In the last kilometer, David felt his body going completely out of control. His stamina was severely depleted. How many people had he 'taken down'? He didn't know; there was no time to think at all.
He devoted all his energy wholeheartedly to Karate, and Karate responded in kind. When he snapped back to reality, he found himself standing at the gates of Arasaka Tower.
"Congratulations, Mr. David. You have safely brought Lucy to Arasaka Tower and completed the commission."
"The one hundred million eurodollar reward has been deposited into your personal account. Please confirm."
The receptionist's voice pulled his soul back. David stared blankly at the astronomical figure appearing in his personal account—one, two, three, four, six, six, seven, eight... a full eight zeros!
He had never seen so much money in his life. David's entire demeanor was dazed, though mostly from exhaustion.
He turned to look at the sea of people behind him. The Twin Towers from where he had started were a full five kilometers away, and from afar, the roads were completely gridlocked.
Probably everyone in Night City had come to join the spectacle, right? That was the illusion he had. In reality, it was only those confident in their abilities or hoping to get lucky—not literally the entire city.
Even so, it was terrifying. He saw the envious and admiring gazes from everyone, which was even more affirmation of his strength.
"What the hell? Is your stamina endless, kid?"
"Eh?"
David hadn't expected not curses, but a crowd looking at him with calm—or rather, worshipful—expressions. The five-kilometer battle had successfully won over everyone present.
In other words, he was now a bona fide legendary figure in Night City, and the most famous one at that.
"Mr. Saburo Arasaka wants to see you. Follow me."
The receptionist smiled professionally and beckoned David.
Meeting Saburo Arasaka so soon? David took a deep breath, then took Lucy's hand and followed.
Both of them had a ton of questions. Why had Saburo Arasaka targeted them?
The elevator ascended steadily. Through the transparent glass, they could see the massive crowd below craning their necks, watching as he slowly rose to the top of Arasaka Tower.
It was only then that David realized he had truly done it. He had broken through a force of over a hundred thousand people single-handedly. He could feel the worship from the crowd below.
Soon, the elevator stopped at the top floor of Arasaka Tower, but they didn't stop there. The receptionist led them through a door.
After a few flights of stairs, they reached the true top of Arasaka Tower—a rooftop with a massive helipad.
"I never thought you'd actually make it this far, David."
An elderly voice came from ahead. David focused and saw it was Saburo Arasaka!
He looked like an ordinary old man, with no air of authority. If anything, he seemed like a completely average neighborhood grandpa.
There weren't many people around. On the left side of the rooftop were David and Lucy; on the right were Saburo Arasaka and Takemura.
"Hello!" It would be a lie to say he wasn't nervous. The man was the uncrowned king of Night City, and as a local, David had some filter for him.
"Don't be nervous, David."
"You've come here because you want to know why I placed a 'bounty' on Lucy, right?"
Saburo Arasaka calmed David down and then began his explanation.
It seemed his plan was about to succeed, so he was in a good mood and prepared to reveal a bit to David.
"Why? Lucy shouldn't have anything you'd want."
David was extremely puzzled. Mainly, the day's events had been too fantastical: first attacked by the Crime Ninja, then Lucy bountied by Saburo Arasaka. Both seemed targeted at Lucy.
So what exactly did Lucy have that so many people were after?
David thought long and hard but couldn't figure it out. Then he suddenly realized: Schwarzer had also recruited Lucy into her team. She definitely had some secret he didn't know.
"You've probably heard of the Kojiki, right, David-san?"
Saburo Arasaka smiled, no longer concealing his aura. Takemura stepped forward from behind, subtly on guard against David.
"Ninja?!" David realized the man's identity, his expression changing sharply.
"Domo, David-san. Saburo Arasaka desu."
"Domo, Saburo Arasaka-san. David Martinez desu."
Oppressive presence—the pressure of a superior. David felt it from Saburo Arasaka, an aura far stronger than his own. The man was a ninja too!
"I really envy your talent, David."
After the greeting, Saburo Arasaka approached David step by step, extremely confident in his own strength.
David finally noticed the inconsistency. For Saburo Arasaka to converse with him so unguarded—the Emperor of Night City—what if he suddenly went berserk and attacked?
Normally, someone of Saburo Arasaka's status shouldn't meet like this. Ensuring absolute safety was the norm for Night City's rich.
Now he understood why the man was 'unguarded'—he himself was the best defense!
"If the intel is correct, you've only been in contact with the 'ninja' world for a month or two, right?"
"I've already sensed ninja-level Karate on you. That means, as long as you complete the 'ritual,' you can become a True Ninja—the first True Ninja in decades!"
Saburo Arasaka's tone grew excited. True Ninja! He had put in countless efforts for this, yet David had stepped into the realm in just a month or two.
"So... what does this have to do with Lucy?" David sensed something off but didn't know what to do.
"Those who become True Ninjas through their own training are True Ninjas. However, most are possessed by Ninja Souls to become ninjas, and those almost can't become True Ninjas."
"The only way is to extract the Ninja Soul from the body, then complete the 'ritual' to gain a True Ninja's eternal life."
"And from the Kojiki, I found a way to extract Ninja Souls: relying on the power of Death Ninja."
Saburo Arasaka emphasized the name Death Ninja heavily, his gaze shifting to Lucy beside David.
"You mean Lucy is Death Ninja?" He suddenly understood everything—why so many were after Lucy.
But if he needed help, why not just commission them instead of this spectacle?
"Not yet, but she will be soon."
Saburo Arasaka's lips curled up, and David's unease peaked in that instant.
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