeed dead.

I left my beautiful trophy and walked toward the door. I thought that I had dawdled for long enough, and I needed to go out to keep my muscle from becoming flabby. But before I touched the door, it opened on its own.

​

Standing before me was a stunning lady. She wore a red dress that fit her body to perfection, showing off all her luscious curves, especially the ample hips. The side slit on the dress went up her thigh, exposing the long and shapely legs. Her black hair was braided and pinned around the two sides of her head neatly, highlighting her softly attractive face.

“You are going out?” She asked.

“Yeah,” I nodded. “I think I am getting rusty. I need to go outside, breathing fresh air, working out my body, …”

“Well, actually I am here to fetch you,” the girl smiled. “He is waiting.”

“Oh, so finally the boss has decided to show me his face,” I chuckled. “Okay then, lead the way!”

She nodded and turned away. We went through a wooden corridor in the second floor, connecting the guest tower and the main building. I gazed through the windows at the vast green scenery that surrounded us.

“I can’t believe that there is a freaking big house like this deep in the forest,” I said as I followed the girl.

“I heard that this mansion was built by a rich eccentric guy a long time ago,” she explained. “Not sure what happened but in the end the house was abandoned and forgotten. After the war, he found it and decided to renovate the building, making it his secret hideout.”

“Secret?”

“Yes. There are very few people who know about this place's existence, and even fewer haven set their foot in here. You're our first visitor for a long time. Normally there are only him and me.”

“Living at a place like this is great! A luxurious mansion surrounded by the serenity and tranquility of nature. Being alone with a beautiful, elegant and graceful lady. That man really knows how to enjoy life. I am envious!”

“Are you flirting with me? But thanks for the compliment anyway!" The girl giggled. Her laughter was pleasing to the ears as much as how her figure was pleasing to the eyes.

After we had arrived at the main building, we went down the stair and found ourselves in another corridor. I continued to follow the girl until she stopped in front of a big door with refined carved decoration.

“This is the study,” she told me, knocking the door.

“Come in!”

I heard the voice of a middle aged man from behind the door and I recognized it immediately. While I had never seen him in person before, the voice was unmistakably his.

The girl opened the door and we entered the room, which was unexpectedly small and narrow compared to what its impressive door suggested. It was so quite dark, making it hard to see what was inside. The owner of the mansion was sitting at the other end of the room, behind a wooden table. The only window in the place, the only source of light, was behind him so I couldn’t see clearly the man's face, but the silhouette suggested that he was bald and had average build.

“Agent! We met at last!” The man said graciously. “I apologize for not visiting you sooner even though you have been in my house for weeks. But I believe that Wanqing has taken a good care of you.”

“Yeah, I enjoy my stay here.” I returned the smile. “Though staying in the room doing nothing is getting boring.”

“Of course. Spending time idly doesn’t suit a man of action like you. That’s why I call you here. Please sit down!” He gestured toward to a chair in front of him, then turned to tell the girl standing beside me, “You may leave us!”

I approached the table to sit on my designated seat as I heard Wanqing closed the door behind me. As I came near, the face of the Spokesman of the Resistance became clearer. He was around fifty, having a long face and large cheekbones, no facial hair and completely bald. His most striking feature was his icy blue eyes. I felt a bit uneasy when he looked me in the eyes and, considering what my job was, it said quite a lot.

“How is your hand?”

“Still gone,” I shrugged. “I will let you know when I grow a new one.”

“Well, that’s what we are going to do,” the man chuckled. “But your new hand will not be made of flesh, but metal.”

“Metal?”

“Yes,” the Spokesman nodded. “I don’t know whether Wanqing has told you yet, but reattaching your old hand back is impossible. You were not cut once, but three times. Yes, three. Three sharp claws went through your arm at the same time, shearing off not only your hand but also two small bits of your wrist. So not even the best surgeon in the world could do anything about it.”

“So you are going to give me a bionic hand?” I asked. “I didn’t expect that the Resistance had something like this.”

“We don’t,” the man said. “But our ally does. I have talked with my friends in the Alliance and they are sending us your new hand, together with a doctor that could glue it to your arm. You have to wait two more weeks for her to arrive though."

“So, I am going to stay here for two more weeks?”

“If you want to,” the Spokesman replied. “Or you can return to District 7 to do the counter-infiltration stuff. You shouldn’t engage the more dangerous enemies, but scouting or taking down one or two isolated Imperial patrols shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Yeah,” I nodded. “That option is better.”

“Good. And then, after you have regained your full strength, or perhaps even more, I will give you the next important mission.”

“Oh, what is it?”

“Agent," the Spokesman smiled. "Have you ever heard about the Hammerhead Corporation?”

 

[ZakoLover]

Chapter 5 - 2

​

Touko heard footsteps from ahead of her. Someone was approaching.

That is unexpected! Touko thought. Of course, by no means was she thinking that she was the only one using this secret passage, but this was the first time she bumped into someone in this dark long corridor. Since being seen by other people at a place like this was a bad idea, Touko quickly stepped into the shadows behind a pillar.

After a few more echoing footfalls the figure of a slender woman with very long hair came into view, clad in a white dress that was boldly cut, emphasizing her buxom breasts and long, luscious legs, and hurried toward the direction where Touko came from. Even though Touko only got a glimpse of the woman, she recognized her immediately.

​

‘That is Countess Kusakabe,’ Touko told her companion through telepathy. Despite the fact that there was no one else here, they still didn’t talk with words. That was a habit they had adopted since they first knew each other.

‘You mean … the boss of Hammerhead Corporation? Are you sure?’

‘I am,’ Touko replied. ‘She is the richest woman in the Empire. Her face is everywhere. I am surprised that you doesn’t know her.'

‘Sorry, but I neither watch TV nor read newspaper.’

‘Not even my articles?’ Touko asked. Her cover was a journalist, so she wrote articles from times to times.

