Chivalry of a Dark Knight [Batman x Rakudai Kishi no Cavalry]

CH3: Judgment and Punishment (prt 1)

It was two minutes later when four of the mercenaries patrolling the eastern upper floors rendezvoused with another two stationed on the ground floor. They could see that the one who radioed them, Koichiro, looked incredibly agitated and wondered if Bishou had called for them.

"Why'd you call us all down here?" asked one of them, a man named Tanaka.

"Something's wrong. Unit B isn't responding and..." Koichiro trailed off and then realized something when he did a quick head count.

"Wait, where's Yabe, Kamiya and Fujio?"

The rest of the terrorists looked around and noticed that they were three people short of their designated team. Another of the gunmen, Nogami spoke up.

"Last I saw, they were patrolling the third floor. Could've sworn I heard them coming down after you called us."

Koichiro's partner, a man simply known as Baba, grunted in anger. He was a man who took his work more seriously and always wanted to please Bishou which normally resulted in him being outraged at anything he considered 'disorderly behavior'

"Those idiots!" he spat as he marched forward towards the escalator.

"They're probably off somewhere having a smoke! When I get my hands on them, I'm gonna-"

But when Baba reached one of the corridors that led to the exit and restrooms, something blindsided and tackled him into the other pathway. The remaining five terrorists screamed, jumped back, startled and held their guns rigid. It happened so fast for them that all they saw of the thing in that darkness was that it was a large black wraith-like figure with a long membranous cloak that had pointed ends like tendrils.

"HOLY SHIT! WHAT WAS THAT THING!?" exclaimed Tanaka.

Nogami took a step back and began to quiver.

"N-Nobusuma...Nobusuma!" he said with terror.

They had indeed heard of the incidents around Tokyo surrounding the dreaded urban legend but most weren't sure if it was real or just some internet fable. Koichiro tried to snap some sense into the group.

"Get a hold of yourselves! That's just a story!"

But the fourth Rebellion member argued with a sense of panic.

"Nah man, it's real! My cousin from Ikebukuro saw it when it attacked his whole gang!"

"They say it can smell your sins...and now it's in here with us..." Nogami mumbled as the weapon trembled in his hands.

Having heard enough, the fifth terrorist turned towards his comrades and began to back away, planning to make a run for it.

"I don't know about you guys but I'm not sticking around and have that thing-"

Before he could finish, a grappling wire wrapped around his foot and was yanked hard, sending him to floor on his stomach. He screamed as he was dragged away and in his panic he squeezed his gun's trigger which unleashed a volley of gunfire. Most of the other terrorists swerved out of the way but unfortunately for Nogami, he was tagged in his knee and fell to the floor.

Once Koichiro and Tanaka regained their senses, they quickly scrambled to their injured comrade while the fourth terrorist stood on his guard.

"Nogami, you okay man?" asked Koichiro.

Nogami yelped in fright which prompted Koichiro and Tanaka to turn around to see the wraith-like figure swoop down on the fourth terrorist, engulf him with its wing-like cloak and flew up. They opened fire but it again disappeared in the darkness.