"See me?"
Axel's voice suddenly echoed in President Myers' ears, causing her entire body to tense.
"He heard me. He actually heard me."
"But how?"
"Did he infiltrate the White House network too?"
"Is he even human, or is he some rogue AI that escaped beyond the Blackwall?"
"What is this? Divine power? Some unknown force?"
As countless thoughts raced through her mind, Myers nodded firmly.
"Yes. If possible, I would like to meet you. I..."
Bang!
Before she could finish speaking, several heads exploded simultaneously around the conference table.
Blood and fragments of flesh splattered across Myers' face.
The survivors instinctively swallowed hard.
Then Axel's lazy voice rang out once more in the ears of the remaining NUSA officials.
"Now you're qualified to meet me.
Those people who just died can be considered partial payment for the nuclear missiles you launched.
If you decide to do something similar again, make sure you've prepared the price you're willing to pay beforehand.
And Secretary of Defense, the things you say are incredibly irritating.
Whenever a sacrifice is required, why is your first instinct to offer someone else?
Here's a useful lesson.
When a price must be paid, start by considering yourself.
If you're unwilling to pay it personally, try not to push it onto others the moment the conversation begins.
Buddy."
The connection abruptly ended.
Then, right before Myers' eyes, the Secretary of Defense's head exploded.
Blood and brain matter splashed across the room, adding to the already horrific scene.
Looking at the headless corpse slumped over the table, Myers took a deep breath.
"Thank you for the lesson.
We've learned quite a lot today.
At least I know I have."
After speaking, she silently surveyed the survivors.
Under her sharp gaze, nobody seemed to know what to say.
The room remained quiet for a long moment before someone finally spoke.
"Ahem... since they were struck down by divine judgment..."
"Should we have Trauma Team remove the bodies?"
"And perhaps relocate our meeting?"
"This room no longer feels appropriate."
"Maybe we should move somewhere more respectful."
"A place with a portrait of the deity displayed prominently."
"Good idea. If a god exists, reverence is only natural."
"Madam President, perhaps we should adjourn and arrange for a proper administrative site. We can also commission the finest painter available to create a suitable portrait."
The room immediately turned toward Myers.
She stared at them in disbelief before scoffing.
"Axel is not some ancient deity waiting to be worshipped."
"He doesn't need your reverence."
"He needs your fear."
"And frankly, I'm disgusted by how quickly all of you have become sycophants."
"Can't you understand his attitude?"
"As leaders responsible for protecting this nation, our initial attack against him was tolerated because he understood it was our duty."
"The people he punished were those eager to throw others onto the altar to save themselves."
"Axel isn't as narrow-minded as you seem to believe."
"His perspective is far broader than that."
"As some of the most intelligent people in the NUSA, I expect you to understand the principles behind his actions rather than reducing everything to blind worship."
"Otherwise, both the people and Axel will be disappointed in us."
Her gaze swept across the room.
Everyone fell silent.
Several officials looked at her with newfound respect.
After an awkward pause, one of them cautiously raised a hand.
"So... we don't need the portrait?"
"Of course we need the portrait."
Myers looked at him as though he were an idiot.
"Find the best painter available."
Internally, however, she sighed.
Everything had changed.
The old political structure was no longer viable.
In the past, every administration needed a few expendable fools to absorb public outrage.
Now that was impossible.
There was no room for incompetence.
Any fool could attract Axel's attention.
And Axel's punishments did not come with warnings.
That meant her administration needed a complete overhaul.
She would have to recall capable, trustworthy people and rebuild from the ground up.
As Myers considered the future...
Back in Night City, Axel slowly descended from the sky and landed in the devastated Corporate Plaza.
Rogue looked at him for several seconds before speaking.
"Axel... did you really contact the entire world?"
Axel looked at her as though she'd asked something ridiculous.
"Is that even a serious question?"
"Only an idiot would pretend to do something that could be exposed immediately."
"What do you think I am?"
"Or are you waiting for confirmation from the news before you're willing to believe what happened?"
"No, I just..."
Rogue shook her head.
Her eyes drifted toward the ruined city around them.
"I can't quite accept it."
"Part of me still can't believe someone like you actually exists."
"And another part can't understand why you appeared at all."
"What confuses me most is why I happened to be one of the people standing closest to you."
A faint self-deprecating smile appeared on her face.
"Believe me, Axel, luck has never been on my side."
"People call me the Queen of the Afterlife and a living legend of Night City."
"Those aren't happy titles."
"They exist because I've lost more than most people ever should."
"Because I've survived while carrying regrets and memories that never disappear."
"I'm a woman surrounded by ghosts."
"Good fortune has never had much interest in me."
"And yet here it is."
"How am I supposed to not question that?"
"Fair point."
Axel nodded and casually draped an arm over her shoulder.
"You've spent so long carrying old baggage that you've started collecting wrinkles in your soul."
"So naturally you overthink everything."
"But none of that matters."
"A miserable day passes just as quickly as a happy one."
"Life is still life."
"If you're willing to stop taking everything so seriously, you'll find it's much easier to enjoy yourself."
"So quit worrying about all that nonsense."
"Just keep having fun with me."
He grinned.
"Come on."
"Let's head back to the Afterlife, get something to eat, and have a drink."
"After that, we're going to Tokyo."
"Saburo, my dear little friend, is waiting for me."
"The debt he's owed since World War II is long overdue."
Then Axel's grin widened.
"Want to know why I'm keeping Saburo alive?"
"Because fear is the greatest gift I can give him."
"Right now, before I've even arrived, he's desperately searching for a way out."
"I'll let him find hope."
"After all, nothing is more entertaining than watching someone believe they've escaped despair, only to discover a much deeper one waiting for them."