Chapter 261: Living Legend? "Let's See What You've Got" Golden Radiance

Over the plaza in front of Arasaka Tower:

Boom—Boom!

The missiles fired by the hovering drones were intercepted and detonated by decoy drones, lighting up the dark night sky with fiery explosions.

This only heightened the anxiety of the already tense NCPD officers. Unlike Arasaka's special forces, who held twisted beliefs in reviving militaristic nationalism and blind loyalty to Arasaka and Saburo Arasaka, the NCPD officers just wanted to survive and have a better life in Night City.

However, the situation they now faced was far beyond anything they had ever imagined.

Suddenly, the figure of a giant, illuminated by the flames, descended from the sky, landing directly in the middle of the plaza.

Boom!!

The moment the giant touched the ground, the entire plaza shook violently.

"What...what is that?" 

"No idea..." 

The NCPD officers hesitated, unsure of what to do.

"(Open fire)!" 

"Eliminate the enemy)!"

However, Arasaka's security forces immediately aimed their weapons at the giant amidst the dust and debris in the center of the plaza and opened fire.

Ratatatata!

Gunfire erupted, and the NCPD, now following Arasaka's lead, also began shooting. The hovering drones stopped targeting the rising Luna transport ship and focused their machine guns on the plaza as well.

Seeing this massive assault, the NCPD officers, who had been on edge, finally felt a surge of hope. Surely nothing could survive such a barrage, right?

But as the gunfire died down and the smoke began to clear, their worst fears were realized.

The plaza, now full of craters and debris, was eerily silent.

"Hoo..."

A young officer wiped sweat from his forehead and rubbed his temples in relief. He turned to a fellow officer and said, "I hope we can get off work soon. I don't want to die here."

"Yeah...unless—"

"Unless what?" 

Confused by his colleague's sudden stammer, the young officer opened his eyes, only to be struck speechless by the sight before him.

The giant that had fallen from the sky—Primarch Dorn—stood not far from them, towering over the scene, calmly gazing down at them.

Clad in golden and silver-white power armor, the paint remained unscathed.

After a brief moment of silence, Dorn raised his Stormblade and pointed the massive sword at the NCPD officers, who were frozen in place. He spoke calmly but firmly:

"If you don't want to die, then get lost. You have three seconds to decide."

!!!

The young officer didn't hesitate. He immediately turned and ran, followed closely by his colleagues.

They were just trying to make a living, not fight a giant they couldn't even hope to beat.

Meanwhile, seeing Dorn advance toward the plaza's edge, the remaining Arasaka security forces swiftly adjusted their aim and opened fire once more.

Ratatatata!

Bullets flew in a dense swarm toward Dorn.

Hum! Hum!

But most of the bullets were deflected or absorbed by a shimmering golden energy shield, leaving him completely unharmed.

"これは何ですか (What is that)?"

"シールド (A shield)?"

The Arasaka forces quickly realized that Dorn was protected by a shield generator.

In truth, even the Cyclops mechs were equipped with single-use shields, so it was no surprise that a Primarch like Dorn, wearing mithril power armor, had a fusion reactor-powered shield similar to those used by the Elite warriors of the Covenant.

Dorn, however, had no intention of simply standing there as a target.

He swiftly unholstered his plasma pistol from his side, aimed at the clustered security forces, and—

Ri——!

The weapon charged, its barrel glowing with intense energy.

Shoom——!

A massive ball of plasma shot forth, slicing through the air.

Boom!!

The high-energy plasma vaporized more than a dozen security personnel on impact, melting them into the ground in a grotesque fusion of flesh and armor.

Even as he fired the shot, Dorn began charging forward, closing the distance with the enemy lines.

Before they could react, he swung his massive Stormblade, cleaving through the soldiers with brutal efficiency.

Bang! Bang!

With each sweep, limbs and torsos were smashed apart by the sheer force of his strikes, sending blood, internal organs, and unidentifiable fluids spraying in all directions.

