110 The Gala Night

When the doors of the spacious elevator slowly opened, the five occupants were taken aback to find themselves face-to-face with none other than the city's creator and Gala honoree, Richard Night, or at least a hologram of him, and 'not a very good one' thought Sora, noting the illuminated outline and lack of opacity of the hologram.

Still, Sora was pleased that Night Corp was using standard holography

technology, rather than appropriating it without permission as Militech would do, as with its deal with Lazarus, which Sora had not forgotten and was still looking for a way to get revenge.

A second after the doors opened, the hologram took the lead in speaking, emulating Richard Night's voice. "Welcome, everyone! But before we proceed," the hologram elegantly bowed before Hanako, and without looking at her, added in Japanese, "Hanako Arasaka, it is an honor to have you with us on this evening. Surely, the old Saburo would be proud of the beautiful and successful woman you have become."

Completing the bow, the hologram turned to Judy, who was by Hanako's side, and continued, "And you too, Miss Alvarez, it's a pleasure to have a young entrepreneur from Night City like you here. People like you and your partner, and co-creator of your company, are what I envisioned as the inhabitants of Night City. I know you're from Laguna Bend, but let me narrate your story like this, it will make me look better, hahaha. Also, I had plans to expand Night City to the nearby Laguna Bend. It's a shame that NC Dam Ltd., those scavengers, got hold of it... I'm truly sorry. My plan was to turn it into a residential neighborhood on the outskirts, providing renovated homes for all its residents. But let's set that aside; today is a day of celebration."

Dropping the cordial expression, Richard's hologram fixed its gaze on Sora and said, "Greetings to you too, Mr. Okami. Unlike your client, I never intended or thought that my City would become the kind of place where a Merc like you would make a living, you know? But... one could argue, that due to people like you, the city is even more exhilarating than I once envisioned... hahahah."

"And as for the two of you, pardon me, but not being residents of Night City, I have no knowledge about you. However, I imagine that attendants/bodyguards of someone of Hanako-san's stature must be exceptional individuals."

Following the hologram's "charismatic" welcome as they exited the elevator, Sora voiced what everyone was thinking aloud, "It's a bit bizarre to use an AI to impersonate a deceased person on the anniversary of his death."

Judy, Hanako, and the others nodded, without adding anything in agreement. Richard's AI responded, changing the distinctive voice of Night City's founder to a more neutral one, and adding, "You're right, Mr. Okami. I am indeed an AI. But at no time do I believe myself to be the very same Richard Night. Think of me as a mere actor, with all the available recordings of Richard Night in my database to provide a realistic performance and attempt, for one more night, to bring back a fragment of Night City's creator."

After responding, the AI smiled at the group and guided them toward where the gala was taking place, continuing its "performance" as Richard Night, sharing data and intricacies about the city's creation. They arrived in front of imposing double doors that opened slowly, revealing Richard Night's penthouse.

This surprised Sora and Judy, who had never seen an "apartment" like this before. It wasn't just a luxurious and spacious penthouse, as they had imagined, but the entire top floors of the Parkview Tower.

With an elliptical shape as its base, the Penthouse used the overhang of the top floors of the tower as a large outdoor terrace with grassy floors, beautifully planted flowers, and trees. Where the Gala attendees mingled, enjoying the urban oasis with stunning city views.

Surrounding the green terrace were several helipads, protruding like metal petals from the grand structure, with various AVs for guests arriving by air, and at the far end was crowned a large, empty heliport.

The penthouse's interior followed the generally elliptical shape of the floor, with two thick concrete columns descending from the ceiling at an angle, creating a separation between the indoor and outdoor areas. With glass walls, fully retracted within the columns, allowing guests to move freely between both sides.

Opposite the grand terrace and on the outer curve of the semicircle, inside the penthouse, was a spacious two-story skydeck area. Where the beautiful and dangerous streets of Night City could be seen from the safety of the heights of the skydeck.

