Chương 128: "Chapter 128: A Conversation in the Company of a New Friend"

While Alex pondered whether he should reward Hanako for her answers, suspicions flickered in his mind. If she was somehow connected to the Mechanical Man, even indirectly, the risk of her being influenced by this mysterious figure remained.

If they had crossed paths in cyberspace, she might have fallen under his sway, becoming a potential 'sleeper agent' who could switch sides under the right conditions. However, if she had never encountered him or had somehow managed to decline his help when he found her, it might indicate an inner strength and caution that set her apart from others. Her reputation as a gifted genius, the creator of numerous digital projects endorsed even by her father, added intrigue, although her dossier still contained something elusive that Alex couldn't quite grasp.

Hanako observed Alex's every move and expression intently, but his calm posture and pensive gaze gave her little to work with. His face was hidden by a mask, and his eyes, which occasionally cast mocking glances at her bodyguard Oda, only underscored that she was dealing with someone who wouldn't be easy to read. Once again, Hanako realized that the person before her was no ordinary guest, and his intentions remained a mystery.

«Well then, Miss Arasaka, it all depends on what you want in exchange for your answers,» Alex said, breaking his silence and fixing her with an appraising stare.

Hanako considered his words. She already possessed everything money and resources could buy—she was, after all, the daughter of the founder of Arasaka Corporation. But in a world ruled by information, she understood that the most valuable currency was knowledge. She wanted answers from this strange man who had brazenly intruded into her personal space to ask her questions.

«I think it would be fair if you answered my questions as well. After all, as they say: 'a favor for a favor,'» she replied, meeting Alex's gaze as if trying to pierce through his mask.

Alex paused briefly, finding the proposal intriguing. He was a master of leading his conversational partners astray, and if Hanako decided to ask uncomfortable questions, he could easily divert her with lies and fabrications.

«I agree to answer, Miss Arasaka, but remember this: 'Never ask about things that don't concern you, and you won't have any problems,'» he said, a cold smile forming beneath his mask.

Alex's words made Hanako feel a slight unease, sensing he had set a limit to her curiosity. But her resolve remained firm, and she simply smirked, showing she wasn't afraid of taking risks.

«Then I'll answer you in kind, Mr. Kagetane. This conversation has already painted a huge target on you,» she replied with icy calm, testing the patience of her mysterious guest.

Alex merely grinned under his mask at Hanako's attempt to intimidate him. Did she think she could find him so easily? Even if he strolled before her guards, they wouldn't pay him any mind.

«Oh, Miss Arasaka, you greatly overestimate your capabilities. My people entered through the main entrance, and no one noticed them. And even if they had, what difference would it make? We're everywhere, and anyone you meet could be part of our network,» he said, adding a touch of falsity to his words to craft the illusion of a powerful organization.

Taking his words seriously, Hanako picked up on Alex's confidence, thinking she had uncovered something significant. She smiled faintly, hoping she'd revealed part of his intentions, unaware that what she'd heard was mere fabrication. Alex noticed her smug smile and mentally shook his head.

«Well then, Miss Arasaka, let's get to business before the night ends within these walls,» Alex said, steering the conversation back on track.

Hanako gave a slight start, as if snapping back to the gravity of the situation, and returned his gaze. She was a little irked by Alex's subtle mockery, as if he hinted he'd rather be elsewhere. Like any woman, she sensed a challenge in his words.

«Do you not enjoy my company, Mr. Kagetane?» she asked, attempting to catch his eyes, which hid so cleverly behind his mask.

He only smirked, mentally savoring his mysterious opponent's reaction, preparing his next phrase to set things straight.

Alex shrugged, aware that his words might have bruised Hanako's pride, but he didn't give it much thought. He'd rather be home with his wife than waste time chatting with a woman he barely knew.

«Don't get me wrong, Miss Arasaka,» he said, shrugging. «But I'd much rather spend my time at home with my wife than be here. I came here strictly on business.»

Hanako reacted calmly, a small smile playing on her lips, even finding his family values somewhat endearing.

