Chapter 1472: Bird and Return (17)_1

Damian Wayne first appeared in Batman: Son of the Demon, but this doesn't mean that his race was demonic or has a deep connection with the so-called demons of the mystic world. Here, "demon" is simply an adjective.

After the reboot of the New 52, the history of Teen Titans changed. Before the big event, they didn't interact much with the Justice League Dark or the mystic world, so this is Damian's first encounter with real demons.

The power of demons always carries a kind of heart-shaking evil and terror, this is the natural gift of the demonic species. But unlike the fear and rejection from deep within the soul that Red Hood and Red Robin felt when they first saw the demon, Damian felt deep confusion after his initial shock.

Did he see wrong? Why did this demon force a smile when it saw Bruce? Why did the rampant evil power surrounding it suddenly retreat?

When stripped of its great power and surrounded by hellfire, the demon seemed... a bit like a baby goat.

It's not that Damian wanted to belittle it, but the fact was that, once the flashy special effects were removed, the demon standing in the middle of the room was just an upright black goat. Slightly larger than the goats on earth, but judging from the development of horns and hoofs, it might still be a juvenile.

Red Hood and Red Robin also took a sigh of relief. Red Hood, support Red Robin, walked over and asked Bruce Wayne, "My God, Batman, what the hell is going on?"

"This hospital, the lunatic killer in the hospital, the messy corpses, the sinner's heart, dissection class, and this ... sorry?"

"Jeru is a black demon, the same as the demon often mentioned in human mythology, whose body is a black goat."

"Alright, this black demon, what the hell are you up to?"

Red Hood actually had something more to say, why compared to these terrifying serial killers with chilling limbs and the demon itself that represents the most primitive fear of humans, he always felt that what they were doing now seemed more evil?

"I'll tell you the truth, but it's best after everything is over," Bruce said.

The demon almost gently agreed to Bruce's terms. Holding two boxes, it left as if it was fleeing in panic.

Constantine and Harley went to the room next door to split the money. Bruce told Deathstroke to charge the bill to Wayne Enterprises and the mercenary left satisfied.

Red Hood stepped forward, just about to ask, when Bruce waved at them and said, "Let's talk in the office upstairs."

"But outside..."

"I have a dedicated elevator."

Bruce was holding Damian, and Red Hood and Red Robin followed him into an office upstairs.

Red Robin sat down on the couch, and when he saw Bruce coming over, he thought he would sit across from him. But instead, Bruce pushed the coffee table in front of him aside, kneeled down to check the wound on his leg.

Red Robin inhaled sharply. He was about to speak when Bruce asked without looking up, "You should have understood some of what I am doing, right?"

Red Robin stayed silent for a moment, before speaking his assumption.

"If I understood correctly, you built a psychiatric hospital, gathered villains and killers from all over the world, provided them with corpses from gang fights as research material, and then used these killers to extract organs from the corpses to sell to demons who needed them."

Bruce nodded. He remained kneeling, but looked up at Red Robin. When he met those deep blue eyes, Red Robin's heart skipped half a beat.

He saw approval in Batman's eyes.

He should be approved, shouldn't he? Red Robin thought about it. They had ended up in a strange environment, chased by a serial killer. He was the most heavily injured, but he was the only one among them who could think rationally. He deserved this approval.

But Red Robin was still incredulous. He never thought he could be the one to receive Batman's special treatment because he didn't believe he was special, at least that's what he believed.

He didn't have the long history of closeness that Nightwing and Batman have. He wasn't related by blood to Batman like Damian, nor was there any guilt involved like with Red Hood. Among all the Robins he was the only one with a way out- he still had his parents and a home.

Tim always felt that he and Batman were separated by a barrier that normal people could not see. Their closeness was mixed with a bit of strangeness, their familiarity carried a bit of formality. They seemed to be in sync, yet always keeping their distance.

Tim couldn't be sure of his place in Batman's heart. If his intelligence really made the equally intelligent Batman more certain and fond of him, why had he never received any special treatment from Batman?

But now he had received it. Because of his wisdom, he saw his wisdom being the only thing in common with Batman. Batman acknowledged that wisdom was their common ground.

It was like an anchor, bringing an unparalleled sense of security, even to the point where Tim didn't feel the pain of his wound.

"You're smart," he heard Batman say.

Tim even felt that his wound should be a bit more painful, so that he could sit here and watch as Batman examined his wound a bit longer.

This was truly a hopeless situation, Tim realized, but he was unable to extract himself from it.

