No, this wasn't a human—this was a monster from the shadows, a ghost!
The Roman stared at the unexpected guest above, his lips twitching in frustration.
"...Great, another freak show up," he muttered.
When Soren saw them start shooting at Batman, his heart skipped a beat.
Realizing Batman hadn't equipped his bulletproof Kevlar suit yet, he dove down immediately.
At the same time, the Roman raised his gun and fired at Soren!
The bullet shot through the air, heading straight for Batman, who was in the mid of punch.
Without thinking, Soren spread his wings and shielded Batman, using his wings as a barrier.
He also grabbed Batman and pulled him close to his chest.
Batman who is suddenly pressed against a solid chest, froze in shock.
His entire face was buried against Soren's torso, and the raised part of his mask, especially at the nose, was now squished deeply into Soren's muscular chest.
Soren: ...!!!
Underneath the angelic helmet, Soren's face turned bright red.
S-s-sorry!
He really didn't mean to do that! QAQ
The bullet pierced one of Soren's wings, but there was no blood.
In his Angemon form, he wouldn't bleed, because Digimon is a children's show, and they can't show blood.
It just... hurt a bit.
Not only did the bullet wound hurt, but the sharp tip of Batman's helmet had also jabbed into Soren's chest.
How does Batman not injure himself with such a rigid mask?
Soren's face remained blank as he let go of Batman and tried to ignore the pain in his chest.
Without saying a word, he turned around and charged toward the Roman.
The massive white angel shot upward, his six wings beating swiftly.
The golden staff spun effortlessly in his hand, deflecting every bullet fired his way.
The sound of bullets leaving their barrels seemed to be just the prelude to each one bouncing off his staff.
At that moment, the air filled with a thousand fluttering wings, creating a deep, echoing symphony.
Countless bats with their terrifying numbers, suddenly flooded into the warehouse from above!
They were bats—thousands, maybe millions—blotting out all the light like a thick black cloud, descending on the warehouse like an unstoppable storm.
The bats dove straight toward the crowd.
Falcone's men, terrified by the sudden noise, froze in place.
The bats, agitated by the ultrasonic signal, attacked every living thing in sight.
The swarm covered everyone in the warehouse, a massive dark wave devouring everything.
Falcone and his men screamed in terror, blinded by the swarm.
They fired wildly, the stray bullets hitting not only the bats but also their own people, causing even more panic and pain.
Screams, cries, and curses echoed through the chaos.
The warehouse became a scene straight out of a nightmare, as if the gates of hell had opened, and the hounds of Hades were about to tear apart every person inside.
In the middle of this hellish scene, the two figures—one in black, one in white—briefly locked eyes.
Soren flapped his wings and ascended into the air.
Soren pressed his lips together.
Even though Batman was still in his early, inexperienced days, he was still Batman.
He always had a backup plan for every possible situation.
Soren knew he shouldn't have underestimated Batman just because of a few early mistakes.
When Falcone's men had pointed their guns at Batman, Soren's heart had been in his throat.
He was afraid they'd hurt Batman, even though he knew Batman was no stranger to pain and scars.
Soren couldn't resist his instincts and broke through the skylight to help him out, forgetting that Batman always had a Plan B.
Of course, Batman had a way out if his stealth failed.
He had brought a sonic emitter to summon bats from the cave, using them to distract the enemy and help him escape the hail of bullets.
Classic Batman!
Soren admired him deeply, thinking how Batman never failed to live up to his reputation.
The endless stream of bats kept flooding into the warehouse.
The dark swarm flew around Soren's white wings and body, attacking Falcone's men.
Behind Soren, the bats formed a black, swirling sky, but in front of him, everything remained pure white, glowing brilliantly.
The ugly mass of bats, in contrast to that blinding light, almost looked like blooming black roses, swirling around this angelic figure.
The scene was so striking that anyone who saw it might feel an overwhelming desire to trap him and drag him down to hell.
Batman stood in the chaos, looking up at the angel in the sky.
The steel-blue eyes behind his mask reflected a cold, deep light.
The creature before him was pure, beautiful, and holy—yet didn't belong in this sinful city.
Gotham City wouldn't create something like this.
It could only give birth to monsters of the dark.
This city had long been soaked in filth, sinking slowly into the mud.
Bloody wrenches, little girls' dirty shoes, reused needles, and the wandering figures in dim alleys—these were the grime and decay that made up Gotham City, brick by brick, adding new stains every day.
Gotham City didn't have a real daytime, only endless nights.
An angel—how could an angel ever come to Gotham City?
Soren could tell what Batman was thinking just by looking at him.
As Gotham City's richest man by day and its Dark Knight by night, Batman had a powerful sense of ownership over the city.
His need for control wouldn't let anything or anyone out of his grasp.
And Soren?
He was definitely someone beyond Batman's control.
But a loyal fan always looks out for their hero.
Batman is suspicious of you!
Say something quick, calm him down before he gets angry!
Soren's mind raced.
"I'm not your enemy," he said, cutting off Batman before he could speak, "I'm just here to judge someone guilty."
The white angel's wings fluttered, and his golden staff caught a ray of moonlight.
He flew a bit higher, scanning the chaos of bats below until he locked onto his target.
In a flash, he dove down with precision.