‘Nope! Don’t care!’ The other girl said curtly. Touko couldn’t see her face in this dark corridor, nor did she hear any sound, but clearly her elusive friend was giggling.

‘Damn you, Shishi!’ Touko growled, if “growl” was a word that could be applied to thoughts. ‘Any way, it is strange.’

‘Indeed. What is she doing here?’

Hammerhead Corporation was the top arms contractor of the Empire. Infantry combat suits, plasma weapons, telepathy devices, … Everything was provided by them. It was not an exaggeration to say that Countess Kusakabe was one of the most important people in the Empire. So why was she here, at a place like this?

The Imperial Palace was huge, and so was the underground area beneath it. This maze of passages had innumerable branching corridors which could lead you to a dead end or bring you back to where you had just left, or send you to the deeper parts where you would have no chance of getting out. Touko had heard of people losing their ways here and ended up dead due to exhaustion and starvation, and she herself did see some decomposed corpses during the times she explored this place. Any normal person, let alone someone at the top of the upper class, would have no business being here.

‘I don’t know,’ Touko shrugged. There was nothing she could do other than taking a mental note about this unexpected encounter. She waited until she could hear no more footsteps, then she resumed her silent walk toward her destination.

While stepping in this vast maze of dark and apparently random passageways would be a death sentence to most people, this area was invaluable to someone like Touko, as it provided paths which one could take to travel between various places in the palace and the city without being seen.

‘This is near enough. You stay here!’ Touko told her friend. Even though the underground area was free to access for everyone, the entries into the palace obviously were not. Those gates were carefully hidden and closely watched, so only a handful of people could use these secret passages to get into the Imperial Palace.

‘Be careful!’ Shishi’s concerned voice raised in Touko’s head.

‘Haha, there is nothing to worry about!’ Touko giggled. ‘Moreover, if something happens, I will just call you to break in and take me out.’

Touko approached the door, wondering whether Countess Kusakabe also passed through it a moment ago. This entry was closest to where she saw her, so the possibility was very high. But why? She could have visited the First Princess publicly anytime she wanted. Why did she need to be unseen?

Behind the door was a narrow tunnel and after it, Touko found herself in a small room. Everything looked familiar, since she had been here countless times before. But the one who was sitting on the chair waiting for her was not who she anticipated.

​

“You are early!”

“I am always early,” Touko replied, looking around. “Where is Her Highness? I thought that this would be a meeting between only her and me. I didn’t expect another member of the Secret Eyes to be present.”

“The First Princess is not here. From now on you will report to me.”

“Oh, really?” Touko said, puzzled. That is weird!

“Do you know why?”

“No, why?” Touko shook her head.

“Because the Empress and the First Princess have decided that the seat of the Mistress of the Secret Eyes has been vacant for long enough, so someone capable should be selected to fill in the position. And try to guess who that someone is? Me, of course.”

Eri is the new Mistress of the Secret Eyes? That should be a shocking announcement, but Touko was not surprised. After all, the current Secret Eyes was nothing but a shadow of its former self. The Mistress and the assassins of the Secret Eyes were the ones who helped the Empress win the throne, secure the throne, and successfully conquer two third of the continent. They were effective. Too effective. As the result, the Empress became wary of her own killers, so she decided to get rid of them. One by one, the members of the Secret Eyes disappeared, and now all that was left was a handful of young girls who joined after the purge. The Empress still had an use for this organization. Due to its secretive nature, most people didn’t know about what had happened. All they knew were its legendary exploits in the past. Everyone was terrified of the Secret Eyes, so the Empress utilized that fact to the fullest. Even though it was merely a paper tiger, it was still something Her Majesty could use to scare people into submission.

Since the organization itself was next to powerless, the so-called Mistress was just another pawn in the eyes of the Imperial family. In other word, it didn’t matter who would become the next Mistress. The very fact that Eri was unceremoniously promoted was the proof that no one actually took her seriously.

However, there was a certain grinning idiot who was unaware of that fact. She was acting high-and-mighty, looking at Touko arrogantly. Perhaps she was even expecting Touko to bristle and challenge her “leadership”, and she would discipline the rebellious subordinate to show off her new power.

That was not going to happen though. Touko bowed, saying with a neutral tone. “Congratulation to your promotion! I am at your service, Mistress!”

“Oh!” Eri was taken back by Touko’s immediate acceptance. A faint moue of disappointment flickered across her face. “Well, as long as you know who is the boss.”

“You are the boss, Mistress! I am yours to command!” Touko mustered a smile. “So, can we begin the meeting?”

“Yes, yes,” Eri nodded, picking up the document on the table. “I have skimmed through your report. Well, I have to say that you have made some very ridiculous claims here.”

“I don't think that they are ridiculous,” Touko replied. “I firmly believe that there is high chance that the rebellion at the Island was orchestrated by someone from within the Empire.”

 

[ZakoLover]

OK, my first zako picture



Ayase was a sergeant of the Imperial army. Being talented, determined and hard working, she was highly regarded by her superior. With her cool beauty and elegant swordplay, Ayase also mesmerized the younger girls, making her very popular in her unit. Unfortunately, she was serving the 762nd Battalion when it was overrun by the rebels, and she went down with it. Ayase was captured, and executed by hanging along with the other survivors.

Ayase had thought that she could face death with dignity, and she could show the enemy the courage of a model soldier of the Empire. However, she had lost it when the noose was put around her neck. She started crying, pissing and begging for mercy, even though she had just thrown many big words at her enemies a moment ago. Ayase died while being a laughing stock, and her beautiful corpse had become fertilizer for the Farm.

