Mhm.
After listening to the tense conversation in the comms channel—where everyone else barely dared to breathe—Karl briefly summarized the intel he'd just gathered.
Simply put, Hanako Arasaka's bodyguard, Oda Santayū, had raised serious concerns about the security measures, only to be dismissed with passive-aggressive sarcasm by Adam Smasher.
Santayū... Karl remembered there had been a ninja by the same name back in Japan's Warring States period—Bochi Santayū, an upper-class Iga shinobi. It seemed this Oda had adopted the name from that historical figure.
Judging from the conversation, he had come from the same training camp as Chidōna—and was even her senior, one with top-tier performance. From the way Adam Smasher had compared him to Goro Takemura, himself, and Chidōna, Karl figured Oda Santayū must be Hanako's most formidable personal guard.
Adam Smasher rarely wasted words on the weak. For someone as brutal as him, talking to the unworthy was just a waste of time. If he actually bothered to insult you, it usually meant you were at least somewhat worth his attention—whether mockery or provocation.
So, ironically enough, Karl had just confirmed Oda Santayū's capabilities through none other than Smasher himself.
Karl tapped lightly on his holo-screen.
He had anticipated the possibility that someone formidable would be protecting Hanako and had made certain preparations. But if that person's abilities were truly on par with Chidōna's, then the original plan—letting Johnny Silverhand take care of the perimeter while Karl infiltrated the float—would have to be scrapped.
If Oda Santayū truly was that concerned about the security setup, then his level of trust in Arasaka must've dropped to near zero. And for someone as capable as him, how would they act when they trusted no one?
The answer was obvious: they'd take matters into their own hands.
No backup. No delegation. He'd personally sweep and neutralize every threat. That was the mindset of a loyal attack dog—do it yourself to ensure it gets done right.
Karl's eyes moved to the surveillance feeds he had on screen. Frame by frame, he scanned them with precision and unblinking focus. Nothing stood out at first. But then, after about five seconds...
Just a subtle flicker in color—just a slight shift in contrast, like light being bent strangely—suddenly caught his attention. Karl's eyes locked onto one specific feed.
Found you.
Optical camouflage, huh? Just like Chidōna's approach. And if that's the case... probably using mantis blades too.
Karl confirmed the location of the camera, quickly estimated the range, and realized: things were playing out exactly as he feared.
Johnny Silverhand was in danger.
If someone wanted to infiltrate the float without triggering the alarms, who would be the first person they'd neutralize?
The netrunner.
As long as the hacker remained in place, the float's security would remain intact.
So long as no alarm was raised, Oda Santayū could inspect things on his own terms. That meant his top priority would be securing the hacker—which perfectly aligned with Karl's goal of eliminating that hacker.
Johnny was just about to reach the hacker's location. Judging from that momentary distortion, Oda Santayū was now less than 100 meters from Johnny.
Karl shot to his feet and bolted into motion.
He had been observing Johnny through the feeds for several minutes now and had already formed an assessment of his combat potential. Johnny had adapted remarkably well to his current body—he now possessed all of Qiuqiu's capabilities, including the ability to take out a full squad of corporate operatives.
But someone like Oda Santayū... to him, a squad was child's play.
Against Santayū, Johnny wouldn't even last a second.
Karl sprinted full-speed and checked the team's shared GPS overlay in the squad channel. He confirmed that he was the closest one to Johnny's position and quickly sent out a warning:
"Run, Johnny. Abort the op. Leave your position now—someone's headed your way!"
"Run?"
Johnny had just reached the hacker, crouched nearby, preparing to sever the hacker's data uplink. Still processing Karl's words, he looked out through a broken, hollowed-out window.
Through the chaos outside and the storm of falling petals, he saw it.
In the midst of those drifting sakura blossoms, two deep crimson glows suddenly flared into existence. The light that should've been pouring straight in from outside was being distorted—something thicker, denser than light was coalescing just beyond the window.
It was a figure clad in matte-black combat armor that shimmered with the gleam of death. From the shadows emerged a kabuki-style demon mask bearing the Arasaka insignia. A man had stepped out of the warped light and into Johnny's stunned field of view—seemingly from nowhere.
On the figure's forearms, blazing-red thermal mantis blades glowed with volatile heat. The orange-red currents dancing along their edges were so vivid Johnny could hardly look away—until the eyes behind the demon mask locked with his own.
"A dog? How the hell is it a dog?" Oda Santayū briefly hesitated, confusion flickering through his mind.
But that split second of uncertainty didn't stop him.
Whatever this thing was, if it had gotten near the hacker, it had to be eliminated.
He raised his blades without hesitation, the red-hot edge cutting a lethal arc through the air.
Johnny Silverhand wasn't a seasoned fighter—not in this body. That moment of stunned awe nearly got him sliced into ribbons. But luckily, his cybernetic shell saved his life once again.
Just as Oda's strike came down, Johnny's instincts kicked in. He launched himself sideways in a blur, narrowly dodging the deadly blow.
The thermal mantis blades carved effortlessly through the cement floor where Johnny had just been standing, leaving behind a deep, steaming scar.
Oda Santayū narrowed his gaze.
"So it's a synthetic dog," he muttered coldly, his crimson cyber-eyes gleaming. He adjusted his stance. The blades flared to life again.
He had held back slightly before, thinking it was just a normal animal—hesitating out of curiosity. But there would be no second mistake.
The threat... would be eliminated. Now.
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🔥 CYBERPUNK: THE RELENTLESS
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