The morning sun seeped faintly through the small window of the Nanase family basement. Rin sat before a wall of monitors, their glow reflecting off his sharp, determined eyes. He leaned forward and spoke clearly into his headset.
"Search up any traces of Yuusuke Nanase in Toronto city," he ordered.
"Understood," replied RETRO, his personal artificial assistant, its voice calm and digital.
Lines of code began streaming across the screens as RETRO initiated a facial recognition and data trace through public and private databases.
A few moments later, the AI spoke again. "It appears that at night, he's usually roaming around central Toronto. Occasionally, he's accompanied by others."
Rin's gaze sharpened as he studied the moving dots on his digital map, each marking Yuusuke's routes and interactions.
"Are they by any chance associated with the Yubiwa?"
"Unfortunately, I'm unable to determine that," RETRO answered.
Rin leaned back in his chair, exhaling softly. "I basically destroyed their base. Their operations shouldn't be running anymore." He paused, glancing at one red-marked location on the map. "Yuusuke is all that's left."
Behind him stood Sebastian, the family's loyal butler, hands clasped neatly in front of him.
"So," Sebastian began, "how will you hunt him down, Master Nanase? You're a well-known figure throughout the country. Your image could be ruined if you're seen seeking revenge at night."
"Well, that's exactly it," Rin replied, eyes glinting. "I won't be Rin Nanase when I hunt him."
Sebastian raised a brow. "And who will you be, then?"
Rin's lips curled slightly. "Someone who eradicates evil in the shadows."
---
Later that evening, Rin stood beside a holographic table in his underground workshop. A glowing projection of schematics and weapon systems hovered in the air.
"Open a new private folder," he commanded. "Name it... Dark Knight."
"Folder created," RETRO confirmed.
"Time to use everything I've learned over the past three years," Rin murmured, his fingers brushing against metal components scattered across the table.
He began assembling what looked like a large black mechanical boot, attaching servos, energy conduits, and thrusters with precision. Sparks flickered as he welded the final piece in place.
---
By nightfall, Rin stood in his wide garage, twin metallic boots strapped to his legs.
"Alright, testing jet-boots," he said. RETRO's camera activated, recording the test.
Rin sprinted forward and leapt into the air. The boots ignited-flames burst from beneath, propelling him upward before sending him spiraling backward into his workbench with a loud crash.
"...Definitely a failed outcome," he groaned, lying on the ground.
---
The next day, after recovering from his bruises, Rin began building again-this time, a pair of armored gauntlets with glowing arc reactors in each palm.
"Alright, moment of truth," he said, securing the gauntlets onto his forearms.
He raised both hands and aimed forward. The arcs flared white before blasting out a powerful surge of energy. The shockwave sent Rin flying backward-through one desk, then another-before crashing through the glass wall and slamming against the concrete.
He groaned again, this time with less enthusiasm. "Needs... calibration."
---
Later that evening, Rin sat slouched on the sofa in his mansion's living room, a glass of red wine in hand. The news played on the large flat-screen TV.
"Nanase Corporation officially announces the shutdown of its weapons division following the return of its CEO, Rin Nanase," the anchor reported.
Sebastian entered the room, hands behind his back. "How's the project going?"
"Fabulous," Rin said dryly. "Just need to lower the power output before it kills me."
Sebastian smirked faintly, glancing at the TV. "I suppose you'll be the only one possessing those weapons now?"
"For the purpose of taking down Yuusuke? Absolutely. But I can't let the public know."
"By becoming someone else-a vigilante, perhaps?"
Rin's eyes flicked toward the television's reflection. "I'll do whatever it takes to avenge my family."
---
The following morning, Rin returned to his workshop. Wearing his latest prototypes-the improved jet-boots and gauntlet gloves-he stood before several practice targets.
He inhaled deeply, then fired a controlled blast from his left palm. The shot hit dead-center, pushing him back only slightly.
"Decrease repulsor output to point-five percent," he instructed.
"Adjustment complete," RETRO confirmed.
Rin fired again, smoother this time, maintaining his stance. A faint smile crossed his face. "Better."
Next, he activated the boots. Flames ignited beneath them, gently lifting him off the ground. He hovered, stabilizing himself in midair, before landing softly.
"Successfully passed," he said, exhaling with satisfaction.
---
Days passed. Rin continued refining his technology-building armor plates, designing the mask, calibrating weapons, and painting each component in matte black. Every detail mattered. Every screw, every circuit, every movement.
After two weeks, the project was complete.
---
As the sun set behind Toronto's skyline, Rin stood atop Nanase Corporation Tower. His new battlesuit gleamed faintly beneath the crimson sky.
The armor was sleek and segmented, black shell plates layered with precision. A red insignia marked the center of his chest. The twin gauntlets wrapped around his arms, wires hidden beneath dark straps. His combat boots, reinforced and jet-powered, hummed faintly. A utility belt lined with pouches and cylindrical cartridges hung at his waist, holding various gadgets he had built himself. From it draped a strip of black fabric that split open at the front-half cloak, half combat skirt-its edges swaying lightly with each movement, adding a shadowed, almost ceremonial air to his presence.
His mask covered his face entirely, with a HUD projected inside-displaying weather data, altitude, diagnostics, and a live city map. In his ears, the soft voice of RETRO echoed through his wireless comms.
"Suit functions are operating at optimal levels," RETRO reported.
Rin looked out over the glowing cityscape of Toronto as he clenched his fist, the gauntlet glowing faintly.
YOU ARE READING
Dark Knight
ActionA young multimillionaire decides to become a masked vigilante to find the one responsible for eliminating his entire family when he was a child. However, later on, he realizes that the city needs him as a criminal organization hides in the shadows t...
