"Manager, Fuguma-kun is missing."
Ashiya Shigeyoshi brought the report first thing in the morning.
"He borrowed one of my shikigami last night to infiltrate Edo District, but I sensed the shikigami's destruction. He hasn't returned since, and the whole ward is now under martial law."
"…I see. Cough, cough. I mean, Kotarō's infiltrations fail all the time. You'll get used to it.
Fine—Ashiya, you'll be in charge of the rescue. You're authorized to use the Divination Orb. If you need my help, just say the word."
"Yes, Manager."
Ashiya departed with his orders.
Li Pan sat at his desk, elbows propped on the surface, hands holding up his head, still trying to process things.
Because last night hadn't been a dream. With a single command, that black orb—Ghost Slayer—had flown thousands of miles away and returned with a severed head.
Holy shit. He hadn't meant it. Just talking offhand—and the damn thing carried it out. Outrageous. And worse, why the hell did it bring the head back to him?!
Now what? The Iga ninjas were formidable. What if Kotarō had already been captured and forced to talk? If they traced it back to him…
Shit. Senhime's head was still hidden in his apartment toilet tank, unburned, undisposed. How could he explain that away?
"Ugh… what a mess."
He rubbed his face. His head really hurt.
Quite literally—splitting headaches.
Ever since he'd invoked Ghost Slayer, it felt like someone was driving a spike into his skull. Tunk, tunk, tunk. As if the orb was bouncing around inside his brain. His vision doubled, dizziness washing over him.
Powerful as these monsters were, at his level he couldn't handle them at all. Too much for him to bear—more burden than blessing.
The phone rang again.
"This is Manager 0113."
"Oh, 0113! How's the cargo? Still on schedule?"
For thirty-five million, Li Pan forced himself to sound upbeat.
"Excellent. I'll take it. Logistics has your assignment already. But I heard you've got Collectors in your sector?"
"Don't worry. HQ sent someone to handle that."
"…HQ already deployed operatives?"
A pause.
"0791, we're changing the trade protocol."
Li Pan jolted. "What? Changing now? You screwing with me?"
"Calm down. The deal itself remains the same. Only the internal shipping model changes. You know how subsidiary logistics usually runs on DAF terms—delivery at frontier, liability transfers at the Gate.
But now, with Collectors prowling and your lack of private fleets, I can't trust third-party security. My proposal: switch to FOB. I'll dispatch my own ship to Earth. Your people just need to authorize and board."
Li Pan understood. Under DAF, liability ended at the Gate. Under FOB, 0113's ship would cross over, Monster Corp staff would link exobodies on Callisto, ride the ship back, and personally escort cargo to Earth. Delivery would take place at Earth's orbital rings.
Safer for everyone, since 0113's ships were modified specifically for threats like "Grand Duke." Armed escort, specialized security exobodies, and FOB handover—much tighter precautions.
Honestly, it shifted risk off Li Pan's shoulders. Easier for him. He agreed immediately.
The timing couldn't be better. He'd stirred up a storm and wanted out of Night City anyway. A-Qi could stay behind to manage paperwork, while he went to Saitō House to collect the goods—and maybe soak in hot springs, get a massage, relieve some stress.
But the moment his hovercar left the city, he froze.
Across the plains beyond the Night City moat, an entire armored army corps had assembled. Rows of tanks, drone swarms, mechanized artillery—all bearing Tokugawa's mitsuba aoi crest. Clearly redeployed frontline divisions.
Slums that had sprawled outside the city were razed flat overnight, replaced with fortifications. Mobile fortresses, barracks, munitions depots, transport ships—entire iron cities rose from the dust. Supersonic strike drones shrieked overhead, the sky choked with smoke and contrails. It was impossible to count how many divisions were advancing on Night City.
They might be "just" army units, but even a thousand Night Knights couldn't cut them all down.
Night Clan's forces huddled behind walls, facing them across the electrified moat. The tension was suffocating.
Li Pan felt his stress spike like a knife in his chest.
Come on—it was just one princess's head. Was this really worth a full-scale invasion?
Thankfully, restraint held. No shots fired, no random attacks on civilian corporate traffic. Against all odds, the culprit himself cruised straight through the frontline barricades, en route to a hot spring.
What he didn't expect: Saitō's Onsen was packed to the brim with Tokugawa troops.
The landing pads swarmed with their floatcars. SBS heavy guards and Iga ninja patrolled every corner. Drone nests, anti-air cannons, electronic warfare rigs filled the hills. Even licensed corporate vehicles were forced to land under fighter escort.
