As a Class S Hero, Flashy Flash had high expectations for himself (and others). He refused to let himself die at the hands of a silly little girl.
These strings won't get the best of me, he thought. I am better than this!
He sliced them away, holding up his sword. The girl stared at him with dead, doll-like eyes. Flashy Flash scowled.
"I see now," he said. "So, you're this 'Hero Killer'. It wasn't a monster at all. It was a human." He sighed. "How disgusting."
He stared at Taro, whose face was shadowed over. The poor boy looked as dead in the eyes as Ayano.
"It was foolish of you to fight a Class S hero directly," Flashy Flash told Ayano. "But I shouldn't have expected much from someone as low as you. I will dispose of you quickly."
He dashed towards Ayano, who moved as fast as she could. He still managed to slice her arm off.
"I see you just managed to dodge that," he told her. "Imagine what would happen if you weren't so lucky."
Ayano grabbed her bloody arm socket, eyes red. She dashed towards him, her katana in her remaining hand. She and Flashy Flash made battle, slashing furiously at each other. But Flashy Flash was too fast for her. He forced her backwards, returning her to the room with the abyss.
"How pathetic," he said. "Time for this nonsense to end."
"Senpai," Ayano called.
A wave of strings wrapped around Flashy Flash's body. This time, they were twice as bad. The Class S hero fell to his knees, digging his hands through his long, blonde hair. He saw himself killing all the other ninjas in his class, him being rejected and mistreated, being called weak…
I'm not weak, he thought. That's the past, you fool!
He stared up at Ayano, keeping his expression stoic.
"Idiot," he uttered. "Coward."
He jumped backwards, holding up his sword.
"You will not defeat me," he declared, raising his sword.
Then, his sword shattered. The pieces fell all around him, like a shiny rain.
"You…" he breathed.
Ayano stared at him, a sadistic smile on her face.
Flashy Flash tch-ed. "Pathetic. You really think you've won?"
He leaped onto the wall, much like a spider. Ayano flinched.
She underestimated me, he thought. Of course. She does not realise all my attacks rely on my sword.
If Goddess had been right about one thing, it was that you couldn't always rely on your weapon to save your skin.
Flashy Flash launched towards her, using a kick to send her towards the abyss. Blood dribbling down her uniform, she stopped her fall at the last second.
"Help me," she called out, to Taro.
"Boy," Flashy Flash said, grabbing Taro's shoulder. "Do you understand what you're doing?"
Taro's form hesitated, for a second. Then he struggled, trying to move towards Ayano.
"So she is controlling you, like a puppet," Flashy Flash sighed. "Unfortunate. Break out of your control, or I will be forced to kill you as well."
He was hoping his words would reach Taro. From the way the boy shivered, perhaps some of them were. But then he continued to blindly move forward.
"Very unfortunate," the hero shook his head. He slammed Taro aside, knocking him over like a bowling pin.
Ayano pulled herself up, red strings coming out of her bloody arm socket. They were forming a new arm. She began moving towards Flashy Flash.
"Stay dead, foolish child," he chided. "FLASH STRIKE!"
He used his move to send Ayano flying. She went sailing over the edge, and disappeared into the abyss below.
Is it over? Flashy Flash thought, tightening his fists.
Then he felt a force behind him.
No, it can't be-
He parried away Ayano's knife at the last second.
"Impossible," he said, scowling at her. "How did you get up here so quickly?"
Ayano didn't answer, and attempted to swing at him again. Flashy Flash jumped out of the way.
Can she teleport? he thought. Or is it…
He glanced at his arms. One of them had a small red string wrapped around it.
Has she been influencing my vision? He thought, pulling the red string off. Low as she is, she knows how to put up a fight.
Ayano raced towards him once again. He moved out of the way. No matter how many tricks she had, he was still faster.
"You cannot win against me," he told her. "Give up."
Ayano didn't seem to care, heading towards him. He shoved her back again. Flashy Flash turned and faced Taro, whose arms were covered in strings.
"Can you break free?" he asked him.
Taro fell to his knees, his body trembling.
"Please…" he whispered.
"Please what?" Flashy Flash asked, surprised.
"Please…" Taro whispered. "... kill me…"
Flashy Flash wasn't expecting to hear that again.
"So you are slightly conscious…" he said.
"Kill me…" Taro pleaded. Flashy Flash saw his face. His eyes were broken, like he'd lost all hope to live. It was not a face a child should've had.
Taro begged, "Please… do it… kill me… please…"
Ayano lunged at Flashy Flash before he could respond.
"You truly are scum," he said, glowering at her. "Lower than the monsters."
He shoved her back once more, and turned towards Taro. The boy had the face of a ninja who was giving up on himself, a child who didn't want to be a ninja anymore. A ninja that refused to go through the tortures of the village, and would rather die than face the pain. The type of person Flashy Flash would call a coward, but at the same time…
"We are leaving," he said, grabbing Taro's arm.
"No, kill me…" he whispered. "Pain…"
"Insolent coward," Flashy Flash told him, looking him straight in the eye. "You're really going to let her control your life? Aren't you better than that?"
