Good early morning, my viewers, and happy Easter too! As you can see, these chapters are pretty long to make, but I put down the turbo to finish this one. You'll also want to know that the next chapter is already being written, but in order to be published you'll have to wait for a month, maybe more...Anyway, now it's time for the responses:
To Exodus12345:Honestly I can't think of anything to describe how happy this comment makes, but if it's the same for you I found that this story (in terms of Favourites and Followers) has higher stats than other stories from writers I deem to be more talented than me!
To Alexander Coonen:Well, you're not really wrong there. After I finish writing a chapter I publish it immediately the next day (like this chapter) or I just hold it for revising (which barely happens, but there are some cases).
Anyway, let's get into this chapter!
That one, single statement left Mizuki very terrified. Gaia was the nicest monster of the Wastelanders, but more than that, she was guarded by Ariol, a powerful demon-level. There was also Sandscale Dragon, who she knew could fight some of the S class on equal footing.
The thought of something able to go through them without having too much trouble was frightening.
"So...what exactly happened? Who even took her?" Mizuki asked Monoculor and, from the corner of her eye, could see Ariol shuddering at that question. Now that she knew what troubled him, she couldn't help but feel sorry for him.
Monoculor inspired and began his story.
Thus Monoculor told her about their failed attempt to escape the Ghost Town, their fierce battle aganist the Monster Association's footsoldiers and their bone-chilling encounter with Nyan, Gaia's captor. The muscular heroine noticed Ariol shuddering at that, but decided it was best not to bring it up.
However Mizuki was now positively terrified at the thought of facing a dragon-level monster, but then the strong figure of Shinko bloomed in her mind and all fear escaped her.
Mizuki showed a soft smile as she said "Don't worry everyone, we can get through this if we stick together. Let's go to E City, i have a feeling Shinko is there"
Monoculor, Sandscale Dragon and the ones in the living room nodded at that, even Ariol, now standing up. It was in that exact moment when his stomach, as well as everyone else's (even Mizuki's) began growling for nourishment.
"Don't worry, the others are in the kitchen, making supper" Monoculor said before muttering "even though they are sure taking their time while at it"
Mizuki heard his mutter and hurried to the kitchen. There she found the monsters trying to precisely cut the ingredients, the steaming bowls being on the fire (turned to the maximum, she noted), bloody footprints on the floor and of course the gaping hole in the ceiling, where she could see the vacant apartments' interiors and the grey sky.
Mizuki of course voiced her current mess of emotions with a mighty roar, which startled most of the monsters (minus the demon-levels) and even shook the surrounding area.
Sandscale Dragon chuckled at her back, being the one who made the hole in the first place.
Ariol, on the other hand, wanted to eat as soon as possible, so they could move out immediately. After all, they couldn't set up to free Gaia on an empty stomach.
An hour later, after eating and preparing light luggages, they were out of Mizuki's apartment, ready to go, but Mizuki herself. Before Monoculor, Belphomet or anyone else questioned what she was exactly doing, they heard her calling them from the rails.
Mizuki launched herself from the high stairs and crashed into the road, creating small fissures in the asphalt. "Sorry for the wait" Mizuki said with a smirk "I just wanted to grab something helpful before going"
What she grabbed, the others saw, were weights around her arms, legs and abdominals. These weights were even larger than those Mizuki wore before the onslaught of monsters.
"Ah, i see! You want to augment your muscle mass in order to increase your attack and defense at the same time!" Hulkaber explained and Mizuki nodded.
Thus the group was headed to E City. Their plan was to go through the wilderness of D City so to reach the Monster Lords' HQ as soon as possible.
As the group set off with each of their individual worries, Mizuki couldn't help but wonder how powerful she was with her larger and thicker muscles.
'These muscles really look powerful' Mizuki thought as she once again looked at her arms, legs, chest and stomach 'Oh well, i will test them tomorrow with my weights'
Mizuki was especially taken aback by the weights themselves, which must have weighted a lot, last time she checked. The weights around her limbs should have weighted around 80 kilos while one around her stomach 60...
...though she didn't feel all that slowed down...
'Heh, whatever. I'll look more into this tomorrow morning' Mizuki thought as she walked with the Wastelanders.
X X X
Meanwhile, in E City, Gloria was huddled in her house with Caroline squeezed between her arms, creating some kind of protective cocoon around her daughter. She remembered doing the same thing with Shinko, then just a little child, during thunderstorms.
Gloria almost couldn't believe it that her son, before so timid and anxious, became a hero and even started to get closer (emotionally and physically, to a degree) to her loved one, Mizuki.
And what a hero he became! Gloria read with excitement how easily Shinko defeated every monster he came face to face. How they couldn't remotely harm him and, most of all, how her son looked fearlessly in his enemies' faces, no matter how large or terrifying.
Gloria was proud of him, all right, but she wouldn't mind her son visiting them every once in a while!
As if her request was heard, Gloria and Caroline heard some heavy footsteps closing in on their house. The two were now very afraid, Caroline's shivering increased and Gloria's mind was close to snapping. After all, it was roughly the 15th time she heard not-so-reassuring sounds out of her house.
It was then that they heard a loud explosion, then silence...
...and then a series of light knocks on their door.
Gloria had a glimmer of hope that it was her son who had defeated the monster and so she went to answer the door. It seemed Caroline had the same idea as she went to the door faster.
Gloria opened it and them both were enveloped in a strong hug. "Big brother!" "My son!" Gloria and Caroline said at the same time.
Shinko was hugging them tightly with no intention of letting go of them. And he had a wide smile on his face.
"You don't know just how much i missed you both!" Shinko said as he buried his face in Gloria's neck, while Caroline was hugging his legs. The little girl kept rubbing her hands on them, marveling at how rigid they were.
"Us too, but you could've called more often!" Gloria scolded Shinko as the latter went to close the door. "Sorry, a lot of stuff went on since then with finding a new apartment and the experience of being a hero" her son sheepishly replied.
"Who cares!? Big brother is home and he'll stay here!" Caroline happily shouted at the top of her lungs. Shinko, however, sweat-dropped at that.
