"Ah...gentle rainfall..." Sea King noted as he looked to the sky before looking back to them "Fine then, if you wish to oppose me I'll be more than willing to show you what happens!" He declared as he rushed towards them.
Immediately entering defensive stances the House of Evolution readied for his first attack. But before any of them could realize it he was already upon them and the first person he chose to attack was Genjiro.
"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" He screamed in pain as he was sent flying down the street until he hit a car, the force and power of the blow being enough to actually embed him into it's metal frame.
"GENJIRO!" Fujio called out as he looked to his friend.
Which would prove to be a mistake as the moment he spoke Sea King delivered an uppercut to his chin which sent him flying into the air before crashing down into the road causing a small crater to form around him. By now of course they were aware of how quickly Sea King was attacking them and as one could imagine Kamakyuri, Atomu, Bunji, and Chikara acted immediately all charging towards him at once.
"YOU BASTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARD!" They shouted in unison seeking to avenge their fallen comrades.
Yet even as they came towards him all ready to strike Sea King simply grinned at their approach before seeming to disappear completely causing their attack to miss. Now unsure as to where he was they all proceeded to stand back to back as to cover all angles.
"Suguru!" Bunji called as he looked around the area "Try and track him with your telekinesis!" He suggested.
However as a few seconds passed by with no response from the other they all looked towards their group to see if he was there only to find a blood trail which was quickly being washed away by the rain in his place. Following the trail up the street with their gazes they found Suguru caught in the maw of some kind of creature which was coming out of Sea King's mouth.
"Oh such a shame~" He mused as the creature bit down causing Suguru's now limp body to fall to the ground "Once my moray eel bites into something it doesn't let go~" He continued to tease absolutely please with himself.
Unlike before though instead of vocalizing their hatred towards him the remaining four simply charged at him once more seeking to kill this monster more than anything else in the world. But just like before the moment they closed the distance he disappeared from sight but instead of being gone completely he had instead vanished to deliver a series of blows to each of them, each blow being so powerful it ruptured several organs and broke multiple bones in all of their bodies. Falling to the ground filled with excruciating pain and blood the only one left who was even fully conscious was Chikara as his armored beetle body managed to block most of the damage. Unfortunately before he could even try to muster what strength he had left in order to possibly stand or even crawl a webbed foot entered his view causing him to look upward.
And what he saw as he looked to it's owner was not the face of the monster they just saw but one far, FAR worse. Instead of a face resembling that of a human's Sea King's face now looked like that of a lizard or even a dinosaur with rows of sharpened teeth and eyes that resembled a snake's or crocodile'a he now truly looked the part of the monster he was.
"The air up here shriveled me up a bit, but this rain has helped me to feel like myself again!" He exclaimed as he leaned over so Chikara and him could be face to face "And the best part of it all is, YOU couldn't even land a single blow! you were worse than that human!" He taunted before erupting into laughter.
Feeling rage and unbridled hatred fill his being Chikara began to initiate Carnage Mode only to have himself be picked up by his leg as he was halfway through.
"NO MORE TRANSFORMATIONS!" Sea King ordered as he tossed Chikara into a nearby tanker which resulted in a massive explosion.
With what little feeling he had left in his body Chikara could feel his flesh and bones being scorched by the flames but given he was at death's door even that horrid of a feeling was incredibly numb. But he still possessed his senses at least in a limited capacity since he could still hear the thunderous footsteps of Sea King approaching him followed by him entering his view.
"I've grown tired of you lot." He admitted as he grabbed Chikara by his throat and lifted him "I have humans that I need to kill, so let's finish this up shall we?" He suggested just as he plunged his his remaining fist into the other's abdomen.
Never in his life had Chikara known of such pain, such gut wrenching agony, but as Sea King slowly removed his beating heart and showed it to him with what little life he had left he knew now what a monster looked like. And that's when it all went black.
"WAKE UP CHIKARA!" Mutsuko cried as she hugged his body "WAKE UP ALL OF YOU! YOU HAVE TO GET UP!" She begged as she continued to sob.
