Cyberpunk: Arasaka Secret Son

So, the two returned to the private booth, ordered some drinks, smoked a bit, and discussed what Sora had just finished assembling as a lightweight helmet. They spent time together, getting closer.

Lucy, initially sitting at a distance from Sora, was now lying behind him on the sofa's back, smoking and watching him skillfully work on the helmet.

As smoke spiraled above their heads, she expressed her skeptical thoughts. "So, according to you, this helmet will enhance my assimilation with cyberspace?"

Sora, with a casual tone while assembling, replied, "Yeah, something like that."

With her arm resting on Sora's shoulder, Lucy added incredulously, "Are you kidding? Do you realize how many billions of Eddis you could make selling that thing to any corporation? Wars have been fought over less..."

Hearing her, Sora turned towards Lucy, scratched the back of his head, and smiled. "Heh, thanks."

Recalling Judy's warning, Lucy put her hand to her forehead and exclaimed, "That wasn't a compliment! And I can't believe you can casually create something like this within a club."

"I've done something similar before, but this one is better. Plus, it can only work on one person at a time," explained Sora as he continued working.

"Huh, that's strange. Why?" Lucy asked and Sora replied, "Because it needs to be synchronized with me to function."

"Should I be able to understand that?" Lucy commented with some disbelief.

"Nope, but it's the truth," said Sora, turning the last screw, finishing the assembly. He glanced at the helmet, satisfied with the design he had conceived and started assembling that morning, and then casually tossed it to Lucy.

She caught it in panic, while Sora asked, "What do you think? The design is something I can improve in the future, but for now, I focused on making it functional."

Lucy observed the helmet, with an opening that would expose only her mouth, featuring a lightweight design covering the rest of her head. Except for the front, where a structure resembling a metallic visor slightly protruded from the helmet, formed by several metal plates converging from various angles.

Not wanting to show how much she liked it, Lucy responded nonchalantly, "It's okay, I guess... What do you want me to do with it?"

"It's yours to do as you please. Think of it as a gift, because once you try it, you won't want to go back," said Sora with a mysterious smile, showing his confidence in his creation.

"Come on, let's try it," He added, grabbing his Okami helmet and, with his other hand, one of the cables hanging from the ceiling, specifically designed for the Neuralports of Netrunners.

Seeing Lucy's expression at the idea of entering cyberspace, Sora took a step back, releasing the cable, which recoiled back to the ceiling. With the calmest voice he could muster, he said, "Come, let me help you put it on."

Terrified, Lucy approached Sora and sat next to him. He took the helmet from between her hands and carefully began to put it on, 

Causing Lucy's heart to race, not from fear, but from having Sora's face so close, moving her white hair with his hands, while he put the helmet on her very carefully so as not to hurt her. 

Lucy felt intoxicated by this silly feeling of being cared for, secretly desiring more from him

A few seconds later, with Lucy only able to hear her pounding heart, Sora's reassuring voice, after putting on his helmet and connecting them to the network, said; 

"Everything will be fine, trust me, okay?" Unconsciously, Sora found himself staring at Lucy's seductive red lips, highlighted by the helmet's opening.

After a timid nod of her head, Sora took Lucy's small hand to reassure her. Feeling Sora's metallic hand on hers, Lucy gripped it tightly, eliciting a slight smile from Sora before he finally activated both helmets.

-

Lucy went from complete darkness with the helmet covering her eyes to a brilliantly lit world with a dazzling flash. Bright colors and luminous circuits danced in her vision, forming a tunnel that absorbed her. Though it all happened in the blink of an eye, the dazzle gradually gave way to a landscape she had never seen before, yet strangely familiar from spending thousands of hours in it.

After adjusting her vision, Lucy found herself without the typical sensation of bodily abandonment or the prick of a cable connecting to her brain. The transition was surprisingly smooth, making her look around in doubt that this was cyberspace.

So much so that she found herself asking aloud, "Where are we?" only to turn around, forgetting the answer. Admiring the geometric shapes and lines of code floating in the air like particles of light, distracted like a child by the beauty of the digital environment.

"Where are we going to be? Of course, in cyberspace, more specifically in the private booth's empty server," replied Sora, also admiring the virtual world around them.

Lucy noticed that her virtual body felt as tangible as in the real world. She raised her hands in front of her, feeling the same texture and weight, closed and opened her hands, experiencing the same sensation as she would outside cyberspace. The clothing she wore was also identical, every detail reproduced with precision. A flash of amazement crossed Lucy's eyes as she observed the fidelity of the simulation.

Sora smiled at Lucy's reaction. "Indeed, your consciousness is so deeply connected to cyberspace that everything feels... real," Said Sora, offering his left hand to Lucy, who hesitated for a moment before taking it.

Feeling the skin, warmth, moisture, touch... everything from the tattooed hand between hers.

As she kept stroking Sora's hand, amazed by how real it felt, Sora added, "And this is just the beginning," raising his black right hand and snapping his fingers.

The white server they were in slowly faded to be replaced by... the void... literally. Sora created a realistic recreation of space, one of his favorite places: in orbit with a giant gas planet from our solar system, surrounded by a dazzling disk of dust and rocks orbiting in harmony. Lucy, for a moment, held her breath as if she really needed it.

Causing Sora to laugh at Lucy's reaction, but she didn't mind. She was too perplexed by the environment, turning and floating, experiencing weightlessness along with the unparalleled view of space.

"This is incredible! I've never experienced a simulation like this, not even from the space series' BDs!" exclaimed Lucy, spinning and extending her arms, enjoying the freedom of weightlessness.

Sora floated beside her. "Cool, right? When I was a kid, I loved space... I dreamed of flying away from that hated white room in a spaceship as far as I could..." Sora said, recalling his dreams of exploring space or just getting away from that 'hateful' hospital room.

Revealing a vulnerable side that caught her off guard, after disagreeing with the image of the peculiar child Lucy had imagined Sora to be following the story from the old store owner, prompting her to ask, "Were you sick when you were little?"

"Yeah, something like that..." Not wanting to dwell on himself, Sora changed the subject. "And this is not a simulation..."

Lucy looked at Sora reproachfully, adding, "You're not suggesting we're in space, are you?"

"In a way, yes. I don't know the exact delay with Saturn, but I think it's around 1 hour and 10 or 15 minutes. What you're seeing is a recreation using real images in a relative 'live,' transmitted by the Cassini XVI satellite orbiting Saturn" explained Sora.

Lerning this fact, caused Lucy to ask alarmed, "Did you hack NASA!?"

