Cyberpunk: Nirvana of Shoko Toyokawa

Snapped.

Snap, snap.

Gun smoke.

Three bullets hit the head accurately, and the prosthetic external parts on the head of the kidney-cutting member exploded with sparks.

He fell backwards.

Xiangzi raised his eyes again.

She saw Crychic's lead singer, Gao Songdeng, holding an M-10AF Lexington pistol. He was standing at the entrance of the alley, holding the pistol that was emitting smoke, panting.

The rain beat on her shoulders and her gray hair.

"—"

Deng blinked and ran towards Xiangzi.

"Ah, it's very dangerous. Let me give you a guarantee treatment..."

The light was approaching Xiangzi.

Xiangzi's heart began to beat violently.

It's fine.

Xiangzi said to himself.

Li Xi didn't recognize himself.

The head is well blocked.

The face too.

Only one eye left.

Covered in blood.

It's completely different from before.

No identity.

He no longer had any of the prosthetics or belongings he had carried before.

No matter what kind of scan, you can't scan your name.

——But sometimes.

Perhaps, we don’t need to use high-tech indicators to identify those who truly care.

Xiangzi and Deng made eye contact.

"...Xiao Xiang?"

Xiangzi felt that the blood in his body suddenly stopped flowing.

Chapter 19: Spring Shadow

Spring with flying petals.

The withered flower is so beautiful that one can't help but want to hold it in one's hands.

"Can't!"

The lamp, which was standing alone on the overpass, was knocked down by Xiangzi.

"I'm sorry for knocking you down so suddenly, but you can't die!"

"You just wanted to commit suicide!"

Eh? But I just want to catch that flower...

"flower?"

Xiangzi looked up into the sky.

Flower petals fluttering.

"Ah...it seems I misunderstood."

Xiangzi stood up and bowed slightly.

"take care."

"what."

The light revealed the wound on her knee that had just been caused by a knock.

……

"You are really skilled in treatment. You even carry emergency patches with you. Do you want to join the trauma emergency team?"

"No, it's just that the pattern on the emergency patch is very beautiful..."

"Looks good? Haha, Deng, you are really interesting. Oh, is this your notebook? It has fallen out..."

"what……"

"Huh? Is this... a lyric?"

"Ah, um..."

"…It's really well written! Hey, I suddenly got an inspiration! Come with me!"

"Eh?"

……

"How about it?"

"Amazing... Xiaoxiang, you composed a song right away..."

"It's Deng's lyrics that inspire me! Deng, do you want to form a band with me?"

"what?"

"I've wanted to form a band for a long time! Do you know Morfonica? They studied in the Moon Forest and left many songs! I listened to them... and the strength hidden in the elegance... I was deeply moved!"

"It's just that I never had the chance... Today when I saw the lyrics of the song "Light", I suddenly thought, 'This is it!'"

“I think this must be fate!”

“What I wrote is not that…”

“It’s just so special!”

"Ah, oh..."

"Those were not written using lyrics generating software or integrated auxiliary tools, but written by you yourself. After reading the lyrics you wrote, I understand."

"Deng, you have a talent for writing lyrics. Just reading your lyrics makes people think a lot and their hearts vibrate. This is something that no generated software can do."

"Nowadays, everyone relies too much on software. I don't like that. Including the lyrics, the music, and what I want to express in the song..."

"I've been looking for a true music partner, Deng. I'm really glad to have met you."

"Because your lyrics are the cry from your heart."

……

"Xiao Xiang?"

In the dark rainy night, the lamp reaches out forward.

Although it was just a quick glance, and although it was completely different from before, the light had a strong feeling.

She is Toyokawa Shoko.

There is no basis for this, just a feeling.

Strong feeling.

Words come out of your mouth before you think about them.

however……

“——Ah, Aah——!”

The girl, who had covered most of her face with a mask, showed a horrified expression. She trembled and shrank deeper.

"Who are you? Don't come near me..."

Hoarse voice, trembling eyes.

"Ah, sorry."

Did he scare her? Deng quickly apologized and put away the gun.

Isn’t it... Xiangzi?

"(Did you admit your mistake?)"

They really look alike. However, the other person doesn't seem to recognize me.

Maybe I made a mistake. People around me often said that I had a "special sensibility" and a "strange perspective on the world".

This time, I mistook this girl for Xiangzi...

Thinking of this name, a moment of sadness appeared on Deng's face.

But soon, she worked to overcome it.

"It's okay. Let me bandage you."

Deng took out an emergency patch from her bag. Careful to stay within the man's range, she applied it to his bruised shins and flanks.

Pain-relieving, anti-inflammatory and wound-healing molecules are slowly injected into the skin through the microinjection needle. The bruises and swelling caused by the beating begin to slowly disappear.

"Fortunately, the bones are not broken. It may be a little painful... Sorry, bear with it for a while..."

Deng lowered his head, took the girl's hand, and gently and carefully applied the new patch on her forearm where the soft tissue was severely bruised.

In the cold rainy night, the girl's hands were so cold, so she held the lamp a little tighter, hoping to pass on some of her body temperature.

……

"Hey, hey, I dealt with that fish that slipped through the net just now very well, didn't I? I used the pneumatic paralysis agent on the neck, puff---!"

"...It's so noisy."

"If it wasn't for me, Li Xi would have missed him! It was me who realized he was pretending to be dizzy!"

"I just haven't checked there yet!"

"But he might escape before you can detect him. What do you think? It's better to have one more person, right? Hey, hey!"

"Don't keep saying—"

“…Shasha…Riki, Aine, the results of the infrared scan are out. There are no remaining enemies…BCPD declares the situation over…”

"Great! Ah~ The rain is too heavy, let's go back quickly! I'm soaked all over!"

“Matcha parfait.”

"Where's the light?"

"……I'm here."

"Wow!... I was so scared, Xiao Deng, how did you get here from such a dark place?"

"I was just treating the wounded."

The light turned back.

"That's the girl who was attacked..."

She looked into the darkness.

however.

"Huh? No one here?"

The rescued girl had left at some point.