Eridius sat before a small campfire in the middle of the abandoned building, a sword resting across his lap while a weathered map was spread open in his hands.
He frowned.
[Eridius]: Is this an X... or a plus sign?
He turned the map sideways.
Then upside down.
His frown deepened.
[Eridius]: And why does the Association office look like a—
He stopped himself.
A long pause.
[Eridius]: ...Nope. Not saying it.
His eyes drifted toward the symbol again.
[Eridius]: More importantly, why is it bitten in the middle?
Silence.
He let out a tired sigh and folded the map.
[Eridius]: Whoever drew this thing...
A beat.
[Eridius]: I hope they stub their little toe every morning for the rest of their life.
Satisfied with the curse, he stood and grabbed one of the Rat corpses scattered around the room.
With practiced indifference, he tossed it into the fire.
The flames flared briefly before settling back into a steady crackle.
Outside, the distant scraping of countless blades echoed through the streets.
The Sweepers.
They were still out there.
Eridius glanced toward the broken window before returning to the warmth of the fire.
There was no point in venturing outside until they moved on.
Earlier that evening, this abandoned building had belonged to a small Rat gang that had decided a lone Grade 9 Fixer looked like easy prey.
They had been wrong.
Now the building belonged to Eridius.
At least until the Sweepers left.
He unfolded the map once more, squinting at the barely legible markings.
[Eridius]: ...I'm starting to think surviving this mission will be easier than understanding this map.
A pause.
Then he snapped his fingers.
[Eridius]: If only there were someone who could help me...
His eyes suddenly widened.
He slowly turned toward the broken window.
Outside, the distant procession of Sweepers continued through the rain.
Eridius walked over and waited patiently until one of them slowed and turned its masked head toward him.
[Eridius]: Hey, brother!
The Sweeper stared.
Eridius held up the map.
[Eridius]: You know where this place is? If you point me in the right direction, I'll pay you with a body or two.
The Sweeper studied the map for a moment.
Then nodded.
[Sweeper]: Make it three.
A pause.
[Sweeper]: My family is hungry.
Eridius glanced back at the pile of Rat corpses behind him.
He shrugged.
[Eridius]: I can do three.
Another glance.
[Eridius]: Actually... six.
A beat.
[Eridius]: Eight and a half, if you don't mind mixed portions.
The Sweeper gave a satisfied nod.
[Sweeper]: Go left.
He pointed down the street.
[Sweeper]: Take the next intersection, then continue until you reach a large warehouse.
A pause.
[Sweeper]: That's the building on your map.
Eridius smiled.
[Eridius]: Appreciate it.
He opened the window wider and began tossing the Rat corpses outside one by one.
The Sweeper caught them with practiced ease, stacking them neatly next to him.
When the last body landed, the Sweeper gave Eridius a respectful nod.
[Sweeper]: Happy doing business with you, brother.
Eridius returned the nod with a grin.
[Eridius]: Likewise. Tell your family I said hello.
Without another word, the Sweeper dissolved the bodies into a thick crimson slurry and left.
Eridius watched him disappear into the rain.
[Eridius]: ...I really wish everyone in the City was as easy to deal with as him.
He let out a sigh and reached for the System.
A familiar blue screen flickered into existence.
Then immediately glitched.
[Arror]
Silence.
Eridius stared at it.
Another flicker.
[Arror]
He pinched the bridge of his nose.
[Eridius]: Just... how many mistakes does this thing have?
He pointed accusingly at the screen.
[Eridius]: It can't even spell "Error." The E is somehow an A!
The screen flickered again.
[Arror]
[Eridius]: Oh, for the Sta—
He stopped himself.
A beat.
He frowned.
[Eridius]: I'm not giving those things the satisfaction.
Another pause.
[Eridius]: Oh, Head—
He froze.
[Eridius]: ...That somehow sounds worse.
He looked up at the ceiling as if hoping the universe would offer a suitable replacement.
Nothing.
[Eridius]: By the Wings...
A beat.
Another pause.
[Eridius]: That actually works.
He nodded to himself.
Then immediately frowned again.
[Eridius]: By the Wings... why didn't I just become a dictator?
Silence.
He thought about it for exactly three seconds.
[Eridius]: ...Actually, that sounded a lot smarter before I said it out loud.
The glitched screen continued flickering in front of him.
Eridius stared at it with the exhausted expression of a man whose greatest enemy wasn't the Rats, the Sweepers, or even the City itself—
It was badly programmed software, and boredom.
[Eridius]: ...I miss Wi-Fi.
[One lore note:
Yes, the City has wireless internet—but don't imagine modern, affordable Wi-Fi.
Network access is heavily controlled by the Wings, and depending on the Nest, simply connecting to the network can be incredibly expensive. In many places, you're billed by usage or by the minute, making long browsing sessions a luxury that ordinary people can't justify.
For the average citizen, especially those living in the Backstreets, reliable internet access is practically nonexistent. Most people rely on public terminals, company-owned networks, or simply go without. Personal devices capable of maintaining a stable connection are usually owned by corporations, Fixer Offices with sufficient funding, or wealthy Nest residents.
The Wings, on the other hand, have little trouble maintaining private communication networks. Their employees often have access to services that ordinary citizens could never afford, though even then, access is usually restricted to company business.
As with most things in the City, the technology exists. Whether you're wealthy enough to use it is an entirely different matter.]
[Back to Eridius]
Eridius followed the directions the Sweeper had given him, his boots splashing through shallow puddles as he walked.
He glanced down at the mission request one last time.
