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

CH16: No more (prt 3)

Batman was certain that by the time Nene had transported all of them to safety, he would've covered enough distance through the maze-like vents that would've make it difficult to her to follow him. Besides, for all her eccentricities, she probably wasn't going to abandon those children.

She was an LMN affiliate, Kurono's friend and he was sure that she had something of a conscience.

After navigating through the labyrinthine tunnels back to the main level, he could hear the faint muffled sounds of Kashiwagi's commentary and the roars of the crowd. It would seem that the games had resumed and that meant he didn't have long until before they checked on their remaining 'fighters'. He really needed to hurry.

With information he gleamed from eavesdropping on a pair of nearby guards, he continued to traverse through the ducts that inclined until he could finally see an office area beneath the grille he came upon.

He had heard from the guards that Kono would be in his office but there didn't seem to be any sign of him.

Nonetheless, he kicked the grille open and landed into the plush-looking environment. An executive wooden desk and a leather high back swivel chair was proudly featured before him but nobody occupying it. In fact, there didn't seem to be anyone in the room.

Or so he thought.

"Finally! Y'know, you'd get here a lot faster if you weren't crawling around in such a cramped space."

Yet again, Batman found himself turning around to see Nene, this time standing by the doorway.

"What are you doing here!? Where are the children!?"

"Would you relax!? I got the little brats out of there already."

The petite woman huffed before her expression turned haughty.

"Figured you'd make your way over here so I took the 'direct route'. Those muscle-head guards didn't even stand a chance!"

Much to his aggravation, she was pretty much indicating that she had already caused a commotion and attacked several Yakuza as she got here. Needless to say, he wasn't the least bit pleased about the situation and marched up to with his teeth grit.

"I've had just about up to here with you, Saikyou! I told you not to interfere in my business and you have jeopardized this..."

Batman trailed off when his hearing picked up a low droning hum; it was faint at first but steadily grew with a rising vibration that the two Blazers began to feel in the air.

"Do you hear that?" he asked.

Even Nene seemed to have dropped her unabashed smugness and looked around curiously.

"That buzzing? Yeah, what is that?"

"I don't know. It sounds like it's coming from..."

The vigilante tilted his head up to the corner of the ceiling where a medium-sized box shaped apparatus was fixed. It was metallic, about 20 inches in length with a smooth convex surface that was divided by a glowing blue light, pulsing along with the rising hum until it suddenly flashed red.

In a mere blink, a glowing blue field burst out in a wave and engulfed the whole room, causing both Blazers to fall to the floor both either could react.

Batman didn't know to make of it but he felt like he was hit by a truck, or like a pane of glass inside him had shattered, or maybe both. As he tried forcing his body to move, he felt a tingling sensation no different from the aftermath of those painful attacks he had before.