The delay had reached its limit.
Noticing that the bionic dog had once again widened the gap, Oda Santayu's eyes turned cold and sharp, all hesitation thrown aside.
In his effort to conserve his limited Sandevistan usage, he'd allowed the dog to escape repeatedly. But now, eight full seconds had been wasted chasing this mechanical beast—and it looked like he'd have to spend a few more to catch it again. This had pushed his patience to the absolute brink.
How many enemies were still hiding in the shadows? The rest of the area hadn't even been swept, yet he'd already burned so much energy on this one damn mutt. If this kept up, there'd be no way to ensure Hanako Arasaka's safety. And for a bodyguard, that would be an unforgivable failure.
He should've activated the Sandevistan sooner.
Only now did Oda fully realize it—but without firsthand experience, who would've believed a bionic dog could stall him for nearly eight seconds?
Still, better late than never.
No more wasted time.
Sandevistan.
Time slowed to a crawl. Even the flower petals drifting down froze midair. The neon lights beyond the building stretched into glowing trails. In this altered perception, Oda could see each strand of fur on Johnny Silverhand's body shifting with his every movement, every step in perfect clarity.
Oda raised his mantis blade.
Just one more moment, and this dog would be history.
He began his sprint, leaving behind blurred afterimages. By the time he reached Johnny, the bionic dog hadn't even registered his presence.
This was Oda at full strength—his true power revealed.
And at this level, Johnny Silverhand didn't stand a chance.
He had run as far and as fast as he could.
Which meant… now Karl could finally make his move.
Oda's blade swept forward, carving an orange-red arc through the darkness, emitting a low, deadly hum.
This strike should have ended it—should have severed Johnny in two and brought this relentless chase to a close.
But just as the blade was about to connect, a nearly invisible thread moved.
Oda's pupils shrank. His blade, not yet fully accelerated, was suddenly caught—tightly wrapped by a monowire. A powerful pull on the other end threw off his trajectory, yanking his right hand violently away from its intended path.
Monowire?!
Someone else was hiding nearby, and had timed their attack to the exact instant he activated Sandevistan!
Oda reacted instantly. The moment his right hand was caught, his left mantis blade came slashing forward in retaliation. But just then, the monowire suddenly retracted. The sudden release threw off his balance. His body lurched forward unexpectedly, and his second strike missed the mysterious attacker by inches, cutting through nothing but heated air.
Damn it, I've lost my balance!
Oda's heart pounded, blood rushing in his ears. He instinctively cut power to the thermal blades, retracting them on the spot.
The fiery glow along his arms vanished in an instant, like a beast being caged again. But the lingering heat still radiated through the metal, searing his skin and sending sharp pain crawling from his arms to his shoulders.
The floor beneath him tilted—gravity yanked him hard to the side. Realizing he couldn't recover in time, Oda chose to abandon resistance and instead leaned into the fall. His body, like a leaf caught in the wind, twisted with the momentum and collapsed sideways.
Just before hitting the ground, his palms slammed into the rough cement floor, the scrape stinging sharply. Using the force, he tucked in his limbs and slid across the ground like a hunting cat, agile and composed.
The icy scrape of concrete burned through his suit, contrasting against the residual heat still clinging to his arms. Oda panted heavily, but his eyes remained razor sharp—like a predator lying in wait, brimming with vigilance.
Even as he slid to safety, his entire body remained taut, coiled for the next strike. His movements, though forced, were smooth and disciplined—as if all of this had been part of his plan.
Karl couldn't help but marvel at it all.
That someone could perform six or seven counter-maneuvers in just one second, reacting to even the subtlest threats with total precision—it was impressive.
And Karl was never one to withhold praise from a worthy opponent.
"Impressive," Karl's voice was low and magnetic, tinged with admiration. His figure shimmered into view like a ghost, silently positioning himself between Johnny and Oda. "You really are a pro. Fast reflexes."
Oda rose swiftly into a half-crouch, blades extending from both arms again. His breath was heavy, but his eyes were calm—completely focused on Karl.
Karl, on the other hand, looked relaxed, even nonchalant. Hands in his pockets, he tilted his head slightly, his gaze brushing past Oda's blades as if they were nothing.
"If I hadn't seen one of you ninja types fight before," he said casually, "your left-hand strike might've actually landed."
Oda's pupils narrowed.
This man… this seemingly ordinary twenty-something, utterly unremarkable in appearance, radiated a suffocating aura of danger. It was like standing face to face with an invisible blade—one that pressed directly against his nerves.
Who is this?
The question burned through Oda's mind. His gaze flicked between Karl and the bionic dog, trying to determine their connection.
Was he the one controlling it?
Though filled with doubt, Oda was certain of one thing—this man was powerful. So powerful that the very air around him felt heavy.
Oda had no combat scanner to gauge the man's stats. But years of experience told him all he needed to know: this wasn't someone he could underestimate.
Karl wasn't even in a combat stance, yet every subtle movement radiated lethal potential. He looked like a living combat manual.
Faced with such a perfect opponent, Oda didn't feel fear—he felt instinctive alertness. This was the ideal he had chased during his training days… but had never quite reached.
"Who are you?" Oda asked, his voice low and tense. "Do you understand what you're doing, taking on Arasaka?"
Karl chuckled softly.
"You don't need to remind me. Still trying to figure out who I am, huh? Cut it out. I've already hacked the netrunner. Communications are down. If you want to contact your master, you'll have to beat me first."
His voice remained casual, but the threat within was ice-cold.
Oda fell silent.
He stopped sending signals to Hanako, stopped urging her to retreat. It was clear—everything he'd done was within Karl's expectations.
If that was the case…
Then it was up to him now.
For Lady Hanako.
The thermal blades reignited.
And in the air, the tension stretched tight—like a bowstring drawn to its absolute limit.
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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.
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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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