"Very suspicious." Karl finished the last of his fries. "I'm curious." "That's all I needed to hear." Jack stood up. "Come on, let's head ba
"Very suspicious."
Karl finished the last of his fries.
"I'm curious."
"That's all I needed to hear."
Jack stood up. "Come on, let's head back. As for those people… T-Bug, are you okay with this?"
"I used to have some ties with Dexter DeShawn," T-Bug said coldly, "but we're the ones with the job now. If there's a conflict between us and them—"
"I'll take action."
"That's all I need to feel at ease, T-Bug."
Oliver chuckled, stood up, and without missing a beat, swiped the rest of V's fries and popped them into his mouth. "Mmm, time to go, V."
"Huh? Oh."
V had been silently assessing whether he could take on that crew if things went south. When he heard Oliver's voice, he nodded.
He looked at his plate, thinking he'd scarf down the last of his fries before getting up—only to find his plate was already empty.
...?
When did I finish my fries?
While V stood there puzzled, Oliver had already finished chewing and swallowed the fries. By the time V looked his way, Oliver had even wiped the crumbs from the corners of his mouth.
Weird.
V mumbled internally, but didn't think too much of it.
They were about ready to leave anyway.
They'd come to the Afterlife to eat and drink a bit. Once that was done, naturally, it was time to go.
As for that group that had raised suspicions—V wasn't worried. With T-Bug on their side, he felt secure.
The Herrera Caliburn slowly powered up and began cruising forward, stopping near the Cyan Azure Tower.
The self-driving car moved toward a nearby parking spot, and once the five of them exited the vehicle, Karl confirmed there were no surveillance cameras in the vicinity. Then, in a nearby alley, they removed their disguises.
Herrera Caliburns were a common sight on the streets—but one carrying Karl and his crew was rare. If someone with sharp eyes noticed that and decided to tamper with the vehicle, it might not be fatal, but losing a long-time ride like that would still be frustrating.
Once their disguises were removed, their true appearances were revealed. As Yori's face changed back from youthful and handsome to one clearly marked by age, the team all shook their heads.
"You looked better the other way."
"People grow old," Yori said calmly. "As time passes, there are things you just can't force. I don't care what I look like. As long as I get the job done before I die, that's enough. Or even after I die—that works too."
"Fifty years in this world is but a fleeting dream. Who in this world can live forever?"
Karl quoted a line that made Yori smile knowingly.
"A line from Atsumori, the Noh play Nobunaga loved to chant—along with his death poem. I like both. But I've already outlived fifty."
"Funny thing is, that poem's kind of grim. Nobunaga always chanted 'fifty years,' and then got killed at forty-nine during the Honnō-ji Incident. Betrayed by his own general, Akechi Mitsuhide. Didn't even make it to fifty."
Karl shrugged, chatting with Yori in terms that none of the others really understood.
But his next words were plain enough for anyone to grasp.
"If someone really thinks they can live forever and rule this world eternally... I wouldn't mind playing the enemy at Honnō-ji."
Yori's pupils contracted slightly. His face tensed for a moment, then quickly relaxed.
He looked at Karl and spoke in a composed tone. "So you've figured something out?"
"To be honest? Half a guess, half intuition. This conversation just helped confirm it. I was only fishing… but judging by your reaction, I probably hit the mark."
Karl looked west.
His gaze seemed to pierce through buildings and oceans, landing on that island nation across the sea.
"There are no eternal emperors. No one remains above the world forever."
"I'll remember that."
Yori stood beside him, following Karl's gaze. "Then you'll lend me a hand, won't you, Karl?"
"I won't help a corpo dog."
Karl turned toward him.
"But I will help my friend Yori."
"You'll help your friend Yori..."
Yori repeated the words softly.
"That's enough. Whether or not you help Seisen Arasaka doesn't matter."
With that, Yori fell silent and stepped out of the alley, heading toward the Cyan Azure Tower.
As they exited the alley and stepped onto the street, Karl noticed something familiar about the spot where the car had stopped.
Back in 2075, he had spent time in this area. It was nearby...
He raised his hands and looked at them.
"Things really have changed."
This was where he'd once faced off against an ACPA.
Back then, he was a rookie merc. He had barely managed to damage the ACPA by relying on its arrogance and paying with the sacrifice of his arm—he nearly died from his wounds. But now, two years into his merc career...
Karl suddenly recalled the conversation he'd had with that ACPA.
"If I die, I'll be waiting for you down there." But now that he was still alive—maybe it was that guy who was waiting instead.
Let him wait a little longer.
I'll finish my fifty years first.
At least let me enjoy the dreamlike fifty years of mortal life.
"Welcome back, Master Yori."
The greeters at the entrance to the Cyan Azure Tower bowed respectfully. Under the gaze of the tower's staff and guests, someone every Night City resident would recognize stood beside Yori.
"KK Squad."
Watched by both employees and guests, Yori Arasaka, flanked by KK Squad, walked silently into the elevator that led directly to the top floor.
"Yori Arasaka is in Night City. And he's being protected by KK Squad."
Originally, this was supposed to be a secret—but now that Yori had confirmed that Karl would help him, there was no longer any point in keeping it hidden.
Even if the whole city knew KK Squad was guarding Yori Arasaka—it didn't matter.
As long as no one knew that Yori was also now part of KK Squad.
"KK Squad?"
In Japan, an elderly man wearing a traditional kimono looked over the intel. His subordinate had just handed him a report on KK Squad.
After a careful review, the old man fell silent in contemplation.
"The most renowned and capable squad in that cursed city…"
He tapped his finger on the solid wooden table.
"So this is the leverage you're betting on... Yori."
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🔥🦾 CYBERPUNK: THE RELENTLESS 🦾🔥
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