 

[ZakoLover]

Let's finish the other two of the trio before we get back to the novel part



Megumi and Ruka were the two Imperial soldiers that were executed together with Ayase. While the rebels were hanging the sergeant, the two girls were sitting on the ground, hugging each other and crying. They felt hopeless and overtaken by fear. Each other's bosom was the only comfort that helped them to forget the dying sergeant's scream. But it didn't last long. After Ayase was dead, Megumi was next. The rebels tore the two girls apart and pulled the recruit toward her noose. Ruka had to witness the other girl's horrible death, and she couldn't take it anymore. She tried to run away, since even if she wasn't able to escape, at least she could die quickly by a burst of fire. She was not that lucky though. The rebels shot her in the leg, then one of them dragged her back to where she would be hanged. Ruka tried to resist, so they tied her hands. Annoyed by her disobedience, the rebels decided to prolong her death as much as they could. Ruka's suffering only ended when a new prisoner of war was brought to the execution ground.

 

[gamefanatic]

Let's finish the other two of the trio before we get back to the novel part

View attachment 73428 View attachment 73429

Annoyed by her disobedience, the rebels decided to prolong her death as much as they could. Ruka's suffering only ended when a new prisoner of war was brought to the execution ground.

Jesus, are we sure the rebels are the good guys in this story :/

 

[Weoooo]

NO
I'VE BEEN TELLING YOU

 

[saga55555]

Kill the queen and give the throne to Touka

 

[ZakoLover]

Chapter 5 - 3

​

“Let’s start with the assassin that has caused us so much trouble, the one who I gave the nickname the Lady-killer,” Touko began. “From my source, I have learnt that he has just arrived recently, coming from the other continent. My source was told that the foreign friends of the rebels, possibly the Alliance, have paid for the expense incurred.”

“So the Alliance has contact with the other continent?” Eri mused. “We don’t know much about that place though, other than the fact that it exists.”

“Actually it is not true,” Touko interrupted. She paused fractionally for dramatic effect, looking amusedly at the the “mistress”, who is raising her eyebrows, before continuing to explain. “More than twenty years ago, the old Emperor did try to establish a relationship with the other continent. He sent several delegations there and it’s said that there are Imperial settlements in the continent. However, after the Empress ascended to throne, that project ended up scrapped.”

“And?”

“We all know that the old Emperor’s loyalists opposed the Empress’ rule,” Touko said, “and they were cut down by the blade of the Secret Eyes. But some survived and fled to other countries, or perhaps, to the other continent.”

“So you think that those traitors are supporting the rebels at the Island?” Eri asked. “Well, maybe. But they are hardly counted as someone from within the Empire.”

“It’s possible that there are loyalists remaining in the Empire. They lay low and hide their true intention, but they never stop plotting to overthrow the Empress. Well, at least that’s what Her Majesty is always suspecting.” Touko replied.

“Yeah …” Eri said skeptically. Everyone knew that the Empress was a paranoid woman, since she took the throne with murder and she fears that someone will do the same thing to her. However, Touko knew better than anyone else that that suspicion was not completely unfounded.

“Let’s continue to my next point,” Touko changed the topic. “The Jammer.”

“You said that there was something that could disrupt the telepathy devices? Are you sure it wasn’t simply your equipment getting malfunctioned?”

“I am certain.” Touko reaffirmed. “My source has told me that the rebel is indeed possessing such a weapon, and the Lady-killer has used it to assassinate Major Mobami.”

That was what Cecilia said when they contacted each other again a week after she got back to the rebel camp. The rebel commander didn’t mention it at all during their first meeting, otherwise the outcome of Lady-killer’s attack could have been very different. However, it was not that Cecilia hid it on purpose, but she wasn’t aware of its significance. She also didn’t know where the Jammer came from, other than “it was given by a foreign friend”.

“But .. but … How is that possible? If it is true that our enemies have something like that, it is bad. Very bad.” Eri turned pale. “No, it is impossible! I refuse to believe that those rebels, or even their Alliance friends, have the capacity to develop such a technology.”

“How about us then? Does the Empire have such capacity?”

Suddenly Touko recalled the unexpected encounter with Countess Kusakabe. The Hammerhead Corporation was the one who created the telepathy device, so it was not impossible for them to create something else to counter it.

So, what was the Countess doing in the underground? Had she just left this place? Perhaps she was in this very room, sitting on the this very chair just an hour ago. And if that was the case, why? Was it a coincidence that she was here right before Touko’s meeting? And why did the First Princess suddenly disappear, and order Eri to talk to her instead? Touko peered at the other girl. Was she merely a gullible idiot? Or was she in the game as well?

“So you are saying that someone inside the Empire, who is hostile against Her Majesty, secretly developed the Jammer then gave it to the rebels? It’s ridiculous. We should have known if something like that happened.”

Yes, the Secret Eyes should have known. But the Secret Eyes had stopped being the Secret Eyes a long time ago.

“The First Princess will consider the possibility that the Alliance has developed a weapon that could disrupt our communication, and we will prepare a counter measure.” Eri continued. “But anything more than that is ridiculous. It’s nothing more than your imagination running wild.”

“Let’s talk about the next point then,” Touko said. “The absurd brutality of the rebels.”

“Yes, I have heard about their atrocities.” Eri nodded. “So barbaric! That’s why they need enlightened people like us to civilize them.”

“The low level rebels might have let their anger and hatred take better of them, but how about their leaders? Are they also stupid, or too incompetent to control their underlings? Or perhaps …”

“Perhaps?”

Touko looked the other girl in the eyes. “We shouldn’t underestimate our enemy. Let’s assume that they are actually smart and reasonable, and they do everything on purpose.”

“What is that purpose then?”

“Provocation.” Touko replied. “It’s clear from Major Mobami and Captain Takano’s execution. If I were them, I would have captured the two women and used them as leverage in negotiation. As close relatives of our two generals, they would have been my valuable hostages, not someone to be killed in such manners. No, they don’t want to negotiate. They want us to charge at them, and it will be a fight to the death.”

“Then they are stupid. This is not a fight that they can win.”

“But he is not stupid.” Touko shrugged. “That’s why I believe that he must have a clear purpose.”

