Chapter 2885: When Night Falls (XIV)

Cassandra's punches were fierce, and Shiler parried with the candlestick from time to time, but Cassandra's expression didn't have the slightest pride or relaxation, but became more and more serious.

She discovered that the opponent parried too easily. Her greatest strength combined with internal energy and inch strength, logically speaking, should be able to easily break an adult male's arm into a comminuted fracture, but the other party didn't use any effort at all when shaking off her wrist.

This meant one very terrible thing—your enemy's strength far exceeded yours, and was not even on the same level.

This was very desperate, because this wasn't a gap in technique, but more similar to an ordinary person fighting a brown bear bare-handed. No matter how much technique you had, the gap in body size and strength couldn't be made up. Even if you were a kung fu master, you would still be slapped to pieces by one claw.

Cassandra's parents were top killers. She had received the most professional training since she was a child. Even if she was limited by her body size genes and couldn't grow into a huge body size, and her weight was a bit too light, she was after all practicing internal energy. The strength she could explode was far beyond ordinary people.

This was also the key to her being able to defeat the ordinary Batman. Before, Batman facing her was a bit like her facing Shiler now. This kind of confrontation was completely unfair.

But she really didn't understand how Shiler exploded such great strength. Could it be that he also practiced internal energy?

But Shiler wasn't of the same kind. Cassandra could feel it. People who practiced internal energy would have special senses. Besides, the opponent's moves were obviously not of her school.

Cassandra took the Eastern path. The method of martial arts practice wasn't considered very advanced, but it could be considered orthodox, and she had considerable talent in this regard. She had condensed internal energy and full blood and energy at a young age.

But practicing internal energy also had a disadvantage, which was that it was somewhat idealistic. Once she started to doubt herself, the internal energy wouldn't operate smoothly.

Cassandra fought with more and more doubts. Distraction in battle was a taboo. She didn't turn a thought over, her fist edge was three inches short. Shiler seized the opportunity, didn't dodge sideways, but leaned forward and pressed her shoulder directly.

With just this pinch, Cassandra felt her scapula had already shattered. She was forced to let out a muffled groan, but still twisted her body, broke free at the cost of breaking an arm, and then followed with a roundhouse kick.

The combo had already been broken. She just wanted to use this to force Shiler back so she could win a breathing space.

But Shiler didn't fall for it at all. He didn't dodge or evade, taking this kick hard. Cassandra was sure his ribs must have been broken, but the next second she was also knocked flying by Shiler.

This wasn't the throwing away from before, which at least left her a chance to adjust her body in the air to unload force. Being hit head-on like this, Cassandra felt she had hit a train, and blood and visceral fragments sprayed out from her mouth together.

"Cassandra!!"

The Robins' eyes were burning with fire. No one had ever been able to beat this strongest fighting expert in the Bat-family like this.

Cassandra, who fell to the ground, spat out another mouthful of blood, her face becoming gray and defeated at a speed visible to the naked eye. Because he was worried that the broken ribs would hurt her internal organs, Batman didn't go to help her, but gave her another treatment needle.

But using the treatment needle twice in a short period of time, the effect would be greatly reduced. Batman could only call Dick again.

But Dick's vampire magic healing had a limit. This kind of evil magic itself wasn't good at healing. As soon as the purple light covered her, Cassandra felt the wounds in her body healing, but at the same time, her blood was disappearing rapidly.

Batman also discovered it, so he hurriedly called to stop. Fortunately, she recovered a little, and Cassandra was helped to the side to regulate her breathing.

The Robins also realized that they were now in a very troublesome situation.

They hadn't failed to use long-range means just now, but most of them couldn't hit, and a small part hit without any reaction, and it even seemed that the more injuries he suffered, the stronger he became.

When had the

But facing Schiller, this strategy doesn't work. Clearly, the worse the opponent's condition, the better his state becomes. If they drag it out like this, it's uncertain whether they can exhaust the opponent to his limit, but they will definitely reach their own end.

Fortunately, Batman isn't just watching the fun from the sidelines; he has already grasped the key.

He turns his head and shouts to the second floor, "Tim!"

The sniper scope focuses instantly, and an anesthetic needle is fired. Unsurprisingly, it is dodged by Schiller, but after this needle hits the ground, a cloud of smoke rises.

The Robins immediately cover their mouths and noses, stopping their breathing, but clearly, Batman couldn't use such a simple strategy. This thing doesn't anesthetize through breathing, but through invading wounds on the body, especially open wounds.

Although Schiller has large-area burns on his body, he was also hit by two darts earlier, and there are wounds on his chest and arm. Upon contact with the anesthetic smoke, his movements immediately freeze.

Even so, it fails to cause him any real restriction, so Batman shouts to Dick again.

This time Dick finally understands. He directly retracts his magic restraining Khonshu, and Khonshu's staff waves forcefully, casting a beam of moonlight onto Schiller.

Instantly, the knife wounds and burns on Schiller's body heal, and the destroyed clothes are mended by fabric woven from silver moonlight. His body begins to emit a faint silver glow again; the protection of the moonlight has returned.

Schiller puts down the candelabra, takes a deep look at Batman, and turns to walk out of the Batcave door.

And before leaving, Khonshu only leaves one sentence: "Dawn is coming."

It was originally a very ordinary sentence, but it makes Batman's heart sink to the bottom.

Dawn is coming means two things—the sun rises, and the moon disappears.

