Léon: The Cat Killer

With a clattering sound as she stepped on the broken bricks, Nana led the two children away from the military's blockade while simultaneously taking out her terminal and pretending to discuss something with her manager:

"...The organization's employees ran off with our belongings..."

[It's not from the organization, it's from the ICA... I've already asked, please wait...]

Before Nana could reflect on her mistake of focusing all her attention on Mrs. Jackson and the neighbors, the assassin had to admit that the ICA employee betraying his employer was something that was completely unacceptable and would never have been considered.

However, Nana might be able to guess why this situation occurred...

[Number 77, I have some very bad news...]

“I can probably guess what compelled employees of a reputable organization to do something so damaging to their reputation… And what did Williams do, right?”

【……Yes……】

After a brief silence, the manager's tone was even more serious than Nana had imagined:

[The funds for Loken Water Tank were somehow channeled into the ICA. A contract that would never have been approved in the past but is now listed on the black market... has been accepted... which means...]

Holding the hand of her bewildered child, Nana looked at the clear sky, her heart filled with a chill:

"Now even the assassin organization is my enemy."

PS: Below is a usable disguise for Nana.

1st Rosemary Embrace: 013 Freedom Every Day~

DL-13 Platform – City of 'Leytonson'.

Columbia time, 7:00 AM.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, Nana left her suitcase, which was no longer convenient to carry, in the safe house on the fourth floor of the apartment.

Carrying a shoulder bag and medical equipment, Number Seventy-Seven led the two children towards the nearest parking lot she could remember. Nana was about to randomly pick an unlucky person, hoping they had adequate car insurance.

"Sister Nana... over there with Brother Colt..."

"...My special equipment is in the suitcase. As long as those 'cleaners' don't change vehicles, I won't lose their positions..."

Even so, Nana was a little worried that the 'cleaner' had recognized the hostage safe specifically used for transferring VIPs... no, it was probably because they recognized that thing that the group acted so decisively.

"Don't worry, besides your brother, special equipment is something I can't give up either... They chose the wrong target, we'll catch up immediately."

Walking calmly into the parking lot, seeing mostly inexpensive electric vehicles in her inventory, Nana looked around and finally chose an SUV-style wilderness adventurer that seemed a bit too large for the city...

This must be a messenger's vehicle. Although it is a small model compared to a real long-distance vehicle, its cargo space is sufficient for short-distance wilderness maneuvers.

Nana chose this car primarily because it differed from those that used batteries. It was equipped with an Originium engine and a more robust impact protection bar than city cars, making it powerful and easy to use for both chasing and crashing.

"This is it. Get in the car, you guys go to the back seat."

There was no time to use a master key to fit the car door; this kind of outdoor car lock was practically a safe... After confirming that no one was around, Nana pulled out her pistol. Black light condensed, and with a whoosh, the entire driver's side door glass was silently covered with fine cracks.

With a casual gesture, Nana ripped off the 30-centimeter-thick but deformed piece of glass, then tucked the little ones into the safer back seat before starting the vehicle... Of course, Nana didn't forget to adjust the distance between the seats and the pedals.

As the car drove into the street, feeling the morning breeze of the city, the long-silent voice reappeared in Nana's headphones.

[On the 77th, the ICA administrator responded... They don't seem to realize the seriousness of the problem. Deliberately setting up conflicting missions could be attributed to intelligence negligence or an oversight of the automated system, but intentionally leaking employee mission data... I can only say they're blinded by the money from Loken Tank.]

The ICA's operations department has begun investigating the operational misconduct, but this cannot undo the fact that the ICA has lost control of the Leidenson employees... The movers who targeted you illustrate the situation you are in now.

[Next, I will lodge a protest with the ICA platform maintainers on behalf of the 'organization,' and the organization has also begun discussing the problems you are currently encountering... Of course, I imagine our opposition is doing the same.]

