Warhammer: The Time Traveler

Chapter 181 The Rebellious Son of Arakasaka (Fourth Update)
The Moby-Whale, this steel behemoth floating on the Pacific Ocean, is cutting through the deep blue sea with its unstoppable majesty, steadily advancing towards the west coast of North America, towards Night City.

On its deck, fighter jets are neatly arranged like resting raptors; inside its cabins, it is filled with Arasaka's most elite power armor troops and the most advanced killing weapons.

From the outside, this is a destructive force powerful enough to make small countries tremble and opponents take their time. It is the iron fist of the Arasaka Empire demonstrating its supreme authority, and it is heading towards the battlefield of revenge with overwhelming force.

However, the person who stands in the nominal highest command position of this powerful fleet has a mind that is completely opposite to the will that the ship represents.

Arakasaka Yoriyuki stood alone in the observation room next to the flagship's bridge. Outside the thick bulletproof glass was the boundless ocean, which reflected his deep and complex eyes.

He wore a well-tailored uniform of the Arasaka Senior Commander, the insignia on his shoulder straps cold and glaring, representing his family and position.

This attire tightly bound him to the ship and the surname "Arasaka," but it was precisely this shackle that he had been trying to break free from for nearly half a century.

The automatic door to the observation room slid open silently, and steady footsteps interrupted his gaze.

The security chief of Arakawa, and the real mastermind behind this operation, Shintaro Takayama, walked to a position slightly behind him.

The old minister had his hair neatly combed, his face resolute, and his eyes held a scrutinizing gaze and a hint of barely perceptible worry.

"Lord Yoriyuki," Shintaro Takayama's voice was deep and steady, carrying the tone of respect and admonition unique to elders addressing juniors and subjects addressing their lords, "we are about to enter the designated operational area. Ahead lies Night City."

Lai Xuan did not turn around, but only made a barely audible "hmm" in response, his gaze still fixed on the faintly visible coastline in the distance.

Gao Shan seemed to be used to his attitude and continued, "Lord Saburo entrusting you with the command of this 'Special Punishment Operation' is of great significance. I know that in the past... you had some reservations about certain principles of conduct of the family."

He used careful wording, clearly referring to Lai Xuan's youth when he formed the Steel Dragon to fight against his family, and his occasional rebelliousness and alienation over the decades that followed.

“But this time, it’s different from before.” Shintaro Takayama’s tone became more serious. “The destruction of the Night City branch and the fall of the sacred vehicle are blatant provocations against the dignity of Arasaka. This is war. As Arasaka’s heir and the Crown Prince of the Empire, you are now standing at the forefront of this crisis.”

This is the best, and...only, opportunity for you to demonstrate your capabilities and establish your authority both within and outside the group.

He paused slightly, observing Lai Xuan's reaction. Seeing that the other party remained silent, he went a step further and said earnestly, "Lord Lai Xuan, in the past fifty years, some of your actions... may have seemed a bit willful and immature in the eyes of the elders."

What they need to see is a leader who can inherit Saburo's will and support Arasaka's future, not a spoiled brat still immersed in adolescent rebellion.

This operation is your stage to prove yourself. Please be careful with your words and actions, prioritize the overall situation, and refrain from any further... 'fooling around'.

The last two words were spoken very softly by Shintaro Takayama, yet they carried a heavy weight.

This was the most straightforward advice he could offer as an old minister who had watched Lai Xuan grow up and still retained a sliver of recognition of his status as the rightful heir.

He sincerely hoped that Lai Xuan could take this opportunity to change his image and truly shoulder the responsibilities of a successor, even though he might never understand the all-consuming flame deep within Lai Xuan's heart.

Lai Xuan finally turned around slowly, his face showing no anger at being offended, nor any impatience at being lectured, only an almost ethereal calm.

“Uncle Takayama,” he addressed him casually, his voice devoid of emotion, “I know what to do. For Arasaka’s ‘future,’ I will do what I must.”

His words were ambiguous; they might have sounded like a promise to Gao Shan, but to Lai Xuan himself, they carried a completely different meaning.

