Here's the refined version of Chapter 83:
On the third floor of the Tiger Claw Gang Headquarters, chaos reigned.
Arasaka executives, who had moments ago been enjoying the performance of sex dolls, now panicked as gunfire and screams echoed from below. Their faces, once twisted in pleasure, were now masks of fear and confusion.
"Yokoo-kun! What the hell is going on down there?" one executive barked, gripping the armrest of his chair tightly.
"Yeah! How does someone break into the headquarters of the Tiger Claw Gang? Don't you know how this affects our partnership with Arasaka?" another shouted.
"If anything happens to us, your cooperation with Arasaka is finished. Understand that, Yokoo?"
"Damn it! I finally found time to unwind, and now this happens!"
"Call the police! Hurry up!"
"Why the hell is there no signal?!"
"Yoko Taro! Explain this—now!"
Panic escalated as the men shouted over one another, their voices shrill with fear. These men—powerful as they might be in their corporate offices—were useless in a situation like this. Their safety was paramount, and they would sacrifice anyone to ensure their survival.
"Everyone, calm down! There's no need to panic!" Yoko Taro, the leader of the Tiger Claw Gang, shouted above the noise. His eyes darted around the room, betraying the fear beneath his composed facade. "This is the Tiger Claw Gang's headquarters. No one can just walk in and wreak havoc without consequence! I'll take care of this myself!"
Grim-faced, Yoko Taro strode toward the far wall of the room and pressed a concealed button beneath a decorative pendant. With a mechanical click, a hidden panel slid open, revealing an armory embedded in the wall.
The room was packed with high-grade weapons and advanced combat gear—supplied not only by Arasaka but also by Kang Tao and Militech. Among the weapons stood a sleek suit of combat armor—a testament to the Tiger Claw Gang's extensive black-market connections.
"Grab what you need! Anyone who steps through that stairwell—blow their head off!" Yoko Taro barked.
"Yes, sir!" the gang members responded in unison. They rushed to arm themselves with shotguns, submachine guns, and katanas while others donned protective vests and combat goggles.
For a moment, the Arasaka executives exchanged nervous glances. Then, realizing the gang was preparing to fight back, their confidence returned.
"Yokoo-kun, I trust you'll handle this," one executive said with a smirk.
"Of course," Yoko Taro replied, cracking his knuckles.
Thump… Thump… Thump…
The slow, deliberate sound of footsteps echoed from the stairwell, silencing the room.
Weapons were raised, safeties clicked off, and fingers hovered over triggers.
Yoko Taro's eyes narrowed as a figure emerged at the top of the stairs.
David stood there alone. His black leather jacket clung to his lean frame, and his eyes burned with quiet intensity. No heavy weapons. No cybernetic enhancements. No backup. Just one man standing before an army of killers.
The gang members hesitated, thrown off by the sight of a lone intruder. Even the Arasaka executives, who moments ago had regained their composure, shifted uncomfortably in their seats.
"This… this is the guy who killed Jotaro Shobo?" Yoko Taro growled, his eyes locked on David.
David tilted his head slightly. "And you must be the boss."
A gang member with optical implants quickly scanned David from head to toe. "Boss, he doesn't have any visible weapons or combat implants. And there's no one outside or downstairs."
The tension in the room evaporated as the gang realized David was alone.
"Pfft… Just one guy?" an Arasaka executive scoffed.
Yoko Taro chuckled darkly. "You came here alone? Without weapons?"
David shrugged. "Why not?"
Without hesitation, he stepped past the threshold and into the room. Unfazed by the dozens of guns pointed at him, he strolled over to a low table and poured himself a cup of sake. The liquid glistened in the dim light as he brought it to his lips.
"Hmm… not bad," David remarked, setting the cup down. "Though the brews back home in the Dragon Kingdom have more kick. This stuff's a bit weak."
The silence in the room was deafening. Everyone watched, waiting to see what this fearless intruder would do next.
"You've got guts, kid," Yoko Taro sneered. "But do you understand what happens to people who cross the Tiger Claw Gang?"
