Within the Mechanicus, learning divine arts was by no means easy.
No matter what one's purpose might be, only those whose hearts were filled with absolute devotion to the God of All Machines could ever wield them.
Every devout believer was regarded as one of the cult's most precious treasures.
Their lives were worth more than currency.
Any act that dared to kill a priest was already an unforgivable sin.
And now—
someone had gone even further.
They had used priests as experimental subjects.
Tortured them.
Driven them into madness.
That was why the Mechanicus had declared a Holy War without the slightest hesitation.
Their goal was simple.
Exterminate every Scavenger in Night City.
At this moment, within the Central Cathedral, Mechanical Priests from all across Night City had answered the call of the war bells and gathered together.
At the center of the cathedral stood Pope Lana, dressed in a white robe embroidered with sacred golden thread.
Her voice rang through the hall.
"Brothers and sisters."
"The God of All Machines has bestowed upon us endless knowledge and immeasurable power."
"He teaches us to revere the light."
"To uphold justice."
"To pursue truth without end."
"To live according to doctrine and faith."
"All that we do is for one purpose—"
"That every loyal believer may live a happy and fulfilling life."
Her voice rose.
"We defend every inch of righteous land."
"We strive every moment to make this city better."
"We love this city."
Then her eyes turned cold.
"But today…"
"Someone has trampled upon the justice in our hearts."
"They have torn apart our sacred doctrines."
"They have destroyed the lives of our people."
"They have blackened the light of this world."
Her voice thundered through the cathedral.
"They dared to seek profit through the suffering of our innocent brethren."
She slowly raised her hand.
"So, tell me."
"How should we answer such an atrocity?"
The entire cathedral erupted.
"Kill them all!"
"Defend justice with blood!"
"Grind them into paste!"
"Throw them into the turbines and shred them!"
The voices surged like a flood.
Each shout was more savage than the last.
Every Cybernetic Apostle who had seen the footage had been consumed by killing intent.
At this point, no one could suppress it any longer.
They wanted only one thing.
Revenge.
A terrifying pressure swept across Night City.
Haki surged like a storm.
Crimson-black lightning crackled across the night sky.
Everyone in the city felt as if an invisible mountain had descended upon their chest.
This was no ordinary pressure.
It crushed the mind.
Lana slowly lowered her hand.
The congregation instantly fell silent.
But the scarlet killing intent in the cathedral only grew denser.
"So, what are you waiting for?"
Her voice became cold and absolute.
"All units—move out."
"Take up your weapons."
"Fight for justice."
"Completely purge every Scavenger in Night City."
"Read their memories."
"Find every person connected to them."
"Exterminate them."
"Leave no survivors."
The entire cathedral roared as one.
"For the God of All Machines!"
"For the Omnissiah!"
"For our brethren!"
Then the voices merged into a single overwhelming cry.
"Kill them all!"
"Leave no one alive!"
Weapons glowing with silver light were raised high.
Then, like a gale, the priests of the cult poured out of the cathedral.
The Holy War had begun.
Their first target—
Santo Domingo.
Inside the car, V was still speaking with Panam when something suddenly triggered her instincts.
Her arm snapped forward.
A nanowire shot out instantly.
Clang—!
A sharp metallic sound rang out as the nanowire violently collided with a thermally heated mantis blade.
"Panam…"
A voice came from outside.
"Your friend doesn't seem very friendly."
The figure standing there wore a red priest's robe and an industrial mask.
Then he removed the mask.
Panam's eyes widened.
"Scorpion?!"
She stared at him in disbelief.
In just half a year, he had changed so much she almost hadn't recognized him.
Then joy immediately appeared on her face.
She hadn't expected him to be the first one here.
"Scorpion!"
"What happened?"
All around them, priests in bright crimson robes descended like ghosts.
They spread out instantly and surrounded Panam's vehicle from every direction.
V swallowed hard.
Seeing the power blade resting at her neck, she silently retracted the nanowire and slowly raised both hands.
The pressure coming from the surrounding priests was overwhelming.
Even with the most advanced Kiroshi optics, she couldn't track their movement speed.
One second they weren't there.
The next—
she was surrounded.
And a blade was already at her throat.
"Relax."
Scorpion waved casually.
"Not enemies."
"Family from home."
Then he turned to the surrounding priests.
"You go in first."
He deliberately chose not to mention that Panam had left the clan because she refused to join the cult.
Otherwise, these zealots would definitely start lecturing both of them about ideological discipline.
One of the priests gave a cold warning.
"Move."
"Talk later."
"Do not delay the Lord's Holy War."
The next moment, they vanished again.
Like specters.
They rushed into the abandoned auto yard and immediately began a bloody massacre.
The members of the Mechanicus moved with terrifying speed.
Wherever they passed, heads flew.
Scavengers dropped one row after another.
Even the ones V had only knocked unconscious earlier were dragged out and executed.
Inside the compound, a netrunner immediately reported the sudden deaths to the boss through an encrypted channel.
"Who the hell dares make trouble on my turf?"
Nash stood up slowly.
In his hands was a heavily modified Achilles tech sniper rifle.
The black barrel gleamed with a chilling metallic sheen.
This was his prized weapon.
He had even given it a name.
Widowmaker.
With this rifle, Nash had rampaged through Night City.
He had killed countless people.
Created countless widows.
And used that blood to claw his way up to become the boss of the Scavengers.
Compared to his old days with the Wraiths in the Badlands, life in the city was paradise.
Better food.
Better money.
Better women.
Night City had become everything to him.
Filled with murderous intent, Nash immediately kicked open the door to the second floor.
He was ready to create a few more widows tonight.
But the instant he stepped through—
an iron hand shot out like lightning.
It grabbed him by the hair.
Hard.
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