“He?”

“A few years ago, there were a lot of different insurgent groups in the Island, and they were nothing but mere annoyance to us. We believed that we were going to crush them all. But suddenly they merged into what they called the Resistance. How, and why? We did not know. Because he hid himself well enough. The majority of the rebels don’t know the truth, so we don’t know as well, no matter how many we capture and interrogate.”

It was hard to capture higher ranking rebels alive, and even so, they’d rather endure torture than spill the beans. It didn’t help that the Imperial army didn’t take the rebellion seriously. In the eyes of the top brass, the Island was nothing but a place where they dumped their incompetent officers, or a safe place for their relatives, or a training ground for their protégés to play war at a leisure pace. That’s why the truth had been hidden for so long. It was fortunate that after arriving at the Island, Touko was able to capture a rebel commander, and that commander had a weakness that she could exploit.

“What truth?”

“One day, a man appeared out of nowhere. He was not even a local, but somehow he managed to talk to all the rebel groups and united them within a short amount of time. He called himself the Spokesman of the Resistance. While pretending to be a mere representative of a group of leaders, he is actually the one who controls everything. He is the one who makes plans for the others to follow. He is the one who has a lot of “foreign friends”. He is the one who brought the Lady-killer here. He is the one who gave the Jammer to the rebels. Yes, he is the de facto supreme leader of the rebels, but we didn’t know about his existence until a few weeks ago. Say what you want but I will not call someone of that caliber stupid.”

Eri couldn’t say anything, instead she was just staring at Touko in silence. After a while, she asked. “So, what are you going to do now?”

“I am going to capture him, and learn from himself what he is plotting.”

 

[ZakoLover]

Chapter 5 - 4

​

Hyo saw someone approaching through her infrared vision, and realized who it was immediately. As a soldier of the Empire genetically enhanced using Schematic No. 608, she had the sharp sense of a feline predator, and as the result, she could confirm that that was indeed the person she was supposed to meet, even if the only thing she saw was a moving red glowing shape.

Cecilia, the rebel commander, was running toward the meeting place. She came alone, and she wasn’t followed either. That was expected. This was not the first time they met, as they had been seeing each other once every two week since Cecilia went back to the rebel camp. There was no need to worry about Cecilia betraying her, and even if she did, so what? No one could come near Hyo without her noticing. She was the one who stalked the others, not the vice versa.

Cecilia had stopped at the designated spot, looking around nervously. She knew that Hyo was hiding somewhere nearby, but of course there was no way for her to locate the elusive catgirl. Hyo sneaked up behind Cecilia and slapped her shoulder, and the rebel commander emitted a quick yelp.

“Yo~” The catgirl grinned as the startled woman turned around.

“Don’t do that!” Cecilia bristled a little.

“I only want to tease you a bit, since you look so serious,” the catgirl giggled.

“I am not here to play hide-and-seek with you,” Cecilia growled. “And I can’t be absent for too long. Let’s finish it quick so I can return.”

“Fine, fine,” Hyo laughed, then changed to a more serious tone. “So, is anyone suspicious of you?”

“As far as I know, none.” Cecilia shook her head. “Louise may think that I am a bit odd, but she believe that is the effect of being a captive for a long time in such conditions.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. She trusts me. There's no doubt about that.” Cecilia sighed, looking down. She must be feeling guilty because she was now working for the other side, effectively betraying her friend’s trust.

“Anything to report?” Hyo asked, changing the topic.

“Well, the Agent has come back to the camp. Now he is helping us with counter-infiltration.”

“He was staying at the Spokesman’s hideout, right?”

“Yes, but I don’t know where it is, and I don’t think that asking him directly is a good idea.”

“Of course not, that will be too suspicious.” Hyo pondered, “But is there any other way for you to find it?”

“No, but,” Cecilia replied, “the Spokesman said that he would coming here within the next few days.”

“What? Really?”

“Yes,” the rebel commander nodded. “He is bringing the doctor sent by the Alliance and she will attach the Agent’s new bionic hand at our camp.”

Hyo contemplated the news. What should she do? The boss wanted that man. But she was now back in the mainland, so Hyo couldn’t report to her and ask for order. Anyway, attacking the rebel camp for a second time was too risky, especially now when they had lost Tora.

“How will he come here?” Hyo asked.

“By car, I guess,” Cecilia shrugged.

“Come back here tomorrow,” Hyo said. “I will give you a tracking device, and you are going to plant it on his vehicle.”

----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- -----​

“My name is Annastasia. Nice to meet you!” The woman said, extending her right hand in front of me. But then she immediately noticed my dumbfoundedness, and laughed, “Oh sorry! I forget that you can’t handshake. That’s why I’m here. Ha ha!”

Her hand didn’t stop though, instead it grabbed my right arm’s wrist and brought it up close to her face. “I see,” she looked thoughtfully at my handless arm and nodded. “This is a nasty wound. But don’t worry, I will give you a brand new hand, which is even better than the original.”

I eyed the woman. She was mid to late twenties, blonde and pretty. She was wearing a dress which was obviously customized to emphasize her great assets. The black color provided a dramatic contrast to her smooth white skin, which she was showing plentily. It was short enough to barely cover her crotch, revealing a pair of thighs that were magnificently curved and flowed to rounded calves. The dress was tight, hugging her body perfectly, but it was loose at the chest area, allowing her large breasts to expand without restricted. It also had an interesting diamond-shaped cutout, allowing her to show off her cleavage. She wore a white lab coat over the dress, but let it hang off her back, exposing her bare shoulders.

“This is who I have told you before, Dr. Annastasia, an expert in the field of bionics in the West,” the Spokesman joined in our conversation, introducing the newcomer.

“I see, so the people from the West have similar appearance to the people in the North,” I commented. After all, she looked just like the Northern girls I have encountered. Tall, pale skin, blonde hair, big breasts.