The former will severely injure the current vampire Schiller, and the latter will cause Schiller's moonlight protection to fail.

And this simultaneously means one thing: Schiller's strength will reach its peak.

And the only good news is that Schiller at peak strength isn't going to wreak havoc on the Bat-family.

After a great battle, basically everyone is injured. Batman brings the anesthetized Robins back to Wei En Manor and bandages them together with Alfred and Schiller.

"What are your weaknesses?" Batman asks while setting Cassandra's bones.

"Do you think it's appropriate for you to ask me this?" Schiller is cleaning the wound on Jason's shoulder and looks up to ask Batman in return.

"You are the same person."

"Yes, so what are Batman's weaknesses?"

Batman remains silent, but soon speaks again: "This cannot be compared. You are clearly not on the same side, otherwise you wouldn't have come to me."

"Most Batmen also fight their own battles."

"Are his weaknesses your weaknesses?"

"Don't you know very well?"

Batman acknowledges this in his heart. He thinks it shouldn't be, or rather, he is unwilling to believe that the two of them are actually one person, and that this brutal Moonlight Schiller is the young era of the Schiller in front of him.

If that were the case, although the weaknesses of the two have merged into one, the strengths of the two have also merged into one.

The young Schiller is a good fighter, which means the old one might not be bad either; it's just that he might have mastered another skill during his long years of cultivation, which is that a gentleman uses his words, not his hands.

The problem is that his "using words" also has great lethality. If combined with his martial arts prowess from his youth, the trouble would be huge.

This is not as good as letting the Teen Titans go fight Deathstroke; at least Deathstroke doesn't talk much, and when he does, it's just sarcasm. Moreover, Deathstroke has no murderous intent toward this group of kids; the Robins would at most get a beating.

But besides potentially being skilled in both literature and martial arts, Schiller is also a madman. The psychological trauma he brings to the Robins might be far greater than the physical trauma.

Now, for Batman, vampires are no longer a big problem. The surgeon currently by his side is far more troublesome than a vampire.

Batman attempts to negotiate terms with him.

"I hope you won't interfere in the affairs of the Bat-family," Batman says.

"Then do you think your children will just let it go?"

Batman is speechless again. He knows very well that this crushing defeat will only make the Robins more high-spirited; sooner or later, they will go to settle the score with that young version of Schiller.

Batman does indeed have strong control over the Bat-family, but only in this matter is a warning ineffective. Moreover, the more he forbids them from going, the more they want to go.

It is often Jason leading, Damian helping, Tim building the bridge, and Dick paving the way. The only ones who are a bit less worrying are the two girls, Barbara and Cassandra, but one's fist isn't big enough, and the other doesn't have a mouth, so they can't stop the boys.

With the matter at a stalemate, Batman has to start considering it from another angle. He says, "You said there was another mole in the Bat-family, but the so-called surgery failed to flush him out."

"Perhaps he was flushed out, but because of the existence of another me, the opponent didn't make a move," Schiller proposes other possibilities. He says, "It's also possible he thought the moonlight was the invading personnel he arranged."

"Why would that be?"

"Don't imagine this organization as too high-end," Schiller shakes his head and says, "No matter who the mole lurking in the Bat-family is, his status within the vampire organization must be very high, otherwise he wouldn't have chosen you as an opponent."

"But not everyone has the ability to lead such a large organization. Among your Robins, who do you think could take over Wei En Enterprises right now without causing chaos?"

"Tim counts as one."

"So you might have ruled out another candidate," Schiller says. "Do you think if Tim wanted to take your life while you were weak, he would have made the scene like this?"

Batman shakes his head. It's not just because Tim has experience handling things at Wei En Enterprises; it's mainly because Tim isn't that kind of person. He is a bit like himself—force is always the last resort, and it's best to solve problems without bloodshed.

"So if he were to act, even the possibility of poisoning would be much greater than gathering a vampire army to besiege the Batcave, and it's unlikely he would terminate his plan just because of an inexplicable outside intruder."

"So this mole doesn't have strong leadership ability," Batman thinks and says, "He couldn't organize a decent attack."

"And he is very conservative and cautious," Schiller says. "If he saw the moonlight break in and canceled the invasion plan because things changed, then he definitely wouldn't be a very radical person."

"But it's also possible he deliberately let me think so."

"That is indeed possible," Schiller doesn't deny it, but continues, "But if he wants you to distrust the Bat-family, it's best not to create any directed characteristics. Framing someone is indeed good, but letting you be unable to grasp any evidence and keep guessing back and forth—hurting your feelings—is more beneficial to him."

Batman acknowledges this point, because he knows the Bat-family is just a side dish; the opponent's biggest goal is still to deal with Batman.

So, performing certain behaviors to guide Batman to guess at a certain person might indeed make Batman feel troubled, but it would only be a short-term pain, like Dick.

And not revealing any flaws, letting Batman equally suspect everyone, is the long-term pain. Being able to constantly interfere with Batman's attention is the optimal approach.

Then, the opponent exposing certain personality traits isn't a deliberately arranged strategy, but more likely a lack of ability, forced to be exposed.

But when it comes to a lack of ability, these members of the Bat-family also have their own shortcomings; no one is perfect. Relying on this small mistake to truly confirm someone's suspicion is still too difficult.

However, the tactic of setting up a false formation and luring the enemy deep cannot be used a second time in a short period. So, what should be done next?