Chapter 40: Sonic's Shock
"Kill! Kill! Roar, roar..."
The monster had gone completely insane. Its eyes were no longer just crimson but a solid sheet of blood-red, obscuring the pupils and sclera. Its pupils had sharpened into vertical slits, and its entire body was covered in bloody marks. king's previous low-power energy bullet hadn't eliminated the monster, but it had still managed to injure it severely.
king gazed at the berserk monster, expressionless. His left foot stepped forward, and at the same time, his hands came together in a cupped, flower-bud shape at his waist. A sphere of light gradually condensed between his palms.
"This... What the hell, is that the Kamehameha?!"
"Hoo... hoo..."
Sonic, who was hiding nearby, watched King's every move, constantly adjusting his breathing to keep his body in peak condition at all times.
"Everyone get ready, load your ice needles, stay calm, and aim steadily at King. Don't worry, as long as one hits, we won't even need to act. King will surely be torn to shreds by the monster. No matter how you look at it, we have the biggest advantage. I believe... we'll be the ones laughing last."
The Assassin Commander used words to dispel the tension in the assassins' hearts, ensuring the operation was foolproof.
The modified guns used by the assassins were loaded with special ice needles infused with a super-potent anesthetic. A single needle penetrating the body would dissolve rapidly into the target's bloodstream. The anesthetic would take effect instantly, completely paralyzing the person within a dozen seconds and rendering them immobile. They were a special gift prepared by the Assassin Commander specifically for King.
When planning this assassination, he drew lessons from the previous two failures. Concerned that bullets couldn't kill King, and worried that large-scale firepower would alert King prematurely and allow him to escape, he had specifically prepared these special ice needles.
"Roar!"
The monster roared wildly, its bloodshot eyes glaring at king. Two plumes of white vapor shot from its nostrils. Its entire body shuddered, and the barbs covering it broke free, shooting towards king like a volley of arrows. The sight of the dense, prickly barbs was enough to make one's scalp crawl.
king's lips curved slightly, and he murmured, "Kame... pah, Burst Energy Bullet!" He fiercely thrust the blue energy sphere from his palm towards the monster.
The energy bullet shot out rapidly, incinerating the monster's barbs into ash along its path!
"Opportunity!"
"Opportunity! Act!"
The moment king attacked the monster, a glint flashed simultaneously in the eyes of both Sonic and the Assassin Commander.
"King, my sincerest apologies, but I'm taking your life."
Sonic's figure blurred, instantly appearing in the air behind king. He held a samurai sword in a reverse grip behind his back, revealing a "pure and innocent," eerie smile.
Huh? It seems someone is saying I'm handsome behind my back!
king had the Vaccine Man card active, granting him heightened hearing. The sound of Sonic's stealthy movement reached his ears. He turned his head in confusion, only to see Sonic hovering behind him.
Huh? Such a familiar cross-dresser! He's... Speed-o'-Sound Sonic?!
king was surprised. Why would Sonic, who was always in a love-hate rivalry with Saitama, appear in M-City?
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh...
The faint sound of something cutting through the air could be heard.
Thunk! Thunk! Thunk...
Suddenly, the sound of sharp objects piercing flesh echoed through the air.
"Huh?!"
Just as Sonic was preparing to assassinate King, king turned back and "glared" at him. Sonic felt a sudden, inexplicable pain in several places on his body, as if he'd been bitten by a mosquito. However, what terrified him was that his body was no longer under his control. He was an excellent ninja, and as a ninja—especially an excellent one—his mastery over his own body far exceeded the ordinary.
But... but now he found his body had escaped his control, frozen stiff in mid-air. His limbs were numb, gradually losing all sensation. He felt as if his entire body had vanished; his hands and feet no longer obeyed him, as if he were being manipulated by someone else. He had become a mere puppet, only his thoughts still his own.
Bang!
Given the situation, he naturally plummeted from the sky. Like a bottle rocket that shoots up only to fall back to earth, it seemed as if he had only appeared to make a cameo.
Heh, what kind of performance is this? An acrobatic fall?
king was completely bewildered by Sonic's situation, frowning as he stared at the rapidly changing expression on Sonic's face.
Boom!
At this moment, his energy bullet struck the monster, blasting it directly into slag.
"Ding! A convertible card is nearby. The Host should proceed to convert it."
The system's notification promptly came online, indicating that the Demon-level monster that was causing trouble had been dealt with.
"King, what's with that look? Pity? Disdain? I—Speed-o'-Sound Sonic—will not be defeated so easily! I... will definitely take your life!"