"Aw, you'll have to go soon?" a now saddened Gloria asked him, while her sister was disappointed in her older brother.
"No!" Shinko said, quickly throwing his hands up "I'll stay in here for a while, but then i have to return to Z City to check on Mizuki. I fear this many monsters could be troubling..."
"Ok, but at least stay here with us..." Caroline muttered. Shinko crouched down and tightly hugged her with affection. Caroline now smiled at him and directed Shinko to the kitchen.
The now reunited family had a snack as Shinko told them the martial artist tournament he attended. Then Gloria told him more clearly about the time he was gone. Shinko was relieved that Caroline's bullying had stopped, and all thanks to his hero fame, no less! Sadly, Shinko also got to know about Gloria's predicament. She had lost her job as a secretary and searched for another one for a week and a half. Luckily Gloria found a new one as an office worker at the local clothing factory, but it didn't pay a lot.
"Don't worry about that last part" Shinko soothingly said to his mom "I can give you a large part of my salary, i am also confident that I will reach A class by the end of the week!" he then proudly proclaimed.
"Oh, that would be ideal! Good luck with your career!" Gloria said to her son.
Suddenly they heard a knock on the door and Shinko went to it. He put a shirt on for decor and opened it.
X X X
Child Emperor had little trouble finding Shinko's house. Especially with the monster's dead body to use as a clue.
Its lower half was seriously damaged and its upper body was completely blown away, only bloody chunks littering the street and the front of a nearby house.
Child Emperor then looked at the door and went to knock at it. He waited little time and the door opened, revealing Shinko.
"Oh, hi there...Are you lost, kid?" Shinko asked the young boy with concern.
Child Emperor looked at Shinko. Despite the fact that he meant no disrespect, the boy was still pretty annoyed with that remark.
So Child Emperor sighed and looked at Shinko in the eyes as he said "I am the S class hero Child Emperor and i wish to speak with you in private"
The fluffy boy was hit by the realization and sheepishly excused himself for mistaking him. Child Emperor then allowed a small proud smirk to appear on his face.
As Shinko introduced him to the house, Child Emperor was tackled by Caroline, who hugged the boy and looked at him with eyes filled (metaphorically) with stars.
"Woah, it's really you!" the younger girl practically squealed at him. Shinko and Gloria, who had just arrived to see the commotion, snickered in the background at their little family member while Child Emperor took this situation calmly. After all, he was more than used to adoring fans.
"Yeah, and it's been quite a tiring day, so please allow me to speak with your older brother in private" Child Emperor calmly stated, even going as far as to pet her, and Caroline interrupted the hug, allowing the young hero to go to the kitchen, followed by Shinko.
When the two were seated and the rest of the family was out of earshot, Child Emperor finally spoke "So, it's been some time i wanted to talk to you. I know you're the 'Fighter of the Outskirts' and i want some information out of you"
Shinko tensed at that, but Child Emperor spoke again "Before that, however, i want to clarify that you aren't in any kind of trouble with the law. I know for a fact that your activities under that alias took place before you became a hero, so we can't really punish you for them. Plus, your activities have had beneficial effects for E City as a whole, making it safer that most cities"
"So...there's no problem?" Shinko asked tentatively. After all, Child Emperor knew neither of the Wastelanders, nor Mizuki's involvement. Those pieces of information could very well create legal problems and Shinko wasn't ready to go to jail yet, nor get someone close to him get in either.
"Yes, but i still want to have answers regarding something. Namely, how did you find yourself in one of Metal Knight's labs and how did you attain that kind of strength" Child Emperor continued. He didn't tell Shinko about Sandscale Dragon's attack in his laboratory simply because the incident could also be traced back to the Monster Lords.
Child Emperor looked at Shinko's profile and found no evidence of crimes or bad conduct. So he would simply ask to the Monster Lords and see what to do next.
Shinko took a deep breath and said "The first one is simple. As i escaped E City, some robots came to me and said that they wanted to use my power for good. After some tests, however i found out they wanted to use these tests' results for nefarious purposes. So i escaped...though i didn't know at the time that the building belonged to Metal Knight" Shinko finished with a perplexed expression.
Child Emperor said "Yes, i understand your confusion. You have to know that, at the time, that base in particular was hijacked by a mysterious group for some time. Metal Knight definitely didn't have anything to do with it, and your escape actually brought the hack to our attention"
Shinko smiled at this, glad to hear that he was of help and wasn't in trouble for damaging expensive property. But then realized that he had another question to answer.
Shinko didn't know if Child Emperor would believe him or not. If a world-renowned biology expert wouldn't, then why would Child Emperor? If he didn't, then that could lead to some problems, since he didn't want to hide information from the S class hero...or, at least, MORE information from him.
Shinko took another deep breath and explained to Child Emperor how he attained his strength, while also adding the daily monster fights he had to go through.
This new information left him thinking for a considerable amount of time and eventually said "Despite how ridiculous that sounds, there is a possibility your training method might have in fact worked. After all, humans can have wildly different growths in power and the strongest humans worked to their maximum potential. That could also explain why the monsters were so adamant in following you, since you were a powerful individual willing to grant them safety. I still think that the monsters adapting heroic behavior was just a chance to further their means of survival but, as we've seen today, it really paid off"
Shinko sighed in relief, glad he wasn't in any kind of trouble, when suddenly there was a knock on the door.
He and Child Emperor were confused by this, but Gloria reassured them and went to open the door for them. A creaking sound later and Caroline practically shouted "Bird Brain!" and tackled the new guest.
Shinko wasn't all that surprised by the costume-wearing guest and knew for a fact that he was friendly to his family. Child Emperor, however, was pretty tense at getting to know the substitute for the Monster Lord.
"Ah, Shinko, it's a pleasure to finally meet you. Your mother said great things about you" Phoenix Man said to the fluffy boy as he shook his hand. Caroline, meanwhile, kept hugging his leg as he gently stroke her hair.
Child Emperor was still frozen on the spot. He guessed he would meet the substitute of whoever that monster was, but he never thought of him coming right here.
It was also an oddity that he was not only acquainted with Shinko's family, but seemed to be their friend as well.