"What! Of course not!" exclaimed Sora, feeling almost insulted. He explained, "After UNSA went to shit post-Datakrash, NASA only survived for the public eye. All the maintenance of the off-orbit infrastructures fell into the hands of corporations like Orbital Air, Space0, and... IEC."

"So-?" Lucy couldn't finish her question as Sora casually completed, "I've only hacked IEC."

Upon learning that Sora had hacked the German giant and now she was an accomplice, Lucy began to rub her digital temples, almost getting distracted by how real they felt. She recalled Judy's warning every time she heard him say some crazy thing.

Earning a look of exasperation from Lucy, Sora tried to defend himself, "Don't look at me like that! They started it, trying to put a price on me... although, now that I think about it, hacking their satellites was before that. Tch." Sora, realizing this small detail in his "rock-solid" defense, clicked his lips in annoyance and added nonchalantly, "Whatever. Fuck the blondie."

"Now, give it a try... Is there any place you want to go? With your current assimilation into cyberspace, you can recreate any place from your memories, and I can help with real data to make it more real than Bd."

Not exactly sure how, Lucy asked, "Do I have to snap my fingers too?"

"No, just try to pull the place you want to create out of your mind, like when you release your intention to kill someone, wanting to transmit all the ways you're killing them in your head."

After Sora's "peculiar," almost psychopathic explanation, Lucy closed her eyes, extended her hand as if it were a connection point with cyberspace and her mind, and tried to change the environment.

As the surroundings were beginning to change, and Sora affirmed proudly like a master. He saw something around Lucy, that made him shit his pants before they disappeared.

At the same time Lucy opened her eyes and said nervously, "N-no, I can't!" After seeing the ghosts of her dead companions who had slipped into her mind while concentrating on the environment she wanted to recreate... recreating them for a second, instead.

Sora sighed and approached Lucy, who hid her face under her hair, avoiding eye contact. Gently grabbing her arm and lifting it again, Sora stood behind her. In a soft tone almost like a whisper, he said, bringing his face close to the ear hidden under the white mane, "Empty your mind, forget everything unnecessary... just think of the place you want to show me..."

When Lucy closed her eyes, feeling Sora on her back... much faster than before, the vastness of space partially faded away. Lucy and Sora found themselves standing on the dusty lunar surface. Where the Earth hung majestically in the dark void, with the lunar landscape stretching as far as the eye could see.

Surprised and yet... not, Sora asked, "The moon?"

Feeling a slight tinge of dissatisfaction in Sora's reaction, Lucy asked in return "Any problem?"

"No, this is fun!" Sora responded, not daring to complain about Lucy's choice as he jumped carelessly, almost floating, preferring weightlessness, but reduced gravity was fun too.

When Sora thought about what he just say and heard Lucy's laughter, "Hahaha... you look ridiculous."

He realized... that he had unintentionally repeated almost the exact words as David, sending a shiver down his spine... But when Lucy stepped forward and said, "Come, follow me," he didn't care anymore in little thing... and followed her.

The recreation of Lucy was based on her favorite Lunar Bd, where the two strolled around the main base... until Sora couldn't help but laugh as he saw Lucy waving her hand, almost as if encouraging him to take it.

Before she could do it, Sora grabbed Lucy's hand. Feeling it, she closed it tightly and jumped, taking Sora with her, landing on a lunar Rover. Lucy wasted no time in revving it up to the maximum. With Sora on one side, he said, "Not bad... but... have you ever tried one of these?"

Simultaneously releasing her grip on the Rover, Sora re-created an Airb board and began gliding around Lucy's Rover. That, It seemed boring to Lucy compared to Sora's Airb when he started using the lunar craters as ramps for massive jumps, almost looking like he was escaping the Moon's gravity.

Lucy got off the Rover to watch Sora have fun doing tricks with his board until he landed in front of her. "Aren't you joining?"

"You're crazy; I have no idea how to ride an Airb," Lucy replied, leaning on the Rover, shaking her head at the idea of making a fool of herself trying to ride a board.

"Then... let me teach you," Sora said, smiling at Lucy, extending his hand towards her. At the same time, with a simple snap, he made his board grow in size to accommodate two people.

Lucy looked at Sora as if he had said another crazy thing, but his hand still raised, and his transforming smile in front of her, to one that seemed indifferent to her response, made her sigh before grabbing it and placing herself close to him on the board.

Feeling his breath behind her and his hard torso on her back, Lucy was surprised... when she could even smell a simulation of his body odor, making her wonder if Sora could also smell her.

Blushing at the situation, Lucy adjusted her hair with her hand while turning her head slightly to look at Sora, who was also somewhat embarrassed, avoiding Lucy's gaze and looking towards the horizon.

Understanding why, when Sora began shaking his leg on the lunar surface to gain speed, and Lucy adjusted her posture against him, causing her to feel something hard behind her hip.

After understanding what it was... she blushed even more, but she also... liked... knowing that despite everything... Sora felt the same way. Lucy brought her hip closer to the hard part she felt behind her while lightly holding Sora's slightly extended arms, clinging to him.

Blushing, Lucy's expression changed for Sora; her embarrassed smile turned into a seductive one, teasing him about how boring he seemed on the board. "Is that all? I thought it would be more exciting."

Sora, after hearing her, also smiled, having the same "seductive" effect on her. In response, he snapped his fingers, filling the air with the chords of an acoustic version of a song... destined for this moment.

[♩ I couldn't wait for you to come and clear the cupboard ♩]

[♩ But now you're gone, leaving nothing but a sign ♩]

[♩ Another evening, I'll be sitting reading in between your lines ♩]

[♩ Because I miss you all the time ♩]

As the music played, Sora increased the strength in his legs, startling Lucy and causing her to cling to him more tightly due to the sudden change in speed.

Sora headed towards one of the deepest craters, while Lucy's screams... "I've changed my mind... I WANT TO GET OFF!" pleaded him to stop.

Lucy wasn't sure if her simulated body could get hurt, but if Netrunners' lives were in danger with low assimilation... then with her current one, surely if something breaks, it would break in her physical body too.

[♩ So, get away ♩]

[♩ Another way to feel what you didn't want yourself to know ♩]

[♩ And let yourself go ♩]

[♩ You know you didn't lose your self-control ♩]

Sora refused like a child and said before jumping into the crater, "Didn't you want something exciting?"

[♩ Let's start at the rainbow ♩]

[♩ Turn away ♩]

[♩ Another way to be where you didn't want yourself to go ♩]

[♩ And let yourself go ♩]

[♩ Is that a compromise? ♩]

Next, Sora jumped into the crater, disappearing shortly after falling into the completely dark area, while his excited shouts and Lucy's terrified ones echoed with the background music.

