Cyberpunk: From Dogville to Legend

Chapter 273 Slaughter All (Part 1) [5.1K]

"Beware of that Black Wall receptor?"

Kenichi Saburo remained bowing, muttering to himself as he listened to Arasaka Hanako's words, before looking up at the other woman, who had shed all her former restlessness.

Times change…

But the samurai’s blind loyalty seems to have never faded, and Kenichi Saburo still subconsciously looks into Michiko’s eyes.

She is the child of Arasaka Kei. Kenichi Saburo's atonement began when the core leader of Arasaka died in a humiliating manner on a yacht outside the Night City beach.

He vowed to make those who harmed Arasaka pay the price, and to protect the children of Arasaka Takayuki, whom he had once regarded as family.

"Why are you looking at Michiko?"

Hua Zi's tone already revealed a hint of displeasure at having his power disregarded.

"No, Miss Hua Zi, didn't we leave a backdoor in his prosthetic body?"

Hanako Arasaka's eyelids twitched. Kenichi Saburo didn't know that this was what Hanako was frustrated about. Ignorance is no excuse, and Hanako couldn't vent her anger, so she could only sigh and reply, "My brother gave him a lot of freedom, but... most of his prosthetic body is probably in a state of shutdown right now."

"In cyber hacking terms, it was probably a strange state that arose after he connected to the internet and was accompanied by AI. This was the technical appearance of Relic in its most rudimentary stage."

Is it a roving AI...?

Kenichi Saburo, an all-around lone wolf, or more accurately, a very successful lone wolf, would understand some internet terminology and be proficient in internet technology. This is a necessary condition for ensuring his survival.

“Nitta Kazuya is already abandoned. Father thought he was someone who could stick to the old ways, and Michiko will eventually return to where she belongs—so Kenichi-kun, you understand what I mean, right?”

Hua Zi stared intently at Kenichi Saburo.

Having said all that, Kenichi Saburo's goal is very clear:

As long as Nitta Heya targets that mysterious black wall receptor, then he should cooperate.

When he received orders to put down the towel he was using to wipe the floor in the washroom of the Arasaka compound and begin his return to work, Michiko stopped him.

"It can't be killed."

These are Michiko's exact words to him.

Michiko, who usually seemed to have the same attitude towards everyone and everything, unusually spoke to Kenichi Saburo in a reminding tone about the Black Wall Receptor.

Kenichi, having removed the towel covering his hair, saw a video recording of the Black Wall Receptor carrying out a massacre inside the Azure Building.

He's incredibly strong, almost like a one-man army.

Kenichi Saburo trained countless ninjas, samurai, and soldiers for Arasaka, but he didn't consider such a guy to be human, at least... more like a machine like a hammer.

That's right, machines may not be a bad thing in some situations; they represent precision, calmness, and flawlessness.

“No cybernetic prosthetic like S.A.S.S. could possess that speed, and his almost relentless cyber intrusions are all the work of our friends on the other side of the firewall.” Michiko said, grabbing Kenichi Saburo’s calloused hands, calloused from years of wielding guns and knives. “This is impossible…”

Kenichi Saburo was stunned.

In his eyes, this girl, who had wandered the country and single-handedly built up the North American intelligence society, showed a timid expression for the first time.

Was it because a senior agent from Dangerous Girls was eliminated?
Kenichi Saburo draped the towel over his shoulder and gently placed his other hand on Michiko's hand. "Miss Michiko, if I may be so bold... the speed provided by the prosthetic body is not the most terrifying enemy. Ultimately, it is an external thing. Everything depends on the person. Shintaro and I agree that the prosthetic body is not the deciding factor."

Seemingly to reassure Michiko, he even added, "I've seen many guys who are extremely fast, but they've all fallen to my blade."

That was Kenichi Saburo's proudest asset: his reaction.

How terrifying was that reaction?

He can close his eyes and use chopsticks to catch a single strand of hair the moment he opens them.

He once thought he was an invincible cyber madman. Even Adam Hammer, the madman from New York, took off his damned Gemini cybernetic body and obediently stayed away from Michiko.

"That's not true. That guy... has almost perfect motor skills. I don't think it's due to his prosthetic body. He... I don't know."

Michiko's voice was hurried, and she could only keep urging Kenichi Saburo to continue watching.

