The entire crowd froze in shock, their eyes wide with disbelief.
"What the hell just happened?!"
"Did you see that? That guy from the Dragon Kingdom—he's a total monster!"
"No way! How the hell are those swords just floating there?"
Gasps and murmurs spread through the crowd as mercenaries rubbed their eyes, unsure if they were seeing things.
"V! Did you see that?!" Jack's voice cut through the commotion. The excitement in his tone was unmistakable as he nudged V beside him. "That kid's crazy! How the hell did he do that?"
V's cold expression twitched slightly, betraying a flicker of surprise. Still, as a mid-level executive of Arasaka, he managed to stay composed despite the shocking display.
"Some kind of advanced cyberware, maybe electromagnetic implants…" V muttered, eyes narrowing as he analyzed the situation.
Unlike the other mercenaries gawking around him, V quickly connected the dots. The subtle hum of energy, the metallic objects floating mid-air—it all pointed toward some high-end tech he couldn't yet identify.
"That was insane!" Rebecca's eyes sparkled with excitement as she hopped in place, fists clenched tightly at her chest. Her wild grin stretched from ear to ear as she stared at David with unbridled admiration.
"Tell me, tell me! What kind of cyberware is that? Come on, spill the beans!"
Meanwhile, the two Tiger Claw grunts frozen in place could barely breathe. Their katana blades hovered mere inches from their throats, sharp enough to draw thin lines of blood against their skin.
"Move even a millimeter closer," David warned, voice low and steady, "and you'll regret it."
Both men trembled, legs shaking as the cold bite of the blades kept them pinned.
Takeyama Masaguchi's eyes widened as sweat dripped down his brow. His mind raced as he tried to make sense of what he was seeing. Cyberware… It has to be cyberware! But this level of control…
"Shoot him!" Takeyama barked, snapping back to his senses.
The Tiger Claw enforcers behind him immediately drew their kinetic pistols.
"Don't—" Takeyama started, but it was already too late.
David's eyes flashed. In the blink of an eye, the pistols jerked out of their hands, as if yanked by invisible strings. The mercenaries stumbled backward in shock as their weapons spun through the air and hovered inches from David's outstretched hands.
The crowd gasped as the guns swiftly flipped around—now aimed directly at Takeyama's head.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Several gunshots echoed into the night as David fired into the air, the recoil absorbed by invisible forces. The sheer volume of shots left Takeyama's ears ringing as if a bomb had gone off beside his head.
Takeyama staggered backward, eyes locked onto the pistols pointed at him from every direction. The cold sweat dripping down his back soaked through his shirt.
"You… You wouldn't dare kill me!" he stammered, voice cracking with fear. "If you do, the Tiger Claws will hunt you to the ends of Night City!"
David's eyes narrowed. "Is that a threat?"
Takeyama's throat bobbed as he swallowed hard. "N-No! I'm just stating the facts!"
"Good. Then listen carefully," David said, voice cold as steel. "Come after me if you want. I don't mind. But if you ever cause trouble at the Afterlife again, you won't live to regret it. Got it?"
Takeyama opened his mouth, but no words came out.
"Got it?" David repeated, his voice a growl.
"I-I understand!" Takeyama stammered, nodding so rapidly his glasses nearly fell off.
The pistols spun in the air once more, their muzzles pointing toward the sky. David clenched his fist, and the guns simultaneously cocked with sharp metallic clicks.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
A final volley of shots lit up the night sky like fireworks before the pistols clattered to the ground. The sound of gunfire faded, leaving only the faint hum of neon signs and the distant murmur of the city.
Silence hung in the air. No one dared to speak.
"Well?" David asked, tilting his head. "Still got something to say?"
"N-No! I… I understand everything now!" Takeyama stuttered, bowing slightly as if that might shield him from the invisible power surrounding David.
David nodded and turned his back on the Tiger Claws. "Good."
He faced the crowd of mercenaries who had been watching the entire scene. Some of them still stood frozen, eyes wide in disbelief.
"Sorry for interrupting your night, folks," David said, offering a casual shrug. "Let's all get back to drinking, yeah?"
No one replied. They simply nodded and shuffled back toward the Afterlife Bar as if afraid to meet David's gaze. Even the rowdiest mercenaries who'd been shouting moments ago kept their heads down, not daring to make a scene.
David turned to Rogue, Jack, V, and Rebecca. "Shall we?"
"Uh… Yeah, sure…" Rogue replied, still processing what she had just witnessed.
"Man, that was insane!" Jack slapped David's shoulder with a grin. "Where the hell did you learn to do that?"
Rebecca bounced beside them, her excitement undimmed. "Seriously! What kind of cyberware is that? Come on, tell me, tell me!"
David chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Maybe I'll tell you later."
He ruffled Rebecca's hair, earning a pout as she swatted his hand away. With that, the group made their way back into the Afterlife, leaving the scattered weapons and shaken Tiger Claws behind.
As soon as David stepped inside, the metallic clatter of swords and pistols falling to the pavement echoed behind him. The weapons had been held aloft purely by his will—and with that will now withdrawn, gravity reclaimed its hold.
Outside, Takeyama's legs nearly gave out beneath him. His pulse thundered in his ears, and his breath came in short gasps as he tried to process what had just happened.
"Boss…?" one of the Tiger Claw grunts asked hesitantly.
Takeyama took a deep breath, straightened his jacket, and forced himself to stand tall.
"Let's go. We're leaving." His voice was hoarse, but he managed to keep it steady.
The Tiger Claws quickly gathered their weapons and followed their leader, eager to leave the scene before things got any worse.
As they reached the edge of the block, a red-and-blue glow appeared ahead of them.
Beep! Beep! Beep!
The shrill sound of a police siren cut through the air as an NCPD patrol car rolled up. The officer inside stepped out, one hand resting near his holster as he scanned the area.
"What's going on here? We got reports of gunfire."
Takeyama's eyes flashed with anger, but he quickly bit back his temper. This was the last thing he needed right now.
"Gunfire? You're imagining things," he snapped. "What, we can't fire a few rounds to celebrate? Ever heard of fireworks, huh?"
The officer frowned. "That's still illegal within city limits—"
"Save it! You should be thanking the Tiger Claws for keeping the peace in this district!" Takeyama sneered, his courage returning as he took a step closer. "Or should I have a little chat with your precinct captain? Maybe remind him where his salary bonus comes from, huh?"
The officer's mouth opened, then closed. His shoulders slumped slightly as he took a step back.
"Have a good night, sir," he mumbled before turning back toward his patrol car.
"Hmph. Damn NCPD trash…" Takeyama muttered under his breath as he adjusted his collar. "Come on, let's go."
As the Tiger Claws disappeared into the night, the police officer stood by his car, staring at the ground with a hollow look in his eyes.
Welcome to Night City.
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