Chapter 75

Nantō's shout made the remaining Masafusa-gumi members feel as if they had received a royal pardon. They quickly backed away, clearing a space around him. 

He fixed Leo with a blade-sharp gaze. The Gospel book he held in his right hand whirred and shifted, unfolding into a gigantic nodachi over two meters in length. Gripping the hilt with one hand, Nantō pointed the tip at Leo. 

"Those who dare oppose the Tiger Claws can only atone with death!" 

Leo caught the base of his sword, Muramasa, against his left forearm, slowly drawing it out and wiping away the blood. 

"No point talking." 

Leo's curt response drew a faint flicker of respect in Nantō Masayuki's eyes. It was too bad they were enemies rather than allies. As foes, the greatest tribute he could offer was to claim his opponent's head with the most decisive swordsmanship. 

In the next instant, cold light flashed in Nantō Masayuki's gaze. He moved his left hand with lightning speed, hurling three Cyber Black Keys in a feint—none of which posed real danger. His true kill-shot was something else entirely. 

With a ripping sound, his trousers tore open at the crotch, revealing a compact Gatlinc gun gleaming with silvery metal. A blinding muzzle flash spewed from it, unleashing a barrage of bullets like a sudden, violent spray. 

But at the same moment Nantō threw his Cyber Black Keys, Leo also moved—drawing a large-caliber revolver from the quick-draw holster at his waist and firing repeatedly at Nantō's head. 

Realizing their intentions mirrored each other's, both men narrowed their eyes. 

Nantō Masayuki raised both arms to shield his face. "You sneaky out-of-towner!" 

Leo vaulted aside and took cover behind the counter. "You cosplaying samurai!" 

The ammo in Nantō Masayuki's crotch-mounted Gatlinc emptied quickly. The moment the gunfire ceased, a figure sprang out from behind the counter. 

Clang! 

Sparks flew as two blades clashed in midair, releasing a burst of blinding firelight. Nantō gripped his nodachi in his right hand, straining against Leo. Then his left arm deformed with a harsh mechanical scrape, and a Mantis Blade thrust out from his elbow, sweeping horizontally toward Leo's neck. 

Leo held his own sword in his right hand, locking against the nodachi. With his left hand balled into a fist, he slammed it forward. The Mantis Blade scraped across Leo's powered gauntlet in a shower of sparks before being smashed into a heap of twisted metal. 

At the same time, Leo sidestepped to the right, forcing Nantō's momentum to carry him forward. Nantō Masayuki lurched, nearly falling. Seizing the chance, Leo swung his blade at the man's back. 

Rip! 

Suddenly, a metal shield popped out of Nantō Masayuki's back like an umbrella, blocking the fatal blow. He stomped his foot hard, steadying himself, then swept his nodachi horizontally at Leo's chest. 

Instead of dodging away, Leo moved inward, plunging into the path of the nodachi. At that moment, he sheathed Muramasa—then pulled the trigger on the scabbard. 

Boom! 

The blade shot from the sheath at terrifying speed, slicing clean through Nantō Masayuki's waist. 

Crash! 

The top half of Nantō Masayuki's body fell to the floor, still clutching his nodachi. He was somehow still alive, and with the last of his strength, he pulled out three more Cyber Black Keys and flung them at Leo's head. Leo easily dodged, then tucked Muramasa away and grabbed Nantō Masayuki by the hair. 

Without mercy, he slammed the man's head against the ground—once, twice, three times. By the time he stopped, Nantō Masayuki's face was a shredded mess, unrecognizable even to his own mother. 

Watching their "Dragon" reduced to a bloody ruin, the remaining Masafusa-gumi members recoiled in shock and alarm. 

"That's impossible!" 

"Nantō-sama… dead?!" 

"Incredible…" 

Nantō Masayuki was supposed to be the Tiger Claw's trump card, yet this unknown mercenary had just killed him. When Leo turned his gaze on them, all doubt vanished from their minds. They looked at him as if he were a demon from some forgotten legend, any thought of resistance gone. 

They bolted in terror, cursing the fact they had only two legs. Leo had no intention of letting them escape. Each Masafusa-gumi member was worth 0.1 potential point—and he wasn't about to pass up free gains. 

They offered him their backs, and he showed no mercy. He whipped out a tech SMG and raked them with gunfire. Moments later, the apartment echoed with screams and shots until all fell silent. 

… 

Leo blew away the smoke drifting from the gun's muzzle and glanced at the status screen in his mind, feeling the same satisfaction as a farmer harvesting ripe crops. He still hadn't decided how to spend these newfound points when Lucy's weary voice crackled over the team channel. 

"Leo…" 

"How is everything on your end?" 

"I've purged all the viruses infecting her neural network," Lucy said, sounding exhausted. "I'm carrying her now…" 

"No, stay put. I'll come up." 

Lucy was petite and didn't have a bulky cyberframe, so hauling Chihiro downstairs would be difficult. Leo raced upstairs in a few long strides, soon finding Lucy with an unconscious Chihiro. 

"How is she?" he asked. 

"Not great," Lucy replied grimly. "I gave her two doses of Recover-All III, but her injuries are too severe, and she's lost a lot of blood." 

"Then let's get her to Vic. V?" 

"I hear you," V called over the channel. "I'm on my way to meet you now." 

They had parked their vehicles nearby, and in 2077, cars and bikes could be summoned from any location. Leo carried Chihiro out of the apartment. As soon as the car arrived, Lucy flung the door open so Leo could carefully place Chihiro inside. 

Right then, V showed up with Ryoko in tow. They hadn't found time to bring Ryoko to a safe place, so she had stayed with V, who was covering them with sniper support.