Chapter 72 |
Underground.
Tanktop Master gasped for air, his body battered and bleeding. He struggled to stay on his feet while facing Fuhrer Ugly, whose fists were slick with blood.
Fuhrer Ugly cast a contemptuous glance at him. "So... that is it? This is all an S-Class hero amounts to?"
"Hah... hah..."
Tanktop Master exhaled heavily and clenched his fists tight.
'It is too much to face a Dragon-level monster alone. Whether it is speed, strength, or anything else, Fuhrer Ugly outclasses me in almost every way.'
Fuhrer Ugly sneered and stepped forward. "Since that is all you have, it is time to send you on your final journey!"
Whoosh!!
Fuhrer Ugly lunged forward, but just as he did, a strange, translucent sphere wrapped around Tanktop Master. At the same moment, the entire Monster Association headquarters began to shudder violently.
Tanktop Master looked at the sphere enveloping him in surprise, then raised his head toward the ceiling. 'Is this the Tornado of Terror? It seems the hostage must already be safe.'
...
In another part of the Monster Association headquarters, Child Emperor was locked in combat with Evil Natural Water.
A variety of weapons flew out of Child Emperor's school backpack one after another, but they were almost useless against the liquid form of Evil Natural Water.
"Judging by the looks of it, this monster can sense the emotions of others... The moment I prepare to attack, it strikes first. My current gear is completely ill-suited for a monster like this," Child Emperor whispered tensely.
He had not brought any thermal weapons that could have a restraining effect on Evil Natural Water, having prepared specifically for combat in confined spaces.
Just as Child Emperor was being driven back by a jet of water under extreme pressure, his body was suddenly enveloped in a translucent sphere.
The Tornado of Terror had made her move!
Child Emperor looked down at Evil Natural Water as the translucent sphere calmly lifted him upward. "We will continue this on the surface."
...
In the middle of a dark corridor that had been sliced into countless small fragments, Black Sperm extended a massive, muscular arm, holding a beaten Atomic Samurai by his hair. "Don't look down on me, old man."
Atomic Samurai's limbs hung limp and his face was smeared with blood, but in that instant, an emerald-green glow enveloped him, wrenching him from Black Sperm's grasp.
"What is happening?! Don't you dare run, you bastard!!"
Black Sperm shouted in irritation, throwing himself into a chase after the flying Atomic Samurai.
But at that moment, the battered Atomic Samurai suddenly lifted his head and swung his blade sharply toward the approaching Black Sperm. "My apologies, but it seems we must temporarily interrupt our duel."
Black Sperm was sliced into dozens of small pieces by Atomic Samurai's blade. The fragments began to writhe, transforming into many smaller versions of Black Sperm. "You bastard! Don't you dare run!!"
...
Psychokinetic power quickly penetrated deep underground, first separately enveloping each S-Class hero, and then the entire Monster Association headquarters.
Tatsumaki floated in the middle of the sky, surrounded by an emerald-green radiance, her arms outstretched and the hem of her black dress fluttering in the wind.
In that moment, Tatsumaki's slender waist and bare legs were striking and alluring, despite her petite stature.
Rumble!!!
Under the influence of Tatsumaki's turbulent psychokinetic power, a massive area of the ground was rapidly covered in countless cracks!
Looking down from above, it felt as if the earth were not solid ground but thin ice stepped upon by a massive giant, causing fractures to spread in all directions for miles.
At the same time, the underground Monster Association headquarters began to be pulled to the surface by Tatsumaki's psychokinetic power, uprooted like a giant turnip from the soil.
Rumble! Rumble! Rumble!!!
Finally, the earth was turned inside out from the center, and the entirety of the Monster Association headquarters was dragged onto the surface.
'No weaker than the Chibaku Tensei.'
Yeruashi, hovering in the sky not far from Tatsumaki, watched with interest as she gradually pulled the entire headquarters to the surface.
Tatsumaki's power was second only to a few Divine-level beings like Boros. She likely could have reached the Divine-level without much trouble if she had strengthened her body with a small amount of Yeruashi's cells.
But.
He did not yet have the luxury of wasting even a shred of his power.
As the Monster Association headquarters was dragged to the surface, the S-Class heroes, still wrapped in Tatsumaki's psychokinetic barriers, immediately flew out of it.
