"Amaterasu—!"
With a whisper from David, a thin stream of black blood trickled from the corner of his right eye.
At the same time, black flames erupted from Takeyama Masato's body.
"Ah—!! Ahhhh—!!!"
Masato's screams echoed through the alley as he thrashed wildly, grabbing at the Tiger Claw gang members around him in desperation. But the moment his hands touched someone else, the black flames leapt onto their bodies as well.
Suddenly, several more gang members were engulfed in the unholy fire.
The remaining Tiger Claws, terrified by the mysterious flames, scrambled to escape. Yet no matter how hard they blew or fanned at the fire, the black flames only grew fiercer, consuming their victims until nothing was left but ash.
Panicked cries filled the air as the last few gang members clawed at the ground, crawling toward the alley's exit.
But David and his crew had no intention of letting them escape.
"If they wanted our heads first," David said coldly, "they can't blame us for being ruthless."
He exchanged a glance with Jack.
Jack got the message immediately. Raising his kinetic pistol, he fired shot after shot—each bullet finding its mark with deadly precision. One by one, the fleeing gang members dropped, their bodies collapsing into lifeless heaps.
"Damn bastards from the Tiger Claw Gang," Jack muttered, holstering his pistol. "If you hadn't noticed them, David, we wouldn't be seeing the sun tomorrow."
"David, are your eyes okay?" Lucy asked, her gaze falling on the blood at the corner of his eye.
"It's nothing," David replied, wiping away the blood with the back of his hand. His eyes gleamed with a cold determination. "Looks like I've been too soft on those Tiger Claw scumbags…"
Pausing, he turned to Jack. "Jack, don't you want to become a living legend of Night City?"
"Huh? What are you talking about, mano?" Jack asked, puzzled.
"Let's become legends tonight," David said, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.
Both Lucy and Jack were taken aback.
They exchanged glances before asking in unison, "David, what do you mean?"
"Taking down the head of the Tiger Claw Gang... you think that's enough to become a legend?" David chuckled, his voice laced with both amusement and menace.
A constant threat of sneak attacks and revenge was something he couldn't tolerate. If the Tiger Claws wanted trouble, he'd give them more than they could handle.
"David... You mean... we're gonna wipe out the entire Tiger Claw Gang?" Jack's eyes widened in disbelief. "Just the three of us?"
"Isn't that a bit too crazy?" Lucy added, her brows furrowed with concern. "They're the largest gang in the Sakura Street district, and their main headquarters is heavily guarded. Plus, they've got connections with Arasaka. You can bet they've got plenty of high-tech weapons and cyberware. Just the three of us against all that? It's practically suicide."
Jack nodded in agreement. "Yeah, mano, I get that you're pissed after what they tried to pull, but charging into their headquarters is just asking to get flatlined. Maybe we should regroup, come up with a solid plan, and rest up before going in."
"You two can rest," David replied firmly, "but one hour is all I need."
Jack and Lucy exchanged uncertain glances.
"Jack, Lucy—I know I can take them down," David said. "The only question is, do you trust me?"
Lucy bit her lip, the worry clear in her eyes. But as she met David's unwavering gaze, her doubts slowly faded. His confidence was infectious.
After a moment of silence, she let out a sigh and chuckled bitterly. "You're impossible, you know that? Fine... You're the team captain, after all."
Then she turned to Jack, waiting for his answer.
Jack's expression twisted into a mix of disbelief and frustration. "You two... are out of your damn minds!" He threw his hands up in exasperation. "But hell... What the f**k, count me in!"
Suddenly, Jack's communicator buzzed.
"Hey, mamá, what's the matter?" Jack answered.
It was Mrs. Wilson, probably calling to check on her son.
"Don't worry, I'm not doing anything stupid," Jack reassured her. "Yeah... I'm handling something right now." He paused, his voice turning more serious. "Your son's about to become a legend of Night City."
With that, he hung up.
"Well, looks like we're all in," Jack said, shaking his head. "So what's the plan, mano?"
"First, we're gonna need a little boost," David replied. "Jack, you know where we can score something to temporarily amp up our strength?"
"Yeah, Old Wei's got soft stimulants and strong stimulants. Pop one of those, and you'll feel better than ever. The strong stuff's risky, though—too much and you might flatline from exhaustion."
"Let's head there and grab two doses of each," David decided.
"What exactly are you planning, David?" Lucy asked.
"You'll see soon enough," he replied cryptically.
At Victor's clinic, they stocked up on stimulants. The soft stimulants were designed to suppress the side effects of cyberware, boosting nerve conduction and replenishing energy without significant side effects. The strong stimulants, on the other hand, were more potent but carried the risk of physical shock or even death if overdosed—commonly used in underground boxing matches.
Victor raised an eyebrow as he handed over the supplies. "What are you up to, David?"
"Becoming a legend of Night City," David replied with a smirk before disappearing into the night with his crew.
Injecting himself with a soft stimulant, David felt his fatigue melt away as energy surged through his body. He quickly outlined the battle plan:
First, Lucy would hack into the Tiger Claws' surveillance system and disable the cameras and alarms. Jack would stand watch outside, keeping an eye out for NCPD patrols.
As for infiltrating the Tiger Claws' headquarters... David would handle that alone.
Both Lucy and Jack were stunned by the simplicity—and the sheer insanity—of the plan.
"David, going in alone is suicide!" Lucy protested. "I know you're skilled, but taking on an entire gang by yourself—"
"Yeah, mano, why are you leaving us out of the action?" Jack added. "We're supposed to be a team!"
"Listen up, you two," David interrupted, his tone firm. "This isn't about not trusting you—it's the opposite. I trust you both more than anyone else. That's why I'm counting on you to handle these key roles. The rest... I'll take care of it myself."
His gaze swept between them, his eyes blazing with determination. "I don't need you to fight with me—I need you to believe in me. One hundred percent. Got it?"
Lucy and Jack exchanged glances, David's words silencing any further arguments. They nodded.
With the plan finalized, they took an hour to rest. By the time David's Amaterasu ability had recharged, the three of them were ready to move.
Under the cover of darkness, they approached the Tiger Claw Gang's headquarters.
As they stood before the imposing entrance, David's eyes gleamed with anticipation.
"After tonight," he whispered, "there won't be a Tiger Claw Gang in Sakura Street."
TO BE CONTINUED...
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