After that, Li Pan basically had nothing more to do. He stood there as a human relay, jacked into the servers, letting Eighteen pilot his body while Sky City was steered away, circled around Night City, skimmed past the dam, and crash-landed in the Pacific Garbage Sea.
Once martial law was lifted, Red Tengu didn't waste resources trying to regain control. They simply switched to Plan B, detonating bombs all over the city, while the Security Bureau stormed in, hunting down their terrorists. Night City activated full defenses—orbital cannons, missiles, drones—destroying falling debris before it hit.
Though Li Pan's actual mission had lasted just an hour, the Bureau's cleanup dragged out a whole day. Sky and ground alike thundered with explosions like the apocalypse.
In the end, the outcome was good. Over seventy percent of Sky City made a safe splashdown in the ocean. Only Taiping District was battered by falling debris, explosions and fires spreading, but the central city's dense population was spared.
Night City survived another day.
Li Pan handed off Cockroach's head and system control to the Bureau agents, then slipped away to rejoin his colleagues.
His objectives were basically complete.
"Boss, the Golden Buddha is secured…"
Rama passed him the Box. Li Pan peeked inside—no longer the pure golden idol he'd seen before. Its right half remained Buddha, but the left was corroded, pitch-black, twisted into a demon's visage. Probably what they called a Rishi.
On its abdomen, near the liver, tiny script was etched—sigils or incantations, perhaps a cultivation method. Left unchecked, such an idol might well spawn another Cockroach someday.
Fortunately, the black aura had already faded, the gallbladder half-devoured, its qi drained. Harmless for now, sealed in the Box and shelved in storage. Task complete.
"Tch. Shame. I'd hoped ACA would smuggle it off and give me another chance to snatch it. That would've been worth tens of millions…"
He glanced at Rama—face swollen, head lumped, mouth bleeding.
Seriously? Two and a half grand a month and you fight like your life's on the line?
"What the hell happened to your face? Who hit you?"
Rama, annoyed, pointed behind him. ACA's Husky was shackled inside the shuttle, nose broken, blood gushing, wrapped in bandages gnawed bloody—as though a wild dog had mauled him.
Like a pair of fighting dogs.
Li Pan sighed, turning to Uncle Liu, perfectly unruffled.
"You just stood there and watched?"
Uncle Liu chuckled, patting Rama's shoulder.
"Nothing wrong with it. Actual combat is the fastest teacher. Kid's got solid bones, he'll survive a few beatings.
And don't underestimate Rama—while that white-haired brat was throwing ice and snow all flashy, Rama clobbered him silent, hammered him down in three punches. Not bad at all!"
He grinned at Rama:
"Didn't I tell you? Fighting is half endurance. Outlast your opponent, and you've already won half the battle. Come to Tianlong Fort sometime, I'll teach you Iron Body training."
Rama squinted through swollen eyes. Clearly not enthusiastic about hard qigong.
Still, Group One's mission was a success. They even caught ACA's Husky alive—handing him over to 01044 would count as a major merit.
But A-Qi's group had failed.
"Sorry, boss. We couldn't find Yamazaki."
"Oh? Couldn't find him?" Li Pan checked with his divination orb, then waved it off. "No matter. The chaos makes it normal. File him as missing, have the Bureau assist the search."
Yamazaki was fine—he'd run toward the control room and linked with Bureau agents. Let him fake a disappearance and slip back into his spy job.
"Alright, good work everyone. Tonight we feast!"
Dinner was in Old City's Kabukichō Yoshiwara district, at a lavish ryōtei. Kotarō and his kin had footed the bill, intending only to treat Li Pan—never expecting him to drag the whole crew along.
Still, they managed. Kotarō's business sense wasn't just for show—true pro investigator. While ushering Li Pan to drink with his elder, he also mingled with the staff, asking about the Sky City battle, sprinkling his "Wow," "Hontō ni?" and "Masaka!" at perfect intervals.
Notably absent were Yamazaki—and Shiranui Kiriko, vanished yet again. Li Pan didn't bother asking. He was used to it.
Lifting his cup, Li Pan turned to the man beside him.
"Sorry, what was your name again…?"
A tall, pale, sharp-featured youth adjusted his tie, bowed deeply.
"I am Ashiya Noritaka, exorcist of Banshū, current head of the Ashiya family—Rokudō."
"Oh, Mr. Ashiya. You're Kotarō's elder? You look quite young."
As he drank, Li Pan browsed his net feed, skimming gossip about the Ashiya lineage.
A clan of onmyōji—exorcists, shamans, priests. Collecting, sealing, and managing spirits, demons, oddities. Once advisers to Takamagahara, they'd assisted the Onitei in subduing local gods. The Ashiya family was a respected name in Banshū, once influential across Kansai. But like all who depended on Takamagahara, they'd declined after its fall.
Noritaka explained with a smile:
"The Ashiya and Fūma families are old allies, joined by marriage ties. By seniority, I am Kotarō's uncle—but in truth we are of similar age, so there's little formality."
Li Pan asked curiously:
"So Kotarō vouched for you. You don't believe the rumors about him?"
Noritaka nodded.
"You mean the story of Kotarō slaughtering the Fūma clan. I don't know the truth. At the time, Ashiya had already sealed me."
"Oh? You were sealed? For what?"
