The laboratory was silent.
Only the sound of machinery echoed through the dark room.
BEEP...
BEEP...
BEEP...
Shion Kisaragi sat restrained in a heavy metal chair.
Her mechanical arms and legs had already been removed.
Bandages covered the places where the cybernetic parts had once been attached.
Her mechanical mask still covered the lower half of her face.
Unlike a normal mask, it was permanently connected to her body.
She couldn't remove it.
Her hair was heavily tilted toward the left side.
The right side had been cut short, while the left side remained long.
Her breathing was weak.
She was exhausted.
But her eyes were still full of anger.
A man wearing a white laboratory coat slowly approached her.
His footsteps echoed across the laboratory.
Scientist:
"Well, well..."
He stopped directly in front of her.
Scientist:
"Have you forgotten me already?"
Shion slowly raised her eyes.
The moment she saw his face...
Her expression changed.
Shion:
"...You."
The scientist smiled.
Shion:
"I thought I killed you."
The scientist laughed.
Scientist:
"Me?"
He spread his arms.
Scientist:
"How could I die before repairing my greatest creation?"
Shion's eyes became colder.
Scientist:
"You were my most successful experiment, Shion."
He slowly walked around her.
Scientist:
"Your body survived modifications that should have killed an ordinary human."
He stopped behind her.
Scientist:
"And yet..."
He leaned closer.
Scientist:
"You still have one weakness."
Shion remained silent.
Scientist:
"Your humanity."
---
Years Ago...
Rain fell heavily over a small town.
A little girl sat beneath a damaged shelter.
She was alone.
She had been born with severe physical disabilities and had spent most of her childhood unable to move around normally.
She survived by begging.
Every day...
People walked past her.
Some ignored her.
Some stared.
Some laughed.
And some simply continued walking with their families.
Shion watched them.
A father holding his daughter's hand.
A mother carrying her child.
Brothers and sisters laughing together.
She didn't know what it felt like to have a family.
But she wanted to know.
More than anything.
Sometimes an old man would find her and help carry her somewhere safe.
He was one of the few people who showed her kindness.
Old Man:
"Come on, little one."
He carefully carried her.
Old Man:
"Let's get you somewhere safe."
Shion quietly looked toward another family.
Her eyes followed them.
She didn't say anything.
But inside her heart...
She had a dream.
A small home.
Someone waiting for her.
Children laughing.
A family that wouldn't abandon her.
She didn't want power.
She didn't want revenge.
She simply wanted to belong somewhere.
---
Then came the rainy day.
The day everything changed.
A strange scientist found her.
He looked at her condition.
His eyes lit up with curiosity.
Scientist:
"Interesting..."
He offered her food.
Shelter.
A place to stay.
For the first time...
Someone seemed willing to take care of her.
So she followed him.
She didn't know what awaited her.
---
The laboratory was enormous.
Machines surrounded the room.
And there were other children.
Children who had been experimented on.
Children who were treated like test subjects rather than human beings.
Shion slowly understood.
She hadn't been rescued.
She had been taken.
Days became weeks.
Weeks became months.
The scientist continued experimenting on her.
Her body was modified.
Mechanical limbs were attached.
Her physical abilities were enhanced.
Her senses were altered.
And eventually...
The mechanical mask was permanently attached to her face.
She became something between human and machine.
But one thing remained unchanged.
Her memories.
Her emotions.
Her heart.
She was still Shion.
Still the same lonely girl.
Still the girl who wanted a family.
---
One night...
She escaped.
Shion destroyed the laboratory.
Machines were smashed.
Equipment was destroyed.
The laboratory began falling apart around her.
But then...
She saw the other children.
They couldn't escape.
Shion stopped.
She wanted to save them.
But she couldn't.
So she stayed.
She made sure they wouldn't simply disappear without anyone remembering them.
When she finally left...
The laboratory was burning behind her.
Tears rolled down her face.
For once...
She wasn't crying for herself.
She was crying for the children who never got a chance to escape.
