Cyberpunk: I'm Not a Scavenger - Chapter 62: Super Intelligence (Patreon)

Hyena's body grew more and more emaciated as he lost control, until he resembled a corpse drained of every last nutrient.

Like a beast stripped of both reason and the ability to feel pain, he hurled himself at Saburo, the nearest enemy.

Saburo frowned and hurriedly retreated. With his target gone, Hyena barreled into the surrounding crowd and tore through the elite Tyger Claws as though they were nothing.

"Tch. Has he gone completely insane?"

"Everyone, attack! Just kill the bastard already!"

Watching his subordinates die, Ichiro Yamada cursed in frustration and leaped from the second floor. For the first time, all three brothers fought together, revealing the truly terrifying strength of the Half-Ghost Masks.

Saburo opened the fight by activating his Berserk System.

Like the Sandevistan, the Berserk System was a central nervous system operating system. Rather than focusing on speed alone, however, it granted tremendous strength, endurance, and attack speed.

Saburo's muscles bulged, and his frame expanded visibly. When Hyena charged again, Saburo stood his ground and intercepted him with a sweep of his crimson tachi.

Ichiro's Thermal Katana radiated heat intense enough to distort the surrounding air. Whenever Hyena tried to break away, Ichiro forced him back.

Jiro, meanwhile, wielded his two sickly green daggers, exploiting the full speed of his Sandevistan. He darted around Hyena with agile footwork, carving fresh wounds into his body again and again.

"ROAR!"

Hyena howled in agony beneath the brothers' coordinated assault.

Cyberpsychosis had granted him explosive strength beyond his limits and the ability to push his cyberware almost without pause. It had also destroyed much of his reason.

Against three heavily equipped Half-Ghost Masks working in perfect coordination, his wild, instinctive attacks only brought his death closer.

Blood continued to pour from his wounds. He weakened with every passing moment as the three brothers gradually closed off his avenues of escape and backed him into a corner.

It was like watching old masters toy with a child.

"It's over, Wild Dog."

Ichiro's cold voice came from behind him. A flash of the Thermal Katana severed the nerves in Hyena's cervical spine.

In the instant before death, his accelerated perception stretched time into something almost endless. Hyena struggled to turn his head and saw a familiar body pass before his eyes.

Wasn't that his own body?

Still wondering how that could be, he sank into absolute darkness.

Clap. Clap. Clap!

Cheerful applause echoed from the second floor as the fight ended.

Ichiro Yamada's expression darkened. The applause made him feel as though someone were watching a performing monkey.

That damn Jae-Hyun Lee. Perhaps it was time to teach him some manners.

He looked up, only to discover that Lee wasn't the one clapping. It was a complete stranger. Lee himself lay sprawled on the floor, his condition unknown.

"You three are a lot stronger than the Half-Ghost Mask I killed before."

Pantheon regarded their weapons with undisguised interest.

A deep-blue katana, a crimson tachi, and a pair of sinister green daggers. Not bad at all. It looked like his arsenal would be gaining a few excellent new pieces.

Saburo Yamada's pupils contracted as he recognized the newcomer. He rushed to his eldest brother and hurriedly explained who Pantheon was.

Ichiro's expression shifted several times before settling into a grave stare.

"Mr. King, I don't believe we've ever offended you, have we?"

Pantheon cocked his head and gave them a mocking look.

"Does that matter? By that logic, why did you kill Hyena? You didn't have a personal grudge against him, did you?"

Pantheon shrugged, his contempt plain to see.

"Isn't that how you Tyger Claws operate? See something you want, take it. And if you lose the fight, no problem. Just bow and apologize."

"Baka! Bastard! You'll pay for those words!"

Jiro Yamada had the shortest fuse of the three. Pantheon's provocation sent him into a rage, and he activated his Sandevistan before charging forward with both daggers drawn.

"Jiro!"

Ichiro tried to stop his younger brother, but it was too late.

Saburo was normally a man of few words, yet he cared more deeply about his brothers than either of the others. When he saw his second brother charge, he followed without hesitation.

"That's more like it!"

Pantheon laughed in delight and pulled a rugged chainsword from his backpack. Its casing was covered in reddish, copper-colored rust.

Rrrrrrr!

The moment he pressed the switch, its motor roared and the teeth whirled into motion, almost as though the weapon were urging him to throw himself into the fight.

Caught up in the machine spirit's excitement, Pantheon charged Jiro with a wild laugh.

[Edgerunner]!

There it was. Power was surging through him!

Body: 23! Reflexes: 23!

Saburo was still closing the distance when Jiro engaged Pantheon.

"Die, you bastard!"

With his face twisted into a vicious grimace, Jiro pushed his Sandevistan to full power. His sickly green daggers became streaks of light as he slashed relentlessly.

He was genuinely fast. His unbroken flurry of attacks forced Pantheon backward step by step. Yet for all the hundreds of strikes he unleashed, not a single blade so much as touched the hem of Pantheon's coat.

"Impossible! That's impossible!"

Jiro was beginning to panic, and his attacks grew more frantic by the second.

With his back nearly against the wall, Pantheon decided he'd had enough of this game. A mischievous grin tugged at his mouth as he chose the simplest, most brutal solution.

He moved abruptly, spun, planted a foot against the wall, and launched himself upward. Then he brought his chainsword crashing down in a mighty overhead strike.

CLANG!

The sharp clash rang through the warehouse as the spinning teeth of the chainsword struck Jiro's twin daggers.

A force he couldn't possibly resist surged through the weapons and into Jiro's arms. His bones cracked under the strain, and both daggers flew from his hands.

"What?!"

He had no time to recover. Pantheon's descending slash was already upon him.

SPLAT!

The whirling teeth ripped straight through his light subdermal armor. A massive wound opened from his chest to his lower abdomen, spilling blood and entrails.

Jiro dropped into the spreading pool without even managing a scream.

"Second Brother!"

The exchange had lasted barely a dozen seconds. Saburo could never have imagined his brother would fall so quickly, and the sight of his mangled body drove him into a frenzy.

He overloaded his Berserk System without caring about the consequences. His body swelled until he resembled a black bear.

Raising his tachi high over his head, he charged with unstoppable fury.

"Give me back my brother!"

What, are you lining up to get yourselves killed? Why do you keep coming at me one at a time?

Pantheon made the joke to himself, his grin widening.

He had no intention of contesting Saburo's brute strength. Instead, he exploited his superior reaction speed and slipped neatly aside from the seemingly unavoidable strike.

Before Saburo could recover, Pantheon glided around behind him.

"See ya."

The chainsword whistled through the air and descended toward Saburo's unguarded back.

Its jagged teeth shredded the heavy armor and Berserk System mounted there, spraying blood and motor oil in every direction.

Saburo screamed and crashed to the floor.

Use overwhelming strength against fighters who rely on speed, and overwhelming speed against fighters who rely on strength.

That was what my super intelligence told me.

Pantheon grinned smugly. Having tasted blood, the chainsword in his hands seemed more excited than ever.