Starting with Naruto, I'll become stronger through my own efforts.

Chapter 390 Batman is still too green.

The engine roared, propelling the fully loaded 30-ton fighter jet forward, before it steadily left the runway and soared into the deep night sky.

Two minutes later, an even larger bomber, carrying nearly ten tons of the Mother of All Bombs, struggled to take off from the end of the runway.

Meanwhile, an army artillery battalion temporarily launched live-fire training, following the map to their designated gun positions and beginning preparations for long-range artillery fire.

At another abandoned military base, five armed helicopters took off in succession, forming a formation with another Black Hawk helicopter carrying the Death Cross Squad.

The Death Cross Squad, also known as the Upside-Down Cross, is a superpowered squad that was developed during the conflict between the Owl Court and the Papacy because the owl's claws were insufficient to fight against the Papacy's crusaders.

Because it involves superpowered individuals, the number of members in the Death Cross Squad is uncertain, and their strength fluctuates. At its worst, they were reduced to a single organizational unit with no official members.

Due to the recent increase in the number of superpowered individuals, the Death Cross Squad has gradually reached full strength of nine members, and even has two reserve members.

But the Court of Owls knew that its team of superpowered individuals could at most fight against one or two hundred armed men, which was a completely different level from the power of "Sky," who could ignore hundreds of armed security guards.

The purpose of sending the Death Cross Squad this time was certainly not to encircle and kill "Kong," but to collect his body and confirm the results of the battle.

The weapons used tonight are all powerful war machines.

In particular, a certain judge used his connections to deploy a nearly decommissioned Mother of All Bombs, a thing capable of destroying several communities and enough to wipe out an entire forest.

Logically, once the attack is completed, "Kong" should have absolutely no chance of survival.

But the Court of Owls has a 150-year history and has weathered many storms, so it has some heritage and tradition. They all know that to commit murder, one must see the body, even if it's just a few teeth or pieces of flesh; otherwise, success cannot be guaranteed.

Therefore, ground infantry must be deployed to search the area after the attack to confirm success.

Even if it doesn't succeed in the end, this step must be taken.

The judges at the Owl Court were confident of victory, and some were already considering the troublesome aftermath.

While the Court of Owls' attack was on its way, Shazam was curiously observing the visiting Batman.

His mocking gaze was like a searchlight, making Batman feel extremely uncomfortable.

Xia Zuo asked with a grin, "Oh dear, Batman has actually come knocking on our door. Did you already prepare to deal with me, or did you successfully develop the 'Anti-Xia Zuo Armor'?"

Batman, suppressing his discomfort, replied earnestly, "No, I have some questions I'd like to ask you."

"Heh, you seem to have a big face." Xia Zuo tilted his head and asked in a disdainful tone, "Why do you think I have to answer your questions?"

Batman said in a deep voice, "The question I want to ask is related to the Court of Owls. Once I know their information, I will take action against them, which is also a good thing for you."

Xia Zuo laughed: "Hehe, that's not true."

He looked Batman up and down and continued, "You're still too green. An incomplete Batman isn't qualified to understand the Court of Owls. That will only get you killed."

"Now you can get lost, you stinky bat."

Batman clenched his fist, suppressing his anger and rage, and said, "No one can kill Batman. Batman is the nightmare of all villains."

Xia Zuo: "————"

He never expected that the young and inexperienced Batman would look so awkward when he tried to show off!

Such a statement would only be suitable for someone with profound life experience, a majestic demeanor like the Five Sacred Mountains, and the ability to inspire confidence with just a glance.

At the very least, one must be a ruthless person who has been immersed in a sea of ​​bitterness or blood for many years and whose whole body exudes a terrifying aura to barely maintain their intimidation.

These days, talking about Batman is like trying to balance a huge vat with a toothpick.

It's so spicy it hurts my eyes!

However, this kind of Batman is quite good.

Xia Zuo smiled as he looked at Batman in front of him. He knew that letting emotions show meant that his thoughts were not deep enough and that his superficial ideas would easily dissipate with time.

In other words, if you bully Batman now, he won't hold a grudge, at least not for a long time.

