Bat of Eternal Night

"Don't worry, Father. I'll be sure to bring some good liquor."

"Wait."

Han Mingxuan called out to Curze before he left the mine and handed him a metal plate.

"Is this... a bat?"

Curze was surprised as he looked at the crudely made bat, recognizable only by its general shape.

The Night Haunter, meanwhile, was utterly horrified.

He saw me?!

"Before you leave, let me tell you a story."

Han Mingxuan gathered his thoughts. "Long ago, on ancient Terra, there was a nobleman. One day, he and his wife took their child out for a trip, and on their way back, the couple was killed."

"When the nobleman's young son grew up, he became someone who brought justice. In that city, people called him Batman."

"But I'm not giving you this because I want you to become a noble like him. I look down on people like him."

"As a noble, he had no need to operate in the dark. He could have dealt with criminals by openly enacting policies, but he didn't."

"I'm giving you this because I hope you'll bring justice to the Planet of Eternal Night."

"If you gain power here someday, I don't want you to use your own strength to carry out justice. I'd rather you use that power to do it."

"I'll heed your teachings, Father."

"Go. Bring liberation to the Planet of Eternal Night."

"Boss."

Not long after Curze left the mine, a group of people appeared before him.

"How are things?"

"Everything's normal. We've given those Tech-priests the runaround."

"Good. Half of you stay in this mining hive. The rest come with me to the nearest one."

"Boss, what about here..."

"Here..."

"You have to leave people here!" It was the Night Haunter's voice.

"Don't be stupid. He just doesn't want to cause you trouble because he knows what you're doing is important."

"Don't be thoughtless. If anything happens to him, you'll regret it forever."

"Besides, if your men think you don't even care about your own father, how can you expect them to follow you?"

"Leave a squad here to keep watch at all times." Curze left a squad behind and led the others to the nearest mining hive, Mine Hive Number Four.

"Big Bat, you seem a little worked up."

The Night Haunter didn't say a word.

Curze shook his head. Never mind. This Xenos was always like that.

Mine Hive Number Four, the lowest level.

Curze arrived with the most elite of his men.

"Follow the plan."

Their tactics were simple: first assess, then kill every member of management with a negative score, then build piles of their heads.

As for the rest, they would put pressure on the managers who were still alive.

They had to know that if they dared to act inhumanely again, they would end up like the heads piled outside.

"Hey, have you heard?"

"About what?"

"I hear there's something terrifying over at Mining Hive Three."

"Something terrifying?"

"Yeah. I hear a bunch of outlaws killed every manager in the mining hive."

"What? That's horrifying!"

"That's not all. They killed people from the Adeptus Mechanicus too."

"Really?"

"Why would I lie to you? I've got a brother in Mining Hive Three. He said it was a bloody mess."

"You have no idea. Heads rolled over there, and they piled them into a little mountain."

"Th-then we'll be all right here, won't we?"

"Hard to say. Those people kill without mercy, and they can get in anywhere."

In the sunless darkness of the mine, the bat of eternal night bared his fangs.

They slipped in from the mining hive's lowest level, mingling with the laborers there as they gathered intelligence and drew maps as quickly as possible.

Within five standard days, they had learned the layout of the entire mining hive inside and out.

But that wasn't all.

Once the preliminary preparations were complete, the real change had only just begun.

From that day on, people died in Mine Hive Number Four every day.

Petty bosses, managers, even members of the Adeptus Mechanicus in the refining temple.

But this time, the assassinations were different from the others.

This time, when the heads were piled up, they were arranged in the shape of a bat.

"Bat of Eternal Night."

The Archmagos looked at this sole piece of information and felt his logic unit was about to short-circuit.

"Damn these mobs! This can't go on! Activate the Final Efficiency Protocol!"

"Archmagos, this..."

"I am the Archmagos. I'll handle any problems."

"Under a threat this terrifying, the organic consumables' production efficiency has fallen far too much!"

"Yes, Archmagos."

The so-called Final Efficiency Protocol meant turning every single person into wetware to achieve maximum output efficiency.

Mine Hive Number Four's Final Efficiency Protocol shocked the management of the other mining hives.

At the same time, they were considering whether they should activate the final protocol as well.

"Boss, urgent news."

"Speak."

"According to word from our people, the Adeptus Mechanicus members in Mine Hive Number Four are planning to activate the Final Efficiency Protocol."

The Final Efficiency Protocol.

"Those mechanical maniacs!"

"Need a hand, master of eternal night?"

"I can handle it."

Curze listened to the Xenos in his head, but he didn't believe him.

During the fighting over this period, Curze's battle instincts had been steadily awakening.

He was absolutely confident he could deal with the biggest problem on this planet.

"Sevatarion."

"Boss."

"Take everyone back to Mining Hive Three."

"Boss, what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to deal with the leader of those mechanical maniacs."

"That's too dangerous, Boss. You can't do that."

"Trust me, Jago."

"But..."

"Go back without worrying and guard Father. I'll return."

"All right, Boss. You have to come back as soon as you can."

After parting from the others, Curze went alone to the highest level of the Hive City.

He had been following the Archmagos all the way, and the other man hadn't noticed at all.

"Perfect infiltration, Eternal Night Haunter."

"Shut up."

Ever since he had set out alone for the top level of the Hive City, the Xenos in his head had been talking nonstop.

"Heh heh, watch your back."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a plasma beam shot toward Curze.

But Curze had foreseen it.

As he dodged, he wrecked the robot.

The bat of eternal night approached the Archmagos's location without a sound.

Upon reaching the Archmagos's palace, Curze stopped hiding and strode openly into his presence.

"You're the Bat of Eternal Night? The culprit responsible for a twenty percent drop in the mining planet's output."

The blade in the Night Haunter's hand gleamed coldly.

"Heh, the Bat of Eternal Night is just a code name. But I am responsible for the drop in the mining hive's output."

"Then who are you?"

Curze shook his head.

"Comparing subject data... comparison failed. Database malfunction. Suspected... high-intensity psychic interference."

Psychic interference?

What's that?

"That old father of yours taught you to act like a decent person, but your common sense is lacking."

"If you dare slander Father again, I'll make you shut up even if I have to twist my own head off."