As the Dark Knight plummeted, Retro’s voice came through his earpiece.
“Initiating emergency backup power.”
“Whoaaa!” he yelled, still falling helplessly through the night sky. The emergency system booted up for the first time, his HUD flickering back to life.
“Come on—power it up already!” he shouted, watching the ground rush closer.
Finally, the system completed its reboot. With only five percent power left, the Dark Knight ignited his thrusters—blasting jets of white energy from his palms and right boot. The sudden force sent him soaring between the city’s vehicles, narrowly avoiding impact before climbing higher toward Olsen Tower.
Five minutes remained.
He landed hard on the rooftop, collapsing onto one knee and pressing his left palm against the ground.
“Chizuru,” he called, already connected to her phone.
“Rin! Are you okay?!” she cried through the call.
“I’m almost out of power,” he replied. “I need to disable the compound. I’ll find you after—”
A loud thud cut him off. The Hallucinator landed behind him, systems fully powered.
“Nice plan, Nanase!”
Rin turned sharply just as a mini-missile flew toward him. He dodged left—barely missing it—but when he aimed his palm to counterattack, nothing happened. His HUD flashed red: “Insufficient power for this operation.”
The Hallucinator leaped forward, landing a brutal punch that sent the Dark Knight tumbling backward. Rin rolled, braced, and pushed off the ground, sprinting toward his enemy. He launched himself upward with a blast from his boot and palm, landing a hard punch against the Hallucinator’s chest. Kevin took the blow, then slammed Rin back with equal force.
When Rin attempted a follow-up, the Hallucinator caught both his wrists, tightening his grip until the armor creaked.
“System status,” Retro reported. “Repulsors offline. Flight systems offline…”
Kevin grinned under his helmet, watching Rin struggle with malicious satisfaction.
Rin grunted and slammed his right boot into the Hallucinator’s torso.
“Override flight systems—divert all power to right jetboot!”
A burst of white energy erupted from the boot, heating Kevin’s armor. A temperature warning flashed across his HUD. In response, Kevin slammed his helmet into Rin’s mask, dazing him. He seized Rin by the neck, ripped the mask away, and threw it aside, lifting him off the ground.
Blood ran from Rin’s lip, his face bruised, but his glare never faltered.
The Hallucinator’s helmet unfolded, revealing Kevin’s face.
“Poor Rin Nanase. No mother. No father. No brother. You’re all alone.”
Suddenly, metallic shurikens sliced through the air, striking Kevin’s side. Both men turned.
Standing in front of Chizuru—who held the solution compound—was a familiar face: Yuusuke, unmasked and alive.
“He isn’t alone,” Yuusuke said firmly.
Kevin growled, sealing his helmet again. He hurled Rin to the ground and raised his wrist cannon toward Chizuru. Gunfire erupted.
But Yuusuke moved faster—throwing a dagger marked with the Yubiwa insignia. The small tag detonated on impact, blowing Kevin backward. Yuusuke dashed forward, spinning into a 360° kick that slammed into the Hallucinator’s torso.
Rin, barely catching his breath, looked up at him.
“...Why?”
Yuusuke extended his hand. “Nobody kills you but me.”
Rin gripped his brother’s hand. “Still the same as ever.”
“Let’s deal with him first,” Yuusuke said, releasing his grip. "Then you can deal with me after."
“Yeah... that’s a deal.”
Both turned toward the Hallucinator, who rose from the wreckage.
“The Nanase brothers finally working together to defeat me? What a rare sight!” he sneered.
The Hallucinator charged—and the brothers met him head-on.
Below, Chizuru sprinted to the machine. Thirty seconds remained. She worked quickly, swapping Kevin’s deadly compound with the neutralizing solution. Sparks filled the air as the brothers clashed with Kevin—trading blows, countering attacks, covering each other. Each impact echoed across the rooftop.
Kevin struck hard, but Rin and Yuusuke fought harder. Rin locked Kevin’s wrists while Yuusuke slashed at the exposed wires in the armor. Sparks flew as Rin lifted his right knee and unleashed another blast from his jetboot, overheating the suit.
Kevin’s HUD flickered red with system damage warnings. Through the chaos, he saw Chizuru finishing the installation. Ten seconds left.
Ripping off his helmet, Kevin roared and swung wildly. Rin blocked his punch, but the impact sent him sliding back. Yuusuke lunged—but Kevin caught his wrist and punched him hard across the face, knocking him away.
“NOOOOOO!!!” Kevin bellowed, charging toward Chizuru.
“Chizuru, run!” Rin shouted.
She turned as Kevin leapt. She dove aside just as he slammed into the machine—but it was too late.
The device fired.
A projectile burst skyward, detonating high above the city. Blue mist spread across the clouds, mixing with the rain. Drops of glowing rain fell over Toronto, washing away the toxin that once enslaved thousands.
Kevin landed hard on the machine, smashing it apart in rage—but the damage was done. The cure had already spread.
YOU ARE READING
Dark Knight
AçãoA 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...