"Consequences?" David tilted his head as if considering the question. "Haven't really thought about that."
His eyes hardened. "But I do have a question for you. The hit squad that tried to take me out tonight… They were acting on your orders, right?"
The room tensed as the question hung in the air. Yoko Taro's face darkened. He had almost forgotten that Takeyama Masaguchi had been sent to eliminate this man. But if David was standing here, it meant Takeyama had failed—and that was troubling.
"So what if I did?" Yoko Taro sneered. "That bastard Takeyama couldn't get the job done. Must've had help, huh? Where are your friends? Hiding outside?"
David chuckled softly and shook his head. "Nope. Told you—I'm alone."
Yoko Taro's eyes narrowed. "You expect me to believe that you took down Takeyama and all my men downstairs by yourself?"
David slowly rose from his seat and dusted off his jacket. "Well, since you just admitted to ordering my assassination, that means I've got the right guy."
Stepping forward, he surveyed the room—his eyes meeting those of every man present.
"So here's the deal. If you're not with the Tiger Claw Gang, you can leave now. If you stay, and you're in my way… I won't be held responsible for what happens next."
Silence.
Then one of the Arasaka executives burst out laughing. "Hahaha! You've got some nerve, kid! Do you know who you're talking to?"
"You're outnumbered and outgunned. Just give up and maybe—"
David vanished from where he stood.
Before the executive could finish his sentence, David reappeared behind him—his hand gripping the back of the man's neck. With a sickening crack, David snapped his neck and let the lifeless body drop to the floor.
"What the—?!"
"Shoot him! Kill him!" Yoko Taro roared.
Gunfire erupted, tearing through the air with deafening roars. Muzzle flashes lit up the room as bullets streaked toward David.
But none of them found their mark.
David moved like a shadow—his speed beyond what the human eye could track. Bullets passed harmlessly through the air where he had stood moments before. One by one, the gang members fell—some cut down by their own ricocheting bullets, others felled by precise blows that crushed bone and shattered skulls.
Yoko Taro grabbed a shotgun from the armory and fired blindly into the chaos. The blast tore through furniture and shattered glass, but David was already gone.
Suddenly, a blur of motion appeared beside him. Before Yoko Taro could react, David's fist collided with his gut, sending him crashing into the wall with enough force to crack the plaster.
"Gah—!" Yoko Taro gasped, blood spraying from his mouth.
The remaining gang members scrambled to retreat, but David showed no mercy. His fists, elbows, and knees struck with inhuman precision—shattering limbs and caving in skulls. Blood splattered across the walls and floor as the room became a slaughterhouse.
Within moments, only David and Yoko Taro remained.
Yoko Taro coughed and staggered to his feet, reaching for the combat armor in the armory. But before he could activate it, David seized him by the collar and dragged him forward.
"You made a mistake coming after me," David growled, his voice cold and devoid of emotion.
"W-Wait… Wait! We can talk about this!" Yoko Taro stammered, eyes wide with terror.
David's gaze bore into him—unforgiving and merciless.
"Too late."
With a final, crushing blow, David drove his fist into Yoko Taro's chest. The sickening sound of ribs snapping echoed through the air as the gang leader collapsed, lifeless, to the floor.
Silence fell over the room.
David exhaled slowly, wiping the sweat from his brow. Despite the adrenaline coursing through his veins, his heart rate was already returning to normal.
Stepping over the bodies, he made his way toward the exit.
"Time to go," he muttered.
Outside, Jack and Lucy waited anxiously by the entrance.
As the door creaked open and David stepped out—alone, but victorious—the two of them exhaled in relief.
"David! You're okay!" Lucy rushed forward, eyes wide with concern.
"Told you I'd be fine," David replied with a faint smile.
Jack clapped him on the shoulder, grinning ear to ear. "Mano, you're a damn legend!"
David glanced back at the building—now eerily silent.
"Let's get out of here," he said. "This city's got enough ghosts already."
And with that, they vanished into the neon-lit streets of Night City.
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