J-City.
This coastal city boasted beautiful beaches that left tourists lingering for days, attracting crowds regardless of the season. Today was no exception. However, unlike any ordinary day, the inhabitants of J-City were about to feel the terror of being dominated by the sea once again.
"The Subterraneans have perished! From this day forward, the land shall be ruled by us, the Seafolk!" A horde of massive, humanoid seafood monsters suddenly emerged from the ocean, stepping onto the sands of J-City.
"Ahhhh! Someone, help!" Tourists witnessing the scene fled in terror toward the city's interior.
"Quickly! Contact the Hero Association! We need heroes!" Those who kept their wits immediately pulled out their phones to report the situation.
Simultaneously, through the disaster sensing system, the Disaster Defense Department at the Hero Association Headquarters had already identified the threat.
"Director! Large numbers of high-energy signatures are appearing on J-City's beach! Citizens report that the monsters call themselves the 'Seafolk'!"
"What did you say?!" Director Sitch rushed to the large screen. Numerous red dots were indeed populating the map.
"So many of them... and every single one is at least Tiger-level!" Cold sweat broke out on Sitch's forehead. He shouted, "What are you waiting for? Issue the evacuation notice immediately! This is a major disaster likely to affect the entire city. Provisional rating: Demon. All A-Class and B-Class heroes in J-City are ordered to intercept. C-Class heroes are to assist in guiding citizens to shelters!"
"Yes, sir!" Having handled many Demon-level threats, the staff was tense but not panicked. They quickly followed Sitch's orders with practiced efficiency.
"The A-Class hero stationed in J-City is Puri-Puri Prisoner, right? Is he on-site?" Sitch asked. Since there were currently fewer than 26 A-Class heroes, most had to cover two or three cities each.
"It is indeed Puri-Puri Prisoner! He is currently in J-City and should arrive on the scene shortly."
"Good." Sitch breathed a sigh of relief. "With him there, a Demon-level disaster consisting of multiple Tiger-levels should be manageable."
"D-Director!" an employee suddenly yelled. "Look! Another high-energy signature has appeared. This one is much larger than the others!"
"What?!" Sitch looked at the screen. At the center of the red dots, a massive red circle several times larger than the rest had appeared. He gasped. "That level of energy... it's at least a Demon-level on its own."
According to the safety principle that a disaster requires at least two heroes of the corresponding rank, this individual Demon-level monster required at least two A-Class heroes. Puri-Puri Prisoner alone might not be enough to secure the city.
"Call for reinforcements from A-Class heroes in neighboring cities."
"Yes, sir!"
"Are any S-Class heroes available?" If the situation turned critical, they would have to deploy the S-Class.
"None, sir. They are all occupied with other missions."
"This is..." Sitch wiped sweat from his brow. Suddenly remembering something, he asked, "Has someone reported this Demon-level disaster to Chairman Aomori?"
By regulation, all Demon and Dragon-level threats had to be reported to the Chairman immediately.
"Yes!" someone raised a hand. "The Chairman just sent a reply."
"What did he say?" Sitch asked urgently.
"He said to follow standard procedure and not to panic. Also, he has dispatched a hero to provide support."
"Which hero?"
"B-Class hero, Mumen Rider."
…
Sitting on the back of a giant bird, feeling the buffeting of the powerful wind, Mumen Rider was still in a daze. He couldn't help but look back on the events leading up to this moment.
Previously, he had been summoned to the Hero Association Headquarters at Chairman Aomori's request.
"Chairman Aomori, you asked for me?" Mumen Rider said with utmost respect in the office.
"Yes. Please, take a seat." Once Mumen Rider sat, Aomori leaned back in his chair. "I've called you here because I'd like you to cooperate with a test."
"A test? What kind of test?" Mumen Rider asked.
"This." Aomori produced a red crystal shaped like a pebble. "This is a product of our latest technological research. Are you willing to help us test it? Rest assured, it will be beneficial to you and carries no harm."
