Though Rebecca was a total madcap, Arthur was nothing less than a complete fool when it came to computers.
Now, with no other choice, he could only hope for the best and let Rebecca handle it.
After circling the wall-mounted terminal and scanning its setup, Arthur couldn't keep his mouth shut.
"Great. Looks like you can reach it."
Rebecca, standing on tiptoe, whipped her head around.
"Shut up, idiot Arthur!"
Arthur raised his hands and stepped back.
"I meant... good luck!"
"The permissions are stored in an encrypted database inside the terminal. I can't get in, but a physical bypass isn't a problem.
The issue is... the people upstairs will get an intrusion alert."
After fiddling with the terminal for a while, Rebecca turned back toward Arthur.
"Forget it.
We fought our way in through the front door—don't tell me you think they don't know we're here.
Sure, they're a ragtag bunch, but if this much noise hasn't triggered an alert...
I'd start wondering if we're raiding a pigsty."
Amid the tangle of cables beside the terminal, Rebecca quickly located the elevator module they needed.
After some quick work, she clapped her hands and turned with a grin.
"Done!"
"Didn't expect it—you actually know what you're doing."
When they checked the elevator again, the red exclamation mark on the panel had vanished, leaving only the top-floor button.
Without hesitation, Rebecca stepped inside, raising her hand to press it.
"Stop, you reckless brat!"
Arthur barked, halting her just in time, exasperation clear on his face.
"What's the problem? We fixed the elevator—are we supposed to climb instead?
It's a long way from here to the top."
Rebecca scowled, clearly impatient.
Arthur looked at the small girl, her fearless and stubborn attitude leaving him helpless.
"You said it yourself—they already know we're here.
If you go up like that, they just need to toss a few grenades inside and spray the place with bullets—we'll be meat on the floor.
What, in a hurry to meet your maker? Shame people like us won't ever get close to Heaven's gates."
"Well... what do you suggest? This is the only way up."
Arthur scanned their surroundings, his gaze settling on the elevator car's ceiling.
The elevator only went straight to the top. Those guys would be guarding that floor. If he and Rebecca could jump out early, they might avoid the trap entirely.
Wakako's files had shown the layout of those three levels. The elevator shaft was encased in glass, and the material wasn't particularly strong.
It looked risky, but the more Arthur thought about it, the more sense it made.
He stepped into the elevator car and looked up.
The ceiling was a solid steel plate bolted in place, with no obvious hatch.
Arthur reached for the Swallow at his waist. If the dagger couldn't cut through, they were out of luck.
The moment he gripped it, a shift of intent caused the lightweight blade to grow heavier and heavier.
Soon it was so dense he could barely hold it.
Clutching the weapon with both hands, he thrust it upward with all his might into the shaft's side wall.
The blade sank in more smoothly than he expected.
Arthur increased its pull, tearing a gash through the steel as if it were paper.
Rolling his shoulders, he leapt, caught the opening's edge, and hauled himself up with raw force.
The moment he emerged, the high-altitude wind slammed into him like a thousand ghostly hands clawing at his clothes.
He had lightened his bones for easier climbing, but now the raging air currents threatened to tip his body into the gale.
Above Night City's dark yet dazzling skyline, Arthur's figure stood like a banner whipping in the storm.
Landing on top of the elevator car, he immediately increased the gravity in his legs, anchoring himself to the roof like a nailed stake.
"Maybe you should've stayed down there."
Arthur shouted toward the opening, his voice nearly drowned in the howling wind.
The only response was the flailing of a long green braid and two hands reaching desperately outward.
"O～K～"
Arthur bent down, seized the short arms, and yanked Rebecca up.
"If you fly off like a ragdoll, I swear I won't bother finding where you landed.
It wouldn't be pretty."
His tone was harsh, but he tucked her under his arm all the same.
Pinned sideways, Rebecca stayed quiet, her short legs dangling and swaying helplessly in the air.
The raging wind whipped both her braids in one direction as she tilted her head, staring forward.
Arthur followed her gaze.
Ahead, just beyond Westbrook, loomed the City Center—the very brain of Night City.
In the shadows, the headquarters of the city's megacorps towered like massive black monoliths. Neon lights traced fragments of their hulking forms, but the rest was swallowed by darkness.
They loomed around the circular Corpo Plaza like diners at a table, watching the city coldly as they waited for the feast.
Night City was all spectacle, all glitter. The brighter its lights, the more eyes it drew, yet the less it could illuminate itself.
In short—watch your step, or you'll step straight into the shit hiding in the shadows.
The wind howled harder, shoving against them as the rooftop lights grew closer.
When the shadowy outlines above finally came into view, Arthur picked their landing point.
With Rebecca tucked under one arm, the Swallow in his other hand grew unbearably heavy, veins bulging along his arm.
Using the elevator's upward momentum, he hurled the weighty blade, smashing through the glass at their chosen spot.
Straightening, Arthur shifted his center of gravity, bracing on the car roof with practiced ease.
Narrowing his eyes, he twisted his waist and shoulders, then flung Rebecca through the opening.
Only after seeing her land safely inside did he allow himself the faintest relief.
There was no time to hesitate. He crouched, then sprang forward into the gale.
The wind screamed in his ears, the neon haze glittering far below. High above the world's chaos, his silhouette vanished in an instant.
Through his bond with the Swallow, Arthur landed squarely inside the shattered opening.
When the dagger's weight was amplified to its extreme, within fifteen meters it acted like an invisible rope linking itself to him—a surprisingly effective trick.
Arthur hit the floor rolling, then sprang to his feet. Rebecca was already braced, the Iron Guts in her hands.
Glancing at her short shorts and the wide stretch of bare skin, Arthur muttered,
"Lucky you didn't get shredded on the way down and sit bawling in the debris.
But remember—we're not here to play dress-up. Next time, pick something useful to wear."
"Hmph!"
Rebecca stomped and pouted at his scolding, though she didn't argue.
"Move it, brat! Before they realize what happened, we've got to strike first."
Arthur guessed all the security was focused on the elevator above.
Before coming up, Rebecca had wrecked the door mechanism, which should keep the Tyger Claws occupied for a while.
In the dim corridor, Arthur drew the Prelude from his waist, reclaimed the Swallow, and crept forward, both weapons in hand.
In its heavy-load state, the Swallow wasn't safe to recall—it might drag Arthur back instead.
...
(70 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / GhostParser