Between the observation area and the terrace was the main area where the gala was taking place and most of the guests were gathered. A high-ceilinged room that exuded spaciousness. The room was adorned with exquisite artworks, some likely from Richard Night's personal collection. Sophisticated designer furniture seamlessly blended with the gala's elegant atmosphere.

While examining the place, Sora spotted some familiar faces among the gala attendees. But his eyes settled on the center of the room, on the floor, and the peculiar circular pattern, hidden in plain sight, which triggered a smile under his helmet. The information he had paid about Richard's peculiar tastes, including rumors of a certain feature installed within his own apartment for his exclusive and unrestrained "events," seemed to have been spot on.

With a crucial part of his plan now confirmed, Sora's attention was drawn to a small stage nestled between the imposing concrete columns. With Various unused instruments—a drum kit, a bass guitar, and an electric guitar—were arranged on the stage, probably set up for a later performance. While a string quartet performed on the stage, entertaining the guests with background music.

The music from the string quartet filled the space, blending with the lively chatter of distinguished guests. The celebratory ambiance was momentarily interrupted by the entrance of a new group, causing most of the attendees to fall silent as they turned their attention to Hanako Arasaka herself, who had just arrived.

Amidst all the gazes fixed on her, Hanako seemed unperturbed, maintaining her expressionless demeanor. She advanced toward the main area, offering subtle nods and greetings to the representatives of the major corporations present, even to those she personally detested, like the shady Anatoly Novaragov, CEO of SovOil, greeting him as well, without forgetting his status as a representative of Arasaka.

Shortly after entering the spacious room, Hanako cast a significant look toward a certain group of people gathered, with other guests buzzing around like moths to a flame, she turned to Sora and Judy, with a smile and told them; "Enjoy the gala, I'm going to greet some acquaintances. You two do the same, and stay attentive in case I call for you, alright?"

Sora and Judy nodded, parting ways from Hanako's group. They headed straight for the open bar to indulge in the opulent selection of beverages, served at the Gala's bar.

As Sora and Judy savored their drinks, and after a few minutes observing the guests around them and hearing the extravagant manner in which most of them spoke, or the pretentious and elitist conversations they engaged in, all while maintaining a restrained and insincere demeanor, as if everything they were doing was meticulously calculated and premeditated, stripping away any trace of authenticity or naturalness.

It made them feel... out of place, especially Judy, causing the excitement of being invited to an event like this to suddenly dissipate. It led them both to the same conclusion after seeing both sides, preferring the crowded, noisy, insecure, and grimy joints of Night City with its dubious clientele over all this luxury, falseness, and snobbishness.

After finishing their drinks, Sora caught Judy's attention and gestured toward a group of familiar faces amidst a lively crowd. Judy followed the direction of his gaze and nodded. Together, they made their way toward the group, drawing the attention of guests from different clusters they crossed paths with, due to their impeccable appearance walking together in their suits. Some of the groups with holograms of Richard Night engaged in conversation or recounting old stories about Richard's youth or the city's creation.

And from the laughter and expressions of glee, it was clear that the AI Richard was doing a captivating job with its "performance." Sora and Judy shared a knowing look as they advanced toward the group, catching an intriguing snippet of a story being shared by one of the familiar faces:

"So, shortly after I entered the interrogation room, a shout from the grandfather echoed throughout the precinct. Fearing what his grandfather would do, young man nervous for the first, despite being detained, looked at me and seriously asked if I had disabled the cameras. Completely baffled by the question, I didn't even have time to answer 'yes' before he smashed his nose against the table in the room... and when the grandfather entered, he blamed the detective who was interrogating him." Seizing the puzzled silence of the story's listeners and their expressions of surprise, Harvey added the punchline of his tale with a mischievous smile. "I know, I know, The framed detective, and I had the same expression... Hahaha!"

Harvey, Sora's lawyer, pleased with the laughter among the listeners of his little anecdote, took a sip from his glass, unaware... that the "young man" of the story, that always managed to surprise whoever heard it, was right behind him. Until his companion and secretary Donna, a tall and elegant woman with a striking presence, pale and red-haired, touched his shoulder to make him turn around, but before he did.