[♩ So, get away ♩]

[♩ Another way to feel what you didn't want yourself to know ♩]

[♩ And let yourself go ♩]

[♩ You know you didn't lose your self-control ♩]

Until they fell so deep that not even their screams escaped from the crater.

[♩ Let's start at the rainbow ♩]

[♩ Turn away ♩]

[♩ Another way to be where you didn't want yourself to go ♩]

[♩ And let yourself go ♩]

[♩ Is that a compromise? ♩]

After a few seconds of silence... from the opposite side of the crater, Sora and Lucy shot out into the void, while Lucy screamed, both terrified and excited. Unconsciously, she had changed her posture to hugging Sora, burying her face in his chest.

[♩ So what do you wanna do, what's your point of view? ♩]

[♩ There's a party, screw it, do you wanna go? ♩]

[♩ A handshake with you, what's your point of view? ♩]

[♩ I'm on top of you, I don't wanna go ♩]

When Lucy opened her eyes, she stared at the person she was holding tightly while flying... over the moon on a board, who was smiling with happiness, purely enjoying this moment with her...

[♩ 'Cause I really wanna stay at your house ♩]

Feeling the same, she let herself be carried while holding onto him.

[♩ And I hope it all works out ♩]

[♩ But you know how much you broke me apart ♩]

[♩ I'm done with you, I'm ignoring you ♩] [

♩ I don't wanna know, ahh ♩]

Sora stopped riding recklessly and smoothly maneuvered his board through lunar canyons and mountains, trying to create a pleasant journey for Lucy, who separated as little as possible from him to fully appreciate the moment.

[♩ And I'm aware that you were lying in the gutter ♩]

[♩ 'Cause I did everything to be there by your side-ide ♩]

[♩ So when you tell me I'm the reason, I just can't believe the lies ♩]

[♩ And why do I still wanna call you (call you, call you, call you) ♩]

Thus, the two slid together across the lunar surface.

[♩ So, what do you wanna do, what's your point of view? ♩]

[♩ There's a party, screw it, do you wanna go? ♩]

[♩ A handshake with you, what's your point of view? ♩]

[♩ I'm on top of you, I don't wanna go ♩]

[♩ 'Cause I really wanna stay at your house ♩]

Although they weren't tired, nor did they need it in the simulation, Sora stopped the board and created a simulated refreshment, passing it to Lucy, changing its flavor mid-flight to bourbon, making her choke and cough.

[♩ And I hope it all works out ♩] [♩ But you know how much you broke me apart ♩] [♩ I'm done with you, I'm ignoring you ♩] [♩ I don't wanna know, ahh ♩]

In retaliation, Lucy threw the drink back at him, trying to get Sora to stop laughing.

[♩ Ohh ♩]

[♩ Oh-oh, oh-oh-oh ♩]

[♩ I don't know why I'm no one ♩]

After finding a good spot, the two sat shoulder to shoulder on the ground, appreciating the Earth hanging in front of them like a gleaming blue gem. 

Sora suddenly stood up and created a grand piano to start playing the same melody from the song. 

Watching him play, Lucy remembered the last time she heard that same beautiful piano melody, and as she watched Sora move in rhythm with the rest of his body while playing... 

Lucy superimposed Sora with the image of a white silhouette playing the same melody in the same way. "It was you!" she said, recalling the massive city hack three years ago. 

Knowing what she was referring to, Sora smiled, nodded, and asked, "So, did you like it?" 

Lucy sat down next to Sora on the piano bench as he continued playing. She responded honestly, "A lot, I even cried, not knowing why." Leaning her head on Sora's shoulder, Lucy closed her eyes, trying to etch this moment into her memory, hoping it would never... 

Still with her head resting on his shoulder, Lucy couldn't help but express the guilt eating at her, "What are we doing, Sora? Judy won't hate us?" 

Understanding her concern, Sora responded while still playing, "It seems you don't know her." 

Intrigued by the meaning behind his words, she asked, "What do you mean?" 

As his fingers seemed to have a life of their own on the piano keys, Sora revealed, "I worried for a moment too. But, yesterday when you left, we talked about it. She likes you. If you're okay with it, we'd be happy to be with you, you know?" 

This made Lucy blush as she exclaimed, "Both of you!?" 

Contrary to Lucy's nervousness, Sora replied calmly, "That's for you to decide. She would love it, but she doesn't want you to feel obligated. Until you take the first step, she's willing to share me with you." 

Incredulous at his words, Lucy asked, "Are you joking?" 

Looking her in the eyes while still playing, Sora responded, "No, I'm not. Judy and I have known each other since we were kids. She's not much into men, except for me. We're not perverts, having more partners or anything like that; it's just that we're willing to invite a woman if we both like her and enjoy being with her. 

And, as I said, she likes you, and I like you too, Luc—" Sora couldn't finish as Lucy's lips stopped him with a kiss full of longing. 

After a few seconds, after separating their lips, with a mischievous smile, Sora whispered in Lucy's ear, making her blush completely, "There's something else I haven't shown you about high assimilation with cyberspace... someone with experience can enhance another person's senses, something like this." 

Sora's eyes lit up as he kissed Lucy back while holding her with his black arm, gripping her firmly. This caused Lucy, just from a kiss and feeling Sora's firm hand on her buttocks, to open her eyes as wide as possible, surprised at almost losing consciousness, for a moment, when her senses flooded her brain with overwhelming pleasure. 

Indulging in this addictive feeling, Lucy also embraced Sora. Trying to remove his jacket, both fell from the bench to the lunar ground, without stopping kissing. Suddenly, Sora separated his lips and ironically asked. "Are we animals?" 

Without waiting for an answer, Sora stood up, holding Lucy in his arms. As his eyes lit up, he created a giant and elegant wooden bed with white sheets, giving rise to a somewhat surreal scene on the lunar surface. 

Without losing a single bit, Sora threw Lucy, making her laugh as she fell on the padded bed. He dragged his fingers over the space in front of his chest, making the upper part of his armor disappear, revealing his muscular torso and tattoos that extended from his left arm up to his shoulder and neck, covering his back. Approaching the bed with his eyes still shining intensely, like a predator approaching its wounded prey. 

Lucy, unable to resist, seductively smiled as the "Okami" approached. She instinctively imitated Sora's hand gesture, making part of her clothing disappear as well, exposing more of her enticing and generous body, anticipating the rest to be torn apart by the approaching beast. 

Thus, the two became one, with the Earth hanging majestically as a silent witness to their union.

-

After experiencing more than six hours in cyberspace, without even half of that time having passed in the real world...