The costume-wearing monster then turned to Child Emperor and said "Ah, you're here too. Pleased to meet you. I have many things to tell you about"
Child Emperor was puzzled by the things he wanted to discuss about but then looked at Phoenix Man, who was motioning for them to sit on the couch.
They did so and Phoenix Man said "Before that, however, I have to tell you something about myself that I kept hidden"
The four listened to him as he revealed not only his identity as a monster, but also his soon-to-be severed ties with the Monster Association.
Shinko was surprised by this turn of events, but stayed calm anyway. Gloria had a similar reaction, while Caroline was more confused than ever.
"So, are you a bad guy?" she asked him and Gloria answered for him "Not anymore, sweetie. He's a good guy now"
Then the woman looked at him and Phoenix Man nodded.
Child Emperor, however, was tense. 'On one hand this guy could be lying about his change of heart and we could have a spy in our midst. But on the other hand, we might have a powerful ally AND an useful informant. Perhaps he wanted to discuss about intel with me...' Child Emperor's mind was in a haste to think of a viable course of action, when Phoenix Man stood up, looked at the two young heroes and said "I almost forgot. I came here mainly to communicate you that Markedus and the rest of the Monster Lords intend to speak with you"
"Oh, ok then" was Shinko's only response while Child Emperor was still suspicious. Eventually, he decided to roll with it.
He was a S class hero and, if worst came to be, Shinko was on his side anyway.
X X X
In the empty streets of M City, Saitama groaned in annoyance and his companion, the S class hero King, merely sighed. While the bald man was on foot, King was riding a bike, but was going slow enough to have a nice walk with his buddy.
"I can't believe that we lost an entire monster invasion over some videogames" Saitama said to his partner as he walked at a rather slow pace.
"Yeah, that was quite a bummer, but i'm sure the other heroes had it covered" King said to Saitama, in an effort to raise his spirits. In reality, King not only didn't have much fate in the C class and B class heroes, but he was also glad to have missed the invasion entirely. If that wasn't the case, then his trademark luck would have thrown him into the thick of fighting just to be swept away from it if things went south for him.
He would have also taken the credit for any eventual monster kill, if his overall luck was combined with Saitama's.
Saitama groaned at the only person he could very well call a friend and said "Honestly, with this kind of track record, i'm beginning to reconsider why i became a hero in the first place..."
King looked at him with a puzzled expression and asked Saitama "What do you mean?"
The bald hero was quick in his answer "I wanted to be a hero for fun, but not only there are no opponents i can have a real battle with, now i can't even manage to be present at all!"
He mostly thought about the attack of the weird sea monsters and the boss of the aliens, but there have been plenty of other examples from time to time!
"Also the pay isn't that good either, so the 'profit' part is not looking too good either..." Saitama quickly added.
"So you think you are starting to lack the means to be a hero?" King asked seriously and began an encouraging speech "Then know that fighting isn't everything a hero does. After all, one could also start collecting items, engaging in side-quests, mingling with other heroes-"
"King, this isn't a videogame" Saitama interrupted him with a deadpan expression, then it returned to his normal blank face. The two remained quiet for some time, until the bald hero decided to break the silence.
"Oh well, this is still my hobby, so i'll keep going for as long as i want to..." he said suddenly. King nodded and said "Ok then. If you need anything, from advice to some relax, come by me"
With that, the two parted ways, but Saitama thought 'Sure enough, having a streak of probably 257 losses is REALLY fun'
X X X
The two heroes and the monster/vigilante were walking towards the Monster Lords' HQ. Currently they were nearing the edge of E City.
Phoenix Man was calm enough, Shinko was wondering what the Monster Lords wanted to talk about (aside from the obvious) and Child Emperor was just a bit tense. After all, he didn't know what the rest of them were like and the one he DID know didn't seem so trusting.
So Child Emperor did the smart thing and asked Shinko about it. The latter smiled at him and said "Oh, they're reasonable enough. Markedus is the least trusting of them, but he acts that way only to protect himself and the monster community. Butin is especially distrustful and looks hostile, but he won't attack unless provoked. Mocus is very reasonable, but he really panics a lot. Finally there's Leila, who is really nice and caring. She even has a soft spot for kids! Just keep your calm and hear them out, don't worry so much!"
Despite the fact Shinko said the last bits as to reassure him, Child Emperor was still annoyed at his carefree attitude towards them.
Now that they were out of E City, the three could now get to the HQ much faster. Shinko was running ahead of the two, leading the way. Phoenix Man was flying between the two heroes and Child Emperor stayed last, keeping an eye on the costume monster.
Except he didn't seem to be doing much, aside from flying.
Child Emperor turned his attention on Shinko, hoping to see his abilities up close, but there wasn't much on that front either. 'His current speed is rather impressive, i'll give him that, but in order to fully uncover his abilities i'll have to run some tests in the laboratory...' Child Emperor thought 'Maybe the next day i can ask him to come to J City for that...'
"Okay, we're here!" Shinko said as he stopped to some thick woods. Phoenix Man and Child Emperor stopped their flight as well and landed on the ground.
The young hero could see that there had been a large-scale battle in this place:craters littered the surrounding plains, some trees were bent and broken and finally there were a lot of monsters around, either nursing the wounded or dragging inhuman corpses to who-knows-where.
He could also see that neither Phoenix Man nor Shinko were happy with this sight, the former being almost unfazed, but still keeping his head a little bit down and the latter frowning and slightly trembling in rage at the same time. If Shinko's balled, vibrating fist was of any indication, someone was going to pay dearly for this.
Finally a monster took notice of the trio and invited them to the HQ, although they did a poor job at hiding their discomfort towards Child Emperor.
With their entrance in the semi-abandoned building, the trio saw further damage in the forms of broken doors, walls and other kinds of furniture. There were also carpenters (or the closest thing the community of monsters could come up with), who were trying to identify and repair the damages. Child Emperor used this brief "tour" of the building to mentally analize the building structure, number of rooms and present monsters. All to make up a plan in case these monsters were to turn hostile.
