Chapter 34: PRAY THE DEVIL FALL TO HELL

It happened the day after we went out with Jack and invited David—Maine came along too, and Pilar just tagged along uninvited—and ended up at Lizzie’s Bar, which had taken on a surprisingly classy vibe.

Once again, we were summoned to Little Boss’s office.

This time, it looked like the EdgeRunners had been called in as well. The two teams stood on either side of the room, waiting for Little Boss to arrive.

I wondered if it had something to do with the incident the other day, but nothing came to mind.

I’d talked to Maine last night, and it sounded like his crew had mostly been cleaning up after Biotechnica—mopping up remnants, hunting down rogue scientists, that sort of thing.

"Still... seeing us all lined up like this really shows how much of an impact Jug has made."

Jack said it with a lazy grin, and Maine nodded in agreement.

Both of our teams had been shaped and polished by Little Boss, like gems. Just facing each other like this, you could feel the battle-worn weight behind each one.

...Well, they’ve probably been through their own share of brutal gigs too, so it’s only natural.

Lately, even when we run into the Tyger Claws, they tend to step aside and say, “We’ll leave this to your lady boss.” Happens a lot now.

At this point, not even one of Night City’s biggest gangs, the Tyger Claws, could stop Little Boss’s rapid rise. She's too protected, too formidable.

That kind of confidence is definitely propelling us forward.

“Still, this is rare, huh? Calling in both teams at once.”

“Must mean we’ve got a big job coming.”

“I hear she’s more well-known now than that fat guy, Dex.”

“Faraday was saying the same thing. In the fixer world, Jug’s name rings loud. Some even whisper she might be the next Queen of Afterlife.”

“Funny, considering her moves are starting to look more and more corpo, don’t you think? Far as I know, she’s been churning out company after company through that Delamain partnership—medical services, a pharma outfit, a farm, even a food factory. She’s practically become a part of Night City.”

“Thinking about the fact that we work under someone like that... makes you feel like we’ve made it, huh?”

“Yeah. Not that I’m in a position to talk, being a corpo dropout myself, but... Little Boss’s growth is beyond human. It’s like she can see the future, like she’s already playing the next ten moves ahead.”

“Hey now, don’t go putting her on too high a pedestal. She’s still just a teenage girl, y’know. And lately... something’s been off with her.”

Jack’s voice was tinged with such concern that it brought a hush over the room.

Can’t blame him. Little Boss is only fifteen—the youngest among us. Next youngest is David at eighteen.

And David, who probably understands her recent changes the best, was biting down hard, his face drawn in a grimace.

Apparently, she went somewhere without David for the first time.

That’s why I took him to Lizzie’s last night to cheer him up.

The guy ended up watching a bunch of fluffy animal BDs—y’know, the kind you’d only put on as a joke. Poor kid’s really spiraling.

When I was his age, I was off flirting with the neighbor girl for fun.

Then there’s Rebecca. She could’ve easily won David over just by whispering sweet nothings and being there for him. But no—she’s so damn innocent she can’t even comfort him right.

And now I hear he’s been getting close with Lucy, too. So David’s basically ignoring two girls just to keep pining after Little Boss.

I won’t lie—it’s turning into solid drinking material. Never thought I’d see such pure-hearted romance drama in Night City.

If fate allows, I hope Little Boss finds some kind of happiness too. But with the way things are going, storm clouds are gathering, and it’s hard to feel hopeful.

While we were chatting, the office door creaked open—and the one at the center of it all, Little Boss, had arrived... —Wait, who’s the girl behind her?

Little Boss was dressed as usual—samurai jacket and overalls—but behind her, close at her side, stood a girl I’d never seen before.

Her sapphire-colored twin tails, made from some kind of translucent fiber, reached down to her waist, and the clips in her hair looked like high-performance antennae.

Judging by her modestly raised chest and soft-looking limbs, she was definitely a girl. But the outfit—a morning coat-like jacket paired with a Victorian maid-style skirt—was enough to scramble your brain if you tried to make sense of it.

A butler and a maid? That’s the impression she gave off, dressed in that oddly blended attire. Her eyes were jet black, inorganic, and obviously optical implants.

“Sorry to keep you waiting. Since David will be involved in the mission, I needed a substitute—and I made one.”

“You made one?”

“Allow me to introduce her—my new subordinate: Delamain. I had a perfect body engineered with the finest in biotech and cybernetics, and installed an AI consciousness into it. I plan to debut her soon as a mysterious net idol, so you should remember her.”

“Pleased to meet you. I’m Delamain. Jug-sama created this body for me, and in return, I intend to stay close and earn her favor. Don’t worry—your regular support will still be handled by other Delamains.”

The voice—Delamain’s usual voice—coming from that girl’s body was enough to send my brain into a tailspin.

