Chapter 27: Sparta

"Yoo-hoo! Brothers! We've got ourselves a new job!" Lily Cross shouted gleefully after receiving a message from Lena Fox.

"Big Sis! Could you maybe check the situation first before yelling?" Ethan Cross yelled back, ducking instinctively as more bullets pinged off the vehicle's reinforced panels.

"A couple of stray bullets and you're this scared? Go home, drink your warm milk, and cling to your corporate contacts," Lily sneered.

"If your mouth wasn't so venomous, maybe we wouldn't be in this mess," Ethan muttered, exhausted.

It was supposed to be a quiet trip home. They had only stopped at a nomad encampment to rest when Lily, ever the tactless observer, insulted someone's shoddy car repair job.

"My grandma could fix it better—with her feet," she'd said.

The nomads didn't take kindly to that.

Tensions between city folk and nomads were already high. That one insult sent every nomad in earshot into a frenzy.

Mike Taylor, ever the loose cannon, didn't back down either—he casually lobbed a few grenades their way, sending vehicles and tents flying.

Unfortunately, it turned out this wasn't just a wandering group. It was a tribe—nearly a hundred strong.

Naturally, the group had no choice but to flee for their lives.

"Relax. We're almost at the border checkpoint. You think they'd dare to follow us in?" Lily said confidently, although she secretly sighed in relief when the checkpoint came into view.

As expected, the nomads eventually cursed them out and stopped. Crossing into Night City meant entering a whole different jurisdiction—under the full control of the NCPD. Starting a firefight here would be suicide.

A hundred nomads might sound intimidating, but against the well-equipped, elite border patrol units, they didn't stand a chance.

"Stop! Security check!" barked an officer as he waved their vehicle toward the security lane.

"I'll be right back," Lily said, grabbing a package from the storage compartment before stepping out of the vehicle.

Seeing that the passengers were cooperative, the officer gave Lily a quick once-over. "Room Six. You'll need to fill out entry forms."

Night City, being an independent city-state, treated border entry like a sovereign nation. You needed permits just to get in.

Inside Room Six, a Black officer lounged in his chair, lighting a cigarette. "What brings you to Night City? Who's in the car? What are you carrying?"

Despite his bored tone, Lily smiled sweetly.

"We're just a group of friends on a sightseeing trip. Nothing but local specialties for some old friends in the city," she said.

"Specialties? What kind? Firearms? Ammunition? If so, those'll have to be confiscated," the officer said, blowing smoke.

Everyone in Night City had guns. That wasn't the issue. But at the border? If a guard claimed your weapons were illegal, they could take them—and you'd have no say. Try resisting, and you'd be gunned down.

"It's just food. Actually…" Lily glanced at the surveillance camera in the corner—it hadn't even been switched on. She handed the officer the package, giving it a light pat.

He opened it with one finger, revealing a neat stack of bills—around 3,000 eurodollars.

"Not bad," he said with a grin. "You got a pass?"

"Yes, sir." Lily handed over a printed Night City visitor pass.

The front had a big "Welcome to Night City" slogan. The back? A simple pledge to follow the law and avoid causing trouble.

Anyone could buy one online for a thousand.

So why bribe him if she already had a pass?

Simple. Without the border inspector's stamp, the pass was just expensive toilet paper. Only fools thought otherwise.

Suddenly, a news report on the wall TV caught Lily's attention.

"Militech to deploy new Spartan Squad to Night City."

The image showed a middle-aged man in a crisp white military uniform—Lieutenant Colonel Carter—speaking at a podium.

"Due to recent global instability, certain organizations are attempting to undermine Militech's influence through illegitimate means," Carter said. "To protect our partners and assets, we are initiating additional security measures, including the deployment of our Spartan forces."

"Of course, these measures are purely defensive," he added with a straight face. "We simply aim to avoid unnecessary conflict and ensure the safety of all Militech personnel and clients."

Lily rolled her eyes and scoffed.

The hypocrisy was nauseating. Playing the victim while preparing for war? Classic Militech.

But the Spartans—Militech's elite soldiers—were no joke. If they were being deployed, things were about to get real.

She suddenly felt conflicted. Should she go home and stock up on gear for survival?

Or should she take advantage of the sensitive information she just got her hands on—like that juicy 500,000 eddie delivery?

