"Buzz!" As the Joker finished speaking, and Ra's al Ghul's expression beneath his mask changed, a black light began to surge from the Joker's body, turning his pupils completely black. This was only the beginning. As his pupils darkened, the surrounding shadows began to tremble. Dark substances seemed to be merging into the black light around the Joker.
Yes, the Joker was absorbing the surrounding dark energy. Ra's use of the Shadow Legion's power to torture him reminded the Joker of how to communicate with the Dark Dimension.
However, it was more complex for the Joker to connect with the Dark Dimension now. Previously, he used General Icarus as a medium, suppressing him with his willpower to continuously draw power from the Dark Dimension.
Now, the Joker had to use his own body as a medium, forcibly drawing the Dark Dimension's power. This was due to the unique ability of this body to accept the dark energy and the immense life force it consumed.
But the Joker didn't care about such trivial matters. Moreover, this body was not his original one. Obtaining the Dark Dimension's power felt like a freebie, though it meant enduring significant pressure and pain.
"How is this possible?!" Seeing the shadows around the Joker vanish and the Joker slowly descending to the ground, Ra's pupils shrank. He couldn't believe what was happening.
Ra's had lived for centuries, and he had seen many extraordinary methods. However, absorbing an enemy's power like this was something he had never encountered.
Ra's had originally been an ordinary person. Hundreds of years ago, he had discovered a strange swamp called the Lazarus Pit, which granted him immortality through full-body immersion. He had lived for seven hundred years.
Frequent contact with the Lazarus Pit granted Ra's endurance, strength, speed, and physical abilities far beyond the average human. But in the world of the extraordinary, this power was not very strong.
Moreover, overuse of the Lazarus Pit caused him to enter a state of madness. As the founder of the League of Assassins and a master ninja, Ra's was unwilling to lose control of his body and mind.
Therefore, over the years, Ra's had been searching for ways to gain more powerful extraordinary abilities. Especially as more and more superheroes appeared, Ra's realized that despite living for so long, he had not uncovered the world's true secrets. Gods and demons seemed real.
Ra's redirected his followers to investigate the extraordinary world, eventually acquiring a mask filled with dark energy: General Resu's alien mask.
Ra's used his seven hundred years of iron will, much like Batman, the Joker, and Alfred, to suppress General Resu's consciousness and control the Shadow Legion, gaining the power of the Dark Dimension. But he was not satisfied.
When one begins to crave power, ordinary power is no longer enough. Despite gaining the Dark Dimension's power, Ra's still sought more. His perspective had changed.
Ra's power had increased many times over with the Dark Dimension's energy. He could now effortlessly wipe out his own League of Assassins. However, compared to top superheroes like Clark, he was still lacking. He also learned that other masks similar to the alien mask had been destroyed.
Ra's aimed to acquire other dark masks to gain more power from the Dark Dimension. He even considered forming a deeper contract with the Dark Dimension, not merely borrowing its power through General Resu.
Upon discovering that Batman also controlled the Shadow Legion, Ra's set off immediately. Knowing Batman's capabilities, Ra's was cautious.
Ra's understood that Batman had surpassed his teachings. Without revealing too many extraordinary powers, Ra's couldn't confidently say he could defeat Batman. Now that Batman also had the Icarus mask, Ra's knew that stealing it wouldn't be easy.
Thus, Ra's sought the Joker's help to create chaos in Gotham, distracting Batman so he could steal the Icarus mask.
Once Batman lost the mask, he would lose his extraordinary powers, making him easier to deal with. Even if Batman had other tricks, Ra's wouldn't be afraid.
Especially since Ra's had suddenly appeared, giving Batman no time to prepare. In unexpected situations, Batman's combat abilities were limited, and Ra's was confident.
However, Ra's hadn't anticipated encountering trouble with the Joker before even meeting Batman. The Joker seemed to possess memory-reading abilities, knowing their true identities. Now, the Joker was forcibly absorbing the surrounding dark energy, emitting a powerful extraordinary aura, which made Ra's highly vigilant.
