Chapter 168: Solved That Quickly?!
Metal Bat's strength suddenly spiked. With a violent jerk, he threw off Zombieman's hand. The murmurs that had sounded like a dream-delirium turned into a full-throated roar:
"I have to go... I have to see Zenko's piano recital!!"
Zombieman was caught off guard and stumbled back, a look of weary resignation crossing his pale face.
"Give it a rest and stay calm!"
He raised his massive custom handgun and slammed the heavy metal grip hard against the back of Metal Bat's neck.
THUD.
With the crisp sound of impact, Metal Bat's head snapped forward, and he collapsed. Only a faint, shallow breath proved he was still among the living.
Metal Bat's body had reached its absolute breaking point long ago; only his obsession with his sister's competition had been fueling his forward momentum. Zombieman's strike was simply the final straw that allowed the boy's exhausted system to finally shut down.
"Phew... at least he's finally quiet."
Zombieman leaned down, hoisted the unconscious Metal Bat onto his back, and began to run toward the center of the battlefield. Even with a hundred-pound teenager on his shoulders, his speed easily eclipsed any Olympic sprinter. He covered a hundred meters in mere seconds.
While Zombieman's raw physical power was considered "low" by S-Class standards, that was only in comparison to monsters like Darkshine. In reality, his body was hardened beyond human limits; he could bend steel bars with his bare hands. In the A-Class tier, his physical stats would have been top-of-the-line, to say nothing of his limitless stamina.
Minutes later, he arrived at the makeshift "ward." He laid Metal Bat down at the far right of the row of fallen S-Class heroes and wiped a drop of sweat from his forehead.
Looking at the ten S-Class heroes laid out on the ground, Zombieman felt a bizarre sense of absurdity.
Why does this feel like I'm trying to 'Collect 'em all'?
Just then, a streak of crimson light descended from the heavens. It landed as light as a feather, not even kicking up a speck of dust.
King's figure manifested from within the Aura. He had already deactivated the Gate of Death, returning to his usual, imposing appearance as he touched down on Earth.
He waved a hand, dissolving the Aura Shield. Garou, who had been tumbling around inside the sphere like a frantic squirrel, was finally liberated. He hit the ground with a wet thud.
The moment he landed, Garou didn't even look at his surroundings. He scrambled onto his hands and knees and began to vomit violently.
"BLEGHERRRGH!! It was like... being stuck in a high-speed spin cycle for a thousand rounds... URGH!!"
Garou looked completely drained, his stomach doing somersaults from the disorientation.
Zombieman glanced at Garou, his eyes narrowing with suspicion.
Who is this kid? He looks... familiar.
Zombieman's first instinct was to go on guard. There were ten crippled S-Class heroes lying here; any reasonably strong entity could slaughter them all in seconds.
But then he remembered King had brought him back. If King trusted him, there was no reason to worry. After all, if it hadn't been for King, they would have all been wiped out the moment the flame-wreathed monster (Solar Sperm) appeared.
Thinking of the two terrifying entities—the mastermind and the golden monster that had dismantled the S-Class—Zombieman's heart hammered with anxiety.
"Mr. King... those two monsters..."
"Don't worry. They've been dealt with. Saitama and I finished them off."
Solved... already?!
Zombieman froze. He had assumed King had merely driven them off or stalled them. These were beings capable of wiping out the entire S-Class in a heartbeat.
From the moment King appeared to save them to the moment he returned from the void... it had been barely thirty minutes.
In that moment, Zombieman's understanding of King's power level underwent a seismic shift.
"We can talk about the details later," King said, noticing the incredibly weak life signatures of the ten heroes on the ground. He frowned deeply.
"They are in critical condition. It's been this long—why hasn't the Hero Association sent a medical evacuation team yet?"
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