Sasha's fingers flew across the interface like lightning.
Streams of surveillance feeds, traffic cameras, and city drones flashed through her vision as she dove into the Cyber World.
A moment later, her eyes snapped open.
"I found Dexter."
Jackie leaned forward at once.
"Where is that bastard?"
Sasha's expression darkened.
"…Too late."
The words hit like a hammer.
"He left several hours ago. Even if Falco floors it, this truck won't catch a lightweight vehicle that already has that much of a head start."
Falco cursed under his breath but kept driving.
Then Sasha stiffened.
"Falco—stop the car!"
The urgency in her voice made everyone tense.
Falco slammed the brakes, the heavy off-road vehicle skidding slightly before coming to a halt.
Jackie's heartbeat spiked.
"What happened?"
Sasha's pupils flickered rapidly as new data poured in.
"Something's happened to Dexter."
Her voice sharpened.
"He's been intercepted."
"By who?"
"Arasaka."
The name alone changed the atmosphere inside the car.
Sasha continued, eyes locked on the invisible feeds only she could see.
"It's Goro Takemura—Saburo Arasaka's personal bodyguard."
Her expression shifted from focus to shock.
"Damn… he's fast."
A pause.
"One of Dexter's men just got decapitated with a single strike."
Another pause.
"They're talking."
Then her face hardened.
"Takemura killed Dexter."
Silence.
Then Jackie exploded.
"FUCK!"
His fist slammed into the side door hard enough to dent the metal panel.
There were few things more infuriating than having someone steal your revenge.
The man responsible for V's death—his target, his rage, his vengeance—
gone.
Killed by someone else.
And Jackie hadn't even been there to see it happen.
His teeth clenched so hard his jaw trembled.
"That son of a bitch…!"
Then Sasha blinked.
"…Wait."
Everyone looked at her.
Her voice rose with sudden disbelief.
"Good news."
Jackie froze.
"V's alive."
The words knocked the breath out of him.
"What?"
"She's not dead."
Sasha's tone grew steadier as she reviewed the footage.
"She moved inside the bag. Dexter must've sedated her instead of killing her."
A faint pause.
"Takemura injected her with something too. Looks medical—probably a stabilizer. It should keep her alive long enough to reach a hospital."
For a moment Jackie simply stared.
Then all the rage and despair inside him burst like a punctured tire.
He collapsed back into the seat, almost laughing from sheer relief.
"She's alive…"
Dorio folded her arms.
"So, what's the move? We go pick them up?"
Jackie forced himself to think.
Takemura had killed Dexter.
He had saved V.
And if what he suspected was true, then the man had his own reasons.
He lifted his head.
"Takemura's probably on our side."
Everyone looked at him.
"Yorinobu killed his old man and pinned it on us."
Jackie's eyes hardened.
"Takemura needs proof. V's his witness."
He took a breath.
"We meet up with him first. Then we get V treated."
Falco glanced at Maine through the rearview.
Maine gave a short nod.
"Works for me."
Sasha's expression tightened again.
"They're already moving back toward Night City."
Then she frowned.
"…And Arasaka agents are closing in."
Falco swore.
"Corporate dogs really are like rabid mutts."
Maine leaned forward.
"Falco."
The driver's hands tightened on the wheel.
"Punch it."
The engine roared.
The heavy vehicle surged forward like a beast unleashed.
Near the double U-shaped overpass outside the Colorado Ranch, Goro Takemura's convertible cut through the highway at blistering speed.
V lay unconscious in the passenger seat.
For the first time since Saburo Arasaka's death, Takemura felt something close to hope.
He had found the only person who could prove the truth.
As Saburo's personal bodyguard, his failure was absolute.
His lord had died under his protection.
That shame alone was enough to destroy a man.
And Arasaka had done exactly that.
His position.
His status.
His access.
Everything had been stripped away.
Even worse, the evidence already pointed clearly to Yorinobu.
Saburo had been strangled.
The culprit was obvious.
But evidence meant nothing without power.
Now that Saburo was dead, Yorinobu controlled most of Arasaka's resources.
The board feared him.
The family elders favored him.
No one wanted to challenge the man who now held the corporation's machinery in his hands.
No one wanted to die for a dead emperor.
Takemura gripped the steering wheel tighter.
There was only one path left.
Michiko Arasaka.
Kei Arasaka's daughter.
Saburo's granddaughter.
A third-generation heir with enough influence to move the board.
Unlike Hanako, Michiko had her own faction and inherited a portion of Kei's old network.
If Yorinobu could be removed, she stood to gain everything.
That alone made her the perfect ally.
But ambition wasn't enough.
She would need undeniable proof.
Takemura glanced at V.
This woman was that proof.
As long as her memory data could be extracted, the truth would become impossible to deny.
Yorinobu had murdered Saburo with his own hands.
Patricide.
A crime even Arasaka's board could not openly excuse.
Takemura's eyes narrowed.
If he succeeded, Yorinobu would lose his claim.
And Takemura—
would reclaim his honor as a samurai.
⭐ Enjoying the story?
You can read ahead and support the translations by joining my Patreon! Your support helps me update faster and take on more projects. Thank you for reading!
Read up to 50 chapters ahead!
patreon.com/AminaSim