Book 3: Chapter 73 |
‘It seems everyone who was supposed to show up has arrived.’
Child Emperor took a deep breath, scanning the numerous monsters and heroes gathered amidst the ruins of the Monster Association headquarters.
Even the S-Class heroes couldn't help but feel a mounting tension as the battle loomed.
There were far too many Dragon-level threats!
On such a chaotic battlefield, casualties were inevitable on both sides, regardless of who emerged victorious.
Fortunately, they had Saitama and the Thunder God on their side.
If Saitama could single-handedly keep the One-Eyed God occupied, there would be no one left in the Monster Association to restrain the Thunder God! That would be the decisive factor!
Boom!!!
While Child Emperor was calculating the odds, one of the S-Class heroes seized the initiative.
Though Metal Bat targeted only Fuhrer Ugly, his charge forced Gouketsu, Black Sperm, and the other nearby Dragon-level monsters into the fray. In response, the rest of the S-Class heroes threw themselves into the battle.
Atomic Samurai re-engaged Black Sperm; Puri-Puri Prisoner and Tanktop Master combined their strength to face Gouketsu; Superalloy Darkshine clashed with Nyan, and Genos went head-to-head with Evil Natural Water...
The heroes held a numerical advantage, but for most of them—excluding Saitama, Yeruashi, and Tatsumaki—a Dragon-level monster was a formidable opponent. This was especially true for "high dragons" like Black Sperm. Furthermore, Bang, one of the strongest among them, had his hands full with Garou.
“Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist!!”
Bang attacked with everything he had, intending to finish Garou as quickly as possible. To his surprise, however, the youth evaded every single strike with effortless grace.
Garou had pushed past his limits after clashing with several S-Class heroes in rapid succession and surviving a devastating blow from Yeruashi. Since then, he had evolved further through brutal combat with several Dragon-level monsters.
During his latest evolution within the Monster Association, Garou had become a complete monster. His skin was no longer human flesh, but monster cells that had assimilated his clothing and hair during the transformation.
The current Garou possessed durability that surpassed even Superalloy Darkshine. Bang found it impossible to pierce his defense with the Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist alone without employing a breathing technique.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!!!
The fists of both Bang and Garou, both masters of the Water Stream Rock Smashing style, left a blur of afterimages in their wake. Each collision sent shockwaves of compressed air rippling through the surroundings.
“I’m not the same man I was before, you old fossil!!”
Garou, who had been mirroring Bang’s style until now, smirked maliciously as the movements of one of his hands abruptly shifted.
His left hand continued to flow with the Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist, but his right hand switched to the Void Fist!
Since his exile from Bang’s dojo, Garou had refined not only his body but his entire combat philosophy. By this point, he had not only mastered a vast array of styles but was on the verge of fusing them into a single, cohesive art.
Boom! Boom! Boom!!
Garou unleashed a torrential rain of strikes on Bang, a chaotic blend of diverse styles that first forced the old master onto the defensive and then sent him reeling back more than thirty feet.
“Garou...”
Bang glanced at the heroes fighting nearby and took a deep breath, realizing he no longer had the luxury of holding back against his former disciple.
He had to deal with Garou as quickly as possible!!
Bang’s gaze turned hard and resolute. His long-sleeved black shirt suddenly shredded into tatters, revealing a lean, corded physique covered in the scars of a lifetime of battle.
“So you’ve finally decided to fight for real, old man,” Garou sneered.
Despite his mockery, Garou’s expression turned deathly serious. He knew exactly how powerful the old man truly was. Even at over seventy years old, if Bang put his heart into it, he could take down a Dragon-level monster with a single strike.
Whoosh!!
Bang lunged toward Garou.
...
By this point, most of the S-Class heroes were already deeply embroiled in combat.
Only Tatsumaki and Yeruashi remained, hovering calmly in the sky. However, the Tornado of Terror had no intention of staying on the sidelines, even if every monster already had an opponent.
Moreover, she didn't have to worry about the rescued hostage; he was currently under the protection of King—one of the few S-Class heroes Tatsumaki actually trusted.
Tatsumaki surveyed the battlefield where Dragon-level monsters clashed with the S-Class heroes, then extended a small hand toward Fuhrer Ugly.
“I’ll start with the ugliest one.”
Vrrr-!!
Tatsumaki’s psychokinetic power surged toward Fuhrer Ugly.
While she couldn't instantly crush someone like Evil Natural Water or Black Sperm due to their unique physical compositions, ordinary Dragon-level monsters enjoyed no such protection.
But.
Suddenly, an opposing force blocked and completely dissipated Tatsumaki’s psychic grip.
Lilith appeared below.
A white Six Paths cloak billowed softly behind her, and nine Truth-Seeking Balls drifted gracefully around her form.
“!”
Tatsumaki narrowed her eyes and let out a cold snort. ‘So there was another rat hiding here.’
With a sharp flick of her wrist, she unleashed another wave of psychokinetic energy toward Lilith.
