A/n: That's all for this week, folks! I'll be posting a chapter a day from Monday to Friday, and I'll also reward any significant support or milestone achievements with bonus chapters.
And if you can't wait for more, my Patreon is currently 25 chapters ahead and gets updated with at least 15 new chapters every week — though I'm looking to experiment with increasing that to 30 chapters a week starting next week.
patreon.com/Masterworks951
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"Hey, buddy, I think you've got the wrong guy. Pretty sure I don't know you," Kitagawa Hiro said, his voice steady despite being surrounded by Tyger Claw gangers pointing guns at his face.
Lin Mo, standing beside him, stayed calm. His cool stat was solid, sitting at 5, so this situation wasn't enough to shake him. But playing along with his cover, he shrank back, pretending to be scared. The gangers seemed to buy it, barely acknowledging him, which was just how he wanted it.
Lin Mo sized them up. These weren't pros, that much was clear from the way they held their guns—sloppy, overconfident. He knew he could cut them down before they even pulled the trigger. His reflexes were dialed up to 10, and in Night City, that meant he could dodge bullets and strike faster than most people could blink. He was confident, but no need to blow their cover just yet.
The man leading the group sneered. "Nah, makes sense you don't remember me, Hiro. Back when we were both with the Tyger Claws, you were the big shot, a crew lieutenant. Me? I was nothing, just another faceless punk. But now? Now I'm the one calling the shots."
Kitagawa's face darkened, but he kept his composure. "I left the Claws years ago. Any old grudges should've stayed in the past."
The man's smile widened, a twisted grin filled with malice. "See, that's the thing. I never forgot you, Hiro. That time you kicked me in the nuts? Gonna remember that 'til the day I flatline."
Kitagawa's calm broke for a moment, anger flashing in his eyes. His voice dropped, low and dangerous. "You took my sister, didn't you?"
The man's grin turned into a wicked smile. "Ah, looks like you're finally catching on."
He stepped closer, voice dripping with arrogance. "I always had a thing for your sister, Hiro. But you... you had to step in, had to play the big brother. You tracked me down, beat the shit out of me, and left me to rot. Now, tell me, Hiro—how should I repay you for that?"
Kitagawa's metal hand clenched, the sound of creaking metal echoing through the tense air. "She was fourteen, you sick bastard. I should've put a bullet in your head back then."
The man's white suit gleamed in the alley lights as he brushed it off, eyes cold and predatory. "And that's where you messed up. You left the Claws, tried to go straight, thought you could run from your past. But that ink on your skin? That Tyger Claw ink? That shit doesn't wash off. You're in the game for life. And now, you're gonna pay for your mistake."
Kitagawa didn't rise to the bait this time. He stared hard at the man, keeping his voice even. "So, where's my sister?"
The man motioned for them to follow. "You wanna know? Then come with me."
He turned on his heel, leading them out of the restaurant, his gangers keeping their guns trained on Lin Mo and Kitagawa as they followed into the dark streets.
...
The man led them down a narrow alley, past rusted-out cars and trash bags spilling onto the cracked pavement. This part of Japantown wasn't bustling with tourists or neon-lit businesses. It was grimy, hidden, perfect for dirty deals or worse.
They entered an abandoned lot, littered with the wrecks of old cars and the remnants of squatters' camps. Trash and debris were scattered everywhere, roaches scurrying over the ground. The place stank of rot and decay. The perfect place to disappear someone.
"This here," the man said with a grin, "this is a nice quiet spot. Nobody comes around, no cops, no corpos. If a gun goes off? Just another sound lost in the city noise."
Without moving his lips, Lin Mo sent a silent message through their comms to Kitagawa. "He's not planning on telling us anything. He's setting us up."
Kitagawa replied through the link, voice cold. "Figured as much. He's looking to clean up loose ends."
The man turned back to face them, stopping by a rusted-out wreck of a car. His goons spread out, guns raised. They weren't taking any chances. The man pulled out a pistol, stroking it like a prized possession as he sauntered over to Kitagawa.
"Let's cut the shit, Hiro. You know I've had my eye on your sister for years now. Every time I saw her, walking down the street with those legs, those curves... fuck, I was burning up inside. But I kept it cool. I watched, waited, and now?" He pointed back at the restaurant, licking his fingers with a disgusting grin. "She's locked up nice and tight. All mine."
Kitagawa's cyberarm flexed again, his anger barely restrained. His jaw tightened, the fury boiling inside him. Lin Mo could see it, how close Kitagawa was to snapping. But the cold steel of the pistol against his head kept him still, for now.
"Step back," Lin Mo's voice came through the link again, quiet but commanding.
Kitagawa hesitated, but slowly took a step back. The man misread it as weakness, a sign of fear, and his grin grew wider. He leaned in closer, practically spitting his words at Kitagawa.
"You worried about your sister? Don't be. Soon enough, the braindance we're making together will be all over Night City. And guess what? You'll be part of it too, Hiro. People'll pay top eddies for the experience of watching their big brother suffer while I—"
The man didn't get to finish. Lin Mo's voice cut through the air, calm and icy.
"No need. You'll be in hell selling that BD."
The man barely had time to turn his head before a flash of steel arced through the air.
In an instant, Lin Mo's Black Unicorn katana sliced clean through the man's neck, severing his head in one swift, precise movement. The gleam of the blade caught the light, a deadly flash before blood sprayed across the dirt.
The man's head fell to the ground with a dull thud, his body collapsing a second later, the sick grin still frozen on his face.
Everything happened in a blur. Lin Mo's movements were too fast for the others to react. One moment, the man had been standing, taunting Kitagawa. The next, he was dead on the ground.
The battle was over in an instant.