“A-Aren’t you that street peddler I talked to?”

“Argh great going kid… Now I’ll have to kill you.”

“Why are you doing this? I have never wronged you! I barely even know you!”

The rat-like man chuckles:

*KiKiKi* “Wronged me? Yes, I suppose you have wronged me, by being richer than me that is!”

He lunges forward with a rusted dagger he was hiding in his coat.

I step back, but he doesn’t follow through. Like the rat that he is, he cowardly stays back, waiting for a chance to strike again.

“I’m broke! Why would you even think I have a lot of money on me?”

“Don’t try and trick me kid! My instincts have never failed me before, you’re clearly a clueless newbie who wants to sell his cartridges for a quick buck. That new tattoo you got proves you have a lot more with you than you are letting on!”

Fuck, I need to be more careful next time. This place is more dangerous than I thought. My mind is a lot clearer now that I’ve seen his dagger come at me, but I would prefer to avoid this fight if I can.

“Look man, just fuck off! I don’t want to fight you! I personally know miss Izumi, you probably just saw me leaving her shop, do you really think you can easily get away with this?”

He stands there for a while, thinking.

“…Yes.”

Before I can even react he suddenly disappears from my field of vision.

I quickly dart my eyes all over the dark corners in the alleyway to try and find him… Nothing… Until:

*SHLICK* 

I slowly start to feel a warm liquid running down my back.

“Aaahh Shit! Behind?!”

I take a large step forward to avoid being stabbed a second time…

He got me good, I don’t know how, but he managed to evade my eyesight and stab me in the back.

“Alas, seems like I missed your hearth. *SIGH* When I was still a young buck like you, I used to be a top ranking assassin you know?… *SIGH* Now look at me… I had to sell everything… They only let me keep the clothes on my back, this cursed engagment-ring and my gift-cartridge… Oh my, I’m rambling again, I should finish you off first.”

Fuck, I’m bleeding quite heavily, this isn’t good… I’m not willing to die just yet… Alright focus! He’s probably going to use that move again, the question is: where will he appear this time? Behind me? In front? From the sky? Fuck it, I’ll gamble!

I turn around, but stop when, out of the corner of my eye, I suddenly spot a shiny red gem. It’s the ring that that bastard was wearing!

“You guessed wrong kid.”

Fuck, he’s coming at me from the front, I knew it was going to end up like this. This is going to hurt…

I can just barely twist my palm around fast enough in the direction that he’s coming from.

*BOOM*

*KUCH* *KUCH* “Aaww… shit…”

I knew it wasn’t a good idea to activate explosion in such close proximity…

My hand is burnt to a crisp and my shoulder is charred black.

When the smoke finally rises I can see the rat-man laying there on the ground. Thank god I hit him. I’m barely standing, but he’s worse off, he has a gaping hole in his stomach and is coughing up blood.

*COUGH* “You fucker! *COUGH* J-Just come over here and finish it!”

Why would he say that? Why would he say it like that, he was still trying to kill me earlier… Got it!

I quickly turn around and fire another explosion towards the ground in front of me, using the palm of my hand that isn’t ‘well done’ yet.

“GHAA?!! Y-You said I wouldn’t have to intervene…”

My explosion just barely missed another evil-looking guy who was holding a hammer above his head and sends him scurrying of in a hurry.

I knew it… He had a henchmen prepared in order to finish the job if he were to fail.

“How… How did you know *COUGH*…”

“I saw you talking to the other street peddlers when I left your shop, I already thought it was weird you wanted to face me on your own, especially with only one cartridge.”

I walk over to rat-man, who’s desperately trying to crawl away, my shoulder hurts like a motherfucker and I can’t even feel my charred hand anymore, still I tower over him and hold my palm out.

“P-Please spare me sir, I have a daughter to take care of, s-she’s probably around your age now! I only did this out of necessity, you have to believe me!”

“You seemed to be enjoying the situation when you were still winning though.”

“Forgive me sir! It’s just how I was raised, wouldn’t you do the same in my situation? *COUGH* Raised by alcoholic parents, hanging out with bad folks… I’ll… I’ll turn my life around, I swear! F-For my daughter…”

He takes out a crumpled-up picture of a highschooler from the inner pocket of his jacket.

“S-See, isn’t she cute? Really cute right?”

*SIGH* He’s probably lying, I know he is… But… You never know, besides, I’m still alive… Maybe he could use a second chance? I got mine after I was implanted with this chip…

“Fine, get out of here, if I ever see your face again around these parts… It’ll be the end of you!”

“T-Thanks! Thanks a million times!” *COUGH*

After coughing up some more blood, he manages to get up and hobble away.

…

He doesn’t get very far though, a steel javelin suddenly impales his right knee-cap.

“Argh! You fucking liar!”