«In that case, let's proceed with our talk, so as not to keep your wife waiting,» she said, settling herself comfortably on the sofa.

She leaned back and crossed one leg over the other, creating an air of ease, but her posture betrayed a calculated intent. Alex noted the brief glimpse of her dress hem, hinting at her lingerie, but he calmly cleared his throat. This display was clearly meant to throw him off and gain an advantage in the conversation.

«So, Miss Arasaka...» Alex began, only to be interrupted.

«Just call me Hanako. And I'll call you Hiruko,» she said with a slight smile, bringing a wine glass to her lips.

Alex raised an eyebrow but didn't object, understanding it didn't matter what she called him. He just needed a few answers.

«Well then, Hanako… are you aware of what's happening on the lower floors of Arasaka Tower?» he asked, narrowing his eyes.

Hanako paused to think. The recent documents she'd received before arriving at the Night City branch had made no mention of any research in the underground labs.

«Sorry, but no. I'm new here, and my documents didn't mention anything about that,» she replied, keeping her tone restrained.

Alex nodded, inviting her to ask a question in return, following the principle of fairness. Picking up on his cue, Hanako pondered what to ask first.

«So, what's this Flying Spaghetti Monster that your church is named after?» she asked, choosing the first thing that came to mind, mostly as a provocation.

Alex chuckled under his mask, sensing it was time to play along and plant a few seeds of doubt in her mind.

«Our god is all-merciful and forgiving,» he replied in a fanatical tone that might have struck her as almost comical. «He needs no temples or offerings, only that people be happy. And we do everything we can to help those in need.»

Hearing the fanatical notes in his voice, Hanako was taken aback. She wasn't sure whether he was serious or just playing with words. But the question remained: if these people helped those in need, why did they invade Arasaka and create chaos here? She asked a new question:

«If your people help those in need, then why attack Arasaka?»

«That's a different question, and right now, it's my turn,» Alex interrupted her, smiling under his mask.

Hanako felt a momentary embarrassment but nodded, conceding. She understood that his organization might be genuinely powerful if they'd managed to get this far. But the details remained hidden.

«Hanako, do you know anything about Project N? Have you heard of it?» Alex asked, tapping his chin.

She frowned, trying to recall everything she knew about the corporation's inner workings, but not a single hint surfaced in her mind.

«No, not the slightest mention,» Hanako replied.

Alex pondered. If Hanako truly knew nothing about the project, it meant he'd need to seek answers elsewhere. As he considered this, Hanako posed a new question:

«If your church helps those in need, then what exactly does it do?»

Her gaze was full of curiosity, and Alex saw an excellent opportunity to continue his game.

Alex snapped out of his thoughts and looked at Hanako, who had just asked him a question.

«It's simple,» he said. «Imagine a person shows up—let's call him Villain A. He gathers followers with similar ideas and plans to put innocent people in danger. That's when we step in—we find Villain A and make it so that he and his cronies simply disappear.»

Hanako raised an eyebrow in surprise. She hadn't expected that answer. It became clear that this mysterious organization was involved in eliminating unwanted individuals who posed a threat to people.

But one suspicion crept into her mind: if such an organization truly existed, it would have long attracted public attention, especially in a world with cameras on every corner. But she couldn't dismiss the thought that perhaps the organization covered its tracks so thoroughly that it remained unseen. Yet, questions gnawed at her—why, then, had they sometimes been detected?

«And now it's my turn,» Alex continued with a slight smile. «My young apprentice discovered something in your lower-level lab. Haven't you come across anything like this?»

Alex took a small box from his pocket and placed it on the table before him. Under her watchful gaze, he opened the box so Hanako could see its contents. Just in case, Alex had put a protective spell on the box to prevent the item inside from affecting anyone nearby.

He didn't know what had happened to those who experimented on this fragment, but something told him their fate was a sad one. Any fragment of an Outer God's power could drive anyone insane, and no matter the size of the fragment, merely being within its influence would eventually cause madness.