Before a conclusion is reached, public authority will likely be constrained by the organization's meetings. And during the discussions, the more pressure you, Number Seventy-Seven, exert, the more our faction can suppress those who side with Loken's tank. After all, the problems caused by the ICA mission's betrayal are not as simple as customer service personnel claiming it's 'erroneously marking employee property as loot'...

['Interests,' 'good and evil,' 'technology,' 'human relations'... This contract concerns far more than just the survival of the Bruce family; it's a war between two ideologies.]

Given the current untrustworthiness of the ICA, the support I can provide you is very limited. Furthermore, to avoid suspicion, I will disable the combat recorder… You understand the implications of this action.

【Well then, Number Seventy-Seven, I won't disturb you any longer... Happy hunting.】

As the magic indicator light on the girl's cat-ear headphones dimmed, Nana floored the accelerator and, amidst the gasps and curses of several people, sped into the main lane, stopping right by the yellow light.

The friction from the medical gloves gripping the steering wheel was immense, and the sound of the synthetic rubber rubbing against the interior was equally powerful. Nana's driving skills were still developing; she had to search for the unfamiliar gearshift lever every time she shifted gears, but no matter what car she was driving, she always floored the pedals.

Following the Originium spell positioning of the special equipment, the six-ton ​​wilderness pioneer vehicle sped along the morning rush hour road, its aura, like a shadow or smoke, quietly 'burning' on its tires.

Thanks to this force, just when the onlookers were screaming and thinking the car was about to lose speed and crash into something due to drifting, it always smoothly cut into the corner as if it had its own life.

"What's going on with these two cars?!"

"I don't know... what happened to that moving company?"

"I don't know what happened, but didn't you think that SUV, the Blazer, was very stable? Okay, let's get that brand for the next car..."

While enduring the screams of the child in the back seat, Nana had no idea that she had inadvertently given the car manufacturer free advertising. And looking at the crowd around her keeping their distance from the road, Nana vaguely felt that her colleagues might not be as skilled as she was at driving.

The bloody tire tracks on the road ahead were clearly left by those incompetent but get-rich-quick guys, which explained why sirens could be faintly heard behind them.

Colombia doesn't have the same dangerous driving laws as the Great Yan Shang Shu. Colombia's terrain, both in terms of land and cities, is extremely flat, and street racing is commonplace.

Although Nana was speeding a bit, it wasn't enough to warrant calling the police. These traffic police were obviously chasing after the group ahead... but Nana knew they wouldn't mind catching her speeding to boost their monthly KPIs.

"……trouble."

As they spoke, the flashing lights on the rearview mirror became clearer, and the speeding light truck outside the front window became visible to the naked eye... Under the dual pressure of the police and the legendary killer, the driver of the van clearly became even more agitated.

Nana sensed something was wrong when she saw them speeding towards the city center. Just as the girl was about to overtake and stop them, someone suddenly poked their head out from the passenger seat of the van, holding a crossbow.

The SUV that had been driving steadily ahead suddenly swerved, startling the police officers chasing behind. With a whooshing sound, steel was torn apart, and the lead police car was punctured along with its Originium engine.

A steel crossbow bolt tore through the vehicle and embedded itself in the ground, causing the police car to flip forward and collide with seven or eight other police cars that were closely following behind... Some cars even chose to crash into concrete bollards or iron fences in the middle of the road to avoid injuring civilians, in order to avoid crashing into the storefronts on the side of the road... But in doing so, they inevitably hit their colleagues.

The entire road suddenly transformed into a scene of utter devastation, with the surrounding crowds adding to the atmosphere of utter misery.

Although Nana was also worried about the police officers' condition, if the van's reckless speed was not stopped, not only would she not be able to get her precious special equipment back, but the Colt in the box would probably also die in the accident.

The box may be bulletproof, but it's not safe for children from being jostled around.

Thinking about it this way, few of my equipment and expensive medical supplies could withstand a collision at three-digit speeds. At the current speed, even a simple lateral stop after a rear-wheel impact wouldn't work.

There was no other way... Nana could only drive the car level with the door, and as she freed her left hand to draw her silver gun and point it at the other side, through the wind-blown car window, Nana could clearly see the porters who were pointing their crossbows at her... and the madness in their eyes.

