Yes, exactly.
This was the endgame.
The Riddler watched in a daze as Batman and Joker spoke for a while on the television. Then Batman activated the machine.
Right before his eyes, Joker turned into a revolting mass of meat paste inside the Crystal Coffin.
There was no body double, no fake death, and no disappearance. He had not vanished in an explosion or accidentally fallen off a cliff.
There was only simple, straightforward death.
The Riddler had faked his own death several times before, using Clayface or Skinner, another Gotham villain capable of shapeshifting. But he had never done anything like this.
Batman had killed someone—and he had done so without hesitation.
The Riddler saw the video zoom in, and Joker appeared right before him.
Let's turn back time to the moment of Joker's death.
"So all of this was just a trick to fool me? You never actually became Joker?"
"Never," Chen Tao said.
Silver-white particles flickered. As the Crystal Coffin sealed completely, Chen Tao let out a deep sigh of relief.
There was no question about Lucius's technical expertise. With such a thick Crystal Coffin between them, Joker absolutely could not escape.
That was right. He had done it. He had fooled Joker—the Joker who had once caused the original Batman, Bruce Wayne, countless failures and endless pain. Now, he was trapped inside the Crystal Coffin. All Chen Tao had to do was gently press this button...
Separated by a pane of transparent glass—the Joker was certain it was a highly polymerized, hermetically sealed material. The Joker looked at Batman.
"Ha-ha, ah-hahahahaha... Batman! You caught me again, ha-ha-ha, I'm such an idiot, ha-ha-ha—but this is really fun, this joke is hilarious—damn it! You really do a convincing act. Next time, I won't—"
The Joker laughed so hard