Dark Knight

Hunting down Yuusuke

It was a quiet night in Toronto.
A lone man, dressed in a black toque, a grey sweater, and black pants, wandered the empty streets under the dim glow of the streetlights. The city had fallen silent-only the faint hum of cars in the distance broke the stillness.

He turned into a narrow alleyway, his footsteps echoing softly against the cold brick walls. Then, behind him, he heard it-another set of footsteps.

He stopped.

Turning around, his eyes squinted into the darkness. The faint light from the street barely reached the alley's end, leaving only a single silhouette visible in the shadows.

"Who's there?!" he shouted.

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a gun, aiming toward the dark figure. Before he could even steady his grip, a white flash of energy burst from the darkness. It struck the weapon, sending it flying out of his hand.

"What the-?!"

Another beam of white energy followed, hitting his chest and throwing him back with a yell. He hit the ground hard, groaning as he tried to catch his breath.

From the shadows, the Dark Knight emerged. The black armor glinted faintly in the dim alley light. His glowing gauntlets dimmed as he approached.

The man coughed, looking up in disbelief. "What the hell are you...?!"

"Where's Yuusuke Nanase?" the Dark Knight demanded, his voice low and calm.

The man hesitated, clutching his ribs. "How do you know about him?"

"Everything," the Dark Knight replied coldly. "I'll ask one more time-where is Yuusuke?"

"I don't know," the man said through gritted teeth. "He talks to people all over Toronto. Maybe Mississauga. That's all I know. Now... who are you?"

The Dark Knight stepped closer, the faint glow of his visor reflecting in the man's eyes.

"I am the Dark Knight."

---

That night, the Dark Knight hunted the city's underworld relentlessly.
Using the information he forced out of the man, he tracked Yuusuke's connections through RETRO's hacking capabilities, accessing street cameras and private feeds across the city.

Each new lead brought confrontation. Those who knew Yuusuke fought back fiercely-but one by one, the Dark Knight defeated them, leaving them for the authorities to find.

By early dawn, the sky turning faintly orange, Rin sat once more in the basement. A holographic map of Toronto hovered before him, glowing blue.

"It appears that finding Yuusuke may be difficult," RETRO stated. "By the time we arrive at his locations, he's already gone."

"Then we try harder," Rin said. "We'll find his connections first."

---

Each night, Rin became the Dark Knight again-roaming Toronto's districts, from Scarborough to Etobicoke, tracking down every thread that led to Yuusuke. Each encounter turned violent. Every fight pushed him closer to the truth, yet Yuusuke remained elusive-always one step ahead.

RETRO's facial recognition scans through the Dark Knight's mask helped Rin identify each person he encountered, tracing their online records and connections. Every new name brought another lead.

But soon, the vigilante's actions began to draw attention.

Witnesses had seen him-an armored figure in black, taking down criminals across Toronto. Videos spread online. News outlets picked up the story.

Some called him a savior. Others called him a menace.
A masked vigilante who fought outside the law-an outlaw hero who appeared only at night.

---

The following morning, Rin sat at his basement workstation, a bowl of cereal in front of him. On the nearby screen, the morning news played footage of the Dark Knight stopping a carjacking the previous night.

"Quite the fame you've gathered, Master Nanase," Sebastian remarked as he descended the stairs.

Rin smirked lightly. "Yeah, didn't think I'd end up saving random people while hunting Yuusuke."

He paused, setting down his spoon. "I suspect the people Yuusuke's working with were part of the Yubiwa. There's no way they'd fight that well otherwise."

"Well," Sebastian said, "you did destroy their headquarters. Perhaps Yuusuke's leading what remains of them in the shadows."

Rin leaned back in his chair, eyes narrowing. "Then I'll drag those shadows into the light."

Sebastian cleared his throat. "By the way, you have visitors tonight. Kevin and Chizuru wish to see you."

---

That evening, the three sat in the mansion's large living room, the fire flickering quietly behind them. Plates of sandwiches and glasses of red wine rested on the table.

Kevin leaned back, swirling his drink. "The board isn't happy, Rin. They don't like the direction you're taking the company."

"They don't like that I'm taking responsibility," Rin replied evenly, taking a bite of his sandwich.

"It's a financial issue," Kevin said. "If we stop manufacturing weapons, profits will nosedive. The weapons division has been our strongest source of income."

Rin calmly set down his glass. "And I made myself clear during the conference. We're done with weapons manufacturing."

"Rin, you can't be that naïve," Kevin argued. "Without that, how do you expect the company to survive?"

"There are always other ways," Rin said firmly. "But weapons won't be one of them. I won't put innocent lives at risk."

Kevin sighed, shaking his head. "People die every day, Rin. That's just how the world is."

Rin's expression hardened. "Then I'll do everything in my power to change that. Nanase Corporation's goal is to build a better future, not destroy it."

Sebastian quietly refilled Chizuru's glass as the room fell silent.

Kevin exhaled sharply. "Fine. But you've changed. You don't even go out during the day anymore. What are you really up to?"

"Reforming the company," Rin said, standing. "And building a better world-one step at a time." He finished his wine and set the glass down. "If there's nothing else, I need to get back to work."

"This early?" Kevin called after him as Rin made his way to the basement door. "Rin, where are you going?"

Rin looked back briefly, his tone calm. "Got some work to do."

As his footsteps echoed down the stairs, Kevin turned to Chizuru, exasperated. "Can you believe this guy?"

Chizuru smiled faintly. "He's been busy lately. Just let him do what he needs to do."