Author's Notes: Chapter edited and corrected by Scott Fellman.
Serena POV.
Tokyo was the crown jewel of Arasaka. It had over 50 million daily inhabitants, and with an unemployment rate so low that it barely reached 4%, everyone was working directly or indirectly for Arasaka. Saburo controlled virtually every level of government in Tokyo.
But even so, it was clear that Saburo not only appreciated his country but loved it deeply. Japan was the complete opposite of Night City, almost its antithesis. Streets free of any dirt, fresh and pristine air, and even abundant wildlife and aquatic life, so clean and plentiful that Japan seemed like a small paradise.
The citizens were practically free of crime and filth, most of their basic needs were easily met, and there was a quality of life that seemed like a complete dream compared to what was seen in Night City, from schools to cultural sections that Saburo kept in excellent condition, his traditionalism was noticeable in the way he was not going to let those customs die.
So yes, Tokyo was a glittering jewel that Arasaka used to boast about. And now it was plunged into chaos. Chaos that I had caused.
We had appeared in the sky above Tokyo and could immediately see the high level of engagement we had caused. Arasaka here had abundant resources, both manpower and metal. Armies of fully equipped people and robots were attempting to hold off our attack.
Tokyo was one of the places I had surrounded, and I had had to place several cauldrons close together for this very reason. I had also created large quantities of Dragoon frames and cyber skeletons, but even so, I had underestimated Arasaka's power.
We had deactivated most of Arasaka's most destructive arsenal, yet they remained completely unfazed.
It was almost annoying.
Especially when the robots controlled by HADES and GLaDOS avoided killing civilians. In a country with such a high population density, this was a problem. The streets were teeming with people, soldiers, and robots. Civilians screamed in panic and tried to take refuge in buildings, but it wasn't enough. There were still many running through the streets trying to find hiding places, shelters, or simply to get away. Skirmishes broke out everywhere; buildings affiliated with Arasaka were ablaze, and more.
At the same time, hundreds, perhaps thousands, of our robots lay destroyed in the streets by Arasaka, the most damage they had managed to inflict, unlike the other Arasaka towers. Sadly, it was only a matter of time before Arasaka lost. Our robots were slowly forming a massive encirclement around the Arasaka tower.
With all other Arasaka facilities and towers destroyed, GLaDOS and HADES could focus solely on Tokyo and the rest of Japan. GLaDOS could continue transporting and deploying robots to Japan's powerhouses, ensuring their numbers would never run out.
Meanwhile, Arasaka tried to stand firm, unwavering. I could see the almost fervent loyalty of Arasaka's soldiers as they held their ground, but unfortunately for them, it wasn't enough. Arasaka had a vast amount of resources, yes, but they weren't infinite. Even if we didn't move, this could all end sooner or later.
I could feel Lucy beside me tense up as she looked around, as if trying to memorize what she had caused, what she had been a part of. I sighed, almost shakily. Being able to accomplish something like this with only a couple of weeks of preparation was something I hadn't even expected. I took a deep breath.
But I guess it was time to end this early anyway.
I grabbed Lucy; we were below Aria, invisible, and I started flying in a specific direction. Not to Arasaka Tower—that building meant nothing, not when Saburo wasn't there.
Instead, we headed to a house, a traditional Japanese mansion, elegant enough for an emperor, a place where Saburo Arasaka happened to be at this moment.
It wasn't far from Arasaka Tower, but it was hidden enough that the tower would be the first thing to attract attention, not Saburo's house.
Once we got close enough to see it easily, the mansion didn't have enough guards. They were all fighting at Arasaka Tower and had left only the bare minimum here, or they simply wanted to avoid drawing attention and blend in.
Either way, it didn't matter. We landed in the courtyard, completely invisible. I moved my hand; I didn't even bother projecting a sword. I just cast a completely invisible cutting spell and decapitated the few guards who were around.
Then we began to move slowly. We passed through long corridors and several rooms until we finally reached the place.
