Chapter Summaries

Akechi chose to lead an extraction team to rescue five operatives who had disobeyed his orders, framing the mission as a chance to share glory rather than abandon them. His compassion inspired the squad, especially the hacker girl, as preparations began.

• The hacker girl condemned the captured operatives as failures, angering the two combat operatives at the safehouse.
• Akechi acknowledged that the operatives had disobeyed him but said he would not keep the glory to himself, moving the squad with his willingness to help them.
• The hacker girl wondered whether Akechi would rescue her if she were in danger, and her expectation of his help rekindled.
• Akechi ordered an extraction team and announced that he would lead it personally.
• The hacker girl prepared to draw Hellhound forces away, while Akechi took a Katana and the two combat operatives pledged themselves to the mission.

Akechi Goro personally led a rescue effort for the Arasaka agents, inspiring the surviving operatives to fight with renewed loyalty as they escaped Militech’s pursuit. Reid noticed their sudden tactical improvement and prepared for reinforcements, but a sniper arrived sooner than expected and fired at him.

• The three surviving Arasaka agents learned that Akechi Goro was personally coming to rescue them and pledged themselves to him.
• Akechi Goro sent the agents new coordinates and reminded them that their value was not measured by casualty reports.
• Reid noticed the agents had shifted to coordinated, expertly guided evasive tactics and ordered his forces to prepare for contact.
• A sniper arrived ahead of Reid’s estimate and fired at him, but Reid evaded the shot.

Reid fought through Arasaka sniper fire and broke past the agents guarding the sniper’s position. As the sniper withdrew, Reid reached the final thirty meters and found a young man with a sword blocking his way.

• Reid evaded the Arasaka sniper’s shots and determined that only one experienced sniper was targeting him.
• Reid spotted the sniper’s concealed position and threw a chunk of concrete to disrupt the sniper’s aim, then used the opening to advance.
• Militech’s personnel laid down suppressive fire while Reid moved to new cover and threw an EMP grenade at the three Arasaka agents.
• Reid used the EMP pulse to vault over the agents and shot them, killing the blinded agent with a bullet to the face.
• Reid killed a combatant with a dagger and saw the sniper withdrawing through a gap as a young man with a sword stood in his path.

Reid confronted Akechi amid the battle in an abandoned building, sensing that the apparently unarmed young man posed a serious threat. Reid chose to shoot him rather than rush onward, and Akechi drew his blade as his reinforcements closed in.

• Akechi stood calmly in Reid's path while Militech and Arasaka forces exchanged fire around them.
• Reid recognized Akechi as a possible Arasaka commander and chose to attack despite the delay it would cause.
• Akechi praised Reid's instincts and calculated that he had four seconds before his subordinates could reach him.
• Akechi drew his blade to face Reid.

Akechi fought Reid with a katana, trying to hold him off until Reid’s Kerenzikov implant reached its limit while hiding his true abilities. After surviving Reid’s attacks and wearing himself out, Akechi faced a charged shot that Reid fired at his exposed chest.

• Akechi split Reid’s bullet with his blade and attacked as Reid’s Kerenzikov began to slow.
• Reid narrowly avoided Akechi’s slash to his throat with his Subdermal Armor and continued dodging his strikes.
• Reid identified Akechi’s movements as enhanced by combat assistance and wondered whether his style resembled Oda Sandayu.
• Akechi struggled to maintain his imitation of Oda Sandayu’s style, exhausted himself, and left his guard open.
• Reid fired his charged gun at Akechi’s chest as Akechi brought his blade down.

Lord Akechi deflected Reid’s fully charged shot, but Arasaka reinforcements forced him to withdraw while Reid escaped their encirclement. Reid then redirected his attack toward the unguarded sniper.

• Lord Akechi used a reverse rising slash to deflect Reid’s bullet past his shoulder.
• An Arasaka soldier jumped from the second floor, while the soldier Reid had shot stood again after receiving combat stimulants and medical treatment.
• Four Arasaka combat personnel formed an encirclement to protect Lord Akechi, who retreated and made his hand appear injured.
• Reid’s Kerenzikov activated, and he mistook Lord Akechi’s bleeding hand for proof that the deflection had strained him to his limit.
• Reid evaded the smart submachine-gun fire, climbed onto the second floor, and headed for the unprotected sniper.

Reid lured Barghest into intervening in the battle to prevent Arasaka from transmitting intelligence that could endanger President Myles. Barghest's forces sealed off the area, and both sides fled as reinforcements arrived.

• Mingshi spotted Reid's exposed back and anticipated his move while an Arasaka sniper relocated on his order.
• A Barghest AV arrived and attacked the Arasaka and Militech personnel, locking onto Reid as he climbed onto the rooftop.
• Reid dodged the AV's fire and realized the sniper had vanished from the high ground.
• Reid's plan to draw Barghest in blocked Arasaka from transmitting its intelligence, though it raised the area's alert level.
• Both forces retreated as more Barghest AVs approached, and Reid disappeared into the ruins.

