"We've lost contact?! I need an explanation!!"
Saburo Arasaka glared at the netrunner team in front of him, his expression dark as he barked the question.
The netrunners stood there drenched in sweat, heads lowered, not daring to say a word.
"Hiss… Huff… What exactly is going on?"
After taking a deep breath to steady himself, Saburo Arasaka spoke again, though his face remained grim.
"Y-yes, our communication channels were directly cut off through the network. We've completely lost contact with Night City and the fleet at sea."
"How is that possible?!"
Saburo Arasaka stared at them in disbelief. He had always been confident in their netrunning capabilities and the support of their powerful AI, yet now he was being told their network had been completely blocked.
It was no wonder he lost his composure. He had only seen something like this once before, during that network crisis. But the current situation was entirely different.
For Arasaka's communications to be severed under these conditions, there was only one possibility.
At that thought, Saburo Arasaka's expression darkened further. Without another word, he turned and headed for the elevator. He would have to rely on another kind of power.
Meanwhile, the Arasaka fleet stationed in the Pacific near Night City remained completely unaware of what was happening. After receiving orders from headquarters to prepare for combat, no further instructions had followed.
"…Commander, should we maintain combat readiness?"
The deputy commander couldn't help but ask.
"Wait a bit longer. I'll request instructions again."
The commander sent another request to Arasaka, but the response remained the same: standby.
"Headquarters says we hold position and take no action."
"Understood."
The deputy commander nodded and relayed the order.
...
"You've betrayed Arasaka."
Oda spoke coldly to Yasuo.
"Nonsense. I have never sworn loyalty to Arasaka. From the moment I was created, I have been PROJECT's most loyal blade."
Yasuo replied indifferently. Then, with a flick of his foot, he kicked the katana that had fallen on the ground back toward Oda.
Oda glanced at him. The moment their eyes met, he understood.
This was not the original Kenichi Zaburo.
His heart sank.
PROJECT could alter a person's consciousness?
But now wasn't the time to dwell on that. He didn't believe Smasher could have survived that attack. That meant he had to rely on himself. He needed to defeat the man in front of him and buy more time for Lord Saburo.
From the moment he accepted this mission, he had never planned to return alive.
He bent down, picked up the katana, and after a deep breath, gripped both blades tightly, his eyes locked on Wind.
The moment their breathing stilled again, Oda moved.
Sandevistan activated instantly. With strange, unpredictable footwork, he slipped into Wind's blind spot like a phantom.
Two katanas flashed like streaks of light, cutting toward his vital points.
Whoosh.
Oda froze as he stared at the empty ground in front of him. Just as he tried to turn, a sharp pain tore from his waist up to his shoulder.
"Gah!"
Blood burst from his mouth, and at the same time, a large spray erupted from the wound across his chest. His strength vanished, and he dropped to his knees.
With great difficulty, he lifted his head, staring in disbelief at Wind, who was slowly sheathing his blade behind him.
"You… how is this possible…"
"The path to extinction is shorter than you think."
Yasuo sheathed his sword and walked over.
"You're strong. Unfortunately, you met me. There's no shame in dying by my hand."
The light faded from Oda's eyes.
That single strike had sliced through his heart, lungs, and other vital organs. There was no chance of survival.
The overwhelming difference in speed had made the outcome inevitable.
Yasuo crouched slightly, reached out to close his eyes, then took the two katanas from Oda's hands before leaving.
With their top-tier fighter gone, the fate of the Arasaka forces needed no explanation. It became a complete rout.
Jhin, in particular, was in his element. Moving gracefully amid a crowd of Arasaka troops, he seemed almost to be dancing. Every shot hit its mark. Those struck were instantly engulfed in energy, blooming into brilliant flowers before exploding.
The bizarre sight made Arasaka's forces avoid that area entirely. Even the PROJECT squad tacitly gave Jhin space. None of them wanted to be covered in blood.
Meanwhile, Kiwi and the others searched for targets that looked like commanders, carrying out precise decapitation strikes.
Kiwi, Zed, Lucy, Pilar, and Sasha.
Kiwi, Zed, and Lucy pushed into the enemy lines to eliminate key targets, while Pilar provided long-range support. Together with Sasha and Kerry, she tracked enemy movements.
Compared to them, the frontal battlefield was far more chaotic.
Jackie, Vilet, and the others had already plunged into the formation, charging straight through heavy fire. Ignoring the barrage of attacks, they tore through the enemy lines head-on.
Whoosh.
A burst of purplish-red energy flared beside Sasha, and Lucy appeared instantly at her side.
"Why haven't I seen Roland?"
"The boss went downstairs to look for something."
Sasha shrugged.
"What could Arasaka possibly have that he wants?"
Lucy asked, curious.
"No idea. Probably some kind of classified data."
Meanwhile, deep in the underground base, Roland finally found what he had been looking for.