Cyberpunk: From Dogville to Legend

Chapter 232 Violence for Violence (Part 1)

Pira's prosthetic arm is quite strong.

He dragged Shengnan over and immediately wanted to teach this guy a lesson for his habit of talking nonsense.

Katsuo Tanaka, a child raised in an ivory tower, never expected that the mercenaries of Night City would be able to subdue him in a few moments at the hands of Agent Arasaka.

wrong--

It was a chilling feeling.

Sheng Nan's legs went weak, and the lack of oxygen made it feel like cement was being poured into her head. A thought that sent chills down her spine surfaced in her mind...

Finished!

This guy, whom that short woman called Pila, seems to really want to kill him!

Perhaps due to a problem caused by the superficial injury, the program in Sheng Nan's trauma team almost instantly failed, and he let out a pleading whimper...

Therefore, it seems that the trauma team will not only find one body when they arrive.

The guards at Arasaka Academy had no time to investigate suspects. The special agents stationed at Arasaka Academy to handle emergencies such as campus shootings immediately locked onto Pila.

However, Pila, who was the least skilled fighter in the squad, had a wealth of combat experience. She had no idea how many times a gun had been pointed at her head, so what was there to be afraid of?
He took a step back, grabbed Sheng Nan by the neck, and lifted her up, blocking the agents' view...

"calm down!"

One of the agents, with a gun pressed against his chin by Rebecca, hurriedly spoke up: "This is the pathetic soldier. His death is a small matter, but for a mercenary to kill the son of an academy board member at the gate of Arasaka Academy... that's a much bigger problem. Countless people at Arasaka Academy will be in deep trouble!"

Especially the man with the long, slender arm and strange physique, who seemed to be exerting force all the time. Sheng Nan's legs had begun to kick weakly, and the intense suffocation caused him to lose control of his bladder, with liquid dripping from his dark trousers. But strangely, the students of Arasaka Tower immediately reacted as if watching a show, with a hint of anticipation on their faces.

The various horrific Mewtwos, their distorted values ​​and worldviews, have made these young people, who should have genuine and pure hearts, highly accepting of violence and cruelty, with some even occasionally cheering for it…

Pila tilted her head and looked at David, who was standing behind Sheng Nan and looked like he was about to collapse in fear.

This tech expert wasn't stupid. He knew perfectly well that killing a student here would put Lin Yue in a difficult position, and Arasaka Academy wouldn't let it go easily. It might even cause Lin Yue a lot of trouble, but—

The lesson was memorable, and Pila believed she could still learn from it. For example, she could teach the guy when to speak and when not to. Also, Pila loathed the guy's unwarranted malice towards his classmates. Deep down, he was actually quite similar to Rebecca in personality, possessing a touch of gentleness and kindness amidst the cruel laws of survival.

At that moment, David's eardrums were filled with a piercing buzz. The whispers of his classmates, Sheng Nan's extremely insulting words, and the scene of Pila strangling Sheng Nan to death made David feel that the world had suddenly turned gray.

Huff, huff...

Am I about to be ruined? Will the school expel me because of this? Will Sheng Nan's powerful family background completely destroy me?

David, who is frequently bullied, seems indifferent, but in reality, he is extremely cautious. He deliberately pretends not to hear Sheng Nan's provocative words. In the graffiti-covered corridors and dark corners of the academy, Sheng Nan and her henchmen have often ambushed David, using their fists to force him into submission.

David would always dust himself off, stand up, and leave, then put on some band-aids on his face the next day. However, this only emboldened Sheng Nan and her friends, who even treated it as a form of entertainment in their school life.

"Hey!"

"I'm talking to you, are you deaf, kid?"

David snapped out of his daze and found Pila staring at him. "This guy just seemed to have insulted you and your family. Don't you want to try fighting back?"

Almost instinctively, I took a step back.

Pila chuckled. It seems that being used to weakness is a terrible thing.

It was precisely because of this sentence that everyone looked at David, who was usually like a ghost on campus. Many people's impression of him was that he used the school's discarded modified Mewtwo device, wore the same school uniform for ages, and never drove his own car to school, but walked instead...

"Say something, you brat."

Amidst the commotion, the security team at Arasaka Academy began isolating all the students, and the other people still queuing automatically moved aside, leaving only Pila and Rebecca in the center.

When all the guns were pointed at Pira and his sister, they were still chatting and joking with each other...

"Look what you've done, Pila!"

Rebecca gritted her teeth and gritted them. It was just a simple skills assessment at Arasaka Continuing Education, but it had caused so much trouble.

Pira wore a nonchalant expression, but his eyes were constantly watching the soldiers' subtle movements. "You still pulled out your gun, didn't you? Hey! That kid, got soft?"

Seemingly determined to force David to take a stand, Pila, not wanting to miss an opportunity, twisted her wrist, turning Sheng Nan's face directly towards David, and even moved closer to him...

David was struck dumb, his pupils reflecting Sheng Nan's miserable state.

