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

CH17: Monster (prt 3)

Superintendent-General Shimogamo released a weary breath as he continued to stare incredulously at the mess in front of him.

And what a mess it was.

Luckily, nobody had been harmed and the building's strangely neat collapse had been completely isolated from the rest of Ikebukuro; it was like something (or more accurately, someone) had prevented the debris from spreading over. However, that wasn't even the strangest thing: it was what had been exposed underneath the building that was.

To call this the bust of the century would an understatement. Shimogamo felt like an anteater in front of a torn up anthill; not a very picturesque analogy but it was the best he could think of.

Even as he stood there, there were still a myriad of people ranging from criminals to rich politicians and businessmen being escorted to the police cars behind him. There wouldn't be much charges pressed on patrons although they would be facing a lot of scrutiny from the media and the public, he couldn't imagine their lives getting any smoother from here on out.

The Ichinose-gumi on the other hand, had been dealt a great blow. Their high ranking boss Kono would be facing trial and the LMN officials would take their Rogue Blazers into custody.

On that subject of Rogue Blazer, the LMN placed a particular focus on the Ichinose-gumi's prized fighter. Strangely enough, there was no record of her in their criminal database: no country of origin, no discernible fingerprints, they even theorized that she used her powers to somehow alter her DNA. They weren't even sure if she was even a woman in the first place. Shimogamo assumed that they were probably going to keep her sedated while they figure out how to transport her to a secure facility somewhere in another LMN nation.

Who would thought they'd stumble upon something like this after he dispatched his units to investigate the supposed Batman sighting. That was when they came upon a group of children who sent them on a wild goose-chase.

They were all foreigners as it would turn out, some spirited away, others orphaned. And there were signs that most had gone through some abuse or another.

In any case, it was after they had heard their story that they had contacted the LMN Japan branch who would most likely send some of them over to the Totokubara Foundation's Wakaba house.

As for why they had caused a commotion, it turned out they were trying to buy some time...at the behest of one Nene Saikyou.

He hesitantly turned his attention back to the petite woman who stood next to him. looking proud of her handiwork.

As close as he was to Shinguuji, he was never comfortable with Saikyou; not since he first encountered her back in Kyoto when she was renowned as a notorious problem child and pretty much enslaved the entire Kyoto Prefectural Police Force. He was only chief of police back so when he was promoted and transferred to Tokyo, he was relieved that he was at last far away from her.

Needless to say, the shock and dread he felt when he eventually found out that she started working at Hagun Academy had never left him.

"You're sure you didn't see the Batman after that?" he asked her.

"I told you already, didn't I!?" she huffed at him impatiently. "The Bat just happened to be there and didn't do much. I would've crushed him on the spot but he slipped away in the confusion."

"And you were conducting a...'personal investigation' you say?" Shimogamo asked with his face betraying suspicion. "Why do I get the feeling there is something you're not telling me?"

Nene turned fully to him with a cat-like smile on her face.

"That depends, is this a formal interrogation, Oji-san?" she asked seductively.