While Child Emperor was in his own mind, Shinko mostly thought about the monsters' lives that were definitely lost in the conflict. 'This much damage will probably take months to repair, even if the Monster Lords somehow got more resources to work with...' his mind then went to the Wastelanders 'Oh guys, i hope you're alright. I'm sorry for not being there to help you. I SHOULD have been there!'.
Finally, Shinko's mind wandered on Mizuki again. He knew she had gotten very strong, to the point where her muscles awoke a sense of pride within him, but was she enough aganist the Monster Association? What if they sent demon-levels aganist her?
These questions and their implicit answer caused Shinko to lower his eyes and flinch. But someone put a clawed hand on his shoulder. The fluffy boy looked up at a rather concerned Phoenix Man, who asked him "Are you alright?" although he knew it was pretty stupid to ask, having seen his state.
"Not really" Shinko answered with a low voice "I'm worried about how Mizuki and the others are doing in Z City. There is the base of operation of the Monster Association, and i'm worried they are fighting against demon-levels or...worse. I should have been there instead of attending that tournament"
Phoenix Man took a few seconds to formulate a convincing answer and then said "Shinko, i know this might sound insensitive, but you don't have to worry about them. Trust me, in my time at the MA, i had access to hero reports and rumors alike and i can safely say that they can stand up to the demon-levels. Besides, even in Z City the Monster Association won't release the dragons, who are too important assets to lose during this particular operation" Phoenix Man stopped now to see how Shinko was taking his speech.
He seemed to be listening intently, now the fluffy boy was waiting for him to continue.
So Phoenix Man resumed "Therefore you need to remain calm, for they have everything under control. Hell, they might even use this unfortunate situation as an opportunity to become even stronger!" Shinko now smiled warmly in excitement, his mind definitely thinking about Mizuki, and the costume monster took this as a good sign "Finally...i think the Monster Lords will tell you that, but i want to say your arrival in E City was a very important part in winning this conflict. If you hadn't come, then Leila would be in worse physical conditions and the Magmatic Lizard King would have destroyed the city's shelter with the citizens inside. So don't worry, you've done all you could"
Shinko took that speech to heart and his humor rose, but deep down Shinko still thought he could do more, with his speed and precision.
Phoenix Man, on the other hand, thought that his speech was a success and cherished his time as an actor. Improvisation saved his career (and now his life) many times.
With their little conversation over, the duo turned to Child Emperor, who was still scrupulously analizing the place, much to the monsters' dismay.
"Come on, the Monster Lords are waiting for us" Phoenix Man said to the others, urging them foward. They went for the stairs and arrived at the uppermost floor.
The trio opened up the two-faced door and was greeted by Markedus, with the four other monsters sitting at a long, round table. "Ah, good afternoon. You've finally arrived" the demon said. Markedus was merely tolerating Child Emperor's presence, Butin was glaring at him, Mocus was panicking inside his mind and Leila had a concerned look on her face.
Child Emperor tried to ignore that last part in order to suppress his annoyance.
"Oh, hi guys! It's been some time since the last i've seen you all together" Shinko greeted the four, rather informally for Child Emperor's taste. "Yes, it HAS been some time since the validation. Though i am grateful you're here with us, the circumstances could have been better" Markedus said, bringing down the collective humor in the room.
"Wait, validation? What's that?" Child Emperor asked, but he already had a solid hunch of what it was referring. Shinko was quick to answer and his sheepish tone confirmed his suspicions "You see, these guys weren't always in charge. At first this place was controlled by a demon-level monster that acted as a warlord. Basically, around the end of July and the start of August, we decided we were ready to bring an end to his reign. Then, after i killed him, there was a little ceremony in which i...legitimized the Monster Lords' reign?"
Phoenix Man more or less knew of the story, but Child Emperor remained speechless. After a few minutes, he regained the ability to speak and asked "What kind of warlord were you talking about?"
Shinko actually pondered on that question "It was a red humanoid monster with four arms and swords and a really thick black beard. I don't remember what was his name though..."
Recollection beamed in Child Emperor's eyes "Watauga! That was his name! He was a demon-level monster that was rumored to live in the deepest outskirts of E City!"
"Ah, yeah! He was definitely the strongest monster i faced up until then. If i fought him two or three months prior, then i'd probably have some really bad scars..." Shinko said, but his tone fell at the last part.
Child Emperor took that part with interest. Watauga was an exceptionally powerful demon-level, one that could shrug off Puri Puri Prisoner AND Tank Top Master. This meant that 5 months ago Shinko could've very well have been more powerful than an S class hero.
'More data to work with, but i'll have to wait until tomorrow to put it to practice...' Child Emperor thought.
"Ok, no more derailing the conversation now" Mocus said, taking the lead out of stress "So, in light of the events that happened today, Shinko will not be allowed out of E City confines for any reason!"
The thick silence in the room didn't take long to make him back-pedal "Purely for safety reasons! Also, Shinko may be allowed to leave only with the approval of at least half of the Monster Lords!"
"Woah, this attack really rattled him" Shinko whispered to Phoenix Man, who then replied "Yes, but it may also be because of the losses on his part"
Markedus took back the reins of the conversation and addressed Child Emperor "So, before speaking with Phoenix Man about anything, you must drive the S class hero Darkshine out of the area. Reports on his indicate that he's not inherently hostile, but with our situation here and the cleaning squads still dispatched around the city, i don't want to take unnecessary risks". Child Emperor felt annoyed, but decided to comply anyway in order to build trust with him.
Markedus then addressed Phoenix Man "As for you, continue your spy work in the Monster Association's HQ. Try to find any evidence that might indicate plans for a second attack. No doubt they heard about our victory..." Phoenix Man nodded.
Finally, Markedus addressed the other Monster Lords "Butin, you will patrol our HQ for any suspicious activity, especially the woods. Mocus, i want you in the city patrolling as well and overseeing the workers. Leila, you and the other healers will be working overtime in the city as well" he straightened himself up and said "Anything else you might want to add?"
Before anyone could breathe, Butin stood up and said "I want to say that from now on all monsters will take the extensive training my troops take every day. With the growing number of hostile monsters and now this, we must be prepared for anything!"
Markedus pondered on that request and then said "Doing that would result in the other monsters not having enough time for their activities, but i will think about a valid alternative" he then raised his head "Anyone else?"