"Hahaha! How does it feel, Father!? Your empire is falling to pieces!" I stopped momentarily upon hearing the voice inside, speaking in perfect Japanese.
" Yorinobu!" shouted a woman's voice in repression.
"What?! It's impossible to recover from this! The entire Arasaka network has been completely eradicated, all facilities have been reduced to dust, and only Tokyo remains, the last stronghold! And sooner or later it will fall! And then they'll come for us! Someone who caused this level of destruction couldn't possibly leave us alive!
"Father will be killed, you too, Hanako, and me! We'll all be killed!" Yorinobu laughed happily as if it were the funniest thing in the world.
"Do you hear yourself, Yorinobu!? Don't you care about being killed!?" Hanako exclaimed tensely.
"Of course not! This is the happiest day of my life! Father and Arasaka will finally be erased, Arasaka's shadow will be eliminated, the fear and rot of this corporation exterminated!" You finally bit off more than you could chew, Father, and this all ends now! I'm so happy I can't stop laughing! Hahaha!" Yorinobu laughed heartily. All the while, Saburo remained silent. I just sighed inwardly, removed our invisibility, and opened the door.
"I'm glad you approve of our actions, Yorinobu." I said softly as I entered. Several shots rang out at the same time. I moved my hand and easily caught all the bullets. Once they were finished, I threw the bullets aside, almost bored.
"Stop!" someone shouted. I ignored it.
"Ha! Death is coming through the door! How charming! " Yorinobu laughed cheerfully, almost lazily, with a satisfied smile on his face. I looked around.
Inside, there were only five people: Saburo, Hanako, Yorinobu, Goro Takemura, and Sandayu Oda. The two bodyguards were the ones holding the weapons and had fired. They both slowly began to draw the rest of their weapons: Takemura, his katana, and Sandayu, his mantis swords.
The only person missing here who was part of the Arasaka legacy was Michiko Arasaka, Saburo's only granddaughter through his deceased eldest son. Everyone else had died long ago, but there wasn't much to worry about regarding Michiko.
Although Michiko was currently on the Arasaka board of directors, she had the least involvement; she preferred to focus on Danger Gal, a private investigation and security corporation she had founded in Night City.
And that's where she was. Michiko was easy to find, but it's not like it really matters. I'm supposed to destroy Arasaka to fully complete the mission, in a way that makes it impossible for them to recover. The mission was almost over.
Saburo's death would end the job. Neither Yorinobu nor Michiko would try to rebuild Arasaka in a million years. The only one who would probably be Hanako. I know she disagreed with her father on many things and had her own plans, but she still loved him and wanted to carry out his wishes to some extent. So I didn't know for sure if she would try to restore the Arasaka legacy or let it die and focus on other things.
Saburo raised his hand to stop both bodyguards and stared at me.
"You don't seem surprised," I said easily as I entered the room.
"Should I?" Saburo said coldly. "You're underestimating me if you really think I believed you were in the Arasaka Tower in Night City. A hit like this should be finished by its leader. I was expecting you." Saburo added. I laughed and shrugged.
"I guess so, but it's not like it matters, is it? " I said calmly. Takemura and Sandayu tensed up. Saburo hummed.
"No... I suppose not," Saburo said, almost humming. "You sent my strongest bodyguard to Night City as a distraction, to keep him away from me. While it's a shock and a shame to see Adam dead, I don't think you're so vulnerable that Goro and Oda can stop you, are you? " Saburo asked.
"Unfortunately, no, they won't. They won't be able to stop me from finishing this." I said easily. Saburo just nodded.
"Saburo-sama!" Takemura exclaimed as he took a step forward. Saburo just looked at him, making him stop. Saburo looked at me again.
"Then there's nothing more to discuss," Saburo said with a simplicity that surprised me, almost as if he were accepting his fate. "Although, if you could give a few last words to a dead man..." Saburo said expressionlessly. I just raised an eyebrow. "Who the hell are you?" he asked simply, abandoning all courtesy. I chuckled.