His face, like his faded light blue hair, was a purplish-blue. His hands thrashed helplessly against Pira's dazzling gold prosthetics, his eyes rolled back, as if he were just one step away from dying…

Gudong.

David raised his hands, perhaps out of fear of losing control of his expression; he even tried to force a smile that said, "It has nothing to do with me," to refuse retaliation.

The usually talkative Pila suddenly fell silent, as did Rebecca.

Cowards are not born weak; rather, true cowardice lies in retreating even when someone fights for your dignity.

From the moment his father left without saying goodbye, Pila killed his own cowardice. He once saw the most precious thing in Night City in his sister, but that was also dangerous—and the boy in front of him was even stronger than his sister's boundless kindness and cowardice.

"So what this guy said is true? But I have to remind you... I don't have a son like you. I've slept with way too many women in Night City, and I really don't know if your mother is among them... Heh!"

David was stunned, and even Rebecca was taken aback.

She glanced at her brother's profile instinctively. Although Pila usually spoke carelessly, he would never insult someone in such a vile way. Was he... angry?

David clenched his fists immediately upon hearing this.

Pila glanced around at the Arasaka soldiers. "Arasaka's tuition isn't cheap, so your tuition really came from your mom working hard 'outside'? Hmm?"

"Or--"

"You motherfucker! Shut up!"

Before Pila could finish speaking, David stopped shaking his legs and almost roared out the words!

The sudden sound made the crowd that had been retreating and the other students crane their necks to look ahead—

“Damn it… Pila, don’t go too far.”

Rebecca texted Lin Yue when Pila made her move, but he seemed speechless and replied with a simple "I know" before falling silent. Now, this guy is repeatedly provoking that guy from Arasaka Academy, making the situation even more difficult to manage.

Pila brought the person she was carrying back to David.

"Are you angry?"

Pila would loosen her grip at the appropriate time, at which point Sheng Nan's face would visibly swell up due to congestion from suffocation, especially her eyelids, which looked as if they were filled with water.

Tanaka Katsuo, who was almost unconscious, forced his swollen eyes open a crack. David in front of him was already a blurry blur of light and shadow. He instinctively reached out for help...

David's eyes flashed like a revolving lantern, showing every harsh expression Tanaka Katsuo had given him, every humiliation, every curious glance from those around them, every time she had punched him...

However, what truly ignited his anger was Pira's humiliation.

Pila was also quite different. Normally, he probably wouldn't even acknowledge David or this rich second-generation bastard with a mouth full of venom... but David's cowardice reminded him of unpleasant scenes—

On the street where his father had left without saying goodbye, young Pila and his sister huddled in the broken-down car left behind by their father. He was surrounded and attacked by the wild children of Night City who knew the rules of survival all too well. They dragged him to the ground and beat him. At that time, he heard too many insulting words.

In particular, Pira's mother's background became a tool for those children to humiliate themselves.

So he rebelled.

He quickly became a mercenary on the streets of Night City, a ruthless, skinny young man who took his sister to work, so that she could eat her fill and earn her commission from the mean Mrs. Westbrook—Wakako. So, when his sister first put herself and a waitress in danger to protect her at the restaurant, Pila lost his temper the most ever, and as everyone expected, he hit Rebecca.

For a long time, Pila has witnessed every step Rebecca has taken.

First time firing a gun, first time completing a mission solo, first time killing an enemy, first time escaping death...

They try to forget their cowardice, but some people wear it on all the time, especially guys like David.

Pila had seen countless people, and he could tell that David's family background was definitely not good. So Shengnan's scolding of him was just a trigger. The real reason that made him suddenly attack the students of Arasaka Academy without considering the consequences was David's appearance. He looked like a cowardly boy lying in a dirty and damp alley, carefully looking at the scars on his arm that had been beaten by others.

"Ho..."

Sheng Nan seemed to be begging David for mercy—

"Back off!"

Arakawa's soldiers began to pour out from both sides, armed with intelligent weapons with a dark background. The safety of the academy is the area that Arakawa values ​​most, which is why Arakawa Academy has the lowest number of school shootings in North America. Now that the son of the academy's board of directors is in the hands of mercenaries and is almost finished, of course more armed forces will come out.

Students and other members of the public all stepped back.

Pila seems to have lost his temper. In fact, it wouldn't be too difficult to teach him a lesson casually... The reason for making such a big fuss and letting this kid named David watch out is that Pila, who is the same age as David, simply doesn't have the means to take revenge.

He had also fantasized about a guy like Father Sunrise standing in front of him, tearing the children who had stolen the money from his pocket to buy bread for his sister to pieces—so he had to fulfill this wish for the child in his heart.

As for what happens next…

Pira already has the status of a company employee, which is how company immunity is used!
"Put him down!"

The leading soldier had a new, hard fiber material on his shoulder, with the Arasaka insignia somewhat faded. Pila could tell at a glance that this guy was wearing a Sianwistan suit. Not only that, his legs were bulging and his skeletal structure was not normal human bone structure, indicating that he was a very quick-witted guy.

