Salty Loquat

· Crime investigation, ensemble cast, free to read in full ·

It seems this society has come down with a serious illness.

Crime runs rampant while the good look the other way. Deliberate acts are packaged as accidents, and people who help others are accused of setting them up... Most of those who lose their lives are law-abiding people, while wicked souls find every loophole and roam free.

People are screaming inside, but their outward selves have grown numb.

Because they know they can't change the world.

Then someone steps forward without hesitation.

This person is supremely rational, calm, and modest, with an exceptional mind and boundless charisma. They're a master schemer, decisive in their actions and careful to leave no trace. They're skilled at winning people over and can put an endless stream of talented and unusual people to work for them...

Together, they operate under a single name, ridding the world of its cancers.

That name is:

Rushou.

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"Fate points left, but I'll go right."

"Someone has to uphold justice and punish evil. If the law can't do it, then I will."

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The sailfin catfish is a species in the family Loricariidae, commonly known as the janitor fish or pleco.

It is generally about 28 centimeters long and can reach a maximum length of 50 centimeters. Its body is grayish black or light brown, covered with black spots. It is a bottom-dwelling fish found in clear mountain streams and small rivers, often near muddy banks.

The sailfin catfish is omnivorous. It eats fish waste, algae, small crustaceans, nutrient-rich detritus, and the eggs of other fish, which is how it got the name "janitor fish." It can breathe air directly after leaving the water.

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A few reading tips:

* The setting is a fictional modern world. The character is based on the Wikipedia entry for the pleco.

* This isn't an entirely feel-good story. I wrote it to suit my own tastes, so feel free to click away if it's not for you.

Theme: The aesthetics of violence