The streets of Lyon were quieter the deeper they moved into the night.
The festive squares and music faded behind them, replaced by narrower streets and dimmer lights. Old stone walls, shuttered storefronts, and the occasional flicker of a streetlamp cast long shadows across the pavement.
Alex walked in front.
Her auction mask still covered the upper half of her face.
Séline and Camille flanked her, both alert now in the way divers naturally became when moving through unfamiliar territory. Behind them padded Bruno and Nyx, while Rico sat proudly on Alex's shoulder holding his tiny stun baton like a miniature knight preparing for war.
They didn't have to walk long before trouble found them.
A harsh voice echoed down an alley.
"…worthless production trash."
Another voice laughed.
"Look at him. Probably cleaning toilets two days ago."
Alex slowed immediately.
At the end of the alley stood three men wearing partial diver gear—arm guards, reinforced boots, dungeon knives clipped to their belts. Clearly awakened divers.
In front of them, backed against a wall, was a thin man in worn clothes.
His backpack lay on the ground.
One of the divers had already kicked it open, spilling its contents.
Cleaning supplies.
A small toolkit.
A few folded clothes.
Nothing valuable.
Alex's eyes narrowed.
The man spoke nervously.
"I told you, I don't have anything—"
One of the divers shoved him against the wall.
"You have a class, don't you?"
"Cleaner, right?"
The man froze.
"That means you can farm service contracts."
"People like you always hide money."
The diver grabbed his collar.
"Where is it?"
The homeless man shook his head.
"I'm saving it for—"
A punch cut him off.
He collapsed to his knees.
Séline's voice dropped quietly.
"…I know him."
Alex didn't look away from the scene.
"What?"
"Two days ago."
Séline pointed slightly.
"He was cleaning tables at that café we visited."
Camille nodded slowly.
"And he was at the auction last night."
Alex's jaw tightened.
Cleaner.
A production class.
Someone who had probably gotten unlucky after awakening.
Trying to rebuild his life.
Saving money.
Working small jobs.
And now…
He was being treated like garbage by a group of entitled divers who believed combat classes made them superior.
For a moment Alex just stood there.
Then something inside her snapped.
The scene was too familiar.
Too close.
Two years earlier…
Josh.
His gang.
Bullying a quiet Vietnamese farmer who had done nothing to deserve it.
Séline and Camille both saw the shift in her posture.
They stepped back immediately.
Camille whispered quietly.
"…oh."
Séline nodded.
"…they're dead."
It was like pouring gasoline onto a wildfire.
Alex pulled the masquerade mask fully into place over her face.
Then she walked forward.
Fast.
The divers barely had time to react.
"What the—"
The first one lifted his hand.
The air twisted.
Telekinesis slammed into his chest like a truck.
He flew backward into a trash bin.
The second diver tried to draw a knife.
Alex's hand flicked.
The knife ripped from his grip and embedded itself in the wall.
A second later he was lifted off the ground by invisible force and slammed face-first onto the pavement.
The third diver tried to retreat.
Too slow.
Alex had spent weeks training with the Greencap Captain.
Her movements were precise now.
Efficient.
Deadly.
Invisible force grabbed his ankle and flipped him upside down before smashing him into a parked motorcycle.
All three men collapsed within seconds.
Alex advanced slowly.
They tried to crawl away.
Telekinesis pinned them flat against the asphalt.
She didn't summon psychic constructs.
She didn't use her rapier.
Just raw telekinetic control.
And pure, boiling anger.
Every strike was controlled.
But brutal.
Séline calmly pulled out her phone.
"Calling police."
Camille nodded.
"Good idea."
Because if Alex kept going…
Those men might not survive the night.
Behind them the animals cheered enthusiastically.
Bruno barked triumphantly.
Nyx flicked her tail approvingly.
Rico pumped his tiny baton in the air like a stadium fan.
"Justice!"
The police arrived quickly.
Dungeon-related violence had made authorities extremely responsive to reports like this.
Séline and Camille explained the situation clearly.
Three divers.
Assaulting a civilian.
The victim confirmed everything.
The officers recognized the situation immediately.
Production classes had become common targets for exploitation.
Cleaner.
Cook.
Repairer.
Farmer.
