With the preparations complete, Sol shifted his gaze toward the distant sky once more.
The deity's presence was still faint, but he could feel those unseen eyes observing everything from beyond. All he needed to do now was push the situation a little further.
At the same time, inside the Hero Association Headquarters, Sitch gathered the heroes for an emergency strategy meeting.
"Sol's approach is becoming obvious," Sitch said with a grim expression. "He's using repeated feints and coordinated harassment to wear us down and force mistakes. We need to adjust immediately."
Bang stroked his beard thoughtfully, his sharp eyes narrowing.
"I recommend forming an elite response unit specifically focused on countering Sol's disruption tactics. The remaining S-Class heroes should stay behind to defend headquarters from a direct assault."
Tatsumaki floated above the floor with visible irritation in her eyes.
"Or we could stop wasting time and go straight to him. Find Sol and make him explain what the hell he's planning."
"Don't rush recklessly, Tatsumaki," Bang replied. "That boy is far more dangerous than you realize. If he truly wanted to destroy headquarters, our defenses would already be gone. He clearly has another objective."
Before anyone could continue, alarms suddenly blared throughout the command center.
"Large-scale energy signatures detected approaching the main gate!"
"Underground tremors detected again! Confirmed match, Elder Centipede!"
Sitch immediately stood.
"All units, move into position! Execute the response plan!"
When the heroes arrived at the front gate, they were met by another massive monster army.
Gouketsu stood at the front, his four eyes glowing with hostility. Beneath the battlefield, Elder Centipede's colossal body tore through the underground tunnels, causing the entire headquarters to tremble.
"Bang!" Gouketsu roared. "This time I'm crushing you!"
Bang lowered into the Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist stance.
"Gouketsu, this won't end the way you want."
The battle exploded once again.
This time, however, the monsters attacked without restraint.
Gouketsu unleashed relentless strikes against Bang while Elder Centipede violently smashed through underground defense structures. At the same time, Hellfire Flame and Gale Wind launched sudden assaults from the flanks.
"Report! Southwest defensive line breached! Stinger seriously injured!"
"Third underground defense sector damaged! Emergency repairs required immediately!"
Inside the command center, warning sirens echoed nonstop.
Sitch's expression darkened.
"Drive Knight, status report!"
"The frontal assault pressure is increasing rapidly! Bang requires support! Tatsumaki is intercepting the flank attackers, but Elder Centipede's movements are destabilizing the foundation!" Drive Knight reported rapidly.
Then another alarm suddenly rang from deeper inside headquarters.
"Emergency report! Black liquid organisms detected inside the building! Multiple floors are in panic!"
Sitch slammed his hand against the console.
"How did they get inside?!"
In the corner, Muzan quietly smiled to himself.
Everything was unfolding exactly as Sol intended.
"Kokushibo, Akaza," Muzan whispered softly, "prepare yourselves. When the moment arrives, the executives must have no route left to escape."
Meanwhile, atop a skyscraper southeast of headquarters, Sol observed the battlefield from afar.
Through the psychic link, he spoke casually.
"Psykos, send Phoenix Man and Homeless Emperor."
"Understood, Sol," Psykos replied immediately.
Minutes later, the battlefield descended further into chaos.
Phoenix Man swept across the skies, his blazing flames swallowing entire sections of the battlefield, while Homeless Emperor floated in the distance, summoning massive spheres of light that bombarded the headquarters' defenses relentlessly.
"New airborne monster detected! Confirmed identity, Phoenix Man!"
"Long-range bombardment detected! Confirmed identity, Homeless Emperor!"
Sitch's face lost color.
"All S-Class heroes deploy immediately! Stop their advance!"
Tatsumaki released a massive wave of psychic power, intercepting both Phoenix Man's flames and Homeless Emperor's light spheres at once.
Metal Bat charged straight into the monster horde with a furious roar.
Atomic Samurai and Flashy Flash moved together against Gouketsu while Superalloy Darkshine guarded the underground routes, preventing Elder Centipede from breaking through completely.
The battlefield became total chaos.
The heroes were being overwhelmed from every direction, and cracks were finally beginning to appear in the headquarters' defenses.
Sol smiled faintly.
Now the stage was ready.
A subtle glint appeared in his crimson eyes.
The deity's fluctuations had reached their peak. Those invisible eyes were focused entirely on the battlefield now.
His figure vanished from the skyscraper instantly.
Moments later, Sol appeared silently in the middle of the battlefield.
He did not release overwhelming pressure or make a dramatic entrance.
Yet the instant he arrived, everything stopped.
The battlefield froze.
Heroes and monsters alike unconsciously halted where they stood, as though an invisible force had pressed down on the entire area.
Gouketsu's fist stopped inches away from Bang's face.
Tatsumaki's psychic aura flickered before fading entirely, causing the debris around her to crash back to the ground.
Atomic Samurai's blade remained suspended just short of Gouketsu's throat, unable to move any further.
Even Elder Centipede suddenly became silent beneath the earth.
"Sol..." Bang slowly relaxed his stance, complicated emotions filling his aged eyes.
Tatsumaki glanced toward him briefly before turning her face away with annoyance.
Saitama scratched his head lazily.
"Oh, Sol, you finally showed up."
Then the sky changed.
The smoke and dust covering the battlefield suddenly twisted unnaturally, spiraling upward into a massive vortex.
The clouds split apart.
Beyond them was endless darkness filled with distant stars.
A terrifying pressure descended from above.
It was not killing intent.
It was something deeper, something far beyond ordinary power.
Every hero and monster instinctively felt fear rise within them, as though some absolute existence had turned its attention toward the battlefield.
"What is that?" Child Emperor muttered in shock while frantically checking his instruments.
The devices flashed wildly without producing results.
Drive Knight's mechanical eyes rotated rapidly.
"Unable to identify the energy source. This phenomenon does not match any known energy classification."
Inside the command center, Sitch stared at the screen with a pale face.
"What the hell is happening? Is this another enemy?"
Muzan narrowed his crimson eyes slightly as he spoke through the psychic link.
"Ancestor... is this the being you were waiting for?"
Sol looked up toward the sky quietly.
A faint look of understanding appeared in his crimson eyes.
Finally.
It had arrived.