Book 3: Chapter 69 |
City Z.
Monster Association Headquarters.
A combat robot sped through the labyrinthine sewer network of City Z, plunging deeper and deeper into the bowels of the Monster Association headquarters.
Under the direct remote control of Metal Knight, the machine instantly transmitted every byte of gathered data back to his laboratory.
Suddenly, several tentacles erupted from the concrete floor of the sewer, striking with blinding speed and skewering the combat robot in a single motion!
"This..."
Metal Knight, seated before the monitors in his laboratory, let out a stunned exclamation as the screen went black.
He couldn't even process what had just happened!
Tap-tap-tap.
Moments later, he pulled up the final frames captured by the robot, slowing them down fifty-fold on the main monitor.
Even at 1/50th speed, the image remained a chaotic blur. He could only make out a flash of something white and amorphous a split second before the sensors died and the screen plunged into darkness.
"Slower!!"
Metal Knight paused the feed and meticulously broke the video down, striving for maximum clarity from the individual frames.
The resulting images were still heavily distorted, but the silhouette of the white object was now discernible...
It was a tentacle!!
Metal Knight’s eyes narrowed as he glanced at the data readout in the upper right corner of the screen.
It displayed the velocity of the strike, calculated by the robot's advanced sensors an instant before its destruction.
4,313,832 meters per second.
"Monstrous..."
Metal Knight whispered in awe. He quickly hammered a few keys, transmitting the intelligence directly to the Hero Association headquarters.
It seemed their worst fears had been realized...
The One-Eyed God was indeed within the Monster Association!!
...
At the same moment, the white tentacles that had decimated Metal Knight's robot retracted back into the cracked concrete.
Deep within the depths of the Monster Association, Pain withdrew his hand from a black spatial vortex.
Psykos, standing beside him, couldn't help but ask, "Did something happen, Lord?"
"Nothing major. Just a rat scurrying into the house," Pain replied calmly.
Psykos's eyes narrowed. "The Hero Association is likely trying to gather intel... it was only a matter of time. On another note... what do you intend to do about that strange man who calls himself a monster?"
She had dispatched several Demon-level monsters after Garou, but they had all been slaughtered.
As a human who had already defeated several S-Class heroes, Garou was certainly a person of interest. Psykos felt it necessary to inform Pain of his presence near their headquarters.
Pain responded with total indifference. "Just forget about him."
Psykos nodded. "Garou doesn't seem to have the slightest desire to collaborate with the Monster Association. However, his presence during the upcoming war could still prove useful, as he certainly isn't an ally to the Hero Association either."
Pain nodded. "Do as you wish. I've left the command of the Monster Association's forces to you. I promise to reward you with a small portion of my cells if we succeed in destroying the Hero Association."
"It is an honor, Lord."
Psykos bowed with fervor.
Most of Orochi’s cells had already been consumed by Pain, and the samples remaining in Psykos's laboratory were too insignificant to be of much use. As a monster herself, her path to further evolution required a powerful catalyst like Orochi's full body, which was now gone.
However, Pain's cells were on a vastly higher evolutionary plane than Orochi's ever were. Even a small quantity would be enough to push Psykos’s evolution to the next level!
One could never underestimate the value of even a trace of Pain's genetic material; after all, he was a Divine-level monster!
"You may go."
Pain dismissed her with a wave. Once she was gone, he turned his head toward the girl nearby. "Lilith, you will also take part in the upcoming war. You will face my main body; I want to test your strength."
"Understood," Lilith nodded.
Over the next few days, Child Emperor made several attempts to send various drones and sensors into the Monster Association's lair, but every single one was personally intercepted by Pain using Yomotsu Hirasaka.
Consequently, the Hero Association failed to gain any concrete intelligence on the inner workings of the Monster Association, save for the intentionally leaked information regarding the presence of the One-Eyed God.
Yet, upon receiving this news, Child Emperor and the others weren't just worried—they felt a strange sense of relief. The unknown was always more terrifying than a known threat.
They believed the One-Eyed God couldn't defeat Saitama, just as Boros couldn't best the Thunder God. Thus, the Hero Association remained fully confident in their superiority, despite the looming threat of two Divine-level monsters joining forces.
"The time has come."
"It’s time to start!"
Child Emperor closed his laptop and looked at the numerous S-Class heroes gathered in the briefing room.
Metal Bat stood up abruptly, cracking his neck with a series of sharp pops. "Alright, you damn monsters, get ready. I’ve been stuck inside for three whole days because of you!"
Zombieman, Puri-Puri Prisoner, and the others began to rise from their seats as well, checking their gear.
Pop!
Saitama had been blowing a bubble with his gum. As the heroes rose, the bubble burst loudly, coating his face and smooth, bald head.
"Everyone here should already be familiar with the detailed operation plan."
Child Emperor scanned the assembled heroes. "First, we will infiltrate the Monster Association headquarters to rescue the hostage. Once the hostage's safety is confirmed, Miss Tornado of Terror will use her psychokinetic power to pull the entire underground facility to the surface. At that point, we will engage the monsters in a decisive final battle."
"Leave it to me!"
Tornado of Terror, who was currently floating in the air behind Yeruashi with her arms wrapped tightly around his neck, gave Child Emperor a sweet smile.
Child Emperor breathed a sigh of relief. He secretly thought that Tatsumaki was much easier to deal with in high-stakes combat situations than during peacetime.
"Everyone except for Miss Tornado of Terror and Mr. Thunder God will participate in the initial infiltration. Should you encounter any extreme danger or unforeseen circumstances, contact the nearest heroes via your comms. If the situation becomes critical, contact Miss Tornado and Mr. Thunder God directly. They are in charge of providing support and ensuring the hostage's safety before the final battle begins."
Turning to Yeruashi, Child Emperor added, "Mr. Thunder God, although you won't have a combat role until the hostage is secured, providing timely support on this terrain could still be a daunting challenge."
Without waiting for Yeruashi to respond, Tatsumaki looked at Child Emperor and snorted coldly. "Hey, you! Are you doubting our abilities?!"
Child Emperor gave a strained smile, his mouth twitching as he realized he had reached a conclusion about her improved personality far too quickly. "I was just providing a reminder because it is a vital part of the plan."
"There's no need to worry. Just leave it to me."
Yeruashi smiled at Child Emperor while gently stroking Tatsumaki’s vibrant green hair.
Tornado of Terror shot another cold, irritated look at Child Emperor before leaning her head back onto Yeruashi's shoulder.
Soon, the S-Class heroes left the briefing room and headed to the roof of the Hero Association headquarters, where helicopters were already waiting with rotors turning.
Once everyone was seated, the helicopters took off, heading toward the heart of City Z.
The heroes eventually touched down in a desolate, abandoned area of the city.
"It's been a while since I've been here."
Saitama smiled as he surveyed the empty streets of his old neighborhood. After being promoted to S-Class, the Hero Association had offered him a place in City A. He hadn't returned to City Z since then, and he felt a touch of nostalgia for his simple apartment.
Child Emperor quickly scanned the surroundings and pulled a small drone from his backpack. "Operation, start!"
Following his lead, the S-Class heroes moved without hesitation toward the sewers of the ghost town.