Very few minutes had passed since they came upon the horrific sight and yet somehow the rain had changed from a gentle fall into a heaving downpour. But none of them even Tatsumaki cared for the rain and how soaked they were getting as they all found themselves at a loss for words at the sight of their companion breaking down in front of them. And while they wanted nothing more than to console her and try to stop the flood of tears and cries that came from her they all knew that the monster responsible for this was somewhere in the city and they needed to stop him. So being the first to regain himself from the shock Genos walked over to her and knelt beside her placing a hand on her backside as he did.
"Mutsuko." He spoke as to gain her attention "We need to go." He told her.
"NO! I'M NOT LEAVING THEM! WE NEED TO GET THEM BACK TO THE HOUSE! THE DOCTOR WILL HELP THEM!" She shouted as she hugged Chikara's body even tighter.
"I know what it's like to lose a family." He told her as he looked to the bodies "I had to watch my family as well as my entire town be slaughtered and destroyed while I could do nothing about it." He explained.
"THEN YOU SHOULD KNOW WHAT I'M FEELING! AND YOU SHOULD BE TRYING TO HELP THEM!" She argued as she now looked at him with a tear filled gaze.
"But you can't help them Mutsuko, they're dead." He told her "If you want to do something about their deaths then please come with us and help us stop the Sea King." He said.
Feeling as though her insides were being torn apart like paper through a shredder Mutsuko looked back to her fallen family unable to keep another wave of tears from shedding.
"O-Okay..." She softly said with a sniffle "B-But we're coming back for them...to take them back...for a funeral..." She told him.
"Of course." He said as he offered her his free hand.
Slowly reaching out and taking his hand Mutsuko with his aid slowly got back to her feet until she was standing upright once more. Feeling but only the smallest bit of relief that their friend was rejoining them the others were about to begin searching for the Sea King once more until King made a horrific discovery.
"Wait...where's Kaemon?!" He asked causing them all to look behind Tatsumaki.
Sure enough where Kaemon was supposed to be standing they no longer were causing all of their eyes to widen.
"Where did they go?!" Fubuki asked as she looked around but due to the rain if there had been any kind of trail they could've followed it was already washed away.
However before they could call out their now missing member or even begin to search for them Tatsumaki without warning took off into the skies with her ESP and flew off towards the city.
"Tatsumaki!" Her sister called for her even though she knew there was no way the other could hear her.
"Things just keep getting worse..." King though to himself "If only Saitama was here..." He added.
If anyone were around to see them they would think a shadow had just come to life and was running through the rain. But as Kaemon continued to run through the city unsure as to where they were going really they had countless thoughts racing through their minds.
"This is all MY fault!" They mentally shouted as they shut their eyes "If I had never shot my mouth off, if I never told them I was gonna come up here, then he wouldn't be here now doing all of this!" They continued.
Reaching the end of a street Kaemon still unsure as to where they were actually going or where they were simply chose to go left and continue running.
"I have to find Saitama, he'll put an end to this, and when he does...I'll go back to the ocean where I belong..." They decided.
But as that decision began to set in their mind they had the few but immensely treasured memories from the previous day flash through their thoughts. From Saitama's invitation to live with him to Tatsumaki's shopping trip even though there weren't many memories to look back on that one day they had spent with them was the best day of their whole life. Which is why as they continued to think about the day before they eventually stopped running and fell to their knees in the street clutching their chest as they did.
"Why is this hurting so much?!" They questioned as they tightened their grip "SEA FOLK AREN'T SUPPOSED TO FEEL ANYTHING!" They shouted.
It was then in that moment even with the swirling emotions going on within them that Kaemon was able to feel something that they were all too familiar with. Looking off to the side down a pitch black alleyway they couldn't shake the feeling they were being watched. But before they could move or say anything a pair of glowing yellow eyes appeared within the darkness causing them to only feel one emotion now, which was unbridled fear.
"You're right kelp..." Sea King's voice spoke as a tooth filled grinned appeared below the eyes "Sea Folk feel nothing, not even pain." He said with a few cackles.
But there would be no scream, no blood, not a single sound to be heard and the only proof that anyone or thing had been within that street should one be looking would be a torn shirt which could only fit the frame of a child.
"Ugh, of all the times to hit a red light!" Mumen Rider exclaimed with slight frustration as even with the city being vacant of any life he still sought to obey traffic laws.