"Serena Prince." I said simply. Saburo narrowed his eyes.
"Don't play games with me, girl, you know what I mean," Saburo said coldly. "Aperture Science never existed, Elisabet Sobeck never existed, there was never a century-long rivalry between us. So I'll ask you one more time, who are you, and who are you all?" Saburo asked directly, a question that seemed to surprise the other four. I just chuckled.
"I must correct you, Elisabet Sobeck and Aperture, if they existed, the conflict... I suppose not, at least not with Aperture and Elisabet," I said honestly. Saburo just stared at me. "We needed an excuse to attack and eradicate Arasaka, to remove you from the board permanently. The rivalry was just a made-up excuse, but once we leaked everything Arasaka did, its deepest secrets, it wouldn't matter. People would label Arasaka as evil, and that would justify our attack on you," I said honestly.
"You-" Hanako tried to say, almost horrified. Takemura's teeth were clenched as he glared at me with hatred. Yorinobu, on the other hand, started laughing. Saburo just remained silent.
"A conflict... an enmity, not with Aperture and that Elisabet you said, so it's with you, or someone close to you," Saburo said easily. I could feel Lucy tremble slightly, something Saburo noticed as well. His gaze shifted to her for the first time since he entered. "With you, then." Lucy shuddered more intensely as she clenched her teeth and glared at Saburo with hatred. "An entire empire destroyed, not for a dream or a supposed future, not for so-called justice, but for a woman?" Saburo asked, almost bored, averting his gaze from Lucy with a dismissive air. I smiled gently.
"Isn't it almost poetic? like a fairy tale?" I said playfully. "Empires fall, sooner or later, yours is falling now, the reason doesn't matter so much," I said finally. Saburo raised a bored eyebrow.
"And when will yours fall?" Saburo asked, almost challengingly. I chuckled.
"Never?" I said playfully. "I have no intention of ruling anything. The only reason I'm in charge of Aperture and Zero Dawn is because of a promise, a mission, a legacy, let's say, but... once that's over, I'll simply let everything go. My gaze is... further afield." I said as I looked up at the sky.
"Further... huh?" Saburo almost seemed to understand, I chuckled.
" Yes, Zero Dawn is designed to work on completely uninhabitable planets. It's designed to try and try again to create a habitable biosphere, even on the most arid planet... and Earth isn't the only planet." I said playfully. Saburo's eyes flashed brightly, almost greedily, before dimming. I could see the other four were in shock.
"You plan to colonize other planets, you plan to create a real space race, you plan to take humanity into space and colonize planets." Saburo said purposefully, and I just nodded. Saburo looked at me intently before nodding. "Very well… I recognize your ambition, Serena Prince. End this." He said, finally, slowly kneeling where he was and closing his eyes.
"Saburo-sama!" Takemura said in a panic, stepping in front of him. Saburo said nothing; he simply remained silent. I began broadcasting Saburo's execution to everyone in the world.
Lucy stepped forward, and both Takemura and Sandayu suffered a short circuit in their cyberware, paralyzing them. They both fell to the ground, completely paralyzed, but still conscious as they observed everything.
Slowly, from one of Lucy's arms, the mono-cable emerged from her wrist, positioned itself behind Saburo, and didn't even say a word before wrapping the mono-cable around Saburo's neck and pulling him.
Saburo's head flew off. I could hear Hanako's and Takemura's screams, yet Lucy said nothing; her gaze was fixed on Saburo Arasaka's head as it fell to the ground.
Lucy stepped back from Saburo's body, which fell with a thud to the ground. She stared at Saburo's head for a few moments before lifting her foot and crushing it completely. Cut the transmission immediately. The job was done.
"Saburo-sama!! Damned monster! He was already dead! It's a complete disgrace!!" Takemura shouted furiously. I could see the hatred oozing from Takemura's eyes.
