As the powerful green liquid stimulant surged into his veins, David felt an overwhelming force rush through his body.

It was as if a cracked and dried-out wasteland had just been flooded by a raging river.

His once-exhausted mind suddenly sharpened to an almost painful degree, every nerve firing with heightened sensitivity. His heartbeat thundered in his ears, his skin tingled, and his pupils dilated like a predator spotting its prey.

It was exhilarating—like riding a rollercoaster without brakes.

"Fk... this feels amazing!"**

A wild grin spread across David's face. His previous exhaustion evaporated, replaced by an intoxicating rush of raw power.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The Tiger Claw gang members didn't hesitate. With their weapons already locked and loaded, they opened fire.

Kinetic pistols. Heavy machine guns. Even a shoulder-mounted rocket launcher.

A full-on barrage of high-caliber bullets and explosives rained down on David, swallowing him in a storm of destruction.

BOOM—!

The explosions tore through the third floor of the Tiger Claw compound, shaking the entire building to its core.

The impact was so intense that the traditional Japanese-style walls splintered apart. Sections of the ceiling collapsed, sending wooden beams crashing down into the courtyard below. Smoke and dust billowed out, obscuring everything.

Outside the Compound

Jack flinched as the shockwave reached the street. His wide eyes darted up to the third floor, where debris was still falling.

"What the hell was that?!"he muttered in shock."That wasn't a normal firefight—something big just went down!"

Beside him, Lucy had already made up her mind.

"Jack, keep watch!"she ordered."I'm going in!"

Jack's eyes widened."Wait—what?! You crazy, chica? We don't even know if he's still alive!"

Lucy didn't stop. Without another word, she sprinted toward the Tiger Claw headquarters, vanishing through the entrance.

"Damn it!"Jack cursed. He wanted to go too, but if no one was on lookout, they'd all be screwed.

He crouched lower behind a street corner, gripping his pistol tightly.

"David, you better still be breathing in there..."

Back Inside—The Aftermath

As the smoke started to clear, the Tiger Claws smirked.

"Ha! That little st is probably dust by now!"**

"Yeah, thought he could take on the Tiger Claws? Dumbass didn't even last a minute!"

"Damn, I was hoping to cut him up myself!"

Yoko Taro, sitting inside his armoredMilitech exo-frame, sneered."You really thought you could fk with us? Pathetic. I should've had more fun torturing you first."**

But then—

Yoko's smirk faltered.

Something was wrong.

The dust and smoke finally dissipated, revealing a figure standing completely unscathed.

David.

"...No. No fking way."**

His lean frame was still upright, completely untouched by the chaos. Even more terrifying—

All of the fired bullets and rockets were suspended mid-air.

Every single one of them hoveredjust inches awayfrom hitting him, locked in place by an invisible force.

A deepsilencefell over the room.

The Tiger Claw members' triumphant sneers twisted into expressions ofhorror.

Yoko Taro's breath hitched.

"H-He caught them...?"

David slowly raised his head, eyes glowing with newfound intensity.

With a simple flick of his wrist—

BOOM!

The bullets and explosives wereflung backat their original shooters.

Blood sprayed. Bodies were torn apart. Screams of agony echoed across the third floor as the same weapons that were meant to kill Davidmassacred their owners instead.

"W-What the hell is he?!"a gang member shrieked, scrambling backward.

David stepped forward. His entirebody had transformed—his skin now coated in a deepblack and red metallic sheen, like an iron statue forged in hellfire.

This was no ordinary armor.

It was the result of hisArmed Haki, amplified to monstrous levels thanks to the stimulant.

The gang members trembled as they stared at him.

"He's a fking demon!"**

"No! No way, this ain't possible! No human can do this!!"

David clenched his fists, feeling the sheerpowercoursing through him.

"Hah... this is unreal."

He flexed his fingers, his grin growing wider.

"Not only can I cover my entire body in Haki now..."

He took another step forward. The floorboardssplinteredbeneath his weight.

"But it's even stronger than before!"

The stimulant had pushed his abilities past their previous limits. The black-and-redfull-body armorhe now wore could shrug off bullets like they were nothing. Even heavy artillery barely left a dent.

His heart pounded with exhilaration.

"Fk yeah—THIS is what power feels like!"**

Yoko Taro's Panic

Yoko Taro wasterrified.

He had heard rumors of cyberpsychos, of people pushing their bodies beyond the brink with drugs and tech.

But this?

This was something else.

He swallowed hard."S-Shoot him! KILL HIM NOW!"

The gang members, despite their fear, obeyed. They aimed their weapons again, fingers trembling over the triggers.

But before they could fire—

Nothing happened.

Their fingerswouldn't move.

"H-Huh?!"

"What the hell is going on?! I-I can't pull the trigger!"

David smirked.

"Oh? Can't shoot? Maybe you should try harder."

The gang members screamed as their weapons started vibrating violently.

KRRRK—CRACK!

Each guntwisted and crumpled, crushed by an unseen force. The metal warped like clay, trapping their users' hands in the process.

"AAAAAHHHH!"

Their fingers shattered, bones snapping like twigs. Some were even yanked forward by their own cybernetic limbs, crashing face-first into the floor.

Blood pooled around their crushed hands.

Some screamed in agony. Others fell unconscious from the sheer pain.

David's Cybernetic Awakening

David exhaled sharply.

He could feel it. Hismagnetic fieldhad evolved.

The stimulant hadunlocked a deeper levelof his ability—

Now, he couldinfluence non-metallic objects as well.

With a casual flick of his wrist, he watched as the gang members'cyberbrains overloaded. Their implants short-circuited under his control, sending electrical sparks bursting from their heads.

Some collapsedinstantly, their eyes rolling back. Others clutched their skulls, screaming in pure agony beforetheir heads exploded like overripe melons.

Blood.

Everywhere.

David wiped his lips, eyes flickering with amix of insanity and thrill.

"Damn... this is fun."

Lucy's Arrival

Lucy had finally reached the top floor.

She froze at the entrance, her eyes going wide as she took in thecarnagebefore her.

Blood-soaked walls. Corpsespiled uplike discarded trash.

And in the middle of it all—

David, standing amidst theslaughter, his body gleaming black-and-red like ademonic warlord.

Lucy's heart pounded."David—what the fk happened to you?!"**

David turned toward her, his grin still lingering.

"Oh, hey Lucy."He flexed his fingers."You're just in time for the fun."

Lucy took a shaky breath.

This... wasn't the David she knew.

Not anymore.

[TO BE CONTINUED]

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