Leila stood up and said "I would suggest we amplify our embassy, so that other monsters can join our community. Currently the embassy can reach E City, C City, F City and H City. Perhaps we can expand it to G and I City as well? In my travels there a lot of monsters seemed to have fate and sympathy for our community!"
Again, Markedus pondered on that and said "...Yes, but we can do that when this crisis is over. I was thinking of expanding to D and B City as well..."
Finally, Child Emperor spoke up "I want to keep communication between us in case anything of the sort happens ever again. I have witnessed you helping the civilians and eliminating the enemy monsters, but i still don't trust you"
It didn't take long for the air to grow thick in tension and before Butin could make things worse, Shinko and Leila spoke at the same time "Shinko/I could help maintaining the relations!"
Now the room was silent, but the tension, until Markedus added "Fair enough. If this will cancel most hostilities between us and the Hero Association, then so be it. Of course, i'll keep an eye out as well in case any kind of foul play were to take place..."
Child Emperor solemnly nodded and Markedus said "Well then, i declare this meeting over. If anyone has any thoughts that they think are important, then i will be at the basement"
With that, Markedus and Butin exited the room, the latter glancing behind himself to keep his eye on Child Emperor, and Leila flied out of the large window.
Before Mocus could go anywhere, Phoenix Man addressed him "Wait, Child Emperor and i have important matters to discuss before we depart for our duties. Is there a private room we could-"
"Oh sure, just go to the second floor and ask i'm sure they'll give it one to you!" Mocus cut off his reply and replied hastily as he got out of the room.
With that, the two went to the second floor, but Child Emperor suddenly turned to Shinko and said "As for you, you're free to go if you want. Still, tomorrow morning, at 10AM, i want you to bring us to my laboratory in J City. I want to study your physical abilities for future reference"
Shinko was a bit uncomfortable with that, so Child Emperor reassured the fluffy boy that he meant no ill intent.
So Shinko exited the building from the open window while Phoenix Man and Child Emperor went to the second floor.
X X X
It was sunset in the border of Q City and the buildings cast off long, broad shadows for those that couldn't handle the heat.
In one of said shadows, slumping on a wall, was Garou...who wasn't in a good shape. If anything, he could be considered very badly injured on a physical level and seething on a mental one.
The V-shaped, white haired Hero Hunter faced off aganist the S class hero Watchdog. Garou thought that he could take him by surprise, but the hero proved to be ruthless and unstoppable.
'Damn, he literally toyed with me' Garou thought in pain 'Although that old fart never taught me how to properly fight non-human opponents. But whatever, i'll just have to sleep all of this off and then the hunt will continue!'
He flashed a malevolent, ear-to-ear grin before doubling over, groaning in pain. Deciding that sleep was a top priority at the moment, Garou set off to his hideout.
Unfortunately for him, Garou didn't notice that a scarred hero in possession of a large gatling took notice of the hero hunter.
The next day definitely wasn't going to be a fun one.
X X X
In the private room given to them by the monsters, Child Emperor and Phoenix man sat on two stools at a round, wooden table.
"So, even with the death of Milotanus, there are still 30 demon-level monsters who are part of the association" Phoenix Man declared as Child Emperor scribbled the information on a device, in order to use it later to form a plan.
"They are the backbone of the Monster Association, but the second most dangerous monsters are the Cadres, who are dragon-level monsters" Phoenix Man continued with his explanation and Child Emperor furrowed his eye-brows. 'It seems this attack was just an introduction. The battle hasn't even gotten serious yet' Child Emperor thought with a sliver of worry, but at least now he was getting the information needed to prepare for them. Such as the location of their HQ, which was underground.
"In total, the Cadres are 8 in number: Black Sperm, Evil Natural Water, Fuhrer Ugly, Homeless Emperor, Rover, Gouketsu, Gums and Nyan. However there are other dragon-level monsters as well, which are Hellfire, Gale Wind and Elder Centipede" Phoenix Man further explained, Child Emperor nodding at each name.
"And for last, we have the military advisor, Gyoro Gyoro, the lead scientist, Petrolic Wraith, and the Monster King, Orochi" Phoenix Man seemed to have finished his explanation and Child Emperor gritted his teeth. 'So there are old faces as well...' Child Emperor thought 'Guess we'll have to be more careful in the future when dealing with powerful monsters'
"Now, these are the monsters that make up the association, but there are more details we must discuss, specifically on their strategies-" Phoenix Man said, but Child Emperor interrupted him with a request "Before we talk about that, would you be more precise on the demon-levels' and dragon-levels' abilities?"
The costume monster wasted no time at all and explained their abilities with precision, especially regarding the Cadres, but the explanations for the last two monsters, although very worrying, seemed vague.
"How come?" Child Emperor voiced his thoughts to Phoenix Man, who in turn looked down and said "Unfortunately, i don't know much about Petrolic Wraith and Orochi. The former evades questions and doesn't let anyone near his quarters, while the latter..." the costume monster was unsure how to put his thoughts into words and said "No one knows anything about him! I was a part of the Monster Association for years, but that guy had been always there. I think he's some sort of ancient being, but..."
"It's alright, when you find more information report it to me. In the mean time i made a list of the monsters to watch out for. In tomorrow's meeting the other S class will tell which monsters they fought and i'll cross the ones that we know are dead" Child Emperor said "But now let's talk about the more technical parts of the association"
Again Phoenix Man wasted no time "Under the HQ there are large veins precious metals that the Monster Association harvests and sells in order to obtain the necessary funds to influence vital parts of human society, such as politicians and the press. And we haven't even talked about how the association buys scientists to harvest the Monster Cells from Orochi"
Child Emperor was at a loss of what to say. Not only did he have to deal with the corruption within the Hero Association, but now he had to deal with societal corruption as a whole. So he settled a slow "Ok", but then picked up from there by saying "Well, on the bright side, we now know this information and we can act accordingly"
Phoenix Man nodded and got up the stool. He was about to exit the room, but he turned around and said "Before going, know this. Gyoro Gyoro is a slimy individual who is willing to withhold information when it deems it useful,even from his most trusted subordinates. Perhaps there was something i missed..."
