(A/N: I just wanted to let everyone know, yes, I am aware that with his weapons Sonic could defeat the Deep-Sea King in a fight. That has not changed in this story. Lady Boros said what she did in the last chapter because she's only fought with Sonic once, whereas she has seen firsthand the extent of what the queens are capable of. As it stands, the only humans with "special" or "unnatural" abilities she's seen have been Sonic and Saitama. Her opinion and perception of humanity's capabilities are still a bit uninformed as she hasn't witnessed someone like Tatsumaki, the rest of S class, or Garou display what they're capable of. Genos doesn't count since the bulk of his power is artificial, and only his fighting skills are his own. I hope this clarifies things more, as Lady Boros is bound to say other incorrect statements regarding canon before she realizes her underestimation of humanity. Thank you, and enjoy the chapter.)

Seagulls. Often considered the rats of the sea. Many people view them as pests, others as harmless animals, and a few enjoy the company of these feathered fowls of the beach. But then there was the Ancient Queen, and her relationship with seagulls and every other type of avian was...special.

"Hey, Ancient," Saitama spoke up to get her attention. Both were currently sitting on the sand as they watched the waves. "Are you okay?" He asked.

"Yes, master." She answered, returning his gaze with hers. "Why do you ask?" She inquired.

"It's just...you're covered in birds." He said while pointing to the flock of seagulls perched on her person.

From her tail to her back, shoulders, and head, the Ancient Queen had an entire coop's worth of gulls resting on her. Although, come to think of it, were seagulls kept in cages by anyone?

"Ah. I suppose this would be strange to you, master." She realized as she looked at the birds on her body. "I don't know why, but this has always happened. Birds, in general, are drawn to me for some reason. I think they like the sturdiness of my scales and plates and the heat my body pulls in. I'm a very comfortable resting spot for them." She suggested, offering an explanation.

"Huh, neat." He replied, having nothing more to say about it.

Returning to a nice, tranquil silence. The unlikely duo of a prehistoric ruler and a bald man continued relaxing. This was impressive given the circumstances, which didn't involve the seagulls they were talking about. Ever since the Ancient Queen and Saitama arrived at the beach, everyone else that had been there couldn't keep from staring and talking among themselves about it.

Although, they near exclusively were focused on the large reptile and not so much on the average-looking man beside her.

"...Hey, Ancient," Saitama spoke again after a while, regaining her attention. "Why did you want to come to the beach? If you don't mind me asking." He inquired.

"Are you bothered by being here, master?" She responded, wanting to know why he asked that question.

"Not at all. The weather's perfect to go to the beach. The temperature's comfortable, neither too warm nor too cold. And the wind's gentle, not strong enough to be annoying or potentially carry away sunbathing umbrellas. Coming here was a good idea; I was just curious if you thought so too or if you had a different reason." He explained.

"I see. Forgive me, master. I should have never doubted you." She apologized while bowing her head. The seagulls on top of it remained perfectly still and undisturbed during this gesture.

"Ancient, it's cool. Please, raise your head." He requested, still not used to her acting like this towards him.

"Thank you." She said as she straightened herself. "Also, to answer your question, master. Yes. I did have a reason for coming here." She began, her eyes moving to the horizon. "I wanted to see if the oceans had changed during my time away. I know I could have asked Deep about it, but I wanted to see it myself. After witnessing all the unusual ways the world has become different, I needed to make sure that not everything I knew was gone. That some of what I remember is still here with me." She shared.

"And is it like you remember? Or have we somehow made it different?" He asked.

"No. From where I'm sitting, it's the same." She answered, though a bit quieter.

At first, Saitama wanted to say something. Hoping that he could maybe comfort the Ancient Queen or express that he was happy it hadn't changed. But he didn't. Because no matter what Saitama could think of, nothing would be able to make her feel better right now.

So, they just sat there, taking in the majestic beauty of the ocean and the endless horizon that lay beyond.

FWOOSH

That sudden noise was caused by the majestic beauty of the ocean and the endless horizon that lay beyond being ruined by something emerging from below the water's surface.

FWOOSH FWOOSH FWOOSH

Correction, it was ruined by several things emerging from below the water's surface. What these things were, no one could currently tell as they were hidden by the waves they created and a plentiful amount of seafoam. But once these hindrances were gone, the mysterious things were revealed to be four Seafolk. Now, one might assume following the emergence of these creatures; there'd be immediate panic due to the earlier attack that the Deep-Sea Queen thwarted.

