"You two, your relationship is progressing quite quickly, huh~"
Inside a private room at the Afterlife bar, the corpo V held a drink, gesturing to David and Lucy who had just arrived together.
It seemed she had noticed their little bit of fun from earlier; the pair, having just made their relationship official not long ago, were indeed quite energetic.
V seemed extremely happy today, the kind she didn't bother to hide at all. Her smug aura was practically overflowing.
Saburo Arasaka had decided to come to Night City in person, clearly because of the intelligence she had provided.
She had already given him the information about the 'Kojiki' and the 'Flower Viewing Ceremony,' but deciphering the Kojiki was not simple. Not everyone could glean anything from it.
As team members, David and Lucy had also tried. They looked at it for a week and didn't notice anything unusual, only feeling it was a book of fables.
This also signified her high capability and value; even Saburo Arasaka was willing to meet her in person.
Right now, V could be called the freest person in all of Arasaka. She could skip work directly, and no one would dare to object. They inside Arasaka knew very well the real reason Saburo Arasaka was coming to Night City.
"Stop teasing us, V-nee, what's got you so happy today."
David quickly changed the subject, redirecting it to V herself.
"I was just waiting for you to ask. I'll tell you all together when Schwarzer gets here."
"[Alert] I have already arrived."
The words had barely faded when Schwarzer's voice came from beside her. She didn't know when she had sat down on the sofa, appearing as suddenly as if she had teleported. V was certain she hadn't seen anyone enter just now.
She had already gotten used to the other's mysterious appearances and disappearances. V suspected she wasn't human at all; her feats were completely beyond the capabilities of current human technology.
Eliminate all the impossibilities, and whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.
Possessing abilities incomparable to ordinary people, frequently appearing and disappearing with teleport-like speed, and also, having an incredibly detailed knowledge of ninjas...
Then there's only one answer! Schwarzer's true identity is—a ninja!
Having figured this out, the way V looked at her changed. After all, she was an existence that transcended humanity; it was only natural to be outmatched.
"?" Schwarzer didn't know what V was thinking. Meeting her gaze, which seemed to say 'I've figured you out,' she felt bewildered.
"So, what's the news you mentioned? Stop keeping us in suspense," David urged.
"I've already contacted Saburo Arasaka. He's coming to Night City in person to meet with me the day after tomorrow."
V said this while arrogantly raising her glass, heavily emphasizing the words 'meet with me in person'.
As a high-level corpo, she usually presented herself as a respectable person, but now she tilted her head back and chugged her drink, her excited expression no different from theirs.
What 'respectable corpo'? It was all just putting on airs. When things got this exciting, who could still maintain their composure?
"Saburo Arasaka is coming to Night City to see you in person?!" Lucy exclaimed.
With a loud bang, she excitedly bumped into the table. Luckily, V had already picked up the drinks from the tabletop.
Yes, yes, this is exactly the reaction I wanted to see.
The more exaggerated their reactions, the wider V's smile became.
All her hard work hadn't been in vain. No one could refuse the satisfaction of showing off in front of others.
Basking in their admiration, V finished her drink without realizing it. It was time to get down to business.
"Take out the shuriken you received, David."
The 'business' was, of course, the 'greeting' David had received today—an 'invitation' from a mysterious, ninja-like being.
They had to resolve this matter before Saburo Arasaka arrived. Otherwise, things wouldn't be so quiet after V made contact with him.
"The address on it is in Pacifica. It looks like some basement. 'Ninjia Base'—what a straightforward name."
David couldn't help but roast it. They had already looked up the address on the shuriken, and there was a shop there called 'Ninjia Base'.
They're not even trying to hide it, are they?!
But in a way, this was also a form of concealment. To ordinary people unaware of the existence of ninjas, a place like this would seem more like a fan club.
"So, should we go check it out?" David quickly asked.
With so many people in Night City, why did those ninjas specifically target him?
But one thing was certain: he was being targeted. Rather than sit and wait for his doom, he wanted to take the initiative.
"They didn't attack you directly, so they must be after something. Something that ninjas would be after... the Kojiki?"
V, who had clearly maxed out her intelligence stat, quickly guessed the truth. The timing of David's attack was right after she had notified Saburo Arasaka.
Although she didn't know how the information was leaked, there was only one possibility: the ninjas knew the whereabouts of the Kojiki, so they came for David.
Her guess was correct. It was precisely because they had intercepted her communication with Saburo Arasaka that the ninjas had decided to make a move.
The 'Kojiki' itself wasn't that rare, as numerous transcribed copies existed. However, the ability to decipher the intelligence within was extremely rare.
In the past, almost all who could find valuable information within it were powerful ninjas, but now, an exception had appeared.
"So, are we going together? To figure out what they really want?"
Lucy also knew what it felt like to be targeted, and the ones targeting David were 'ninjas,' even stronger than Arasaka. This couldn't help but make her worry.
"Just made it official and you're already so protective of him, Miss Lucy."
"But you're right. We need to find out what they're up to. Let's move tonight, shall we?"
V seemed relatively relaxed. On one hand, as someone who could decipher the Kojiki, she had nothing to fear. On the other hand, she believed Schwarzer wouldn't just leave them to fend for themselves.
"[Agreed] I will accompany you tonight. Do not worry."
Schwarzer finally stated her position. Hearing her words, everyone subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief.
Although she had spent little time with David and the others over the past month, almost any matter she handled would be resolved without issue. This trust even outweighed their fear of ninjas.
"By the way, David, how are you doing with the training chip?" With Schwarzer's guarantee, V also relaxed a lot and turned to check on David's 'grades'.
Although she had been slacking off a bit these past few days, she could now last over a minute against a simple bot...
"I got lucky yesterday and finally beat a simple bot once, but I'm still completely powerless against the later ones."
"?"
________________________________________
Get rewarded for helping with our community goals!
🎯 Reward for all: +1 bonus chapter at 50 Powerstones.
🚀 Tier Reward: Help us reach 10 members for +5 chapters on all stories!
👻 Join the crew by searching Ms. Medusa on (P). You know the spot! 😉