Then he left and Child Emperor was left thinking. 'Just what kind of plan could Gyoro Gyoro deem important enough to keep secret?' the young hero thought.
The answers that popped up in his mind weren't good in slightest.
X X X
Sneaking from an hallway to another, Zombie Man was confused about the scene unfolding before him.
Why was The Beast King so friendly all of a sudden? Why were Frog Man and Mountain Dragon fighting monsters now? And what was Genus planning exactly?
'This complicates things and i need to know what is going on now' Zombieman thought as he began following the three back to their hideout...which he soon found out to be a Takoyaki stand. He could see Slugerous cleaning up the floors with Frog Man and Mountain Dragon helping him out with the tables.
Meanwhile Armored Gorilla and The Beast King where guarding the streets for any remaining hostile monsters. Finally he could see Genus checking his laptop while occasionally glancing around the building's interior.
Things became even more confusing for the immortal hero, so he decided it was time to blow his cover. And so he did.
Zombieman jumped out of the alley he was previously hiding in, gun in hand and axe clearly visible on his back, and said "Stand down, i'm here to end whatever plot the House of Evolution is planning"
For a few minutes everyone was silent, until The Beast King brought his clawed hands up in a placating gesture and said "Zombieman, i didn't think i'd ever get to see you again. Now, let's put down our weapons and talk about this". Genus, now aware of the new guest, rose up from his chair and said "Exactly, the House of Evolution is no more"
Now it was Zombieman's turn to remain silent, the notion not fully clicking in his mind, but then decided it was worth a shot. Because now Genus had a lot of questions to answer.
After closing the stand for the day, Genus and Zombieman were in the former's private room with a steaming plate of Takoyaki, courtesy of Armored Gorilla, and all the others retired to their respective rooms.
"So, Zombieman, you're the only living and fully functional specimen of the immortal class. It's quite the surprise to see you here after your previous escape" Genus said in an effort to break the ice (or rather, iceberg) that formed between them.
"We can have formal greetings another time" Zombieman cut through his maker's speech like Atomic Samurai would cut an iceberg "Right now, you have to answer for all of this"
Genus make a gesture with both hands, signaling that he didn't understand what was he supposed to answer for. Zombieman, on his part, conceded that he had not been clear enough.
"The fact that you are not rebuilding the House of Evolution, but not just that. Even the behavior of the others, especially The Beast King" Zombieman clarified. Genus' eyes lit up with recognition and immediately answered "Oh, our change of heart was caused was caused by a boy, or two people and a cyborg if you want to look at it that way, who challenged the House of Evolution's views and proved them wrong. His name was Shinko, who i believe is within the Hero Association's ranks now". Zombieman's eyes lit up at that and said without thinking "Yes, that name is not new to me, in fact we are finding a connection between his past and the monsters' odd behavior in E City"
"Ah, i heard about it too, in fact my companions and i were debating whether or not transfer the activity to E City" Genus said, before returning serious "I think your conned is plausible. Shinko has a great strength of heart, both in kindness and will, and more than enough strength to make it count"
Zombieman pondered on his words and finally asked the question that was burning in his mind "So he defeated Carnage Kabuto?" to which Genus answered "Yes, and unscathed i might add. If my theory is right, then there's a chance he has grown even stronger since that day"
"Wait, what theory?" Zombieman asked and Genus answered "Why, the limiter theory, of course!" with some of his mad scientist flair. And so Genus began explaining this theory to Genus "You see, the theory starts from the notion that every sentient living being has a limiter. Said limiter is there to prevent creatures from becoming too strong and losing their own sanity as a result. Breaking one's limiter is extremely hard and requires extensive training and will. Saitama, through his training, has broken his limiter, but lost his hair as a result. Shinko has gone under a similar process, but in its crucial part he decided to limit himself once again; he still retains the immense benefits without suffering any loss, but his growth is slowed down. Simply explained, Shinko's in a situation where his limiter is and isn't there at the same time"
It was a considerable amount of information to take in, but Zombieman did so no problem.
He got insight on how Shinko became so strong and got to know a new variable.
"Who is this 'Saitama' you keep referring to?" the immortal hero asked.
This time Genus had a bit of an hard time answering, but still came out with one "I don't have a lot of Intel on him and i haven't seen him fighting, so my interest for him wasn't as strong as with the other one"
"I see" Zombieman said as he stood up "Then we're done here, but i'll still keep an eye on you, don't you forget that"
"Oh, i wouldn't have it any other way" Genus said as Zombieman stepped out of the room and into the elevator.
X X X
The main hall of the Monster Association's HQ was bustling with monsters brimming with excitement. Despite the losses they sustained and the failed destruction of the Wastelanders and of the Monster Lords, they saw today as the day they rose as one and dealt a massive blow to human society. Now they discussing about the events transpired within the Hero Association's headquarters.
"Honestly, i think we've been too generous with the heroes. Three days are just too much!" a monster sneered to another, this one excitedly replying with "What, you chicken all of a sudden? Trust me, we'll defeat the entirety of the Hero Association without too much difficulty!". Flake Mage wanted to say something sarcastic to that reply, but decided aganist it.
A battle here off all places would become chaotic really quick. At it would piss off the wrong monsters.
At the center of the room was no less than Orochi, the so-called Monster King, towering over anyone with his gargantuan size and having the utmost honour of being the strongest monster within the association.
Beside him, broken and wrapped in chains, was one of Metal Knight's humanoid drones. Testament of his power.
And at his feet was the military advisor, sitting on a large lilac pillow with the prize prisoner.
For someone the monsters in the raid hyped so much, Flake Mage was expecting this 'Gaia' to be taller.
'Still, poor girl, having to sit right beside some of the Cadres' Flake Mage thought as he saw Nyan and Homeless Emperor, the latter especially absorbed by the prisoner's presence.
There was also a completely black monster he couldn't recognize. He was spider-like in form, with sharp tentacles and hands protruding from his abdomen, one large black-and-white reptilian eye and...well, Flake Mage was confused whether his skin or his entire body was made of solid substance, since it looked so oily.
