Facing Oda, it seemed like Johnny Silverhand wouldn't last even a second—or at least, that was Karl's initial judgment. But the truth proved him wrong.
Turns out, Mr. Johnny Silverhand had a remarkable talent for struggling. Not only had that tenacity allowed him to return from the grave after nearly half a century, but now it also enabled him to fight tooth and nail against Oda's mantis blades.
Crouching low, Johnny's mechanical joints hummed softly as he darted agilely through the rubble of the abandoned building. With his small frame, he slipped through tight gaps, barely dodging one deadly slice after another.
Behind him, Oda Santayū's twin thermal mantis blades carved glowing arcs through the air. The orange-red glow along their edges resembled the smirk of death itself, radiating suffocating pressure. Every swing of Oda's blades cleaved through obstacles like tofu, bringing him ever closer to Johnny Silverhand.
The gap between them shrank—two meters now. Unlike before, when Johnny could slip away through tight corners to regain distance, this time there was no cover left. No more room to run.
The air was thick with the stench of scorched metal and searing heat. Every dodge was like dancing on a razor's edge; every swing from Oda was lethally precise. His blades tore through the air with a haunting, metallic whine.
In just five seconds, the deadly chase had already reached its boiling point.
Johnny Silverhand's struggle and Oda's merciless pursuit looked like some twisted ballet of death. Every step crackled with lethal tension. And naturally, Johnny—being the prey—didn't even have the luxury of cursing, not even a "goddamn Arasaka mutt!"
Johnny was certain: the moment he opened his mouth, his body would be cleaved in two.
Another slash came, radiating scorching heat. This time, Johnny couldn't completely dodge it. Though he avoided the worst of it, the outer layer of his biotech fur was seared black.
He knew it wasn't due to a mistake on his part. His opponent was just getting better at predicting his movements and reading his patterns. It had only been five seconds, but another few and Johnny would be dead for sure.
"You can't run anymore."
Unlike Johnny—who didn't even have time to speak—Oda's voice was calm and icy, as if it came from the depths of hell. His steps were silent and measured, each one carefully calculated to corner Johnny into a dead end.
This synthetic dog had surprised him.
For someone of Oda's caliber, failing to eliminate a bio-canine instantly was bad enough—but to still be chasing it after several seconds? That was humiliating.
Even though Oda knew this dog had clearly been upgraded and was likely remote-controlled, the sense of shame lingered. It made him wonder: had his skills dulled?
He started considering whether it was worth activating Sandevistan just to finish off a dog.
Oda's optical camouflage came from his samurai-inspired armor. Along with it, he was equipped with Sandevistan.
But Oda wasn't one of those who could use Sandevistan indefinitely. Even for him, prolonged use would fry his nervous system. This was only the beginning of the sweep, and he was weighing the cost: should he burn a precious Sandevistan use for a dog?
The thought flickered through his mind. But then he remembered Miss Hanako's safety.
If he conserved his strength, he could later go all out to ensure her escape. But if he burned out his nerves now, and something unexpected happened, he might not be able to protect her—even if he endured neural breakdown to do it.
Not worth it. Worst-case scenario? This would take three more seconds.
He had already mapped the dog's trajectory.
Next strike—its leg would be disabled.
Suddenly, Oda vanished in a blur. His right-hand mantis blade sliced through the air with a fiery arc, aimed straight at Johnny's neck. Johnny sprang up, mechanical legs bursting with power, narrowly avoiding the blow.
But Oda didn't stop.
His motions were seamless, as if he'd already anticipated every move Johnny would make. The left blade followed instantly, swiping at Johnny's hind leg and throwing up a spray of sparks.
CRACK—!
A deep gash tore through Johnny's leg armor. Wires and circuits were now exposed to the air, crackling with unstable electricity. His movements slowed, but he still lunged forward with all he had, trying to widen the gap.
Oda was faster.
His figure blurred again, appearing instantly at Johnny's flank. The mantis blade rose for another strike.
With his speed compromised, Johnny couldn't dodge this one. If nothing interrupted it, he'd be sliced clean in half—his last advantage erased.
He raised both claws to block, but to Oda, it was a pathetic final struggle.
Oda's mantis blades were custom Arasaka-grade, and the last strike had already proven this dog's defense couldn't withstand them. This next one would cut through everything.
The blade fell—but Johnny hadn't raised his claws to block.
He just wanted to draw Oda's attention. So that he wouldn't immediately notice the projector popping up from Johnny's head.
A flash of light—a projection.
Johnny's image flickered to life. In the illusion, he held a pistol and swung the butt toward Oda's head.
Thanks to his cybernetic eyes, Oda had a wider field of peripheral vision than normal humans. He noticed the sudden figure.
Realizing someone had appeared at his side and was attacking—and that he couldn't finish the dog in time—Oda reacted instinctively, redirecting his strike to slash across the intruder.
But as the blade passed through—
It hit... air?
"Eat shit, you fancy fuck! So good at strutting and swinging your shiny blades—why don't you take that act to Jig-Jig Street and earn some eddies shaking it for horny corpos?!"
As the familiar-looking figure raised a middle finger at him, Oda realized what he'd just struck.
A projection.
That damn dog!
Oda snapped his gaze back—just in time to see Johnny, his stubby little legs pumping as fast as they could—gain a few more meters of distance.
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🔥 CYBERPUNK: THE RELENTLESS
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🔥 THE STORY DOESN'T STOP HERE. NEITHER DOES HE.
Night City breaks people every day.
Some crawl away.
Some disappear.
And some simply refuse to stop.
Cyberpunk: The Relentless has 500+ chapters ahead available for readers who want to keep going.
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⚡ NO BRAKES. NO MERCY. NO TURNING BACK.
🔫 High-intensity combat
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⚔️ One relentless road forward
Every victory creates another enemy.
Every enemy leads to something bigger.
And Night City always wants another body.
🔥 500+ CHAPTERS AHEAD.
👉 Why stop now?
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