Chapter 59

Johnny and Alt, having seemingly finished savoring the joy of their reunion, quietly stepped apart and turned toward us with a somewhat bashful air.

Well, who would’ve thought. Nihilistic, perpetually slouched Johnny—so far slouched it’s basically a ninety-degree angle—acting like that.

【...What, got a problem with it?】

“Nope, just thinking it’s nice to finally see the real you showing through.”

【Shut it. Hahh... I really messed up. Alt, I came to see you because I need a favor.】

【Hmm... That signal I’m sensing from that man’s neck... I see. So that’s what’s going on. Johnny, you’re inside the 《Relic》. And not just any relic... sealed away in what looks like a messy prototype full of all kinds of tech. Heh, what a chaotic ending. Very fitting for you.】

【Piss off. So, if we go to Arasaka’s 《Mikoshi》, will that get me out of this 《Relic》?】

【Hm? No way. The chip’s bio-nanomachines have already fused with the brain. They’ve practically become one and the same. That said, it seems the sequence is reconstructing the brain based on your data—so if you get out, there’s a high chance it’ll stop functioning due to the lack of reference material. Alternatively, we could convert that man into a memory trace and swap him with you. That should work too. Though for that, we’d need your biometric data from when you were still healthy...】

『I have that. We collected everyone’s biometric data during the monthly health checkups.』

I couldn’t hide my relief at Little Boss cutting in on their conversation.

There was some astonishment, too—how thoroughly prepared she was, as if she had a god’s-eye view of the world—but more than that, I was overwhelmed by the fact that there was now a real, tangible path to survival.

Alt, on the other hand, looked toward the Little Boss who had joined the conversation—and her face twisted into one of utter shock.

【...Hey, Johnny. Get that girl to a hospital right now. Why the hell did you leave her like this!?】

【W-What? Is there something wrong with the kid, Jugra?】

【“Something wrong” doesn’t even begin to cover it!! She’s been infected by a Cyberpsychosis Demon for years! Her mind is utterly shattered, and her emotional data is in total disarray! I’m amazed she’s even alive right now—it’s a miracle she hasn’t completely imploded!】

『...Cyberpsychosis Demon? I don’t remember ever getting hit by anything like that...』

【Of course not! That demon was made by rogue AIs as part of a takeover plan. It alters perceptions so the host doesn’t notice it’s there. On top of that, it messes with parameters to make the host go berserk. Looking at the logs... it must’ve slipped in when you first installed the Sandevistan in your back. …Honestly, I shouldn’t be the one asking this, but how the hell have you maintained a stable mental state?】

Alt stared at Little Boss’s device head with eyes like she was witnessing something alien. We couldn’t help but do the same.

Then, the previously silent device head suddenly trembled and began to falter, as if its functions had shut down and it was about to collapse to the ground—

But just then, a girl in a white one-piece dress appeared out of nowhere and gently caught it like it was something precious.

『Ah, that’s because I’m here. That demon’s goal is to take over its host—but if there’s already a foreign presence inhabiting the host, it can’t replace them. Vincent-oniisan doesn’t cyberpsych out because Johnny-oniisan’s already set up camp in there—there’s no room left.』

Gone was the usual masculine tone of Little Boss. In its place stood a serene, composed young girl—gentle, graceful.

She held the device head close to her chest with affection, smiling innocently. And at that moment, a particular word popped into my mind.

The one David had casually mentioned—split personality.

Most likely, this version of Little Boss was the “other side.” The reverse of the one we normally saw.

『Oniichan’s been moving nonstop to protect me ever since I almost died. He’s trying to crush Saburo Arasaka’s ambitions, too, all because he wants me to live peacefully. He probably doesn’t even realize it himself... or maybe he does, and he’s just gone numb to it by now. Oniichan’s already stepped over the edge. He’s resolved to die if he has to—but he still clings to strength, chasing it desperately. ...Oniichan worries too much. He doesn’t even trust a 100% success rate... though maybe that’s some game’s fault. I mean, come on, how do you fail at 100% upgrade success rate...?』

Little Boss was drifting into a strange tangent, but then she shook her head, returning to clarity, and floated toward the screen—

As we saw her land in front of that hideous black wall, Alt’s face turned pale and she rushed after her in panic.

『Using this power would solve everything easily—but it’s a double-edged sword, so Oniichan will never use it. So don’t worry, Alt-oneesan. That’s why Oniichan put his fate in the hands of Vincent-oniisan and Johnny-oniisan instead. Saburo Arasaka plans to use the completed chip—the same kind stuck in their necks—to possess Yorinobu and resurrect himself. To claim eternal life, the banner of immortality. He wants to build a perfect world with Arasaka at the center, reigning for hundreds or thousands of years. ...Even though it’s impossible. Someone who can’t be kind to people can’t possibly be kind to the world.』

With both arms crossed, Little Boss drew the curtain over what lay behind the screen, as if hiding it from view.

Alt, relieved, soon shifted to a confused expression.

Little Boss turned to us with an utterly radiant smile.