After dispatching the initial wave of Arasaka security, Dorn leaped into the air with ease, crushing an Arasaka drone with his weight before resuming his slow but methodical sweep of any remaining enemies.

"Monster! He's a monster!!" 

"Call in the Anti-Terrorist Unit! We can't hold him back!" 

The sight of Dorn effortlessly decimating their forces shattered what little morale the NCPD officers had left.

Meanwhile, the more fanatical members of the Arasaka security forces, still chanting "Ganbare! Ganbare!" (Hold the line! Hold the line!), were desperately calling for reinforcements.

——

Back at the Martinez household:

David and his mother, Gloria, were sitting on the couch in the living room, watching the live broadcast on the holographic television.

They had initially tuned in to see the news, but all channels had been cut off, replaced by a rotating red-and-white "Λ" symbol.

After a brief delay, the screen lit up again, displaying a live broadcast featuring Dorn's perspective, combined with footage from Luna's high-altitude camera and surveillance drones.

This meant that David and Gloria were witnessing the NCPD's retreat and the brutal slaughter of Arasaka's forces firsthand.

"David," Gloria's voice trembled as she stared at the screen, "have you ever seen that giant while working at Atlas?"

"No…" David shook his head, equally stunned. He had suspected that Atlas had hidden depths, but never in his wildest dreams had he imagined something like this.

"That giant… he looks like a natural human, no cybernetic implants." 

"A natural human?!" David couldn't believe his ears. "Mom, have you ever seen a four-meter-tall natural human? That's not possible!"

"At least he doesn't have cybernetic eyes," Gloria responded seriously. "But I wonder… can he beat Adam Smasher?"

"Adam Smasher…" David's expression grew complicated.

In Night City, the name Adam Smasher was known by everyone. A legend, revered and feared by all, but a complete corporate pawn.

His body was almost entirely cybernetic, with only his brain remaining organic, and he hadn't succumbed to cyberpsychosis, which made him a true living legend.

However, as David watched the broadcast showing Dorn, a natural human giant, he wondered… could Adam Smasher really stand a chance?

"This should be interesting."

As David's mind wandered, a deep voice echoed from the television.

Turning back to the screen, David saw a hulking figure, over two meters tall, appear front and center—Adam Smasher himself.

The sheer presence of the man, encased in heavy cybernetics, was overwhelming.

David could only imagine being in his place, knowing that Adam Smasher could probably kill him in an instant.

But as the camera switched from Dorn's power armor view to a nearby surveillance feed, David noticed something strange...

Adam Smasher was barely half Dorn's size.

The fight's outcome suddenly seemed much less uncertain. In terms of sheer physical presence, Dorn was far more imposing.

——

Back at Arasaka Tower:

The plaza was now a blood-soaked battlefield, littered with the remains of Arasaka's security forces and the bodies of those NCPD officers who had been foolish enough to fight.

Dorn, showing no mercy, had crushed even the disarmed security officers who attempted to surrender. The remaining drones and mech units had been obliterated by his plasma pistol.

A Primarch is a one-man army.

Though the security forces had been unable to harm Dorn directly, their concentrated fire had overloaded and shattered his energy shield.

But Dorn was taking his time, as per Celine's instructions. By moving slower, he ensured the live audience could see everything that was happening.

At the same time, he employed raw strength and brutality to slaughter Arasaka's forces, adding a theatrical touch to the livestream for dramatic effect.

If Dorn fought at his full speed, the viewers would have seen nothing but a blur.

And now, as Adam Smasher—holding a large rifle—stepped out of Arasaka Tower, the tension in the air grew thick.

"What a joke," Dorn sneered as he stowed his Stormblade and plasma pistol, cracking his knuckles. "Let's see what you've got, tin man. No way you still have any organic parts left. Can't even call yourself a man anymore."

The taunt struck a nerve, as Adam Smasher's robotic eyes flared red.

