The battlefield had already been decided.
Maine just didn’t know it yet.
Smoke drifted through the ruined street.
Burning wreckage illuminated the night with flickering orange light while spent shell casings covered the asphalt.
The Arasaka convoy had been shattered.
Most of the security team lay dead or dying.
And at the center of it all sat Koch.
Terrified.
Broken.
Completely at Maine’s mercy.
The researcher stared at the shotgun pointed directly at his face.
His entire body trembled.
“No…
no, don’t kill me!” The words burst from his mouth in panic.
“I can pay you!” Maine raised an eyebrow.
“Oh?” Hope immediately flashed across Koch’s face.
“Militech paid you, right?
I’ll give you double!
Triple if necessary!” The desperate researcher leaned forward.
“Just let me go.
Let me reach Arasaka safely.
Once the deal is complete, I’ll make you rich!” For a brief moment, Maine actually considered it.
A grin spread across his face.
“Damn.” He chuckled.
“That’s pretty tempting.” Koch immediately nodded frantically.
“Exactly!” His voice rose with excitement.
“We can both win here!” The man was practically begging.
Unfortunately…
Night City wasn’t that simple.
Maine sighed.
“Problem is…” The shotgun slowly rose.
Koch’s face froze.
“If I screw over the people who hired me, my life gets a whole lot more complicated.” The muzzle settled directly between Koch’s eyes.
“So sorry.” Koch’s pupils shrank.
“No—!” BOOM!
The shotgun fired.
At the exact same instant— A black blur crossed Maine’s vision.
The roof of the armored Chevrolet vanished.
Metal screamed.
The entire top section of the vehicle was sliced cleanly away.
For a split second, nobody understood what had happened.
Then Maine realized something.
Koch was gone.
The researcher who had been sitting directly in front of him had completely disappeared.
Only the fresh bullet hole in the car door remained.
Maine’s instincts screamed.
Danger.
Extreme danger.
He immediately turned toward the street.
And saw him.
A tall figure standing quietly beneath the neon lights.
Black exoskeleton armor.
A glowing crimson visor.
A katana resting casually in one hand.
And Koch hanging from the other like a rescued child.
Victor.
For several seconds, nobody moved.
Koch himself looked completely broken.
His face had lost all color.
His breathing was erratic.
The sudden rescue had nearly stopped his heart.
“A-Arasaka…” He barely managed to speak.
“Reinforcements…” Then his voice disappeared beneath sheer panic.
Meanwhile, Maine felt cold sweat running down his back.
Something about the armored figure felt wrong.
Very wrong.
Then Sasha’s voice suddenly exploded through the communication channel.
“Maine—!” Static interrupted her.
A storm of interference flooded the network.
“We’ve got—” More static.
“Arasaka—” The connection deteriorated further.
“Reinforcements—” Silence.
The communication channel died.
Completely.
Maine immediately understood.
Their communications had been jammed.
Their netrunner had been suppressed.
And Arasaka had arrived.
Without hesitation, he made the only decision available.
“WITHDRAW!” The order echoed through the battlefield.
At the same time, he emptied his pistol toward Victor.
Bullets streaked through the air.
Victor didn’t even bother dodging.
Instead, he positioned Koch in front of him.
Every bullet struck the researcher.
Koch screamed in terror.
Then realized none of the rounds had actually hit him.
The armored plates hidden beneath his clothing had absorbed everything.
Victor barely acknowledged the attack.
His attention remained focused elsewhere.
He released Koch.
“Move.” The terrified researcher immediately froze.
“B-But—” Victor slowly looked down at him.
The crimson visor reflected directly into Koch’s eyes.
The electronic distortion in Victor’s voice made him sound less human than machine.
“Move.” Koch nearly tripped over himself while retreating.
“Y-Yes!” The researcher immediately ran behind nearby cover.
Victor watched him leave.
Then vanished.
A sonic boom erupted behind him.
Maine’s eyes widened.
Too fast.
Far too fast.
One moment Victor stood thirty meters away.
The next— He was directly in front of him.
“DAMN IT!” Maine threw a punch.
His cybernetic arm could crush concrete.
The strike never landed.
A black armored hand filled his vision.
BANG!
Victor’s palm struck upward.
The uppercut landed directly beneath Maine’s chin.
The impact was devastating.
The mercenary’s feet left the ground.
His vision exploded into white light.
Blood sprayed from his mouth.
Before he even hit the pavement, consciousness disappeared.
Maine was down.
“Maine!” Dorio’s scream echoed across the battlefield.
Rage instantly consumed her.
She grabbed her rifle and unleashed everything she had.
Bullets roared toward Victor.
Most opponents would’ve died.
Victor simply raised his katana.
Then the impossible happened.
Silver flashes filled the air.
Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
Every bullet was deflected.
Sparks erupted everywhere.
Dorio’s eyes widened.
“What the hell?!” She never finished the sentence.
A dark shadow appeared before her.
Too fast.
Far too fast.
A cold sensation touched her throat.
Victor’s hand closed around her neck.
The giant woman was lifted completely off the ground.
Dorio struggled.
Kicked.
Cursed.
Victor remained unmoved.
