"Incineration Cannon!"
A surging torrent of flames roared past, reducing a large swarm of monsters to ash. Genos lowered his arm, his expression stern and focused.
"You really are incredible. You wiped out that many monsters in the blink of an eye," Glasses said, turning to Genos after knocking down an enemy in front of him.
"Yeah, 'Demon Cyborg' is a fitting name," Mumen Rider added, giving a thumbs-up in approval.
"You both are doing well yourselves," Genos replied, his lips curling into a silent, faint smile.
After their brief exchange of praise, Genos's expression suddenly shifted. "Multiple life signs approaching rapidly from this direction!" he called out urgently.
Mumen Rider blinked, immediately turning a wary eye toward the dark tunnel. "Monsters?"
"Likely." Genos extended his arm toward the detected direction, palm open. Firelight began to condense in the center of his hand before erupting once more: "Incineration Cannon!"
The orange-red flames illuminated the tunnel, revealing a tide of small black figures surging forward like a dark flood.
The figures were largely identical. Some at the front, scorched by the flames, were crying and screaming in pain, but the others remained unscathed, grinning mischievously and skipping toward the trio. "Hahaha! We found three lone heroes! How lucky!"
"What on earth are these things?" Glasses adjusted his frames, watching the scene in surprise. His movements, however, didn't falter. He stepped forward, transforming into the Azure Rider, and unleashed a crescent water blade.
Accelerated to high speeds, the thin water blade acted like a reaper's scythe, slicing a large number of the black figures in half at the waist.
"That's it?" Before he could celebrate, the severed halves of the figures grew into complete bodies, becoming entirely new individuals.
"Eh?!"
"Don't use slashing attacks!" Mumen Rider activated his transformation as well, becoming the Crimson Rider. With every gesture, flames billowed out, incinerating the black figures into ash.
"These are Black Sperm, Dragon-level monsters consisting of trillions of individual cells. Slashing attacks only cause them to divide, we need to use blunt force! Energy damage like fire works as well." He shared the information from the mission dossiers with Glasses and Genos.
"Trillions of individuals?" Glasses hissed through his teeth, spinning his body to unleash a spiraling current that slammed a pouncing Black Sperm against the wall.
"They seem numerous, but if this is their level of strength, we'll clear them out eventually." Genos fired Incineration Cannons from both hands, each blast wiping out dozens of cells.
However... It was uncertain if their energy reserves would last that long.
"You two make it look easy, but I'm struggling here!" Glasses lamented. His water-based energy had a lower immediate lethality for this specific foe.
"Why don't you cover us?" Mumen Rider suggested. "Kill any monsters trying to ambush us from the side, and the two of us will go full-throttle."
"Fine by me." Glasses moved between the two, clearing out any cells attempting to attack from the rear.
With his support, Mumen Rider and Genos were able to unleash their full power, focusing entirely on the enemies in front of them.
Seeing that it couldn't take them down immediately, Black Sperm clicked its tongue. "Just a bunch of brats, yet they're quite troublesome. Fine then, let me play with you properly."
Compared to its total count, the number of cells lost so far was negligible. Black Sperm felt no tension at all. I'll play with these kids for a bit. When the battle reaches its peak, that will be my time to step in, finish things off, and secure the victory!
Still, it didn't want to be looked down upon by three heroes who were clearly not S-Class. With a single thought, tens of thousands of cells merged into a Giant Black Sperm.
"They're merging?" Glasses' eyes widened.
"Careful! Their strength and speed increase proportionally after merging," Mumen Rider warned as he charged toward the giant. "Leave this one to me!"
"Don't be in such a hurry; I wouldn't want to play favorites." As the monster spoke, two more Giant Black Sperm took shape, lunging toward Glasses and Genos.
"The battle has only just begun!"
…
After sending everyone to their respective tunnels, only Fubuki remained by Aomori's side.
I wonder how Bang-sensei is doing?
Aomori had originally planned for Bang to face Gums, an easy victory, but after Bang recognized Goketsu, he had requested the duel himself. Bang's tone had been incredibly determined, and Aomori had no choice but to agree. With Bang's strength, even if he couldn't win, he wouldn't be easily defeated. Aomori knew better than anyone how terrifying an all-out Bang could be.
