Different factions exist among ninjas, so naturally, there is competition, but that is an internal affair, not something ordinary people can participate in.
The current era is the weakest in ninja history. They would not prioritize attacking other ninjas, to say nothing of the power Schwarzer displayed, which was suspected to be that of a Mythical-class ninja.
JK and his organization believe that all ninjas will eventually clash with the corporations. It is an irreconcilable conflict.
Using the power of technology, the corporations have ascended to the pinnacle of the world—a position that originally belonged to the ninjas.
To restore ninja rule, they must eliminate the various megacorporations.
Relying on their superhuman strength, long lifespans, and the unpredictability of ninja soul possession, ninjas have gradually infiltrated the various megacorps, all while learning and mastering the power of technology.
Fusing cyberware with flesh is very common among the new generation of ninjas, and JK is one of them.
He was originally a braindance author who used military-grade cyberware 'backdoors' to obtain a great deal of stimulating footage for his productions.
Only such intense stimulation could bring him pleasure, until he was possessed by a ninja soul. Only then did he find another driving force he was willing to dedicate himself to.
That purpose was to oppose the megacorps and subvert their control over human society.
Schwarzer did not make things difficult for him. Killing one or two ninjas was completely meaningless to her.
As the price for his offense, JK provided a portion of his intelligence on other ninjas—the only kind of information that would be of value to a powerful being like Schwarzer.
Of course, the intel he provided was all on hostile or neutral ninjas.
After seeing them off, JK left the 'Ninjia Tavern' without delay, heading for an underground room in Pacifica, undetectable by any surveillance.
'So they're actually ninja apprentices? Then deciphering the Flower Viewing Ceremony was a pure accident. No wonder they told Saburo Arasaka about it.'
'They must be trying to control Saburo Arasaka to gain control of Arasaka Corporation.'
JK analyzed the situation quickly. They already knew the identities of V's group; they were Arasaka executives themselves, which naturally made them better positioned to succeed than any outsider.
The only surprise had been Schwarzer. Before she revealed herself, they had gathered no intelligence on her whatsoever.
Thinking about it now, it was highly likely she had deliberately concealed her information, so effectively that even their methods could not uncover anything.
The dimly lit room was marked with an icon of crossed katanas. The faction formed by this group of ninjas was named 'Soukaiya'.
At its head was a tall man in a white suit, wearing a golden mask—Laomoto Khan.
The slaughter carried out by the System controlling Schwarzer had greatly delayed the arrival of the Age of Mappo, but the appearance of certain individuals was inevitable.
Soukaiya, a ninja organization hidden within Night City, had been waiting all this time for an opportunity for change.
Now, the appearance of V and Schwarzer's group was the greatest catalyst for that change. The emergence of a Mythical-class ninja—such power would certainly have a massive impact on Night City.
No, they had already begun to act. V had even 'lured' Saburo Arasaka himself to Night City.
'So, what is our next move?'
Faced with his subordinate's question, Laomoto Khan pondered for a moment before responding.
'Leave them be!'
...
On the way back, they were in the same black, high-end AV. V drove in silence, her confidence damaged by the brief battle.
She had considered herself strong, yet when faced with a true ninja, she couldn't even mount an effective resistance.
If David hadn't forced a direct clash with their opponent, she would have been taken out at the very beginning. The hacking cyberware installed in her body was so frail and useless before a ninja.
Most importantly, comparison is the thief of joy. If everyone had been no match for the ninja, she could have comforted herself with the excuse that ninjas were beings who transcended humanity.
But! Just a month ago, David had been nothing but an ordinary student, so weak that any roadside stray dog (merc) could have kicked him to death!
Now, he was far stronger than her, able to react to ninja-level speed and even land a counterattack that wounded his opponent.
And he was only equipped with a second-hand Sandevistan—a piece of junk to true executives, and an experimental model at that.
On someone like Adam Smasher, that thing would be considered basic cyberware. To a true corporate executive like V, it was completely beneath her notice.
To put it bluntly, Adam Smasher was just a corporate dog. Even if he was a hound, he was still just a dog. But she was a true executive (emphasis added)!
The more she thought about it, the tighter V's grip on the steering wheel became.
'Damn it!' For the first time in a long while, she couldn't control her composure, lightly slapping the steering wheel—for her, even such a small outburst was a rarity.
If only my talent for combat were a little higher, V thought subconsciously. With her aptitude, if she could convert her talent for hacking into combat talent, even Adam Smasher would be no match for her.
She had that much confidence. But talent was what it was; you either had it or you didn't, and she knew this better than anyone.
'It's alright, V. Humans can't defeat ninjas. Even if Adam Smasher were here, the outcome would be the same,' Schwarzer spoke up to console V.
She wasn't wrong. If Adam Smasher were here, his fully cybernetic body would only let him last a few more rounds before he was killed.
'I know, I understand... but...' Reason told her it was true, but for some reason, she was exceptionally agitated today.
She glanced at David in the rearview mirror. Lucy was rubbing his chest, which was a mass of black and blue bruises. It looked painful.
JK had held back in his attack. Otherwise, that one punch could have disemboweled David. Of course, it was still bad; he had struck with enough force to neutralize David's ability to resist.
V considered whether she should get a Sandevistan installed as well. It seemed to be the only way for an ordinary person to keep up with a ninja's speed, but unfortunately, it was unlikely her body could meet the physical requirements.
As the vehicle moved further and further from Pacifica, V imagined what would happen if she had allocated her intelligence points to strength instead.
In a daze, this thought resonated with some special power, and V found her wandering thoughts becoming increasingly real.
She 'saw' another version of herself—a merc self, powerful but with no points in intelligence. Of course, her name was different, too. She was called—Valerie.
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