Once that Batman in front of you matures, he'll hold a grudge forever and might suddenly retaliate in a brutal way.

That wouldn't be fun.

It might not hurt much or cause much injury, but it will definitely be disgusting.

Just as Xia Zuo was thinking about how to bully Batman, his 'Mind Network' revealed malicious intent towards him, as well as a high-speed target that shouldn't have appeared.

In a flash of thought, Xia Zuo activated [Mind Network] to its maximum, carefully searching through the shallow memories of these potential targets.

He quickly understood what was going on, and then he burst into laughter: "Hahaha, it's true that timing is everything!"

"Batman, the revenge from the Court of Owls is here. You'll soon see just how powerful and insane they are."

Batman frowned slightly, began to survey the surrounding forest, and asked疑惑地问道, "The Court of Owls' retaliation?"

Xia Zuo shook his head and said, "No, no, don't look around, look at the sky. Their attack is coming from the sky."

"what?"

"There's an even farther attack! How can it be so fast? This is—155?"

"That's right, it's a 155mm howitzer!"

"How interesting, they actually used that as an opening. Well then, let me see what their real main weapon is?"

Xia Zuo's mouth gradually widened: "The Mother of All Bombs—"

"Hahaha, this is so funny, it's been a huge help to me."

"I was just worrying about how to expand the core area of ​​the forest, and here comes this wonderful gift."

"I won't torture you anymore. I'll let you rest in peace without pain as my way of thanking you."

Batman looked at the gesticulating Xia Zuo in front of him and heard his crazy words, and a bad feeling welled up in his heart.

Suddenly, Batman felt a strong, instinctive alarm, sharp as if someone had pierced his head with a needle.

The next second, a 155mm howitzer shell exploded in the tree canopy, sending leaves and branches flying everywhere.

But the most lethal element was the more than 9000 steel balls inside the shell. Propelled by the explosion of 16 kilograms of high-energy explosives, they carried a force far exceeding that of bullets and rained down like a storm.

The speed and power of the exploding shells are extremely high, far exceeding the limits of human physiological response.

Batman was able to see all of this because Shazor raised his hand and activated [Electromagnetic Control], using electromagnetic power to control the bullets and stop them five meters above the two men's heads.

Before Batman could say anything, he heard a second explosion, a third explosion, and eight explosions in a row.

The canopy of the large tree in the center of the forest had been blasted to pieces, revealing a clear sky.

Batman's head was buzzing, and he subconsciously said, "Eight consecutive 155mm howitzer shells. That's the firepower of a howitzer battalion."

"How did the Court of Owls manage to deploy such overwhelming firepower in the suburbs of Gotham City? How dare they do this?"

Xia Zuo laughed: "Isn't the madness and power of the Court of Owls far beyond your imagination?"

"Were you scared off by what they did?"

"Bat Boy, it's still early days. This is just an appetizer."

Batman broke down; his expression was no longer limited to frowning, but rather wide-eyed as he stared at Xia Zuo in disbelief.

His voice even trembled slightly: "You mean, they have follow-up attacks, even more powerful ones?"

Xia Zuo nodded: "That's only natural."

"I can single-handedly break through a hundred-person protective circle and destroy a fortified villa, so of course you should treat me as an army regiment-level unit."

"So, guess what weapon will follow the 155mm shelling?"

Batman answered the question blankly: "Missiles, air-to-ground missiles, or 1000-pound aerial bombs."

Xia Zuo snapped his fingers: "You guessed right. This shows that you are very knowledgeable, but it also shows that you are still a young man."

"As a real adult, you would say you have both, because adults never make choices; we always want them all."

Before Xia Zuo could finish speaking, Batman heard the sharp explosion of an aerial bomb and saw the trajectory of a missile that changed from level flight to dive.

The aerial bombs and missiles had the same target: a clearing in the middle of the forest.

This is a weapon that Batman cannot resist. He is not only immature in personality and intelligence, but also technically immature.

The Bat Armor that would later become famous throughout the multiverse was something Batman didn't even have the inspiration to develop.

So after witnessing the attack of these two weapons, he knew that his life was no longer in his own hands.

