aircannonsinc Chapter 206, Section 103: The Night of the Owl
Chapter 206, Section 103: The Night of the Owl
Chapter 206, Section 103: The Night of the Owl
Upon hearing Lei Xiaogu's command, Talia dragged Dick through the roof of the cabin and fled into the night-covered wasteland.
Sensing the approaching claws, Lei Xiaogu devised this tactic. When the tide turned against him, he would use his own flesh and blood to protect the last embers of the Assassin Alliance.
Talia, true to her assassin's professionalism, executed the order flawlessly. There was no farewell, no regret or reluctance; the father and daughter didn't even exchange a glance, their indifference as cold as strangers passing by.
The fleeing figures also caught the attention of the four elite assassins. After witnessing Bane's true abilities, they all abandoned watching the battle and chased after the two.
Twenty years ago, a court oversight allowed the Alliance to escape death, but today the Claws will not let history repeat itself.
But they seemed to have underestimated Lei Xiaogu's determination.
The elderly leader actually chose to turn his back on the powerful enemy on the battlefield and chase after the four claws.
The sudden surge of killing intent behind them made Sharp Claw tremble with fear. Looking back, the murderous Lei Xiaogu was like a red-hot branding iron, his ferocious and twisted face deeply imprinted on their retinas.
Lei Xiaogu drew his sword, its sharp blade slicing through the vast rain curtain, like a bolt of lightning piercing towards an elite's claws.
"Bane! Help me!!!"
Left at the back of the group, Benjamin Orchard was terrified. He cried out and raised his arms, trying to use his flesh and blood to block Lei Xiaogu's thunderous blow.
His idea was flawless. As long as Lei Xiaogu couldn't eliminate him immediately, the self-healing ability granted by the amber gold composite would help him stall until reinforcements arrived.
However, the gap in strength between him and Lei Xiaogu was too great, so great that even his powerful self-healing ability could not bridge the chasm-like difference in their strength.
Just as the sword was about to make contact with his wrist, the old man suddenly accelerated, as if a gust of wind had passed through Benjamin's body.
"Um?"
Benjamin murmured to himself and looked down at his chest.
He was certain he hadn't misread it; Lei Xiaogu had indeed ignored the impact and passed right through his body.
Looking back, Lei Xiaogu was already chasing after him with his slender sword, seemingly having no intention of turning back to entangle with him.
"He let me go? Why?!"
Just as Benjamin was racking his brains, a thin, bright red line suddenly appeared on his black Claw suit. This line came without warning, as if God had accidentally painted a stroke on earth.
But Benjamin, who was also a master swordsman, understood what this meant.
"So I was already dead—"
As the words fell, countless fine lines emerged from his body, and with a soft "poof," flesh and blood exploded, spraying blood everywhere. Benjamin, who had been smirking, collapsed into a pile of minced meat on the spot.
Rainwater washed over Benjamin's mangled body, revealing shimmering amber-gold composite material amidst the shredded flesh.
Amber Gold's healing ability only takes effect before the body is completely dead, while Lei Xiaogu's superb swordsmanship is enough to kill his opponent before the healing ability takes effect. This is why Claws fear this elderly assassin.
After killing Benjamin, he turned his attention to his second prey, Alton Carver.
The former circus knife thrower panicked after being targeted by death, grabbing all the hidden weapons he carried and throwing them out in one go.
His hasty counterattack was a joke to Lei Xiaogu. The old man either dodged or blocked, and even caught a flying knife that was aimed at his face with his bare hands.
In despair, Alton instinctively protected the head containing the amber gold, unaware that this action was tantamount to exposing his weakness in the eyes of Death.
Lei Xiaogu quickened his pace, his figure flashing left and right like a ghost. In the instant he approached Alton, he flicked his wrist, and his slender sword sliced the rain curtain in two like a silver dragon whipping its tail.
Alton's neck was also severed.
In an instant, the clawed creature felt a lightness in its body, and then it saw its body fall into the pond.
