Chapter 62
Chapter 62
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 62
Chapter Title: Territorial Dispute (12)
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Deafening electronic music blared so loudly it hurt the ears.
Under the kaleidoscope of garish, multicolored lights, people with wildly unique looks writhed in ecstasy, shaking their bodies every which way.
"Wow."
An exclamation slipped out unconsciously.
Maybe it was because my life had never really intersected much with clubs, past or present, but the chaotic wave of flesh and metal mingling together hit me like a shock to the system.
Separate from the fact that this was a cyberpunk mishmash world, it felt entirely new.
Most of the club patrons seemed like tourists who had brought their own bodyguards.
Judging by the violent scene on stage: someone injecting a mysterious purple drug into the crook of their elbow in real time, or spewing rainbow-glowing smoke everywhere.
It was obvious why they'd bother coming down to Area 49 for a club.
Some were even tangled up in shades of flesh tone...
'Fuck.'
The hardcore adult show unfolding on stage showed no regard for gender.
True to form for a Hakuga Clan club.
The totally unexpected mental assault nearly made me draw my pistol on instinct.
I took a calm deep breath, then pushed through the crowd to find a 'suitable position'.
"This place is totally awesome, kyaaah!"
"There's a private room in the back..."
"For victory!!"
Spotting the gang members amid the patrons wasn't as hard as I'd thought.
They seemed to keep strict discipline, so it was simple: just pick out the ones striking poses a few steps from the stage.
Plus, they had shiny koi tattoos or irezumi on their faces and forearms, like that club guard Takayama or whatever at the entrance, so no chance of mistaking them even by accident.
Still.
'I'll confirm it later.'
They occasionally scowled at me in my rag-like outfit, but they couldn't cause a big scene inside.
Thanks to that, I reached my target destination without issue.
Up on the second floor of the multi-level structure, the whole club interior came into view at a glance.
'First things first...'
I sat at a suitable bar table in the corner.
A male bartender with a bizarre mohawk hairstyle like a red rooster comb greeted me with a sly tone.
"Whoa, check out that outfit. The guard at the door must've been slacking to let you in. I'd buy that you snuck in while he was napping. Or has vintage fashion opened some new frontier without me knowing?"
"If I had to pick, the former."
"Eh, as long as you boost my sales, I don't care. Though if you don't have a wallet, I'll have to call the guard. Haha!"
His golden prosthetic arm shook the shaker with practiced ease.
"So, what'll it be?"
"Cola."
"Jack? Bourbon? Marine? Jim Beam?"
"Just cola. Lime flavor."
"......"
He seemed to have clocked that I wasn't cosplaying a bum—I was a real one.
The bartender made a dumbfounded face but showed solid customer service by not kicking me out.
He mixed cheap cola brand with a heap of synthetic lime flavoring and slid the glass over without a word.
"Area 49 Special."
"...It has a name?"
"Nah, just made it up for you."
Pretty cheerful guy.
If he was Hakuga Clan, it'd be a bit of a shame.
I took a sip of the 'Area 49 Special', turned my back, and overlooked the flashing lights of the club interior.
The dancing crowd paid no attention to the second-floor bar table.
As I drew my pistol from my tactical belt and aimed at the stage, a hesitant voice came from behind.
"...Party guns these days are getting pretty realistic. Looks like a real piece, not a toy? Well, they check bags at the door, so it can't be real."
"......"
"R-right?"
Like Padmé talking to Anakin about the regime.
The bartender's face grew deeply uneasy.
Meanwhile,
A translucent hit list kept scrolling over the pistol's hologram.
·
·
·
As I'd set it, red targeting markers appeared over the faces of the Hakuga Clan members.
Finally, scan the bartender's face.
"Eek...!"
The bartender backed away, tense as hell.
The megacorp-developed pistol was that intimidating.
Not Hakuga Clan, apparently.
But.
"Korean?"
"I-I just changed my name..."
"Shit."
Confusing as hell.
My voice rose a bit, and the bartender quickly hunched his shoulders.
"Whatever. Get out before it gets noisier. And pay your damn taxes properly. Nine evasion counts?"
"...I'd pay if I had the money, obviously. But how'd you... You a cop?"
"Cop my ass."
Like Area 49 would have those.
I set down the half-finished cola glass on the table.