"Don't think we know about Relic 2.0. Leaving Saburo's brain intact was something we wouldn't risk." I said coldly. Takemura didn't seem to hear us; he just kept staring at us with hatred and murderous rage.
"I guess it's our turn." Yorinobu sighed, ignoring everything. His eyes remained fixed on his father's corpse; a great weight seemed to have been lifted from his body, and he was almost at peace with himself. "You know, it would have been nice to work for Aperture," Yorinobu said with a gentle smile.
" Yes?" I asked gently. Yorinobu laughed and shrugged.
" Yes, Aperture Science and Project Zero Dawn seem like an excellent way to help people, in a way Arasaka never did, to restore the planet to a completely green and healthy state once again? Terraforming planets and helping humans reach the stars? Yes, it sounds fantastic." Yorinobu said with a sigh. "But dying here is good too."
"My father's shadow will fade and must not linger through us. If my death prevents my father's shadow from lingering, then yes, I will gladly die. There are still more corporations, but if they were able to destroy Arasaka, then the others will be no problem."
"My only regret is not being there to see the new world." Yorinobu sighed as he closed his eyes and awaited his fate. I considered it for a few seconds.
"So what do you say, do you want to work at Aperture?" I asked gently, smiling. Yorinobu's eyes widened, and she stared at me incredulously. Hanako also gave me a fixed look. "We prepared for this attack thoroughly. We investigated everything about you, Yorinobu, and from what I heard, the information was accurate. Your hatred for Arasaka was easily identifiable."
"You would never try to restore Arasaka, so I wouldn't mind letting you go. Well, with certain exceptions, obviously. You must be dead to the rest of the world, your face and name will be changed, and safeguards will be placed on your mind—nothing too restrictive, just enough to prevent you from forming Arasaka in any way." I said easily. Yorinobu looked at me with bright eyes.
" Yorinobu! You can't believe her! You would work for our father's murderer?!" Hanako shouted, almost incredulous.
" I would," Yorinobu said without the slightest hesitation. "Our father was a monster, Hanako, you know that perfectly well," Yorinobu spat, glaring at her sister.
"I'll offer you the same deal, Hanako, but your... restrictions are much stricter." I intervened immediately, and Hanako's eyes widened. "I know you're the lead researcher on the current version of Soulkiller. That shows how dangerous you can be, and how valuable you are. You can investigate as much as you want, but you won't have any power. You'll be in chains so you can't betray us, but beyond that, you'll have complete freedom." I said it matter-of-factly. Hanako snorted bitterly.
"You call that freedom?" Hanako mocked, and I just shrugged.
"It's more than you deserve. You don't agree with Saburo's ambitions or actions, yet you've helped him countless times. You're an enabler, though honestly, I couldn't care less about your actions. Loving your father is perfectly fine, but that shows what you're capable of. Letting our guard down with you would be stupid." I told her honestly, and Hanako glared at me.
"Hanako-sama! Don't listen to her!" Takemura shouted from the ground. I just rolled my eyes.
"Accept it, sister, break our father's chains, step out of that monster's shadow!" Yorinobu said fervently. Hanako looked at Yorinobu for a few seconds before staring at me.
"Good!" Hanako spat out, glaring at me, although she had an almost resigned expression on her face.
"Hanako-sama!" Takemura shouted almost treacherously.
"Very well, then... it will all be over by the time they wake up." I said simply, snapped my fingers, and the four of them—the two Arasakas and the two bodyguards—immediately fell unconscious. I sighed wearily and turned to look at Lucy, who had been ignoring everything, simply staring at Saburo's body.
"I hope you didn't mind th-" Lucy interrupted me with a tight hug, burying her face in my chest and holding me tightly; I could feel her trembling slightly.
"Thank you." Lucy whimpered, trembling and choking. I just sighed and gently returned the hug. We stayed like that for a long time. I didn't mind in the slightest.