And if a similar group of Seafolk had emerged, there would've been mass hysteria. Complete with men, women, and children all scrambling to leave the beach as fast as possible to avoid becoming a casualty. However, that was the important detail that kept the civilians calm and admittedly curious rather than scared for their lives; this group of Seafolk was VASTLY different from the one that came before.

Although the one who seemed to be leading them was pretty scary, a huge shark so naturally menacing that it was like they stepped out of a monster movie. One of the good ones, though, with practical effects and costumes rather than cheap CGI that was ten years too late. Besides the shark on his left was a lobster whose plating and general appearance made it look like a chivalrous knight; if you know, knights had multiple legs and were giant crustaceans. The last two were easily the most peculiar of this motley crew and greatly contributed to the curiosity factor, as no one, not even the Ancient Queen, had seen Seafolk quite like them.

The first was on the shark's other side; they were a long brown eel that was surprisingly smaller than any Seafolk seen thus far, a trait they shared with the last member. The other Seafolk, who stood on the other side of the lobster, was the closest to resembling a human. Honestly, if it weren't for the solid black body, seaweed hair, and somewhat crazy or goofy eyes, depending on who you asked, this Seafolk could pass for a surface dweller.

Watching as all four slowly made their way towards the shore from the sea, not a single member of the group said anything nor tried to attack. A possible sign that they came in peace, unlike their former brethren?

"That is far enough." The Ancient Queen firmly stated once they were but a few feet from the beach, stopping them in their tracks. "Tell me, Seafolk. Why have you come here? Perhaps to finish what your now deceased kin failed to do?" She asked while getting to her feet. The flock of seagulls resting on her still refused to depart.

"Ah. So my nose did not fail me. It was you I smelled as we approached the surface, Ancient Queen." The shark said before bowing his head. His voice was deep and matched his intimidating visage. "Please. I implore you to heed my words. I and the others you see in front of you have not come with ill intent in mind." He requested.

Following their leader's example, the other three Seafolk bowed their heads. Adding more credibility to the shark's claim that they were friendly.

"What do you think?" Saitama whispered to the Ancient Queen since she was the expert here.

"They are following proper diplomatic procedure. Although, to be truthful, I only saw it once when our species came together to make the peace treaty. So, they may be using that as a means of deception.": She whispered back. "Alright. I will listen to what you have to say. But before that, I must know your names, positions, and titles should you have them." She ordered.

"I am Lord Great White. Right hand to the queen and second in command of the Seafolk people." The shark stated.

"I am known as Legion. I am the queen's military force and her guard. A one lobster army! A lone lobster! THROUGH MY STRENGTH AND WILL, I PROTECT THE SEAFOLK HOMELANDS FROM ALL WHO WOULD SEEK TO BRING US HARM! I CAST ASIDE THE HEATHENS WHO DARE TO BESMIRCH HER ROYAL MAJESTY!" The lobster stated. Getting progressively more and more intense with each passing word, much to the surprise of everyone on the beach.

"Legion, we talked about this; you promised you would remain composed." Lord Great White muttered to him. Indicating that this was normal for the rambunctious crustacean.

"I AM COMPOSED! YOU AUDACIOUSLY SUGGEST I WOULD BE ANYTHING LESS IN THE PRESENCE OF A QUEEN?! YOU INSULT MY HONOR!" He shouted back, pointing an accusatory claw at his fellow Seafolk.

"No, I just...look, can we bring the energy down a little? Please?" Lord Great White asked, trying to get things back on track.

"Hmph, I will abide. But ONLY because we are in the presence of a refined lady. Be assured her majesty will receive a FULL report on this slanderous treatment towards myself." He answered.

"Looking forward to it." Lord Great White replied with a sigh, once more showing that this was a regular occurrence.

"Ahem." The Ancient Queen cleared her throat, regaining their attention. "You still have two members of your group to introduce." She reminded.

"That we do. Thank you, your majesty." Lord Great White responded before gesturing to the eel and the...creature. "As of now, neither of these individuals have an official name, title, or position. They serve under Legion and me, respectively." He explained.

"But if they do not have names or titles, how does one address them?" She inquired.

"Simple, your majesty. I am Eel." The eel greeted with a smile and wave.

"And I am Konbu." The creature greeted, doing the same as Eel.

"...So...you're just called what you are, then?" She asked, wanting to be sure.

"Yup." Both answered with a nod.

