The rhythmic thudding of heavy footsteps grew louder outside the locked server room. Renjiro signaled Aiko to take cover behind one of the server racks as he positioned himself near the door. His gun was raised, his finger resting lightly on the trigger.
"Yukari, how much time do you need?" Renjiro asked, his voice steady despite the tension.
"I'm in the system, but it's encrypted with layers upon layers of Kaede's coding," Yukari replied, her fingers flying across the keyboard. "She's made this as difficult as possible. Give me five minutes."
"Five minutes we don't have," Renjiro muttered under his breath.
The door burst open, and three armored guards stormed in, their movements precise and coordinated. Each carried an automatic rifle and wore helmets that obscured their faces.
"Engaging hostiles," one of them barked in a monotone voice, likely enhanced by an AI interface.
Renjiro fired first, his shots precise and deliberate. The bullets glanced off the guards' armor, but the force slowed their advance. Aiko peered out from her hiding spot, her pulse racing.
"Aiko, stay down!" Renjiro ordered as he dodged a volley of gunfire.
Hana's voice crackled through their comms. "We're on our way up, but the lockdown is slowing us down. Hold tight!"
Aiko's hands trembled as she clutched her stun gun. She wanted to help but felt overwhelmed by the chaos unfolding in front of her. She noticed one of the guards flanking Renjiro's position, aiming for his blind spot.
Without thinking, Aiko sprang into action. She darted from her hiding spot and fired her stun gun. The guard convulsed and fell to the ground, his weapon clattering away.
Renjiro turned, his eyes narrowing. "I told you to stay down!"
"I couldn't let him take you out!" Aiko retorted, her voice shaking but determined.
Before Renjiro could reply, another guard lunged at them. Aiko barely managed to dodge as Renjiro engaged in hand-to-hand combat, his movements swift and calculated.
Meanwhile, Yukari's voice cut through the commotion. "I've decrypted one layer! Three more to go!"
The remaining guard turned his attention to Yukari, raising his rifle. Renjiro noticed just in time and tackled the guard to the ground, disarming him with a brutal twist of his wrist.
The tension in the room was palpable as Renjiro and Aiko worked together to subdue the last of the guards. Aiko, despite her fear, managed to knock one unconscious with a well-placed strike using a metal pipe she found on the floor.
Renjiro helped her to her feet, his gaze softening for a moment. "You're brave, but you're going to get yourself killed if you're not careful."
"I'm not just going to sit back while you fight," Aiko said firmly.
The moment was cut short by Yukari's triumphant shout. "I'm in! Downloading the data now!"
The hum of the server intensified as files began transferring to Yukari's device. But before they could celebrate, the room's alarm system blared again.
Kaede's voice filled the room, cold and mocking. "Did you really think I wouldn't have contingencies? The data may be in your hands, but you'll never leave this building alive."
The floor beneath them began to vibrate as hidden panels slid open, revealing a new wave of automated drones. These were smaller but faster, their glowing red eyes locking onto the team.
Renjiro's jaw tightened. "Yukari, grab the data and move. We're not dying here today."
Aiko felt a surge of determination as she gripped her weapon. Whatever came next, she was ready to face it head-on.