Sonic lay on the ground, his entire body paralyzed, only his eyes able to move. His peripheral vision caught king's gaze, and immense rage surged in his heart. Using the willpower he had cultivated for years as a ninja, he struggled to control his body. Slowly, he drew the samurai sword from behind his back while painstakingly struggling to stand up.
"King, even if I die, I will die with dignity."
He gritted his teeth, glaring fixedly at king as he slowly climbed to his feet.
Huh, what's wrong with this guy? Why does he look like he wants to kill me? Is he an assassin hired by someone else? No, that's not right. If Sonic were an assassin, he would have launched an expressionless, silent attack. What assassin would harbor such hatred for a complete stranger? Then why does Sonic hate me so much? Oh, could it be that I accidentally hit him when I was testing the energy bullet's flight path just now?
king gazed at the murderous-looking Sonic in confusion, not understanding what was going on. Then, a sudden realization dawned on him. Perhaps he really had accidentally hit Sonic when testing the energy bullet. That would explain why Sonic hated him so much. No wonder, he thought. I've never even met Sonic before, why would he want to kill me for no reason? It must have been my mistake just now.
After figuring this out, he said to Sonic with great sincerity, "I'm sorry, I didn't see you just now. Are you alright?"
"Didn't... didn't see me?!"
king's words were like a sharp blade plunged fiercely into Sonic's heart. His body stiffened, and the fire of rage in his heart flared even more intensely. King, you're too arrogant! You... you actually said you never even noticed me from beginning to end?! Dammit, I, Speed-o'-Sound Sonic, am an excellent ninja who graduated from the Ninja Village! How dare you... how dare you look down on me?!
His fury shot to the heavens, his chest heaving erratically. He glared viciously at king, gripping his samurai sword tightly, using all his strength to overcome the paralysis in his body as he slowly and arduously struggled to stand up.
"Is that... an assassin?"
Hill, who was also monitoring king's situation, saw Sonic appear and his heart tightened. His hand subconsciously gripped his pistol. However, the next second, Sonic suddenly fell stiffly from the air, making Hill's jaw drop. When he saw the veins inexplicably bulging on Sonic's face, as if he was trying his best but still couldn't stand up, Hill gasped. "Is this the result of King's pressure? Does someone so terrifyingly strong really exist in this world, someone who can crush a person with their aura alone, making it hard to breathe? This is too shocking! Does a powerhouse like him need my protection? No, perhaps he doesn't need my protection, but as a police officer, I must protect him. Even if my actions seem ridiculous to outsiders, so what? No matter what happens, I will always fulfill my duty as a police officer—to protect the lives and property of citizens!"
At the same time.
Wang Wang Assassin Group.
"Boss, all our ice needles were blocked by that person. Not a single one hit King."
"Dammit! Is that guy here to kill King, or just to cause trouble?!"
The Assassin Commander immediately recognized Sonic as the figure who had just been blasted by king. He said hatefully, "Forget it! Everyone, load the spare ice needles and fire again! As long as one needle hits King, we still have a chance to turn this around!"
"Yes, sir!"
The assassins answered in unison, swiftly loading their spare ice needles.
According to the Assassin Commander's original plan, they would all fire their ice needles at King while he was battling the monster. As long as King was hit by one needle, he would quickly become completely paralyzed, and the monster would then tear him to shreds. There would be no need for them to do anything else.
However, his supposedly flawless plan had been ruined by Sonic's appearance. Fortunately, he had a backup plan. If the monster was killed, or if their initial shots missed, they would proceed with a second volley. As long as King was paralyzed, killing him would be as easy as they wished, wouldn't it?
"Boss, we're ready."
"Good! Aim! Ready! Fire!"
The Assassin Commander methodically directed his men's attack.
Swoosh!
Several faint whooshing sounds cut through the air once more.
We agreed on two chapters at most today, so why are so many people tipping? Sigh, I'll powerlessly thank Salted Fish in the Deep Sea (Brother Salted Fish, recognize me? I'm Salted Egg, I really miss the days we grilled "salt" together), Never Been in Love (Hey, what a coincidence, me neither. How about the two of us have a romance, regardless of gender? At least we'd lose our virginity!), Wuxian Zhongchu (Oh, I left out the symbol in the middle because I think it looks better this way. What do you think?), Floating Clouds with the Wind (Floating Clouds, today my character is Salted Egg, not Firefly, so I can't pant and puff with you!), God of Eternal Primordial Chaos (You tipped so much today, my gratitude for you is like a surging river. Yup, that's right, in the future I'll write a filler chapter just to thank you. It's a deal, the chapter will be all filler, no actual content). Although there were many tips, we agreed on two chapters. Yup, that's right, it was already agreed upon!
(end of chapter)