Cyberpunk: Arasaka Secret Son

"Tch! Demon," I thought as I finished throwing up everything I had eaten, realizing just how tough this was going to be.

"If that's all you have, then I can only say... disappointment. Tell me, Sora, with that half-hearted swordsmanship, did you really think you could beat me? That I'd reveal secrets to you that you're clearly not ready to know? And with only that level of skill, do you plan to dedicate yourself to something as dangerous and fleeting as being a mere Merc? Do you know how many of them retire and live happily ever after, Sora? NONE! Do you really want to throw your life away like that?"

'Damn, old man, have you no compassion?' I strained my exhausted body and mind, still reeling from that green-eyed bastard. 'Give me a break, will you!'

And now, on top of all that, I have to face this... this ONI standing in front of me. Stronger, faster, and more experienced, with his four chromed limbs and who knows what else. He looks at me with that single, piercing eye, the other covered by some kind of implant... Damn old man. But he was right about one thing... I can't keep running my mouth like this. If it weren't for the spark inside me... If Green Eyes hadn't shown up or if Barry hadn't paired me with Mendez...

I could've gotten us all killed. I could've gotten Jud killed... Damn it! My mouth, my stupid, uncontrollable mouth... When Mendez insulted my mother...

I was lucky...

Just lucky...

If it were up to me, I would've already died several times over without being able to do anything about it.

As I thought about all this, I felt helpless, almost defeated... When was the last time I felt like this? It made me remember my other life... my sickly body...

Grandpa said one more thing that struck a nerve... my fears.

"Sora, tell me, do you want to burn your life away with reckless behavior and end up injured, in a coma, dead, or worse... alive but in so much pain that you wish for death?"

When he said that, I knew all too well what he meant.

I was suddenly in a black void within my mind, facing someone in a wheelchair, wearing a hospital gown over a sickly body... reminding me of my former self. But that past, imaginary version of me suddenly raised his head, and I saw his face... my current face, Sora's face, asking me, "Is this how you want to end up?"

Is this how I want to end? Is Grandpa right? Do I want to die without ever truly living, just because of my foolish behavior? As I grappled with those thoughts, feeling small and weak, like my wings were being clipped...

Something interrupted me.

A soft vibration in my hand pulled me out of those dark thoughts. It felt like something was alive, trying to comfort me, telling me not to dwell on the things that weighed down my heart.

When I looked at my vibrating sword, I asked myself...

SINCE WHEN?

SINCE WHEN HAVE I BECOME SO PATHETIC?!

THAT MY OWN SWORD HAS TO COMFORT ME AND KNOW THE WORST PART OF ME...?

DAMN IT! I SWORE TO MYSELF I WOULD NEVER FEEL LIKE THIS AGAIN!

What does the old man want from me? To suddenly change? To become someone else? To use this 'potential' I supposedly have and become some white-collar worker? To become a corpo? NO WAY!

Or maybe an engineer, just another corporate pawn? Is that what he wants? HELL NO!

To live a normal, repetitive life?

To follow what everyone else does like cattle?

To hide from danger and run away?

To stop doing the things that excite me, that make me feel alive and love this life?

SCREW THAT!

I pictured that sickly Sora in the wheelchair again in my mind. I approached him without hesitation, imagining Getsuga in my hand.

I grabbed that sickly Sora by the neck, lifted him out of the wheelchair, and SWISH! I thrust my sword into his chest, pulling him close to me. I whispered to him...

"YOU are not me... YOU are just my fears from my old life haunting me... I'm not going to end up like YOU... I AM NOT GOING TO CHANGE!"

I said this to the sickly Sora, who was my subconscious taking the form of what I feared most in this life.

He looked at me, surprised at first that I had run him through with the sword, but then...

He smiled, leaving me with some final words...

"It took you long enough to figure it out... Idiot... Don't end up like me! Get stronger! You don't have to do it all by yourself, you know? After all, everything inside you... is part of US!"

As the sickly Sora said this and disappeared like dust, I...