“No, no,” Annastasia laughed. “Western people have darker skin than us. I was born in the North, but my family fled to the West when our homeland was invaded and occupied. That’s why I volunteered to help the Alliance to fight back against the Empire.”

“And now they lend you to us for a while,” the Spokesman said.

“Yes,” Annastasia nodded, “I will be with you guys for a while.”

“So the process of attaching a bionic hand will take time?”.

“Not really,” Annastasia shook her head. “I can finish by tomorrow if you want. But it will take a couple of weeks for you to get used with your new hand and during the period, I will observe, test and make adjustment if needed.”

“Good,” the Spokesman nodded. “I would like you begin your work as soon as possible, Doctor.”

“Is the facility in this base sufficient?” I asked. We were in the rebel camp, which may barely function for military purpose, but I doubted that it had anything that could support high-tech activities.

“Don’t worry, I bring with me everything I need,” the doctor looked at me with her lively eyes, gesturing to a very big wheeled metal container beside her.

The Spokesman turned to Louise, who was standing with us the whole time without saying anything. “Please take the doctor to her room.”

The silent girl nodded. “Please follow me,” she told the doctor.

“Do you need help with the contain …” I was asking Annastasia, but before I could finish the question, something totally unexpected and unbelievable happened. From inside her skirt, a snake-like object moved out and grabbed the handle of the container, pulling it to go after the doctor when she walked away.

“What the hell is that?”

“Oh, this is my mechanical arm,” she grinned, touching the metallic tentacle. “Useful, right? I can control it at will and it is stronger than my real arms. So I let it to do the heavy jobs, allowing my hands to focus on the more delicate stuff.”

“I wouldn’t call something coming out from my crotch arm,” I shrugged.

“You are right,” she laughed. “My mechanical tail then. It was connected to the end of my spine after all.”

Then she turned and followed Louise to the room where she could unload her equipment.

“I will call you when everything is ready.”

----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- -----​

Here you are, the first character that I draw instead of using a cosplay picture

I had difficulties finding a girl who wears a lab coat while looking good and sexy enough. And when I searched for "doctor", it always returned "nurse" pictures

So I decided to draw Annastasia myself. Since I am free to draw in whatever way I want, why not adding something crazy? Hence the tail

​

 

[gamefanatic]

nice design! That tail is a very interesting concept.

 

[ZakoLover]

Chapter 5 - 5

​

This was the second time Touko had been here, the skyscraper serving as the seat of power of the ruler of the Island. She had just come back from the main land, and decided to pay the Viceroy a visit.

In order to achieve her objective, she might need to mobilize a significant number of soldiers. At most Ringo could lend her only a few squads, and asking her friend for more was difficult. After all, Ringo had to report to Kaga, who Zhou Min had given all the military power, and she couldn’t launch any large operation by herself.

‘So, you are going to ask the Viceroy to give you the command of the 721st Battalion?’ asked Shishi, the companion who was hiding from everyone’s sight.

‘Yup, that will give me more freedom to do my stuff.’

‘Kaga won’t like it.’

‘Of course she won’t,’ Touko couldn’t help but giggling. ‘But I am not going to ask her. I am asking the old auntie, and I doubt that she could say no to me. Kaga won't have a say in this matter.’

Touko had had a good judgement of the two women from what she saw in the last meeting with them. Both were typical examples of the bad parts of the aristocracy in the Empire, but in different ways. Zhou Min was vain and spoiled, indecisive and cowardice, while Kaga was ignorant and arrogant, looking down on the “lower-class”.

As Touko approached, the receptionist looked at her, smiling friendly. It was a different girl today.

​

“Miss Futaba,” she greeted. “You are going to see the Viceroy again today?”

“Yes,” Touko nodded, returning the smile.

“She is already having a meeting with someone else, but I will send her the word that you are here,” the receptionist said helpfully.

“Thank you!”

“It’s nothing,” the girl grinned, then whispered to Touko. “Are you going to make her piss her pants like the last time?”

“She did?” Touko raised her eyebrows.

“Yes. Literarily. The granny had to change her dress after you left.”

“I see,” Touko chuckled.

‘Clearly this girl isn’t very fond of her boss,’ Shishi said in Touko’s head. Touko nodded in agreement. People like Zhou Min tended to fear the strong but bully the weak. That was no surprise.

‘By the way, that is all you have to comment?’ Touko asked her friend.

‘What do you mean?’

‘Don’t you think it is weird? This girl knows that I am Futaba Touko. But I have never met her before. Moreover, how does she know what happened in the last meeting? There were only Zhou Min, Kaga and me in the room.’

‘Oh yeah, that’s weird.’ Shishi said thoughtfully. ‘But it seems that you have already figured out the answer.’

‘Yes, I have.’ Touko grinned.

The receptionist turned to Touko. “The Viceroy said that she would see you in five minutes.”

“Okay, thank you!” Touko smiled to the girl. “By the way, who is inside?”

“Baroness Ashina,” the girl replied. “The manager of Hammerhead Corporation’s branch in the Island.”

“Oh, I didn’t know that they had a branch here.” Touko was puzzled. Why do I keep bumped into those Hammerhead people recently?

----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- -----​

​

Zhou Min was agitated. Why does she have to show up at this moment? Has she figured out something about me? The Viceroy shook her head, trying to discard the thought. No no no. It is just a coincidence. Her job here is to deal with the rebels, not with my business.

“What’s the matter?” Her guest asked.

“An agent of the Secret Eyes is here,” Zhou Min replied.

“What does she want?”

“I don’t know. Maybe some matters relating to the rebels.”

“Then it has nothing to do with us,” the other girl snorted. “Why are you so nervous?”

Zhou Min’s brow furrowed at the guest, a young girl in black dress. A brat who had just barely passed the age of nineteen. But she was a member of the Ashina, who had close ties with Countess Kusakabe, so as the result, she was put in charge of the Hammerhead branch in the Island, and became the Viceroy’s direct partner in their current project. So Zhou Min had to deal with her, no matter how much she hated the spoiled kid for her stupidity.