Behind Harvey, Sora also chuckled as he draped his cybernetic arm over Harvey's shoulders and interjected, wanting to share an anecdote himself.

"Hahaha! What a great story. I've got one too." He said exaggeratedly, before adding. "It's about one of those successful lawyers who make you count the seconds you spend with them to figure out how much they'll stab you..." Sora paused himself, putting more force on his arm over Harvey's shoulders, stopping him in his tracks from attempts to escape, making a displeased expression as he assumed what story Sora would tell.

Continuing with a voice slightly distorted by his helmet, Sora said, "This successful lawyer, despite appearances, his expensive suits, and his successful view of the city from his office, actually came from humble beginnings... nothing more than a clever Street Kid, who managed to claw his way off the streets himself, how, you ask?" Sora inquired, now with the attention of all the listeners, even Harvey's companion and his partner from the Buffet firm.

"This guy with his big metallic balls! Despite the cyberware inhibitors to prevent cheating, as it was done in the old days before computers in our heads, he started counting cards in the city's casinos. Before getting blacklisted, he managed to earn enough to pay for his education. Over time, the guy became one of the city's top lawyers, but despite his success... one day he fell back into his old habits and because all the city's casinos denied him entry, he had the brilliant idea to try an underground casino. You know, one of those shady places where anything goes and no questions are asked."

At this point in Sora's story, despite not naming names... everyone looked at the person beneath his arm, who had a hand covering their face in embarrassment for what was about to unfold. - "Letting loose after years without gambling, he drew too much attention and won more than the casino bosses were willing to lose.

Despite his charm and charisma, our successful lawyer ended up in a perilous situation facing the casino owner, accused of cheating. An old Russian with too-close ties to the Scavengers, unfortunately for the lawyer... and we all know how that group operates, right?" Sora's rhetorical question sent shivers down the spines of most of the listeners as they imagined themselves in the lawyer's shoes and what would come next.

Right after posing his rhetorical question, the cry of Donna, "Harvey!" the shocked assistant of Harvey, could be heard, clearly taken aback by the dangerous situation her "boss" had gotten himself into, falling silent as all eyes turned toward her.

"Ahem," clearing his throat, Sora continued his story under the expectant gazes of the listeners, which he swore had multiplied, "Having the only good idea of the night, our lawyer called a certain Merc in the city he'd known since he was a 'young man' capable of smashing his own nose in front of his lawyer and the detective interrogating him just to manipulate his grandfather.

After silently clearing out the den he'd been taken to, that's when I found Harvey struggling naked, tied to a cold metal table, with two charming Scavengers, one with pliers near his eye implants and the other with a scalpel ready to cut open his chest..." Seizing the puzzled silence of the story's listeners and their expressions of surprise, Sora added the punchline of his tale with a smile beneath his helmet. "I know, I know, Harvey had the same expression when I shot the Scavengers who were about to gut him..."

Sora, pleased with the astonishment and satisfaction on the listeners' faces, having captivated them with a story about one of the greatest fears of the city's wealthy citizens – being kidnapped by Scavengers or some other dangerous gang for their Cyberware, Eddis... or lives –

he was grabbed by the arm by the protagonist of the story who attempted to excuse himself, "Hahah...! Youth, right? Who hasn't done foolish things, if you'll excuse us."

Harvey then led Sora away from the cluster of the large crowd of guests that had formed listening to Sora's story, followed by Judy, who had started indulging in the extravagant appetizers being served by the waiters, somewhat distracted from the story she already knew.

Once they were far enough away, Harvey looked at the illuminated stripes on Okami's helmet., having known Sora's identity as a Merc from the very start, due to his role as Iron Beast's attorney. With Sora genuinely trusting Harvey after his assistance with the incident three years ago involving the hacking of the city's screens and holograms, convincing the CEO of Cyglee to delete the original videos from Jackie's account before NetWatch request them.

"Why the hell are you telling that story... you overcharged me just to keep your damn mouth shut... I was trying to win over couple I was talking, to make them clients of the firm... Do you know who they were!? DAMN!" Harvey exclaimed with clear frustration in his tone of voice.

