The air thickened.

  Batman immediately noticed the change.

  The temperature dropped. The ground beneath him trembled, as if recoiling from an unseen force.

  Valen Nightbane no longer looked human.

  His golden eyes darkened, turning into pools of obsidian. The cursed sword in his hand pulsed, tendrils of bck energy swirling around it like hungry shadows.

  > [Abyssal Fang – Cursed Release: Stage 1]

  He had been holding back.

  Batman’s mind processed every detail. Every shift in stance. Every change in the air pressure. He had one advantage—

  he learned fast.

  Valen vanished.

  Not normal speed. Something else.

  Abyssal Step.

  A shadow flickered in Batman’s peripheral vision—too te.

  Pain.

  The cursed bde sliced through his shoulder armor, digging into flesh.

  The impact sent him staggering back, blood spttering onto the cold stone pavement.

  A clean cut. Not deep enough to cripple.

  Valen had pulled the attack.

  Still testing.

  Still evaluating.

  Batman exhaled through gritted teeth. This was bad.

  His opponent was no longer just fast—he was untouchable.

  Valen flicked his sword, shaking off the blood. “You’re durable. I see why the rumors spread.”

  Batman didn’t answer. His mind was already cycling through options.

  Magic? None.

  Essence? None.

  Weapons? Limited.

  But he had the battlefield.

  And his enemy’s expectations.

  Batman shifted his stance—subtly. Just enough for Valen to see the change. To assume he was preparing to counter with another martial strike.

  Predictable.

  That’s what Valen wanted to see.

  So Batman let him.

  The Inquisitor moved again, shadow-stepping at an angle—going for another surgical strike.

  Batman dropped to the ground.

  Not dodging. Not retreating. He used gravity.

  Momentum.

  His cape billowed outward, obscuring Valen’s vision for a fraction of a second—all Batman needed.

  He grabbed a handful of dirt and flung it directly at Valen’s eyes.

  A cheap trick. A dishonorable move.

  It worked.

  Valen’s attack faltered for an instant—but that was all Batman needed.

  He surged forward.

  No hesitation. No wasted movement.

  His fist connected with Valen’s jaw.

  A normal opponent would have colpsed.

  Valen?

  He staggered.

  His feet scraped against the stone. The cursed aura around him flickered.

  Batman didn’t stop. He followed through with an elbow strike to the ribs, then a precise kick to the knee—forcing Valen to shift his bance.

  It wasn’t enough to win.

  But it was enough to prove a point.

  Valen straightened, rubbing his jaw. He looked down at the smear of blood on his glove.

  Then he ughed.

  A low, amused chuckle. “Fighting dirty, are we?”

  Batman didn’t respond.

  Valen’s grin widened. “Good. It would be boring otherwise.”

  Then the shadows around him exploded outward.

  Batman’s instincts screamed—too te.

  The next attack wasn’t a sword strike.

  It was a wave of raw Abyssal energy.

  And there was nowhere to dodge. ---