Hanako carefully examined the object inside the box her companion had brought, trying to recall if she had seen something similar before, but no thoughts came to mind as she looked at the strange crystal. It seemed like she had seen it somewhere before, but at the same time, it felt entirely unfamiliar.

«Strange...» Hanako murmured thoughtfully. «It feels like I'm seeing it for the first time, yet as if I've encountered something similar before.»

She reached out for the crystal, but Alex stopped her just in time, not wanting to see her fall victim to its effects. Hanako shook her head to clear the strange thoughts and slowly regained her composure, realizing she'd felt unusually disoriented.

«I'm sorry; I don't know what came over me,» she said, slightly embarrassed.

Oda, who had been watching everything unfold, quickly raised his katana, pointing it at Alex, assuming he was to blame for his mistress's odd state. But Hanako calmed him with a gesture.

«It's not our guest's fault. I don't understand what happened myself,» she said, raising her hand to signal Oda to lower his weapon.

Alex didn't react to Oda's aggression, instead focusing on Hanako's response to the crystal. Her behavior confirmed his suspicions: she had likely encountered such a crystal before, even if she didn't remember it.

This suggested that someone in her family might have come into contact with the artifact. Two possibilities came to mind: her brother Yorinobu, who had returned to Arasaka to fight for the position of director, and Michiko, the late Kei Arasaka's daughter, who, though not holding high office, could have had access to classified information.

«It's all right, Hanako. Your reaction only confirmed my suspicions,» Alex said, putting the box away.

He tucked the box into his inventory to keep it out of sight. Hanako didn't fully understand what Alex meant by saying her reaction had confirmed certain suspicions of his.

But she quickly surmised that the strange crystal might somehow be connected to her family or the corporation itself. She wanted to know what this crystal was, why it made her feel so odd, and why it was in the lab on the building's lower floor.

«Can you explain what you understood? And what is this crystal?» she asked, looking intently at Alex.

Alex sighed, knowing these were the exact questions she would ask after seeing the crystal and feeling its effects. But he didn't want to reveal too much.

«As for the first question, the answer is no. As for the second, consider this crystal the deadliest poison that drives people insane,» Alex replied calmly, looking Hanako straight in the eyes.

Hanako understood that Alex's answers would only be hints, but she picked up useful information in his words: this mysterious crystal was indeed a kind of poison. She couldn't understand exactly how it worked, but she let the thought go for the time being. The conversation gradually returned to a pattern of questions and answers.

Alex asked subtle questions about her family, as a personal account differed from a dry dossier. Hanako, in turn, showed interest in his life, avoiding overly personal topics, as he clearly wasn't inclined to share much. All she learned about him was that he had a wife. Meanwhile, Alex mostly asked her questions related to their current interaction.

«Well, I think it's time to wrap up our intriguing conversation. I'll ask you one last question: have you ever heard of or met anyone who calls themselves the Mechanical Man?» Alex asked, with words that could potentially affect Hanako's fate.

Hanako was surprised by the odd nickname he mentioned. She couldn't imagine anyone calling themselves that. Recalling everyone she had dealt with in cyberspace, she answered confidently,

«No, I've never heard of or met anyone by that name. And why do you want to know?» she asked in return.

Hearing her confirmation eased his tension a bit; he really didn't want to harm his new friend. But understanding that the Mechanical Man was a very cunning entity, it was possible that Hanako had crossed paths with him in some way. This would require an investigation into all her activities in cyberspace.

To accomplish this, he would need G.I.R.'s assistance, which could track every action and meeting Hanako had in cyberspace throughout her life. But first, he needed to find the right answer to the question she had asked without frightening her or making her delve into problems that might arise from searching for this so-called Mechanical Man.

«He's my enemy, and if you were connected to him, I would have to do something I wouldn't want to do—kill my new friend,» Alex said as he rose from his chair.

Hanako tensed up, realizing that if she had any connection to this person, she could be killed right then and there. Oda, her bodyguard, stepped forward, shielding her with his body, watching Alex warily. Alex calmly looked at them and said, «Don't worry, I'm not going to do anything.»