It was a pity Bomb couldn't make it. If the two brothers fought side-by-side, they would be far stronger than the sum of their parts and could surely toy with Goketsu.
As he pondered, Aomori led Fubuki deeper into the base.
Suddenly, a series of booming rumbles reached their ears. Fubuki paused, pointing downward. "Sensei, that's my sister fighting down there. Should we help her?"
"No, your sister is having fun right now. We shouldn't disturb her." Aomori pulled Fubuki into a side passage. "We have our own enemies to deal with."
"Is it Gyoro Gyoro?" Fubuki had spent the last two days memorizing that photo and the data. She didn't expect to be the main force, but she hoped not to be a burden.
"Yes, the one right in front of us." The two entered a spacious room where they found a tall, portly figure.
"Greetings, Chairman of the Hero Association, Aomori... and Fubuki." Gyoro Gyoro stood up, swirling a wine glass as if in salute.
"Greetings to you, the true helmsman of the Monster Association. Should I call you Gyoro Gyoro, or Psykos?"
"!"
"?!"
Both Gyoro Gyoro and Fubuki were visibly shocked.
"You're Psykos? How did you end up like this?" Fubuki didn't doubt Aomori for a second. If he said this fat creature was Psykos, then it was Psykos.
"Shut up!" Gyoro Gyoro glared at Fubuki before turning back to Aomori. With a darkened face, it asked, "How do you know about that?"
"It's a long story." Aomori took Fubuki's hand and smiled. "But I'm not in the habit of talking to a puppet."
The moment the words left his mouth, he and Fubuki vanished. When they reappeared, they were standing directly in front of the real Psykos.
"You even know my hiding spot?!" Psykos's mouth hung open in shock as she stared at the pair. Her wariness of Aomori reached its peak.
Teleportation? This Hero Association Chairman is truly a dark horse. And his eyes... it's like he sees through everything. How does he know my history? He even intentionally brought Fubuki to me. This man is unfathomable!
"It really is you, Psykos!" Fubuki saw the faint traces of her old acquaintance. "But you've changed so much."
Seeing Psykos's curvaceous figure, Fubuki's hands couldn't help but trace an exaggerated "curvy" motion in the air.
"Hmph." Psykos shifted her gaze from Aomori to Fubuki. After sizing her up, she puffed out her chest with overflowing confidence. "Looks like I've won this round."
"Wha—what? Being too big is useless; it's just a burden!" Fubuki pretended not to care, stealing a glance at Aomori. When she saw him "staring" at Psykos, her heart immediately flared with jealousy.
What kind of timing is this? These two women are really in their own world, Aomori thought, shaking his head. He spoke up: "Psykos, you were once just an ordinary girl. What exactly did you see that turned you into this, willing to destroy humanity at any cost?"
"Yeah!" Fubuki returned to the matter at hand, asking in confusion, "Why did you suddenly disappear? Do you know how much I worried about you?"
"Hehehe, do you want to know? Then come and defeat me!" Psykos's long, wavy hair drifted behind her like dancing serpents. She pointed at Aomori and said coldly, "I expected my opponent to be Tatsumaki, but you aren't bad either. Fight me! Stake your honor and your life!"
"I am not your opponent." Aomori placed a hand on Fubuki's back and pushed her forward. "Go, Fubuki. She is the opponent I specially prepared for you."
"Eh?!" Fubuki turned back in surprise. "I'm going alone?"
Though she didn't know how strong the current Psykos was, the title of "Helmsman of the Monster Association" alone was enough to keep her on guard.
"Mm-hmm." Aomori nodded. "She's just a weakened version of Tatsumaki. If you can't even beat her, you can forget about winning against your sister. This is the final exam I've set for you. If you fail, prepare for your punishment."
"In that case... fine." Fubuki took a deep breath and said seriously, "Don't worry, Sensei. I will defeat Psykos and bring her back to the right path!"
"Wait, what kind of nonsense are you two talking about?" Psykos was furious, her chest heaving. "I'm a 'weakened Tatsumaki'? A mere Fubuki thinks she can defeat me? Don't make me laugh!"
She thrust her right hand forward, instantly condensing a powerful psychic force that slammed toward them like a tidal wave.
However, the massive wave of psychokinesis turned into a gentle breeze by the time it reached Fubuki, barely fluttering a strand of her hair.