Non-combat awakeners often suffered harassment from divers who believed themselves superior.
The attackers were arrested on the spot.
Charges included assault and felony harassment.
One officer glanced briefly at Alex.
"You the one who stopped them?"
Alex shrugged.
"Something like that."
The officer nodded.
A few years earlier, vigilante action would have caused legal trouble.
But after the dungeon appeared…
Reality had changed.
Sometimes someone stepping in immediately saved the police from dealing with much worse outcomes.
The officer simply said:
"Next time try not to break too many bones."
Alex gave a polite nod.
The homeless man sat on the curb, still shaken.
Alex handed him back his scattered belongings.
"You alright?"
He nodded slowly.
"Thank you."
His voice was quiet but sincere.
"I thought… I thought they were going to take everything."
Alex shook her head.
"Not tonight."
He looked at her mask.
"You're a diver?"
She hesitated.
Then shrugged.
"Something like that."
The man smiled faintly.
"Then… good luck down there."
Alex nodded once.
Then turned away.
By the time they left the alley, the tension in Alex's shoulders had eased.
Some of the anger had burned off.
Séline glanced at her.
"Better?"
Alex exhaled slowly.
"…yeah."
Camille smirked.
"Next time let us hit someone too."
Alex laughed quietly.
"Deal."
As they continued through Lyon's night streets, the next situation they encountered was smaller.
A drunken argument near a nightclub.
Two aggressive men harassing a woman.
This time Alex simply stayed behind them.
Using telekinesis to subtly trip one attacker while Séline and Camille handled the confrontation directly.
She was calmer now.
Supporting instead of leading.
Still watchful.
Still dangerous.
But no longer a storm ready to explode.
Rico leaned against her shoulder proudly.
"You smelled less scary."
Alex smiled slightly.
For the first time since Em's message…
Her mind was finally quiet again.
After the first fight, the tension that had been coiled tight inside Alex finally began to unwind.
They walked quietly through Lyon's nighttime streets, the air colder now as autumn crept closer to winter. The city lights reflected off wet pavement, and distant music drifted from bars and late-night cafés.
Bruno trotted beside Alex proudly.
Nyx moved with feline grace along the edge of the sidewalk.
Rico still sat on Alex's shoulder like a tiny, extremely smug commander.
But Alex suddenly stopped.
She crouched down and looked at the animals seriously.
"Alright. New rule."
Bruno tilted his head.
Nyx flicked her tail.
"You two stay out of the next fights."
Both animals immediately protested.
Bruno let out a whining bark.
Nyx's ears flattened in irritation.
Alex shook her head firmly.
"No."
She tapped Bruno gently on the nose.
"A dog with a class."
Then she pointed at Nyx.
"And a magic cat."
She crossed her arms.
"That would attract way too much attention."
Dungeon fauna becoming awakened was already rare enough. If word got out that someone had a combat dog and spellcasting cat, the media storm would be catastrophic.
They were supposed to be on vacation.
Not exposing half of Camp Stymphalian's secrets to French news networks.
Nyx grumbled but accepted it with reluctant dignity.
Bruno sulked but stayed close.
Rico, however…
Rico puffed his chest proudly.
"Sidekick privileges remain."
Alex sighed.
"…unfortunately yes."
Their next encounter came about fifteen minutes later.
A loud clang echoed down the street.
Then another.
They followed the noise and found a bus stop shelter with shattered glass.
Standing beside it was a man in diver gear.
He was clearly drunk.
Or high.
Or both.
He was kicking the metal bench while muttering angrily.
"…stupid bet…"
"…should've won…"
"…rigged dungeon bullshit…"
Then he grabbed the timetable board and tried to rip it loose.
Alex pinched the bridge of her nose.
"…seriously?"
Camille whispered quietly.
"He's definitely high."
Séline nodded.
"Probably stimulant potions."
Illegal alchemy stimulants were a growing problem among divers trying to push themselves beyond their limits.
Alex glanced sideways.
"Well."
She gestured toward the raccoon.
"Your turn."
Rico froze.
Then his eyes sparkled with excitement.
He leaped from Alex's shoulder.
"Justice delivery!"
The diver barely had time to react.
Rico was fast.