Sora stood with crossed arms, gazing at the beautiful naked woman sleeping beside him. After hours in bed together, Lucy couldn't resist any longer and fell asleep within the cyberspace.

Sora's gaze on Lucy was serious, internally debating his next move. 'With this, Lucy could surely fulfill her role as a Netrunner,' thought Sora, coldly.

But in reality, he was trying to distract himself by contemplating the strike against Militech, being concerned for her. Unsure if he should proceed with what he had in his mind, fearing it might scare her or drive her away.

Realizing his newfound concerns and having lived long enough to appreciate both sides, Sora recognized how terrifying happiness could be. The more he had, the more he feared losing it. Indeed, the worst curse.

While lost in thought, Sora turned his attention back to Lucy, who was tossing and turning as if having a nightmare. Assuming it was her traumas again, Sora placed his hand on her forehead and whispered near her ear as his eyes illuminated, "Easy."

Sora's words had an instant effect, with Lucy continuing to sleep peacefully until a fragmented sentence slipped from her lips. "Sora... run... they... found... me."

It infuriated Sora the moment he heard it, knowing perfectly well who had found her in her nightmare.

That shocked and infuriated Sora as soon as he heard it. Knowing perfectly well... what had found her in her nightmare...

With his decision made, Sora woke Lucy by tapping her cheek with one of his fingers, as if he was writing in Morse code. This earned him a swat from the no-longer-sleeping Lucy.

Seeing her open her eyes, Sora feigned surprise. "Oh! You're awake."

"So it seems," she replied, smiling sensually as she stretched on the bed, having slept soundly for the first time in years, despite the lingering nightmares. Exposing her perky bosom, previously covered by the blanket that concealed their naked bodies.

"Don't provoke me, would you...?" Sora said, having to avert his gaze from her smile and her body.

"It seems it's too late for that," she replied playfully, pointing to the sudden "tent" that emerged under the blanket covering his lower half.

Sora had no choice but to act accordingly. "Tch... you asked for it."

Throwing himself again at Lucy, as she laughed and let herself be devoured once more.

One hour later...

While sharing the recreation of a cigarette, Sora looked at Lucy leaning on his arm and said, "I want you to accompany me somewhere before we leave."

Finding nothing wrong with that, Lucy responded without hesitation, "Okay," handing the shared cigarette to Sora.

Getting serious, Sora warned, "Lucy, whatever you think when we get there, please trust me, alright?"

"I don't understand, but okay," replied Lucy, her resolved gaze unwavering.

"So easy? I thought, being you, you'd be alarmed and worried," Sora asked, not expecting Lucy's resolute behavior.

"I know it may sound strange, but... this time we've spent together, though short, has been one of the happiest moments of my life," unable to express it adequately with words, Lucy looked at Sora and tried to convey her honest feelings, "I had nothing—no friends, no family, no future. My life meant nothing, even for me. But after spending this time with you in cyberspace, it gained so much worth that I would even go through my whole traumatic life again just to relive this moment all over again"

This brief moment she shared with him, for her, clicked her mind, giving meaning to the bad things she had experienced. Meeting Sora felt like some kind of karmic payment for all those hardships, culminating in this moment of pure happiness with him in cyberspace.

Sora, speechless upon hearing her, raised his hand, gently caressing Lucy's face, wiping away the tear falling from one of her beautiful purple eyes. Without looking away from those emotional eyes, he gave a fitting response, "I'd relive all my shit too, just to experience this day with you again." Ready to go through all his years of illness and weakness if it meant encountering Lucy and Judy again.

After baring their "naked" feelings, they sealed their relationship with a gentle and affectionate kiss.

When their lips parted, Sora, now less worried than before, said, "Come on, I need to introduce you to someone."

"Now?" exclaimed Lucy, surprised.

"Yes, you'll understand. Let's go," replied Sora, getting up from the bed, as his clothes materialized on his body. He extended his hand to Lucy, who took it with some hesitation.

Kneeling on the bed, Lucy struggled to get up, finding it hard to let go of the recreation that had become so important to her in such a short time.

Watching Lucy gaze around as if trying to imprint every inch into her memory, Sora said with a smile, "Don't worry... I plan to take you to the real one."

Forgetting about the recreation and focusing on Sora, he added to the surprised Lucy, "Tomorrow, we'll steal the means from Militech to get there, and when everything's ready, I'll take you to the moon myself... I promise"

Not knowing how to respond, Lucy refused to be weak. Infected by his smile, stood up using Sora's hand, and, as her clothes appeared around her body, she said, "Let's go!" Ready to go wherever he wanted to take her.

With arms intertwined, they walked toward an exit Lucy created herself, stealing Sora's gesture snapping her fingers, earning a disapproving look from him. Which was returned with a cheeky smile and a playful wink, embodying Lucy's evident joy.

Shaking his head, Sora stopped before leaving, halting Lucy with their arms entwined. He raised his free arm and with a finger gesture, all the data composing the lunar recreation compressed into a small data core between his fingers, which Sora stored within his own Cyberspace.

Seeing it, knowing that he had somehow saved it, Lucy smiled and said, "Still, I want you to take me to the real one."

"Of course." With their arms still entwined, they exited the blank server.

-

After immersing themselves in the vast cyberspace.

Lucy was captivated by the sight of the network. It was dark, yet simultaneously brimming with light, emanating from the hundreds of thousands of Exabytes of information flowing through the ground and air of cyberspace, branching and merging as they moved and dispersed among servers of various colors. Some as imposing as skyscrapers, while others as modest as small shoeboxes.

Far from the Bit-style cyberspace, she was accustomed to with the current Neuralports. Lucy snapped out of her awe to look at the person beside her, who closed his eyes and raised his free arm, creating a fine thread of code from his hand that branched and merged with the nearest data stream.

After a second, Sora opened his eyes and said, "I've established the link. Let's go!"

As they took a step, their surroundings changed, moving away from the Booth server and appearing somewhere else in cyberspace. Due to the sudden change of location, Lucy took a few seconds to realize where they were. Until She saw the gigantic wall made of red code, forming a dome around all the servers inside.

On one side of it, Lucy could read a word formed from an accumulation of code on the dome itself, reading "Arasaka."

"S-Sora, why did you bring me here?" Lucy asked, unable to hide the fear in her voice.

With his hands in his jacket pockets, Sora responded abruptly, "Because I know they're looking for you." While tapping the dome with his boot, searching...

Before panicking, Lucy took a breath and recalled Sora's warning. Calmly, she asked, trusting him, "How do you know, and what do you intend to do, hand me over?"

"I know because I know, and about handing you over..." Sora, adopting a completely serious tone, continued, "It's not funny. I plan to do the opposite."