Like a machine.
“Heh…” Blood leaked from Dorio’s lips.
“Bastard…” Victor ignored her.
Instead, he activated communications.
“Special Operations.” “Yes, sir.” “Block all local communications.” “Understood.” “Secure all intelligence.” “Understood.” “Capture the survivors alive.” A brief pause followed.
“They’re useful.” “Roger.” Only then did Victor tighten his grip.
Dorio’s eyes rolled backward.
Her struggles weakened.
Then stopped completely.
Victor casually tossed her unconscious body aside.
To him, she weighed almost nothing.
The sight shattered Rebecca’s sanity.
“No!” Her voice cracked.
Bloodshot eyes locked onto Victor.
Rage overwhelmed reason.
She raised her weapon.
And charged.
“You bastard!” The submachine gun roared.
Victor didn’t even glance at the incoming fire.
Pilar grabbed Rebecca.
“Are you insane?!” “LET ME GO!” “You’ll die!” “GOOD!” Rebecca struggled like a wild animal.
Meanwhile, Falco slammed his foot against the accelerator.
The vehicle surged forward.
Escape.
That was all that mattered now.
Unfortunately…
They were already too late.
BOOM!
A massive figure dropped from the sky.
The entire vehicle shook violently.
Canris landed directly on the hood.
His armored boots crushed metal.
His mirrored helmet reflected their terrified faces.
“Shit…” Falco’s eyes widened.
Before he could reach his weapon— Canris punched forward.
The windshield exploded.
Glass filled the air.
Falco was launched backward.
Instant unconsciousness.
“Rebecca, RUN!” Pilar finally understood.
This wasn’t a fight anymore.
It was an execution.
He shoved Rebecca aside.
Then opened fire.
His SMG unleashed a continuous stream of bullets.
Canris didn’t move.
The rounds sparked harmlessly against his armor.
The Berserk-enhanced operative simply walked forward.
Like a tank.
Like death itself.
Then he struck.
CRACK!
Pilar screamed.
A severed hand flew through the air.
The submachine gun remained clenched inside it.
Canris looked mildly annoyed.
“You’re loud.” The next second, he ripped open the vehicle roof with brute force.
Metal tore apart like paper.
Pilar and Falco were dragged out effortlessly.
One in each hand.
Rebecca watched everything unfold.
Maine.
Dorio.
Falco.
Pilar.
Everyone.
Defeated.
Broken.
Captured.
A horrifying realization settled into her chest.
They had never stood a chance.
Not from the beginning.
Not against people like these.
Tears blurred her vision.
“Everyone…” Her voice trembled.
Then Victor appeared.
No footsteps.
No warning.
Simply there.
Standing before her.
The crimson visor stared down at the tiny mercenary.
“It’s over.” Rebecca tried to raise her weapon.
Victor moved first.
A precise strike landed against her neck.
Pain exploded through her body.
Darkness followed immediately.
Rebecca collapsed.
Unconscious.
The battlefield fell silent.
The operation was over.
Arasaka had won.
Completely.
Canris approached Victor.
“Boss?” Victor looked over the captured mercenaries.
Maine.
Rebecca.
Dorio.
Falco.
Pilar.
Interesting assets.
Potentially useful assets.
His plan immediately began taking shape.
“Block all information leaving this area.” “Already in progress.” “Good.” Victor nodded.
“Transport them to the Watson District facility.” Canris blinked.
“Alive?” Victor glanced at him.
The question answered itself.
“Very alive.” Canris immediately nodded.
“Understood.” Victor continued issuing orders.
“Bring in cleanup teams.” “Already called.” “Contact WNS.” Canris grinned.
“The media angle?” Victor nodded.
“Militech launched an unprovoked attack against Arasaka personnel.” Canris couldn’t help laughing.
Corporate politics.
The battlefield never ended.
Even after the shooting stopped.
“Anything else, boss?” Victor glanced toward one final prisoner.
Sasha.
The captured netrunner was being escorted toward them.
“Bring her with us.” Canris looked surprised.
“Personally?” Victor nodded.
“I have questions.” Meanwhile, Sasha stared at the armored figure.
The title she’d heard moments earlier echoed endlessly in her mind.
Minister.
Minister Victor.
Not a soldier.
Not an operative.
Not a bodyguard.
A minister.
One of Arasaka’s highest-ranking executives.
A monster hiding behind corporate authority.
A man powerful enough to crush an entire mercenary crew personally.
The realization left her numb.
Had they been unlucky?
Or impossibly unlucky?
Tears slowly formed in her eyes.
She still hadn’t learned the truth about her mother.
She still had things she wanted to do.
And now…
Everything seemed over.
Victor didn’t notice.
Or perhaps he simply didn’t care.
“Put her in the vehicle.” “Yes, Minister.” As security personnel escorted Sasha away, she lowered her head silently.
Behind her, the lights of Night City continued shining.
Indifferent.
Uncaring.
As they always had.
And somewhere in the distance, Faraday still had no idea that his carefully planned operation had just collapsed completely.
But soon, he would learn.
——————————– CREATORS’ THOUGHTS ShadowSamuraiTL Have some idea about my story?
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