Cautiously, I glanced at David—his eyes were literally spinning in his head. Poor guy. Basically got fired from his bodyguard role. Stay strong, kid. The wound isn’t fatal yet.

But man... Delamain, huh. That is Delamain. Same voice as the pasty-faced original...

“Heh, looks like everyone’s confused. Go ahead, change your voice.”

“Very well. —How’s this? I’ve replicated the vocal tone of a Japanese Voiceroid that was popular half a century ago. I thought it might better match this appearance.”

“Whoa... it’s synthetic, but it definitely sounds female now. You’re getting scary good at sounding human. Are you sure you’re a robot?”

“Calling me a robot is inaccurate. I’m a highly capable roaming AI. You could say this consciousness zone is my true ‘body.’”

“She’s a prototype in the Delamain series. With her, we don’t have to worry about lack of personnel or unnecessary speculation. I’ll be assigning her to factory-related tasks, so she won’t interfere with your work.”

“...She just did take my job though???”

Poor David. You have every right to cry.

But you’re not entirely blameless either.

I get that you felt indebted and didn’t want to cross a line, but love is war. It’s all about staking your claim.

Just being by her side isn’t enough if you don’t plant your flag.

...Though, Little Boss is Little Boss.

She trusts us—but she doesn’t rely on us.

She believes we’ll succeed, but she always has a dozen contingencies in case we don’t. That’s how she operates.

Every time I hear about this girl—Juggla Kagura, as Main calls her—I can’t help but think trust issues.

She’s reined in that distrust just enough to function, but the skill with which she runs her business is straight-up terrifying.

...Honestly, it’s like she doesn’t even see herself as human. Just another piece on the board.

That’s why she puts her trust in Delamain—someone who can move 24/7, someone who can replace her if anything happens.

Little Boss doesn’t smoke. She doesn’t drink. She doesn’t buy men or women, doesn’t gamble, doesn’t do drugs.

So where does she find joy? Where does she find peace?

She’s wound so tight, she might as well be a piano wire. What in this world could possibly soothe her?

And what does she see with those cold, dark eyes of hers?

“Now then, let’s go over the mission details. Delamain.”

“Understood. Activating projection screen. Beginning operation briefing.”

She even handed off the mission briefing to Delamain. Guess that’s how much she trusts her.

From the ceiling, a holographic map of Night City was projected—crystal-clear, three-dimensional, yet real.

“This mission’s objective: The client—sorry, your security clearance is insufficient for disclosure. Your target is the biochip ‘Relic,’ held in the top floor of Konpeki Plaza, in the suite belonging to Yorinobu Arasaka. The suite layout has been provided by the client. Here is the compiled data. I’ll transmit it to each team’s netrunner.”

The briefing retained that mechanical tone, yet somehow still carried a hint of Little Boss’s style. All we could do was listen in silence.

...Security clearance? From the way Little Boss winced and rubbed her brow, that was clearly a slip-up. So that’s why she’s always kept client info vague. Makes sense now.

The hologram zoomed into Konpeki Plaza, detailing everything from the entrance to the suite’s interior.

“Before we begin, there are several concerns to note. Because Yorinobu Arasaka is staying in the suite, Konpeki Plaza’s defenses have been significantly strengthened. The tech room now has a full-time netrunner on staff, making hacking extremely difficult. Therefore, the first phase will be infiltration. From the EdgeRunners, David and Lucy will enter as cleaners and smuggle in Flathead. From the Jackals, Vincent and Valerie will enter as guests and carry out the handoff.”

“...Uh, hey Delamain? Maybe use nicknames? You’re kinda killing the vibe.”

“My apologies. I pulled those names from biometric data and hadn’t updated them. Going forward, I’ll refer to them as V and Val.”

...Yep, still Delamain. This gorgeous robot girl is still undeniably that Delamain. Maybe “android” is more accurate now.

But Flathead, huh... That gives me a pretty good idea of who the client is. They’re not naming names, probably because they messed up last time.

Or maybe, now that they’re a repeat client, Little Boss didn’t get a chance to hide their identity fast enough. Up until now, she treated them like any other client.

At some point, Little Boss had laid down across Delamain’s soft-looking thighs, looking completely exhausted.

...Well, it’s been one mess after another lately. She’s probably reached the “screw it” stage.

Sasha and Vanny looked on like their favorite seat had been stolen.

You two were spoiling her like crazy... maybe you crossed the line a little with how much you love her.

“As the second phase, we’ll activate the Flathead from the reserved room, infiltrate the underground tech room through the pipeline, neutralize the stationed netrunner, lower the security in the suite, and unlock the elevator. That role will be handled by the Edgerunners—”

“Delamain, you can skip saying our team name. We all know it.”

“Understood. Then, Kiwi and Sasha will operate the Flathead and handle the neutralization. Once complete, prepare to activate the internal demolition device to erase evidence. For the third phase, V and Valley will infiltrate the suite via the elevator and retrieve the bio-chip located at the marked coordinates. David and Lucy, already infiltrated, will remain on standby to keep watch and perform internal interference if needed.”