But deep down he felt only relief.
His body wasn't completely destroyed like Benjamin's, which means he could still survive if his head was reattached.
However, Lei Xiaogu's actions soon shattered his small wish.
The old man leaped forward, his toes barely touching the ground, and using the spin of his body, delivered a powerful slap towards the head in mid-air.
The moment Lei Xiaogu was kicked, Alton etched the expression on his face into his heart.
His brows were furrowed, his mouth was stained with blood, and he wore an undisguised, maniacal smile.
He was certain that the old man did it on purpose, giving hope only to destroy it with his own hands—this was the punishment inflicted on the side that unilaterally started the war.
Alton's head traced an arc, crossed the desolate plains of Naihe Island, plunged off the cliff, and finally landed in the surging sea, splashing up an inconspicuous wave.
If nothing unexpected happens, his head will sink to the bottom of the sea and be forgotten. Before the amber gold composite is completely consumed, he will suffer repeatedly from the pain of brain hypoxia necrosis and self-repair for a long time.
After landing, Lei Xiaogu did not hesitate and charged at Felix, who was second to last, with his sword.
But at that moment, the immense pressure coming from behind made Lei Xiaogu's heart skip a beat.
"Teacher, turning your back on the enemy on the battlefield is a major taboo!"
Bane's roar echoed across the wilderness, booming like thunder.
When the dark figure appeared behind the old man, he knew it was too late.
Before his bones were shattered by Bane's iron fist, Lei Xiaogu once again swore the oath of the League of Assassins.
"For a noble revenge!"
"For a noble revenge."
Talia didn't turn around. She bit her lower lip and repeated after Lei Xiaogu. Rainwater mixed with blood seeped into her mouth, and the smell of blood filled her nasal cavity.
"I will cover your retreat with all my might. Once we reach the city, we will split up, but you must not go to see your friend." Talia threw a volley of projectiles behind her and turned to stare at Dick's profile.
Why?
"Because this is the night of the owls, when their claws come out in full force, and all forces that threaten them will be wiped out in the darkness."
"Your friend is definitely also within the scope of the purge. If you go to him, you'll only bring the pursuers with you."
Talia glanced again at the annoying tail behind her, the chaotic footsteps, and the dark mass of pursuers.
With the belief of eliminating all traces, the remaining two leaders, along with all but a hundred claws, pounced on Talia and Dick.
Talia might not have a problem dealing with the two leaders, but that would leave her defenseless against the pecking of the other birds of prey. So the best option is to escape. They should flee the desolate city deep within the wilderness of Naihe Island, where the shadows of the tall buildings and narrow alleys will provide them with hiding places.
"Then who should I go to?" Dick asked.
"Black Forest Bar, Death Knell."
Talia licked the blood from the corner of her mouth.
She had already prepared for this day to come.
Half a year ago, she went to the Black Forest Bar to see Deathstroke once. After bringing up his old friend Copper Tiger, she received his promise (foreshadowing in Chapter 15).
Deathstroke's promise only extended to protecting Dick; she wasn't included in it.
However, the proud Talia doesn't need anyone's protection. Once she gets rid of Dick, who is holding her back, she is absolutely confident that she can outmaneuver her pursuers and turn the tables.
Both being assassins, Talia, who received rigorous training from Leixiaogu since childhood, did not believe she would lose to those half-baked assassins who flaunted their power with amber gold composites.
Let's rewind to an hour earlier.
Selena, who was at Wayne Manor, had never felt so uneasy.
Tonight marks the beginning of the war, but most people remain in the manor. Tim is helping Lucius repair the overheated and crashed supercomputer, while Harvey, Brock, and Gordon are resting in the basement.
Jason the Red Hood was, as always, ready for battle, sitting on the steps facing the door with two pistols at his waist. But judging from his sullen expression, he must be feeling resentful for not being involved in Qin Wei's plan.
Chato, sitting next to Jason, also had a long face. Both of them were former gang leaders and shared the same ambition to do great things. They chatted idly and unexpectedly found that they got along very well.
