The erald waters didn't settle after the two n jumped out; instead, the turbulence intensified.
The disappearance of Nanda Parbat's anti-magic field didn't bring Thea any joy. A drop of cold sweat slid down her forehead as she felt a massive, vile energy surging relentlessly from the pool.
Thea couldn't tell if it was always like this, or if Jason and Yao Fei's entry had broken so seal. Either way, a world filled with malevolent forces was connecting to this place through the water.
Using magic constructs to bind Jason and Yao Fei—who now looked more like beasts than n—she tossed them to Nightwing and the others before turning her attention back to the pool.
Disordered, evil energy was leaking into this world through a tiny crack in the water.
Even this sliver of energy wasn't resting; it was constantly trying to corrupt the combatants on the scene. The heroes had wills of steel and weren't affected, and the League's minions were rigorously trained, so they showed no signs of corruption for now.
But Thea knew this state wouldn't last long. As the crack widened and more corrupting power seeped into this world, willpower alone wouldn't be enough to hold out.
Bruce, we have a problem! An evil passage has opened up. You and Ra's need to stop fighting. I'm evacuating the team and will try to seal this place.
Thea used telepathy to ssage Batman, but she waited thirty seconds and got no response.
Didn't he hear ? Or what?
Thea was puzzled for a mont before slapping her forehead. She was being an idiot.
Batman doesn't have telepathy! He was just a human; he couldn't receive ntal transmissions!
Just as she was about to use the Eye of Horus to check the situation outside, her Power Armor's communication system intercepted a new call request.
Thea opened it effortlessly. Batman's agile figure appeared on the HUD. "Nice comms system. Did Felicity make it? I heard your ssage, but Ra's al Ghul went completely berserk a minute ago. I can't stop him now."
After speaking, Batman panned the cara toward Ra's. The previously elegant elder had transford completely. His symptoms were far worse than Jason or Yao Fei's; his attacks were now laced with blood-red energy.
"He's corrupted. After soaking in the Pit for so many years, his body stopped being human long ago." Thea made a judgnt instantly, recalling his mutated constitution from their last fight.
"Can he recover?"
"I don't know. I have to seal the breach here first. We'll deal with the rest later."
They ended the call quickly. Thea turned to Talia. "Can you control these people? Your father has gone mad outside. We can only rely on you here."
Talia was an ambitious woman. If it weren't for her relationship with Batman, she would be a stranger to the concept of justice. Hearing that Ra's had gone mad, a trace of sadness flashed across her face, but it was quickly replaced by the thrill of opportunity.
"I'll try! If you can help get the old man's ring, I'd be more confident." Talia whispered.
Thea shot her a cold look. "Put away your sches. I know your rules—whoever wears the ring commands the League. Just stabilize them and don't cause trouble for . The other side of this pool is an extrely evil world. If my seal fails, no one here survives."
Talia didn't get angry at the rejection. She slashed down two enemies with her sword, leaped onto a high platform, and shouted, "Brothers of the League! I am Talia al Ghul! I am the eldest daughter of the Demon's Head! Listen to !"
It had to be said that Talia held high prestige within the League. When she defected, hundreds had followed her to the death. Although the current crowd wasn't loyal to that extent, they respected her.
A large swath of black-clad assassins stopped their attacks to listen.
"The Demon's Head has gone mad!" Talia dropped a bombshell.
"You lie!"
"Impossible!"
"Traitor!"
The crowd exploded. Ra's disciples were all over the world. In an instant, assassins cursing in various languages turned on Talia. However, most of their curses involved ancestors but stopped short of insulting Ra's himself, so their montum was a bit lacking.
Thea was busy carving the sealing circle. The Constantine bloodline had dealt with demons for generations; summoning and sealing were their bread and butter. Although she was a bit annoyed that Talia was using this opportunity to seize power, she decided to help her out.
A giant Water Mirror spell materialized in front of everyone.
The image in the mirror showed Batman and Ra's al Ghul fighting outside. The old man's eyes were crimson, the sounds from his throat were bestial, and his entire aura had changed. Anyone could see there was a problem.
"See that? He's mad! I am the true leader! Sardin, do you still trust ? Philip, have you forgotten who taught you archery?"
Talia used both carrot and stick, stating facts while appealing to the specific assassins she was close with.
The crowd's attitude softened quickly. Many were loyal to the system, not the man. If the Demon's Head was truly mad, then pledging loyalty to Talia wasn't out of the question.
"Go! Quickly!"
Thea was sweating profusely. She didn't know if it was Trigon on the other side, but she had never faced such imnse pressure. The entity was clearly held back by sothing, not using its full power to break the barrier between worlds.
Talia knew Thea wasn't bluffing and imdiately ordered everyone to evacuate.
"You guys go first. I'll see if I can help." Nightwing showed true leadership qualities. He knocked out Yao Fei and Jason, directing Batgirl and Shado to leave first while he stayed behind.
Thea nodded at him. Her energy was focused on the magic circle; she had no ti to spare.
As Thea chanted the incantation loudly, a mysterious rhythm filled the small room. But the resistance from the other side increased. The passage between worlds didn't shrink; it widened slightly.
Even fighting across dinsions, Thea could tell the opponent was leagues above her. She was fighting on her ho turf, and the opponent was restricted, yet they could still widen the crack. This power far eclipsed even Horus back in the day.
Thea took the Dead King's Scepter from her spatial ring and released a magical double.
Mind and body connected, casting spells simultaneously. They imdiately curbed the opponent's speed in breaking the barrier. The Dead King's Scepter amplified Thea's magic and shortened the casting ti.
For a mont, things seed to be turning around.
Suddenly, Thea's pupils constricted.
A black shadow drilled ferociously out of the crack, striking toward her like lightning.
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