Rosalind Myles learned that traitors had infiltrated her government and that the White Noise Eagles had been hunting Reid, even before her plane crashed. She vowed to find those responsible, while Jack asked Reid to identify the capable young Arasaka agent they might face again.

• Rosalind Myles reviewed evidence that Arasaka Security had avoided Hansen's forces and concluded they were not working together.
• Reid told Rosalind that the White Noise Eagles had pursued him after he uncovered betrayal within the Intelligence Bureau.
• Reid showed evidence that the disbanded squad had full authorization credentials and said the betrayal pointed to years of systemic infiltration.
• Rosalind Myles vowed to find every traitor and make them suffer for betraying her.
• Jack asked Reid to show the footage of the young Arasaka Security agent so the KK Squad could recognize a possible future opponent.

Reid analyzed footage of the Arasaka commander for the KK Squad, concluding that he was likely a former or active Ninja Hundred elite with exceptional natural abilities and limited cyberware. The squad recognized that the commander was Carl in disguise but kept his identity and their suspicions to themselves.

• Reid shared his combat footage and explained that the commander's swordsmanship and movement matched the training of Arasaka's Ninja Hundred.
• Reid suggested the commander might be one of six Ninja Hundred members transferred to Arasaka's Special Action Department, then compared his movements with Oda Sandayu's.
• Reid analyzed the commander's reflexes, possible assistance chip, and arm modifications, noting that his biological muscles had suffered injury while deflecting a bullet.
• Reid warned the squad that the commander had few cyberware weaknesses and recommended using speed or overwhelming gunfire to defeat him.
• Oliver privately recognized the commander as Carl in disguise and wondered how he had ended up away from Arasaka Tower, while the squad chose not to reveal what they knew.

Akechi rescued his squad and ordered the badly injured members to receive treatment, then surveyed their unstable temporary shelter and dwindling supplies. With Barghest blocking their return and proper rest impossible, he was left worrying about his subordinates and missing V and the others.

• Akechi reassured his subordinates that their reckless mistake was forgiven and told them to get their injuries treated.
• When the lead subordinate kept bowing despite a dangerous head wound, Akechi ordered him to the treatment room.
• Akechi assessed the squad’s makeshift base in a damaged underground parking garage and found it unstable, dark, and short on supplies.
• Akechi realized Barghest made it too dangerous to recover the squad’s abandoned equipment or leave the shelter.
• Akechi watched his exhausted subordinates rest among the rubble and sighed as he thought of V and the others.

Akechi reassured the hacker girl after she failed to penetrate Barghest’s network, then realized his squad was running short on food and supplies. He devised a plan to obtain what they needed, while Kenichi Shiro identified the area where the gunfire had come from.

• The hacker girl told Akechi that an unknown expert had blocked her attempts to access Barghest’s network and nearly traced her.
• Akechi comforted her and took responsibility for the limits of her equipment and time.
• Akechi realized the squad had left most of its food behind and needed supplies while evading Barghest’s patrols and the hacker’s blockade.
• Akechi decided he could complete the mission, while Kenichi Shiro located the area where the gunshots had come from.

As Dogtown descended into chaos after Rosalind Myles’s crash, Kenichi Shiro prepared to investigate Militech and New America alone while Akechi left his team’s hideout in disguise. Their routes converged as both men headed for Slider’s hideout.

• Dogtown’s factions and corporate forces searched for Rosalind Myles amid escalating conflict.
• Kenichi Shiro undertook a solo reconnaissance mission, prepared to face a possible trap without backup.
• Kenichi Shiro injected an Adrenaline Booster to restore his combat abilities for sixteen hours.
• Akechi reassured his subordinates, disguised himself with a mask, and left their temporary base.
• Akechi and Kenichi Shiro headed toward Slider’s hideout by intersecting routes.

Carl escaped her Arasaka squad to find Slider and deliver information to Kenichi Shiro, but she spotted a skilled intruder entering Slider’s hideout and followed them inside. The intruder was Kenichi Shiro, who was crawling through the ventilation duct while thinking Carl was relaxing with drinks and desserts.

• Carl slipped away from her squad and crossed the area unseen by Chimera troops and surveillance.
• Carl located Slider’s hideout and noticed a gray-clad figure skillfully avoiding its cameras.
• Carl recognized that the figure was not Reid, then followed their route into the hideout to protect Slider and reach him with her information.
• Kenichi Shiro crawled through the ventilation duct and grumbled to himself about imagining Carl enjoying snacks and drinks.

Carl followed a gray-clad man through a ventilation duct, suspecting the stranger was headed for Slider and trying to identify who he might be. The man ambushed Carl at a corner and fired a tranquilizer dart at him.

• Carl followed the gray-clad man into the ventilation duct, deciding to intervene if the stranger meant to harm Slider.
• Carl found the duct unexpectedly clean and worried Slider had installed defenses or that the man ahead had already cleared them.
• Carl reasoned that the stranger's skill resembled Kenichi Shiro's and considered whether he might be connected to Arasaka, Yorinobu, or Arakawa Michiko.
• The gray-clad man waited in the shadows and fired a fast-moving tranquilizer dart at Carl when he reached the corner.

