A pitch-black AV sped through the skies above Night City. It was only now that V and Takemura could observe the changes that had befallen the entire metropolis.
The anomaly in the sky left everyone in a state of panic. Thick, heavy clouds cut off signals, and the golden cube appeared like an object from The Other World.
But it wasn't just that; the primary cause for alarm was the sudden decrease in population. Their ninja intuition told them that the scent of blood was echoing all around—Night City had suffered heavy casualties.
"The so-called ninjas are more like beasts that have descended into madness, wantonly slaughtering humans for their so-called ideals and desires."
"They do not hold 'mortal' in their eyes at all, or perhaps they already consider themselves a different species entirely."
Sitting in the pilot's seat, V struck up a conversation with Takemura. It wasn't just to kill time; she was attempting to fish for information.
"Saburo Arasaka and you have both become ninjas, but from what I can see, you seem different from normal ninjas. Why is that?"
"Clearly, you were already 'eating people' to begin with, so why feign kindness towards them now?"
V was genuinely curious about this. Whether it was Takemura or Saburo Arasaka, both had become ninjas long ago, yet their attitude towards ordinary people was completely different.
What exactly caused this discrepancy? Compared to ninjas, they seemed more like individuals who had simply mastered supernatural power, but were essentially still capitalists.
"I have received Saburo Arasaka's grace since I was a child. After brutal training, I proved my talent and loyalty. These are things that becoming a ninja cannot affect."
Takemura did not answer directly. His character was famously defined by blind loyalty, and he would reveal absolutely no intelligence regarding Saburo Arasaka.
"If I really had to say, it would be a difference in mindset. I can feel the power brought by the ninja, and the tyrannical emotions within it, but they cannot influence my Iaido."
The power of a ninja and Ether could generate negative emotions in a person; this was an objective reality. It wasn't just that mastering power led to alienation, but that the power itself would alienate the human.
After becoming a ninja, one possessed power that completely surpassed a 'mortal'. They could kill ordinary people at will, with the opponents having no ability to resist. There was even reproductive isolation between the two.
Various factors created the gap between ninjas and 'mortal', but for Arasaka Corporation, the gap between a megacorp and ordinary people was far greater than that between a ninja and a 'mortal'!
The reason Takemura lacked a ninja's mindset was that he had already been brainwashed by Arasaka's ideology. Furthermore, Saburo Arasaka stood at the apex of the entire world, possessing 'power' that far exceeded that of a ninja.
If one really had to say it, he actually looked down on so-called 'ninjas'!
Capital's alienation of people was far more terrifying than so-called 'ninja power'. V realized this point: the megacorps were the true rulers, the ones the people at the bottom could absolutely never overthrow—the underlying logic of Cyberpunk.
'Looking at it this way, it seems the only ones capable of overthrowing the megacorps are ninjas.'
V hurriedly shook such thoughts from her mind. The rule of ninjas was a far worse choice than the rule of megacorps. Moreover, the reality was likely that ninjas who controlled the megacorps would rule the world.
Namu-San. Just imagining that scene made V feel despair. How terrifying would that be? From technology to individual power, everything would surpass the 'mortal'. In such a world, even Buddha would have to close his eyes!
"We've arrived." Takemura had no intention of communicating further. He quickly sensed the Karate energy coming from Expendable=san.
V heard this and immediately stopped the vehicle. Unlike other places in Night City, a large number of 'citizens' were gathered around an abandoned warehouse.
These guys were just like the ones seen beneath Arasaka Tower earlier—as if they had lost their souls, aimlessly wandering around. Essentially, they were pitiful people who had been turned into human bombs by Expendable using Horsepower · Jutsu.
"There are probably a few dozen people in total. Not as many hands as at Arasaka Tower, but the Karate within their bodies isn't on the same level either."
Those beneath Arasaka Tower were merely hostages, tools for Expendable to threaten Ninja Slayer. These 'mortal' subjects on the perimeter of the warehouse were weapons. Every single one was a genuine bomb capable of causing considerable damage.
Therefore, the quantity naturally wouldn't be too high. Expendable=san didn't possess such strong Karate power yet; creating this many bombs was already pushing his limits.
He still had to reserve enough power to fight personally. Otherwise, being directly finished off in a Karate exchange would be too much of a clown show.
Facing ordinary citizens, V and Takemura were very familiar with the drill. Their optics scanned rapidly, quickly obtaining rough data on the targets, and incidentally observing their unconscious patrol trajectories.
"You provide support from the outside. I'll infiltrate, find Gloria first, and then figure out a way to contact you."
V quickly arranged tasks for the two of them. Not being a ninja, she was more suitable for infiltration than Takemura, and she also possessed the rich mission experience of the other two Vs. She was skilled at rescuing people.
Takemura didn't know about the specifics, but he knew V wouldn't do something she wasn't confident in. Coupled with her ability to 'retrieve items from thin air', saving someone shouldn't be a problem. The problem was...
"Even if you successfully infiltrate, once you contact Gloria, it will definitely attract Expendable=san's attention. At that point, all these people outside are bombs. How will you escape?"
"That's your task. Aren't you staying here specifically to support us?"
V said this, then waved her hand and vanished into the darkness. Her movements didn't make a single sound; she was clearly an old hand at this.
"She really gave me a difficult problem..."
Takemura said this, but he was relatively satisfied with V's trust in him. As the support, if he had a problem, V would fall into a situation of ten deaths and no life.
Dealing with so many bomb-men alone was obviously not a wise move. Even if he could resolve them, his power would be heavily consumed.
If ninja power fell to a disadvantage, then he would use some other power. For example... the methods of Arasaka Corporation.
Saburo Arasaka had given him considerable authority. Takemura moved his fingers, mobilizing Arasaka's finances, and very quickly, a mission was published. He was quite good at learning.
The entire Night City received a new mission simultaneously. It was a mission issued from Saburo Arasaka's account, mass-sent to everyone's inbox just like the capture order for Lucy a few days ago.
Evil traitors have stolen Arasaka's latest technology and implanted human bombs into dozens of people. They are hiding in an abandoned warehouse. Eliminate the accomplices turned into bombs. Bounty: 100,000 Eurodollars per 'Bomberman'.
The Night City that had seemed dead became active once again. A massive number of vehicles started up, sprinting toward the warehouse where Takemura was located.
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