Aimed the barrel straight at empty air.
"I warned you."
So other customers could flee.
Start with a bang.
And then.
I pulled the trigger to herald the fight.
Bang─!!
The fired bullet traced a white line through the air, turning on its own mid-flight.
"...Gah!!"
In that split second between life and death.
A Hakuga Clan grunt leaning against a first-floor pillar with arms crossed let out a death rattle and collapsed.
The gunshot pierced the blaring electronic music, enough to warn the few still sane people.
And the bullet wasn't alone.
─Bang! Bang! Bang!
Fired into empty air, not at targets.
Within seconds, an inexplicable satisfaction flooded my mental space.
By the time I'd emptied the magazine, a bright voice rang out again.
But it wasn't over yet.
I ejected the empty mag, grabbed a fresh one from my tactical belt, reloaded.
No need to rack the slide from battery; pulled the trigger again right away.
"Shut up."
I plugged one ear, kept firing with the other hand.
I knew full well that the ends shouldn't justify the means—no, that the means shouldn't swallow the ends.
Experience points or whatever.
To avoid turning murder into a game sensation.
I didn't look away from the scene.
Sure enough, the megacorp pistol had performance that sent chills down my own spine as the shooter.
Made me wonder, almost unconsciously, how I'd counter if I faced this kind of weapon later.
'...Megacorp lives up to the name.'
Overwhelming firepower.
Not that strange, considering a random megacorp employee felt stronger than the two Yakuza bosses divvying up Area 49.
I set the hot pistol on the table, and the electronic music shaking the club had long stopped.
The stage dancers had fled ages ago; only sporadic groans of pain echoed now.
The club's vibe had flipped 180 degrees.
My mind wasn't as troubled as I'd expected.
'Side effect of the cure?'
Unknown.
As I quietly stood, the fake Korean bartender behind the bar stumbled back, shattering a few bottles.
His pants were soaked too...
Not that scary.
"Check?"
"N-no charge!"
Probably looked like a psycho killer to him; he answered in a trembling voice.
I casually scratched my head.
"Sorry for costing you your job. But it's not over. Like I said, get out quick."
"Yes sir!!"
Meanwhile.
I spotted a few Hakuga Clan grunts staggering up the stairs.
"Th-there he is!"
"You fucking pest!!"
All had dents in the centers of their foreheads.
Their chrome-reinforced skin had acted as body armor.
True to Japanese syndicate form—one shot wasn't enough.
As the enraged grunts charged,
I calmly closed my eyes in my slowed perception of the world.
Then.
Red roots shot out around me.
The newly stacked trait points: a whopping 5.
Meaning my level had jumped 5—no, 4 from achievements, plus one extra—in this short time.
I was tempted by the [Psyker] traits I'd picked first.
But I didn't fancy being chased by special forces, so my gaze naturally went to the fist-shaped [Body] and blue heart [Mana User].
[Steel Skin], [Iron Man], [Kill 'Em All]...
No time for leisurely shopping.
Quick decision as pre-planned.
Opened my eyes,
Felt mysterious energy surging through the veins now embedded across my body.
...Finally got it.
[Mana Circuits]
Low trait proficiency meant no black tiger-like external bursts yet, but base physical output had jumped several times over, easily.
"Die────."
In the world that moved like it was frozen.
I kicked off the ground lightly.
Boom!!!
* * *
The deepest part of Club 「Möbius」.
Inside the private luxury room designed with extra soundproofing.
There, Hakuga Clan's squad leader—nicknamed the Black Tiger—Bansho Takemaru sensed something ominous.
Just then, a call came through his optical HUD from a subordinate.
"What is it?"
[B-big trouble!! Called as soon as I heard, and right now, where you are......]
"Got it."
[...Huh?]
Without hearing the full story, he rose his massive frame.
No need for details if it was happening inside the club.
The Black Tiger slowly opened the private room door, intent on handling the commotion himself.
And.
He witnessed a Hakuga Clan 'underling' flying through the air and slamming into a wall.
"......?"
It was a comical scene straight out of a kids' cartoon, but in reality, utterly gruesome.
'What the hell...'
His bewilderment was brief.
A long shadow appeared at the end of the hall.
"Found you."
The voice sounded downright ominous.
For the record.
This happened mere hours after the Black Tiger's grocery run...