Not Worth it

The massive ice sculpture exploded in a deafening crack, sending shards of ice flying in every direction. The thick, muscular arms of Laitos shattered their icy prison with ferocious power, and the six monstrous limbs swung wildly, cracking the air as they flailed. Laitos' body temperature skyrocketed, warping the space around it in shimmering waves of heat. The water that had melted from the ice evaporated almost instantly upon hitting the cracked, smoldering ground, rising as plumes of white steam.

Laitos had broken free from the ice once again, and this time, it was even faster—perhaps because it had anticipated this moment. But despite the increased speed, it still wasn't fast enough.

As it tore itself from the last remnants of ice, Laitos wasted no time. The urgency in its movements was clear, driven by a mix of anger and fear. Even before the icy fragments had fully fallen away from its towering form, Laitos lashed out, swinging one of its six powerful arms toward the Batwing. The arm had just cleared the last of the ice crystals when it stretched open its clawed palm, and from it, a tentacle shot out like a bolt of black lightning, crackling through the night with terrifying speed.

But in those brief tenths of a second, the Batwing had already completed charging. The aircraft hovered in place, glowing faintly as the energy it had gathered surged through its systems. Then, in a burst of raw power, the Batwing's heat-sight cannon fired, unleashing a beam of high-temperature, red-hot energy that spiraled outward like a radiant, superheated blade.

This was Batman's signature output skill—heat vision—faithfully replicated after years of tireless research. The original, wielded by Superman, had been described as having a higher temperature than the very core of the sun. Even in weaker instances, the heat vision was capable of melting and vaporizing any substance in its path. And while Batman's version wasn't an exact copy, nor as powerful as the genuine heat vision, it was still more than enough for the job.

Laitos' tentacle whipped toward the Batwing with blinding speed, but the moment it made contact with the heat beam, it was instantly vaporized. There was no explosion, no shattering. The tentacle simply ceased to exist. A large section of it was erased from existence, as if even the ashes had been swallowed by the immense heat. The destruction was so thorough that not even a trace remained of the appendage that had been there mere moments before.

The red-hot beam cut through the tentacle and continued on its path without resistance, moving like a molten sword through the air. It carved diagonally across Laitos' massive body, slicing through the creature's grotesque form without slowing down. The beam penetrated from the lower left of Laitos' enormous torso, and in less than a second, it had crossed through to the upper right, emerging from the other side of the beast's dark, quivering mass.

The beam didn't just cut; it seared. Like a blade wielded by a god, the heat-sight cannon's light left behind a clean, burning wound. The red-hot glow of the cut line was still visible as the beam vanished into the night, disappearing as quickly as it had appeared, leaving the air in its wake crackling with residual energy.

For a brief, frozen moment, Laitos seemed unable to comprehend what had just happened. Its enormous form, which had towered over the battlefield like an invincible titan, suddenly felt foreign. The creature could no longer sense its body in the way it once had. It was as though a part of it had been erased from reality.

A thick, scorched black line marked the path where the heat beam had passed. The massive cut was smooth and clean, as though carved by a celestial sword. The edges of the wound glowed with molten red, and faint tendrils of smoke wafted from the burn.

Laitos' one eye widened in disbelief. It couldn't feel its other limbs. It couldn't even feel the pain that should have come from the burning wound across its body. For the first time in its ancient life, Laitos—this ancient, god-like monster—felt something it had never experienced before: fear. Deep, primal fear.

Everything had happened so quickly. All eyes were glued to this moment. The onlookers, whether soldiers in the distance or civilians watching from rooftops, could only gape in stunned silence. Even those watching the event unfold on television screens miles away had their mouths open in disbelief. From several streets over, people could see the radiant beam of light pierce the sky, the red streak cutting through the darkness, distorting space itself with its immense power.

It was as though they had witnessed a miracle.

Laitos, still staring with its single eye, felt its strength fading. Fear and confusion clouded its mind. The last thoughts that drifted through its consciousness were tinged with regret. If only it had known how terrifying humanity had become—if only it had been aware of this level of power—it would never have emerged in such a weakened state. It would have remained in the shadows, biding its time, watching and learning before making a move.