"boom!"

A wave of heat began to radiate outwards from Pira!

The trauma team's hovercraft appeared above, the powerful engine thrust causing everyone's hair and clothes to flutter. Trauma team soldiers above jumped down one after another, and the situation seemed to be getting difficult.

In the crowd, someone hidden at the very back put his hand on his hip…

Pila's casual actions created a dense crowd for a certain KB member who harbored hatred towards Arasaka, especially since he was standing in the middle of the crowd at this moment. Once the bomb detonated, his attack would be completely complete.

This guy's gaze is really different from that of a normal person. All his attention is on those soldiers on the hilltop. Even when no one is paying attention to him, he still makes a small movement by tightly gripping the cold controller in his pocket.

But this guy was completely unaware that a dark shadow had appeared behind him.

"Hey."

A woman's voice boomed behind him!

Almost instinctively, his hand was about to press down, but before he could complete the action, the controller and the prosthetic body stopped working at almost the same time!

"屮!"

"What's going on..."

Those around were startled by a piercing sound like an electric current shattering through the air.

The thug, his eyes tightly shut, let out a painful howl and slowly knelt on the ground, his back arched.

snap…

The remote control glides across the ground…

The commotion instantly drew everyone's attention, and they all looked at the tall woman whose hand was still draped over someone's shoulder.

Immediately afterward, the Arasaka ninjas behind the woman stepped out from both sides, and without any further ado, swung their swords and cut off the arm of the guy who was still trying to touch the remote control!

"Minister V, the danger has passed... all thanks to your observation."

V shook her head, her gaze fixed on the gate of Arakawa Academy. Anyone could see that the Arakawa brooch on her chest represented the status of a high-ranking company employee—almost instinctively, the students and street mercenaries made way for her.

She glanced indifferently at Pila and Rebecca, who were almost completely surrounded; the two of them had probably noticed her too.

However, those were Rin's people. Coincidentally, V, who was checking for potential hazards at the scene, witnessed the whole process of Kasuo provoking someone, so she was happy to ignore it. Anyway... that guy would show up eventually.

"Have the college's board of directors come over. It seems the security measures here aren't being implemented as planned..."

After saying that, she put her hands in her coat pockets and waited quietly.

Rebecca was a little dumbfounded. After blinking for a moment...

"Pira, is that Miss V?"

Pira, however, completely ignored the situation there. He remained wary of those who were trying to harm him to protect Sheng Nan… his gaze still fixed on the dazed David opposite him…

"Hey, let me remind you something: if you don't make a move, you'll never have another chance. This guy in my hands will definitely kick you out of Arasaka Academy... Are you going to be a coward?"

The words "Get out of Arasaka Academy" fueled David's growing anger...

The mother's face, Mr. Rin's admonitions, and the way Shengnan and his friends looked down at themselves.

Rebecca felt that Pila had gone too far. She couldn't understand why her usually unserious brother was being so stubborn today!
In addition, there was Pira's disdainful expression towards him—

David suddenly erupted, and to everyone's astonishment, he punched Sheng Nan in the face!

"Oh!"

Pila felt that this punch finally looked like a man's punch—

Almost at the same time, the trauma team that was supposed to treat David raised their guns and were about to shoot!
They will not allow any new acts of violence to occur to their clients…

A faint flash of light appeared at the muzzle of the gun. Pila hadn't expected the trauma team to do this. Perhaps they wanted to make an example of them. But that didn't matter anymore. Almost instinctively, Pila reached out to pull David over!
at this time.

The trauma team members uttered puzzled sounds as their standard smart submachine guns seemed to jam at the same time!
Just as they were about to examine the firearm, tiny red electric currents began to spread across it…

屮!
They felt as if the smart connector was about to blow its fuse, and a burning pain shot through their palms!
Those connected to the subnet were able to track down who was intruding on them immediately.

No, it's more like the other party had no intention of hiding anything at all.

The target was a sapphire blue thug driving from the roundabout in the distance... at an extremely high speed.

The car showed almost no inclination to brake, hurtling straight toward Pila and Rebecca, who were surrounded by the trauma team!

Just as the trauma team scattered, the car's excellent braking system caused the tires to emit blue smoke and a piercing roar, before it came to a stop in front of everyone in a tail-wagging position.

The lieutenant in charge of academy security reached out to stop the soldier who was trying to lock onto the vehicle.

The car door opened, and a simple yet sophisticated pair of company leather shoes emerged from behind it, suggesting that their owner was a strong man…

At the same time, David, still dazed and confused, instinctively looked in that direction, and then his pupils suddenly contracted!
The prosthetic hand with its blackened joints, that familiar structure…

It's him? !
……

……

　I'll finish typing this in my hotel room in Chengdu on Saturday when I go to the comic convention.
　　I'll be correcting all the typos on Sundays. Love you all!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)