American comics: Praising the sun, starting from Gotham!

Gotham in the early morning.

Xiu En pushed open the door to the balcony on the second floor of the welfare home.

The scene downstairs made him wonder if he was still having that nightmare of being surrounded by a bunch of muscular men.

In the center of the lawn, Alvin's tall, slender figure, which was originally that of a cold-blooded killer, now had a bit of a childlike air about him.

He demonstrated the movements in utter silence.

That was an assassination technique honed over centuries by the Court of Owls, specifically designed to exploit the weaknesses of the human body.

Although it has undergone extremely obvious simplification and de-lethalization.

"Observe carefully."

Alvin's deep voice rang out. He grabbed a not-so-thin dead branch with his backhand, and before anyone could see clearly, he twisted his wrist at a peculiar angle.

With a crisp snap, the branch broke off, the cut as clean as if it had been sliced ​​open.

"The weakness lies not in the muscles, but in the joints."

His gaze swept over Jerami and a few other older boys in front of him.

"For enemies stronger than you, don't think about fighting head-on; find their weaknesses."

Jeremy's eyes shone as he gripped a clothesline pole, mimicking the action with great enthusiasm.

The kid clearly realized that this was much more sophisticated than the haphazard street fighting he used to do.

The younger children nearby, though they didn't understand, thought the backhand wood-breaking move was incredibly cool.

But at the main gate, not far from this somber and technical teaching site, the scene suddenly transformed into a visual disaster.

Joestar, the guardian of the gate, is perhaps inspired by the morning light and is undergoing some kind of extremely hardcore warm-up.

He was still shirtless, covered in industrial grease that had been wiped off but wasn't completely dry, and was doing a handstand on the smooth marble steps by the door.

"Every muscle tear is a response to God! Only pain allows me to feel the reality of existence!"

With each action Joestar makes, he has to utter a line so shameful that passersby would cover their children's eyes.

The twisted utility pole that Xiu En had planted in the flowerbed yesterday had been used by him as a makeshift horizontal bar, and the metallic scraping sound became the only accompaniment to this morning.

The white phantom behind him seemed to be mimicking every twitch of the main body in perfect sync.

Wearing her new uniform, Jenny sat on the stone bench between the two like a referee, munching on her bread roll while glancing at Alvin, who was as swift as a ghost, on her left, and Joestar, who was as greasy as a bulldozer, on her right.

"The big golden bird behind Uncle Alvin looks like it wants to peck the fat white guy behind Uncle Joestar."

Jenny licked the jam off her fingers and waved to Xiu En, who was about to go downstairs.

"Big brother! They all seem to be imitating your glowing breath, but Uncle Alvin's breath is cool, while Uncle Joestar's is... uh, hot and a bit choking."

Xiu En leaned on the railing and took a sip of the bitter, pungent medicinal soup.

Indeed, as Alvin focused, a faint but real sharp golden aura condensed at his fingertips, while Joestar exuded a pure, fanatical aura that made people reluctant to approach.

"good."

Xiu En smacked his lips, revealing the look of an old farmer looking at his crops.

"This is what they call 'both arts and sports flourishing,' although the flowers that bloom are rather unique."

A series of very polite, even somewhat old-fashioned, three knocks broke the noise Joestar had created.

The gate wasn't actually closed completely, but the person who came still stood outside patiently waiting for permission.

He was an elderly man who looked to be quite old, wearing a dark green Chinese-style long gown with a stand-up collar.

His white hair was combed back meticulously, and although his face had some wrinkles, his green eyes were completely clear.

"What an energetic morning."

The old man's voice was not loud, with a measured tone that seemed to come from centuries ago. He smiled and put his hands behind his back.

Jenny was sitting on the railing, swinging her legs. Seeing the person approaching, she wasn't scared at all; instead, she politely waved the half-eaten bread in her hand: "Grandpa, are you here to collect your bread?"

Alvin, who was correcting Jeremy's posture, tensed up to his limit almost the instant he heard that sound, as if facing the absolute fear of an apex predator.

That former Claw Killer, who was always half-dead and used himself as a tool, pushed Jerami and the other two children behind him.

The ridiculous, withered twig in his hand was silently crushed into powder.

He let out a low growl, like someone cornered.

"Don't be nervous, young man."

Seeing that no one responded, the old man smiled and pushed open the door, his footsteps as light as a falling leaf.

"I haven't seen an owl's tricks in decades. Although it's been modified to look neither human nor monster, its alertness is still commendable."

Joestar clearly didn't understand these cryptic remarks. Although he was still upside down, his white Stand phantom seemed to sway uneasily like mist being blown around by a strong wind, due to a strange intuition.

Xiu En, on the second-floor balcony, focused his gaze on the seemingly ordinary emerald green jade pendant at the old man's waist.

[Ding! High-risk energy reaction source detected. Component analysis: Mutant regeneration factor, millennia-old corpse oil (crossed out), ultra-concentrated life essence]

It seems to be a very old creature, and it's full of treasures.

"I thought all the senior centers in Gotham had been blown up."

Xiu En, seemingly oblivious to the tense atmosphere downstairs, lazily greeted everyone.

"Old man, if you're here to persuade me to buy a gym membership, you've probably come to the wrong place. We usually only handle rituals for the deceased."

The old man raised his head.

At this distance, Xiu En finally saw his eyes clearly.

There was no anger in his eyes because of Xiu En's frivolous words, only a sense of relief at seeing a sample that was finally somewhat interesting.

"No, this is just right."

Ninja Master Lei Xiao Augu extended his hand.

He pointed to Xiu En's chest, which was radiating a golden aura.

"I've traveled to many places and seen countless forces that claim to be able to break the boundaries between life and death. Whether it's the green liquid flowing underground or the destructive stones brought by aliens..."

"But this is the first time I've seen such a pure trick."

He ignored the short knife that Alvin had brandished from who-knows-where and strolled leisurely toward the flower bed.

"Some call me the leader of demons, others call me the master of ninjas. But today, I am just a student seeking future companions."

His gaze swept over the utility pole artwork, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

"And while your taste is unique, your method of reshaping matter with power is quite in line with my philosophy."