MHGA Chapter 234 – Raizen and David
Arasaka Raizen was seriously beginning to doubt whether his cybernetic eye had been hacked—how else could he be seeing something so… beyond the realm of common sense?
But Kairo Retsu had, without question, just come back to life before his very eyes.
"…Can I examine your body?"
After a long internal struggle, Raizen decided not to trust his eyes, but instead rely on his other senses.
"Uh…"
Kairo scratched his chin. "That's a weird way to put it, but sure—you can touch me."
Kairo took two steps forward and extended his hand to the man who, though appearing young, was already in his eighties. "I don't have any implants, just to clarify. Like I said—we're Hunters from another world."
Raizen grasped Kairo's palm. He could immediately confirm that there was no trace of cybernetic modification. And yet… he could feel an overwhelming physical strength in the slight tremble of each finger joint—far surpassing any synthetic limb he had ever known.
Raizen had seen his share of muscle-bound freaks—like the Animals gang out in Pacifica's west zone—but compared to those roid-raging maniacs who were always one dosage away from cardiac arrest, Kairo felt… healthier?
"You've already talked with David?"
Kairo looked over at David and scratched his chin with his other hand. "What'd you guys talk about?"
"…A lot. About what you've done for him, and what you want to do," Raizen said with a complicated expression. "I didn't believe it at first. But now… I'm starting to."
"Sorry, Guildmaster. I had to convince him somehow, so I told him everything," David said with a helpless shrug.
"No need to apologize. There's nothing about the Hunters that's off-limits," Kairo waved a hand. "You should grow into your identity. You are one of us now."
"I need to confirm something," Raizen looked at Kairo with conflicted eyes. "You really know what happens in the future, don't you? Because Night City… in your world, it's a 'work of fiction'?"
"Yup. You want to know?" Kairo's grin widened brightly. "Cyberpunk is huge in our world. And I brushed up recently."
"David? He's the protagonist of a spin-off anime. Ends in tragedy." Kairo jabbed his thumb at David behind him, then nodded toward V, who was still watching the Braindance. "And V—she's the protagonist of Cyberpunk 2077. The uncrowned queen of Night City. A living reaper of mercs. Cyberpsycho beyond even Smasher. Everyone has her on speed dial—except you."
"Cyberpunk… 2077?" Raizen caught the number. "Next year? Wait… reaper of mercs? And I don't have her number…"
"So, what happens to me?" Raizen asked, a bad feeling creeping in. "Do I…"
"Some endings are better than others. It all depends on what V chooses." Kairo pulled up a chair and sat down. "But there's one ending that's undeniably the most brutal for you."
He stared straight into Raizen's eyes.
"Soulkiller… or more specifically, the Relic chip—it allows one soul to overwrite another."
"In one of the endings, you lose everything. Completely." Kairo leaned in. "Guess where Saburo Arasaka decides to use the Relic chip?"
"You know him. You know what he's always wanted."
Raizen fell silent. Slowly, his expression twisted into something pained and stormy.
He had already guessed the ending Kairo was referring to.
"So that's why you brought me here?" Raizen looked at Kairo. "Because you know what's going to happen? That's why you sought me out? What is it you people really want?"
"I don't understand why you're telling me this," Raizen continued. "You've found the so-called protagonist merc already. But now you're dragging me into it too… I don't get it."
"To give our comrade the peace of mind to save his own world."
Kairo answered calmly.
"We won't be staying here much longer."
"Once the Kirin is dealt with, most of us Hunters will leave this world. We can't stay here forever…"
He paused.
"But David is different."
"This is his world. And if he wants to live in it with the people he loves, there are only two options: endure it… or set the world on fire and change it."
"You think we can help him forever?" Kairo asked Raizen. "I'll be honest with you… out of all the possible endings in Cyberpunk 2077, not a single one is truly perfect."
"For anyone."
"That's Cyberpunk," Kairo explained to Raizen and David, emotionless. "Even if you accomplish your goals, in the end, it's all for nothing. Whatever you change… eventually reverts. Everyone still ends up trapped in a life of despair."
"And V…"
Kairo nodded toward the tent, where V was still immersed in the Braindance. "You know what the cruelest thing is?"
"In all her endings… one of them has her killing herself right after everything begins. The saddest ending for her. But possibly the best ending for the world."
"Buddy, that's Cyberpunk." Kairo spread his hands. "A pile of steaming, hopeless sludge. A monster that can't be slain by brute strength alone."
"All we can do is leave behind a spark before we go. Let it burn quietly in this darkness."
"And for that flame to spread across this world, it has to be you. People who belong here."
Kairo pointed to them.
"You. You. And maybe even V."
"That's the only change we Hunters can offer this world. As for how it'll all turn out…"
Kairo stood up and shook his head. "You two talk it over. I'm heading back to base."
After finishing, he walked straight out of the tent. Raizen got up and chased after him, only to see Kairo already vanishing into the sky—grappling hook latched onto a Wingdrake as he soared away.
"Cyberpunk…"
Raizen clenched his fists, overwhelmed with pain and suffocation. Behind him, David quietly stepped out.
"Mr. Raizen."
David spoke after a long silence.
"…Do you still want to keep going?"
"..."
Raizen finally loosened his clenched fists. He looked out at the distant wasteland.
"I have no choice."
"Even if this world is nothing but a pile of sludge… it's still my world."
Raizen added with a question, "You must have other options, right? The other Hunters could help you."
He didn't turn around. The seventeen-year-old behind him had a long future ahead—unlike himself, now over eighty.
But David's voice came from behind:
"I… don't have any other options either."
"Mr. Raizen, there's someone I like."
"This is my world. And it's her world too."
"I can't leave."
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