Rotting, stinking flesh.
White plastic bags.
Occasionally, the remains of unknown creatures could be seen in the flowing sewage.
Batman walked through it, feeling the foul water flowing around his boots.
The air was thick with a pungent stench, making him want to vomit.
However, all of this was negligible to Batman.
His strong willpower allowed him to endure combat in any extreme environment.
"Alfred, report."
Batman pressed his earpiece, but only static crackled in response.
"I need to prioritize improving the signal range in the Batcave."
Batman lowered his arm in silence. Now, he was completely alone.
"Rushing…"
The sound of rushing water behind him grew more intense.
Batman stopped and turned around, sensing an issue.
In the dark tunnel, his bat-goggles provided excellent illumination. He saw an old, hunched figure slowly making his way towards him from around the corner.
"Ra's al Ghul." Batman's mind immediately conjured the name, and a wave of unease washed over him.
That guy was definitely a tricky opponent. Bruce could already guess his intentions: to hold him off while the Assassins set up a large-scale weapon in the heart of Gotham City, designed to send every Gothamite straight to the devil, Satan.
Splash!
Water sprayed, revealing the corpse of a dead owl.
In the long, wide sewers that reeked of unpleasant odors, Batman finally met Ra's al Ghul.
Their eyes met, and neither spoke.
Meanwhile, on both sides of the pedestrian platforms, Assassins emerged, their heads wrapped in black cloth, and wearing ninja shoulder guards.
Each of them held a Katana, standing silently there, their cold gazes fixed on Batman, suppressing the atmosphere of this area, making it ice-cold and filled with killing intent.
But neither of them made a move, obviously having received orders to wait for Ra's al Ghul's statement.
"I hear the people here call you the Dark Knight of Gotham City."
Ra's al Ghul shook his head, his white beard fluttering in the wind as he held the great sword behind his back.
"Clang!"
The sharp blade was held in the hands of the frail old man, giving a comical contrast.
But the surging killing intent emanating from him could not be ignored, undoubtedly a powerful opponent.
The old man's voice echoed eerily, passing through the Batman's mask in the empty sewers. Ra's al Ghul stared at Batman with a playful look, saying, "What kind of terrible place needs to be guarded by a lawbreaker?"
He saw in Gotham City the shadow he hated: crime and madness.
And these were precisely the things he hated the most.
To tell the story of Ra's al Ghul, it would be necessary to go back several hundred years.
Back then, he was a wanderer, traveling the world.
During one of his journeys, he met a well-known old doctor, who possessed superb medical skills. The doctor, using his knowledge as a condition, kept Ra's al Ghul with him and betrothed his daughter to him.
After the old doctor passed away, he left Ra's al Ghul with a precious research document, which contained information about the Lazarus Pit.
Ra's al Ghul and his wife eventually found this miraculous pool of water on an island, which could cure diseases.
Then, he and his wife used these miraculous waters to heal the villagers around them.
Ra's al Ghul's reputation grew, until it reached the ears of a king in a certain land. The king, with a large sum of wealth, requested that Ra's al Ghul heal the prince of his country.
Ra's al Ghul's wife strongly advised against helping, as she had heard that the prince of that country was a madman and a pervert.
But Ra's al Ghul eventually went. He healed the prince and was rewarded, but the price was that the insane prince killed his wife and locked Ra's al Ghul and his wife in the same cell.
It was just like most villain's stories of descent into darkness.
Ra's al Ghul's beliefs crumbled from then on. His only goal in life became destroying the world and establishing what he believed was a perfect order.
Humans were just disgusting, base, hypocritical, laughable, childish, and filled with madness and hatred. He should treat them like livestock, putting everyone in shackles and then using punishment to teach these uncivilized lunatics some rules.
He escaped and, after drinking from the Lazarus Pit, continuously grew stronger. Then, using the wealth the king had given him, he recruited soldiers and gathered a group to overthrow that kingdom.
And this small organization gradually developed into the famous League of Assassins over the long years.
In recent years, Ra's al Ghul has been secretly carrying out activities to overthrow kingdoms.
From the fall of the Roman Kingdom to World War I and World War II, the shadow of Ra's al Ghul and the League of Assassins could be seen.
Over the past few years, Gotham City had become a thorn in Ra's al Ghul's side.
This was Ra's al Ghul's story, and the reason for his hatred of Gotham.
Batman stared at Ra's al Ghul in silence, then shook his head. "Whether I obey the law is irrelevant to you, but I know I can't let you destroy this city."
"What a pity."
Hearing Bruce's answer, Ra's al Ghul grinned, revealing his pale gums, and brandished his Katana. "I've killed countless people in my life, and you will soon be one of them."
Before his words had even faded, the old man's figure shot forward, like a green bolt of lightning, towards Batman.
The Lazarus Pit had granted him unparalleled speed, strength, and reflexes, as well as powerful self-healing abilities.
The katana rose and then slammed down, a terrifying white flash.
Batman used his legs to push off and dodge to the left. The sharp blade barely missed the edge of his cape, and the immense force crashed into the water, sending up a spray of dirty water.
"Bang!"
Amidst the splashing water, Ra's al Ghul twisted his wrist and reversed the blade, slashing towards Batman's waist.
If he were hit by this blade, Ra's al Ghul's terrifying strength could easily cut him in half.
But Batman was worthy of his name. Seeing that he couldn't dodge with his movements, he took out his Grappling Gun from his waist and pulled the trigger towards the ceiling.
"Bang!"
The modified grappling hook pierced the concrete. The immense force pulled Batman upwards, narrowly avoiding the fatal blow.
"You can dodge countless times."
Ra's al Ghul didn't even look up as he raised his hand, shooting out several Throwing Darts. As a remnant of the old era, he never liked using firearms, these newfangled "weapons".
The poisoned Throwing Darts slammed towards Batman. He quickly opened his cape to block them, but it was obvious that the light and thin cape couldn't stop the sharp blades.
They pierced the cape,
and several Throwing Darts cut Bruce's arm, scratching his skin.
The poison took effect!
"Plop～"
The intense dizziness caused Batman to fall into the water in a sorry state.
Ra's al Ghul held his Katana, watching the large bat rapidly swimming in the sewage.
Although looking quite disheveled, retreating with the current was undoubtedly the wisest choice.
"But, I won't let you escape."
Ra's al Ghul gripped his blade tightly, and set off to pursue Batman.
Tonight, the hunt begins!
------------------------
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