(Daily plea for recommendation votes~)
Gotham, midnight.
The morning drizzle had finally turned into a torrential downpour, crashing down in sheets as though a floodgate had burst. Gotham was ordinarily an unapproachable city, but once night fell, the entire place could only be described as a den of demons. Darkness bred and spread through every corner beyond imagination, and that was even more true on a rainy night.
Speaking of Gotham City, there was another place that had to be mentioned—Arkham Island. It was an island on Gotham's outskirts, connected to the main city only by a drawbridge. Standing on the island was perhaps the craziest asylum in the world—Arkham Asylum. It was no exaggeration to say that even the air within that Gothic castle carried a bone-deep chill. No normal person would want to stay in a place like that for more than an hour; it would be a tremendous test of willpower.
Although the sign over its gates read "Arkham Asylum," everyone in Gotham knew that Arkham was actually the most dangerous prison in the world. The madmen held inside were far more insane than anyone could imagine. No matter how thoroughly you prepared yourself, they could always catch you off guard.
Tonight, another batch of lunatics was being admitted into Arkham's cells. The heavy drawbridge leading to Arkham Island slowly lowered, rainwater pouring from its edges in cascades. A vehicle fitted with thick armor plating drove steadily across the bridge, the word "Arkham" painted on its black carriage.
The drawbridge groaned as it rose again after the vehicle passed. Its rain-soaked chains scraped violently, producing a crisp clatter in the night. The guards on duty outside the gates carefully inspected the vehicle's clearance documents, then repeatedly verified them in the system before allowing it inside. Their caution