The night in New Kiotto was spent amidst a flurry of fireworks, set off by countless ninjas.
Masses of souls converged within the magic circle beneath the city, transforming into The Lord's power and further augmenting his Virtual-to-Real Conversion Jutsu.
Due to V's unique nature, The Lord had made contact with the power of fate. He was now attempting to pluck the strings of destiny to achieve his ultimate goal.
His plan was to have Ninja Slayer eliminate Laomoto Khan, for himself to collect all Three Sacred Treasures, and finally to sever them!
So-called fate was merely a toy in his hands! A plaything for him, the master of the Virtual-to-Real Conversion Jutsu!
Upon waking, The Lord had been brimming with such confidence. Yet, he saw a light: V, the medium connecting him to fate, had transformed into 'light'—the substantive power of destiny itself.
"So powerful, so dazzling. Is this the power of fate?"
The Virtual-to-Real Conversion Jutsu could no longer affect V in the slightest. The Lord discovered her spirit was unexpectedly formidable, shielded by the very power of fate.
"Since fate truly exists, then a so-called protagonist must also exist. I didn't expect the protagonist of the entire Night City to be such a 'small character'."
Compared to genuine titans like Saburo Arasaka, Corpo V was indeed a minor character, not even reaching the highest corporate echelons—the type who could be discarded at will.
Yet, such an insignificant individual was the 'protagonist'. The Lord mused whether he was fortunate or unfortunate to have discovered the protagonist so early, especially given his apparent role as the antagonist.
"I will trample fate underfoot. The power of fate only has value when held in My hands!"
"Paragon, pass the order: have them capture V."
"That is, of course, after Laomoto-san is dealt with. Before then, do not alert the enemy."
"As you command, My Lord!"
Within a classic Japanese courtyard, The Lord sat in a custom-made wheelchair. The jutsu blanketing the entire city demanded an immense amount of power; maintaining it rendered him nearly immobile, forcing him to rely solely on the wheelchair for movement.
Behind him, Paragon, who had been pushing the wheelchair, vanished from the spot after receiving his orders.
The plan to capture V was now set. Laomoto Khan, however, remained utterly oblivious to how many individuals sought his life.
As the leader of Soukaiya, his power was truly terrifying. He had simultaneously accommodated seven Ninja Souls—a daunting feat utterly beyond the capabilities of any ordinary person.
The entire Soukaiya had been built by him from scratch, relying solely on his own formidable power. His subordinates were merely ninjas who, aware of his strength, had come to attach themselves to him.
Precisely for this reason, even with so many ninjas perishing in the battles over the past few days, he could still maintain his composure, for he simply did not care!
Meanwhile, having spent the entire night busy setting off 'fireworks' for the whole city, Ninja Slayer's physical stamina consumption wasn't excessive due to his Cursed Energy. However, he was mentally fatigued.
Physically, this manifested as a slight decline in his Karate power.
"What's wrong, David? Can't you handle pulling an all-nighter?"
A communication arrived from V. Unsure if it was mockery or genuine concern, David remained noncommittal.
With a low roar, a modified red sedan drifted to a stop right in front of him. V was in the driver's seat.
"Get in quickly. I'm taking you to a good place."
David wondered if it was his imagination, but he sensed a subtle shift in V's attitude toward him. Before, she had always seemed to be looking after him, but now... it felt more like she was treating him as a companion?
Perhaps his strength was finally being recognized, David mused. He was Ninja Slayer now, after all, and possessed strong confidence in his own abilities.
From the driver's seat, V also glanced at David. His Ninja Slayer outfit, particularly the anti-gravity scarf, was exceptionally conspicuous.
Possessing the memories of Mercenary V and Nomad V, she understood David's fate in their respective worlds: a legend of Night City, who had climbed to the very top of Arasaka Tower—in the literal, physical sense—alone.
In those other two worlds, David was already a legend before she even debuted, arguably the youngest legend to exist.
In a sense, he was her 'senior'. Of course, that was in those other worlds; here, David was simply her junior.
The journey passed in silence. Sitting in the car, David subconsciously felt at ease and drifted into a light sleep.
V did not disturb him. Anyone would feel mentally exhausted after such a day's experiences, and letting him recuperate briefly was sensible. She only woke him once they reached their destination.
When David awoke, his eyes were met with a scene of resplendent golden grandeur, making him almost believe he hadn't fully awakened.
"Welcome, honored guests. Your banquet has been prepared."
The newly awakened David followed, completely dazed. His body moved automatically, as if accustomed to the setting, and he knelt before the table in a traditional posture.
Then a server presented a plate of sushi, topped with something David had never before tasted—real fish meat!
This was omakase! A truly stereotypical sushi banquet!
His ninja instincts controlled his body, allowing him to kneel in a perfectly standard posture.
Before him, a specialized tea master meticulously lit the charcoal, boiled the water, and brewed the tea according to prescribed procedures and rules, before finally presenting it to David.
David, in turn, respectfully received the tea with both hands, offered his thanks, then turned the tea bowl three times, sipped lightly, drank slowly, and reverently returned it.
Not a single error! Despite never having encountered such a ritual, he performed the tea ceremony with perfect precision!
Next came the sushi: salmon sushi, tuna sushi, maguro sushi, gunkan...
David had never imagined food could possess such exquisite taste. This single meal of sushi instantly and fully restored his Karate abilities, even leading to a breakthrough!
Theoretically, on such a heavily polluted planet, these species should have gone extinct long ago. Yet, sushi without them simply isn't authentic! Thus, through the dedicated efforts of ninjas, they were painstakingly farmed.
This was a restaurant catering exclusively to the highest echelon. Their presence here was only possible thanks to Lucy's influence; she was Saburo Arasaka's honored guest, which granted them the privilege of entry.
Finally, a half-human-sized, Super·Giant·Tuna Sushi was served. By all appearances, it was an impossible amount for any normal person to consume. Yet, David ate it all!
It was a prodigious appetite... a ninja-level stomach. Sushi energy rapidly replenished his body. The connection between ninjas and sushi seemed far deeper than imagined.
"How does it feel?" V asked, observing David demolish the food before him with almost ritualistic precision.
"It's strange. While clearly my first time tasting it, there's a profound sense of nostalgia."
It was as if memories from a past life had been awakened. After finishing the sushi, David not only recovered his essence, energy, and spirit to their peak but also gained new insights.
That insight stemmed from the initial ritual—the Tea Ceremony.
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