"The opposite? You want me to find them? Is that what you're thinking?" Lucy said, clearly angry, pointing at the gigantic Arasaka dome in front of them, ready for her first fight.

"No," Sora said, shaking his head, before adding firmly, "I plan to make them stop, Lucy. So that you never have nightmares about being found and pursued again... that's what I'm thinking."

Lucy fell silent, her angrily pointed arm towards the Arasaka dome going limp, slowly lowering as she lost strength. "You... really, were thinking that?" She said unable to hide her emotional tone.

"Yes, I'm going to try talking first. Before taking any more... reckless steps" Sora said without a hint of doubt or falsehood in his words.

Lucy didn't know how he planned to do it, but after hearing what he was willing to do for her well-being... affirmed everything she felt for him. Though doubting if he could really do it... she sarcastically said, "Talk first? For that, you'll have to talk to an Arasaka... you don't happen to have one's IDn, do you?"

Sora couldn't help but laugh at Lucy's rhetorical joke. If she knew the truth, she'd be surprised. He didn't have just one, but two. His mother had given him, in case of a specific emergency, the private number of his half-cousin Michiko.

Suddenly, after one of the Sora's taps to the dome, it was returned, catching Lucy's attention. Within seconds, where he had tapped, a small opening in the dome appeared, allowing them to pass.

Upon entering, the elegantly seated projection of a golden-eyed panther was waiting for them. Approaching it and affectionately petting it, Sora said, "Glad to see you, Niobe. You haven't told her anything, right?"

After a guilty growl of denial from Niobe, Sora affirmed and replied, "Don't worry, she won't be mad at you. It's just a surprise... doesn't she always complain that I don't call her enough?"

Agreeing, with an affirming growl, knowing that Hanako always complained about that, Sora managed to convince/manipulate Niobe to guide them both to Hanako's private server... in her room.

With an affirming growl, recognizing Hanako's habit of complaining about such things, Sora successfully convinced/manipulated Niobe to guide them both to Hanako's private server

Looking at the AI in animal form as they followed, Lucy asked curiously, "Is that an Iron Beast?"

Lucy didn't think her "innocent" question would make Sora facepalm and exclaim dramatically, "What, you want one? The moon, now this... truly, women are insatiable creatures, huh?"

"Do-Don't be ridiculous!" replied Lucy, embarrassed, with Sora being right and her wanting one, yet... earning a spinning elbow to his ribs, which took away his desire to keep joking.

While "talking," Niobe led them to the Kiji faction server. Once inside, they could see how it seemed like the main function of the Kiji faction server was to protect the private server it housed inside., Sora and Lucy entered Hanako's private server, which controlled certain room...

An occupied room, where Hanako, was sleeping.

Trying to control the silly grin forming on his face inside his mother's private server, Sora turned to Lucy and said, "I'm going to talk to someone. She won't be able to see, or hear you, and you the same, okay?"

"Hm," Lucy nodded, adding before Sora did whatever he was planning, "Sora, who are you going to talk to?"

Before activating the holographic projectors, Sora gave an answer that unsettled Lucy, "With my mother."

- 

At the same time, in Japan, due to the time difference, in the dead of night,

In an elegant private room in Hakone Castle, highly secured from the outside, the holographic cannons suddenly... activated.

Creating the projection of a handsome young man, in armor and a leather jacket, who strolled around the room until he stood in front of his sleeping mother.

As if searching for something, Sora tilted his head until he found Niobe... emerging from within the bed sheets. He gently smiled at the sight of his mother sleeping with Niobe, as he did with Eco.

Still... Sora didn't change his plans, with a complicit look and gesture, avoiding saying anything while his mother slept, he asked Niobe for something, who initially refused. Repeating his request, this time sounding more like a command, Niobe had no choice but to reluctantly yield a few nanobots, of which she was composed, to Sora's hologram.

Regrouping them on his holographic finger, Sora used them to boop the nose of his peacefully sleeping mother. When her eyes snapped open, Sora, with his face inches from hers, said, "Boop!" as he pressed her nose again.

Unaware of what the heck was happening and too groggy to recognize her son... Hanako screamed at the top of her lungs, "AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"

Her scream echoing throughout Hakone Castle.

-

At the same time, while all this was happening, Lucy could only see what Sora was doing, leaning forward and poking something in front of her face, while saying playfully, "Boop!"

Immediately afterward, before the guards who burst into her mother's room could see him, Sora deactivated the projection. He looked at Lucy before saying, "Perhaps I've gone too far."

Lucy looked confusedly at Sora, not knowing what he had really done... or to whom.

-

A few minutes later, after asking Niobe if the coast was clear, Sora reactivated the projectors, recreating his hologram in his mother's room.

Now, with all the lights on and her dressed in a kimono over the Yukata she wore to sleep, Hanako rhetorically asked upon seeing him, "Are you foolish?" knowing the answer.

Sora threw his hands up and exclaimed "You're impossible to understand! If I don't call, it's a problem; if I do, I'm foolish... Women; really, insatiable creatures!" With this two-for-one jab, he managed to annoy the person listening in cyberspace as well.

Upon hearing her son's cheeky remark, Hanako asked, "Tell me, Sora, is there any way I could hit you right now?"

"Hmm... let me think... you could use Niobe, but she'd have to attack me in cyberspace," Sora honestly laid out Hanako's limited options for expressing her anger, with a certain Niobe avoiding Hanako's gaze, pondering giving such an order.

Safe from his mother's wrath, Sora sported a foolish grin that irked Hanako.

As if a mother's will manifested in cyberspace, Sora's head jerked as he received a blow, then another.

"?" Surprising and simultaneously satisfying Hanako to see.

The blows continued until Sora started complaining, "Ouch! That one hurt! Stop hitting me; it was a joke. Stop, woman!"

To Hanako, her son stopped looking at her and began speaking to someone invisible to her.

("To whom are you speaking like that? Not to your mother, I hope,") Lucy asked, not believing Sora would speak to his own mother like that, even if he "worked" for Arasaka.

"Yes, it's my mother," Sora replied.

Looking at Lucy, who asked, ("'And what have you done to her?'")

"Just scared her; she was asleep," he explained.

Understanding the situation more or less, Lucy said, ("Apologize to her.")

"But it was just a joke!" Hanako didn't exactly know what was going on, but seeing her son's complaints, she fell silent.

("Do it!") Lucy insisted in cyberspace.

"I'm not going to," Sora stubbornly replied, crossing his arms, causing both women listening to him to raise an eyebrow.

("I swear, if you don't, I won't let you touch me for a month.")