What a beautiful stone. Mumen Rider nodded without hesitation. "No problem! I trust you, Chairman Aomori!"
"Good. Give me your hand. Remove your glove."
Mumen Rider complied, extending his palm upward. Aomori used his index finger to make a small, thin incision on the palm. Simultaneously, he pressed the red crystal against the wound.
Accompanied by a flash of red light, the crystal vanished instantly.
"It's... gone?"
"Mm-hmm. It has entered your body."
"Into my body?" Mumen Rider was shocked. He looked at his hand; the wound had already healed completely, leaving no trace. "Chairman Aomori, what exactly is this thing?"
"Something good," Aomori said with a smile. "It will make you stronger."
"Stronger? Is it a weapon? How do I make it work?" Mumen Rider was full of questions.
"When you want to use it, just call out to it in your heart."
"Call to it in my heart? How?" Mumen Rider was more confused than ever.
"You'll know when the time comes."
Just then, a message popped up on Aomori's computer. After reading it, Aomori's expression turned peculiar.
"The Seafolk? Talk about a coincidence." With a strange smile, he looked at Mumen Rider. "A Demon-level disaster has broken out in J-City. They need hands. Go there and help out."
"Oh, right! Yes, sir!" Mumen Rider never turned down a call for help.
Thus, to ensure he arrived in time, Aomori had Pidgeot carry him to J-City. But Mumen Rider's heart was still filled with doubt. How exactly am I supposed to 'cooperate' with this test?
…
When Sitch's notification went out, Fubuki and Genos, who happened to be patrolling J-City, received it as well.
"A Demon-level disaster? One Demon-level monster and a whole swarm of Tiger-levels?" Hearing the news, Fubuki's face turned pale.
She had to give her all just to face one Tiger-level monster. Facing a Demon-level and a swarm of Tigers felt like a death sentence. However, she wasn't alone this time. If she joined forces with other heroes, they might have a high chance of victory.
"A Demon-level monster is a threat to an entire city, right?" After several days of cramming hero basics, Genos was no longer a clueless rookie.
Chairman Aomori said the advanced robots from The Organization were at least city-destroyers, meaning Demon-level. This is a perfect chance to see the gap between myself and a Demon-level threat.
A fighting spirit rose in Genos's heart. He turned to Fubuki. "Ironclad Warrior, let's hurry."
"Right!"
They sprinted toward the beach. Since Fubuki was slower, she told Genos to go ahead.
"Don't be reckless! Try to find isolated Tiger-levels first. If you see the Demon-level, run! Leave it to the A-Class heroes," Fubuki warned before they split.
"No," Genos shook his head. "If the conditions are right, I will challenge the Demon-level monster myself."
"Wait, what?!" Before Fubuki could argue, Genos engaged his mobility mode. Wheels deployed from his feet, and he sped away like a high-performance vehicle.
"That guy... does he have any idea how terrifying a Demon-level is?! They aren't opponents we can beat!" Fubuki grumbled, pushing herself to run as fast as she could. However, her heavy armor restricted her speed; she simply couldn't run fast.
…
The sky had turned gloomy at some point, with dark clouds churning, a sign of an impending downpour.
When Genos reached the beach, he saw a pile of fish-men corpses lying in pools of blood.
"A newcomer? I haven't seen you before." A man with a lightning bolt mark on his face was crouching over a scorched monster, panting heavily.
"Sorry, you're late. We handled the monsters here ourselves." A man in a brown snakeskin suit sat on the sand, his hands trembling.
Genos activated his scanning mode. Indeed, there were no other living monsters nearby.
"I am Genos, a B-Class hero. Where is the Demon-level monster?"
"Lightning Max, B-Class hero."
"Snek, B-Class hero. The Demon-level was led away by the A-Class hero Puri-Puri Prisoner. If all went well, it's likely been dealt with."
"Who did you say was dealt with?" Accompanied by a gust of wind, a tall, imposing monster suddenly appeared before them.
He wore a crown and a thick red cape, holding a naked, unconscious muscular man by the leg.