Sora, well aware of who they were, shrugged nonchalantly and replied, "Don't be stupid, you should be thanking me... now you've surely got them, with my story I show how you have gone through one of the worst nightmares of Night City's wealthiest, alive.... having gone through something like that and coming out on your own... well, more or less!, will make them come to you when they're in trouble – Again; "you're welcome!"

Better than the dumb story of a self-harming teenager... Besides, I didn't mention the part about your tears and prayers to get them to release you" Sora said, not remarking on the part where he was also advertising himself.

Harvey, somewhat calmer as he realized what Sora said wasn't crazy, still asked in annoyance, "What the hell are you doing here? I thought Mercs weren't allowed at the gala."

"Here I am, aren't I?" Sora retorted.

Getting on Harvey's nerves, he said in exasperation; "That doesn't answer anything!"

Sora seeing that they were going to be interrupted, by the person approaching from the back to Harvey, shortly said; "Yes he does."

Before Harvey could respond, "Harvey... you really went through that??" asked Donna worriedly, grabbing him by the arms.

"Uh..?!" Catching Harvey by surprise, he replied; "Yeah... I didn't say anything because I was embarrassed to get into a mess-"

Unable to finish speaking when Donna hugged him tightly. "Ah! Thank goodness nothing happened to you! And thanks to you too Sora for helping him!"

Sora as Harvey was hugged, with his head on Donna's shoulder, said; "See..." Remarking on the success of his story.

Being answered by the simultaneously annoyed and grateful Harvey. "Shut up!"

"Tch, so you've come too," said Louis Litt, Harvey's associate, acting like he was bothered to see Sora. He was a short man, intense at times, even irritable, but loyal and smart. He knew Sora's identity just by observing Harvey's interactions with him.

"I'm glad to see you too, Litt," Sora responded, his voice distorted by his Okami helmet.

"Honey, you know these... types of people too?" Said Litt's partner, a woman of his height with blonde hair and glasses, somewhat haughty in her tone as she referred to Sora for being a Merc, surprised that her partner knew such dangerous people.

Litt, being the intelligent man he was, understood what his partner meant and how he could use it to his advantage. Without giving it importance, he said, "Of course, dear. I know all kinds of dangerous people in the city... it's one of the unwanted effects of being a lawyer" LItt finished by adjusting his tie and with a big smile on his unflattering face, which still did its job to charm his companion.

However, the tone used by Litt`s partner annoyed another person, who had finally stopped eating, she irritated, responded, "Hm, let me give you a piece of advice "honey" – if you ever step out of District Zero, you might want to have more manners when addressing armed people... "Peggy" Said Judy to the short, blonde person who was Litt's partner.

This made Litt's partner glance back at Sora for a second, clearly noting he was armed, before quickly turning back to Judy and exclaiming, "What did you just call me, girl?"

Judy didn't bother responding. She looked to her attorney and said, "Litt."

Louis, a lawyer before he was human, looked at "Miss Alvarez," understanding exactly what his client wanted, and said, "Sheila, how about we head to the bar for a drink?"

"Louis!" Sheila exclaimed, surprised by her partner's behavior.

Understanding Sheila's quirks, Louis said, "I'm sorry, dear, but she's a buffet client."

This caused Sheila's angry expression to shift as she realized the importance of Louis's work to him, and she asked, "So young?"

Louis confirmed and said, "Yes, she's the CEO of Iron Beast, the masco-"

This caused another shift in Sheila, from looking at Judy with clear displeasure to excitement, as she exclaimed, "Iron Beast! No way! I love your Iron-Cat, I have three of them, they're so charming."

Caught off guard by the sudden change, Judy replied, "I'm glad you like them, I have one myself."

While Judy talked with Sheila and Louis, and Sora with Harvey and Donna, a specific couple with four security personnel following them, indicating that both had been invited to the gala, approached them. Seeing this, Sora couldn't help but say to Harvey as they approached, "See?"