If there were any people still around to see him on his bike in the middle of this rain they would think "Why of all heroes is he here? he's only C class after all.", and while they would be right in that regard they would not be seeing him for the hero he was but rather the hero he was labeled as. For no matter the threat or the scope of the danger that lay before him the Bicyclist For Justice would always be there to help in any way that he was able. But of course in this vast world of ours he was not the only hero who felt this way, who had such an unyielding sense of righteousness and courage. Which is exactly why as he heard someone walking next to him her turned to see who it might be only to find the one person he would have never expected to see.
"Huh?" He sounded as he wasn't sure if what he was actually seeing was real.
"Man where could this Sea guy be?" Saitama asked aloud as he looked around "You'd think it'd be a lot easier to find a giant fish person." He noted as he looked to his right.
However as he did so he saw instead of a hulking monster a person on a bike though due to their attire he assumed that they might be some kind of hero like him.
"You're...One Punch Man right?" Mumen Rider asked wanting to be absolutely certain this wasn't some kind of cosplaying fan or case of mistaken identity.
"That's right." Saitama confirmed "You're a hero too right? you haven't see the fish dude or my friends have you?" He asked.
"Your friends? oh you mean other S class right?" Mumen Rider replied with his own question.
"Yeah pretty much." Saitama said.
"Well if you'd like I could give you a lift and while we look for the monster we can search for your friends too." Mumen Rider offered causing Saitama to smile.
"Oh wow thanks." He said as he walked over "You're sure this isn't a problem?" He asked receiving a nod in response.
"Course not I'm happy to help." Mumen Rider assured just as the light turned green.
And so with Saitama now sitting right behind him Mumen Rider began to pedal once more.
As the storm continued to rage on somehow bringing with it even more rain our group of heroes which was now missing three of it's members continued on in their search for not only the Sea King but also their comrades.
"Why would she just take off like that?!" Fubuki asked mainly to herself as she tried to make sense of her sister's reckless action "Now we have to find her, Saitama, AND Kaemon!" She added.
"I haven't really been able to get to know your sister all too well Fubuki." King admitted "But in the short time I have seen the real her it seems like she has trouble with her emotions, so when she feels them she simply let's them take reign." He said.
"Believe me I know that better than anyone King." She assured him "But even so the situation's already bad she didn't have to go and make it worse!" She argued.
However before their conversation could continue Genos who had been leading them in their search stopped suddenly causing them to go on immediate alarm.
"What is it Genos?" King asked as he looked around them though due to the rain and the darkness it'd be near impossible to spot anything lurking about.
"I'm detecting the Sea King's power level It's towards the center of the city." He answered.
"Then let's go!" Mutsuko exclaimed with hate as she readied her claws for battle.
"That's not the only thing I'm getting however." He told her which caught them off guard.
"What do you mean?" Fubuki asked.
"I'm also detecting multiple life signals nearby...and with so many..." He began to wonder only to reach the same conclusion the others did, causing them all to say it in unison.
"THE EVACUATION SHELTER!" They shouted.
With this sudden realization now made apparent they with as much speed and haste as they were able to must began heading towards the shelter hoping that they could get there in time.
A sea of voices filled the air within the large dome shaped building that was the city's evacuation center, as all the residents of City J who were able to make it there of course chatted among themselves.
"Daddy are all those scary monsters still outside?" A young child asked his father as he looked up towards him.
"Now don't you worry about a thing, as long as we're in this shelter we're safe and sound, besides if it comes right down to it I'm sure all of us together could could beat a monster or two." He assured his son.
However unknown to them and the others just outside of the building only a few feet away was the very monster they all sought to hide from staring intently at the structure.
"I sense them...yes so many...it's coming from...over there!" Sea King exclaimed with hunger in his eyes before he leapt high into the air and crashed down onto the building.
Screams and shouts of all kinds soon took place of the chatter within the dome as the wall like it were nothing was smashed to pieces by Sea King. Now standing before them with the rain at his back Sea King cast in shadow from his mere size alone loomed over them finding it somewhat difficult to keep from going at them like a rabid barracuda.
"What do we have here? greetings and goodbye." He said to them with a wicked tooth filled grin.