Feeling utterly powerless, Batman could only turn his gaze to Shazo.

He saw Xia Zuo laugh happily, bright arcs of electricity appearing between his hands, and then a huge electromagnetic net was spread out.

"Batman, I have to thank you!"

"If you hadn't shot me in the head, I wouldn't have even remembered I had that move!"

"No, that's not right either. This move isn't mine either; it belongs to another Xia Zuo. Is it from Marvel or Naruto?"

"Oh well, whatever, they're all Xia Zuo's, why be so particular? What's yours is mine!"

As Xia Zuo continued his incessant chatter, the electric arc of the electromagnetic grid gradually spread and merged, forming a transparent membrane.

Electromagnetic Control & Electromagnetic Barrier

This is the protective shield that Marvel's Shazor used to withstand the power of a nuclear explosion when protecting the Avengers and members of Shazor's army.

After some time, drawing on the techniques of Aries' Crystal Wall, this move was improved and finally perfected.

This is a powerful defensive skill capable of withstanding the core of a nuclear explosion; mere air-to-ground missiles and aerial bombs are nothing more than a drop in the ocean.

Thanks to Shazzo's protection, Batman was fortunate enough to witness the entire explosion at the point of detonation of the weapon of war.

The dazzling explosion and the white shockwave terrified him, and cold sweat streamed down his back.

I don't know if it was a few minutes or a dozen minutes later, the terrifying explosions finally stopped.

Batman then realized he had been holding his breath for who knows how long. He exhaled a heavy breath and began to gasp for air.

He murmured, "It's finally over."

Xia Zuo looked over with a grin: "It's over? You're overthinking it. There's something even more ruthless and intense coming."

Batman was completely stunned: "There's more? How is that possible? What weapon could be more ruthless—more powerful—?"

Helicopters swept across the forest, which was ablaze with fire, dropping strings of white phosphorus incendiary bombs.

The exploding white phosphorus bomb resembled beautiful fireworks, with hundreds of sparks flashing with dazzling light, trailing white smoke as it wobbled and fell downwards.

It was dazzling and beautiful, like a shooting star falling.

But as Batman gazed at the beautiful sight, his face suddenly drained of color, turning as pale as paper.

White phosphorus bombs are inhumane weapons explicitly prohibited by the United Nations, listed alongside biological and chemical weapons. Naturally, he considered the possibility of being attacked with chemical and biological weapons next.

Xia Zuo reassured him, "Don't worry, there won't be any biological or chemical weapons, because I've already proven that I'm immune to viral and chemical toxin attacks."

"But the next attack won't be easy either; I need to make a hole in myself first."

As he spoke, Xia Zuo clapped his hands, and thick tree roots sprouted from the ground, turning up the soil and leaving a deep cave.

Without the slightest hesitation, Xia Zuo jumped down.

Because his mind was completely blank, it took Batman a full two seconds to react before he jumped down.

At this moment, he could already hear the terrifying sound of a deep, rumbling steam train coming from high above.

After Batman jumped into the cave, he actually fell flat on his backside without any regard for his image.

But instead of getting up, he simply lay down on the ground, looking at the sky above the cave entrance, muttering repeatedly, "Mother of All Bombs, how could they use the Mother of All Bombs? How dare they? They deserve to die."

The official name of the Mother of All Bombs is GBU-43/B Massive Airburst Bomb, which is filled with 8.4 tons of high-performance explosives.

The shockwave after the explosion has an absolute destructive radius of nearly 150 meters. The massive shockwave can destroy a reinforced concrete area the size of nine city blocks. If it were a forest or plain, the kill radius would be even greater.

In other words, the homeless people and residents who originally lived in the forest will suffer a devastating disaster.

The number of casualties tonight will be horrific.

Batman foresaw the outcome, but he also knew that there was nothing he could do; he needed Shazor's protection even to survive.

He finally realized just how ruthless the Court of Owls was, and how much power they wielded.

Neither Bruce Wayne nor Batman are qualified to face the Court of Owls, which lurks in the shadows yet firmly controls Gotham.

boom-!

The Mother of All Bombs exploded.