Amidst the sun-baked decks of a sleek, jet-black multi-platformed superyacht, the ocean churned violently. The vessel, a marvel of futuristic engineering, sliced through the waves with precision, evading missiles as they exploded dangerously close, leaving scorch marks on the hull, launched by relentless pursuers, four battle-hardened cruisers hot on its trail.

Onboard, security personnel burst into the conference room dodging broken displays swinging from cables sparking away around them. There, at the centre of the chaos, stood a young woman, a striking figure with silky, long black hair cascading down her back that seemed to sway in rhythm with the ocean while her kimono, adorned with cherry blossom tree-inspired patterns that glowed softly, struggled to remained tied as it clung on her against the tumultuous sway of the ship.

The ship’s AI, with a voice that resonated like the whispers of a friend, cut through the turmoil, “My calculations predict no escape; their goal is the total destruction of the Royal Yacht.” A cold sense of dread settled over the room, tightening like a noose.

Amidst the moment, a sudden jolt reverberated through the ship, hurling the woman along with her security personnel across the conference room as the power cut the lights.

The guards, regaining their footing and trained for such moments, swiftly took hold of the woman. Their gloved hands were firm but gentle as they guided her forward. Staggering, her kimono snagging on loose fittings, she murmured a soft, dazed plea for answers.

The ship’s AI hologram flickered as alarms blared. ‘Please escort, the Seconded Princess, to the safe room!’ the AI repeated, its voice strained as its processing power faltered under the weight of a cyberattack. Despite the distortion, its urgency cut through the chaos. The woman’s title carried undeniable weight, and the guards, knowing their duty, guided her swiftly toward safety, their footsteps echoing against the metallic floor.

Curiosity tugged at her, even in the chaos. As they half-carried her toward safety, she managed to ask, her voice strained with concern, “Do you know who’s attacking us?”

The AI responded in a calm, emotionless tone, its holographic projection flickering weakly: “Unknown. Black market AIs with shackles. No identifiable insignia. Parley refused.”

As they made it to the internal safe room of the yacht, water was already sleeping into the vessel. Opening a secret door behind a bookcase revealing an airtight solid vault door.

The ship's AI urgently signalled a distress call and declared, "Distress signal sent." Before the princess could enter the safe room, a missile struck the hull directly. The thunderous impact reverberated through the ship, sending shockwaves of fear through Princess Nobuko. Her heart raced, and she instinctively clutched the nearest guard for support, her eyes wide with terror. The AI's voice rang out, reporting, "Casualties…Static…” a haze of static made the system inaudible “Catastrophic damage…Static…."

The yacht strained to stabilise its connection as the princess turned to her guards, a hint of desperation in her voice, "Bring the others; everyone must get in here!"

The guards were on the verge of leaving when one of them, his face marked with concern, abruptly pushed the princess into the safe room, apologising, "Sorry, your Majesty."

As the vault door sealed shut, the princess turned in shock, her eyes wide with disbelief, to witness it slamming behind her. Outside, a voice bellowed, "For Imperial Tokyo!"

Explosions violently rocked the room, reducing the once-proud superyacht to debris. In the midst of the chaos, the princess, thrown around the room, struck her head. She struggled to keep her eyes open,The ship AI's urgent voice cut through the chaos, "Distress signal auto-repeat set, safe room capsule sinking, stabilisation active, entering power emission mode. Princess Nobuko, please remain conscious until rescue." But eventually, her struggles proved futile, and she succumbed to unconsciousness.

Down in the cold, dark depths of the ocean, a faint light emanated from the ruins of a sunken city, casting an eerie glow. Navigating through the submerged avenues and sunken high rises, a submersible named "Sugar Rush," with its name prominently displayed on the side, gilded gracefully. It was piloted by a young man with slick, strawberry-blonde hair, his gaze fixed on the historical remnants below. Passing a broken sign that read "乌鲁木齐市," he called out, "Hey, Sugar Rush!"

In response to his call, nanobots swiftly assembled next to him, seamlessly creating a hologram of a young woman. Standing at half his height, she wore pink overalls with colour-shifting pigtails. With evident excitement, the holographic figure enthusiastically hugged the young man calling him “Austin”.

