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...