Carl fought a gray-clad man inside a ventilation duct after he tried to tranquilize her. She pierced his shoulder with her fingers, but he countered by headbutting her in the face.

• Carl dodged the gray-clad man's tranquilizer dart and launched an attack with Liberty and her Neurotoxin Knife.
• The gray-clad man evaded Carl's shots and knife, then fought back with shuriken, kunai, and a series of kicks.
• Carl used her cybernetic hands to grip the duct and dodged his sweep before striking his wrist and knocking his kunai aside.
• Carl trapped another kunai in her hand and drove her other hand into the gray-clad man's shoulder.
• The gray-clad man slammed his forehead into Carl's face while her guard was open.

Carl and the gray-clad person fought fiercely inside a ventilation duct, each anticipating the other’s moves. Carl collapsed the duct to evade a kunai, and they fell into a warehouse still battling as Slippery Bastard Gang members rushed below.

• The gray-clad person headbutted Carl, then escaped her grip by dislocating their shoulder and striking her fingers aside.
• When Carl released the kunai, the gray-clad person threw it while delivering an elbow strike, but Carl had anticipated the attack.
• Carl stomped down to evade the kunai and collapsed the damaged ventilation duct.
• Falling through the warehouse ceiling, Carl met the gray-clad person’s elbow with a knee strike, sending them apart in midair.
• Six Slippery Bastard Gang members rushed beneath the falling fighters and stared in terror.

Carl and the man in gray fought to a standstill while both avoided killing Slider’s men, then Carl recognized a familiar knife and realized his opponent was Kenichi Shiro. The revelation collided with an emergency message from Kenichi Kazuya, who said Shiro had apparently died and left last words for Carl.

• Carl and the man in gray disabled six of Slider’s subordinates without killing them, then resumed their duel.
• The man in gray attacked with shuriken and a dagger, while Carl fought back with his pistol, knife, and a metal shard.
• Their clash damaged the man in gray’s gear and left Carl considering using his hidden weapons to gain the advantage.
• Carl found a distinctive silver knife among the fallen equipment, and Kenichi Shiro recognized it as belonging to Carl.
• Kenichi Kazuya contacted Carl through an emergency channel and reported that Kenichi Shiro had apparently met with misfortune, leaving last words for him.
• Carl looked at the revealed Kenichi Shiro as Kazuya’s report left him unable to make sense of the situation.

Carl received a call from Kenichi Kazuya, who believed Kenichi Shiro had died and was relaying his uncle’s final request. Kenichi Shiro realized the damaged life-sign monitor had triggered the misunderstanding and rushed to stop Carl from hearing more, but Carl revealed the message was about Haruko, provoking Shiro to attack him.

• Carl removed his mask while Kenichi Kazuya told him that Kenichi Shiro had died and asked him to listen to his uncle’s final request.
• Kenichi Shiro picked up Haruko’s EMP Knife and noticed Carl speaking on a communication channel.
• Kenichi Shiro spotted his shattered life-sign monitor and realized Kazuya had mistaken its failure for his death.
• Kenichi Shiro hurried over and asked Carl whose communication channel he was receiving.
• Carl said he had been told the call was Kenichi Shiro’s final message, then clarified that it was about Haruko.
• Kenichi Shiro tried to attack Carl, who protested that they were on the same side.

Carl, disguised as Akechi, reassured her team and learned that Kenichi Shiro was also pursuing the president on Oda Sandayu’s orders. After the two turned their attention to Slider’s men, Carl revealed herself and asked to speak with Slider.

• Carl answered her worried subordinate’s call and assured the team that she was safe and the mission was proceeding smoothly.
• Kenichi Shiro recognized how convincingly Carl played Akechi and asked about her mission.
• Carl told Kenichi Shiro that Oda Sandayu had sent her after the president.
• Kenichi Shiro and Carl looked toward Slider’s injured men, who were gathering nearby.
• Carl revealed her identity as KK and told Slider’s men she had something to discuss with Slider.

Kenichi Shiro visited Slider to recruit him to Arasaka as the conflict around Rosalind Myles’s death threatened to engulf Night City. Slider agreed to work with him, while Carl arrived after treating Slider’s injured subordinates.

• Slider confronted Kenichi Shiro about the risks of joining Arasaka and said he was tired of Militech and New America breaking their promises.
• Kenichi Shiro warned that the Intelligence Bureau would soon come after Slider and argued that he could not remain outside the conflict.
• Slider agreed to side with Arasaka, believing he had no real choice between the demon and the devil.
• Carl entered with blood on her hands, startling Slider and Kenichi Shiro.
• Slider checked the surveillance feed and saw that Carl had treated six injured subordinates, repairing their neural interfaces.
• Carl washed her hands with Slider’s purified water and said her work had spared the injured men from needing replacement hands.