"Translate that," Austin groaned, pushing the holographic Sugar Rush away from him. Smugly, with pride, she overlaid the translations from Chinese to English on the display: "乌鲁木齐 - Ürümqi." Leaning in for praise, she awaited acknowledgment.

With an excited grin, Austin patted Sugar Rush's head and asked, "Now, where's the entrance to this secret lab?"

Sugar Rush's holographic form dissipated, leaving behind a swirl of luminescent particles. Her voice resonated through the submersible's speaker, "If the intel we acquired in the port of Chengdu holds up, the covert military facility should be located beneath the central bank."

As Sugar took control, the submersible effortlessly glided through the submerged city. Behind him, Austin detected a peculiar sound and muttered, "Stupid monkey, I’ll get you," the echo resonating within the ductwork.

Curiosity driving him, Austin investigated, only to be startled by a shadow descending from above, a spider monkey swinging from a corroded pipe. Without warning, a boy descended from a concealed ceiling duct, a compact and agile figure with a tomboyish face and dishevelled red hair. Wearing in a sleek green jumpsuit

"Christ, easy, Boyle," Austin said, a tinge of patience in his voice. "Milson is just trying to help."

Milson climbed onto Austin's shoulder, and Boyle stuck out their tongue in a dismissive gesture, saying, “he's just a stowaway, sell him at the next bubble,” mimicking Milson's gesture as they leaned in close.

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"Didn't you smuggle yourself onto my ship too?" Austin asked Boyle, who pouted at the reminder. The weight of frustration coloured Austin's words as he continued, "We're on this mission because of you." There was an unmistakable mix of exasperation and concern in his tone.

Boyle muttered to himself, "On tHiS mIsSiOn bEcAuSe oF yOu," his words carrying a grumbling undertone. Clutching a wrench, he climbed back up into the ducting, his movements reflecting a mix of irritation and determination.

Austin walked towards the cockpit as the imposing structure of the central bank loomed into view.

Sugar seamlessly transformed her appearance into her holographic form, positioning herself beside Austin. "Milson!" she exclaimed with genuine excitement as he darted down Austin's arm, leaping toward her open arms.

However, to her own amusement, Milson effortlessly passed through her holographic form, accompanied by a honeyed giggle from Sugar Rush as he faceplanted onto the floor of the cockpit. A playful 'duh,' echoed through her digital laughter,

"Is that where we need to go?" Austin asked, his tone a blend of curiosity and urgency as he gestured toward the central bank.

"Early 21st-century security," Sugar Rush responded with a mischievous glint in her holographic eyes. "I've hacked it easily. The way is open to us." Her laughter echoed through the cockpit, a mix of triumph and amusement.

Milson, with wounded pride rubbed his face and with a pout, he walked away, his animated limp conveying a touch of theatrics as he climbed into the floor void.

Austin prepared for his mission. "I'm going in," he declared, methodically placing his jacket in the locker and whispering, "I'll be right back." Activating his helmet, nanobot faceplate attached to his face, he securely attached the oxygen tube to his neck piece. "My O2 levels are low," he dutifully reported to Sugar Rush.

Sugar Rush, the concern evident in his voice. In response, her holographic projection overlaid data on Austin's helmet display, revealing several schools of fish. "One school seems to be in distress," she pointed out, emphasising a massive blip nearby.

Determination resonated in Austin's voice as he asserted, "I'll be quick. Let's not alert them."

Amidst the subtle hum of radio static, Austin's communication echoed, "Boyle! Finish up; I want to jet stream out of here once we're done." His movements through the flooded street were graceful, and the only source of illumination in the building emanated from Sugar Rush, casting an ethereal glow in the underwater environment. The sea life, seeking refuge and sustenance, gathered in the old city space, while predatory hunters lurked for a feast.

Concern etched in Sugar Rush's holographic features, she added, "I've also noted a distress signal. I'll attempt to clear it up."

Sugar swiftly guided Austin past the teller counters, effortlessly opening the maglock doors for him. The remnants of the submerged bank echoed with the memories of a bygone era, a haunting backdrop as they ventured into the vault. The atmosphere crackled with tension, and Austin marvelled at the surreal sight of ruined paper money floating around—an underwater graveyard of wealth, a testament to the lost fortunes of a forgotten time.

"Got to be millions left behind," he exclaimed in awe of the submerged fortune.

