Chapter 398
2-in-1-chapter
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The Tori faction was composed mainly of conservative technocrats. Unlike Yorinobu's circle, they were not inclined toward violence. Their priority was preserving stability within Arasaka and continuing down the path Saburo had laid out.
The final faction within the Arasaka hierarchy was the Hato faction, led by Saburo's granddaughter, Michiko Arasaka—the daughter of Yorinobu's elder brother, Kei Arasaka.
Michiko had been born in the New United States, and had received her upbringing and education there. As a result, she maintained a strong affinity for the ideals of New America. Influenced by its currents of liberal thought, she and her Hato faction sought to reform Arasaka's existing structure.
It was well known that Arasaka's system was a fusion of feudal patriarchy and authoritarianism. Within the corporation, Saburo Arasaka had been emperor, heaven, and god all at once—an absolute sovereign whose will could not be defied.
Therefore, within Arasaka itself, Saburo Arasaka had long been deified.
Such a system was entirely intolerable to those influenced by the ideals of the New United States. It was like a pristine white jade vase marred by a single stubborn blemish—one that could not be wiped clean and remained an eyesore.
Saburo Arasaka would never allow any form of internal reform. Not only would it shake the foundation of his rule, it also contradicted everything he believed in. Born in pre-collapse Japan, he harbored deep disdain for the so-called Western spirit of liberty. In his eyes, Westerners used "freedom" as a cover for laziness and indulgence.
Were it not for their exploitation of the global economy and the centuries-long head start in development over Asia, then with their idle and undisciplined nature, the West would have long since collapsed into ruin.
That was why Saburo could never permit any trace of liberal thought to emerge within Arasaka. As a result, the Hato faction had always remained weak, holding little influence compared to the other two camps.
Had nothing unexpected occurred, the Hatos would have continued on as little more than symbolic decoration.
But then came the turning point.
After Saburo's death, Arasaka no longer had a single unifying voice. Yorinobu Arasaka, his only son, should have logically inherited control.
However, it was well known both within and beyond Arasaka that Saburo had never favored Yorinobu. Moreover, Yorinobu and his Taka faction were considered overly aggressive.
Barely after Saburo's corpse had gone cold, Yorinobu began trying to upset the delicate balance between Arasaka and Militech, moving swiftly to increase troop deployments in Night City.
This drastically heightened tensions between the two megacorporations.
Following that, Yorinobu continued to provoke friction with Militech, and the atmosphere between them grew increasingly volatile.
The only reason war hadn't erupted yet was because Yorinobu still lacked the power to mobilize the full strength of the Arasaka Corporation.
On Militech's side, their top leadership knew modern history all too well. Back then, old Europe was built on centuries, even millennia, of legacy. They had viewed the United States as an upstart.
Even with its large landmass and population, it should have taken America generations to catch up.
But then Europe went to war with itself.
Not just once. World War I came and went—and then, twenty years later, World War II erupted.
The continent was reduced to ash.
The Empire on which the sun never set, the flower of France, the eagle of Germany—all were destroyed.
Meanwhile, the Americans sat at home and reaped the benefits. Global dominance fell into their lap like a gift from the heavens.
From that point on, Europe's glory never returned—not to this very day.
Because their ancestors had won so much by doing so little, Militech's leadership understood better than anyone: if they lost their restraint now, and ended up in an all-out war with Arasaka, then no matter who won, they themselves would be the real losers.
It was during this fragile and volatile moment that Militech discovered a pro-American faction within Arasaka.
Further investigation quickly led to Arasaka Michiko, whose background included being born and raised in the New United States.
Back during the Fourth Corporate War, she had only been seventeen—a naive, ordinary high school student—yet because of the hostilities between Arasaka and Militech, she had faced deportation and the revocation of her citizenship.
Relying on her many advantages—youth, charm, vitality, and intelligence—Michiko managed to convince then-president of the New United States, Elizabeth Kress, who was also Militech's former CEO, that she was nothing more than an innocent bystander unconnected to Arasaka.
In doing so, she retained her U.S. citizenship.
Later, she returned to Arasaka and rose to become the leader of the Hato faction.
Despite returning to Japan, Michiko never gave up her citizenship in the New United States. Instead, she maintained dual nationality.
Born in the NUSA, and shaped by its education system and values, it was unthinkable for her to simply abandon that identity.
However, holding NUSA citizenship made her a target of distrust and rejection within Arasaka. It meant she could never wield real power—at least, not in the past.
But that was before.
With Saburo gone and Yorinobu pressuring Militech at every turn, Militech began to notice Michiko's pro-American stance.
They sent out feelers at first, but quickly confirmed that she was genuinely aligned with their ideals.
From there, Militech and the Hato faction began exchanging subtle signals, growing ever closer.
With covert support from Militech, the Hatoes began to flourish, absorbing and consolidating many of Arasaka's smaller internal factions.
They rapidly evolved into a significant political force.
During Saburo's reign, Arasaka had maintained an overtly anti-Western stance. But even then, there had always been individuals within the company who sympathized with Western ideals.
These individuals hadn't lived through Saburo's era, nor had they been raised on the same nationalist indoctrination of wartime Japan. Unlike Saburo, they had not been taught to hate foreign powers from birth.
Under Saburo, they were marginalized and ignored.
But now that he was gone, and Michiko's faction was rising, those same individuals rushed to join her ranks without hesitation.
They believed that if she ever seized power, Arasaka might finally change.
Currently, the power structure within Arasaka stood as follows: Michiko's Hato faction and Hanako's Tori faction remained weaker than Yorinobu's Taka. But together, their alliance had formed a counterweight, pushing back against the Taka.
This placed Yorinobu under immense pressure.
For over a year, he had been preoccupied with internal conflict, yet despite all his efforts, he had failed to unify the company. It left him deeply anxious and frustrated.
Leo saw the strain in Yorinobu's expression and smiled.
"Mr. Yorinobu, I like your directness. So I'll be direct as well. You provide economic aid to my country, and I'll help you consolidate Arasaka's power. How does that sound?"
Yorinobu frowned in confusion. "Your country?"
"My apologies—I haven't properly introduced myself," Leo said. "I am Leo, CEO of Aurora Private Military Company, and in the very near future, I'll also rise—by the will of the people—to take my place as President of Bolivia."
"You... you've seized control of a country?"
Yorinobu's expression betrayed clear shock.
He had been aware that Aurora PMC was expanding in Bolivia. But he had assumed their goal was the country's natural resources—much like how United Fruit operated in the past.
Yet from what Leo had just said, it seemed they weren't merely interested in Bolivia's resources. They intended to take the entire nation.
Leo's tone shifted, his face now serious. "'Seized'? That's hardly the right word. This is a corporate operation. How can that be called theft?"
Yorinobu neither agreed nor disagreed.
"Economic aid, is it? That can wait. But you said you could help me consolidate power inside Arasaka. Are you joking?"
"I never joke when discussing business."
Leo's expression remained steady, without a hint of mockery.
Yorinobu considered this. "And how exactly do you propose to do that?"
"Simple," Leo said, smiling. "Just eliminate all your enemies. Then there'll be no question about who's in charge of Arasaka."
"That's it?"