"Why do you always say the same thing? Besides, I don't think you can endure that long."

("Maybe... but I'm not alone now, am I? I have a lovely CEO waiting for me to 'take a step' next door...")

Hanako could see her son's face surprised, frozen in shock at what he heard.

("Most likely, she'll agree with my decision to punish you... so... if you don't want to just watch... I suggest you apologize.")

Suddenly, her excited and expectant son, like a young child on Christmas Eve, said/yelled, "Okay!"

Then, he leaned 90 degrees toward her and said in a formal, serious tone that Hanako had never heard from him, "I'm sorry, Mother, I shouldn't have scared you. I hope you can forgive my foolish behavior."

"Alright?" Hanako said/asked, confused, accepting her son's apologies. Missing part of the conversation bothered her, and for some reason, the sudden change in her son's attitude bothered her more.

As soon as he finished, Sora turned to the other person he was talking to and asked in his usual tone, "Satisfied?"

("Hmm,") Lucy affirmed, unable to prevent the corners of her lips from turning up.

Extrapolating the situation and witnessing the power of the invisible entity accompanying her stubborn son, Hanako commented, "I didn't know Judy had a Neuralport. Please thank her for me."

Scratching his head slightly embarrassed, Sora corrected his mother, "It's not Judy."

"Huh!?" Earning a sound similar to a surprised growl, unusual for Hanako.

"That's why I'm here..." Looking at the invisible entity for Hanako, Sora explained, "She... when she was a child, was taken to a secret Arasaka facility. There, they forced a bunch of kids to go beyond the wall. Over time, the survivors, her and her companions, tried to escape, but she was the only one who made it out, traumatized in the process. After doing the only thing she could in that desperate situation... keep running, blaming herself for leaving her comrades behind."

When Lucy heard Sora summarizing her story accurately while looking her in the eyes, she was surprised, not knowing what to say. She didn't resent Sora for knowing it; she purely looked at him, astonished, wondering how he knew.

While a part of her was relieved that even knowing her traumatic past, he didn't think she was a broken product, as a small part of Lucy feared he might think when he found out.

Before she knew it, she had already moved, gripping Sora's hand tightly, which he comforting closed upon feeling hers.

Before speaking, Hanako noticed how her son's hand subtly closed. It caused her to stare at the empty space beside him, unsettling him when he was the only one who saw his mother staring at Lucy beside him.

Without looking at her son, almost sure of who it was, Hanako demanded, "Her name."

"What?" Confused by his mother's change of attitude, Sora said.

"Tell me her name, Sora!" she exclaimed.

"I... " Noticing his son's hesitation in response...

Caused Hanako to be offended, "Do you think I have something to do with what she went through?"

"No! Of course not!" Sora quickly replied, not for a second believing his mother was involved.

Not letting go of the issue, Hanako said, "I want to see her."

"Are you sure? I didn't want to expose you," Sora asked, hiding the real reason he didn't want Lucy to see his mother.

"Do you trust her?" Hanako asked.

"Yes," Sora replied, trusting Lucy but fearing how she would react upon finding out... his Arasaka bloodline.

"Then do it," Hanako said.

After informing Lucy... The projection of a beautiful woman holding hands with her son became visible to Hanako; her hair was white, cut in a parted mane, with the left side longer, and dyed with a colorful rainbow gradient. Her purple eyes seemed to reflect the colors of her hair... Almost the same features... she had read in her file.

Lucy, recognizing the elegant woman who appeared before her, couldn't help but look surprised at the person holding her hand, while instinctively trying to move away from him upon learning who his mother was... and what his family was.

Once her initial surprise wore off, Lucy could sense a hint of sadness in Sora's expression, which he covered with his mother present, as he loosened his grip, letting Lucy withdraw her hand.

Hanako saw nothing strange in their behavior, thinking it was normal for him to correct their affectionate posture in front of her.

Before Hanako could address Lucy, her suddenly irritated son, eager to end this conversation quickly, said, "You've already seen her. Now, I have everything prepared; you just need to input this into the main server," raising his hand toward Hanako, Sora created a program in the form of a sphere made of a blend of regular code and his soul code.

"You don't have to worry; it's designed not to erase any data from the server that might raise suspicions. Once inside, it will search for her file and change her personal data to false ones without altering its size."

"I would do it myself, but surely, the central database is protected by your brother's new toy, Pharalax, and I'd like to avoid wrecking that shit for as long as possible, so they don't create a worse one. But that would only happen if you refused," Sora concluded without softening his words... due to his bad mood.

His mother narrowed her eyes, asking in a serious tone, "Was that a threat, Sora?"

"No, of course not. It's an honest warning, so IF Arasaka's central database is ever breached... don't be surprised" He replied, narrowing his eyes and matching his mother's serious tone.

Hanako, upon hearing her son's reckless words, blamed herself. In her effort to ensure his survival, she had given him too much power, making him believe he was capable of anything. Hanako feared the day when her son would make a mistake.

"Ah, you're unreasonable, you know? First, with Night Corp, which led to a really uncomfortable conversation with Lazarus's 'Boss,' and now this... You never stop causing trouble, huh?" Hanako retorted, using a tone more typical of her son.

"Ugh, so you've been called? I was sure Morgan knew, he knows about Johnny, but if his boss knows too... I might have to pay them another cyber-visit."

"You won't, although I don't want to encourage your reckless actions, you did well to level the playing field, gaining vital information from them. Thanks to that, I gained an equal footing, allowing me to accept Joy-san's proposal to establish an information channel between the two factions, and you will be the bridge that unites them."

Hanako said, taking a breath before continuing.

"I don't know exactly when it will be, but one of Joy-san's demands was that now that you're young, she wants to train you. She believes you have great potential that can be exploited with discipline, a claim with which I couldn't agree more. Your grandfather Musashi, against my plans, seems to have been very indulgent with you."

"Ha! You wouldn't say the same when he was beating the crap out of me... and he still does!" Sora intervened, disagreeing with his mother's assertion about his grandfather's indulgence, moving his jaw with his hand, which still stuck after the beating he received on the rooftop.

Ignoring him, Hanako continued, "As I was saying... She wants you out of the city so you can get to know Lazarus, how it operates, and carry out your role as a representative as soon as possible."

Upon Hanako's sudden revelation, it wasn't Sora who responded first... but Lucy, who upon hearing that Sora would be leaving the city couldn't help but interject, exclaiming, "What!"

Sora, on the other hand, before responding to what his mother had just said, looked at Lucy with a slight smile, as despite everything, she seemed more outraged than he was.

When her indignant attitude began to fade as she became the focus of her mother's intimidating gaze, although Hanako was only looking at her, Sora intervened.

