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

CH14: Accept Fate (prt 1)

Nishi-Shinjuku is well known as a forest of towering skyscrapers usually luminous from the reflecting sunlight. But now, a charcoal murkiness settled over the district as the rain battered its surface.

On the wet pavement and road crossings, one could see a swarm of black umbrella tops sheltering commuters ranging from salary men to corporate heads to even government officials.

It was the same outside the Shinjuku police station where Itsuki Kurogane approached his waiting car that had the passenger door opened by his driver. He had just concluded a joint meeting with the police and officials from the NPA. The location was of his own convenience since the Japanese headquarters for the League of Mage-knight Nations happen to be nearby.

"Kaichou!" he heard somebody called out.

There were many people who carried that title but none whom was addressed with fear and respect as much as him. And seeing his driver look past him towards the voice only confirmed that someone was calling for him.

Itsuki turned his sharp eyes around to see Shimogamo hurriedly jogging towards him with own umbrella in hand, his shoes and pants unfortunately getting wet from the splashing water.

"Please, wait one moment!" the man urged.

The Kurogane patriarch obliged.

"Superintendent-General." Itsuki greeted in his usual cold business tone.

Shimogamo panted a little after he stopped in front of him before speaking.

"Sir, you mentioned that you have contacted the LMN French branch about enlisting a liaison for the Batman case. You're not actually considering bringing in outside assistance, are you?"

"And if I am?" asked Itsuki.

The police official flinched, it was bad enough that the pride of the police force was strained thanks to Batman constantly evading them but this was on a whole different level.

"Great. Last thing I need is some foreign delegate taking over my department and calling the shots!" Shimogamo thought with a grimace.

He wouldn't have mind if Itsuki recruited a Student-Knight from Hagun, he was good friends with Korono Shinguuji and trusted her. If he were to guess, Itsuki would probably be against the idea since his children, particularly his daughter, was competing to represent Hagun for the Sword Art Festival. And there was also the fact that the Chairman wasn't fond of the way Kurono ran things.

But still, Itsuki could always find help from the other academies. Shimogamo would've also found that acceptable as long as they kept the control of the operations within their prefecture.

"Sir, I assure you again that the Tokyo Metropolitan Police are well equipped to handle this matter."

"And yet you still haven't apprehended the Vigilante." Itsuki stated.

Shimogamo gulped.

"That's...we-well...Like I said in the meeting, it's still an ongoing process. We know that Batman is probably listening to our radio frequencies and our planned sting operations are sure to guarantee his capture. Please, give us more time."

Itsuki remained still like a stone statue, eyes still uncompromising and cold as ice.

"Lucky for you, Miss Ascarid's Black Knight is on assignment so I suppose you have time until she is free to join us." The chairman spoke. "Understand Shimogamo-san, we are a few months away from the Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival."

Shimogamo understood where he was coming from, the Festival was a League sponsored event that was sure to get national coverage. It was more than just a sporting event, it was a showcase of the very best of the next generation of Blazers under the umbrella of the LMN. In a way, it was like a military parade; a propaganda practice to exhibit the might of the nation.