Lilith merely waved her hand in response, easily neutralizing Tatsumaki’s psychic power using her Truth-Seeking Balls.
Psychokinetic power was rooted in spiritual energy, and since the Truth-Seeking Balls were composed of the five elemental natures as well as Yin and Yang, they could withstand even invisible psychic forces.
Lilith’s strength was not to be underestimated.
Even in her uncontrolled Ten-Tails state, she had already transcended the Dragon level. Now, at her peak, she stood a full tier above Tatsumaki.
Whoosh!!!
The Truth-Seeking Balls shot toward Tatsumaki.
“What the hell is this...” Tatsumaki whispered in shock, her hands moving frantically as she tried to halt the spheres with her psychic power.
“!!”
However, the Truth-Seeking Balls didn't even slow down. They continued their relentless flight toward her like solid metal piercing through soft sand.
‘I’ve never seen anything like this!’
A surge of genuine shock and even panic washed over Tatsumaki. For the first time in her life, she had encountered objects that were completely immune to her psychokinetic power!
What were these terrifying black spheres?!
Whoosh!
Just as it seemed the Truth-Seeking Balls would strike her, an arm wrapped around Tatsumaki’s waist and pulled her aside. Another hand moved to meet the spheres, batting them away like ping-pong balls.
[Leave her.]
As Yeruashi released Tatsumaki and looked at Lilith, a voice resonated in her mind.
Yeruashi and Lilith’s spiritual energies were deeply linked, sharing a common source. This allowed them to exchange thoughts with a mere glance, much like the communication between Tailed Beasts.
Lilith reached out and caught one of the Truth-Seeking Balls orbiting her. The sphere melted in her palm, taking the form of a crimson blade forged from Six Paths Fire Release.
Whoosh!
The moment the blade formed, Lilith vanished, reappearing instantly in front of Yeruashi. He had already manifested a shimmering blade of Six Paths Lightning Release, bringing it up to intercept her crimson strike.
Boom!!!
The collision of the crimson and lightning blades produced a deafening roar.
Yeruashi had merely blocked, but Lilith had attacked with everything she had. The impact was equivalent to two versions of Boros clashing at full power.
In an instant, the sky behind Yeruashi was flooded with raging bolts of lightning, while the air around Lilith erupted into blood-red flames.
The heavens seemed to shudder and split in two at the moment of their impact.
Every S-Class hero and Dragon-level monster turned their heads toward the site of the collision. No one could ignore a clash of such terrifying magnitude.
‘A true monster...’
Black Sperm sighed helplessly. He realized that even if he merged all ten trillion of his lives into his strongest form, he couldn't hope to match such a being. Nevertheless, he was relieved that they had a monster in their ranks capable of keeping the Thunder God busy.
With the Thunder God and the Bald God both occupied, the Monster Association actually stood a decent chance of winning this war!
But.
Just as everyone was reeling from the spectacular clash between Yeruashi and Lilith, another deafening explosion erupted from the other end of the battlefield.
Turning toward the source of the noise, they saw Saitama standing with a fist extended. Every bit of rubble and ruin in the path of that punch had been completely obliterated!
A strike that swept away everything in its path!
Saitama’s Serious Punch!!
This time, Saitama had no desire to drag out the fight. He had already faced the Ten-Tails in the past, and he could see the S-Class heroes struggling against the Dragon-level monsters nearby.
Saitama was finally getting serious!!
A massive canyon, stretching all the way to the horizon, opened up before him, and the clouds in the sky were blasted aside.
The entire world seemed to split in two before Saitama’s fist!!
Pain had employed Armament Haki, the Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist, and several other abilities, but they proved insufficient against the sheer speed and raw power of a Serious Punch.
Pain’s body was completely vaporized. Only a small amount of viscous substance traced an arc through the air, flying straight toward the battling Garou.
In the sky nearby.
Deep within Yeruashi’s pupils, a pale golden light flickered. He was ready to use his reverse time flow ability to restore Pain at any moment, but a sudden flash of surprise crossed his face. It was as if he were witnessing something completely unexpected. In the end, he decided to wait.
Bang had been incredibly powerful while using his breathing technique, successfully suppressing Garou.
Garou was currently covered in wounds and bleeding profusely, but the blood flowing down his body was writhing strangely, as if every drop were a separate living entity.
Garou was evolving!
At that exact moment, the remnants of Pain’s flesh, flying directly toward Garou, landed squarely on his head and instantly enveloped his entire body.
Under the influence of an incredibly powerful absorption force emanating from Garou’s body, his evolution hit a sudden snag and then flooded into Pain’s flesh instead!
Squelch!!!
Pain’s flesh, which had been on the verge of total destruction a moment ago, began to multiply exponentially.
By absorbing the cells of Boros and Garou—both of whom had reached the pinnacle of energy and physical evolution—Pain finally shattered his final limit!
Unlike Garou, Pain was already at a Divine-level starting point, giving him the potential to evolve to an even higher plane of existence!
“Finally...”
Hovering in the sky above the battlefield, Yeruashi couldn't help but smile as he whispered the word.