​

“She is a killer who answers directly to the Empress. Don’t you understand?” Zhou Min raised her voice. “And if you haven’t been aware yet, what we are doing isn’t exactly legal.”

“Then do your best to hide it from her,” Baroness Ashina waved her hand.

“That’s what I am doing, but it’s not easy.” Zhou Min grumbled. Damned it! First Kaga, and now this brat. Why do they have to underestimate the Secret Eyes? Then the Viceroy sighed in defeat. They were too young, so they didn’t know what those psychopaths could do. “Anyway, I told her that I was going to see her in five minutes. So let’s conclude our meeting. Go back to the lab and continue your work!”

“What the hell? Are you deaf?” The baroness yelled. “I have just told you that most of the test subjects were dead. We can’t continue our research until you send us more.”

“I can’t!” Zhou Min bristled. “I have already given you dozens of people. Yes, they are death row inmates, but sooner or later, someone will notice that something is off. And don’t forget that there is a member of the Secret Eyes sniffing around at the moment.”

“You are a coward!” Ashina said. Zhou Min gritted her teeth, doing her best to resist the temptation to strangle the bitch. “Fine, I will take care of the problem myself,” the baroness continued.

“How?”

“My underlings will nab some people in the isolated villages near the forest,” Ashina replied. “We can just blame the rebels for their disappearance.”

Ugh … Zhou Min didn’t think that it was a good idea to talk about those kinds of stuff when Futaba Touko was right next door. But she couldn’t dissuade the baroness either, and continuing the argument would only make things worse. It was better to kick this brat out as soon as possible.

“Fine, do whatever you want, but be discreet.”

“Oh, don’t worry!" Ashina grinned. "My girls are professional.”

 

[gamefanatic]

must admit i'm getting a bit lost in the plot on Touko's side

 

[ZakoLover]

Haha, maybe I need to make a character relationship chart for the Empire side

 

[Bad7]

Somebody has gotta die

 

[ZakoLover]

Chapter 5 - 6

“A test?” I asked.

“Yes,” Louise nodded. “The Spokesman wants to see whether you are battle ready.”

I looked down at my bionic hand. The delicate metallic fingers could be moved at will, as easily as how I did with the original. The main problem came from the fact that I had no sense of touch. Without the feedback, it was difficult to apply the right amount of force on the object I want to hold. Moreover, since the maximum strength that this artificial hand can exert was quite big, so I tended to break things if I was not careful enough. It took a while to get used to, but now I could do the basic tasks without any problem.

“I think that there is nothing to worry about,” I replied. “Punching people in the face or breaking their necks is easy.”

“But what if you are required to capture your target alive?” Louise asked.

“Is there any mission like that?” I shrugged. “Since I got here, the only thing I am told to do was killing people.”

“Well, you need to be able to deal with any situation.”

“Fair enough. So, what is the test?”

“Follow me.” Louise turned around and started walking.

I followed her to the courtyard, and found it already crowded. There were a lot of rebel girls, talking and laughing loudly. Annastasia was also there, standing near a corner. She waved at me when she saw us approaching.

“Hi there!” She smiled cheerfully. When I got near, I realize that actually she wasn’t standing, but leaning back on her mechanical tail, using it as a seat.

“That thing is useful,” I commented.

“Of course it is,” Annastasia grinned. “It can do a lot of things. Grabbing, holding, hooking, pushing, pulling, vibrating, thrusting, carrying, using tools, ...”

I nodded, noticing that there were a few weird actions were included in the list. “What are you doing here anyway?”

“You think that I will be absent from one of your test?” Annastasia giggled.

“I see.”

“It looks like the test is about to begin,” Annastasia said, looking at the center of the courtyard. Following Louise’s order, the girls were leaving the open space and moved to the sides. Now that I thought about it, recently Louise has been acting like a commander. I looked around, but couldn't find Cecilia anywhere. I wondered where she was at the moment.

There were only seven girls left in the middle of the courtyard, each of them holding a wooden sword. The place had become an arena, surrounded by the rest of the rebel girls, who were eager to see what was going to happen next. Louise waved to call me to enter the arena, and handed me a wooden sword as well.

“I am going to fight them?”

“Yes,” Louise nodded. She turned her head back and forth between me and the group of seven girls. “I will explain the rules. First, you must use your sword to hit your opponents. No any other physical contact is allowed. So no punching and no kicking. Second, if you are hit once, you’re out. The Agent will fight this team of seven girls. If the Agent gets hit, the team win. If every member of the team is out, then the Agent will be the winner."

I looked at the wooden sword I was holding with my metallic hand. If I used too much force, it would break, so I needed to be careful. On the other hand, I wouldn't need to worry about accidentally hurting someone.

At Louise’s signal, the match began. The seven girls quickly spread out, attempting to surround me. That was an obvious tactic to use against an opponent who you vastly outnumbered. Since they only needed to score one hit to win, I would have a serious problem if I allowed them to finish their encirclement. I picked up a girl who was a bit further from the rest, and plunged at her. She was startled, trying to to defend herself. I dodged her clumsy attack and poked her on the thigh. The crowd surrounding us applauded as I scored the hit.

One down. I glanced at the nearest girl and found her charging at me, brandishing her sword. I parried her attack and deflect the sword away, then slashed at her chest before she could get back on balance. Her big breasts made hitting her much easier, and I removed another opponent from the battle.

The two defeated girls quickly left the arena, while the other five grouped up and came at me at once. I fought defensively while positioning myself so that they were always in front of me. Without being able to sneak up behind me, they couldn’t utilize their advantage in number and I only had to fight at most two or three people at the same time.

