Batman crouched atop a ruined spire, watching the city below.

  The Exiled Order’s hidden sanctuary stretched beneath him, a byrinth of forgotten streets. But tonight—

  it wasn’t hidden anymore.

  Figures moved through the shadows. Not thieves. Not rebels.

  Academy Inquisitors.

  The Academy’s secret police. Trained to eliminate threats before they could grow. There were no trials, no negotiations. Only erasure.

  > [Academy Inquisitor Unit – Rank Unknown]

  [Mission: Purge all Exiled Order Members]

  Batman’s jaw tightened. They weren’t here to send a message.

  They were here to end the rebellion before it even started.

  A silent signal.

  The Inquisitors struck.

  Doors shattered.

  Shadows flickered.

  A dozen elite enforcers flooded the streets, their weapons glowing with Essence-infused power.

  Screams echoed through the alleyways as rebels fought back. Magic cshed in the darkness. The air crackled with energy.

  Batman moved.

  His body shot forward like a shadow, cape billowing behind him.

  He had no magic, no Essence—but he didn’t need it.

  The first Inquisitor didn’t even see it coming.

  A strike to the throat. Silent. Precise.

  Eliminated.

  The others reacted instantly, whirling toward him.

  “TARGET IDENTIFIED—”

  Batman was already gone.

  His foot connected with another Inquisitor’s knee, shattering it in an instant. He twisted mid-air, grabbing the falling enemy’s weapon and using it against the next attacker.

  Bdes cshed.

  Sparks flew.

  Batman outmaneuvered them all.

  But the battle wasn’t over.

  The air shifted.

  A cold pressure spread through the battlefield.

  Batman’s instincts screamed.

  A new presence had arrived.

  A figure nded before him, calm and composed, radiating controlled power. His uniform was different—bck armor adorned with the Academy’s sigil. Unlike the others, he wasn’t here for sughter.

  He was here for Batman.

  > [Inquisitor Commander: Valen Nightbane – Rank 350]

  Golden eyes locked onto Batman.

  “You’re the Traveler,” Valen murmured.

  Batman said nothing. His stance lowered, body prepared for a fight.

  Valen studied him. “They said you had no Essence. That you were just a relic from another world.” His grip on his bde tightened. “But I don’t believe in relics.”

  His sword pulsed with bck energy.

  “This rebellion ends tonight.”

  The fight had just begun. ---