---
Present Day
Shion's eyes slowly opened.
The scientist was still standing in front of her.
Scientist:
"You should have stayed dead."
Shion stared at him.
Shion:
"I should have finished you back then."
He laughed.
Scientist:
"But you didn't."
He picked up a syringe.
Inside was a strange green substance.
It glowed faintly under the laboratory lights.
Scientist:
"This is Virdex-09."
Shion's eyes narrowed.
Scientist:
"An artificial poison."
He slowly lifted the syringe.
Scientist:
"It will force your body to produce poison beyond its previous limits."
He smiled.
Scientist:
"After this..."
He looked toward the machines surrounding the room.
Scientist:
"I'll rebuild you."
Shion's expression hardened.
Scientist:
"Your memories."
He tapped his head.
Scientist:
"Your emotions."
He placed a hand over his chest.
Scientist:
"Your heart."
His smile became disturbing.
Scientist:
"Everything that makes you human."
He raised the syringe.
Scientist:
"I'll remove it."
Shion's eyes widened.
Shion:
"No..."
The scientist ignored her.
Shion:
"Don't..."
The machines began activating.
BEEP!
BEEP!
BEEP!
Shion struggled against the restraints.
But she was too exhausted.
The scientist prepared the injection.
Shion's thoughts suddenly returned to her childhood.
The old man carrying her.
The families she watched.
The dream she once had.
A home.
A husband.
Children.
A normal life.
She had never chosen this path.
Circumstances had forced her onto it.
And somewhere inside her...
That little girl was still alive.
Still hoping.
Still waiting.
The scientist pressed the syringe against her neck.
Scientist:
"Goodbye, Shion."
The needle went in.
The green substance entered her body.
Shion's entire body tensed.
The machines immediately began reacting.
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
Her vision became blurry.
The laboratory lights began fading.
Her breathing became slower.
She could feel herself losing consciousness.
And then...
One thought appeared in her mind.
My name.
She remembered everything.
The laboratory.
The pain.
The children.
The rain.
The old man.
The families.
Her dreams.
Her life.
Everything.
But there was one thing she was terrified of losing.
Her identity.
The scientist wanted to turn her into a machine.
A weapon.
Something without memories.
Something without emotions.
Something without a name.
Shion's eyes slowly closed.
But inside her mind...
She screamed.
Shion:
Shion...
Her voice echoed inside her head.
Shion:
My name is... Shion.
Her vision became darker.
Shion:
Shion Kisaragi...
She desperately held onto those words.
Shion:
I am... Shion...
Her memories began fading into darkness.
Her voice became quieter.
Shion:
I am...
Silence.
Her eyes were almost completely closed.
Inside her mind...
One final whisper remained.
Shion:
...Shion.
Her eyes closed completely.
And even the voice inside her mind...
Stopped.
The laboratory became silent.
The scientist looked at the unconscious girl.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
Scientist:
"Now..."
He turned toward the machines.
Scientist:
"Let's see what remains when Shion Kisaragi is gone."
The screen slowly faded to black.
TO BE CONTINUED.
Author's Note
Guys, I'm really sorry for the chapter being so late! 😭
And yes, before anyone starts overthinking Chapter 27—
Please don't try to apply too much logic yet. 😂
The chapter mainly focuses on the backstory of our Poison Girl, Shion Kisaragi. So if you're thinking, "Wait... who is this character? Did the author suddenly introduce someone new?"
Relax. 😭😂
There is a reason for everything, and you'll understand more as the story continues.
Also, from now on, some chapters may arrive a little late, so please bear with me and wait a little longer. 🙏
And one more thing...
If you've been following the story carefully, remember Shion Kisaragi and Renge Akihana.
These two are going to become very important characters in the future volumes, and yes...
They are going to get married. 👀😂
I won't say anything more about that for now.
So please remember their names.
Because my Dabangg Editor has officially threatened me with a red pen if I forget them. 😭
Anyway, thank you for waiting.
Enjoy Chapter 27!
See you in the next chapter. ❤️
— Author