But there were no second chances now.

The Batwing, now hovering silently in the night sky, unleashed its final barrage. The rhythmic clattering of machine gun fire echoed through the streets as rounds rained down on Laitos' now fractured body. The bullets cracked through the air, each one punching into the creature's already vulnerable form. And then came the missiles—Apocalypse missiles, engineered with alien technology, slammed into Laitos' body with devastating force. The explosions were spectacular, lighting up the night sky with a dazzling display of fire and light.

Under the gaze of countless onlookers, Laitos' massive, towering form finally gave way.

The black shadow that had once been Laitos' mighty body split apart, tearing asunder from the relentless onslaught. The combination of the heat vision cannon's devastating blow and the final full volley of firepower had done its job. Laitos' body, once indestructible and protected by the impenetrable Tis shield, fell to the ground. But it didn't simply fall—it crumbled.

Laitos' massive, ninety-meter-high body, which had once loomed over the city like a nightmarish colossus, collapsed with a deafening crash. As it struck the ground, its once mighty form shattered like fragile glass, disintegrating into fine dust. The Tis shield, which had once made Laitos seem invincible, now appeared to be little more than a thin, fragile shell. The moment Laitos' body hit the ground, it began to break apart, crumbling like a brittle vase dropped from a great height.

But it didn't stop there. The body continued to decompose at an alarming rate, disintegrating into a cloud of dust and ash. Within moments, Laitos' once-towering form had scattered across the battlefield, reduced to nothing more than particles that vanished into the night air. It was as if Laitos had never existed at all.

The battle was over.

It had taken place in the very heart of Riverton City, witnessed by thousands. When it became clear that the seemingly invincible demon god had been completely destroyed, a wave of joyous shouting erupted. People cheered, their voices filling the air with triumphant exclamations. But beneath the surface of the celebration, there was an undercurrent of deep, profound shock.

Especially among the higher-ups.

Laitos had been the most powerful enemy they had ever faced, and it had appeared in the very center of the city. While they were grateful for its defeat, the atmosphere among the command staff was disturbingly quiet.

This wasn't just about Batman's technology or how it had broken numerous physical laws during the battle. No, this time, something far more incomprehensible had taken place.

The most shocking part of the battle—the true climax—had been the final weapon used by the Batwing.

It had been a single strike, but it had felt like the sword of a god. The battle was decided in that one instant.

The operators, monitoring the fight from afar, had attempted to capture the thermal response from the Batwing. The moment they saw the readings, their eyes widened, and one of them could barely muster the strength to announce the numbers.

It was impossible.

Dr. Richard was the first to speak, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Impossible," he muttered, his voice filled with doubt. "There's no way this temperature is achievable."

For a few seconds, the command center was silent. Then Director Steele slowly raised his eyes. "Seeing is believing, Doctor. Batman has technology far beyond what we can comprehend. While this is… more extreme than usual…"

"No, no, you don't understand," Dr. Richard interrupted, now visibly agitated. "It's not just about the technology to create a weapon like that. It's about how the weapon didn't cause a chain reaction when it fired."

Richard shook his head, his frustration growing as he continued. "We're not in a vacuum here. We're in the middle of Riverton City! That kind of heat, when released, should have caused a disaster. The moment that ultra-high-temperature beam was fired, it should have spread in all directions, vaporizing everything in its path."

As Dr. Richard spoke, everyone in the room began to understand the implications. Creating a weapon like that was one thing—but controlling it? Preventing it from turning into a catastrophe? That was something else entirely.

"In theory," Richard continued, his voice rising, "it should have evaporated everything nearby. But instead, it cut through Laitos like butter, displayed an unimaginable temperature… and yet didn't cause any collateral damage."

The room was deathly silent, everyone staring at the screens, trying to process the impossible.

Finally, Director Steele walked over to Dr. Richard and placed a hand on his shoulder, offering a sympathetic smile.

With a soft sigh, Steele shook his head, his eyes conveying a message of resignation: Let it go. It's not worth it.

"I stopped trying to understand it a long time ago."

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[TL Note - lol, bro give up]