Harvey, annoyed with Sora's teasing, and nervous about how important it would be to have the couple as clients, muttered under his breath, "Shut up!" before changing his expression to the friendliest he could manage to welcome the couple. "Please excuse us, Mr. and Mrs. Peralez, for my sudden departure," Harvey commented, "I hope the shared anecdote hasn't bothered you."

Mr. Peralez, with a warm and friendly smile, intervened, "Don't worry, Harvey. In fact, please call me by my first name. Although I'm running for the seat I'm not yet the mayor, after all. It was an intriguing story. It's always refreshing to learn more about the experiences of people we might work with in the future."

Mrs. Peralez, elegant and confident, nodded, completing her husband's thought, "Exactly, Jeff and I had some doubts about switching from Law firm, despite hearing great things about Spencer & Litt. Learning about your humble origins and your ability to handle this type of situation has convinced us to take the step, haven't we, Jeff?"

Jefferson, agreed with a nod, "Indeed. As soon as I get back to the office, I'll have my assistant reach out to your firm." Extending his hand toward Harvey as a formal way to conclude their somewhat informal conversation.

Harvey struggled to hide his relief and joy. Hearing this, Louis had to turn away to conceal his excited expression. Harvey extended his hand and shook Jefferson Peralez's hand with gratitude, responding, "That would be absolutely fantastic. We really appreciate the opportunity, and I'm sure we can provide all the assistance the future Night City mayor might need!"

Hearing Harvey's words, Jefferson chuckled and said, "Hahaha, 'I don't like to sell the bear's skin before I've caught it', but thank you, Harvey, I appreciate your support. Just as I hope to have yours. Even though your company has just been established, it's already attracted the interest of major corporations like Arasaka and Militech," Jefferson Peralez said, looking towards a certain couple formed by "guests" and "bodyguards".

Taking over from her husband, Elizabeth looked at Sora and Judy and added, "Having the support of a promising young couple from Night City like yours, would bring a breath of fresh air to our campaign and to the youth vote of Night City" said Elizabeth Peralez, almost completing each other's sentences, before continuing, "Especially after showing up at the Gala in a dress like the one you're wearing, dear. You'll be the envy and inspiration for most of the young women in Night City.

I must admit, even I envy you. After seeing you, it's clear I need to have a chat with my designer, he seems to be falling behind the times," Elizabeth joked, dressed in an elegant gray suit matching her husband's.

Judy choked, not expecting to suddenly become the center of attention, after returning to eating the appetizers being served, feeling hungrier than usual. While Sora found himself staring at the couple, thrown off by their use of the plural in their speech, almost as if they knew who was beneath the Okami helmet.

Sensing the tension in the air, with Sora remained silent, watching the Peralezes, while Judy recovered. Harvey stepped in to create some space for them to speak. - "Louis, Sheila, Donna, why don't we head to the bar and grab another drink? Mine's already empty, and we can listen to some of Richard's hologram anecdotes. Apparently, he knows a few good jokes."

Sheila, not being the best at reading the environments, said; "Mine is still-" unable to finish, before being interrupted.

"Absolutely, great idea, Harvey! A pleasure speaking with you, Mr. and Mrs. Peralez. We eagerly await your future call to the firm" Louis interrupted his partner as he bid farewell to the Peralez, not wanting to do anything that might change their minds about hiring them, or, knowing him, prevent them from associating him with any nonsense Sora might utter.

Donna followed Harvey without a word, expert at reading situations and understanding Harvey's intentions. Jefferson and his wife Elizabeth, on the other hand, sipped from their own glasses, indifferent to the tension that had arisen.

Once the Peralez were alone with the future Arasaka. Perhaps Linder? Or maybe simply Inuzuka? Sora, without beating around the bush, asked, "Let's drop the games, how do you know?"

Judy, without saying anything, gazed at the Peralezes, wanting to know why the influential couple seemed overly informed about them. "There's no need to look at us like that... let's just say we share certain mutual friends; they told me about you two."

With those words, Sora and Judy fell silent until Judy was the one who voiced her annoyance, "Bes."