It was clear that dialogue was impossible; both sides opened fire almost simultaneously.

In terms of trigger sensitivity, Nana's silver pistol was clearly the winner... The black bullet struck the man in the gray work clothes squarely on the forehead.

The girl's body jerked backward, causing the giant crossbow to rise. She expressionlessly watched as the siege steel arrow pierced her ear, smashed through the ceiling, and disappeared... Amid the children's screams, Nana accurately shot and killed the second driver, who was neither laughing nor crying.

The question is: how do you stop a van carrying fragile items on a four-lane highway that is speeding closer to the city center?

Nana answered with a nimble drift and a collision. Easy.

The black SUV's Originium engine roared, delivering surging power. Then, turning the steering wheel, it made a gentle impact, immediately drifting sideways to catch the out-of-control vehicle. (Mio)

It's like a rugby player intercepting the ball sideways; instead of charging at an opposing player, they pull them into their arms and drag them to the ground… In rugby terms, such a move is too gentle, but from the perspective of two steel behemoths, the force is just right.

Although the national highways of Colombia don't have the gentle grass of a steel basketball court, Nana still managed to bring the speeding van to a stop thanks to the sturdy nature of her SUV, even after all eight of its tires were burned out by Originium Arts.

Because the police cars that had been chasing them were caught off guard by the sanitation workers' heavy weapons, the man-made chain-reaction car accident, though an unforeseen disaster, did provide Nana with ample cover.

After retrieving her valuable equipment and the VIP safe containing Colt from a pile of boxes… Nana thought for a moment, then took out a marker and wrote the message 'Please do not waste medical supplies' on the scratched van door before quickly leaving with the children.

Whether these items were taken by onlookers or used by kind-hearted people on the police is up to her; Nana has other things to do.

For example, find another unlucky person... hopefully the second person will also have adequate insurance for their car.

... (

…………Nine

As a case file appeared on the conference table, the smoke-filled room fell silent.

About two hours ago, a serious multi-vehicle collision occurred on the city's highway... and through the local intelligence center, it was confirmed that it was an ICA employee who had a conflicting mission, and the two sides chased and fought in the city center.

More than 15 traffic police officers were injured in the chase, and an innocent person was hit by a van that ran a red light while crossing the road... This poor man was dragged along for nearly 10 kilometers after getting caught on a crash barrier.

The police did not know whether he was dead or alive when he was hooked. If he was, then the ten kilometers of bloodstains along the way and the corpse with its lower body worn smooth were nothing short of torture.

In comparison, the two porters in the van cabs died instantly from a single bullet to the forehead, a painless release indeed...

"So, can anyone tell me what happened? Why are employees of our own subordinate units acting hostilely against each other within our jurisdiction? Their chases and fights have even involved public authorities... What are the brokers doing? And has the ICA provided an explanation?"

As the man seated at the head of the table asked a serious question, the assistant standing beside him immediately handed over a prepared explanatory document:

"Regarding the errors and omissions in the ICA system, the head of the ICA is undoubtedly to blame. The special task force has taken control of the city's 'high platform,' and according to the person in charge of the 'high platform,' this was an operation carried out on the whim of a mid-level system operator, and all system records that can serve as evidence are on file."

The man, who appeared to be the leader, frowned as he looked at the documents his assistant had given him.

"He sent his subordinates' hotel employees...and the person committed suicide?"

"Yes... Our agents also conducted a follow-up investigation, and the system maintainer did indeed commit suicide by overdose shortly after completing his intervention in the ICA system."

"..."

The entire meeting fell silent. Then, the man, who was covering his face and seemingly lost in thought, painfully waved his other hand, his fingers trembling as if pointing at something unintelligible.

"Suicide...leaving behind a sense of guilt...what about the ICA's system?"

"The two opposing tasks still exist."

"Why not change it?!"

"...For ICA employees, those two tasks are not easy to participate in...and the operating systems are archived, so the current situation is that no one dares to touch those two tasks."

