*Chapter 120: You Are Not Clearwater*
A sizzling electrical sound filled the air as the White Knight's right arm deployed its High-Voltage Electric Sword.
"Thunder Breathing, Fifth Form: Heat Lightning!"
A golden-blue, superheated lightning strike slashed across the surface of the Anti-Puppeteer Armor. However, the Promethium Alloy merely glowed faintly red before quickly returning to normal.
"Promethium again…"
Inside the White Knight, Qingshui frowned.
Promethium was basically immune to magic and conventional energy attacks, and its physical hardness was incredibly high. Without Superman-level strength, breaking through Promethium's defenses was virtually impossible.
"So you think if you hide in this turtle shell, no one can touch you? But you can block my attacks, what about him?"
Qingshui's tone carried a hint of mockery as he pointed his High-Voltage Electric Sword at the Batplane hovering in the sky.
"I have no intention of being your enemy, Clearwater, or whoever you are."
Batman's deep voice resonated as he pressed a button on his palm.
After Qingshui demonstrated his Wind Release ability last time, Batman had modified the Batplane.
The bottom of the Batplane rotated, four turbines rose, spewing flames, and it rapidly ascended into the sky, simultaneously emitting ultrasonic waves. Sound waves can transmit energy and vibrate the air. Theoretically, when the frequency of ultrasonic waves is high enough, they can interfere with airflow and density, affecting Qingshui's Airflow Manipulation.
In addition, there were multiple thrusters and airflow stabilizers, which, relying on sensors and smart chips for calculations, precisely counteracted the airflow generated by internal chemical reactions with external air currents that changed direction and intensity, all to maintain balance.
Such immense computational power could only be achieved by Wayne Enterprises' black technology.
"Damn rich people!"
Qingshui watched helplessly as the Batplane flew away, then looked at Batman, who was huddled in his turtle shell.
"You can't protect him forever, unless you lock this guy up for life. Otherwise, I will definitely kill him. But if you lock him up for life, then he's no different from truly dead."
"Oh, and it's not just this guy. That fat, greasy mayor, and all those idiotic politicians who support this moronic Arkham City policy—I'll personally take them out one by one. I want to know, how will you protect them? They are a thousand times more evil than those criminals. I think you understand this better than I do."
"And you've already disgusted me twice, Batman. You must have investigated me, so you know I don't have a very good temper. If you keep this up, I'll retaliate. For example, I'll start with those closest to you. Tell me… am I right, Mr. Wayne?"
Batman stood silently, watching Qingshui, until Qingshui uttered the name "Wayne."
"You are not Clearwater."
"No, I am Clearwater."
"Clearwater, son of Stanton Watt, born in 1987, enrolled in… at age seven, entered Gotham University's medical department at age eighteen, then…"
Batman recited every detail of Clearwater's past identity.
"I've reviewed all the treatment reports from your time in Arkham Asylum. You suddenly changed one day. After escaping Arkham, you were no longer that strange doctor, but someone else with an extreme obsession with power and authority."
"Uh-huh, so now, what does any of what you're saying have to do with our fight?"
"At least you are not the Clearwater on record, or perhaps the former Clearwater was just a mask you wore to achieve some goal. The current you is the real you. Perhaps I know what you're trying to do."
Batman looked at Qingshui.
Looking back at Bruce Wayne's past resume, he appeared to be nothing more than a lavish, pleasure-seeking billionaire playboy, completely unlike the serious, mysterious Batman.
That was his disguise. And he had even intentionally imprisoned himself to understand criminals, to interact with them.
Before entering Arkham, Clearwater had not committed any heinous crimes—just things like stitching together corpses and manipulating the dead, which fit the definition of mental illness.
Throughout Clearwater's path into the underworld, most of the territories under his control developed relatively well, and he didn't engage in destructive businesses like drug dealing.
He was different from other gangsters, at least in his objectives. As for his true objective, Batman only had various speculations, from which he chose the most reasonable.
Perhaps this person in front of him had chosen a path similar to his own, yet fundamentally different.
Both were heading into darkness. But Batman used pure darkness to instill fear, combat darkness, and maintain order.
This person, however, integrated into darkness, controlling it in his own way, establishing an order within the darkness that better aligned with his ideas.
But his methods were more radical, and he had even fewer bottom lines.
In this regard, he was more like the Ninja Master, though that one's goal was to destroy darkness, not to combat or control it.
As for not taking such a dark path, like entering politics, that was almost impossible in Gotham, and Batman understood that.
The more one understood Gotham, the more one knew that light couldn't save Gotham. Harvey Dent was the best example; Gotham's darkness would drag light down into an endless abyss.
Qingshui hadn't expected Batman to come up with such a strange conjecture due to the vast difference between his current self and his former self.
He was simply seeking more Fortune, and the methods of acquiring Fortune were highly intertwined with acquiring power and strength.
As for some things he didn't do, and didn't allow Hogg United to do, it was simply because he believed he wasn't a good person, but he wasn't an animal either, and he wouldn't allow those around him to be animals.
Otherwise, he might not be able to resist killing those animals first.
"Very well, since you know what I'm going to do, then don't hinder me."
"I will keep an eye on you and prevent you from becoming like that person, from going astray due to obsession. Also, Mayor Sharp will eventually be imprisoned for life, just like Dr. Hugo, but they should not die by your hand."
"You mean…"
"Sharp is, after all, the mayor, and Hugo is a Gotham City councilman, as are those high-ranking city officials. They represent the government of this country. If you kill them, you will be going up against the most powerful governmental apparatus in the world. In that case, you will face the fiercest retaliation, and everything you possess will turn to dust."
Batman replied.
Holy shit! That actually makes some sense!
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