"That's correct, but you need to know, she didn't give us a single name, just enough for us to pull the thread. Given the significance of the H3 mega-building tragedy, we needed to be fully aware of even the smallest details, such as where the information came from.

Imagine our surprise when Bess told us she got the information from her assistant and partner who made a deal with a masked teenager who raided the Tygers' base to rescue..." Jefferson's sentence was continued by his wife Elizabeth, looking at Judy, "His girlfriend, also saving what would become their first employees."

Annoyed by all they knew, Sora inquired, "What thread was that?"

"She told us..." Jefferson smiled before responding, looking at Sora, "That we should re-watch the news from 3 years ago involving masked teenagers, which, saying it, reminded us of a certain incident with two reckless teenagers in a firetruck through the streets of Night City.

Surprisingly, no police record was created for you two, but we happen to know one of the officers involved in the 'peculiar' interrogation of the broken nose."

Jefferson's words, referencing Harvey's story, prompted the same embarrassed reaction from both Sora and Judy, Judy covering her face and Sora scratching the back of his head. Sighing, Sora added, "River Ward, right?"

Nodding, Jefferson replied, slightly surprised by Sora's certainty, without a hint of doubt. Being right, it was the Detective River Ward, who, much to his regret, finally provided the Peralezes with the information they wanted about the famous fire truck vandalism case within NCPD

"Now that things are clear, would it be alright if I call you Sora from now on when we're alone? What I said about you earlier is true, we would really appreciate having your support, both from Iron Beast and its young and successful CEO, Judy Alvarez" Elizabeth said, looking at Judy before turning to Sora and adding, "And the assistance of the unique co-founder and mercenary, Sora Inuzuka."

"Indeed," Jefferson took over from his wife, adding, "As you've demonstrated with your 'successful lawyer' story and your years as a mercenary, it's always advisable to have someone who can handle themselves comfortably in these 'unusual' circumstances."

Putting on a concerned expression for a moment, Jefferson glanced at his wife and added, "I know it might sound silly, and perhaps I shouldn't bring it up here, but Elizabeth has been telling me how she's had this strange feeling like we're being watched ever since I made my intention of becoming Night City's mayor public."

The words from her husband made Elizabeth's expression turn sour as well. Sora, on his part, stared for a second, thinking 'It has already begun,' and just as he was about to respond, he was interrupted when a new commotion erupted in the room with the arrival of the new guests.

With the obese and corrupt Mayor of the city, Lucius Rhyne, arriving at the Gala guided by the hologram of Richard. Accompanied by the Commander of the Cyberpsycho Department, Max Hammerman, in the formal NCPD uniform, renowned for being one of the few NCPD officers who do not accept bribes, wearing an unamused expression on his face with a thick mustache and a neatly trimmed, almost military, haircut with graying sides.

He was also accompanied by an impressive woman with brown hair, hazel eyes, and an angelic face, dressed in a tight, short white dress, sleeveless, and with a straight neckline. When Sora saw her and recognized...

He wondered if it was a joke, seeing Melissa Rory, the famous cyberpsycho - 'every man knows why' ST* - from the massacre three years ago, shortly after the city hacking incident. A few weeks after Melissa had the Mantis Higurashi 20-13 Blades implanted, with a supposed defect: they interacted poorly with a certain section of the prefrontal cortex, which caused her to have a cyberpsychosis attack, resulting in the deaths of 14 people.

*ST: Sora's thoughts.

Attending the gala in an outfit eerily similar to the one she was wearing when she was detained in a rare case where MaxTac apprehended a live cyberpsycho and, after reconditioning, forced her to join their ranks.

Shocking the desensitized Sora of 3 years ago, just like the rest of the people accustomed to cyberpsycho slaughters... when with the N54 news images of Melissa's arrest by the Max-tac... He played Archive's song "Bullets" in the background, almost like watching a live trailer.

The real impact struck among the guests as, alongside Lucius, entered the elderly Miriam Night, widow of the city creator, arms intertwined... with the hologram of Richard and by her side, his adopted daughter and CEO of Night Corp, Sienna Night Kirova. Accompanied by her bodyguards and her peculiar lime-haired personal assistant, with closed eyes and a reptilian smile.