Years of dungeon survival had turned the raccoon into a tiny missile of chaos.
The treant armor snapped into place around him like a wooden exoskeleton.
"HENSHIN!"
This time he actually remembered to shout it.
He zipped forward.
The stun baton crackled with blue mana electricity.
The diver turned.
"What the—"
ZAP.
The man stiffened like a statue.
Then collapsed face-first into the pavement.
Rico stood proudly on his back.
"Situation contained."
Alex clapped slowly.
"…I'll talk with him about giving you that baton."
Rico puffed up like an offended fur ball and tried to hide his newest toy.
The final incident of the night happened near the edge of a quieter industrial district.
Motorcycle engines roared down the street.
Headlights swept across the pavement.
Twenty riders.
Leather jackets.
Diver gear mixed with biker aesthetics.
They skidded to a stop.
The leader stepped forward.
His face was bruised.
Not from tonight.
But his eyes were full of anger.
"You."
He pointed at Alex.
"You're the bitch who beat my guys earlier."
Alex sighed.
"…they told their friends."
Séline muttered quietly.
"Hospital or police station."
Camille nodded.
"They had eyes there."
The bikers dismounted.
Weapons appeared.
Knuckle guards.
Batons.
Dungeon knives.
Someone cracked their neck.
"You're gonna pay for that."
Alex slowly rolled her shoulders.
"Twenty?"
She glanced at the others.
"Manageable."
The leader scoffed.
"You three girls think you—"
He didn't finish the sentence.
Because Rico launched himself into the air.
The treant armor unfolded.
The raccoon shot forward like a wooden torpedo.
"JUSTICE MISSILE!"
ZAP.
The first biker collapsed.
Then chaos exploded.
The fight looked less like a street brawl and more like something straight out of a Hong Kong kung-fu film.
Alex moved like flowing water.
Telekinesis enhanced every motion.
When she punched, invisible force amplified the impact.
When she stepped, telekinetic pushes accelerated her movements.
Two bikers rushed her.
She ducked the first swing.
Her fist snapped forward.
The man flew backward as if hit by a truck.
Another attacker came from behind.
Alex twisted.
Telekinesis grabbed his ankle and flipped him over her shoulder.
He crashed into two of his own allies.
Meanwhile—
Séline and Camille were terrifying in their own right.
Both were level 30+ divers.
Combat veterans.
Séline moved like a dancer with knives.
Her strikes were clean and precise.
Camille fought more aggressively, using powerful kicks and grappling techniques learned from dungeon combat.
Three bikers rushed them.
Thirty seconds later all three were unconscious.
And then there was Rico.
The raccoon weaponized mobility.
In treant armor he bounced from wall to wall.
Stun baton flashing.
ZAP.
One biker down.
ZAP.
Another dropped.
Someone tried to grab him.
Rico kicked off their helmet and bounced off their face like a springboard.
Nyx and Bruno watched from the sidewalk like proud spectators.
They weren't allowed to fight.
But that didn't stop them from cheering.
Bruno barked encouragement.
Nyx flicked her tail approvingly each time a biker hit the pavement.
Within minutes…
The fight was over.
Twenty bikers.
All unconscious.
Some groaning.
Most completely out.
Alex wiped a bit of dust from her sleeve.
"…that was anticlimactic."
Séline looked around.
"Police again?"
Camille nodded.
"Police again."
By the time the night ended…
The Lyon police had a very strange report.
Across multiple incidents, a masked vigilante group had delivered a steady stream of criminals into custody.
Final count:
3 divers charged with assault and harassment2 men arrested for street harassment1 intoxicated diver arrested for vandalism20 biker divers arrested for organized assault
Twenty-six men total.
The officers didn't ask too many questions.
The criminals were real.
The charges were clear.
And frankly…
The police had never seen such efficient overnight crime cleanup.
As the group quietly returned toward the motel before sunrise, Alex finally stretched her arms with a satisfied sigh.
Her anger had burned out.
Séline laughed.
"Well."
"That was productive."
Camille nodded.
"Lyon crime rate reduced."
Rico saluted proudly.
"Justice patrol complete."
Alex smiled.
"Yeah."
Then she glanced toward the sleeping city.
"…I think I can sleep now."