Having transformed into the Verdant Rider, Fubuki controlled the air currents to neutralize Psykos's attack. She pointed at Psykos and said, "Psykos, don't forget, back then, I was the President and you were just the Vice President. If you've forgotten, that's fine. I'll make you remember everything!"
"Fubuki!" The killing intent in Psykos's eyes almost turned physical. Her time as Fubuki's follower was a memory she loathed to recall. "I am not the person I used to be. Both you and that sister you idolize will be crushed under my heel!"
"Sorry, the person I idolize most has changed." Fubuki smiled slightly and threw a series of sharp wind blades at her.
Psykos's face darkened, her psychic power responding to her thoughts as she surrounded Fubuki from all sides.
The battle between the two gifted espers had officially begun.
As the sole spectator, Aomori comfortably watched the display of charm and power. He wasn't just slacking off, however; he was waiting for good news.
"Where exactly are you hiding, No. 17?"
…
Nearly two thousand meters beneath the surface, No. 17 sat on a chair made of soil, his expression heavy.
"The Hero Association found us? That's bad news."
Naturally cautious, he had planned to develop in silence and finish his mission first. Through his clay clones, he had a clear view of the battle between the Associations.
"Orochi can still hold on, but not for much longer. That human is quite formidable to be able to suppress an Orochi that is nearing its perfect form. I must find the final sacrifice quickly to let Orochi evolve into its final state."
However, his unease kept him from exposing his true body. The arrogant No. 18 hadn't even lasted a day before getting taken out; No. 17 was determined to lay low until the end.
"I'll have to rely on my clay clones. They should be more than enough for ordinary heroes."
The key now was to find a suitable sacrifice.
"Time to be a little bit flashy then." No. 17 snapped his fingers, and dozens of clay clones emerged around him. "Go! Find a suitable sacrifice and bring them to Orochi."
"Ugh, so dangerous. Why do I have to go?"
"Exactly. Don't clones have rights? Why do you get to stay here in safety?"
"This is discrimination!"
The lack of cooperation from the clones was exactly as No. 17 expected. He said calmly, "Because if I die, you all die too. This is a mission from Kami-sama, are you trying to back out?"
"Kami-sama..." The clones looked at each other and finally nodded. "Fine, we'll go. Given our strength, the survival rate should be high."
"Then get moving. Stop whining." No. 17 sighed. Was he really this afraid of death? He just liked being a "little" cautious, why were his clones so blatantly cowardly?
Sigh, I suppose this is the superiority of being the original. Seeing the clones disperse, No. 17 rested his chin on his hand, waiting for their report.
…
"Cough, cough, cough..."
After defeating Goketsu, Bang was so weak he could barely stand. He staggered to the wall and sat down cross-legged.
I need to rest a moment before I can move. I hope I don't run into a monster by sheer coincidence.
Unfortunately, luck was not on his side. Light footsteps suddenly echoed in the dim tunnel.
"Unbelievable. To think Goketsu, powerful as he was, could be defeated." Ripper, covered in bandages, walked up to Gouketsu's side and sighed.
Dammit, and at a time like this. Bang didn't even try to stand; he simply remained on the floor and chuckled. "Goketsu was indeed strong. It's a pity he ran into me; his luck was just too poor. By the way, your luck isn't much better."
"Is that so?" Ripper looked at Bang with cold eyes. "I'd say this is the luckiest day of my life."
"After defeating Goketsu, you're at your limit, aren't you? While it's not exactly a 'fair' win, I crave your blood. The blood of a warrior who can kill Goketsu... oh, how sweet it must be!"
Ripper, who was as bloodthirsty as he was talkative, glared with crimson eyes. He charged at Bang in excitement, his blade-arms swinging down without mercy.
"I'll be taking your head!"
"Sigh." Bang sighed, his trembling arm swinging a punch.
Even if he were to die, he would die fighting.
Just as the blade passed Bang's weakened fist and neared his neck, a dark shadow blurred from the distance.
"Monster-Slaying God-Killer Fist!"
A terrifying shockwave slammed into the area. Ripper didn't even have time to grunt before he was disintegrated into dust.
"You..." Bang stared at the familiar figure that had suddenly appeared, murmuring under his breath.
"Old man, you've really gone soft in your old age."
Garou, having been gone for half a year, appeared once more before Bang.