For the "future" he desires, a future free of giants like Arasaka, he will naturally "do" what he must do—that is, lead this vengeful warship, along with everything it represents, to its ultimate destruction.

Shintaro Takayama carefully examined Rai Nishiki's expression, seemingly trying to discern any sincerity or determination within it. Finally, he nodded slightly: "It's good that you understand. I will do my utmost to assist you and ensure the success of the operation."

He bowed again and then quietly left the observation room.

The door closed again, and Lai Xuan turned his gaze back to the distance.

The outline of the coastline seemed to become clearer. It was not only the battlefield where war was about to break out, but also the prelude to the era that would bury the entire company, which he had been planning for fifty years. Shintaro Takayama's advice was like an insignificant breeze, blowing through his heart, which had long been as hard as iron.

His plans were far grander and more ruthless than establishing personal authority and inheriting the Arasaka Empire.

Lai Xuan's thoughts inevitably drifted back to the distant past, back to the youthful era that completely changed the trajectory of his life.

Kenjiro Hanaka, the teacher at the Tetsurenka Dojo, was his spiritual guide and also the first crack in the wall of his understanding.

In that dojo filled with the scent of wood and the sweat of the students, Master Yu Zhong taught not only swordsmanship to kill enemies and win battles, but also the "sword of the heart" to cut through confusion and confront one's true self.

He never talked about empty politics or philosophy, but guided Lai Xuan to think about the nature of power, the boundaries of responsibility, and why the swordsman fights through the practice of each move.

Initially, Lai Xuan's worldview was a fortress that Arasaka had carefully built for him: the company brought order and prosperity, technology led human progress, and Arasaka's position at the top was an inevitable result of his ability and destiny.

All the privileges he enjoys are proof of the system's legitimacy.

However, Teacher Yu Zhong inadvertently allowed him to glimpse the real world outside the fortress.

After one class, Master Yu Zhong calmly spoke of an elderly man outside the dojo who had lost everything because he couldn't repay his company's medical loans; on another occasion, he pointed to a brief news report about an ecological disaster and commented that it had been an area where a large company dumped industrial waste.

Teacher Yu Zhong did not make any vehement accusations, but only stated the facts and let out a faint sigh.

These fragmented pieces of information, like water dripping on a stone, are gradually eroding Lai Xuan's established understanding.

He began to observe consciously, using the "heart sword" given to him by his teacher Yu Zhong to analyze everything around him.

He noticed that at family banquets, when executives discussed mergers and acquisitions, the "necessary layoffs" they mentioned lightly represented the lives of thousands of families. He read in his father's study that beneath the reports on "human resource optimization" and "market cleanup" lay bloody competition and takeovers.

For the first time, he realized that beneath the glamorous "progress" in Arasaka's promotional videos lay countless "consumables" that were exploited and discarded; the "order" he had become accustomed to was a sophisticated control built on systemic exploitation and silent suffering.

This overturning of perception is painful and intense.

His worldview, built up over the past eighteen years, collapsed, replaced by chaos and guilt.

He began to loathe the delicacies on the table because they might be stained with blood and sweat; he resented the obsequious servants around him because that obsequiousness stemmed from fear and the inequality of power.

The glory of Arakasa no longer shone in his eyes; instead, it reflected the blood, tears, and bones of countless victims.

Teacher Yu made him realize that he was not only the heir of the privileged class, but also a part of this all-consuming system.

However, the light of enlightenment is always fleeting.

Teacher Yu Zhong's "suicide," and the meticulously arranged yet flawed disguise at the scene, was like a bucket of ice water. It not only extinguished the last remaining illusions he had about the warmth of his family, but also made him realize with crystal clarity the cruel nature of this system.

Any spark that attempts to awaken others or challenge the established order will be extinguished without mercy. The system's own defense mechanisms will activate without even a clear instruction from the family.

It doesn't care who it is, it only cares whether the threat is eliminated.

That boy, who once lived under the protection of his family and possessed a certain naivety and arrogance, died completely at this moment.

Instead, there is a young man who has seen through his own situation and the dark underbelly of the world. His heart is no longer confused, but only filled with cold despair and a silent flame that is destined to burn everything in the midst of despair.

(End of this chapter)