"Weak…" Taro whispered. His face went pale. "No… no… run… now, run, run…"
Flashy Flash stared at him. "What are you-"
Taro cried out, the strings coming from his body going out of control. Ayano was using the same strings. Together, they wrapped around Flashy's Flash body.
"You…" Flashy Flash was about to dart away, but the strings were too strong this time. He couldn't escape. He saw himself in Taro's position, nothing but a mindless servant to a master. A faceless smile, a broken mind. Too weak to even be called a human. Just an object.
Make it stop… he thought. Stop it… I'm not weak… I'm not weak!
Then he was falling. His eyes snapped open. He was… falling into the abyss?
His gut dropped.
No, this isn't over.
He jumped onto the wall, springing back up to the top, like a rabbit. Ayano was waiting at the top, her expression lifeless as usual. It changed when he returned.
"YOU CAN'T DEFEAT ME!" Flashy Flash shouted, racing towards her. He reached out to grab her, just as she lunged towards him. They crashed into each other, then began to fall towards the abyss.
Flashy Flash grabbed onto her figure.
"If I'm going down, you're going with me," he told her.
Her grin grew wicked as she disappeared again.
Another illusion? he thought. No, it can't be!
But it was too late. He had fallen too far down. His last cries were swallowed by the darkness.
Ayano crossed her arms. Finally, she had defeated her first Class S hero. But he was only one. There were still seventeen to go.
"Let us go," she told Taro. "We have work to do."
A few minutes into invading the Monster Association, and Child Emperor was already concerned.
He was searching for Waganma, the child of a rich sponsor that had been kidnapped by the Monster Association. As well as that, he, the other S Class heroes (the ones that were available, anyway), and some heroes of lower classes had come along to assist in taking down the Monster Association. After all, they were responsible for the deaths of multiple heroes. While of course they needed to rescue Waganma, the main priority was to destroy all of the monsters.
But that was the job of the other heroes. Child Emperor's main priority was rescuing Waganma. He pulled up his portable map of the Monster Association's base, which was also showing him the whereabouts of the other S Class heroes.
This signal was moving at extremely high speeds… must be Flashy Flash, he thought. But then it came to a sudden, complete stop. Maybe he's had an accident with his communicator?
He walked down some stairs, getting deeper into the base.
The rest of the team has shown no strange patterns since we came in, he thought. Well, these are the kind of people who can handle themselves in a crisis. And, if they get in danger, they'll use the emergency signal. I'm not really worried about them, but… if I can get the hostage safe, I'm sure it will bring a powerful effect on morale. I have to make it so they can go all out with their destructive power. There would probably be resentment if I told them that, but I have a lead.
A monster appeared behind him, wielding a clever. But before it could make a move, his mini octopus tank model #8 obelirated it.
Getting close, Child Emperor thought, his scanner beeping.
He found a large room filled with monitors and pipes hanging from the ceiling. Sitting on an operation table was one of Metal Knight's robots, deconstructed. Something had obviously been able to take it out.
Impressive, Child Emperor thought, staring at it. I had tested Model Knight's defenses again and again, excessively even… of course, I knew the Monster King Orochi had broken it, but how strong is he to cause this much damage? Brr… I'm not eager to meet that one…
He stared at the deconstructed robot. Perhaps it had data about the Monster Association, and the whereabouts of Waganma. His backpack summoned its tendrils, going over the bits and pieces of the robot.
Yes, all of it is still intact, he thought. Recordings of conversations between monsters, and detailed maps of every floor… with luck, there will be something about the location of the hostage's cell.
He came to a sudden realisation… Metal Knight knew all of this. He knew everything about the Monster Association, its floors, conversations between monsters, yet he hadn't bothered to tell anyone.
Ugh, that man, Child Emperor scowled. He's so infuriating!
He pulled out a lollipop, and began to suck on it. The glucose would calm down his brain.
Then he heard a crash. His tank had been stepped on by a monster.
"Very childish of you," the monster known as Phoenix Man cackled. "You must think this is half a game."
Child Emperor summoned a shield, while the monster continued to talk. No monster was to be left alive. Just as he thought, the monster charged straight into it, allowing him to tear it to pieces.
…
Waganma was not having a good time.
He was sitting in a cell, surrounded by monsters who looked like they wanted to eat him. He was scared for his life.
Daddy, anyone, please, get me out of here… he thought, whimpering.
Then the monsters started talking. He looked over his shoulder, seeing two humans approaching the group of monsters.
"Hey, who the Hell are you two?" one of the monsters asked.
"Wait, guys, I think that's the one Gyoro-Gyoro wanted us to capture," another monster said.
Waganma blinked. That was… Yan-chan! The pretty A Class hero he'd met back at the sushi restaurant! There was some boy next to her. He frowned. He hoped he wasn't her boyfriend.
Ayano held up her knife, and the boy raised his hands. Together, they annihilated all of the monsters at once, leaving nothing behind but their corpses.
"Hey!" Waganma cried, standing up and grabbing the bars of his cell. "Miss Yan-chan! Over here!"
Ayano turned to see Waganma. She turned away. She could not waste time saving the child.
"... they've already been taken out?"