"Firstly, which faction are you talking about? Did I accidentally join Arasaka or something?"

"Not Arasaka, but our family; you and I, Judy, Musashi, Aoi, Hiroyuki, my Kiji faction, and your company, Iron Beast. All of them make up... our faction. As you know, when the wall falls... the world will change, most likely for the worse... Lazarus needs capable people it can rely on when the time comes, and in the meantime, we will have their support. You can never be too prepared."

Although his 'bat-mother's' words made perfect sense in Sora's head, he said the opposite, "What? Are you going to send me to military academy? I'm not leaving Night City; Fuck Lazarus' Boss.."

"Uh..." After a long sigh of exasperation at her son's rebellion, Hanako looked at Lucy. "We'll talk about that later, now that it seems you've overcome your initial surprise at discovering who you've really shared a bed with..."

She said, discomforting both of them, well aware of the level of intimacy the two young people had reached in front of her. Hanako, not yet finished surprising them, added, "I'm glad to see you safe and sound, Lucyna Kushinada."

Full of questions, Sora, seeing his mother address Lucy, fell silent, while she stuttered, "H-How do you know my name?"

Instead of answering her question, Hanako said, "I... I'm sorry," while bowing to Lucy, adding without raising her head, "I know my words can't even begin to repay what my family has put you through, but it's a start. I'm so sorry, Lucyna."

"Mother!" Despite his son's surprised and uncomfortable reaction to seeing his mother bowing in front of them in an apology ojigi, Hanako acted exactly the same way she did with the other four survivors from the same base Lucy escaped from, who eventually formed her Cloud team.

Yumeko, Chancellor, Esme, and Lewis—those were the very individuals Lucy had believed to be deceased.

Upon rising, devoid of any trace of shame, Hanako fixed her gaze on 'Lucyna'. "I have much to tell you... but first, tell me where you all truly are," she said, smiling at her. Hanako added, "There are four people who have been eager to see you."

As Hanako spoke, shaking Lucy's beliefs with each revelation, Lucy found herself leaning on Sora, clutching his hand to stay upright, feeling her legs weaken. It was then, after hearing directly from Hanako Arasaka that she wasn't the sole survivor of that base, that Lucy could no longer contain herself, dropping to her knees and breaking into tears.

Sora and Hanako remained silent as Lucy released her pent-up feelings through tears laden with guilt and self-loathing that had been stored within her for years.

Lucy's brain, emotionally and physically exhausted from spending such a long session in cyberspace, with such high assimilation... couldn't take anymore. With tears still on her face, Lucy lost consciousness in Sora's arms.

Hanako looked at the couple and asked "Is Lucyna okay?"

"Yes, she's just exhausted... we've been in cyberspace for over 10 hours."

"I see you've been having fun; wait a bit when you wake up, give them time to arrive. Chancellor is already in the city, but the others will take a little longer."

"Alright... Mother, thank you for everything, and also," somewhat embarrassed, looking at Lucyna in his arms, her son added, "Thank you for being a good person." Pleasantly surprised to learn of his mother's intervention, destroying such a base and aiding the survivors.

Hanako stared at her son for a moment before honestly saying, "I did it for you, you know? How could I look my son in the face... if there were children his age being exploited. Although I don't approve of you having more partners, I'm glad Lucyna found you, I don't even have to say it, because I'm sure you'll take care of her."

"Yes, I will... besides, I don't want to believe that, even without me, you wouldn't have made the same decision..." Hesitating to say it before leaving the server, seeing her expectant face, Sora added in Japanese before disappearing from his mother's sight, "Ai shiteru hahaue."

After his hologram vanished... Hanako, still with the corners of her mouth upturned by her son's affectionate words expressing his love for her, turned to the other person in the room. "Are you sure you don't want to go?"

"Yes, Lewis and Esme are already on their way... for now, I'm content knowing she's okay. When they return and can cover my absence, I'll go see her myself," Yumeko replied, stepping out from one of the room's corners, clearly emotional after seeing Lucy's projection, another sister to her, as she considered all the comrades who lived through hell in that base.

"As you want..." Hanako said, turning to her treacherous pet, she adde "And you Little traitor!... listen to your beloved creator... and insert the program he's given you into the Kiji server before the next synchronization with the central base." With a firm nod, Niobe leaped off the bed and affectionately rubbed against Hanako's legs... trying to earn her forgiveness, while within her code, a vow was made to never believe in Sora again.

-

In Night City,

On the rooftop of Rainbow Cadenza, when Lucy, opened her eyes, she found herself leaning against a wall... alone. A black leather jacket, too large for her, was draped over her, keeping her warm and emanating an unmistakable scent that comforted her as she slep

Since the sunny morning, she entered Rainbow Cadenza, now the lights and neons of Night City glimmered to life as the sun began to set, painting the sky in transition between day and night.

At one end of the rooftop, she spotted a figure sitting, swinging his legs while smoking and gazing at the illuminated city. With a touch of dissatisfaction, Lucy addressed him: "You're such an idiot, you know that?"

Although her mind felt light after learning about the fate of her companions, Lucy's heart was somewhat heavy, which deepened when she woke up alone, hoping to wake up with him.

He, without turning, responded with a similar tone of dissatisfaction in his words: "So you've awakened... Didn't mean to startle you, thought the last thing you'd want to wake up to was an evil Arasaka by your side."

Lucy felt a small pang in her chest at his sarcastic remark, recalling the expression he had when she tried to distance herself from him.

She rose, the jacket covering her shoulders, and sat beside him on the rooftop's edge, watching the holographic cherry blossoms at the market, their petals ascending, mimicking fluttering in the air before reaching their height and disappearing.

She gazed at him until he finally looked at her, and Lucy said, "You're such an idiot!"

"Well! Where have I heard that before?" he responded ironically, stroking his chin thoughtfully.

"How did you expect me to react upon finding out you're a damn A-Arasaka?" exclaimed Lucy, her voice suddenly lowering, avoiding saying his last name out loud

To Sora, it seemed entirely reasonable that she would be surprised to learn he was an Arasaka and might need time to process it, but as with feelings... they're unreasonable. With dissatisfaction within him, which made him... say nothing and continue smoking.

Sora despised his Arasaka blood, so much so that he involuntarily shaped his character to be the opposite of corporate and classic Japanese values. The Arasaka behind his name, it meant nothing more than a set of letters forming a hateful word... and yet, after knowing it... Lucy changed the way he looked at it.

Seeing Sora say nothing... Lucy added with a trembling tone in her voice, "I would never... want to hurt you."

