From the anime, we know that David has a special constitution with 'drug resistance,' so the experimental Sandevistan isn't too big of a problem for him.
Things were quickly arranged. Since David himself had no objections, no one else could say anything.
David installed the Sandevistan and subsequently joined Maine's crew. While this might not seem too different from the original story, it was, in fact, completely different.
Joining the crew as the son of an old acquaintance versus joining as a promising candidate favored by the mysterious and powerful fixer from the Afterlife—the difference between the two was immense.
David lived a very 'fulfilling' life: attending school, training, and running missions with Maine's crew.
Any normal person would have collapsed from the pressure long ago, but David found that his body was getting better and better, especially his 'Karate.'
Although he didn't know why, the training chip categorized nearly all combat techniques and skills under the single heading of 'Karate,' but his progress was incredibly rapid.
After placing him with Maine's crew, Schwarzer and V truly left him to his own devices, not appearing again for a whole month.
'Big shots' like them must be busy all the time, right? David didn't try to bother them either.
Inside her office at Arasaka Corporation, V had indeed been very busy these past few days. She was trying to decipher the 'Kojiki' and had made a huge breakthrough.
'The Flower Viewing Ceremony...' V's yearning for immortality had transformed into a tangible desire. After expending a great deal of time and energy, she inexplicably learned the secrets of the Flower Viewing Ceremony from the 'Kojiki.'
Even she couldn't figure out how she had managed to decipher it; the knowledge seemed to have simply run into her head on its own.
After three days and nights of sleepless contemplation, like a 'Zen meditation,' V awoke from her enlightenment knowing how to perform the Flower Viewing Ceremony.
Though she hadn't eaten or moved for three days, her stiff body couldn't contain the wild ecstasy in her heart. She had obtained the final piece of the puzzle to becoming a True Ninja!
'Next is to train hard in Karate, to at least meet the minimum requirements of a ninja.'
Even if it took decades, V had decided to see it through to the end. She didn't think her own aptitude was so poor that she couldn't step into the realm of the ninja within her lifetime.
She stretched her body a little. For the past month, everyone had been trying, intentionally or not, to probe what Saburo Arasaka was truly after.
Everyone was trying to read between the lines of his search for 'ninja,' completely unaware that he was looking for actual ninjas—the literal meaning of the word!
This was also by his design. Only those who truly understood what a ninja was could grasp his meaning.
Before meeting Schwarzer and learning the truth of the world, V would never have been able to figure this out either. But things were different now; she had obtained the ultimate bargaining chip.
'Help me submit an application to Mr. Saburo Arasaka. I have found intelligence regarding 'ninja.'
'
'Remember to emphasize that it is intelligence related to the Kojiki and the Flower Viewing Ceremony.'
She quickly arranged for someone to contact Saburo Arasaka. V was confident he couldn't possibly refuse such intelligence.
It seemed she had been the second-in-command of the intelligence department for a bit too long. It was time for a more interesting position.
A call was made from Arasaka Tower, quickly reaching Saburo Arasaka through a special internal channel.
'The Kojiki and the Flower Viewing Ceremony?' These two phrases awakened the ninja soul within him. The Kojiki was something all ninjas knew and had studied thoroughly.
As for the Flower Viewing Ceremony, it was one of the necessary rituals to become a True Ninja, and the most suitable one for someone like him, who had no master.
This time, he couldn't let it go. An aura that belied his appearance emanated from Saburo Arasaka's body.
'The one who submitted the application is... Ms. V, is it? She's considered a key member of the corporation.'
'Contact V. Tell her I will be making a trip to Night City in the next couple of days to speak with her in detail.'
The news that Saburo Arasaka was coming to Night City in person spread quickly. No one knew the reason, and no one connected it to the earlier search for 'ninja.'
Outside Arasaka Tower, a thin line, invisible to the naked eye, connected to the roof and stretched all the way up into the sky.
A retro kite, completely devoid of any electronics, floated in the sky. On the giant kite was a human figure—a ninja?!
'Saburo Arasaka is coming to Night City and has obtained intelligence on the Kojiki and the Flower Viewing Ceremony.'
The kite quickly recorded the information. The line was then retracted, and the purely non-electronic kite, like a phantom in the world of cyberpunk, rode the wind and flew away.
...
On the streets of Night City, a black luxury sedan drove against the flow of traffic, swerving just in time to avoid a fatal crash with each oncoming car, dancing on a razor's edge every second.
In the driver's seat, David stared intently ahead, his Sandevistan constantly active. After more than ten seconds, he shook off the pursuers behind them and swerved back onto the main road.
'Did you have to push it to the limit like that? We were just shaking a tail...' Lucy, in the passenger seat, looked as if she had just survived a near-death experience.
'They hired guys from the Tyger Claws, those psychos.'
David maintained his speed, opened the window, and casually tossed out a flashbang.
The trajectory was perfect. Just as the flashbang detonated, the pursuing assassins crashed right into it.
Accompanied by the screech of tires from vehicles losing control, followed by a series of collisions, the convoy of cars behind them crashed into each other and fell into disarray.
'Done. Lucy, give me the planned route. I'll drive straight there.'
'Alright, alright. How in the world did you practice your grenade throws? You toss them like they're homing in.'
Lucy peeked her head out to look behind them at the chain-reaction crash site. The pursuers were clearly blocked.
David had improved rapidly in just one month. Maine and the others had only given him a start, helping him acclimate a little to the merc life, but they never expected him to be such a natural.
In just over half a month, David had already grown to be the second-strongest in the crew. Even Maine could only gain the upper hand by relying on the superiority of his chrome.
In reality, David could have defeated him long ago, but to be considerate of his status as crew leader, he deliberately held back in every training session.
'So you're actually the strongest in the crew, aren't you? I really don't think Maine's chrome can compare to your Sandevistan.'
'Hmph~' David hummed noncommittally before slamming the accelerator, weaving through the traffic.
He clearly enjoyed Lucy's praise. Their relationship had been confirmed long ago. There was no room for coy flirtations in Night City; they liked each other, so they got together.
Just as he was relaxing, a sense of crisis enveloped him.
David ducked his head sharply and swerved the car slightly. A metal shuriken was now embedded in the seat next to his ear.
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