Taking advantage of the commotion among the guests to mask his words, Sora turned to Jefferson and Elizabeth, noticing their displeased expressions as they looked at Lucius Rhyne, leveraging his mayoral position to get close to Night Corp.

"As I was saying, you're both right, neither of you should even be discussing this here, and your wife is not wrong. If you feel that strange things are escalating, ask Harvey for my number..." Sora spoke to the Perelez while observing the lime-haired assistant whispering something to Sienna, causing her to look toward them, especially at him. Sora added, "Also, prepare a secure refuge offline, away from the Net, pay the Eddies in cash on a chip, and use different names, a place only the two of you know."

The alarming words, unanticipated and based on a mere vague feeling, made the Peralez uneasy and simultaneously fix their gaze on Sora, attempting to decipher what he meant and why they would need such preparations.

Meanwhile, Mirian and Sienna's new Night Corp group split, with Sienna, the current CEO, and her "annoying" assistant heading toward Sora's group. A baffled Lucius followed her, refusing to enter into the terrifying group Mirian was approaching, where one wrong conversation could ignite a corporate world war.

With Hanako Arasaka, the daughter of Biotechnica's founder; Excella Loggagia, the current CEO of All Foods; Salma Guzman, along with Petrochem's CEO Angus Youngblood, engaged in a discussion with Anatoly Novaragov, SovOil's CEO, and lastly, Alexander Kesser, son of Erich Kesser, the CEO and founder of the European giant at the level of Arasaka and Militech, International Electric Corporation (IEC)

As they reached Sora's group, both groups fell silent, with Lucius being the first to address the still-recovering Peralez, who were taken aback by Sora's words and their implications. "I see that even at the Gala honoring our esteemed and admired city founder, you Peralez are still scraping for votes at the bottom of the barrel."

Lucius' condescending comment, subtly disparaging the couple his political rivals were talking to because of their apparent youth, was not well received by Sienna, who had approached to speak with one of them.

Sora without bothering to look at the dead man walking that was Lucius, who he didn't plan to save his life either, and now after his comment Sora was almost cheering for him to put on the altered Braindance that would kill him, 'Not long from now' thought Sora seeing that despite the butterfly effect, the "conspirators" were still moving.

Sora's gaze settled on Mirian Night's "adopted daughter." Nearly thirty years after Richard's death, around 2020, his widow Miriam introduced a mysterious young woman named Sienna to the public, supposedly her adopted daughter, groomed to carry on Richard's vision by leading Night Corp.

In the present day, despite the passage of years, Sienna appeared as a beautiful and enigmatic woman in her mid-thirties, wearing a stylish black hat with a subtle veil of mesh lace that lightly obscured her face. She wore a white suit with a high slit in her leg and black gloves that covered her arms, connecting like a cropped jacket.

With a firm smile and an unwavering gaze fixed on Lucius, Sienna responded with a calm voice but an intensity that couldn't be ignored, "Mr. Rhyne, I understand that elections are a crucial moment that puts competitors under great tension, but that doesn't excuse rudeness towards one of Night Corp's guests."

This caused a subtle displeased expression on Lucius' face. Sienna then turned to the Peralez, offering a somewhat curt greeting, "It's good to see you, Elizabeth, as elegant as always, and Jefferson, I hope you're not harassing the guests."

Sienna's words, unlike Lucius', did get a reaction from the Peralez. Jefferson was the first to speak, "Unlike Lucius, it's always a pleasure to see you, Sienna," followed by his wife, who, as usual, picked up where he left off, "No doubt, you look spectacular, dear."

Sienna then turned her attention to Judy and, especially, the mercenary Okami. But before that, she addressed to.. "Miss Alvarez, I'm delighted to have you at the Gala for the first time, and I'm sure, given the potential of your company, we'll see you at future events as well... Although I might regret it, seeing how it might make it harder for me to capture again the attention of the young guests." Sienna's playful words were accompanied by a mischievous cover of her mouth, as if she shouldn't have said that, judging by Sora's reaction...

