"...So Father's strategy is still going ahead…"
Watching the Arasaka fleet steadily approach Night City, Yorinobu Arasaka couldn't help but frown.
After learning what had happened in Pacifica, he had assumed Saburo Arasaka's plan would be thrown off course. Yet despite everything, Arasaka was still managing to establish a foothold in Night City.
"But it definitely won't be the same as the original plan…"
His gaze shifted toward the distant PROJECT Tower. At this point, most of Night City was already under the joint control of PROJECT Corporation and Night Corp.
What remained was in the hands of corps like Biotechnica. Militech's room to operate had been severely squeezed, though they hadn't been driven out entirely. Roland had deliberately spared them for now, waiting to see if there would be opportunities later to exploit them—or shear them for profit again.
After all, squeezing major corporations was incredibly satisfying. It helped close part of the gap in PROJECT Corporation's long-term foundations.
...
Hansen leaned against a wall, breathing heavily, and glanced at the figures around him.
Murphy was already dead. Yuri lay unconscious on the ground. Farida was nowhere to be seen. Bennett and Lindell had also vanished without a trace.
As for Hansen himself, he was at the end of his rope. His Sandevistan had overheated and was unusable. His body was riddled with wounds, his stamina completely drained, every muscle aching.
And worst of all—a fatal gunshot wound in his abdomen.
When he heard footsteps approaching, Hansen only paused briefly before letting out a faint laugh. He sat down on a pile of rubble, leaned back against the wall, and lit a cigarette.
"Haa…."
As the smoke drifted from his lips, PROJECT's mechanical forces closed in and surrounded him. Their weapons were trained on him, waiting only for the order to fire.
"Well? Not pulling the trigger?"
The cigarette hung from Hansen's mouth as he looked at the machines in front of him.
"I know someone's watching. Come out. Let's talk."
"Heh. Quite composed, Mr. Kurt Hansen."
One of the robots stepped forward, and Roland's projection appeared before Hansen.
Hansen froze for a moment when he saw Roland's face, then chuckled.
"Never thought that at the end of my life, I'd catch the attention of a big shot like the boss of PROJECT Corporation. What—are you here to persuade me to surrender?"
"To be honest, I do admire you," Roland said calmly, hands clasped behind his back. "You don't have to die here for the New United States. They were always planning to discard your entire unit as expendable pawns. Even without my involvement, once Arasaka stepped in, they would have abandoned you all the same."
Hansen gave no visible reaction, but he knew exactly what his superiors were like. Roland's words were very likely true.
"So? What are you waiting for?"
The question made Roland pause, looking at him with faint confusion.
Hansen took one last drag from his cigarette, flicked it aside, and spread his arms with a faint smile.
"Even if I was nothing but a pawn, you killed my brothers. There's no room for reconciliation between us. Come on."
"...I have to admit, your choice surprises me. It's a pity. But I respect it."
Roland nodded, then raised a hand in a subtle gesture.
Bang!
A single gunshot rang out.
A heavy body hit the ground.
Hansen—who would have become the ruler of Dogtown—died there on the battlefield.
At the same time, a sum of Orange Essence appeared in Roland's balance.
"What a shame… Finish off the rest."
Roland shook his head and issued the order. If he was going to act, he would do it thoroughly.
He had no intention of leaving future trouble behind.
After eliminating these key plot figures, Roland shifted his attention to Arasaka's deployment in Night City and the situation in Idaho.
"Want us to trip them up a little?"
Kelly suddenly appeared and asked.
"When did you get back? Weren't you monitoring Idaho?"
Roland glanced at her.
"The situation there's stable for now. Commander Chris has taken control. After capturing the city, they're regrouping, so I came back first."
"That's not like you. Shouldn't you be slacking off somewhere?"
"...Want me to leave?"
"You're already here. No point leaving now. Help me with something."
Kelly narrowed her eyes at him.
"What do you need, boss?"
"Go find him."
With a thought, Roland brought up Bartmoss's photo.
"Huh? Isn't he dead?"
Kelly stared at him, completely confused.
"He became an intelligent AI beyond the Blackwall and formed his own AI faction. I need you to locate him."
Roland ignored her reaction and continued.
"That's not something that can be done in a day or two. And what about Idaho—"
"Lissandra will take over there. You don't need to worry about it."
Seeing through her attempt to deflect, Roland cut her off directly.
Kelly's face fell. This was far more exhausting than watching a battlefield.
"Then why not let Lissandra handle it? She's better than me at this."
"No. You're the most suitable person for this task. The Spirit of Seduction's abilities will guide us to him. When it comes to this kind of work, even Lissandra can't match you."
Roland shook his head and looked at her steadily.
Kelly eyed him skeptically.
But Roland wasn't wrong. The Spirit of Seduction's greatest strength was information retrieval within data networks. Its other abilities were secondary.
After all, even Iron Man's transformation had first been detected by the Spirit of Seduction. Its escape, concealment, and tracking capabilities were all top-tier.
"Oh, and this person too. I need you to lock onto her location as well."
Roland pulled up Alt's photo.
"Got it."
Kelly nodded. One more task wouldn't make much difference.
...
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