The Court of Owls' Wrath: All-Out War!

Deep beneath Gotham City, in a vast space not marked on any map.

This is the council chamber of the Court of Owls.

The entire hall is made of cold White Marble and Obsidian, and above the dome, a huge ancient mural depicting an owl hunting Bat exudes a chilling atmosphere.

A dozen or so figures sat around a long, circular table, all wearing elegant yet eerie white owl masks.

They are the true masters of Gotham, shadows entrenched in the very marrow of this city.

At the head of the long table, a man wearing a golden owl mask—the same old man who witnessed the destruction of the altar last night—was gently tapping the tabletop with his fingers.

"The loss of control of the Van Cottler Trust Company is just a test of our bottom line by an unruly nouveau riche. We encounter these kinds of minor troubles every year."

His voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable arrogance.

"Sending one Talons to teach him a lesson he'll never forget is enough. Our real enemies have never been these lowly street thugs."

The others in the room nodded in agreement, discussing Link and his "Chaos Direction" company as if they were talking about a bug that had accidentally wandered into their living room, wondering which foot to step on it with.

Just then, the heavy stone doors of the council chamber were silently pushed open.

A Court Steward, also wearing a mask but dressed simply, strode in, his breathing rapid, clearly bringing urgent news.

"Elder, something has happened at the Hermes Altar..."

The golden-masked elder paused, then slowly raised his head.

"Explain."

"The altar..." The deacon's voice trembled slightly, "... the altar has been... desecrated."

The temperature in the entire council chamber seemed to drop several degrees instantly.

They don't care about commercial losses.

But the altar was the core of their faith, a sacred and inviolable symbol of the court.

"Details." The Grand Elder's voice remained calm, but those familiar with him could sense the storm brewing beneath the surface.

The deacon took a deep breath and began his report.

"The altar guards, eight Near-Talon, were all rendered incapacitated; the operation was clean and swift, a single, fatal blow."

"The sacred owl Statue was splattered with red paint, and on it... on it was painted the head of a demon."

"Most importantly..."

The deacon paused, as if what he was about to say was too heavy.

"At the scene, we found a short sword that was plunged directly into the Statue's heart."

He presented a tray with both hands, on which lay the very same short Link had meticulously replicated, the one with a demon's head at the end of its hilt.

The council chamber was deathly silent.

All the members present stared intently at the short sword.

"This is... the emblem of Lei Xiao O Gu!" a member exclaimed, his voice filled with disbelief.

"Furthermore," the deacon's voice grew increasingly hoarse, "The entire altar is permeated with a peculiar scent. Our scent analysis experts have confirmed that it's a mixture of moisture from the Lazarus Pit, sandstorms from the Middle East desert, and several rare herbs... the unique aura of League of Assassins assassin!"

"Boom!"

This news was like a bombshell, completely shattering the atmosphere in the parliament hall.

If the previous commercial attacks were merely provocations, then the desecration of the altar and the leaving of the tokens are a blatant declaration of war!

"The League of Assassins! Have they gone mad?!"

"Those lunatics hiding in the desert dared to attack us in the heart of Gotham?"

"They have destroyed the understanding that has existed between us for hundreds of years!"

Angry roars echoed throughout the room.

In their view, the course of events was crystal clear.

That newcomer named Link was just a smokescreen.

The League of Assassins first instructed Link to attack their peripheral assets, and while the court's attention was diverted to this newcomer, their true elite forces launched a fatal blow to the court's most sacred place.

What a vicious scheme! What an arrogant humiliation!

The golden-masked elder slowly stood up.

He didn't roar or howl; he simply reached out and picked up the short sword.

The cold blade sliced across his fingertips, yet left no mark.

"Lei Xiao O Gu..."

The elder murmured the name, each word seeming to be squeezed out from between his teeth.

"Do you think that by clinging to life for centuries with the Lazarus Pit, you can challenge Gotham's ancient Order?"

"Do you think that sending your daughter to feign friendship with that nouveau riche will conceal your wolfish ambitions?"

You're wrong.

His voice suddenly rose in pitch, like the Owlman in the dead of winter.

"Gotham is the nest of us owls! Any claws that dare to reach into the nest must be severed!"

He slammed his short sword into the Obsidian table in front of him, and the hard surface cracked instantly.

"Relay my orders!"

All the members fell silent instantly, turning to look at him.

"Awaken Parliament!"

These words shocked everyone present.

"Elder, you mean... awaken the entire Talon Council?" a member asked in a trembling voice. "That's the ultimate power we prepared to deal with the apocalyptic crisis!"

"The end of the world has come!"

The elder's mask turned towards him, and golden flames seemed to burn in his empty eye sockets.

"The League of Assassins has declared war on us! This is not a test, not a conflict, it's war! A war to the death!"

"I don't care what Rayleigh O'Gu is plotting, I don't care what he wants from Gotham. I just want him to pay the price."

He spread his arms wide, like a king proclaiming his will.

"I will make those desert assassins bleed to their last drop in the shadows of Gotham! I will make Rashy O'Gu regret his arrogance and stupidity for eternity!"

"Awaken them! Awaken all the sleeping Talons!"

"Tell them the hunt has begun!"

As he gave his final command, a wall deep within the council chamber slowly opened, revealing rows of cryogenic chambers shimmering with a ghostly blue light.

"Laugh--"

The screeching sound of the valves rang out one after another.

One by one, hundreds of coffin-like cryogenic chambers were opened, releasing a cloud of icy mist.

Pairs of emotionless eyes, shining in the darkness, flickered like will-o'-the-wisps in the mist.

One by one, silent figures rose from the cryogenic chambers; they were the sharpest claws of the Court of Owls, the most terrifying nightmares in Gotham's night.

A shadow war, ignited by Link himself and sweeping across Gotham's Underworld, has officially begun at this moment.