Noritaka admitted frankly:
"For defying Takamagahara's command, I killed the previous Ashiya head—my predecessor—and seized the title of Rokudō. For that, I was bound and imprisoned in Banshū."
Li Pan blinked. Patricide, fratricide—another psycho. A perfect match for Kotarō.
Noritaka poured him sake.
"Manager-san need not worry. I am no cyber-psycho. The Ashiya serve the Sixfold Demon Lord. Only one Rokudō can exist. The succession has always been life-or-death. I simply struck first.
Takamagahara disapproved of such defiance, but wouldn't see the Ashiya bloodline die out. So they sealed me instead. Now, through Kotarō's introduction, I seek to join your company—to have my seal undone.
If you accept me, I swear loyalty, to serve to the death."
Li Pan shrugged.
"Don't talk like that. These days everyone's just out to make money. Two and a half grand a month, you can slack when you want. But procedure's procedure—HR has to approve."
Noritaka smiled, nodding.
"Of course. I'll trouble you to contact them. Meanwhile, I have two humble gifts for you."
Li Pan grinned. "Gifts? For something this small? Well, let's see…"
Noritaka brought out a chest of scrolls.
"Collected Ashiya secret arts, offered to the company as my tribute."
Monster lore—useful. Takamagahara had fallen; no point hoarding. With such knowledge, HQ would likely accept him.
Li Pan flipped through. "Your true family legacy? You'd give it away?"
Noritaka smiled faintly. "Only old books. I've already mastered them."
Then he presented a sealed jar, runes glowing faintly.
Li Pan frowned. "Another tea jar? What's inside, pickles?"
Noritaka bowed deeply.
"It is Shiranui Kiriko."
"Oh, it's—" Li Pan stopped, staring.
"A ninja invaded my home. I defended myself. Perhaps I struck too hard. But it was in self-defense. Please forgive me."
Too hard? The jar wasn't that big. Probably just a head left.
Noritaka prostrated, pressing his forehead to the floor.
Li Pan glanced at Kotarō.
The ninja leapt forward, kneeling beside him.
"Honored manager! This was our failure. Shiranui was captured alive only because of my ties with Noritaka. Please forgive us."
So this Ashiya Noritaka was their "sealed target." And Kotarō had flipped him. Clever bastard.
"You sure you call this 'captured alive'?"
Noritaka raised his head, smiling through blood.
"Manager need not worry. I only intended her as a shikigami, sealed her soul with secret arts. She lives. I've heard your company possesses treasures that restore even the dead. I would like to see it."
"Oh, you'll see."
Li Pan rose and punched him square in the face, sending him crashing through doors into the courtyard, nose broken and bleeding.
Colleagues scattered, startled mid-meal.
"Heh. No need for anger," Noritaka laughed through blood. "I am sincere in joining. Why refuse?"
Li Pan grinned back.
"You wanted to experience it yourself, didn't you? I'll make you a living dead man. You'll get your demonstration."
Noritaka wiped his nose, stood.
"Then allow me to test your skill, Manager."
The two clashed—grappling, countering, swapping holds in close combat.
Rama and Husky watched, chewing calmly. Uncle Liu narrated:
"See that? Boss is using Bone-Distorting Grip—army style, crude but brutal. But the kid's no slouch. He's got joint locks, judo, aikido. Even with implants, he avoids going head-to-head. Both are masters of close combat. Watch and learn—next time, no more headbutting and biting."
The duel raged—neither gaining ground.
Li Pan was surprised. His strength was superhuman; against weaklings, one grip would pulp them. He'd thought Noritaka, a mere onmyōji, would be easy prey. Yet the exorcist's mastery of grappling kept him slippery as an eel.
Did he really have to reveal his true powers? Who was testing who here? Use the Groin Kick of Doom? But in public, that'd ruin his image…
A-Qi intervened:
"Enough, both of you! Heal Kiriko first—don't destroy the restaurant!"
Noritaka seized the moment, kneeling, handing over a paper shikigami.
"I yield. That was only shikigami power sustaining me. My limbs can't go further."
Li Pan hesitated, then accepted. "Alright. You've got skill. Since you surrendered, we'll let HQ decide."
The meal was ruined. Li Pan carried the jar back to the office, to resurrect Shiranui Kiriko.
Not that he cared much about her, but she was staff. And frankly, for a so-called top ninja, she sure died a lot. Someone had to keep Kotarō in check.
He broke the seal.
Inside—a severed head, split and pickled, eyes rolled back, ghastly as a ghost.
But still… faint breath remained. Trapped in the glowing water, soul bound by runes.
Curious, Li Pan used the Archive Cabinet to roll her back.
Splash. Shiranui Kiriko crawled out, dripping wet, like something from a horror flick.
Li Pan shivered. "Uh… Kiriko? You okay?"
She glared through wet hair.
"Why didn't you let me die?"
Li Pan stammered:
"I—I just wanted to test the system! If you really want to die, go ahead. I swear I won't stop you again."
She stared silently, then turned and walked away. Maybe to die.
.
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⚠️ 30 CHAPTERS AHEAD — I'm Not a Cyberpsycho ⚠️
The system says: Kill.Mercs obey. Corporates obey. Monsters obey.One man didn't.
🧠💀 "I'm not a cyberpsycho. I just think... differently."
💥 High-voltage cyberpunk. Urban warfare. AI paranoia.Read 30 chapters ahead, only on Patreon.
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