MHGA Chapter 235 – V's Misunderstanding
"Because of a girl?"
Arasaka Raizen suddenly turned around to face the seventeen-year-old boy behind him. "That's your reason? Just… that?"
Raizen had expected David to say something youthful and hot-blooded, something more befitting his age. But what he hadn't expected… was for David to say he stayed for a girl.
"Mr. Raizen, that reason is more than enough," David replied with unexpected ease. "I don't think I've ever really had any grand ambitions, but…"
"I've figured it out now."
"I guess I've always lived for someone else's dream… but now, I want to make those dreams truly come true."
David continued, "My mom wanted me to study well at Arasaka Academy, get a good job with the company, and someday stand at the top of Arasaka Tower."
"Lucy… the girl I like—her dream is to go to the moon, to escape this place."
"And then there are the others I've met—each of them had their own dreams."
"But when I started looking at those dreams from a different angle… I wondered, are those really the dreams they truly wanted?"
David looked calmly at Raizen. "I don't think they are. That's why—"
"I'm not going to give myself another path to take."
"..."
Raizen stared at David's expression. After a long silence, he reached out and patted the shoulder of the boy more than sixty years his junior.
Raizen's story was long.
In the years he'd spent struggling against Arasaka, he had lost nearly everyone he'd cared about. These days, he could barely bring himself to trust anyone at all… If not for the incomprehensible things he'd seen today, he wouldn't have listened to a word the Hunters said.
"You… are stronger than me," Raizen said. "Looks like I really have turned into a stubborn old man."
"I think we'll get along just fine," he added with a deep breath. "We've got a lot of time ahead of us to do what needs to be done."
"Yeah, I'm ready," David nodded. "Once the Guildmaster hears this, he'll probably be happy for me."
"Sht! SHT SHT SHT!"
Just as David and Raizen were having their conversation, a female voice full of panic and anger suddenly rang out from behind them.
The two of them turned around at the same time—and saw V, drenched in sweat and clearly agitated, yanking off the Braindance headset and hurling it to the ground with force.
As soon as she pulled it off and looked up, her eyes locked onto Arasaka Raizen. They instantly went bloodshot.
Without hesitation, she reached for the pistol at her waist and fired a shot at Raizen.
David noticed V reaching for her weapon, and in that split second, time seemed to slow. He immediately thrust out his hand and caught the two bullets midair.
David stared, stunned.
He'd stopped them?
But hadn't the Sandevistan been lost when he was revived?
Seeing her bullets had no effect, V tossed the pistol aside and lunged straight at Raizen. But before she could reach him, David tackled her to the ground.
"Wait—V! Calm down!" David grabbed her wrist and pinned her down, shouting anxiously, "Don't do anything rash!"
"Let me go, you ▇▇!!" V screamed, struggling furiously. "He's one of those corporate ▇▇▇—just let me kill him!"
"…?" Raizen froze.
"That's not what you think!" David realized—the ending V saw didn't include Raizen at all… So from her perspective, Arasaka Raizen was just another spoiled corporate brat—maybe even the reason Jackie died…
If Kairo had been around to witness this, he'd probably mutter:
"Damn that Polish dev team—leading new players to think Raizen was just some rebellious, idiotic heir… Tricked poor V right into it…"
V had originally thought she could easily flip David—who looked smaller and younger than her—right off. But no matter how hard she struggled, even as her face turned red, she couldn't break free.
"…?"
V stopped for a moment and gave David a confused look.
Had she gotten weaker? Or was David hiding some absurd new cyberware? She couldn't even shake him off?
Raizen backed away two steps—genuinely shaken.
Those two bullets had been aimed directly at his head.
He was starting to understand what Kairo meant when he called V the "Reaper of Night City." She really had pulled the trigger without a word.
"Guildmaster!!! You just left, but I really need you now!!!" David, holding V down, was starting to panic. He opened the Gathering Hub channel and called for backup.
"V tried to kill Arasaka Raizen! And my body—there's something wrong with it!!"
At that exact moment, Kairo—who had just returned to the Gathering Hub and was halfway through a glass of Rathalos whiskey—spit it all out at once upon seeing David's message.
"V? Trying to kill Raizen? What the hell?! Did we trip into the Devil Ending or something?! And David's body—what do you mean something's wrong?! He's a Hunter! Don't tell me he's caught cyberpsychosis?!"
Kairo panicked. He hadn't even warmed the seat under him before bolting out of the canteen, leaving the nearby Hunters and Guild clerks completely baffled as to what the hell he was up to.
"Hang in there, David! I'm on my way!!"
Kairo shouted as he leapt onto his personal Wingdrake and flew off toward David's camp.
When he arrived, the first thing he saw was David pinning V to the ground—and Arasaka Raizen hiding a safe distance away.
And as soon as V spotted Kairo, she shouted:
"What the hell was that Braindance you gave me?! F**k—what the hell did I just see?!"
"Guildmaster, I… I don't have Sandevistan anymore, but I can still slow time…" David said nervously. "Am I developing cyberpsychosis?!"
"Damn it! I just got back and sat down to eat a nice Felyne meal!" Kairo clutched his head, overwhelmed. "Can't you guys give me a break?! I wanted to see fun, not become some isekai therapist older brother!"
"Alright, let's see what kind of mess you've stirred up this time…"
Kairo stretched his face and prepared to mediate the conflict.
After all, the Hunters would soon be ready to face the Kirin that had arrived in Night City…
And wrap up this exploration mission.
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