Li Pan cursed under his breath. Should've called Keiko first—looked like Hakone had been converted into Tokugawa's field HQ.
And of course, he hadn't updated his gear. No fresh armor plates. Just his Handkerchief and Iron Spear monsters, and three silver keys left. If a fight broke out, escape would be dicey at best.
But they let his ship land, clamped by spider drones. Robot attendants escorted him inside.
Every step watched—by drones, scanners, ninja eyes. But none detected monsters, and his exobody registered clean. He made it inside without trouble.
Waiting were Saitō Keiko—and a Tokugawa executive.
"Manager Li, thank you for meeting us. Allow me to introduce President Ōkubo Jūbei of Ōkubo Mining & Metals."
The middle-aged man bowed deeply.
"An honor, Manager Li."
"Oh, President Ōkubo. I've heard much about you."
"Your courage in coming alone is admirable. The honor is mine."
They exchanged cards. Li Pan knew the name: Jūbei was a familiar face in financial news, often representing Tokugawa at summits. A classic corporate climber.
Born commoner, moved from countryside to Night City. No elite schooling, just grit. Survived mergers and bankruptcies, climbed step by step. Eventually adopted by the Ōkubo family, promoted to president, and—astonishingly—married into the Tokugawa family itself, becoming son-in-law and board member.
A corporate fairytale. Tokugawa paraded him as proof of upward mobility: Work hard, and even a nobody can rise to CEO, marry into nobility, reach the peak of life.
Of course, insiders knew the truth. These stories were just morale fodder, dangling illusions of meritocracy. Still, Jūbei himself was undeniably competent. He'd been playing the corporate game while Li Pan was still mopping barracks floors.
Thus Li Pan kept sharp. Luckily, Keiko supported him, booking a private dining room and feeding him discreet background notes.
Hakone was indeed commandeered as military HQ. Tokugawa's forces were back in Night City. Executives lodged here, with private guards swarming every villa. Even the Tokugawa head himself had been sighted. Keiko was reduced to glorified servant.
In short, Li Pan had stumbled right into the hornet's nest.
So they dined.
Polite. Courteous. Professional. Yet beneath the words, Tokugawa's message was blunt: no negotiation. Jūbei's job was simply to dress it in sales-speak.
Takamagahara had settled its civil war. Now they had time to settle accounts with Li Pan.
Tokugawa's demands:
The Saitō contract? Cancelled. Their land wasn't for sale.
The East Castle Society's losses? One billion in "mental damages," plus an apology.
Otherwise—Tokugawa was ready to fight.
Li Pan listened, head pounding. Ghost Slayer still bounced inside his skull. He forced his expression neutral, nodded politely.
But he noticed something: Jūbei didn't mention Senhime's death. Not a word. The Iga ninja lurking around didn't make a move either.
So they didn't know. Not yet.
They just saw him as an upstart troublemaker, tied to Night Clan and Security Bureau. Not as the masked monster who'd gutted East Castle. Not as the man who'd taken Senhime's head.
That ignorance was his only shield.
So he smiled thinly.
"Tokugawa's position is clear. I'll report back to my company and reply in due time."
Jūbei bowed.
"Of course. If we can cooperate peacefully, all the better. But if not—well, that is business."
And with that, he dismissed Li Pan. The escort guards politely but firmly led him out.
As he walked back through Hakone's armed camps, Li Pan's gut clenched.
Without the Grand Duke cargo, he couldn't raise the 35 million. Without that, the Night City Development Fund collapsed. And breaching Hakone's defenses was suicide—tantamount to war with all of Takamagahara.
Head pounding, he could only retreat and regroup.
On the way back, he pinged his other contacts.
Akiyama Masako: "When will you come for training? One-on-one, ten million fee. Includes custom uniforms."
Commander Emilia: "Another drink? …And whatever else you like."
Not his body, then his wallet. Always something. But his head was splitting too much to indulge.
Orange called next.
"Li, did you forget to lock the door last night? Your apartment was broken into. Door forced, window smashed, wardrobe overturned."
"What?!"
Panic seized him. East Castle? Had they found the head?!
"Check the toilet! No—the tank!"
"Eh? Nothing there. Why, did you hide something illegal?"
"…No. Forget it. Don't call the cops. I'll pay for repairs. Stay at the factory for now. And armor the car—full bulletproofing."
"I'll check surveillance. Maybe just a robbery. The city's crawling with Cerberus and NCPA lately. Crime's getting worse."
The call ended.
Li Pan slumped, vision spinning. He swore he could hear Ghost Slayer bouncing inside his skull.
Thunk, thunk, thunk.
Ah… what a headache…
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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."
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