The moment Dolio's bold and arrogant declaration echoed through the headquarters of the Beast Gang, a wave of stunned silence washed over the crowd.
Every member of the gang froze in place.
Eyes widened. Jaws dropped.
They stared at Dolio as though a lunatic had just walked into their sanctum and insulted their god.
You could have heard a pin drop in that basement.
Then a single thought formed in the minds of every Beast Gang member present:
"Is this guy insane?"
He had actually dared to talk back to their boss, the Savage King, in their own stronghold—like he owned the place!
Before the weight of his words could fully settle, the silence was broken.
The Savage King burst into thunderous laughter, his voice echoing throughout the massive underground lair like the growl of a beast. His head tilted slightly as he looked at Dolio with an amused, almost approving glint in his eye.
There was a cold gleam in his gaze now.
He slowly rose from the throne-like chair he sat in, cracking his knuckles with a deliberate calmness. Every move he made screamed of controlled violence.
"You've got guts," he said, his voice deep and smooth, laced with menace. "Coming into my territory, mouthing off like that in the headquarters of the Beast Gang?"
He paused dramatically, letting his words hang heavy in the air.
"I've seen arrogant punks like you before," he added, his lips curling into a sinister smile. "But they all ended up the same way—they never lived to see the sun rise in Night City again."
It was a blatant threat—one that had cowed many before.
But Dolio? He didn't even flinch.
He rolled his shoulders, loosened his neck, and cracked his knuckles with a calmness that bordered on contempt. Then he answered, voice steady and cool:
The Savage King's eyebrows lifted with mild curiosity.
"Oh?" he said, narrowing his eyes slightly. "And what makes you so different?"
Dolio slowly removed his sunglasses with one hand and clenched both fists tightly.
"Why don't you step into the ring and find out for yourself?"
A hush fell over the crowd once more as the meaning behind those words settled in.
The Savage King bellowed in laughter, clearly delighted by Dolio's fearlessness.
"I like that!" he roared. "I admire a fool who's not afraid to die! If you want a fight, you'll get one—in the ring!"
To the Beast Gang, the ring was sacred ground.
Unlike the silent assassinations or back-alley gunfights of the corporate world, the Beast Gang thrived on brute strength, blood, and dominance.
In the ring, there were no excuses. No second chances.
It was the perfect way to settle disputes—with fists, fury, and fatal consequences.
Dolio didn't waste another word. He turned around, walking toward the massive, steel-encased boxing ring set up in the center of the basement—a ring that had seen more deaths than victories.
The Savage King followed, tossing off his heavy fur coat as he walked, revealing a scarred and monstrous frame that looked like it had been carved from iron.
Behind them, the Beast Gang erupted into chaos.
Everyone who wasn't on patrol or dead was now gathered around the ring, shouting, laughing, and placing bets. The atmosphere became electric with bloodlust and excitement.
"Boss! Smash his skull!!"
"Teach that arrogant bastard a lesson!"
"Make her eat those words!"
The gang members were going wild, some climbing onto crates and ledges just to get a better view.
The entire underground level of the Great Empire Mall had transformed into a bloodthirsty colosseum.
Meanwhile, the Savage King began warming up inside the ring. He cracked his neck, then rubbed his massive fists together, the sound like leather grinding against steel.
He looked at Dolio and smirked.
"If you can last more than three minutes, I'll let you walk out of here alive."
Dolio raised an eyebrow at the provocation, but didn't bother replying with words.
Instead, he calmly took off his jacket and tossed it aside.
Underneath, his physique was lean but powerful—an explosive mix of agility and strength forged through years of brutal training and survival.
As he tightened both fists, a series of satisfying cracks rang out from his knuckles and elbows like firecrackers.
"Let's see what you're made of," he muttered.
He stepped forward, lifting one hand and pointing directly at the Savage King.
That gesture alone—casual, almost mocking—sent the crowd into a frenzy.
Cheers and jeers blended into a thunderous roar.
The referee—if you could even call the one-eyed, tattooed enforcer a referee—slammed his hand against the bell.
The Savage King rushed in with a powerful first punch, a freight-train of a blow aimed straight for Dolio's jaw.
But Dolio sidestepped it with uncanny precision, letting the punch sail past him like a gust of wind.
He countered with a jab so fast it was barely visible.
It connected squarely with the Savage King's ribs.
The sound echoed through the ring. The Beast Gang members whooped and hollered louder.
But the Savage King only grinned wider.
"Good shot," he said. "But not good enough!"
He threw a knee, then a follow-up uppercut.
Dolio ducked under both and pivoted, launching another punch toward the King's liver.
Again, it landed true—but the Savage King only laughed harder.
"Keep 'em coming! Let's see how long that confidence lasts!"
The fight turned brutal quickly.
It was no longer about style—it was about endurance.
Dolio took a heavy punch to the temple that sent him reeling, but he caught himself on the ropes and bounced back with a left hook that snapped the King's head sideways.
Neither of them showed signs of backing down.
They traded heavy blows.
Dolio's footwork was starting to shine—he danced around the Savage King, chipping away with body shots, slipping deadly punches through the narrowest openings.
The Beast Gang members were no longer laughing—they were leaning forward in stunned awe.
"Boss is... struggling?"
"No way, that guy's just fast..."
"Who the hell is this guy?"
The Savage King's breath was starting to hitch.
Dolio had taken his best hits, but he was still standing, fists raised, eyes sharp as ever.
A clean uppercut from Dolio sent the Savage King staggering back into the corner of the ring.
The entire crowd gasped.
Even David, watching from the shadows of the upper floor—his face half-covered in the hood of a Militech jacket—narrowed his eyes in intrigue.
"Not bad at all..." he murmured.
Back in the ring, the Savage King wiped blood from his lip and growled.
But Dolio didn't gloat.
He didn't even smile.
He simply raised both fists again and said—
"Still think I won't see the sunrise?"
The Savage King roared and charged again—but now, everyone watching knew—
This wasn't going to be an easy victory.
Not for the Savage King.
Because Dolio hadn't just come to talk.
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