Terrified beyond belief the civilians began to back away slowly near of the verge of scattering like a spooked pack of gazelle as they knew their demise was surely upon them.
"P-Please wait!" A voice in the crowd called out followed by a hand being raised.
The owner of the hand and the voice was a man with somewhat shaggy blonde hair and brown eyes, as for attire he was fairly plain except for the somewhat rustic looking leather jacket he wore.
"We surrender we surrender! we will happily comply with any demands that you might have, but do not attack us I beg you please!" He pleaded as sweat began to fall down his face "I'm only a Class C so I evacuated now I'm trapped...I'm no hero...I'm a failure..." He thought as he raised his other arm in the air as well.
"Surrender?" Sea King questioned followed by a few chuckles "I've come to kill you! your deaths are inevitable! and as for my demands? how about this? I demand that you scream nicely as I slaughter you!" He exclaimed.
"I can't win, I know it's not much, but all I can do is buy time for the class S heroes to get here, I mean look at this monster! who am I kidding?!" He wondered as Sea King began to laugh at their petrified faces of horror "It's pointless, I can't buy time just by talking to him!" He realized only to gasp in shock "I pissed my pants...I'm pathetic..." He admitted as he began to lower his hands.
"HYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYAH! I'LL FIGHT WITH YOU!" Someone shouted before two men leapt out in front of him, one wearing pretty standard training attire and possessing an afro, whilst the other seemed like he might be a cyborg due to his robotic appearance.
"Heroes! there are others in here too?!" He wondered just as a third and far more notable face walked in front of them.
"I might be the lowest ranking at thirty eight, but I'm still a class A hero, we can do this!" Class A rank thirty eight Biting Snake Fist declared as he got into a martial arts stance.
"Uh that's right I'm a hero too! Allback man is ready!" The man quickly introduced as he now felt inspired to take action as well.
"Heroes?" "The heroes are here to save us!" "Heroes rock!" "Go get'em yeah!" Were few of the many things the others around them began to say at this sudden turn of events.
"Class A? Man I'm glad you're here!" The cyborg said as he readied his fists in front of him.
"Happy to help." Biting Snake Fist replied.
"Two class Cs, one class B, and one class A...we can do it...we can win!" Allback man thought as he readied himself even though he was still unbelievably terrified.
In response to all that had just transpired Sea King unlike the other humans didn't say a single word but instead gave off a sort of sound that was like a growl and a hiss combined as he no longer could resist sating his hunger.
"You sure this is the way?" Saitama asked as he looked around them.
They had been pedaling through the city for a few minutes now and there were still no signs of either the Sea King or the others.
"Yes, since local residents are fleeing from this direction, we'll find monsters further up." Mumen Rider assured.
However as they continued on Saitama as he was looking down other streets and alleyways saw something lying in one, and even though it was a bit hard to tell from the rain and lack of light for some reason it seemed as though whatever it was he'd seen it before.
"Hold up." He told the other causing him to stop.
"What's wrong? did you see something?" He asked.
"Yeah I did." Saitama replied as he hopped off the bike "I'll go check it out you go on without me." He told him as he ran off towards the object.
"Right got it!" Mumen Rider said as he prepared to set off.
But just as he was about to his cellphone began to ring and knowing well that it was the association he wasted not a second in answering.
"Mumen Rider here." He said as he put the phone to his ear "Yes sir, correct we are on our way there now." He informed the person on the other end "W-What?! did you say the shelter?! it was the other way!" He exclaimed as he with great haste turned his bike around and took off.
Unfortunately in his haste Mumen Rider neglected the fact he had dropped his cellphone in the street, so he of course was unable to hear it ring once more as whoever it was he had been speaking to tried to call him back. Meanwhile as he sped off towards the shelter Saitama had reached the object that had caught his eye and when he did he stopped in his tracks. For the object that only managed to get his attention for it's somewhat familiarity was in fact the shirt Kaemon had been wearing earlier though besides the lack of it's owner it was also nearly shredded to pieces. Picking up the tattered remains of the shirt a crack of lightning suddenly illuminated the sky above and while there was no around to see the expression he had on his face if there had been they would have seen a look that could only be described in a single word.
Death.