"I don't know what Wei was thinking. He talked a good game when he was recruiting me, but then he sidelined me when it really mattered!"
Having realized he'd been tricked by Gotham's succubus, Chato rested his chin on his hand and let out a soft sigh of dissatisfaction.
"Yeah, do I really come across as that unreliable?"
Without experiencing the dark path of dying and being resurrected, Jason remains the same resentful, immature young man who harbors resentment towards bats.
He understood that Qin Wei didn't want him to take any risks, but when you're immersed in the turbulent river of Gotham, who can truly extricate themselves from the whirlpool?
Jason secretly resolved that if Qin Wei still treated him as an object to be protected rather than a comrade-in-arms after this incident, he would definitely leave.
Red Hood's gear was good, but he still preferred Qin Wei's outfit. He had already gotten the original bat costume from Selena, and perhaps in the near future, Gotham would have two bats flying through the night together to fight crime.
As Selena listened to the men's complaints, Jason's words gave her some inspiration.
It seems that since she got together with Qin Wei, all she can do is play support and provide emotional support, which goes against the Catwoman's independent and proud persona of never relying on others.
No wonder Holly said she had changed.
With that in mind, Selena changed into her night clothes, which had been gathering dust for some time, and rolled up the whip and tucked it into her lower back.
She wanted to go out and see if there was anything she could do to help, or even add fuel to the fire.
Without alerting anyone, Selena changed her clothes and slipped out of the back door of the castle, finding the motorcycle in the stable.
Just as she was about to straddle it and start the engine, a faint noise from the roof alerted the girl.
Due to her profession, Catwoman was particularly sensitive to sudden unusual noises. She carefully played the sound in her mind again and after pondering it, she realized that the sound was neither the sound of raindrops nor the sound of wood expanding.
If we really have to say what it sounds like, perhaps footsteps would be a more fitting description.
But the footsteps wouldn't be just one sound. If the owner of the sound was human, then the other party was most likely still standing in the stable, above her head.
Thinking of this, a chill crept up the girl's spine.
She moved quietly, tiptoeing slowly toward the exit of the stable.
Looking up through the rushing rain, the sight that greeted Selena sent chills down her spine.
Countless dark figures leaped onto the castle like fleas, twisting and crawling on the walls in the darkness.
Their movements were skillful and experienced; the group worked together with a clear objective, using a cutter to slice open the castle's glass windows before sneaking in. The sounds from the shadowy figures were drowned out by the cacophony of the rain. If it hadn't been for Selena's impulsive decision, they might have all been slit in their sleep.
In just a few seconds, the shadowy figures completely disappeared from the surface of Wayne Castle. Only then did Selena realize she needed to warn everyone, but the rain was pouring down, and the stables were some distance from the castle. How could she quickly attract everyone's attention?
Selena looked around and then fixed her gaze on her great devil.
Insert the key, squeeze the clutch, and as the girl presses the power button, she also fully twists the accelerator.
Boom!
The 159-horsepower Testastretta DVT four-cylinder engine gives this all-black monster a terrifyingly loud roar; the moment Selena twisted the accelerator, she felt like she was going deaf.
Such a loud noise would surely alert everyone in the castle.
Catwoman's choice was extremely wise. The instant he heard the great demon's roar, Jason drew his dual pistols. Although he didn't know what was happening, any sound during wartime should be taken seriously.
As soon as he stood up, he caught a glimpse of a clawed figure flashing by in the shadows of the corner.
"Enemy attack!"
Jason roared and unleashed a hail of bullets at the chandelier on the ceiling.
The huge bronze crystal chandelier was swept away by its iron chains and crashed to the ground, causing the entire castle to tremble. The GCPD trio in the basement were also awakened from their sleep.
Startled awake, Harvey Dent sat bolt upright on the table.
On the bed opposite him, Gordon's mouth was already tightly covered by infiltrated claws.
The hidden blade reflected a blinding, cold light under the kerosene lamp.
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