Chapter 19: Dinner

I have to say, in spite of what it cost me, this food was just delicious.

The onigiri, the grilled salmon and the umeboshi plums alongside a plethora of other traditional Japanese foods, and prepared fresh by a Japanese chef. I was going all out on the charm offensive, even if Takemura wasn't all that important a player in the grand scheme of things. Still, he was a good man at heart, and one of my favourite characters from the game. He deserved a good meal, at least.

It was all a shame, in truth. Takemura was too loyal to Saburo to ever consider playing along. And my deception likely wasn't going to end very well for him.

Honestly, it would have been better for him if V had left him to die.

I wonder how he would react if he knew the full extent of my plan? He would be outraged, to be sure. Double-dealing was not in his nature.

Not that he ever would find out, assuming Gonzo had done her job properly on the ride over.

As I was thinking that, the door soundlessly swung open, and Takemura ventured into the room cautiously, evidently surprised by the lack of adornments, standing beside an open door, his eyes affixed to the food. The room was typically spartan. There were no windows, and only a single bulb for lighting. Save for a monitor mounted to the wall, tuned to N54 news with the sound turned to zero, and a broad-spectrum jammer in the corner, there was no other tech in the vicinity. No microphones, no cameras, no nothing. Total seclusion, just how I liked it.

"Shut the door," I instructed. He did so, turning back to scan my body with glowing red eyes, making sure I wasn't a threat. I feigned a smile, my stomach fluttering with nervous butterflies, "Come, sit. I can't finish this all by myself, you know."

His eyes shot back up to my face, the Japanese accent thick in his voice, "Why did your woman call me here?"

"To talk," I said between bites. "I can help you."

Takemura looked suspicious, "Why? Why help me, when we have never met before?"

I gestured to the food, "Have something and we can talk."

He pulled out his chair, and after staring at the food with suspicion for a while, he finally relented, and took a small bite from an onigiri. He closed his eyes, sighed contentedly, and let part of the tension leak from his frame as he enjoyed what was likely his first taste of proper food in weeks. Now more relaxed, he said, "I am listening."

I gestured to myself, "If you don't know, my name is Arthur. I'm running for mayor."

Takemura nodded, "I am aware."

I chowed down on some plum, "And you are aware of the political situation in this part of the world?"

He nodded, "I am."

"Than is it any wonder I want to get on Arasaka's good side?"

Takemura frowned, "If you wanted to get close with Arasaka, then why not try with Yorinobu? Why help us?"

I quirked an eyebrow, "What makes you think I'm not cosying up to Yorinobu?" Takemura shot me an alarmed look, "Relax. Yorinobu is all about burning the world down to be free. If you know anything about me, you'll know I'm the opposite. It does me no favours to kiss up to a man who would, in all likelihood, despise me for who I am."

Takemura finished an onigiri, chewing the little ball of rice contemplatively, "Your woman said she had been following me for weeks. Weeks. She knew the truth about Saburo. How?"

I smirked, "Arasaka counter-intel is not as good as they think they are. It's how I knew about the dashi parade."

Takemura's face sported a look of realisation, "I thought V did not seem surprised when Oda let it slip. You probably gave her the map of Japantown as well, of the parade route, did you not?"

"I did."

"And you say you can do more for our cause?"

"Depends on what your cause is," I said, shrugging.

"Your woman said justice. For Saburo."

I gave him one long look, "Justice. Saburo Arasaka was a tyrant. I don't agree with Yorinobu on much, but I agree with him on that. Does he really deserve justice?"

Takemura scowled, "Saburo-sama was a great man."

"Great men can be tyrants. You can deny it, and yet, deep down you know it to be true. And Saburo built Arasaka in his image."

"And you built your company in your own image," said Takemura, a defensive tone creeping into his voice.

I smiled, "I did. But you have to ask yourself why? Why did Saburo build his empire? Why did he make it the way he did? Can you really say his heart was in the right place the whole time?"

Takemura was silent for a long moment, "Arasaka gave me what no one else could - values I could honour, values I could live for. This is most important. You show me wars and tyranny, but what of the millions who work for Arasaka and receive stability, safety?"

I nodded, "That's a good answer."

"Why?"

"Yorinobu sees filthy streets and dead bodies and that's where his vision ends. He claims Saburo was a tyrant - and he was, but he offers no worthy alternative to that tyranny. He fails to see the good in his father's creation, however small it is. I would wager Hanako does, however. In spite of her father putting her in a gilded cage, I would still wager that she understands."

Takemura seemed to agree with my sentiment, "She does."

"Did she believe you when you told her the truth about Saburo?"

Takemura shook his head slowly, uncertain with where I was going, "No."

"I might agree with Yorinobu on a lot, but it doesn't take a genius to realise that he's following in Saburo's footsteps." I gestured to the monitor, "He's like Saburo-lite, and this city doesn't need another tyrant. If you want to know why I'm opposing Yorinobu in favour of Hanako, its because I think she could build the Arasaka that Saburo could not or would not build. Though she is yet an unknown quantity, I think you would agree when I say that she is the better option, yes?"

"Yorinobu is a traitor and a murderer," Takemura agreed. "He always has been, and you cannot teach an old dog new tricks."

"So, how would you like to help me depose him in favour of Hanako? She would never know you were involved, of course, but you could get vengeance for Saburo."

Takemura looked at me, still sceptical, "How? We cannot fix everything at once."

I finally had him intrigued, I could tell, "You would be surprised. But even if we can't, we owe it to the world to at least try, don't we?"

Takemura looked suspicious, "And you are just doing this out of the kindness of your own heart?"

"Truthfully?" I shook my head, "No. I'm too self-interested to do it for nothing. I am doing this because of one of Arasaka's middle managers, a Kaoru Fujioka, know him?"

Takemura nodded, "I am familiar with the name, if not the person it belongs to."

"Well, he tried to bribe me. Then, when that failed, he threatened me. I like to think of myself as a man of integrity, and as such, I don't take well to either bribes or threats. And I saw all this chaos, and I realised there was an opportunity to be rid of him there."

"You want Hanako-sama to remove this man?" he asked, eyebrow quirked in curiosity.

"Not particularly," I said, dismissing his question with a careless wave of my hand. "No, I can do that easily enough on my own. This is about sending a message. To keep all the other bribers at bay. And what better message is there than deposing one of the most powerful men in the world?" I smiled, "You can see why a change in leadership might be in my best interests."

"I can."

I smiled, "I won't promise you justice, Takemura, but maybe... vengeance?"

"Vengeance..." Takemura looked at me, hesitant. He gazed at the monitor affixed to the wall, and then around the room. He ate another onigiri in silence, and then spoke only once he was done. "How?" he asked.

I smiled, "Allow me, if you will, to illuminate you."


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P.S. May be subject to edits