"Still not coming out?" The Joker, now on the ground, still wore a smile, though his makeup had changed. Black lines appeared on his face, making his already eerie appearance even more terrifying.
As the Joker spoke, Ra's regained his composure. But before he could respond, dark energy suddenly erupted from the Joker's fingers, shooting towards him.
"Boom!" Several walls were instantly shattered, and the Joker dashed through the debris, smiling at the masked Ra's.
"You!" Ra's pupils contracted slightly under his mask. He had to admit that the Joker's reputation as Batman's nemesis and Gotham's top villain was well-earned. But before Ra's could speak, the Joker punched towards his head.
"Smack!" Ra's blocked the punch, but the Joker's fighting style changed, attacking relentlessly. Ra's furrowed his brows, continuously defending himself. Although he blocked the Joker's moves, he couldn't find an opening to counterattack.
Ra's had trained Batman in martial arts and had spent centuries mastering various combat techniques. His combat skills were among the best on Earth.
However, facing the Joker, Ra's felt pressured. He couldn't identify the Joker's fighting style and couldn't predict his next move, making it difficult to adapt.
The Joker's constant smiling during the fight felt like mockery, fueling Ra's anger.
Ra's knew his current mental state was problematic. If he had fought the Joker immediately, he wouldn't feel this way. But the Joker's behavior had already unsettled him, accumulating until it affected him now.
"Is that all? With your level, you can be Batman's mentor? Is that something you just told yourself in your memories?" The Joker taunted as Ra's grew angrier.
"Get lost!" Anger flared in Ra's eyes, and dark energy burst from his body, striking the Joker.
"Boom!" The Joker flew out, landing awkwardly but seemingly unhurt. A black light flickered over his body, as if absorbing Ra's dark energy.
"You're mad already? Is that all it takes?" The Joker got up, patting himself off, and continued mocking Ra's.
"Buzz!" The Joker's words completely enraged Ra's. Batman had once been his pride, but Batman no longer followed his orders. Dark energy formed a black light around Ra's, striking the Joker.
"Zzz!" The Joker smiled mockingly, dark energy swirling around him as if resisting Ra's attack.
As time passed, Ra's noticed something was wrong. The dark energy wasn't harming the Joker. In fact, the Joker seemed more energized, with more black lines on his face.
"Mm?!" Realizing this, Ra's recalled the Joker's earlier display of absorbing dark energy, shocking him. He quickly withdrew his dark energy.
"Figured it out? But it doesn't matter. This body can only hold so much energy..." The Joker smiled, shaking his head. "Now, let's settle the score for your torture, and then discuss dealing with Batman!"
"I can't believe it. As a supervillain, I haven't ended up with everyone against me, while Batman, a rich boy, has lost his parents and now has his mentor against him. So sad! Hahahaha..."
"..." Ra's remained silent, but his vigilance was at its peak. The Joker had been difficult before absorbing the dark energy. Now, after evolving, Ra's had no idea how powerful he had become.
Moreover, Ra's knew the Joker might not be telling the truth. If Ra's showed any weakness, the Joker would likely kill him and take his mask to confront Batman himself.
"Swish!" As Ra's expected, the Joker's laughter hadn't ended when he disappeared, reappearing before Ra's and attacking with a dark aura.
"Boom!" Ra's didn't dare be careless, his dark energy clashing with the Joker's. The initial clash shattered the building, and dark energy formed a domain around them.
In this domain, they fought fiercely, their dark energies colliding and destroying everything around them, gradually shifting their location.
"Master! This energy feels familiar! There's Dark Dimension energy nearby!" Meanwhile, Batman's Icarus mask suddenly opened its eyes and shouted in alarm. "And it seems like more than one source of Dark Dimension energy. Be careful, Master!"
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