"Because touching it will lead to suicide, right..."

The man sighed heavily:

"Forget it, orders like 'ensuring the success of the Loken tank experiment' might indeed be threatened by interference from the private armies of those tech companies... But what about the other one? 'Ensuring the safety of the Bruce family'? Can't this order be canceled?"

"...Because of the ICA's double confidentiality agreement, you may not be aware of...things regarding this employee..."

"Now I should know. Let me see who He is... the assassin... Number Seventy-Seven?"

Looking at the contents of the document, the leader, who usually deals with administrative issues, was initially full of suspicion. Then, he frowned and looked at the document closely for a long time. During this time, everyone else at the conference table remained silent.

Like their superiors, they only learned today that what they thought was just an urban legend in their jurisdiction... was actually true.

After a seemingly calm and collected moment of reflection that was actually a questioning of life itself, the man looked back at the others on either side of the conference table:

"...Ha...an urban legend has landed on the local economic pillar, right? Oh...this killer isn't just a legend, and this company isn't just a company either..."

"Is the current situation that a fictitious individual, merely nominally registered here but seemingly someone anyone can kill, is going to wage war against a group that controls the entire economic and political lifeline of Lexington in our jurisdiction city?"

"Has Agent Number 77 arrived yet? Go contact that employee and tell him to stop..."

This remark seemed to have touched a nerve with everyone present. From the two groups facing each other across the conference table, the dark-haired woman at the very back, displaying no racial characteristics, stood up with a gentle smile:

"I'm afraid this plan won't work, Director."

"...You'd better give me a reason..."

"The reason is that Number 77 is the most contract-conscious, and most righteous and compassionate killer I have ever met. From the five years since I chose him as my direct employee and sent him to the ICA training institution, he has never given up any contract."

“But if this continues, he will become the biggest terrorist in our jurisdiction…”

"Does Loken Water Tank's tax payment make it just? Do I need to provide you with a list of taxes paid by Number 77 to date? Your Excellency, I think you should look at what Loken Water Tank has done before you try to quell this... and what drives Number 77, as an individual, to go against an entire corporation... and even an entire city."

"Yes, the Loken tank is the backbone of Lexington, and their experiments were even noticed by the DOD (Department of Defense of Colombia) and rated as the most world-changing project... But are their actions justifiable?"

"I think the fact that they drove an ICA employee to suicide is a minor issue... Before that, they were already acting like they weren't human! Whether it's simply using humans as raw materials, disregarding the principle of voluntariness, betraying a father's last wishes, or kidnapping the mother and eldest daughter of the family... it's one thing to leave no adult in this family, but now, seeing them break ICA rules to get those children, it seems like throwing an already broken family into the abyss is completely insignificant... Is this the kind of unscrupulous company we're protecting and supporting?"

"Chief... please take a good look at the intelligence submitted by our employees... can't you hear any of the screams recorded on those videotapes?"

Having posed this question, the agent, who had just thrown a tantrum, now smiled again, as always:

"If you don't care about this, then no matter what I say or what you want me to do, I'm afraid it won't stop the 'war' from coming... Number Seventy-Seven is free, and when one party breaches the contract, it naturally won't abide by those worthless pieces of paper that even the creators themselves wouldn't abide by..."

"Let us enjoy this freedom that belongs only to our neighbors in Colombia."

PS: The disguise number 77 can be released.

Yes, she can do it without cat ears!

1st Rosemary Embrace: 014 Rest and Departure

The VIP bulletproof box uses a carbon fiber bulletproof armor shell, which can defend against ICA Level 7 Originium Arts and most light firearms. It weighs 75 kilograms.

The VIP box, along with enough dry food and water for three children to use for a week under a ration system, weighs approximately fifty kilograms.

Whenever Nana holds the VIP box in her hand, she wonders if it is the weight of life itself.

In contrast, the equipment case on the shoulder strap... the folding radar used for spreading Originium Arts, along with the guns that serve as the transmitter and the neatly stacked etched bullets, weighs less than forty kilograms in total.