Hanako relaxed a bit, but Oda remained alert, keeping a watchful eye on Alex's every move. Alex shook his head, ignoring their reaction, and took G.I.R. by the head, resting it on his shoulder. Approaching the window, he gazed out at the city lights at night. Turning back to Hanako, he bid farewell:

«I think our meeting ends here, Miss Arasaka. And remember my words: never pry into matters that don't concern you, and you won't run into trouble. If you choose to learn more than you should, our next meeting might be at your funeral,» Alex said with a slight bow.

A chill ran down Hanako's spine. The words suggesting that further inquiries could lead to her demise made her ponder. Oda took a stance, ready to protect her. Seeing that they misinterpreted his words, Alex clarified:

«Don't get me wrong; it's not me or my organization that will be the cause of your death, Hanako. It's the one who doesn't like someone meddling in his affairs. And I wouldn't want my new friend to end up like her older brother,» Alex added calmly.

Hanako understood that her brother's death might have been linked to his knowledge. She wanted to ask more questions, but Alex didn't give her that chance:

«I'm sorry, I have to get home,» he said, cutting off any opportunity for Hanako to continue the conversation.

Alex saw that Hanako wanted to ask him a question. But he didn't have a precise answer—only a theory that arose after studying information about the Arasaka dynasty. The entire situation surrounding Kэй Arasaka seemed suspicious, but changing the past was impossible. Alex could travel back in time and speak to Kэй Arasaka himself, but he preferred not to, knowing he would eventually uncover the truth one way or another.

Under Hanako's and Oda's watchful gazes, he walked through the glass, noticing the astonished expression on Hanako's face as her mouth fell open in surprise. Waving goodbye, Alex stepped into the void and plunged downward, free-falling from the height.

Seeing her strange companion walk through the window, Hanako rushed to it and began feeling the glass, trying to understand how a person could do such a thing. She examined it carefully but found no answer.

Not understanding how it was possible, she turned to Oda and asked if he had seen the same thing. Oda nodded, confirming that he too had witnessed Alex pass through the glass. Hanako realized that her mysterious guest was not only strange but also completely unfathomable.

Meanwhile, Alex landed softly on the ground and glanced up at the floor where Hanako was, noticing that she was still in awe, touching the glass. He removed his mask, and a smile spread across his face that he couldn't hide. Another perk of his abilities—surprising people who lived in a technological world and had never encountered magic. He looked at G.I.R., who was settled on his shoulder.

«Well, shall we head home?» Alex asked, addressing his companion.

G.I.R. nodded, happy that they were finally returning home. Alex merely smirked, realizing that his assistant had apparently inherited some laziness from Valeri—the eternal couch potato. Shaking those thoughts away, Alex pulled out his motorcycle from his inventory and headed toward home, picking up speed to get there quickly and finally embrace someone close.

When he arrived, he quickly parked the motorcycle and made his way to the elevator. After ascending to his floor, Alex entered the apartment and found it silent. The lights in the living room were off, and even Valeri, who usually watched her endless shows until morning, was absent. G.I.R. jumped off his shoulder and hurried to his pillow, checking it to see if it had somehow turned into a bear. Satisfied that everything was in order, he nestled in and fell asleep instantly.

Alex shook his head again at G.I.R.'s behavior and went upstairs, trying to be quiet so as not to wake the sleepers. Passing through the door like a true vampire, he saw that the girls were already deep in slumber. Not wanting to disturb them, he magically changed his clothes and quietly settled onto the couch, pulling up a blanket.

He hugged Gloria, who always lay on his left, and she snuggled closer to him at his touch. Without opening his eyes, Alex kissed her on the crown of her head and began to drift off to sleep, not even noticing that he was embracing someone else entirely, which would surprise him in the morning.

To be continued...

(Another day and another chapter. One of the readers said to choose the next BNHA worlds and I started thinking about what could happen if Alex gets into this world. For starters, Alex can't be a student because he's physically 18 years old, which means his choice is to only be a teacher. And in fact, I stopped reading the manga somewhere after the battle with All for One. Or even further, I won't even mention where Deku became an emo guy and wanted to solve everything alone.)