"...Thank you for saving me."
Evelyn gave the impression of a shattered vase that had been reassembled. Just speaking, one could feel her caution and fragility.
"But I'm so sorry, all my accounts are gone. I can't pay you."
Evelyn lowered her head, her voice low, looking like she struggled to speak.
Everything she had was ruined.
All her assets, all her reputation, everything she was proud of had been stripped away. Clouds immediately seized the money in her accounts, even her supposedly private personal card was not spared.
Furthermore, the Tyger Claws might even have listed her as a kill-on-sight target because Woody died because of her.
But besides the Tyger Claws, there would be no shortage of people wanting her dead. The mysterious group that instigated her to steal the relic chip also wanted her life, to the point where they almost succeeded.
Evelyn had now lost everything; more than ten years of hard work had come to nothing.
If Judy hadn't taken her in, she wouldn't even have a place to go.
And facing her savior, she was powerless, completely unable to pay any reward.
To be able to rescue her from Clouds, which was full of gang enforcers, such skill was clearly not that of an ordinary Mercenary.
Usually, such a fee would be an astronomical sum, but now she couldn't even produce a single credit.
"It's alright, Judy already paid for your rescue."
Kikyo waved her hand at Evelyn's dejection, indicating it didn't matter.
After all, while she sometimes had too much free time, she wasn't so fond of saving people for fun. If Judy hadn't been helpful to her, she wouldn't have cared about Evelyn's fate.
Listening to Kikyo, Evelyn just nodded silently, not speaking.
And Judy, seeing her best friend's low spirits, sat by the bed at the opportune moment, gently stroking Evelyn's back, silently comforting her.
Hmm, this Judy is truly a good person.
Of course, Berry wasn't giving out a 'good person card' as usual; she genuinely believed it.
Judy, though many might see her as someone who gets involved in others' affairs without distinguishing reality, for those she helped, they truly witnessed a kindness rarely seen in Night City.
Evelyn goes without saying. As Judy's best friend, in the game, Judy, as a Braindance Technician, dared to rush into the Scavengers' stronghold with V, risking her life to save Evelyn.
And for those she didn't know well, Judy also maintained great goodwill.
Judy often extended a helping hand to those sex doll workers at the bottom of society.
The sex dolls at the bottom, selling their bodies, lived precarious lives under the control of gangs and pimps. Most of their earnings went into the gangs' pockets, and they were often bullied and threatened by gang members. Many sex dolls who wanted to escape often died mysteriously.
And Judy often helped them. When someone asked for help, she wanted the Moxes to accept these desperate sex doll workers, which caused her to clash with the Moxes' boss.
But even so, Judy often endured immense pressure to do her best to protect these poor people.
So much so that she eventually made a terrible decision, planning to ask V to help take the sex doll club from the Tyger Claws.
The result? Anyone who played the game knows that the sex dolls at the club either fell into even more brutal exploitation or the club was directly shut down.
Judy's passion ultimately led to a tragic end, which made her lose her last shred of hope for the city.
Her rash actions ultimately met the same fate as most revolutions in history: either violently suppressed or having their fruits of victory stolen by the despicable.
So, Berry greatly respected Judy.
If she hadn't been with V, she would have wanted to be with Judy, just like in the game.
At this moment, V, who was showering in her own bathroom, suddenly sneezed.
Hmph, who's talking bad about her?
V shook her head and continued showering.
Judy comforted Evelyn with concern for a while, and Evelyn finally raised her head.
"Anyway, I have to thank you all, and thank you, Judy."
Evelyn was truly a different person now. She held Judy's hand, looking at her with genuine eyes. The two smiled at each other, their affection unspoken.
Hmm, why does this feel strange?
Watching the two women's deep sisterly bond, Berry's emotions felt somewhat complicated.
Logically, shouldn't she be happy that the two avoided the bad ending in the game? But why did she feel a bit... well, jealous?
This feeling, like being cheated on but not quite, made Berry feel strange. Logically, Judy should be with V, but then again, the V in the game was her, and she was now with V, and Judy wasn't with V.
Ugh, Berry held her head, falling into confusion. She seemed to have completely messed things up. What was going on?
Perhaps in some dimension, she felt like she was being cheated on, and in another dimension, she wasn't.
After much thought, Berry, with no results, could only give up thinking and conclude that this world was too chaotic.
However, seeing Evelyn become more obedient, Berry felt relieved.