『You know, actually, Oniichan already has all the pieces he needs to solve everything. If we put Johnny-oniisan into one of Delamain’s backup bodies, Vincent-oniisan’s issue is fixed. Even Alt-oneesan could come back using the same method. But he hasn’t done it—because that would bring the story to a halt. Oniichan has stayed quiet all this time because he wants you to crush Saburo Arasaka’s ambition. Oniichan’s a romantic, after all. He wanted to see a bunch of scrappy cyberpunks take down a megacorp’s twisted dream. That’s why this is a request—from me. Attack Arasaka Tower, and completely destroy 《Mikoshi》. The reward? A second life. How about it? Tempting, isn’t it?』

My mind blanked.

But I also found myself thinking—it’s no wonder.

Little Boss had gathered every shred of information and glimpsed into the future. That’s probably why she saw the full scope of Saburo’s ambition.

Arasaka was too enormous to handle alone. No one would believe such a wild story, either. The limits were too severe.

So she started by recruiting David as her assistant.

Then she turned her eyes to the 《Edgerunners》, took them under her wing, and formed a connection with Jackie.

Backing them fully as 《Jackals》 when they started working as a team—it was all to build a powerful set of allies.

Even sending us into brutal, life-or-death situations was part of boosting the odds of success against Arasaka.

“…Little Boss... Boss... when did you start planning all of this…?”

Having once been a suit for Arasaka, I knew just how overwhelming that monster was—how terrifying it was to defy it.

She responded to my question with a breathtaking smile.

『From the very beginning. Since I was six—since the day Arasaka tried to kill me and my mom. I’ve been planning ever since. I swallowed back the same gut-wrenching fear Oniichan is probably feeling right now, clenched my teeth, bared my fangs, and kept fighting because I refused to die. …Oniichan’s shy, you know. He probably never intended to say any of this. I bet he just figured you’d go along with it once he said “we need 《Mikoshi》 under Arasaka Tower.”』

【Damn... You’re even more of an Arasaka-fucker than me. Guess it’s time for me to hand over the title...】

『Ah, Johnny-oniisan is someone onii-chan really, really loves, so I think he'd be super happy if you did something nice for him. Whenever he was trembling with anxiety, he’d always listen to your band's songs.』

["So that's why 《SAMURAI》's songs were on an endless loop at the clinic... Hah, looks like I’ve really been bought and sold here. …Hey, Vincent, you’re not the kind of guy who bails here, right?"]

"…Of course not, Johnny. The Boss saved my life. If she says to go steal Saburo’s ambition, then I’m the guy who has to take his damn head. Besides, we’re not the only ones gunning for Arasaka. Let’s go big."

【…Fine by me. I’ve got some things to settle with Arasaka too. And this so-called second life... I thought what I have now was it, but fufu, the idea of living with Johnny again in a machine body sounds kind of fun.】

【Hell yeah. Then it's settled. We're forming a suicide squad for Arasaka—Vincent, Alt. While we’re at it, let’s bring 《SAMURAI》 back too. We’ll give the girl front-row seats and show her what real cool looks like.】

Johnny crossed his arms and gave a sharp grin. Alt, with a shrug, smiled too.

That reckless, forward-charging spirit—maybe that’s exactly the kind of thing Alt finds charming.

『…No wonder onii-chan fell for you guys. You’re seriously cool, you know, all of you.』

The girl murmured with a half-smile, then suddenly lifted the device head she had been holding close to her chest above her head.

『Well then, it’s about time I head back into onii-chan. Try to cover for me in a way that sounds... good, okay?』

Wearing a signature cheeky smile, she pulled the device head down onto herself.

Static sparked—and the girl in the dress vanished.

The device head floated once again in midair. Four sets of eyes lit up.

『Ngh... Huh? Connection issue, maybe? My apologies, I seemed to have blanked out for a moment. How far did the conversation get?』

It was the usual Boss’s voice, calm but laced with confusion.

We looked at each other with amused smiles, then all turned toward the Boss in unison.

The Boss, now receiving the full weight of three gazes, tilted her head slightly. Her expression couldn’t be seen, but she was probably wearing a puzzled look.

"Yeah, we’ve made our decision. We’re gonna raid Arasaka Tower, link Alt to the 《Mikoshi》, and destroy it."

『Hmm... Hm? We’ve already gotten that far in the conversation? …Well, that’s fine then. Once Alt is connected to the 《Mikoshi》, send a copy of the data to me. I’ll need it to interface with the 《Relic》. I don’t need the contents, just the external system. As for the inside... yeah, let’s give that to Alt.』

【…Right. I’m the best one for handling what’s inside. Vincent, I’ll send you the connection line data to your terminal.】

"Got it. Leave the prep to me. I may not look it now, but I was once an elite corpo—I’ll get the job done right."

The Boss, clearly struggling to keep up with our momentum, tilted her head again, but some things are better left unsaid.

This is our all-or-nothing, grand operation to save the heart of Jugra Kagura—the gentle-hearted, genius ripper-fixer.

This is what it means to be cyberpunks in our truest form, our chance to prove ourselves as the Boss’s handpicked team.

With tomorrow’s Kang Tao convoy hit included, we’ve got a jam-packed schedule ahead of us.

【Hell yeah, now this is getting fun. I’m glad I get to ride along in your head, man.】

"…Yeah. And I’m glad I’ve got a badass veteran to lean on. It’s a win-win. Let’s do this, partner."

【Hell yeah, let’s go, partner. Let’s scream rock ‘n’ roll at the top of our lungs—go all out!!】