After the weird probably-high-ranked monster and the military advisor finished eyeing each other, Gyoro Gyoro put its hands foward and bellowed "At ease". It waited for nearly every monster in the room to quiet down, which went down surprisingly quickly all things considered, and began speaking "Today it was a giant step for monsterkind. We banded together as a whole unit and launched a devastating attack to all of their cities at once, a feat until now unheard of!". At that the monsters let out a deafening cheer and Gyoro Gyoro had to calm them down again in order to continue "But let us not cheer just yet because, after all, our pride has always been our greatest downfall. Despite having severely damaged the human cities and killed several heroes, we have still sustained some losses. Speaking of losses..."
Gyoro Gyoro looked at one silent hallway and all of the monsters followed its eye. Suddenly, something came out at great speed, so fast that almost no one could see, but Orochi had no problem skewing it with his tendrils.
A cry of pain revealed that the high-velocity object was none other than Awakened Cockroach, now missing his feet and with a gaping hole in his stomach.
"Why are there defeated among us?" Orochi asked with a deep voice that sent shivers down the lesser monstes' spines. "W-wait, i can f-fight the heroes, don't kill me!"
Orochi didn't seem very convinced and brought Awakened Cockroach's scared form to his gaping mouth, full of sharp teeth, thick saliva and flames. To the downed demon-level, it was truly a one-ticket gate to hell.
The monster kept pleading for his life to be spared, even going as far as to ask help from the other monsters, but they were petrified by the spectacle before them.
But one small monster wouldn't just stand idle and let this continue.
"Stop! I can heal him!" Gaia shouted at the top of her lungs and for a split minute the entire room went silent.
With a two-handed gesture from Gyoro Gyoro, Orochi put Awakened Cockroach on the ground, so that Gaia could do her magic. All of the monsters were silent as the small monster put her hands on the demon-level, and a powerful burst of green light exploded from them. The light was so strong that most monsters had to cover their eyes in order to not get them damaged.
As the light died out Awakened Cockroach now stood fully healed, but as soon as he got the chance he scurried away to a dark corner, only glancing at his savior for a split second. Gaia, on the other hand, was sweating profusely and sat down as she clutched her head with a hand. She also closed her eyes in order to fight the growing headache.
If Gyoro Gyoro could smirk at it all, then it would as, it loudly proclaimed "As you've seen now, our ambush aganist the Wastelanders has granted us our very own healer, who will definitely be of use in our plans! Glory to our king Orochi!"
The monsters were still silent as what happened before made left a huge mark on them. They could be disposed at a moment's and no one would be there to help them.
Still, other monsters had other priorities. "That's not what we agreed to. Some of us were into this to destroy the heroes, not hail a 'king'" Black Sperm said, coming out of a small crowd in the upper floors.
"Black Sperm, we already discussed that you will not be allowed into any decision partaking the politics of the Monster Association for the next few months" Gyoro Gyoro told him in a harsh, snappy tone.
The hot-headed dragon-level was now angry, so he said "Oh come on, this again? It was just a brief time that i was gone, besides i made myself stronger with the antlions' corpses"
"Corpses that were MINE to use for MY research that would have brought us more powerful troops" the spider-like monster replied. "Wait really? When did you decide that?" Black Sperm asked, still angry at them. "In a meeting that we made after your disappearance that WE didn't know about at the time" Gyoro Gyoro answered, now having completely lost its patience.
"This is unfair, i even brought along a new recruit" Black Sperm argued, but now he running out of steam. Just as he said that, the Necroanter appeared behind and said "Hello Black Sperm, i am making progress in resurrecting corpses that aren't antlions', now they don't explode in acidic bile after 5 minutes, but a whole 10! Also, when am i getting paid for this? Preferably in peanuts, i really like peanuts". The fast-paced tone didn't help the fact he couldn't be taken seriously.
"BUT" the Necroanter suddenly said "i am beginning to uncover the secrets behind my magic and i think i could use it for very cool stuff!". Black Sperm brightened until Gyoro Gyoro asked "How is the research going then?"
Necroanter's antenneas lowered, and that was a bad sign in on itself "Oh, every time i try to access the stone in my staff for too long i get dizzy and i'm having trouble finding the conduit for the magical energy, but i thin-"
Necroanter's tone was getting livelier, just as if he found a solution, but Gyoro Gyoro cut him off by saying "With that, the meeting is adjourned" and then addressed the mysterious monster "Petrolic Wraith, we've got some talk to do"
All of the monsters eagerly left the room.
Flake Mage went to find Manako, Catfish and Maiko. Homeless Emperor went with Gaia. Black Sperm went with a sad-looking Necroanter. Finally Gyoro Gyoro went with Petrolic Wraith, these two followed by Phoenix Man, unbeknownst to them.
X X X
"I still can't believe He even created you" Homeless Emperor sneered at Gaia, who was now alone with him in an hallway.
The cadre had a hard time believing that her, one of His apostles, wasn't enforcing the beautiful rule of nature upon anyone. If anything she was openly opposing it.
Homeless Emperor would have vaporize the waste of oxygen by now, but He insisted that she had to live. Homeless Emperor didn't know why He decided that, but he would always follow through.
"And i still don't know what you're talking about" Gaia said, sounding annoyed and scared at the same time. This place always smelled of death, even when no one was around, and a permanent aura of malice throughly dominated it. She wanted to go home and be hugged by her older brother so badly.
He was far stronger than her. 'He definitely wouldn't crack under this much pressure' Gaia thought sadly, before being stripped from her thoughts by a rough tug.
Homeless Emperor was bringing her somewhere and she didn't want to know where.
X X X
"Now that we're alone, Wraith, do you remember what i told you about roles" Gyoro Gyoro said as it tried to be subtle, but Petrolic Wraith saw through its facade.
"Oh, don't give me that, lady" he said in a condescending tone "I told all of my secrets and experiments, and when i mean 'all of them' i mean ALL of them. Take my concoctions as an example"
From his abdomen, Petrolic Wraith grew a slender, clawed hand. He snapped his fingers and both Bug God and Royal Ripper appeared behind him. But Royal Ripper's eyes looked hollow and parts of their bodies were oozing with black goop.
