chapter 131

Share...News and Retreat...

"There are nine people left."

Oliver, positioned at a distance, watched as the Arasaka team fell into brief chaos following the death of their leader. He adjusted his Nekomata sniper rifle, sighting his next target.

The trigger was pulled.

"Now there are eight."

"Sniper!" one of the Arasaka members shouted.

In small team operations, few things lower morale more than the presence of a sniper. Karl and his team had experienced this in a past escort mission, where a sniper had forced the mercenaries to stay pinned down, unable to even raise their heads. The same was happening now.

After losing their captain and another team member, the remaining eight Arasaka soldiers scrambled for cover as if they had just woken from a nightmare.

"The gun model has been identified. Based on the sound and power, it's a Nekomata sniper rifle," said one team member, who was well-versed in firearms.

The mention of a Nekomata sent chills through the Arasaka team. A Nekomata could easily pierce through most cover, rendering their hiding spots useless.

"Do we have a countermeasure? Where's our sniper?" the vice-captain asked.

"The position's no good. I can't get a lock on him!" their sniper replied, frustration evident in his voice.

The vice-captain cursed silently. They had only come to deal with the aftermath of a corporate faction struggle, never expecting to face this level of danger. An elite hacker who had taken out their own, a sniper expertly wielding a Nekomata... This was far beyond their expectations.

But they had no choice but to continue.

If they failed to complete this job, they would face intense pressure from higher-ups.

"Move! Stay behind cover, split up, and flank from both sides. We need to identify the enemy. If it's someone from Militech, call for backup," the vice-captain ordered.

In any situation involving Militech, Arasaka would escalate the response, possibly sending reinforcements—up to sixty more soldiers if necessary. Arasaka never hesitated to deploy overwhelming force when it came to confronting Militech.

"But could Militech operatives really be this skilled?" one of the team members asked.

Arasaka's soldiers were seasoned professionals, and the two corporations knew each other's capabilities well. The Special Operations teams of both sides had clashed many times, especially in Night City. Arasaka's soldiers knew that Militech's operatives weren't typically this formidable.

"We won't know until we confirm," the vice-captain responded, though a knot of fear tightened in his gut. Militech's gear wasn't all that different from their own, and the two sides often used surplus equipment produced by the same manufacturers. Battles between the two were often a matter of skill rather than superior firepower.

But a Nekomata? That rifle was an expensive piece of kit, typically reserved for elite squads or wealthy enthusiasts. It wasn't something an average soldier could afford, nor could Militech typically issue it to their agents.

Tsunami Defense Systems, a company based in Osaka, produced the Nekomata. Given their rivalry with Tokyo-based Arasaka, the possibility of Tsunami being involved in this operation made the vice-captain even more nervous. The bad blood between the two companies nearly sparked a civil war in Japan in the past, and he knew well the tensions between them.

A nervous sweat broke out on his forehead. What kind of enemy were they facing?

"The identities of two of the four hostiles have been confirmed, vice-captain!" the communications officer reported.

"Who are they?"

"Street mercenaries. Jack Wells and Maine ."

"Jack Wells? Maine?"

The vice-captain hadn't heard of these names before, but the next bit of information from the comms officer sent a ripple of excitement through the team.

"Jack Wells is a known associate of K, the infamous mercenary. They often work together."

"K... the mercenary? That lunatic?"

Relief washed over the vice-captain. It wasn't a mystery enemy like ACPA or Tsunami. But then again, it wasn't entirely good news. They were up against the infamous mercenary K.

Without hesitation, the vice-captain called his superiors.

"We've encountered mercenary K during the cleanup. Three of our team have already been killed."

He left the decision to the higher-ups. According to internal reports, K was out of their league. If the mission was to be completed, reinforcements would be required. Whether it was worth the trouble, however, would be up to those higher in command.

"Did you confirm it's K?" came the immediate response from above.

"We've found his associates," the vice-captain replied tactfully, unwilling to outright confirm without solid evidence.

"Since you have leads..."

The superior paused for a moment, thinking. "Withdraw your team. We need our forces spread out across Night City to handle more important targets."

"Yes, sir!"

Relieved, the vice-captain quickly issued the order to his team. After a few moments, the Arasaka operatives retreated as swiftly as they had come.

Meanwhile, the higher-up in charge reviewed the information about Tanaka. Noticing that Tanaka was part of Night City's Experimental Department, which was working on a project called "Cyborg," the superior's eyes narrowed thoughtfully.

Had military technology really caught wind of their "Cyborg" project?

After pondering for a while, the senior officer passed the data to the new security director of Arasaka's Night City branch. The director had recently arrived with Miss Haruko and would undoubtedly find this of interest.

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