However, Sugar Rush, with a practical touch, corrected him, "Little over 140 million credits worth."

Austin, grappling with the destruction of wealth, sighed, "What a waste, we could have paid off our debt with that easily," as he briskly cleared debris and coral from the path.

"I'm closing the vault door behind you now. Are you ready Austin, I'll open the facility doors, but it's dry and deep by my scans, it would drain the water inside the vault," Sugar warned, projecting a sense of urgency.

“Explains why there's still power, do it Sugar” He called out. The adrenaline surged as the water began to drain, and Austin fought against the powerful current, determined not to be dragged off his feet into the depths of the submerged base.

Guided by holographic displays, Austin ventured deeper into the submerged research labs. The eerie red emergency lights were his only source of illumination, casting long, unsettling shadows as he discovered a haunting scene with several skeletons , their remains covered in tattered remnants of rags.

"If my scans are right," Sugar Rush's voice crackled through the radio, breaking the silence, "the facility core room is on your left."

Austin cautiously entered the AI core, expecting a standard setup, but to his surprise he encountered a Gamma core. "It's not just an AI core," he muttered in disbelief.

Over the radio, the communication crackled with Boyle's voice, "What! Those slavers put a Gamma core price on my head!" expressed Boyle, their astonishment echoing through the radio.

"Chill! You just busted my eardrums," Austin groaned before adding with a mix of relief and concern, "I'm glad it's offline. The nightmare of dealing with a rogue Gamma is unthinkable"

Austin got to work, skillfully removing the Gamma core from the mainframe. Suddenly, Sugar Rush's voice became frantic over the radio, "Get out, get out now!" she urgently warned. "The schools are heading your way." Sugar swiftly overlaid the data on Austin's display, revealing several swarms with a giant blip rapidly approaching.

"Flood the base! I'll swim out. The core is secure," he decisively instructed. With his command in Sugar Rush's ears, she opened the vault door as the base began to flood. Austin fought against the powerful currents once more to escape the vault, almost overpowering his jets.

As Austin emerged into the submerged lobby, he found himself ensnared by several swirling schools of fish. Desperate, he fought through the aquatic masses, the building violently rocked with a thunderous thud. Suddenly, a colossal creature, a true titan of the deep, collided with the upper floor, generating shockwaves that reverberated through the water.

Suddenly, a whoosh echoed through the water as Boyle fired a grabbing hook in the bank's lobby. Over the radio static, Boyle shouted, "Austin! Grab on!" Reacting quickly, Austin caught the hook and was reeled into the middle of the street.

The colossal serpent, its red and green scales gleaming in the deep blue, glided gracefully through the ocean depths. "Reel me in!" Austin urgently yelled over the crackling radio static as the dragon, drawn by his presence, swiftly turned to give chase. The Sugar Rush maneuverer, desperate to escape the pursuing beast, with Austin hanging on for dear life as the massive creature snapped at him.

Boyle, responding to the escalating situation, rushed to the cockpit and shouted, "Keep your head down!" The pulse turret activated with a low hum. In a frantic exchange, Austin voiced his concern, "Oh shit, if that hits anywhere near me, I'm dead!" Ignoring the risk, Boyle fired the pulse, and it jetted out of the turret with a distinct whirrrrrrrr.

The dragon, sensing the imminent danger, swerved to avoid the pulse, narrowly evading the powerful blast. The pulse tore through dozens of the dragon's iron-ridged scales, inflicting injuries and causing the creature to abandon its pursuit, turning back towards the underwater city.

As Austin was reeled back into the airlock, Sugar's voice crackled over the radio static, filled with concern. "Austin, you're going to want to see this." The airlock efficiently dried him off, and Austin, now in his jacket, made his way to the cockpit. "What is it? The distress call?" he inquired, anticipation evident in his voice.

The room was filled with shock as the overlay of the Royal Imperial Tokyo insignia appeared on the display. Sugar explained, "It's a distress signal. The royal yacht has sunk, and it's in Rogue territory, too far from Tokyo to receive help."

The weight of the situation settled in as Austin realised, "We are the only ones that can help."

Sugar then asked, "Should we head to the Alatau mountain range?"

Austin, his expression reflecting a mix of concern and determination, replied, "Do it. We will deliver the core after."