Dexter?
Vash raised an eyebrow and answered.
"V, you finally fucking picked up!" Dex exploded the moment the call connected — hysterical, furious, spitting venom, "Do you have any idea who you killed? That was a god! Now everything I've built is finished! Listen — tell me where you and Jack are right now!"
"Dexter." Vash said flatly, "You don't really have the qualifications to threaten me."
Dex choked for half a second, then snapped back, "You're just some broke-ass merc. You think you can talk back to me? I'm Dexter DeShawn! If you piss me off, I'll make you disappear in Night City!"
The fat bastard had never been a good person. If there was one thing he excelled at, it was yanking the rug out from under people and running.
Vash thought for a moment.
By the original timeline, Dex should've died by Takemura's hand. And just now, he hadn't mentioned the Relic even once.
That could only mean one thing: Takemura was right beside him.
"Dexter." Vash said, voice calm, "There's no point talking to me anymore. Put the friend next to you on."
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Watson District — inside a cramped hotel room.
Dex's body trembled.
Takemura caught it instantly, "What did he say?"
Dex swallowed, "He… he wants to speak to you directly."
Takemura's expression didn't change. He joined the channel with his own comms.
"I don't care who you are — or what you represent." Takemura said, voice cold as steel, "You killed Saburo-sama. Night City won't protect you. Even if I have to scour the entire world, I will kill you."
In the hotel room, Vash only chuckled.
"So Mr. Takemura believes I killed Saburo Arasaka."
Takemura's tone sharpened, "What are you implying?"
"Nothing." Vash replied lightly, "If you believe I killed him… then I killed him."
Takemura's voice dropped, "I'm not here to play word games. Listen carefully — you must pay for what you've done."
He paused, then continued, measured.
"I'll give you a choice. I won't touch your family or your friends. Pick a place. We settle this in a duel to the death."
He was a true samurai — devoted to bushidō. Even to avenge Saburo-sama, he wouldn't drag innocents into it.
Hearing that, Vash's opinion of him rose.
A rare kind of man.
"Mr. Takemura." Vash said with a faint smile, "If I come out to meet you… does that mean Dex is useless to you now?"
Takemura paused, "Everything I've done is only to find you and avenge Saburo-sama."
The meaning was obvious.
"Good." Vash said, "Do me a favor. Take care of that fat bastard — and maybe I'll meet you."
The moment those words came out, Dex froze.
This wasn't how the script was supposed to go.
"Mr. Takemura — don't listen to his bullshit!" Dex pleaded, voice cracking, "Mercs are all vicious and deceitful!"
"You are also an indirect factor in Saburo-sama's death." Takemura said coldly, "You are not worthy of mercy."
He drew his pistol and fired a single shot into Dex's head.
Bang!
Under the muffled cough of a suppressor, Night City's top fixer — Dexter DeShawn — had his brains painted across the floor.
Takemura didn't even blink.
"Now." He said, "We can talk about meeting."
"Mr. Takemura, to thank you for killing Dex for me, I'll give you a small hint." Vash said, "The truth isn't what you think it is."
He continued before Takemura could cut in.
"Don't rush to deny it. I'm in Heywood. But you might want to report to Yorinobu Arasaka first. Then you'll understand what I mean."
With that, Vash ended the call.
Takemura stood in the room, silent for a long moment.
In the end, he didn't use his authority to mobilize Arasaka combat units to Heywood.
Instead, he called Yorinobu.
A moment later, the spoiled brat's voice came through.
"Takemura. What do you want?"
"Yorinobu-sama." Takemura said evenly, "I have positively identified the murderer of Saburo-sama."
Silence…
More than ten seconds.
Then Yorinobu finally spoke, "Excellent, Takemura. Send me your location. I'll dispatch a squad of Arasaka death troops to assist you immediately."
"Thank you, Yorinobu-sama."
Takemura ended the call, but his expression turned subtle.
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Arasaka Tower — top floor.
After ending the call, Yorinobu paced back and forth. Then he stopped and dialed a special line.
"In the name of the Acting Chairman of the Arasaka family." He said coldly, "I issue a kill order on the traitor Goro Takemura."
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Heywood — Vista Del Rey.
Vash woke in his hotel room and glanced out the window.
Bright sun. Clean sky. Nice weather.
If Takemura really had reported to Yorinobu, then by now there should already be an answer.
Vash left quietly. On the rooftop, he activated the Mark L and shot into the air, angling toward the highway leading into Heywood.
He cut through the clouds at high speed. With the suit's thrust, he reached the freeway quickly — and just in time to see a car chase explode across the lanes.
Takemura was tearing down the highway, driving one-handed while firing with the other.
Behind him were Arasaka death troops — each one more chromed-up than the last. They moved like machines and fought like they didn't care whether they lived, as long as the target died.
As the chase unfolded, Takemura — relying on sheer skill and experience — managed to drop pursuer after pursuer.
But then one of them closed in.
That trooper had mantis blades installed.
While Takemura was pinned down by the others, the mantis-blade trooper triggered a leap-slash assist.
The blades snapped open, flashing cold light.
At that critical moment, a repulsor blast rained down from above, and the mantis-blade trooper was blown apart into scrap.
Takemura looked up.
In the sky hovered Vash — black-and-gold cyberware suit gleaming in the sunlight.
Vash dropped to the asphalt. The faceplate slid open.
"Looks like you found your answer, Mr. Takemura."
Takemura recognized him at once. He forced himself out of the car — but the serious wound in his abdomen made him sway.
Vash deactivated the suit and walked over, extending a hand.
"Mr. Takemura — whether it's a duel to the death or questions…" Vash's tone was calm, "I think you need treatment first."
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T/N: Comment, give me Power Stones, like and favorite, it all supports me and makes me go foward with this. Appreciate my other stories as well, I guarantee the good work!
If you want 20 chapters ahead, smut chapters or spicy images of this novel for just $5, or enjoy a large catalog of good novels with excellent translations (free or starting at $1.5): MrBlackWing (you know where to search)
Take a look at the new book I'm translating on my profile, Umamusume Pretty Derb: I'm Just a Trainer! Its also on my website for $5 too!
That's it and happy reading! (-‿◦)