Chapter 11: The Curtain Falls

Bang!
After hearing his subordinate’s report, Saito Shichiro’s expression turned dark as thunder. His fist slammed down on the desk, leaving a deep imprint in the wood.

“You’re telling me Elizabeth killed three of our members?”

“Y-Yes, boss…”
The Tyger Claws member stammered, trembling before him.

“Then what the hell are you standing here for? You need me to spell out what comes next?!”
Saito Shichiro’s hand lashed out, sending a cup flying. It crashed into the terrified man’s shoulder, who scrambled to the floor, hastily gathered the shards, and fled the room.

“Hmph.”
Saito exhaled sharply and sat back down, rubbing the bridge of his nose as fatigue weighed on him. He wasn’t angry so much as exhausted—constantly cleaning up after his own idiots had become routine.

He despised this new generation of gangsters—reckless, impulsive, and completely indifferent to the Tyger Claws’ creed. Every time they caused chaos, it was up to the rest to fix it.

Still, this time, he couldn’t really complain. Or rather... he felt Elizabeth had gone too far. If she’d only roughed them up and tossed them out, that would’ve been forgivable as long as they’d swallowed their pride.

But this? Killing three of his men and hanging their corpses on the wall?
That wasn’t just murder—it was a declaration of war.

Even if he hated cleaning up after those troublemaking fools, Saito knew he couldn’t ignore this. Otherwise... the Tyger Claws’ name wouldn’t mean a thing in Night City anymore.

...

Roland gestured for Delamain to roll the window down, quietly observing Lizzie’s Bar from the shadows. The place looked lifeless. Hardly anyone went in or out, and even the parking lot was nearly empty.

The three bodies of the Tyger Claws hung grotesquely on the wall. In the dim light, their dried, blackened blood looked almost like tar.

“With all due respect, Mr. Roland, this isn’t the wisest time to be here,” Delamain warned, voice deliberately lowered.

“I know. In a few minutes, this place will turn into a bloodbath between Lizzie’s Bar and the Tyger Claws. I’m just here to lend a hand... from the sidelines, for now.”

Roland smiled faintly, rolling the window up and signaling Delamain to park somewhere discreet. The last thing he wanted was to get caught in the crossfire before he could even make his move.

“Lissandra, what’s the status?”

“The armed unit is en route. Estimated arrival in ten minutes.”

“Good. When they get here, don’t act right away. Wait and watch.”

Roland had never bothered hiring a secretary—Lissandra’s support was more than enough. Besides, bringing in an outsider risked letting another corporation’s spy get too close.

And given his less-than-smooth relationship with Militech over the past year... the risk was far too real.

Vroom—
The sudden roar of engines shattered the uneasy calm, drawing every eye in the area. People instinctively ducked out of sight.

The Tyger Claws had arrived.

Inside Lizzie’s Bar, Elizabeth and her girls gripped their weapons tightly. They were ready. No matter how this ended, at least they would stay true to themselves.

Moments later, Roland’s view filled with neon-lit motorcycles and several sleek cars bearing the gang’s signature markings.

“Hell yeah~”
“Hahaha, looks like we’ve got some fun tonight!”
“Let’s finish this quick. Just a bunch of sex dolls acting tough—don’t even know their place. What a waste of time.”

Bang!
The front door of Lizzie’s Bar exploded open with a kick—only for the intruder to be shredded instantly by a hail of bullets.

“Those damn bitches! They actually fired back?!”
“Let’s see how they like this!”

One of the Tyger Claws yanked the pin on a grenade and hurled it inside.

“Move!!”

Boom!
The explosion rocked the building, flames flaring high into the night sky. The blast drew the attention of everyone nearby—including the NCPD officers stationed down the block.

“Captain! Gunfire and explosions up ahead! Should we step in?”
A young cop turned anxiously to the older officer beside him.

The older man simply grabbed the rookie’s arm and shook his head.
“Kid, your paycheck’s four thousand eddies. If that’s a cyberpsycho situation... think of your family.”

The rookie froze. His hand fell back to his side, and he stayed put.

“Ahhh!!”
One of the sex dolls screamed, swinging her weapon and smashing it into the back of a Tyger Claws thug’s skull while he was still gloating over his last kill.

It barely hurt him.
He blinked, turned with a crazed grin, and brought his blade down.

A spray of crimson erupted. The body twitched, then collapsed.

Lizzie’s Bar had become hell on earth. Blood soaked the floors and walls, scattered limbs littered the ground, and screams of pain echoed through the air.

Elizabeth stood frozen, her eyes dazed as doubt began to creep in.
If she’d just endured it that day... would her girls still be alive?

Before long, the Tyger Claws had nearly wiped out everyone inside.
They’d fought back—but it was hopeless. The gang outnumbered them and outgunned them completely.

“Huh? Who the hell are you? Get lost! Don’t you know the Tyger Claws are working here?!”

Roland approached calmly, smiling as he spread his hands.
“Of course I know. That’s exactly why I’m here.”

A gust of wind swept through, followed by a blinding white light that illuminated the guards’ stunned faces.

“C-Company people...?”

From the AV hovering overhead, more than a dozen heavily armed combat robots dropped down, surrounding the Tyger Claws in seconds.

Seeing that, the gangsters immediately froze and raised their weapons in surrender.

They didn’t fear regular corporate suits—but anyone who could command a company’s private army? That was a different story. Best to let the higher-ups deal with this.

One of them rushed back inside to report. Roland didn’t stop him. He wanted them to know he was here.

“Company people?”
Ken Matsumoto frowned at the report. He wasn’t sure why they were here—but he suspected it had to do with Elizabeth.

He glanced at her—bound, kneeling, battered, but still defiant.

“Well, well... didn’t think your old flame was someone high up in a corporation.”
He motioned for his men to drag her out, then opened a call to Saito Shichiro while heading for the door.

“Company personnel, huh? Fine. Go find out what they want first.”

Roland, growing impatient, finally spotted Elizabeth through the shattered doorway. Her eyes burned with hatred and fury... but also confusion and regret.

“Sir, it’s an honor to meet you,” Matsumoto said carefully. “May I ask why you’ve come?”

“I need her.”
Roland pointed directly at Elizabeth.

Matsumoto hesitated, looking troubled.

“You don’t need to answer me,” Roland continued. “Just tell your boss—PROJECT Corporation wants her.”

“Yes, understood.”

Saito Shichiro had been listening in the whole time.

“Alright, I understand. There’s no need to cause trouble with PROJECT over one woman. They’ve got strong ties with our backers. Let her go.”

“Got it.”
Matsumoto gave a curt nod and motioned for his men to untie her.

“Our apologies. We didn’t know she was yours.”

“No need for that,” Roland replied lightly. “I only need her. I won’t make this harder on you. Go ahead and leave. Let’s call it even.”

Matsumoto exhaled in relief. No one wanted to cross a corporation with military assets—especially not in Night City, where corporations ruled everything.

Elizabeth, still dazed, could barely process what had happened. Moments ago, she was ready to die. Now she was free—and she had no idea why this man had saved her.

“Please, Miss Elizabeth.”
Roland gestured toward the waiting Delamain. The combat robots returned to the AV, which slowly ascended into the night sky.

As for the AV itself... he’d rented it.

The moment Elizabeth sat down inside, Roland’s system chimed softly.

[Congratulations! You have obtained: 100,000 Blue Essence and 3,000 Orange Essence!]