[Eridius]: Clear the abandoned two-story warehouse of any Rats or gangs and keep it secure for twenty-four hours...
A pause.
[Eridius]: Which means I only have five hours left.
He sighed and unfolded the map again.
After staring at the incomprehensible scribbles for several seconds, he folded it back up.
[Eridius]: ...Yeah, this thing is still useless.
A beat.
[Eridius]: If only there was someone else I could ask.
Almost on cue—
[Gang Member #1]: Oi, brat.
Eridius turned around.
A handful of rough-looking men stood behind him, each carrying rusted weapons and wearing mismatched clothing.
[Gang Member #1]: What're you doing in Cat Claw Gang territory?
Eridius's eyes lit up.
[Eridius]: Oh, perfect.
He held up the map.
[Eridius]: Do you happen to know where this abandoned two-story warehouse is?
The gang member glanced at the map.
Then frowned.
[Gang Member #1]: ...Isn't that our place?
[Eridius]: You live there?
The man puffed out his chest proudly.
[Gang Member #1]: That's the headquarters of the Cat Claw Gang.
Eridius blinked.
[Eridius]: Why are you called the Cat Claw Gang?
The gang member scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
A pause.
[Gang Member #1]: I think it's because the boss's old man turned his sister into a cat girl.
Another pause.
He frowned.
[Gang Member #1]: ...Actually, now that I say it out loud, that's really weird.
A beat.
[Gang Member #1]: Damn it! Why am I answering your questions?
He raised his weapon.
[Gang Member #1]: Hand over your—
A flash of steel.
The sentence never finished.
The gang member stood frozen for a heartbeat before his body split cleanly in two.
Blood splashed across the wet pavement.
Silence.
The remaining gang members stared at the corpse.
Then, very slowly...
They looked up at Eridius.
He was smiling.
Not a wide smile.
Just a small, pleasant one.
The kind that somehow made the blood covering his blade even more unsettling.
Nobody said a word.
Then someone screamed.
The entire gang turned and bolted toward the warehouse as fast as they could.
Eridius casually rested the sword on his shoulder and began following after them.
[Eridius]: Thanks for showing me the way.
Eridius entered and looked around him.
[Eridius]: Come out.
His quiet voice echoed through the abandoned building.
Behind the thick steel door, several gang members exchanged uneasy glances.
[Gang Member #4]: Why don't you come in instead?
Silence.
Then—
[Eridius]: ...Alright.
The gang laughed.
[Gang Member #2]: Is he stupid? That door's solid steel—
He never finished the sentence.
A crimson blade longer than a grown man flashed through the wall.
There wasn't a loud explosion.
Only a single, impossibly clean slash.
The reinforced steel door split neatly in two.
So did the man standing behind it.
The upper half of his body slid from his waist before crashing onto the floor.
For a brief moment...
No one moved.
No one breathed.
Blood slowly spread across the concrete.
Then the two halves of the door tilted inward with a deafening clang.
Eridius stepped through the opening, dragging the enormous crimson sword behind him.
The blade screeched against the floor, sending sparks dancing through the darkness.
His expression remained completely blank.
[Eridius]: Thanks for opening the door.
The room fell silent.
Then—
[Gang Members]: R-RUN!
[Eridius]: Oh? Turning your backs on me was a poor decision.
{Eridius's Inner Thoughts}: By the Wings... I actually cut the door in half?!
The thought lasted only a heartbeat.
Then instinct took over.
His crimson greatsword carved through the warehouse, each swing sending another Gang Member crashing to the floor.
Bodies fell one after another.
Too easily.
Eridius frowned.
[Eridius]: ...Something's wrong.
He glanced around the room, his grip tightening on the sword.
[Eridius]: This is supposed to be a gang operating in the City.
Another Gang Member collapsed.
Still no resistance.
His unease only grew.
[Eridius]: They're far too weak.
A quiet voice echoed from deeper within the warehouse.
Eridius's instincts screamed.
Without thinking, he threw his left arm across his chest.
CRACK!
Something slammed into him with terrifying force.
Pain exploded through his arm as bone shattered.
His entire body was launched backward, crashing through the broken doorway before skidding across the concrete.
The warehouse fell silent.
The surviving gang members immediately straightened.
Their terrified expressions vanished, replaced by relief.
[Gang Members]: Boss Lee!
[Gang Members]: Big Sister Mewmew!
Eridius slowly pushed himself back to his feet, wincing as he looked toward the center of the warehouse.
A mountain of a man stood there.
He wore nothing but a pair of worn shorts.
His body was covered in scars—old cuts and claw marks layered over one another until barely a patch of unmarked skin remained.
Standing beside him...
Was something else.
Something vaguely cat-shaped.
It stood upright on two legs.
Its fur was patchy, exposing strange bald spots across its body.
Its proportions were unsettlingly human.
Its oversized eyes stared without blinking.
It slowly tilted its head.
Then—
Eridius stared.
A long silence followed.
Then, unable to stop himself—
[Eridius]: ...By the Wings...
Another pause.
He pointed at the creature.
[Eridius]: That thing is hideous.
Silence.
Then he added, with complete sincerity—
[Eridius]: I feel personally offended just looking at it.
The entire warehouse fell silent.
Even the gang members looked awkwardly between Eridius and the creature.
One of them quietly whispered,
Another scratched his head.
[Gang Member]: Should... should we be offended on Mewmew's behalf?
Even Boss Lee didn't answer immediately. He simply stared at Eridius, as though trying to decide whether this child was incredibly brave... or profoundly stupid.
[Chapter end]