The money tempted her, but the risk…

---

"Are you really leaving?" Arasaka Michiko looked at Arasaka Yuto with unease as he checked his gear.

"Miss Michiko, a storm's coming. I can't sit around and do nothing," Yuto said with a calm smile.

Arasaka, too, had seen Militech's announcement. Anyone paying attention could smell war in the air. Some were eager. Others terrified.

Many didn't know what to think. Was this the beginning of the Fifth Corporate War?

Yuto couldn't stand waiting anymore. The manor was safe, sure, but being fed filtered news wasn't living—it was waiting for the world to fall apart.

"I don't want to be left behind," Michiko said softly. "If you leave, I won't even have someone to talk to."

"You can help us from the inside," Yuto said seriously. "We need someone close to Arasaka Yorinobu and Hanako. Someone who can give us timely updates about movements, personnel transfers… Only you, as a direct descendant, can do that."

He paused. "Right now, the company's leadership is uncertain. With Saburo gone, Yorinobu's legitimacy is being challenged. Hanako's stepping out from the shadows. Your stance is vital."

"Whether it's the truth about Saburo's death or the future of Arasaka Corp, it all hinges on which of the three of you takes control."

It was clear Yuto had thought about this deeply.

Leon Black wasn't interested in internal Arasaka politics. As far as Yuto could tell, Leon hated trouble. If Michiko hadn't given them access to rare Immortal-grade gear, they wouldn't even be involved.

"If anything urgent happens, contact me through Aunt Okada," Yuto said as he walked out.

---

"Hello? Yuto? Got it. Meet up with them first," Lena Fox said, ending the call. She turned to Leon Black, who was grilling skewers over a synthetic charcoal fire.

"Yuto's on his way. I told him to rendezvous with Lily and the others near the border."

"That's perfect. His skill set covers the hacking gap in their team," Leon said, handing over a stick of meat. "Synthetic meat… does this even count as food?"

"I ordered a real lamb online. It should arrive in two days."

"Hot pot!" Leon's eyes lit up. Even synthetic meat tasted better just thinking about real lamb.

"I didn't think Militech would actually send in the Spartans," Lena said, watching the news feed on her tablet.

"Yeah, Militech's making serious moves," Leon agreed. "I wonder how much longer we'll be able to work with Arasaka."

"You don't think Arasaka will hold out?"

"They've got an aircraft carrier docked at the waterfront, sure," Leon said. "But this is New America. Militech has the home-field advantage in resources, personnel, and influence."

"If things really break down, Arasaka's going to bleed."

Still, as Lena pointed out, Arasaka's carrier was a wild card. Who knew what it had onboard?

"Militech has a carrier too," Leon added, chewing thoughtfully. "Unless Arasaka plans to drop nukes, I'm not betting on them."

"If they do use nukes, the American market is gone for good. That's a steep price."

"Who knows? President Myers might even be hoping for that. She's got every reason to want Militech weakened."

Militech had helped Myers during the last war, but it was a deal of mutual interest. Now that peace was settling in, Myers was desperate to claw back territory and power.

Being a puppet president only went so far.

Ding~

New message received.

"Leon~ funds are in. It's almost time," Lena said, staring at the eight-digit figure with a sharp glint in her eye.

"Alright. Let's deal with your problem first." Leon opened his contact list. "Miss Nina, get ready—we're about to begin."

---

Ethan Cross returned to the group after handling supplies. When he spotted Arasaka Yuto arriving, he ran up like a kid seeing his favorite toy.

"Ah! Yuto! My savior!" Ethan beamed, wrapping him in a sudden hug. "You have no idea how miserable I've been since you left!"

"It's not that serious…" Yuto said awkwardly, unsure how to react.

Truthfully, he hadn't spent that much time with the team—maybe less than a year. And when there were no missions, they barely kept in touch. Ethan's over-the-top reaction caught him off guard.

"You're the only one who can go toe-to-toe with Lily," Ethan said dramatically. "Since you left, my life's been hell."

"Now that you're back, the sun's shining again!"

Yuto: So… I'm just cannon fodder?

The moment was broken by the sudden slam of a door opening, followed by a loud, theatrical voice:

"The Young Miss has arrived—everyone, kneel!"

Øóffer going on for diamond tier

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