Chapter 1028: Daiki’s Daughter - Ichika
Chapter 1028: Daiki’s Daughter - Ichika
I didn’t waste another second. My fingers moved with precision as I pulled out my phone, my thumb pressing against the screen to activate SERA. The interface lit up instantly, a sleek, futuristic display responding to my mental commands before I even finished forming the words.
"SERA," I said, my voice low and commanding, "take full control of the situation." The AI’s response was immediate, her digital voice smooth and efficient in my earpiece.
"Affirmative, Jack. Initiating financial and digital countermeasures."
I didn’t stop there. "Inject the necessary funds into Suzuki Enterprise’s accounts. Stabilize their assets, erase any trace of financial instability."
My fingers flew across the screen, pulling up Daiki’s digital footprint. A cold smirk tugged at my lips. "And while you’re at it—drain every last credit from Daiki’s accounts. Leave him with nothing. Make him a beggar."
SERA’s response was instantaneous. "Funds transferred. Daiki’s accounts zeroed. Proceeding with digital asset seizure."
Then I bought Artificial humans from the SUDIX Store, making them all Japanese, and they all appeared in system storage.
I exhaled sharply, the weight of the situation pressing down on me, but the satisfaction of turning the tables was undeniable. The game had changed. Now, I held all the cards.
Tomiko’s eyes were wide, her gaze flicking between my phone and my face, confusion and awe warring in her expression. "Jack... what is that?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper as she watched the holographic interface flicker with data streams.
I didn’t look up, my focus still locked on the task at hand. "This," I said, tilting the phone slightly so she could see the glowing interface, "is SERA. The Artificial Intelligence I developed." My voice carried a note of pride, but also a warning. "She can handle anything—finances, security, digital warfare. She’s the ultimate weapon in this game."
Tomiko’s breath hitched as she stared at the screen, her mind clearly racing to process what she was seeing.
I reached into my pocket, my fingers brushing against the sleek surface of the smartwatch I kept in my system storage. With a thought, I took it in my palm, the device humming to life as I handed it to her.
"Here," I said, closing her fingers around the watch. "Now you have it too."
Tomiko’s eyes dropped to the device now strapped to her wrist, her fingers trembling slightly as the watch’s interface lit up, syncing instantly with SERA’s mainframe. The holographic display projected a stream of data, responding to her presence as if it had always been hers.
Hina gasped, her hand flying to her mouth as she leaned in to get a better look. "Oh my God," she breathed, her voice filled with disbelief. "This isn’t just advanced AI... It’s next-level. It’s like something out of a sci-fi movie!" Her eyes darted between Tomiko’s watch and my phone, her expression a mix of awe and excitement.
I allowed myself a small, satisfied smile, but my mind was already racing ahead, calculating every possible move and countermove. "Daiki played his hand," I said, my voice cold and razor-sharp, "Now it’s my turn."
The screen of my phone flickered, SERA’s voice calm and precise in my ear. "All preparations complete, Master. Awaiting your next command."
I clenched my fist, my resolve hardening like steel. Daiki thought he could outmaneuver me? Thought he could threaten Tomiko, Hina, and everything I’d built? He had no idea what was coming for him. He’d crossed a line, and now he would learn the cost of underestimating me.
"Let’s end this," I muttered, my voice a low, dangerous growl.
A thought struck me—if I was going to break him, I needed to understand what would hurt him most. "SERA," I commanded, "show me Daiki’s family situation."
The screen shifted instantly, displaying a dossier. SERA’s voice was clinical, detached. "Daiki’s wife died five years ago. He has two children: a son, Ryoto, aged 20, and a daughter, Ichika, aged 32. Ichika is married with a child of her own."
I absorbed the information, my mind already weaving a plan. If Daiki wanted to play dirty, I’d show him what real ruthlessness looked like.
Tomiko’s hand suddenly grasped mine, her grip tight, her voice trembling. "Jack... what are you going to do?" Her eyes searched mine, a mix of fear and pleading in her gaze.
I looked down at her, my expression unyielding. "I’m going to give Daiki a taste of his own medicine."
Tomiko’s breath hitched, and Hina stepped closer, her face pale. "Jack, you can’t—" she started, but I cut her off with a sharp glance.
"He came after you," I said, my voice low and deadly calm. "He tried to destroy your family, your reputation, your life." I turned my gaze back to the screen, the faces of Daiki’s family staring back at me. "Now, he’ll know what it feels like to lose everything."
Tomiko’s fingers tightened around mine, her voice barely a whisper, trembling with desperation. "But his children... they’re innocent, Jack. You can’t drag them into this." Her eyes locked onto mine, pleading, her grip almost painful as if she were trying to anchor me to my humanity.
I didn’t answer immediately. The weight of her words pressed down on me, a heavy, suffocating blanket of doubt.
But then, like a storm surge, the memories of Daiki’s cruelty crashed over me—the way he had targeted Tomiko, the way he had tried to crush her spirit, her family, her life—without a second thought.
"Innocent?" I finally said, my voice icy, my jaw clenched. "Daiki didn’t care about innocence when he came for you."
Hina’s eyes widened, her voice shaking with fear and urgency. "Jack, please..." She stepped closer, her hands wringing together. "Don’t become like him. Don’t let him turn you into the very monster you hate." Her words hung in the air, sharp and cutting, forcing me to confront the darkness I was teetering on the edge of.
Tomiko’s breath hitched, and before I could react, she grabbed my arms, her fingers digging in as tears welled up in her eyes. "Yes, Jack..." Her voice broke, her tears spilling over, rolling down her cheeks. "Don’t become like him. Don’t lose yourself. Please."
Something inside me fractured. The cold, ruthless resolve that had been driving me moments ago wavered as I looked into her eyes—eyes filled with fear, not for herself, but for me. For the man she believed I was. For the man she needed me to be.
I exhaled sharply, the fight draining out of me as I reached up to gently wipe away her tears with my thumb. "Ok..." My voice was rough, raw. "Ok. I’ll listen to you."
Tomiko let out a shaky breath, her body sagging slightly in relief. She nodded, her grip on my arms loosening, though she didn’t let go entirely. "Thank you," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.
I pulled her closer, my hand cupping the back of her head as I pressed my forehead to hers. The anger was still there, simmering beneath the surface, but it was tempered now—by her, by the reminder of who I was fighting for. "I won’t become like him," I murmured, as much to myself as to her. "But Daiki will pay for what he’s done. And I’ll make sure he regrets ever crossing us."
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