Kenichi Saburo frowned. He couldn't imagine what kind of education the young lady had received here to make her so hesitant and cautious.

The separation chip at the back of her head was working, and Michiko's voice came through.

"This is a combat system prediction software developed by Dangerous Girl. It is perfectly compatible with the high-end prosthetic eye of the Crossroads. It predicts the movements that human movement can reach under the combined external environmental factors—even some movements that make us wonder if they violate the laws of physics."

Kenichi Saburo watched as the ninja in the scene suddenly rushed forward, and the lines beside him completed the trajectory simulation a fraction of a second in advance, even simulating the change of direction during the charge.

This is not surprising. Kenichi Saburo also relied on his long-term combat experience to predict the enemy's actions.

however--

Inside the Azure Building, in the narrow passageway, the guy suddenly leaped up, his trajectory freezing in mid-air before changing direction and twisting, causing Kenichi Saburo's pupils to shrink sharply, and his expression gradually becoming serious.

The prosthetic body of the Blackwall receptor is a temporary assembly and would never be functionally advanced to this extent.

When he and Michiko made eye contact, Michiko pursed her lips and nodded solemnly.

“I know that Aunt’s orders cannot be disobeyed, but at the very least—we have to protect ourselves, Uncle Kenichi.”

Michiko had called him that since he was little, and Kenichi Saburo hadn't heard that nickname in a long time.

So... I might die there, is that right?
Kenichi Saburo's expression only darkened slightly for a moment before he smiled with narrowed eyes, looking no different from an elderly vendor selling red bean rice cakes on the street. "Miss Michiko, I may be old, but I'm not an idiot who doesn't even listen to the radio."

"With the loss of the roaming AI, his abnormal reaction and motor abilities, which rely on brain computing power, will definitely decline."

Michiko bit her lip, wanting to say something more.

Kenichi Saburo then added, "If you are really worried, I have a way to verify whether he still has that abnormal reaction ability. It's not difficult."

"But…"

This time, Kenichi Saburo didn't listen to Michiko's words. Instead, he asked, "Young lady, you've grown a lot... Before, you would try to find out the reasons behind such technology, after all, that was what you were most interested in—Lord Kei often asked you what you wanted to do in the future."

"Remember... you were talking about a technical expert."

And so, fully armed Kenichi Saburo boarded a Japan Airlines plane bound for North America.

Of course, upon landing, he did fulfill his promise to Michiko.

The setup orchestrated by the Tiger Claw Gang allowed Kenichi Saburo to see that while the guy possessed extremely high combat awareness and reflexes, he wasn't nearly as exaggerated as the guy at the Azure Mansion, and he managed to slip away unnoticed.

This doesn't seem like someone who possesses great power.

When Michiko received the news, Kenichi Saburo's expression was undoubtedly relaxed. He would act as Michiko's subordinate to regain some initiative for her, allowing her to continue to be the ruler of this land that suited her style.

But the young lady didn't seem happy.

At that time, Kenichi was still confused, until the Arasaka Industrial Park incident broke out, and Kenichi Saburo experienced something he had never felt before in his professional career: fear.

There are two reasons:

Adam Hammer suffered a loss; he was also getting old.

Michiko's words still seemed to echo in his ears, "I suspect that he has not lost contact with the roving AI, and may even have other technologies that Arasaka does not possess, or... supernatural means that are adding to his powerful strength."

At first, Kenichi Saburo didn't believe it, but when he recalled the events of that day, these seemingly fantastical words seemed to be coming true step by step!
Could it really be something other than Arasaka Technology?

Michiko went so far as to use her opportunity to meet with Saburo Arasaka to ask Kenichi Saburo to return to Japan. The truth is that on the night Adam Hammer was defeated, Kenichi Saburo knelt on the ground, staring at the orders from Arasaka headquarters in his prosthetic eye and pondering for a long time.

From darkness to dawn.

That guy was a thorn in his side, and the young lady was once his enemy.

Kenichi Saburo didn't have many reasons to refuse orders; one was enough.

He wanted to complete the mission he hadn't finished after the company war: to do something for Lord Jing and his children after the days of killing indiscriminately without causing any ripples and failing to be loyal to Lord Jing.