Then, Bruce opened his mouth again, and a different kind of shock and joy burst from Red Robin's heart. Could he really continue to discuss this topic with Batman? Would his attention not be diverted elsewhere?

Could he even hear a deeper analysis from Batman? Receive guidance that no one else was privy to?

"You've only seen half, or possibly even one third of this industry chain... Do you know what the Dust of Souls provided by demons is used for?"

His speculations became reality. Red Robin knew that Batman didn't want to answer him, but rather, to explain to him. Today, he would receive an explanation from Batman, and it would be tailored specifically for him alone.

These words echoed in Red Robin's mind, leaving him unable to think of anything else until Bruce's voice rang out once again.

"There's a winding river in Hell, where tormented souls torn to pieces through a long period of torture ultimately end up. The sand and gravel in this river grinds the souls into their most primal energy, returning it to the original essence of the cosmos. This is the final fate of most evildoers."

"The Dust of Souls is the most delicate sediment in the river. Since it has been grinding various kinds of souls for millions of years, it has taken on many magical properties. It can precipitate in an intact human soul, increasing the weight of the soul."

"When a human dies, the dust in their soul begins to grind it, preserving the purest essence of good and evil within their organs."

Red Robin began to feel a chill all over. Every scene he'd experienced within the New Arkham Mental Hospital replayed in his mind. His memory, far beyond the ordinary, and his detective skills allowed him to recall every detail.

Countless fragments in his mind connected into a chain, making him feel like a giant standing above Gotham, overlooking the masses below.

He knew, it was his gift for deduction that granted him the perspective of the great planner, Batman's perspective.

And so, Red Robin began to describe this matter from such a perspective, his voice drawing the attention of Red Hood at the window and Damian sitting by the sofa.

"Gotham is a gathering place for human sins." Red Robin's voice trembled mysteriously. It wasn't fear, but more excitement.

"Never has any city been as sinful as this. The criminals shaped by the constant flow of sin cannot be eradicated. When they emerge from the warm lake of their mother's womb, they are destined to flow into the River of Hell."

"Such souls should not be wasted in this manner... So, I built a pasture, where all the sinners guilty of major crimes come, not only for me to control them, but also to raise them, feeding them with extravagant buildings, abundant resources, and plentiful deaths."

Red Robin raised his head to see Bruce's hopeful gaze. Bruce's hand was on his knee, a gesture of pressure, yet Red Robin was ecstatic about it.

Batman anticipated his answer, yearned for his understanding, Batman was... loving him.

He was trembling all over, his Adam's apple bobbing as he spat out another sentence: "And, and Dust of Souls... I feed them with the sediment from the River of Hell."

"All their sins will settle in their souls, continuously washed and ground by the Dust of Souls, becoming increasingly heavy and pure — extreme evil is yet another form of treasure."

Bruce was still kneeling on the ground, just reaching up to wipe the dust and blood off Red Robin's face with his fingers.

Red Robin was trembling all over, as if about to cry. It wasn't the affection that moved him, but a deep-seated fear coupled with an uncontrollable joy that forced him to keep talking.

"I know who needs such a treasure — the devils of Hell forever pursue sin, even willing to spend years luring people into sin within their dreams just to claim a soul full of transgressions."

"Since they regard sin as a treasure, I exchange my hand-raised lambs with them. I have come to hold the reins of the world's most precious lambs, therefore the demons must bow down to me, pleading with me for mercy."

"This darkness is a precious treasure to me. Now, I bring you here to witness this miracle as devout believers — to understand me, revere me, and... love me."

After uttering the last sentence, Red Robin seemed to lose all strength, his body curling up weakly.

Bruce finally stood up, but then bent down to hold him. In Batman's arms, Tim felt an indescribable relief.

The Robins always thought logically that Batman was a god capable of everything, but on an emotional level, they had to accept that he was also a man prone to mistakes, bringing pain along with this contradiction.

But when they realized and understood that Batman was an unreachable and great shepherd, all feelings turned into "worship". At this moment, all doubts and self-questioning can be put aside, making the world simple and clear.

Gotham gathered the sin of the entire cosmos. The one who spread darkness here must have never imagined that once this young bat, filled with rage, spread his wings, he would, in a more terrifying manner, feed on the rain of sins falling on Gotham to raise fat lambs and sell them at a good price.

When Red Robin's breathing became more steady, the three Robins seemed to see an enormous pair of terrifying bat wings stretching out from Bruce's back, enveloping not just this dark room, but the entire city, the entire world.

At this moment, they knew they must respect him because he was Batman.

Also because, this Batman found a twisted, scary but effective solution for the deepest madness of the world. He was even more insane than insanity itself.