"Is that Puri-Puri Prisoner?!"
"An A-Class hero was defeated just like that? How?!"
Max and Snek forgot their exhaustion and scrambled to their feet, entering combat stances.
"You thought this piece of trash could defeat me, a King? Pure delusion." The monster opened a mouth full of sharp teeth and spoke loudly. "I am the ruler of the deep, the Deep Sea King! You humans dare to slaughter my subjects? I shall repay you a thousandfold... ten thousandfold! I think I'll just kill everyone in this city for fun."
"Don't get ahead of yourself. Many more heroes are on their way. I suggest you surrender now!" Despite knowing he was no match, despite seeing an A-Class hero defeated, Max still held onto hope.
We just have to stall. Headquarters will send more A-Class heroes. No, given the situation, maybe even an S-Class!
"Oh? Is that so? Then I'll just kill them as they come." The Deep Sea King scoffed at humanity. He grinned, and in the blink of an eye, he appeared in front of Max. His free right hand struck Max's abdomen with brutal force.
"I'll start with you."
With a powerful toss, the Deep Sea King sent Max flying like a cannonball into a building across the street, smashing through several walls.
"Lightning Max!" Snek cried out. He tried to seize the opening to attack, but the Deep Sea King swung the unconscious Puri-Puri Prisoner like a club, slamming him down.
With a loud thud, Snek was pinned under the weight of Puri-Puri Prisoner. Blood spilled from his mouth, his eyes rolling back as he lost consciousness.
"Now, that just leaves you." The Deep Sea King looked at Genos, who remained standing. He shook his head and said regretfully, "Weak. Truly weak. Can you at least entertain me for a moment?"
He's strong! From the moment the Deep Sea King appeared, Genos's electronic eyes had been flashing red with warning signs. Is this the power of a Demon-level monster?
He took a deep breath, clenched his fists, and boosted his energy output to the maximum without hesitation. Feeling the energy coursing through him and the hum of his machinery, his heart grew calm.
Don't be reckless. Don't be careless. When facing an enemy far stronger than yourself, you must rely on tactics to win.
Using his electronic eyes, he scanned his surroundings and quickly formed a plan.
When the Deep Sea King looked at him after easily defeating the other two, Genos acted decisively. He turned and ran.
"Hahaha! Smart enough to run, I see. Unfortunately, once you're my prey, there is no escape." The Deep Sea King laughed. He intentionally waited until Genos had a forty-meter head start before giving chase.
His webbed feet stomped the ground, leaving a crater in the sand. Using the momentum, the Deep Sea King shot forward like a rocket, rapidly closing the distance.
Using his motion-tracking and trajectory prediction functions, Genos engaged his thrusters every time the Deep Sea King was about to catch him, forcibly changing his direction.
Through the chase, they moved away from the beach and into the skyscraper-lined city center.
"Not bad. This is getting interesting. Let's increase the difficulty." The Deep Sea King treated the pursuit as a game. He smashed the pavement, scooping up a handful of rubble.
While chasing, he hurled the stones at Genos. With his monstrous strength, each stone was as lethal as a cannonball. If hit, Genos would undoubtedly be reduced to scrap metal.
After dodging several projectiles, Genos sensed his movement patterns were being learned. He suddenly veered off course, diving straight into a nearby building.
"Hide and seek? I don't like that." The Deep Sea King didn't follow him in. Instead, he began punching the structural walls of the ground floor, intending to collapse the entire building.
Before it fell, Genos escaped from the other side and entered another building.
After several buildings were demolished, the Deep Sea King grew bored. When Genos entered yet another building through a stairwell, the King lost his patience and charged in after him.
This move seemingly panicked Genos, causing him to flee frantically into a side room.
The Deep Sea King chuckled and followed without a second thought. Just as he stepped into the room, he saw Genos pointing both palms directly at him.
"Goodbye! Incinerate!"
In the next second, a roaring inferno erupted, illuminating the King's shocked face.
BOOM!
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