Chapter 86: David’s Crushing Victory – How Much Is Your Life Worth?
At this moment, on the third floor of the Tiger Claw Gang's headquarters, a scene of utter carnage unfolded.
David stood tall, surrounded by the wreckage of bodies and shattered machinery.
The once-confident gang members were now nothing more than broken figures, writhing in agony.
Those who had wielded firearms now had their hands crushed—fingers twisted unnaturally as their weapons, warped beyond recognition, had become metallic shackles.
The ones relying on cybernetic limbs weren't any better. Prosthetic arms and legs had been ripped from their sockets, leaving their owners screaming on the floor, struggling against the tide of pain and blood loss.
In just a matter of moments, the Tiger Claw enforcers had been utterly dismantled, their arrogance replaced by terror.
The air was thick with the stench of blood, burnt metal, and desperation.
The Fear of the Fallen
"This… this isn't real… It can't be real!"
Amidst the destruction, only one man remained standing—Yoko Taro, leader of this Tiger Claw outpost.
Seated inside his Militech combat exosuit, his face was pale with disbelief.
Beads of cold sweat dripped down his forehead as he tried to process what had just happened.
"H-he's controlling magnetism…?! What the hell is this?! The scans said he wasn't running any major cyberware!"
Fear gripped his heart like a vice.
He had seen countless cyberpsychos, but this… this was something else entirely.
David turned his red-glowing eyes toward him, a smirk stretching across his face.
"So, boss man… should I start with your arms or your legs?"
He stepped forward, his voice laced with amusement, as if this was all just a game.
Yoko Taro's heart skipped a beat.
"N-no! Stay back!"
Desperate Measures
In sheer panic, Yoko Taro activated the advanced defenses of his Militech exosuit.
A light gray energy field flickered across the armor—an anti-magnetic shield designed to counter exactly this kind of attack.
"Let's see you try your tricks now, asshole!" Yoko Taro roared, his confidence surging back.
David paused, tilting his head as he observed the change.
A grin spread across his lips.
"Oh? Now that's interesting…"
For the first time, someone had actually come prepared.
But did that mean he was worried?
Not even close.
The Futility of Firepower
"Don't come any closer!!"
Yoko Taro panicked and opened fire, unleashing a barrage of high-caliber rounds from the exosuit's mounted machine gun.
Da-da-da-da-da!
The room exploded with gunfire, the muzzles flashing violently as dozens of bullets tore through the air.
But David simply raised his hand.
An invisible force field formed before him, causing every single bullet to veer off course, scattering harmlessly across the room.
Glass shattered.
Furniture splintered.
The walls were riddled with holes.
But not a single bullet touched David.
Yoko Taro's eyes widened in sheer terror.
The Chase Begins
"W-what the hell are you?!"
David moved.
In a blur of motion, he was suddenly right in front of Yoko Taro.
The gang leader activated his speedware, triggering Militech's Type-2 Sandevistan—a high-speed reaction booster that nearly doubled his movement speed.
With this, he could outmaneuver most enemies in a fight.
But not David.
No matter how fast Yoko Taro moved, David was always one step ahead.
Left. Right. Back.
No matter where he dodged, David was there.
And worse…
He was smiling the entire time.
Yoko Taro's panic skyrocketed.
"This… this can't be happening!!"
The End of the Hunt
David finally got bored.
"Enough of this."
With one precise move, he grabbed the exosuit's left leg and ripped it clean off.
CRACK!
Sparks flew as the metal tore apart, severing wires, pistons, and hydraulics.
Yoko Taro screamed in agony.
"AAAHHHHHH!! My leg! MY LEG!!!"
Blood sprayed as his organic limb was torn along with the cybernetic one.
The once-powerful Tiger Claw boss was now nothing more than a one-legged cripple, kneeling before David.
The Plea for Life
"I-I give up!!"
He gasped for breath, his entire body trembling.
"D-don't kill me! Please!! I… I'll give you money! Anything you want!!"
David just laughed.
"Oh? You wanna bargain now?"
He crouched down, gripping Yoko Taro by the chin, forcing him to look into his glowing red eyes.
"How much do you think your life is worth?"
Yoko Taro froze.
Lucy Arrives
At that moment, a familiar voice called out from the entrance.
"David?! Are you alright?!"
Lucy.
She had finally made it to the third floor and was now standing in the doorway.
Her eyes widened in shock as she took in the destruction before her.
The shattered room.
The mangled corpses of the Tiger Claw gang.
The pools of blood.
And David… standing there like some kind of vengeful demon.
For a moment, she was speechless.
David glanced back at her.
"Oh, Lucy! You're just in time."
He waved casually, as if this were just another ordinary night in Night City.
Seeing him alive and unharmed, Lucy let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.
Relief washed over her… but it was quickly replaced by a deep unease.
What had David become?
The Final Question
David turned back to Yoko Taro, who was still kneeling in his own blood, trembling like a cornered animal.
His face was pale, drenched in sweat.
His remaining leg was shaking so badly he could barely stay upright.
David smirked.
"I'll ask you one last time…"
His grip tightened around Yoko Taro's throat.
"How much is your life worth?"
To Be Continued…
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