If the black wall receptor could see something, or...

Even the slightest chance of Arasaka obtaining information beyond the prosthetic body would be ideal.

He didn't want to do nothing in the quiet Japanese compound; clinging to a sliver of hope, he wanted to defeat Rin and clear the way for Michiko. So, he was here at that moment.

……

Are those still human eyes?
Kenichi Saburo asked himself this question.

The inertia of the high-speed hovercar throwing him off allowed him to see the guy up close for the first time. The pungent smell of ethanol lingered around his nose, along with the burnt stench of the guy's prosthetic body rubbing against the ground, and his arms, as black as ink yet aesthetically pleasing with their hollowed-out structure.

He lay there on the ground, casually holding the sharp knife that he could use to cleave the car door as he fell!

The woman in Rin's arms also turned to look at him, a faint smile playing on her lips...

Is it mockery?
That guy's words, like a woman's laughter, referred to himself as an old relic—

But Kenichi Saburo's eyes were sharp enough to predict that the guy was going to retaliate!

In battle, Kenichi Saburo's first priority is to discard his emotions.

Anger, pain, and anything unnecessary can cloud judgment—this is an insight I gained while kneeling in quiet contemplation in the sub-zero snow of Hokkaido.

Moved!

Lin Yue sneered, as if some kind of transmission device had been added to his waist, and he used the force to lift himself up from the ground. The woman in his arms was also gently thrown aside by him, the force just right, and she staggered and sat down on the ground next to him.

Immediately afterwards——

Ding!
Gunshots and the piercing sound of metal clashing.

Not far away, the Arasaka ninja who was rappelling down held a smart pistol in his hand, wanting to hit Lin Yue's network access chamber from behind, but he only saw the man's knife blocking his neck, and he slightly turned his head to reveal a blood-red eye that looked like a demon.

Even seasoned ninjas were taken aback for a moment.

Kenichi Saburo growled in a low voice, "Step back!"

But it's too late.

Lin Yue's body was as if he had been equipped with a Sianwistan; he quickly retreated, the blade twisting in his hand, pointing backward—

Swish!
The ninja, who instinctively clutched his neck, widened his eyes and knelt limply on the ground, leaving a large patch of deep red where his neck had been.

Kenichi Saburo moved swiftly, locking onto the woman sitting on the ground, and swung his katana in a wide arc, slashing horizontally.

This is the most advantageous option.

The middleman in Dogtown is the primary target for elimination!

Lin Yue seemed to have lost the ability to make expressions. This state was common on the other side of the black wall in cyberspace; powerful entities like Ultraman would look down at outdated code in this way…

"I control computing power in the most precise way, but I cannot guarantee the specific operating time."

"And it might be harmful to you, so do it quickly."

As Ultraman's indifferent voice ended in his mind, a stream of blood-red data suddenly exploded on Kenichi Saburo, who was soaring through the laggy screen!

To Lin Yue's surprise...

The old warrior's head slowly turned and looked at him.

Is this a reaction?
Lin Yue roughly estimated in his mind that Kenichi Saburo's prosthetic body was of the stable type, although there were also military prototypes customized by Arasaka for high-ranking samurai and high-level security personnel, so—

If you calculate it that way, he would have been more likely to succeed if he were younger.

Feeling he had become somewhat overconfident, Lin Yue immediately warned himself that he couldn't continue his retaliatory attacks without prioritizing the main objective, and then—

In the instant Kenichi Saburo lost his balance, he suddenly flung the blade in his hand!
Unaware of anything, Emma's beautiful eyes were fixed on Lin Yue's direction. A few strands of hair were cut off by the sharp blade near her ear, followed by a piercing explosion and then the sound of hurried footsteps retreating.

Emma turned her head, and a samurai with red arcs of electricity crackling around his body stared coldly at her, a knife spinning in the air before being firmly embedded in the hard asphalt road surface.

A gentle breeze blew beside him, and the cybernetic bodies of the warriors who had rappelled down from behind to attack Lin Yue were quickly broken through the black wall!
Kenichi Saburo knew that the elite squad had been slowed down by the rapid breakthrough, so he immediately threw a projectile from his pocket. Lin Yue frowned slightly, and then immediately understood what this guy was going to do.