"They're able to enhance any kind of biological being and even bypass the road-block your monster cells cause" Petrolic Wraith continued with a voice dripping with excitement and mirth and Gyoro Gyoro suddenly looked intrigued "As for them? Oh, it's just my newest experiment, thanks to which i'm capable of resurrecting biological living beings. Formerly, they're under my control, but if you stop being this secretive towards me then i can lend them to you" Petrolic Wraith said in his condescending tone, but Gyoro Gyoro was confused on something.
"How is their mental state?" the military advisor asked out of curiosity. At that point Bug God said "Oh, it feels kind of foggy, but apart from that my body is feeling even better than before!", but Royal Ripper remained silent. Gyoro Gyoro looked at Petrolic Wraith, the latter being a bit embarrassed about this "Oh, you see, his brain was cleanly cut in half and the air pressure made everything worse. I had already enough trouble recovering his special fighting techniques and muscle memory, and bringing back his personality was nearly impossible. He's still a work in progress, so to speak"
Gyoro Gyoro nodded and said "Alright then, we've got a deal, but now i have to attend to my duties and speak with a certain costume monster"
Petrolic Wraith said nothing as he and the other two demon-levels exited the hallway, while Gyoro Gyoro retraced its steps.
X X X
It was 10 PM in E City and Caroline sleeping in her bed as Shinko and Gloria gave her a good night kiss.
Now mother and son were at the stairs, looking at the eerily silent neighborhood through the window.
Gloria looked at Shinko and said "Son, i know you're a light sleeper and a strong hero, but you still need sleep", her son replied with "I know mum, but so much happened today. Even if the heroes and the Monster Lords have the city secured, i don't think i can take it easy just yet"
Gloria sighed and hugged her son out of instinct, Shinko was a bit stunned before reciprocating the action. He hugged her tightly and both of them didn't let go for a few minutes.
After they separated Gloria asked to her son "Just what will happen next?" and Shinko replied "For now we prepare for another eventual attack and hope for the best. Tomorrow morning i'll have to go to J City to discuss some things with Child Emperor, then we'll wait for the top brass of the Hero Association to issue an order"
Gloria sighed and Shinko hugged his mother even tighter, caused her to silently yelp at her son's strength.
"I just hope we'll all make it past this" Gloria finally said as she rested her head on Shinko's shoulder, his son whispering to her ear "Don't worry, i'll make sure of it", his voice becoming stronger, his muscles flexing and his entire body vibrating with determination and sheer power.
But he soon calmed down and gave her tired mother a good night sleep.
X X X
It was almost midnight in the Hero Association's headquarters. Darkshine was strolling down the hallway, reflecting on the events that transpired during his outing.
In C City the situation was dire, with the heroes defeated and the monsters rampaging without a care. When Darkshine came, there was no hope for the monsters and they got wiped out easily enough.
In E City things took a turn into the absurd, with monsters protecting the civilians and fending off the opposing monsters, thought there were some demon-levels giving them troubles, which Darkshine disposed off rather easily. The real workout was that crazy dragon-level who fired a plasma beam towards the shelter, but Darkshine was able to block it without much trouble. As if his muscles could ever be melted.
He stayed around after that, mainly to keep an eye for the blue-banded monsters and to find who exactly killed that dragon-level monster.
Eventually, he got to Z City and found that the situation was worse than expected, even finding and failing to kill an elusive dragon-level monster.
Still, Darkshine hoped that those heroes were just unconscious...
After that, he had to run a marathon to get back to the headquarters in time and then took a long shower after realizing how smelly he was.
"Ah, good evening!" a jovial voice shook him out of his thoughts. Standing in front of Darkshine was a short, bald man who looked like he was past his fifties. The S class hero perfectly knew who this man was.
"Oh, good evening too, mister president!" Darkshine said with a smile and held his hand up. The president shook his head and said "Please, since you're a hero who has done much for society, you call me Nagasaki, or just Naga. Now, i know it's very late in the night, but i need your help with something"
Darkshine got closer as Naga began explaining "You see, i had a meeting with one the Hero Association's cadres and i don't think he told me everything about the funds' handling. I at first i decided to give him some time because of how dire the situation was, but i have called the office 10 times now and i think they are purposely keeping me in the dark. So i thought that having an S class would be beneficial to that"
Darkshine was quick to reassure the president "Oh, don't worry about it Naga. In fact, i also have to go to them in order to give my report of the situation"
Naga nodded and the two began making their way to the cadres' meeting room, where they usually are, but as they strolled to the hallway, they found two guards armed with heavy machine guns.
Behind them there were other guards whispering to one another...and several body bangs.
Upon looking at them, one of the guards stopped whispering and told the two "Oh, good evening, Mr. President. As you can see, we're having a situation over here". Naga replied "Yes, i can see that, and now i'm beginning to understand why the cares couldn't contact me"
The guard nodded and continued "Yes, it is shameful to admit that we found about this only a mid-hour ago. If you can follow us now, there is something you both need to see"
So Darkshine and Naga followed him and the three went to the meeting room.
The large chamber was mostly cleaned up, but they could feel that something serious went down. Either the ever-present stench of death or the numerous body bags around the room.
Not to mention the bloody writing in the wall that read "THREE DAYS UNTIL THE END"
As Darkshine tensed Naga let out an heavy sigh.
'This is truly a dreadful event for society' Nagasaki thought grimly, before his eyes narrowed in focus 'But this event could also benefit me greatly'
As Darkshine began making his way to his apartment room, Naga said to the guard "Before returning to attend your duties, could you please send a message to the reception? I intend to buy the Hero Association"
And that was the chapter, folks!As you could see, I trued to find a balance between explanations of parts of the plot and interactions between characters (Especially between Shinko/his family, because that was waited for...since the prologue really and between Phoenix Man and Child Emperor for other reasons).Also, Necroanter is here! Thought I forgot about him? Well that was not such an outlandish thought (since it also happened with Mountain Dragon...), but I can tell you that guy is going to be important later on......while being wacky as FUCK.Anyway, that was everything I wanted to say, see you next time!