Cyberpunk: The Relentless

"Call NCPD! Somebody call NCPD, now!"

The moment gunfire erupted, most of the restaurant's customers dove for cover, scrambling toward the back of the establishment.

This was Night City—they all knew what happened when gangs started shooting.

It wouldn't be long before this whole place became a warzone.

"Mom, we need to go! Now!"

David grabbed his mother, shielding her as they rushed toward the back.

Their table was right in the line of fire—they had to move.

"BANG! BANG! BANG!"

The moment they left their seats, gunfire ripped through their former spot.

A Tyger Claw had unleashed a full-auto spray inside the restaurant, sweeping his gun across the room.

They had spotted the 6th Street members and had no intention of holding back.

"Fuck! Fucking Valentinos! Fucking Tyger Claw bastards!"

The 6th Street soldier in the corner immediately ducked behind the closest cover—using an overturned table as a makeshift barricade.

He raised his Ajax assault rifle, returning fire through the shattered window.

At the same time, he barked orders into his comms, calling for backup.

He emptied his entire mag, suppressing the outside shooters.

As soon as the rifle clicked empty, he pressed himself against the table, reaching for a fresh clip.

That's when he noticed something—

The black-haired customer who had been hiding in the corner earlier…

Was gone.

"Guess he ran for his life… Can't blame him."

The 6th Street soldier reloaded, ready to fire again—

But before he could peek out and return fire—

Something rolled across the floor.

An oval-shaped object.

"GRENADE!"

Without a second of hesitation, the soldier threw himself backward, diving toward the rear of the restaurant.

"BOOM!"

The shockwave hit his back, launching him forward.

His entire torso felt like it had just been punched by a sledgehammer.

His lungs burned.

His vision blurred.

For a moment, he was barely aware of his surroundings.

When his head cleared, he realized something—

His roll had landed him right at David's feet.

David, who was desperately dragging his mother toward the kitchen.

Outside, the Tyger Claw who had thrown the grenade noticed his target was still alive.

He raised his rifle.

Arasaka HJSH-18 Masamune: A fully automatic assault rifle, developed by Arasaka in the 2050s.

Simple, reliable, and deadly.

Capable of switching to three-round burst fire with the flick of a switch.

Without hesitation, the Tyger Claw pulled the trigger.

The 6th Street soldier, still recovering, didn't stand a chance.

His back was torn apart by a dozen high-velocity rounds.

The bullets shredded through his armor, turning his body into nothing but meat and blood.

But the Tyger didn't stop firing.

His adrenaline-fueled brain kept his finger locked on the trigger.

He wildly jerked his rifle toward the next 6th Street member.

But—

His gun wasn't under control.

The recoil was too much for him.

The barrel of his weapon kicked upward.

Bullets sprayed toward David and his mother.

To the Tyger Claws, they were just random civilians.

Collateral damage didn't matter.

They never cared about who got caught in the crossfire.

From the moment the first shot was fired—David knew this was a bad situation.

Now, his worst fear was coming true.

The moment he saw the Tyger Claw's rifle rising toward him, a sharp, piercing instinct screamed in his mind.

"Mom! GET DOWN!"

David tackled his mother, forcing her to the ground.

But in that split second—

He felt it.

A violent jolt in his left arm.

Then—numbness.

Then—pain.

A hot, burning sensation bloomed in his upper arm.

He had been hit.

But—

It was just a graze.

If the bullet had landed directly, his entire arm might have been torn off.

"David! David!"

Gloria's eyes widened in horror as she saw blood spraying from David's arm.

His shredded Arasaka Academy uniform fluttered in the air.

She had seen this before.

Her husband had been gunned down in front of her eyes.

A stray bullet from a gang war.

Now—

Her son was bleeding right in front of her.

"I'm fine, Mom!"

David endured the pain and forced a smile, just as he was about to comfort his mother—only to notice how pale she had become.

The bullet had grazed his left arm—so where had it ultimately landed?

The answer was Gloria's shoulder.

David's eyes turned red as he looked at his mother's shoulder—already a bloody mess.

Through the torn fabric of her jacket, bone was visible.

"David… As long as you're okay… that's all that matters…"

Gloria had no idea she had been shot.

The panic, the chaos—it had numbed her to the pain.

When she saw that David was still standing, her breath eased.

But as that breath left her body, her vision began to blur.

And then—she collapsed.

The moment of seeing her son injured overlapped with the memory of her husband's death.

Her mind—already stretched to its limit from endless overtime shifts—finally snapped.

And combined with the shock of being shot, Gloria's overworked body shut down the moment she confirmed that David was safe.

"Mom! Mom!"

David dragged his mother behind the cashier's counter, trying desperately to wake her up.

But no matter how much he called out, she didn't respond.

And as he struggled to move her, he only made the bleeding worse.

"Shit! Fuck!"

David's mind spiraled into chaos.

His rage told him to pull his gun and kill the Tyger Claw that shot her.

But his last shred of reason reminded him—

She needed help.

He needed to save her first.

At that moment—

"Here, take this, David."

Karl was there.

"Huh?"

David froze, staring at the man now crouching in front of him, handing him a Revitan 3 injector.

"Karl?! What—"

"What are you staring at? You an idiot?"

Karl shoved the Revitan 3 into David's hands.

"Neck injection. You know how to use it, right?"

"Of—of course!"

David was still dazed, but the moment he saw his mother's wound, he snapped back into focus.

He gripped the Revitan 3 and immediately administered the injection.

As he did, he heard Karl apologize.

"Sorry. I was in the shop this whole time.

Didn't want to meet your mom, so I kept my head down.

When the shooting started, I moved to the kitchen, didn't think too much of it.

Then I realized—fuck, you guys were right in the middle of it.

I turned back and saw that Tyger Claw spraying the place down.

I drew my gun, but he wouldn't stop firing.

I only managed to shoot down nine bullets—one still got through.

That one… hit you and your mom."

Karl's expression darkened—

He was frustrated with himself.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, he had treated David differently.

They had done a job together before.

And in that job, Karl had protected David—but he had also treated him like an equal.

Like he would treat Mann or any other merc.

And because of that—

When the gunfire started, Karl's instinct told him David would be fine.

What was some random gangbanger going to do?

Nothing that could actually threaten David, right?

But David wasn't like Mann.

David wasn't Karl.

By the time he realized that—

It was already too late.

"I should've reacted faster," Karl muttered.

"This isn't your fault."

David, seeing his mother's breathing stabilize, did something unexpected.

He comforted Karl instead.

"I wanted to protect my family.

But when things really went bad, I couldn't do anything.

I was too scared—

And in the end, I could only think about you.

It's my fault.

I let down your training.

I let down Jackie.

I let down Oliver.

I wasn't strong enough."

David's grip tightened around the Masamune at his waist.

He drew it.

"That's why—

At the very least—

I have to prove I learned something."

David still remembered Oliver, Jackie, and Karl's lessons.

Two hands on the gun.

Don't grip too tight—just like turning a doorknob.

And then—

David leaned out from cover.

Aimed.

And pulled the trigger.

"BANG!"

The Tyger Claw's head exploded.

The bastard who shot his mother—was dead.

.

.

.

📢 Important Announcement! 📢

From now on, there will be 20 chapters ahead available on Patreon for early access! 🎉🔥

Also, we're excited to announce our new translation of the Harry Potter fanfiction: The Rebirth of Harry Potter! ⚡📖

🔗 Join here: www.patreon.com/c/MrMagnus

Thank you for your support! 🙌