Since I only needed to hit each of them once at any part of their bodies, I decided to target their wrists. In order to hit me, they had to extend their hands, exposing their wrists to my counter attack. So I baited a girl’s attack, moved back to dodge it then immediately jumped forward and struck her wrist. That tactic worked well and I defeated two more girls with it.

As the remaining three panicked, I took the offensive and charged at them. The closest girl didn’t expect that I would jump at her face like that, so I took her out before she could do anything. The other two girls retreated, increasing the distance between us. But it was too late now. There were only two of them left, and from what I saw, their skill levels were the same as the rest. There was no way I could lose at this point.

The girl on the left moved her face to the other’s ear and whispered something. It seemed that she had a plan. While I doubted that there was any way for them to win in this situation, I shouldn’t let them discuss any longer either. So I ran toward them to attack. The girl on the right moved forward to meet me, swinging her sword. I evaded, and slashed at her side. Then …

She grabbed my sword with her hands. And broke it.

Huh?

I didn’t have time to digest what just happened, since the last girl was now attacking me as well. Of course I couldn’t defend myself with only a sword hilt, so I retreated. As I jumped backward, I saw the girl who broke my sword leaving the arena. She touched it with her hand, so she was out.

“I see, so your plan was to destroy my weapon. But it won’t work.” I told the last girl. I didn’t just move back blindly to a random direction. I went to where one of my opponents’ sword was still lying on the ground. Now I could just pick it up to continue the fight.

“You don’t remember the rules?” The girl giggled. “You must use your sword to hit your opponent, otherwise it doesn’t count.”

“Wait, what?” I turned to Louise. She shrugged. Damn it! How the hell am I supposed to fight with just a sword hilt?

“Prepare yourself, Agent!” My last opponent grinned, and plunged at me. I could evade her attacks, but there was no way for me to hit her back. As I was dodging left and right, the crowd cheered enthusiastically.

“Go for it, Leila!”

“Leila, you can do it!”

I continued to escape from my opponent’s sword, but sooner or later she would corner me and score a hit. A girl named Leila smirked, “You don’t realize that you are just delaying the inevitable? Why don’t you accept your defeat with grace?”

So that’s it? I am going to lose because of semantics? It’s riculous! I recalled the rule, ‘You must use your sword to hit your opponents.’

Wait a minute!

It said that I had to use my sword to hit my opponent. It didn’t say that I have to hold my sword. So, I can throw it, can't I? As Leila was jumping forward, I aimed and threw what was left of my weapon at her body’s center of mass.

It did hit her. But it hit a bit lower than where I expected. Also a bit harder.

​

Leila screamed, dropping to the ground. She clutched at her crotch and cried. After a brief awkward silence, the surrounding audience rushed to the injured girl.

“Wow! You really know how to treat a girl, don’t you?” Annastasia laughed as she approached me.

“That’s not intentional! My aiming is off.” I frowned.

“I see,” she nodded. “More adjustment then. We need to be quick though. After all, your new mission is going to start next week.”

----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- -----​

​

It’s done!

Cecilia looked at the vehicle. She had just planted the tracking device that catgirl gave her on the car, and from they could track it no matter where it was, and they could find the Spokesman’s hideout.

There was no reason for her to linger here anymore, so Cecilia quickly left the place. She heard the cheering coming from the courtyard. The Agent’s match against the girls was still ongoing. Cecilia had chose this moment, when everyone was distracted by the event, to sneaked up here and carried the job that she couldn’t tell anyone.

Now I am truly a traitor, Cecilia sighed.

Cecilia was tired, very tired. Now she just wanted everything to end. Her only wish now was to see her family again, and together they would leave everything behind and start a new life somewhere else. But she couldn't quit. She must live up to her end of the bargain.

I hope that that girl will keep her words!

 

[gamefanatic]

Eyyy your first drawing of a story scene! Poor Leila lol.

 

[ZakoLover]

Chapter 5 - 7 (last)

“I have heard about your incident the other day,” the Spokesman smiled, leaning back in his chair, as I sat down on my seat.

We were in the commander’s room. It was not the room where Farina got killed and Cecilia was kidnapped, but a different one. The interior was basically the same though. This should be Cecilia’s new office once she came back to the camp, but she was rarely here, so Louise had to take care of everything in her stead.

“It was an accident. And I don’t want to talk about it.” I frowned. Annastasia had been teasing me about it every time we were together. She was also in the room, sitting on the sofa and playing with her hair. She giggled when the Spokesman reminded everyone of what happened a few days ago.

“I know, I know,” the Spokesman chuckled. “I didn’t call you here to talk about it anyway. It's time to discuss your next mission.”

The man's face turned serious. He was sitting behind the table, on the chair belonging to the commander, with his gorgeous assistant Wanqing standing beside him. At the moment, there were only four people in the room. Neither Cecilia nor Louise was present, which was a bit weird, considering that this place was their office.

Now that I thought about it, what was the role of the Spokesman in the Resistance anyway? He told me that he was a simple representative of the leaders of the rebellion, but I had the feeling that he was actually holding considerable power. After he arrived here, he took over the commander's room as if it was nothing. No one protested. He acted like he was in charge, to me, to Louise and to Cecilia. On the other hand, he rarely interacted with other people in the camp and never showed up in public. I recalled that he wasn't watching my sparring with the rebel girls.

“Of course, my next mission. What is it?”

“The last time we talked, I told you about the Hammerhead Corporation, didn’t I?”

“Yes, you did,” I nodded. “They are the arms suppliers for the Imperial army.”

“Correct,” the Spokesman continued. “Hammerhead Corporation also has a branch here, a small factory that manufactures and maintains the weapons for the garrison units in this island.”

“You want me to go to that factory?”

“Well, sabotaging the factory will greatly help our cause, yes,” the Spokesman mused. “But no, its location is deep in the enemy’s territory, and heavily guarded by the Imperial troops. No, it is not our target.”

“What is the target then?”

“Until recently, we thought that the factory is Hammerhead's only property in this island. However, we accidentally found out that they also had a secret laboratory here.”

