In 1915, Corning Glass Works introduced an amazing new material to the world: Xyrite. These crystals, grown from rare earth minerals, are originally sold as batteries that can store a large amount of electricity, but in 1936, Alan Turing showed that carefully-grown crystals can also perform computations at astounding speeds.

An era of miniaturization followed, and by 1998, Xyrite is eating the world. Large cities are covered in iridescent crystals, and Xyrite brain implants have become commonplace in developed nations.

Seeking to use the technology to earn riches, a new mercenary class emerges: the xyronin.

Taichi Tsuruta is the top xyronin in Japan, but he's always short on cash, plunging every cent he makes in to the search for his missing little sister. On a high-paying mission, he uncovers clues to her whereabouts, but also evidence that Xyrite is more dangerous than anyone knows. Now he has to choose: Save her, or risk world plunging the world into chaos?