'Will this have any consequences?' Schwarzer was more concerned about this. She already considered V a friend and didn't want anything bad to happen to her.
'A connection between the two worlds has been opened, which means crossing between parallel worlds has become possible. Moreover, it has a huge impact on destiny.'
'The worst-case scenario is that the two worlds collide and eventually merge, becoming a new world that inherits parts from both, but is entirely new.'
The System quickly provided its analysis. Although it didn't know why the different worlds had connected, the consequences were likely to be catastrophic.
The destruction and fusion of worlds? Or the creation of a new one?
Schwarzer suddenly felt a flicker of interest. She wanted to see what would happen if two worlds merged, but her rational mind quickly extinguished this curiosity.
The result of two worlds merging is that both are destroyed. The newborn world is no longer them, meaning everything within 'dies' and is reborn as something new.
For now, however, this was just baseless worry. It was only a minor connection; making two worlds collapse and merge is no easy task. Even the System would need to orchestrate it extensively to succeed.
'So, what should I do? Tell V not to worry about it?'
'Just tell her the truth. She's accepted the existence of ninjas; why wouldn't she accept the existence of parallel worlds? That sounds more scientific, doesn't it?'
The System offered constructive advice. Honesty is the ultimate move. It's not like they could cross between worlds anyway, so telling them the truth didn't matter.
But why had this suddenly happened? Even if they were both V, for two Vs to resonate across worlds was an event with extremely low probability, something that was basically impossible.
So, was someone influencing this from the shadows? What kind of ability could even accomplish such a feat?
The System began to pay close attention, trying to find a potential 'mastermind'...
Inside the 'Ninjia Tavern,' after they and JK had left, the place should theoretically have been empty.
However, a figure sat silently at the bartender's spot, as if he had been there for a very long time.
He exuded a lazy and vacant aura. He wore a suit, and his face was covered by a veil marked with an eye-like icon and the character for 'Sin' (罪).
Lord of Zaibatsu, leader of Zaibatsu Cinema. They were another ninja organization, one with greater power than the Soukaiya, but they were hidden much deeper.
Without the Soukaiya's knowledge, he had already completely infiltrated Night City. He had even watched the entire 'intense' Karate exchange between them and David's group a short while ago.
But no one had noticed his presence, all thanks to his 'Virtual-to-Real Conversion Jutsu.'
The reason he was still lingering here after so long, however, was due to the immense power consumption.
"I never expected something like this... Is this the truth of the world? The power of destiny is truly immense."
Lord of Zaibatsu instantly realized there was something unusual about Schwarzer. She wasn't a Mythic-Class Ninja, she wasn't a ninja at all—she was something far more terrifying.
Recalling the information he had obtained from the Kojiki and from ancient ninja lore—a being who was not a ninja, yet could make ninjas feel threatened, and was also exceptionally mysterious...
Eliminating the impossible, the lord arrived at the truth, the truth of that Schwarzer's identity. She was—the Ninja Slayer!
But that wasn't what the lord was concerned about right now. After using his Virtual-to-Real Conversion Jutsu, he had tried to influence V, only to get an even more astonishing result.
He had perceived the truth of the world from V. The power of destiny was palpable on her, allowing him to feel its existence completely.
It was like sitting in front of a computer and reading a plot summary with multiple endings. He saw the different endings of Cyberpunk 2077; no matter what, V was always the absolute protagonist.
This was the power of destiny, the world's corrective force. This world had a protagonist; this world had a fixed future!
The only problem was that ninjas had no place in any of it. It was as if ninjas existed outside of destiny. Moreover, there was no fate where V came into contact with ninjas.
Although he didn't know why, the lord guessed that destiny could be changed.
So, he used his Virtual-to-Real Conversion Jutsu to transmit all the experiences of the other V he had seen to her.
This was what caused the two different parallel worlds to connect. Of course, that wasn't the lord's original intention. He wanted to see if V, as the 'protagonist,' could succeed in defying her destiny.
"Receiving the memories of another self... you must be very confused right now. But don't worry, there are more interesting things to come."
The lord was recovering his strength. Next, he would cast a jutsu that would envelop the entire city, which would require considerable preparation time.
A small place like Night City had actually gathered two ninja organizations, Zaibatsu Cinema and the Soukaiya, as well as a double-digit number of ninjas, including quite a few jōnin-level ones.
The lord eagerly anticipated what the final outcome would be. Would destiny be broken, or would it be forcibly corrected?
Because of this observation, he had a new hypothesis about the legendary 'Mappo.' Was that, too, an effect of destiny? If so, could breaking destiny prevent the arrival of 'Mappo'?
With this thought in mind, the lord issued his commands.
"Go completely dark for this period. Do not expose yourselves to anyone's sight. Let Schwarzer's group confront the Soukaiya."
A simple strategy: killing with a borrowed knife. As for why they would confront the Soukaiya? The lord indicated he had his ways.
It wasn't just the power of ninjas and mega-corporations he was prying into now, but the power of parallel worlds.
In his view, whether it was the 'Soga Ninja' within his body or the other ancient ninjas, they were all far too conservative. He would pursue even greater power!
"Ho—ho—ho—"
Lord of Zaibatsu let out a laugh, as if he had seen a wonderful future.
On the wall of the 'Ninjia Tavern,' a microscopic camera, invisible to the naked eye, silently recorded everything.
Schwarzer and the System had learned their lesson. They had mimicked a certain Academy President's Loitering Relay Network, scattering miniature camera units everywhere they went.
This way, she had an infinite field of vision and would never again have surveillance blind spots due to a lack of technology.
The lord's weakened power failed to keep his presence concealed, and so Schwarzer discovered him.
'So someone is deliberately influencing V. Should we do something, Host?'
'Not yet. Let's play with him for a bit.'
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