Leo found his back pressed against the wall, forced into a corner step by step. Suddenly, he planted a foot on the wall and kicked off like a bird in flight, launching himself into midair. Right then, Jotaro Shobo activated his Sandevistan once more, causing time to crawl again. Mustering all his strength, he drove both blades at Leo like two venomous serpents, aiming for a decisive blow.
But Leo vanished in midair.
Startled, Jotaro Shobo glanced around, yet he couldn't see the young man anywhere.
"Where are you looking?"
A voice spoke from behind him, cold and calm—followed by the flash of steel.
In a blink, Leo moved. Murasame whistled through the air as he swept past Jotaro Shobo, blood already streaking the blade. Without breaking stride, he flicked the edge sharply to the side, casting a fan of crimson across the alley wall, then slid the katana back into its scabbard. The instant the hilt clicked into place with a crisp snikt, a thin, black line etched itself across Jotaro's chest—silent and clean.
For a heartbeat, nothing happened.
Then his chest split open with a sickening wet crack, flesh peeling apart as a geyser of blood erupted from the wound. It sprayed in wild, pulsing jets, soaking the ground, painting the air red. His arms twitched violently, knees buckling as internal pressure forced blood up his throat. He choked once—twice—before collapsing backward in a gruesome heap, leaving behind a steaming pool of viscera and arterial spray.
.....
..
.
"Well, dying like this is too good for him," Susie spat on Jotaro Shobo's corpse. Many of the Mox women felt the same. The raid that night had gone almost too smoothly—so much so that they had barely broken a sweat before their enemy had fallen. Worse yet, Jotaro Shobo, ringleader of the kidnappings and murders of several Mox girls, was taken out entirely by an "outsider," leaving them with no real part to play in his end.
Annoyed, they turned their frustration on everything left standing in the casino, smashing any property they laid eyes on.
Meanwhile, Leo wasted no time. He signaled to V, Lucy, and Jackie, and together they set charges throughout Phoenix Casino. Their plan was to destroy this Tyger Claws stronghold completely after leaving—delivering a clear message to the gang's leaders.
Right then, Leo got a call. It was from one of the lookouts he had stationed on key streets around Japantown.
"Mr. Leo, the Tyger Claws all over Japantown have gone berserk. They're on their way to Watson now."
"Got it." Leo expected as much. Even if Jotaro Shobo was unpopular among Tyger Claws higher-ups after his recent mess up, they wouldn't stand by while someone burned down their casino. He immediately switched to the team channel and gave the order he had long prepared:
"The Tyger Claws are coming. We're getting out. Everyone, head back to your vehicles!"
Hearing that reinforcements were inbound, the Mox—who'd been gleefully demolishing everything in sight—composed themselves and hurried to the vans. The squad Leo had sent to block the back exit also returned and piled into their vehicles.
"Listen up. Don't drive straight to Lizzie's Bar all together; that'll draw too much attention. We'll split into four groups," Leo said. "First group heads through Little China, then swings north toward the Northside Industrial District before cutting back to Lizzie's Bar. Second group travels south through City Center, passes Haywood, circles into Westbrook, then returns to Lizzie's. Third group goes east to Japantown, through Santo Domingo, then on to Haywood and City Center, eventually back to Lizzie's. Fourth group…"
Leo had planned for this well in advance. If a bunch of vehicles drove in a convoy straight to Lizzie's Bar, any Tyger Claws scouts would notice. Splitting up and taking various routes would keep everyone under the radar. Susie and the other Mox had no objections, immediately setting off according to Leo's instructions.
Once the cars had covered some distance, Leo pressed the detonator.
Boom!
Even from afar, the explosion and the brilliant flames consuming Phoenix Casino were impossible to miss.
…
That night was destined to be a sleepless one for many people. The sudden eruption in Kabuki made headlines all over Night City, especially since the blast site was none other than Phoenix Casino—a Tyger Claws property. Night City's population knew the Tyger Claws were not to be trifled with, so everyone wondered which lunatic had the nerve to blow up the gang's place.
Weren't they afraid of retaliation?
Everyone had assumed that provoking the Tyger Claws was as suicidal as riding shotgun with Kennedy in an open-top car. But they were proven wrong. The Tyger Claws did go wild, combing Watson and Japantown in an obsessive manhunt that lasted for days. Yet they found nothing—not even a lead on who was behind the attack.
Another group, Maelstrom, took particular delight in the Tyger Claw's misfortune. They already resented that the Tyger Claws, who had the prime real estate of Japantown, still butted into Watson. Seeing Phoenix Casino destroyed felt like sweet justice to them.
The Tyger Claws suspected the culprits might have escaped to Haywood or Santo Domingo, but they couldn't simply barge into those districts. The Valentinos in Haywood and the 6th Street gang in Santo Domingo were both formidable in their own right. Neither would welcome Tyger Claws strutting around on their turf. One war with Maelstrom was more than enough; the Tyger Claws didn't want to make new enemies. At the end of the day, even the fiercest criminals weren't complete idiots. Unable to find the real threat, the Tyger Claws started clashing more frequently with Maelstrom in Watson. Both sides suffered casualties, and with no progress in sight—other than risking an all-out gang war—the Tyger Claws were forced to swallow their anger and pull back.
…
Half a month passed.
At midnight, a Delamain cab pulled up outside Lizzie's Bar, bright lights reflecting off the neon signs. Leo, V, Jackie, and Lucy stepped out and made their way inside. The Mox bouncers on duty recognized them at once and greeted them with courtesy. Pushing through the heady mix of purple and pink lighting and the chattering crowd, they were guided to a private room. Several fine bottles of liquor—and one bottle of cola—were already prepared.
As soon as Susie heard Leo's group had arrived, she dropped whatever she was busy with and came straight to see them. After some pleasantries, she heaved a sigh of relief.
"From now on, there's one less piece of scum in Night City without Jotaro Shobo around. It's a pity we can't brag about it. Otherwise, I'd march right up to City Hall and collect a medal."
Leo shrugged. "Awards aren't much use—just a bit of vanity."
"Right? That's exactly why you deserve one." Susie smirked, then shot a glance at Jackie, who was practically rubbing his hands in anticipation.
"I'm not trying to rush anybody," Jackie said, "but can we maybe get down to what everyone's been waiting for?"
Susie laughed, amused at his impatience. She didn't seem offended in the slightest. "Relax, I'm not about to shortchange you. A deal's a deal."
She placed four neat stacks of money on the table.
"Want to count it?"
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