He stretched his neck, almost as if he were possessed, turning his head to face the group of guests comprised of men under 30, to whom Sienna was implicitly referring behind them, with an unhealthy expression on their faces, "admiring" the young CEO of Iron Beast.

Quickly changing their expression, when they saw the head of her "bodyguard" looking at them twisting his neck so much that it almost seemed like his head was on his back. In that "possessed" position, Sora "rested" his hand on Getsuga, at the back of his hip. Completing his terrifying silent threat.

This behavior elicited laughter from Judy. As Sienna looked at Sora, and without being prompted, her assistant approached. Then she added, "Mr. Okami, please forgive my indiscretion, but my personal assistant Ryuji had no other option but to inform me of your arrival, or rather the revelation about you being an agent of Lazarus."

This "revelation" had a subtly different reaction among all the listeners, with Max Hammerman, the commander of the Cyberpsychosis department, looking at the alleged Lazarus Agent, who was to support him in his mission with Night Corp.

Melissa, though her personality had been reconditioned after the Cyberpsychosis attack, had been altered, causing her mouth to contort into an aggressive smile on her "angelic" face. Aware, after being forced to join the Max-Tac, of how skilled the Lazarus Agents would have to be and having one in front of her for the first time, wanting to try it out. Causing all the Night Corp and Peralez security members to stand at attention at the sight of her.

For their part, the Peralez, had a more complicated reaction, since partially knowing the Lazarus Corporation and the reduced number of professional Mercs they hire... made that the earlier alarming words from the young Mercenary, which that a part of them had minimized, and discredit, inside their heads,

Rationalizing it as nothing more than the mere attempt of the young mercenary to scare them and trick them into hiring him. However, now that they comprehended his Lazarus Agent status, these very words carried added weight, leading to a growing sense of concern among them.

Judy also had a brief reaction. Despite being aware of Sora joining Lazarus Corporation, witnessing the reactions of those around her made her realize that it wasn't as straightforward as she initially thought, thanks to Sora's casual explanation.

Sora, realizing that he was about to take on the responsibility that should have fallen to Morgan, said, "Ma'am, you've got the wrong person. Like I told your viper-like assistant, I'm the new guy. Any dealings Night Corp has with Lazarus have nothing to do with me, but with Mor-" Just as Sora was about to mention Morgan, the latter seemed to be arriving in an elegant AV with Militech markings, landing on one of the helipads on the terrace.

"As I was saying, you should be talking to one of the security members from the Militech delegation that just arrived, including a Lazarus veteran. If you'll excuse us, we're being called." Without waiting for a response and with Judy holding onto his arm, Sora and Judy left the group. She hurriedly bid farewell to Sienna and the rest, while Sora gave one last look at the Peralez, to which they simply nodded in acknowledgment.

Heading towards Yumeko, who was waiting for them away from the group for Hanako's direction, indifferent to the intense gaze of Sienna's personal assistant due to Sora's earlier lack of etiquette towards her boss. Sienna was a bit surprised by their sudden departure, which was unusual behavior toward the CEO of Night Corp, especially on this evening. With the many eyes from the guests seeking an excuse to approach her, as proof of her thought.

Guided by Yumeko, Sora, and Judy made their way toward an imposing group consisting of CEOs and high-ranking members of the major corporations. At the same time, the Militech guest delegation stirred up a commotion as they crossed the terrace and entered the spacious room, with 2 of their 3 representatives, being the sons of Rosalind Myers, the president of The New United States of America, Andrew and Tristana Myers.

They were accompanied by their security teams, comprised of veteran Militech, led by a man in a black suit and an elaborate vest that seemed to be made of leather, giving it a technological touch while still resembling a formal vest. He wore an elegant coat over his shoulders that covered his arms and even his face, concealed behind a black mask with two orange dots for eyes, and a matching hat that complemented his attire. His mask resembled a certain helmet worn by a certain Mercenary.

Seeing Morgan Blackhand's attention-grabbing yet stylish outfit, Sora shook his head in amusement as Morgan arrived alongside the Militech delegation.