This effect is not something a Sandevistan alone can do. It comes from the PROJECT: Sword Saint prosthetic suite and its extreme speed boost. In terms of raw speed, almost nothing in the PROJECT line can compete with the Sword Saint.
Oda and Takemura trigger their Sandevistans, but in front of David running the Sword Saint OS at full output, they might as well be standing still.
David finally gets to say it out loud and mean it. He is styling on people who think a Sandevistan makes them untouchable.
When he first installed a Sandevistan, he believed no one could match his speed. Then Rocky taught him otherwise. David assumed his Sandy was too weak. After mission after mission, he realized it was not Sandy. It was Rocky's gear that was absurd.
Now David has that level of gear. He can prove it.
The feeling is electric. Two of Arasaka's top bodyguards cannot even touch his sleeve.
"Looks like he has a Sandevistan too, and it is higher grade than ours." Takemura watches the boy flicker and blur and hears himself say it before he can stop. The idea is ugly. The best Sandy Arasaka can field is on their spines. Yet the kid in front of them is faster. If that is true, whoever built his prosthetics is terrifying.
"Still going to try?" David says. "I told you. You are not taking her from me. Give it up."
Their Sandy bursts end. David stands in front of them again without a scratch.
"You only hide behind your Sandevistan. You have no warrior's spirit." Oda's anger spikes. He draws his Mantis Blades and charges.
This time, David does not dodge. Oda's scarlet edge bites down on David's shoulder.
There is no spray of blood. No easy slide through meat. The hit rings with the clean note of metal on metal. Oda's blade slices the paper-thin bionic skin and stops. Under it, subdermal armor throws back the cut with immovable resistance.
"Maybe be grateful I was just dodging," David says, smiling. "I do not see how you beat me."
Vibranium plates under the skin. Project-grade OS in the spine. If that cannot justify a little swagger, nothing can. A short time ago, he was a student at Arasaka Academy. Now he is wearing bleeding-edge chrome and stepping on some of the strongest in Night City. Anyone would get cocky.
He lets Oda have his one free swing. Then David lifts his left arm.
The forearm projectile launcher kicks. The shot hits before Oda can process it. The blast throws Oda backward. Charred flesh and shattered chrome spill with him. One round. Half his body is gone.
"Oda!" Takemura shouts. He forgets David. He forgets everything except the man on the floor. He drops to Oda's side and checks for life.
"Oda, hold on. I am calling this in." Teacher instinct first, always.
David folds the launcher back into its housing, rolls his wrist, and walks toward them.
"We give up," Takemura says quickly. "Do not hurt him. You said that if we did not take Hanako, you would not make this worse."
He knows the truth now. They cannot win against this boy. Fighting only gets them killed.
David does not slow. Their chance to walk away is gone. If they had given up at the start, they could have kept their lives.
A moment ago, David pinged Lissandra. He asked how to handle the two. Lissandra pushed the situation to Rocky. Rocky's reply came back simple. Kill them.
Takemura and Oda are bodyguards, one for Hanako Arasaka and one for Saburo Arasaka. They are enemies of Ascension Technology and of Yorinobu Arasaka's faction. Takemura's loyalty to Saburo is iron. He will never bend to the new Arasaka. Keeping him breathing only invites trouble. Tomorrow, he could be leading a squad against Ascension and Arasaka both.
Rocky does not coddle enemies. These two do not live.
David closes in. Takemura tenses, ready to throw himself into one last counter.
A woman's voice cuts in behind David. "Do not hurt them. I will follow Yorinobu's instructions and stay here."
Hanako Arasaka steps out of the room at last. The fight was loud. She saw enough. She did not expect Ascension's people to intervene for Yorinobu. She did not wish them to send someone this overwhelming. Even Oda and Takemura cannot stop him.
She understands that under David's hand, she is not reaching Arasaka Tower. She tries to save Oda and Takemura instead.
David rubs at his temple. Two voices. One demand. No patience left. "Enough. I am not interested in your talk. You do not decide who lives. If I choose to kill, you cannot stop me."
He ignores Hanako, lifts his arm, and snaps the launcher bay open again. The muzzle settles on Oda's broken body.
"Stop." Hanako's composure cracks. Her voice rises.
David turns his head and looks at her.
"Lower your weapon first," Hanako says. She pulls in a breath. "I will contact Yorinobu and plead for them. He will tell you to stand down."