“A secret laboratory?”

“That's right. It is located in a forest in the north, hidden from the public eyes. Not many people knows about its existence, including even people from the Empire. There are no Imperial soldiers there. The place is guarded by Hammerhead’s private military.”

“So, what are they doing there?”

“That’s what we want to know, and why I am going to send you there." The Spokesman looked me in the eyes. "Agent, infiltrate the place, find out its purpose, and if possible, steal their secret.”

----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- -----​

“Boss!” The catgirls greeted her.

Touko nodded at her subordinates. Hyo, Jaga and Chita. The whole team was here. “I believe that everyone knows why we are here, right?”

​

“Yes,” Hyo replied. “I have told everyone about my last meeting with the contact.”

The contact, Cecilia, had told Hyo a lot of important information. First, she had planted the tracking device in the Spokesman’s vehicle. Second, the Lady-killer had left the rebel camp to carry out his new mission. Cecilia was not privy to the content of that mission, but she believed that he wouldn’t return for a while. Third, the Spokesman had also left the camp and returned to his secret residence.

“I have followed the tracking device, and I have found his hideout,” Hyo said. “That is an old mansion deep in the forest. There are no rebels around the house. It appears that the man and his assistant are the only ones living there. I didn’t attempt to get near the house though, as I don’t want to risk exposing myself.”

“It's a good decision. Our hard work will be all for naught if the man is alerted and flee.” Touko said. “Now that we have known the location of the enemy leader, we will go for him. In full force.”

“So all three of us will go?” Hyo asked. “In that case, boss, if it's possible, please give Jaga the command. I think that … I am not worthy.”

“What are you talking about?” Jaga broke in.

"I told you, didn't I? You should have been the leader instead of me." Hyo replied. "And you agreed to take the command."

"That was a special situation," Jaga protested. "I never agree to become the new squad leader."

Touko looked at the three girls. Each of them had a different role in her team. Hyo was a standard soldier without any significant strength or weakness. Jaga was intelligent and perceptive, but she lacked assertiveness, which made her unfit to be the squad leader, especially when Tora was still around. Chita was the youngest member of the group. She was not as good at fighting as the others, but she was excellent at communication, so Touko used her to relay messages between her and the forward team.

“Okay, that is enough!” Touko demanded. After the catgirls stopped their argument, she continued. "There is no need to argue about that, because this time, I will take the command directly.”

“You mean ... you will go with us?” Hyo was shocked.

“Yes,” Touko nodded, and immediately received the storm of protest from everyone present. But she shut them down. She was the boss, so her decision was final.

‘Is that wise?’ Touko heard Shishi’s voice in her head.

Touko answered the question with a question of her own, ‘If I tell you to leave me behind and go with them, will you comply?’

‘Of course not. My order is to protect you. Everything else doesn’t matter.’

‘Then I have no choice.’ Touko replied. ‘This is a very important operation, and I need a heavy hitter. Since I have lost Tora, so your participation is an utmost necessity.’

'For that reason, you put yourself in danger?'

"We all have to take the risk in order to get what we want, don't we?" Touko smiled.

 

[ZakoLover]

OK, because people may get confused about the plot line on Touko's side so I will summarize the characters belonging to the Empire that have appeared so far:


Zhou Min: (first appearance: 3-1)
She is the Viceroy who rules the Island in the name of the Empress.
A vain woman. Despite being middle aged, she does her best to make her look like a young girl.
Touko thinks that she is cowardice and incompetent.
However, she may have some dark secrets that other people don't know about.


Kaga Youko: (first appearance: 3-1)
Colonel Kaga is the commanding officer of the Regiment garrisoning the Capital City of the Island.
Zhou Min has also delegated all military responsibilities to her, making her the de facto commander-in-chief of all Imperial forces in the Island.
From Touko's perspective, she is a haughty arrogant woman. She is also a racist and not very bright.


Tachibana Ringo: (first appearance: 3-4)
Ringo is the Major of the 721st Battalion which is basically in the front line against the rebels.
Touko's old friend. She is helping Touko with her mission.


Miyata Eri: (first appearance: 5-2)
She is a member of the Secret Eyes, one of Touko's colleague.
She has recently been promoted to the Mistress of the Secret Eyes, without realizing that the post is not as glorious as what she think it is.
Touko thinks that Eri is not very smart, but otherwise not a bad girl.


Countess Kusakabe: (first appearance: 5-2)
The richest woman in the Empire. She is the head of Hammerhead Corporation, top arms contractor of the Empire.
Touko encountered her in the underground area beneath the Imperial Palace and wondered what she was doing there.


Baroness Ashina: (first appearance: 5-5)
The nineteen-year-old head of the Ashina, which is the Kusakabe's close ally.
She is the head of Hammerhead Corporation's branch in the Island, currently working with Zhou Min in a secret project.


Receptionists: (first appearance: 3-1 & 5-5)
They are the receptionists working in Zhou Min's office.
Touko noticed something strange about them.


Hyo, Jaga & Chita:
Touko's catgirls. Duh!


Rika:
It's Rika. Do I need to explain more?


Maki & Hikari:
Maki is a sergeant who led the scout party sent by Kaga to the rebels' controlled territory. A whole squad was wiped out. Only Maki survived.
Hikari was Rika's "friend". They have been separated since their encounter with the Agent.
Should I let them appear again? Since they are zakos, re-appearing in my story tends to have a not so good effect on their health though

 

[gamefanatic]

Should I let them appear again? Since they are zakos, re-appearing in my story tends to have a not so good effect on their health though

I recall the idea of capturing an Operator and forcing them to work with the resistance. Can't one of them (preferably Rika) slowly be coerced to join the resistance or something. Also after Cecelia's experience, maybe mercy is more of an option for any survivors after a mission?

 

[Bad7]

I miss when this story contained scenes of intense ryona and not just plot.