He grabbed Emma and threw her onto another main road!
Immediately afterwards, a pistol appeared in Kenichi Saburo's hand, and all the bullets struck the floating explosives...

If he hadn't played this tactic in a game based on his past life memories, he wouldn't have realized it at first. However, Lin Yue didn't intend to play along with this cunning and manipulative guy any longer.

Boom boom boom!
Explosions sounded one after another!
Emma watched the dazzling sparks, with the heavy roar of a car engine behind her.

Rebecca, kneeling on the roof of the car, made "hey, hey, hey" sounds as she stretched out her arms to catch the woman who was about to fall.

"Damn it! Are you really that embarrassing for women?!"

Rebecca had countless complaints in her mind, but the moment the gorilla's arm touched her warm body, she subconsciously loosened her grip, grabbed Emma's skirt haphazardly, and shrank towards the skylight.

"Old woman! Drive fast! That bastard from Arasaka is catching up!"

A bewildered Emma looked at the small face and the gaunt woman cursing incessantly in the driver's seat. "Huh?"

Rebecca nervously looked behind her. The gorilla was carrying a woman weighing over 50 kilograms with ease. She put Emma down beside him. "My sis is the most reliable. That guy was clearly trying to throw you."

The tires rubbed against the ground, while a still-functioning hovercar flew close to the ground behind it.

at the same time!

Lin Yue's knife suddenly collided with Kenichi Saburo's blade!

Ott immediately reduced the computing power to prevent Lin Yue's brain from overloading.

Lin Yue intended to create space for his team and Emma, ​​and sure enough, the hovercar suddenly stopped and clumsily turned around, attempting to fire at Lin Yue.

Just as Kenichi Saburo was about to retreat, Lin Yue stuck to him like a leech.

This was a decision that would deter machine guns with air superiority from indiscriminately strafing, but the old warrior was even more reckless than he had imagined—

"Fire!"

Lin Yue's eyes turned cold, and his talent was instantly activated!
His entire body felt as if his nerves were being violently stimulated by an electric current. He was strangely lifted into the air and completed a change of direction and twist in front of Kenichi Saburo's incredulous gaze!
This is the perfect combination of "acrobatic flying" and "aerial dash".

Even so, at the moment the computing power was reduced, a stray machine gun bullet suddenly slammed into Lin Yue's side arm!
Kenichi Saburo, who thought the traitor's arm was about to be torn apart by the enormous force, discovered that the bullet seemed to have been weakened in force and its angle was also deviated. It grazed the prosthetic body, sparks flew out, and followed several lines as it flew away!

Harmony between humanity and nature…

Kenichi Saburo created some distance; there were still bullets waiting for this guy!
however--

Lin Yue glanced briefly at the blade in his hand…

[The troops clashed!]
Ding~!

Kenichi Saburo's eyes widened as if he had seen a ghost; he deflected a bullet twice the size of a normal sniper rifle bullet with his katana...

Bang!
The moment Lin Yue landed, he received Ultraman's answer.

"Computing power injection..."

Ultraman's cold and emotionless AI voice rang out!

At the same time, Lin Yue himself was muttering to himself, "Finish him off!"

Wow!
Lin Yue, whose speed was instantly approaching its limit, made a slashing motion with one hand. The enemy's reflection in Kenichi Saburo's pupils seemed to be magnified in an instant, and only the blade reflected his almost frozen expression.

With a powerful kick, Lin Yue showed extreme disrespect to Arasaka's "senior".

This slash left Kenichi Saburo with a horrific gash from his face to his chest. Coupled with that kick that took 14 points of flesh, one can only imagine the consequences.

A few dozen meters is Kenichi Saburo's limit under the influence of gravity, not the limit of Lin Yue's body.

Wow!
Lin Yue felt as if the scenery around him had suddenly brightened up!
Those were the other Arasaka ninjas who had finally recovered!
Three hundred and sixty degrees, twelve knife-wielding killing machines, bathed in sunlight, resembled soaring black shadows. As Lin Yue, his body cooling equipment emitting wisps of white smoke, slowly bent his knees, arching his back and gripping the knife—

His eyes were filled with absolute calm!

……

　[When he died in a humiliating manner on a yacht outside the Night City beach]: Arasaka Kei's death was a suicide forced upon him by other company squads.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)