A portion of the suite where Yorinobu resides was revealed to house a hidden case, stored beneath the floor.

…This is supposed to be Konpeki Plaza's elite security, and they’re getting absolutely ransacked. That poor netrunner downstairs has every right to cry.

And as a bonus, they’re leaving a bomb behind. That runner’s not making it out alive…

Looking over at the two, they just shrugged—clearly used to these ruthless Little Boss gigs by now.

“In the event of an emergency, V and Valley must evacuate immediately. This job cannot fail. We cannot afford to tarnish the name of fixer Juggler Kagura, whose success rate is one hundred percent. Carry out this job as if your life depends on it.”

“Hey, Delamain? Delamain?? Since when do you get this emotional? It’s fine, really—we don’t care that much about the damn track record.”

“You’re too kind, Jug-sama. But as you heard—should you fail to meet expectations, I will take your place. Keep that in mind. You’re not irreplaceable. Replacements are already standing by.”

“Delamaaain??? You don’t have to say that much! And for the record, I didn’t design the Delamain series to act like this!?”

Watching Delamain fawn over Little Boss like that, everyone came to the same conclusion: “Yep, her brain’s cooked, too.”

Little Boss does have a knack for frying minds…

David died of moe-overload at the rare sight of Little Boss fidgeting on someone’s lap. Rebecca clutched her chest like she was about to drop dead, and even Lucy had a bitter look as she pressed a hand to her heart. There was really no helping it.

Still, Delamain did have a point.

The adorable girl flustered before them was none other than the legendary tech genius, Jugra Kagura.

She had completed a high-performance android equipped with AI and bio-components. At that point, there was likely no other techie who could stand beside her.

If the Delamain standing here were built entirely with chrome like Adam Smasher, the thought alone was terrifying.

And from how she said it, it sounds like she could be mass-produced. That’s a nightmare in the making. Night City might actually be doomed.

Who would ever imagine an AI uprising born from obsessive affection? Sounds like the plot of a full-length film.

“As the fourth phase, V and Valley are to exit Konpeki Plaza without checking out. Main, Pilar, and Rebecca will wait in the parking lot. Jackie and Vani will form a second team to secure an escape route by car. Once you’ve shaken off any tails, switch to a disposable vehicle and return to the office. To maintain deniability, we’ve arranged throwaway cars.”

“The target is still an Arasaka, bloodline or not. Retaliation from the corporation is highly likely. So, install your counter-demons. They’ll wipe your face data from surveillance cams and optical implants. Still, your voice might stick in their memory, so stay silent whenever possible. Or use the holo-line we shared to communicate.”

“You could always skip all that if you plan to go one-on-one with Arasaka. In that case, Jug-sama will be forced to make a very bitter, painful decision.”

Little Boss didn’t even bother scolding Delamain anymore.

She couldn’t stop her, and she’d taken on the role of warning us in her place.

With a deep sigh, Little Boss tried to rise from the lap pillow—but was promptly pushed back down by Delamain.

…Sighing again, Little Boss gave up.

“…Sigh. Anyway. This is the hardest job we’ve ever had. Normally, you’d be better off ditching it and cutting your losses. But I’m not like that. Even if your heart gets blown out, you will come back to me. If Arasaka sends a hit squad, we’ll deal with it then—we’ll push everything forward and make it just in time. I swear, I swear, no one is allowed to be left behind. That’s all I have to say. The reward is the highest we’ve ever paid. You’re getting Major League money. …So pull this off. I’m counting on you.”

“And with that said—Jug-sama’s not feeling well, so please take your leave. Rest up and come ready to give it your all tomorrow.”

“You feeling alright? Don’t push yourself too hard, Jugg.”

“…Sorry, Jack. The stress piled up, and I haven’t been sleeping. I keep worrying that something irreversible might happen while I’m out cold… If it were something like my period, I’d at least have an excuse, but this vague paranoia with no real shape—it’s just so damn unsettling. Honestly, I feel better when I’m working every second I can, but if the doc puts a hard stop on me…”

Everyone immediately understood why Delamain had grown so possessive.

Classic Japanese mentality—like a corporate slave who can’t stop working due to a compulsion, always under pressure.

Little Boss didn’t trust anyone else enough, so she insisted on doing everything themselves. That’s probably why Delamain physically intervened.

Little Boss, who hates harming anyone close to her, must have accepted it reluctantly—consciously avoiding hurting Delamain’s soft skin with her chrome arms.

All the more reason we must succeed in this job.

To watch the love lives of the younger ones unfold.
To earn Little Boss’s trust.
Failure is simply not an option.

Just as Delamain said, when we left the office, Little Boss was watching us with her usual look.