Only Saitama was not pulled out, as he was currently fighting Pain in the depths of the complex. It was not that Tatsumaki had not tried; her psychokinetic power simply could not affect him.
Whoosh! Whoosh!!!
Tatsumaki placed Child Emperor and the other S-Class heroes in an open area nearby.
Child Emperor immediately began pressing buttons on his watch to check the condition of his teammates.
"Mr. Saitama is still inside..."
He quickly discovered that all the S-Class heroes had been saved by Tatsumaki, safe and sound, except for Saitama, who remained somewhere in the depths of the unearthed headquarters.
At that moment, a bright bolt of lightning flared at the tips of Yeruashi's index and middle fingers as he floated calmly in the sky. The bolt shot straight toward the Monster Association headquarters.
Flash!!!!
Accompanied by the brilliant flare of lightning, a vertical black line stretched across the entire surface of the massive structure.
Rumble!!
As the lightning's glow faded, the entire massive headquarters split into two halves and crashed to the ground, triggering a powerful earthquake.
Many of the S-Class heroes watched with their mouths agape, witnessing a power so staggering and far beyond their own.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!!!
Soon, various monsters began to scramble out of the ruined headquarters one by one.
Homeless Emperor looked around and whispered in shock, "It seems the headquarters was completely dragged to the surface... what terrifying power..."
Nyan appeared not far from him. "Just now... did the Thunder God slice the entire headquarters in two in one go? Inconceivable..."
Black Sperm, Gums, Evil Natural Water, Fuhrer Ugly, Overgrown Rover, Gouketsu, Gale Wind, Hellfire Flame, Phoenix Man, Psykos... Dragon-level monsters crawled out of the ruins one after another. They immediately gathered together, glaring at the numerous S-Class heroes nearby.
The S-Class heroes stared back at the Dragon-level monsters.
As the gazes of the Dragon-level monsters and S-Class heroes met, the atmosphere instantly became heavy and tense. But instead of rushing into battle, everyone present looked toward the ruins of the Monster Association headquarters.
Boom!!!
Accompanied by a loud explosion and a shower of earth, a small figure flew out of the ruins and landed in the open space nearby.
It was Saitama.
By now, his hero suit was tattered and stained, but upon closer inspection, it was clear that Saitama himself did not have a single scratch or injury. Not a single hair had fallen from his head.
At the same time, a distorted and mutilated figure floated smoothly into the sky above the ruins. Its flesh writhed and regenerated rapidly until it returned to a perfect state.
"Now everyone is gathered."
Silver Fang clasped his hands behind his back and swept a piercing gaze over the numerous Dragon-level monsters across from him, led by a Divine-level threat.
Nyan wiped a few drops of blood from his face and tilted his head slightly, looking at the heroes. "Do you really think you can win just because you have gathered together?"
"Hey."
Tatsumaki, hovering in the sky nearby, cast a contemptuous look at Nyan and tilted her chin up proudly. "Stop talking nonsense, you cat! You were just lucky I was not there!!"
Psykos's expression darkened significantly as she tensed up upon hearing Tatsumaki's cold, mocking voice. The Monster Association had only been able to dominate the confrontation between the Dragon-level monsters and S-Class heroes because the Tornado of Terror and the Thunder God had not participated. Now that they had stepped in, the advantage would inevitably shift to the Hero Association.
But.
A sharp, excited voice suddenly rang out from the side. "Heh heh heh... I must also take part, since things have become so much fun!!"
A human figure appeared amidst the ruins and stepped toward the Dragon-level monsters. Although the figure still had human features, a closer look revealed that his torn black clothing had become part of his body, as if it had fused with him.
The monster Garou!
Threat level: Dragon!
By this time, he was already at the peak of the Dragon-level, just a single step away from breaking his final limit and beginning his ultimate evolution!
"Garou?"
Bang was now less calm and focused than when he had been looking at the army of Dragon-level monsters and the single Divine-level threat.
Garou looked at Bang and said confidently, "So you are here too, you old fool? Unfortunately for you, I do not intend to lose to anyone ever again!"
Garou's appearance marked the beginning of the final battle between the Hero Association and the Monster Association. By this point, the number of Dragon-level monsters and S-Class heroes gathered on this battlefield exceeded two dozen! In addition, there was more than one combatant present with power far beyond the Dragon-level!
The final battle had begun!