He hadn't expected such a crude insult from this giant.

But the most stinging blow was when Dorn implied he had nothing left, not even his…manhood. That hit hard.

While Dorn wasn't as vulgar as Leman Russ, who liked to curse at anything in his way, he did have a knack for delivering "hard truths."

Taking on the mantle of Governor had only tempered Dorn's attitude slightly. This was why he was second only to Horus, Guilliman, and Sanguinius in terms of reputation within the company.

"Hahaha, good... very good," Adam Smasher's laughter was low and cold. He holstered his rifle and said, "Not only will I touch you, I'll tear off your... organic parts and display them as my trophies."

"Well, I'm afraid you'll just feel inadequate," Dorn retorted.

That hit a nerve. 

With his robotic eyes glowing a fiery red, Adam Smasher disappeared from view, his speed unmatched by most human eyes. But Dorn, of course, was prepared.

Switching the live feed back to Dorn's perspective, Celine activated slow-motion mode so that the viewers could follow every move. 

As time slowed, the citizens of Night City, including David and Gloria, could see the scene unfold clearly. Adam Smasher, who had seemingly vanished, was rushing toward Dorn at an incredible speed, a menacing smile plastered on his remaining organic face.

But just as quickly as Adam Smasher had disappeared, Dorn reacted even faster. Before Adam could land a blow, Dorn materialized directly in front of him with almost impossible speed, moving far beyond what any cybernetic could accomplish.

With a casual flick of his hand, Dorn pinched Smasher's throat between his thumb and forefinger, lifting him effortlessly into the air.

Time returned to normal.

"This… this can't be happening..." Adam Smasher stuttered in disbelief, his mechanical limbs flailing uselessly.

"Impossible things happen all the time," Dorn said with a smirk. "Now, let's hope in your next life you get to keep all your parts. Goodbye."

With a burst of immense strength, Dorn hurled Adam Smasher straight toward the Arasaka Tower logo with such force that it shattered the sound barrier.

Boom!

Adam Smasher's body crashed through the company's massive white logo, shattering glass and concrete alike, his cybernetic parts scattering like debris. His original brain, the last vestige of his humanity, exploded on impact, leaving nothing behind but scrap metal and gore.

The entire process was flawless and efficient, a testament to Dorn's power.

"Mm, perfect throw," Dorn remarked to himself, seemingly satisfied. 

As he picked up his Stormblade once more and began walking toward Arasaka Tower's entrance, he casually opened his comms and asked, "Shall I go ahead and demolish Arasaka Tower now, or do we need to keep streaming this?"

"Yes, please continue, Commander," Celine's calm voice responded. "The man you just killed is Adam Smasher, a legendary mercenary in Night City. The effect on the audience has been ideal. I'll focus the cameras on nearby security footage and aerial views from the Luna transport to broadcast your demolition of the tower."

Dorn smirked at the thought. "Good. Let's give them a real show."

But before he could act, something caught his attention.

"Hold on."

Dorn's voice trailed off as his brows furrowed. He turned and gazed toward the southeast, in the direction of the forward base.

Seconds later, a brilliant golden light cut through the clouds, illuminating the night sky like a falling star. The light streaked across the horizon for just a brief moment before it vanished, leaving the night once again dark.

But Dorn's expression had tightened.

That light... It felt... familiar.

The aura within that golden radiance resembled the same psychic signature of his brothers and even his father—someone powerful had just arrived.

"Could it be... a new brother?" Dorn muttered to himself. The possibility of another Primarch being awakened entered his mind.

Without hesitation, he turned back to his comms and issued a new order. "Celine, tell the Royal Knights who have been deployed at the forward base to handle the cleanup of Arasaka Tower. I've got something more important to attend to."

"Understood, Commander," Celine responded.

_________________________

[Check out my Patreon for +200 additional chapters in all my fanfics! Only $5 per novel or $15 for all!!] [www.p@treon.com/Mutter]