Ayano recognised that voice. She kept her eye on Child Emperor as he entered the room, wearing a gas mask. His eyes went wide when he saw her.
"You," he said, taking a step back. "What are you doing here?"
Ayano smiled at him, almost mockingly.
"Who are you?" Child Emperor asked, turning to Taro. "You're not a hero."
"Don't mind him," Ayano spoke up. "We are here to take down the Monster Association, just like the rest of you."
Child Emperor scowled. "But-"
"Hey!" Waganma rattled the cell's bars. "I'm still in here, y'know?!"
Child Emperor walked over to the cage, using a saw to cut it open.
"Come on," he said, helping Waganma stand. "Let's get out of this place."
Waganma stayed nearby Ayano, staring at her with starry eyes. The group was about to leave, when a wall of sludge intercepted them.
"SLUDGE PRESSURE!" it shouted, slamming before Waganma, knocking him over. The wave of sludge towered above him. It formed legs and arms, becoming more humanoid.
Ayano used one of the cell bars to penetrate the monster's eye. However, it suddenly reformed.
"Yer not that smart, are ya?" it taunted. "Ya can't cut me, ya can't stab me…"
It trailed off when Child Emperor attached a hose to its body, filling it up with oil.
"What's this now?" it demanded.
"Oil," Child Emperor answered.
"GAHHH?!" the monster screamed, exploding into fiery smoke.
"This will stink a lot," Child Emperor said, putting a mask on his face. "Let's get away from it!"
The group ran away, leaving the explosion behind.
Child Emperor removed the mask. "Alright, we're safe, for now. How are you feeling, Waganma?"
Once again, Waganma was distracted by Ayano, staring up at her with starry eyes.
Good grief, Child Emperor thought, rolling his eyes. At least he's fine.
"So," he said, turning to Ayano. "Did you come here of your own accord?"
"Yes," Ayano answered, honestly.
So that means she has something to gain from being here, Child Emperor thought. Didn't one of those monsters say 'Gyoro-Gyoro' wants to capture her? Does she plan to become a monster?
Or, maybe I'm wrong to suspect her… he thought. Then again, if Goddess is suspecting her… that has to mean she's hiding something, right? Also, what's the deal with this guy that's with her? He seems to be someone from her school, but I've never seen him before… or have I?
"There is something ahead," Ayano declared, using her Yan-vision. In order to calculate Child Emperor's powers, she would need to see him in action against a monster.
Child Emperor checked his scanners. She was right, indeed, there was something approaching… from the ceiling?
"How were you able to sense that?" he asked, sending out a remote-control tank to investigate.
"Skills," she answered, simply.
"So cool," Waganma drooled over her.
Ugh, Child Emperor thought, groaning internally. I wish he would stop that.
Suddenly, an Earth-shattering explosion cut his thoughts off. Something crashed into the ground, sending shockwaves.
"What was that?!" Waganma shivered, grabbing onto Ayano's shirt.
Child Emperor sent out a remote control tank to investigate the situation. Its reports had stated that a robot monster had come crashing through the ceiling. It was lying on the ground, covered in debris.
I guess another hero must've sent it down here, Child Emperor thought. We'd better leave it alone for now. My top priority is Waganma's safety. I'm not going to waste time by picking fights with monsters.
"Don't worry about that," Child Emperor said. "Come on, let's keep going."
The group continued their trek through the Monster Association.
"I'm tired," Waganma whimpered, grabbing Ayano's hand. "Please give me a piggy-back, Yan-chan…"
This is embarrassing, Child Emperor thought, cringing. I hope we can get out of here soon.
He glanced back at the teen next to Ayano, whose expression hadn't changed at all.
I still don't get that guy, he thought, frowning.
"AHH!" Waganma jumped into Ayano's arms. "A monster!"
On the ground was Phoenix Man's corpse, doused in blood.
"Don't worry," Child Emperor said. "That's the corpse of the one I killed earlier."
"Ah, now that I take a good look at that thing…" Waganma frowned, curiously, "it looks just like 'Birdbrain'!"
"Come to think of it, he did mention a bird costume," Child Emperor said, making a face. "Is that a famous character?"
"He's the mascot of a comedy show called 'Animal Empire'," Waganma explained. "It ended up getting cancelled because of dark humour. But Birdbrain was always really thick-headed, and would die all the time."
"Die… all the time?" Child Emperor asked, going pale.
"Yeah!" Waganma chirped. "He'd fly into power lines, and turn into fried chicken, and stuff. But because he was always so thick-headed and thick-skinned, in the next episode he'd always be revived like nothing happened."
"Revived…" Child Emperor said, looking back at Phoenix Man's corpse. "I mean, it's all just a TV show, though. Monster biology is completely unpredictable. In addition to origins which triggered their existence…"
If a man underwent monster-ification due to his mascot suit, it stands to reason he could be hiding abilities he inherited from the character's original setting, he thought.
Then he heard a sound. Something awakening.
"Gyoro-Gyoro said it himself," a voice spoke. "Enduring the Hell that lies just short of death… is the secret to making a monster undergo explosive growth."
Standing before the group was Phoenix Man revived, and even stronger than before. A threat level Dragon.