"ONE MINUTE! TAKE THE SHACKLES OFF MY... NO! Off OUR body... Give me one minute to fight the old man... CAN YOU HEAR ME... ARC?!"

Coming back to reality, not even knowing if that thing heard me, I turned back to Grandpa, thinking... TO HELL WITH HIM! I gritted my teeth and forced my tired body to stand.

Forcing it to stand, I faced Grandpa again... I may not win today... but...

I WILL NOT SURRENDER!

I gripped MY sword tightly (thank you), trying to channel my resolve into it, and...

I closed my eyes again, stopped overthinking the fencing techniques I had been trying to mimic without truly understanding...

Thinking instead, "What am I losing? What am I missing? What is the essence of it all?"

I recalled all the lessons this damn ONI had taught me about the sword... About the essence behind every swing...

I don't know how much time passed, but when I remembered a particular piece of advice Grandpa gave me...

I finally understood.

[Musashi's POV]

"Not bad... even after everything he's been through today, he can still move like that without cyberware. He can definitely hold his own in close combat... but it's not enough, SORA!"

BAM!

PAAK!

BLUAAAAGH!

"MUSASHI!!!" Aoi shouted in concern... I'm sorry... but.

"STAY OUT OF THIS, AOI!" I shouted back without looking at her... This boy won't listen to anything we say. This is the only way left...

...

...

"If that's all, then I can only say... disappointment. Tell me, Sora, did you really think that with such half-hearted swordsmanship you could beat me? That I'd reveal secrets to you that you're clearly not ready to know? And with just that level of skill, you want to dedicate yourself to something as dangerous and fleeting as being a mere Merc? Do you know how many of them retire or have a happy life, Sora? NONE! Do you really want to throw your life away like that?"

I watched as my grandson's expression of helplessness grew... making my heart clench with the cruel words I was saying and the guilt for downplaying Sora's skill... the boy I love like a son... But this is something that has to be done...

Sora needs to realize that, even though his mother enhanced his body to near-obsessive levels, it can give him a false sense of security that makes him reckless, makes him think he can survive anything. Maybe, unconsciously, he knows his body isn't normal...

"Sora, tell me, do you want to burn your life away with reckless behavior and end up injured, in a coma, dead, or worse... alive but in so much pain that you wish for death?"

When I said that, I hoped Sora would think about all the stupid risks he had taken, putting his life in danger for... NOTHING! I wanted Sora to mature, to examine his actions and realize that if he continued down this path... it wouldn't end well. I know this might change him, might even depress him, but... at least he'd be alive... I don't want Sora to end up like... his brothers... NO! SORA HAS TO CHANGE! Even if it means going against Hanako's wishes, even if it means clipping his wings... Making him plant his feet on the ground.

As I thought all this, I looked at Sora again, TCH.

His expression had changed again, from one that seemed to be reevaluating his actions to one full of denial and anger, as if his gaze alone could send me to Hell for everything I had said. He gritted his teeth, forcing his tired body to stand after the blow I had dealt, barely managing to hold on after the strain caused by the nanobots.

They had overridden the safety protocols Hanako had programmed, pushing Sora's body to save him from a life-or-death encounter.

Before I could say anything, Sora barely managed to stand and closed his eyes again, as if searching for the flaw in his swordsmanship that he clearly didn't understand the essence of.

A few seconds later, when he opened his eyes... I was surprised. Not by the light in his eyes or the nanobots taking over... I was surprised by the look on Sora's face... even with his body in tatters... This kid looked like he had found the answer to his question, like he believed he had a chance to beat me with that newfound understanding, his face alight with determination and excitement.

What surprised me most about that look was that part of me... believed him.

Sora's confident gaze made me curious, even expectant, to see what this boy would do with his body in that state, barely standing on his feet.

...

"I may act rashly, I may be childish, even idiotic... but I'm LIVING the way I want to, with a smile on my face. DAMN IT! That's not going to change! Old man, you're right about one thing, I need the strength to take responsibility for what I say and to protect the ones I love from the consequences of my actions, but... THAT'S IT!!!"