"Ahmm" Aware he was being unfair to her, Sora sighed, releasing all his dissatisfaction, and said, "I know... it's just that I really hate that name, and when I saw the change in your eyes upon hearing it... I hated it even more."

Resting her head on him, Lucy added, "I'm sorry."

Regaining his usual playful tone, Sora said, "Tch, I don't accept it. Sorry, and that's it? You're going to have to work a little harder, don't you think?"

Retrieving hers, as he did, Lucy smiling seductively replied "I'd love to..."

After a decisive kiss and stealing his cigarette, Lucy said, "Your mother is awesome, did you know?"

"I know, Judy loves her too, you should see her in her office all serious with her 'mask' on trying to imitate her... it's very cute," replied Sora, making Lucy laugh at the thought.

"Tell me, Sora, who is your father?" Lucy asked out of pure curiosity about Sora's background.

"Heh, if I told you, you wouldn't believe me..." he responded, pondering how to ration it out.

"Not fair! Now I want to know even more," she said, puffing her cheeks like a child... appearing adorable to Sora.

"Let's stop talking about me, Lucy, tell me about yourself, what were your parents like?" Sora asked, with the same curiosity she felt about him.

The two continued talking until dusk, when Sora received a message on his IDn from his mother's representative in the city, indicating they had arrived and were waiting outside.

Without saying anything, Sora suggested to Lucy that they go pick up Judy and have dinner together, the three of them.

Without saying a word, Sora suggested to Lucy that they should go pick up Judy and have dinner together.

Hungry as she was, Lucy accepted without hesitation. The two headed downstairs, bidding farewell to the old Karim... and as they stepped outside, three people were waiting for Lucy.

It took her a moment to recognize them, and when she did, she was momentarily paralyzed, until the youngest of the three couldn't contain herself any longer and, in tears, cried out, "Lucyna!" as she lunged towards Lucy, embracing her tightly.

"E-Esme?" Lucy stammered, seeing the young African-American girl with two small Afro pigtails on either side of her head, whom she had regarded as a little sister and whom she had believed to be dead until just a few minutes ago.

"Yhems," she replied, somewhat unclearly as her head was buried in Lucy's chest...

Seeing the girl buried in Lucy's chest... Sora smiled, gritting his teeth. Due to the emotional moment, he didn't utter what he was screaming in his mind, "THEY'RE MINE."

Meanwhile, Chancellor and the other tall, plain-faced man approached, still looking at Lucy with surprise and affection after so many years. As they drew near... Lucy took a step back, unable to move too far with Young Esme still clinging to her.

Still haunted by her ghosts blaming her for leaving... Lucy looked at Sora in panic, who said nothing, only mouthing the words, "It's okay."

Taking a deep breath, Lucy placed her hand on Esme's head, who, upon feeling it, squeezed her even tighter.

Still fearing their blame, she looked Chancelor and Lewis in the face as they stood before her. Before they could say anything, Lucy said, almost with a frightened tone, "I'm sorry... I'm sorry for running away, for lea—"

None of them let her finish.

Chancelor was the first to interject, "What are you saying?"

Followed by the gentle giant Lewis, who couldn't believe that her first words upon seeing them would be an apology, "Is this some kind of joke?"

Even young Esme unearthed her face from Lucy's chest to look at the others and added, confused, "I don't know?"

Unable to believe their nonchalant attitude, Lucy exclaimed, "No-no don't play dumb!... I saw your faces, when... when you fell... there was fear, there was resentment when I kept running!" Unable to believe them, tears welled up in her eyes as she remembered those faces, seared into her mind.

Listening to her without changing their demeanor, one of them said, "Of course there was..."

For another, like true brothers, finished for him. "Do you know what it's like to be shot?"

"I wanted to be you at that moment, so I could keep running," said young Esme, still holding onto Lucy and looking her in the eyes, with no hint of hatred, disdain, or reproach in them... unlike how Lucy had been remembering them.

Like a suppressed cry, Lucy couldn't accept their exonerating words. "STOP!... I-I abandoned you... I kept running." With the words pouring out of her mouth and tears shed from her eyes, filled with years of self-loathing.

After hearing and seeing the pain on her, Esme could only say her name in sorrow, "Lucyna..."

In a more stern tone, but intending to wake her up, Chancellor said, "You surprise me, Lucyna... you and Yumeko were always the most determined, to all of us you two were like our older sisters, to see you like this... it displeases me!"

With the giant Lewis reprimanding him... "Chance, don't say that!" and a boyfriend who had been silent until something bothered him, staring at the source fixedly until Chancellor had to look away.

"Lucyna, do you remember what we talked about before we escaped...?" Esme asked, letting go of her embrace but as if Lucy were about to bolt, grabbing one of her hands to prevent it.

Lewis took over, placing his cybernetic hand on her shoulder as he reminded Lucy of what they said, "We promised... that even if only one of us escaped... they would live for the rest... Is this what you call living for us?"

Lucy was unable to respond, only stuttering an attempt at it. "I-I...."

"We thought with all the training we went through, you would be the one living the best out of all of us... but it turned out to be the opposite" Chancellor added, standing between his brothers.

The youngest Esme, glancing for a moment at Sora before refocusing on Lucy, added, "Certainly, when I saw her affectionately going out with her boyfriend, I thought that was the case... but to find out that she had been blaming herself for so many years..."

Somewhat composed... looking them all in the eyes, Lucy could barely say "Thank you (sniff) for not hating me all this time..."

Upon hearing the words of their sister Lucy... two of them looked at each other, anticipating Lewis's reaction, struggling to hold back his tears. Finally, unable to restrain himself any longer, Lewis raised his long arms and enveloped all his siblings in a crowded embrace.

When he let go... embarrassed Lucy turned back to Sora, who said to her, "Quite a day, huh?"

Earning a heavy nod from Lucy. Sora added, "Come on, let's go get Judy." Turning to his mother's Cloud team, Sora asked, "Are you guys hungry? We're going to pick up one more person and go grab a bite to eat, why don't you join us and catch up while we dine?"

"I would love to! You're Lucyna's boyfriend, right? I'm Esme, pleased to meet you," exclaimed the young and jovial Esme, delighted to meet Musashi Hatake's grandson.

"I'm actually quite hungry, an honor to meet you, you can call me Lewis or whatever you want, I really don't mind..." introduced the peaceful giant, who seemed incapable of harming anyone.

"You're always hungry!" Chancelor admonished, before adding, "But the truth is, I could use a bite too."

"Then let's go!" Sora responded, embracing Lucy with one arm, while she did the same, by the waist, venturing through the streets of Night City accompanied by his mother's Cloud team.