Hesitant to hurt others but longing to protect his family, the gentle Ajili has been conned into undergoing a “ceremony,” where he thinks he’s been chosen from among all others to don a terrifying prosthetic and fearlessly light the fire of revolution. In fact, he’s been poisoned with a cyberdrug derived from the venom of the black mamba—one that renders him nearly fearless and his cyberbrain susceptible to the installation of whatever new software his puppeteers desire. Meanwhile, Togusa and Tsunagi’s murder investigation, Batou’s failed training mission, a child organ harvesting ring, and a Chinese spy’s greed intersect all collide. Against the backdrop of the brutal Sahara, the stage is set for an explosive climax…