She had saved her life. If Evelyn remained as foolish as before, no one could save her.
Since Evelyn's brain was injured, after staying for a while, Judy and Kikyo left the room to let Evelyn rest.
They say it takes a hundred days for a broken bone to heal; an injured brain probably wouldn't recover in a short time either.
"...Thank you, truly, for everything you've done, Kikyo."
Closing the door, Judy clasped Kikyo's hand, gratitude flowing from her brown eyes.
Though she had said it again and again, Judy's gratitude for Berry and Kikyo's willingness to help was heartfelt.
Although she often helped people, she also knew how precious it was to have someone willing to lend a hand in Night City. Although Berry and the others had asked for her help, compared to saving Evelyn, what she had done was nothing.
Looking helplessly at Judy, who was now acting like a young girl, Kikyo shook her head in resignation.
Judy, Judy, girls who care too much about morality will get manipulated.
So, Kikyo just patted Judy's head and said nothing.
Judy merely smiled, her red lips curling, not stopping Kikyo's actions. But then, as if remembering something, her smile faded, and her eyes returned to the worried expression she had when first entering the door.
"Kikyo, I was wondering if I could ask you for another favor."
Hesitantly, Judy finally spoke.
Upon hearing Judy speak, Berry looked as if she had known all along, rolling her eyes helplessly.
Alright, I knew inviting someone over couldn't be that simple; there must be something else she needed my help with.
Seeing that Kikyo's expression hadn't changed and she was still looking at her, Judy felt a bit embarrassed, thinking Kikyo was troubled.
"I'm so sorry, but... I don't know who else can help me. After thinking it over, it's only you."
It must be said, Judy's move was very effective. Who could resist a beautiful girl looking at them with a pair of sorrowful, pleading eyes?
"Alright, alright, sit down and tell me."
Finally, Kikyo shrugged helplessly, put her hand on Judy's shoulder to help her sit down, and told her to speak slowly.
Isn't it just asking for help? She, Kikyo, would lead the charge.
She liked saints, she really did.
Such a saintly personality was impossible to find in Night City, even with a lantern.
Ah, you say saints like to save people indiscriminately? Hey, don't forget, the great educator Confucius once said that people have infinite possibilities.
Team members with a Madonna complex just need some training.
Berry's favorite is when, after being trained, even if they desperately want something in their heart, with just a glance from her, they can only bite their lower lip, clench their hands, and obediently follow her commands.
Judy, comforted by the elder sister Kikyo, sat on the sofa and brought up something that was bothering her.
Several days ago, just like before, a few sex dolls working on Kabuki found her, asking for Judy's help to escape the control of the Tyger Claws and come work at Lizzy Bar. Judy, as always, agreed to find a way for them.
As for the outcome, perhaps Lizzy Bar's boss, Suzie, was in a bad mood that day, but Judy's request was rejected.
And Judy, with her stubborn personality, naturally wouldn't give up so easily. She planned to ask Suzie again in a few days.
After all, as Lizzy Bar's most capable Braindance Technician, Judy could bring in large sums of money for Lizzy Bar, which also gave her some small privileges within the gang.
She could always butt heads with the hot-tempered Suzie and eventually get her demands accepted.
But this time, something unexpected happened.
After that incident, Judy was delayed for a few days because of Evelyn's matter. When she later prepared to bring it up to Suzie, she found that the Girls who had sought her help earlier were unreachable.
When she inquired about the Girls from people in Kabuki, she only heard that the Girls had been taken away by the Tyger Claws.
That's how things got worse.
So, in her helplessness, Judy suddenly, for some unknown reason, had Kikyo's image appear in her mind. And now, this is the current situation.
"...Please, Kikyo, can you help me? Those Girls, and some of them are just children, I really can't bear to imagine what might happen to them."
Of course, Judy didn't say that she actually believed it was her fault that those Girls were in trouble. Those Girls wanted to leave the gang, and she had delayed for so long; no matter how she thought about it, she had a responsibility.
"Kikyo, I'll cover the expenses. Can you help me find those Girls? You know how those scumbags from the Tyger Claws deal with sex dolls who try to escape their grasp."
After speaking, Judy looked awkwardly at the silent Kikyo.
After all, in her eyes, Kikyo, as such a powerful Mercenary, might not even accept such a small commission.
And under Judy's anxious gaze, Kikyo extended her hand.
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