"Huh, that's not too different from Deep, actually," Saitama whispered to the Ancient Queen, which Legion noticed.

"HALT SURFACE DWELLER!" He shouted, now pointing his claw at Saitama. "YOU DARE SPEAK SO CASUALLY WITH A QUEEN?! HAVE YOU NO MANNERS?! NO RESPECT FOR AUTHORITY?! WHY I SHOULD-"

BOOM

That thunderous sound resulted from the Ancient Queen raising her tail and slamming it onto the sand. Which, in turn, finally forced the seagulls that sat on top of her to fly away.

"You will not speak to him with that tone of voice." The Ancient Queen scolded with her teeth bared and a low guttural hiss escaping her throat. Similar to a crocodile or alligator. "Am I understood?" She asked.

Upon realizing his blunder, Legion immediately fell to the ground with his head bowed before her.

"FORGIVE ME, YOUR MAJESTY!" He shouted, showing he had little to no volume control. "I WAS UNAWARE YOU KNEW THIS SURFACE DWELLER! I HAVE DISGRACED MYSELF AND THE SEAFOLK RACE! I SHALL PAY PENANCE FOR MY TRANSGRESSION!" He told her as he raised a claw to...cut off one of his limbs?!

"No! No! No! Stop that right now!" Lord Great White intervened, grabbing onto the plated appendage. "You do this EVERY time you make a mistake! There's a reason why OUR queen won't allow you to be alone anymore!" He exclaimed.

"RELEASE ME! I MUST OFFER A PIECE OF MYSELF SO THAT I MAY BE FORGIVEN!" Legion demanded.

Watching a giant shark and lobster wrestle in the water, Saitama and the Ancient Queen noticed Eel and Konbu walking toward them as the scuffle continued.

"Sorry about this." Both apologized, going so far as to bow out of respect for the Ancient Queen.

"Does this happen often?" Saitama asked as they raised their heads.

"Mhm. All the time." Eel answered with a sigh. "You'd think those two were sworn enemies given how much they fight." He admitted.

"Yeah, but it keeps things interesting," Konbu said with a grin, clearly amused by it. "I tell ya, life's gotten pretty boring ever since the queen started coming up here nearly every day." He told them.

"Really? Does Deep not being there make that big of a difference?" Saitama inquired.

"Definitely! The queen's the life of the ocean! Without her, it's soooooooooooooooo boring." He replied, throwing his head back for emphasis.

"Hm, perhaps she should spend more time with her people, then." The Ancient Queen suggested.

"Nah, don't listen to Konbu. We're all happy that the queen's been able to go on land so easily. She's wanted to do that for as long as we can remember." Eel responded.

"Does that include the Seafolk who tried to kill her this morning?" Saitama asked, causing him to tense up.

"Uh...yeah...about that...we swear we didn't know." Eel promised before once again bowing his head. "We are SO sorry for any trouble those idiots caused! We only learned about their attempt to usurp the queen after they were on land! We hope that no one was hurt and nothing was destroyed!" He apologized for himself and on behalf of the Seafolk race.

"Hey, it's cool, man. Deep handled it all by herself. Those guys didn't stand a chance." Saitama assured him.

"Pfft, yeah. I can't believe they were dumb enough to think they could take on the queen." Konbu scoffed, amused by their idiocy. "I've seen her majesty take on MASSIVE serpents before, and that was just because she was bored. They were dead the moment they started walking." He said.

"...What kind of serpents?" Saitama questioned, curious about the size of the creatures.

"Ya know, serpents. Long, big, come from the trenches that the queen says we're not allowed to go near. Those serpents." He explained.

"I see." That was all Saitama had to say as his mind began to wonder what kinds of animals, monsters, and indescribable horrors lurked in the farthest depths of the ocean.

Thankfully, by this point, Lord Great White and Legion were able to settle their quarreling, allowing both to rejoin the conversation.

"My *huff* deepest apologies *huff* your majesty." Lord Great White said, slightly out of breath from the impromptu skirmish.

"It's alright." The Ancient Queen responded, admittedly amused by their antics. "But before you throw any more punches, could you tell us why you've come to the surface?" She requested.

"Allow me, your grace." Legion insisted while putting his arm across his chest. "We have come seeking our queen. We want to assure her that no more assassination attempts will happen. Any fools who dared defy her rule were part of the group that came before us. So, they're all dead." He explained.

"Why didn't you guys show up earlier? After you learned about the others wanting to kill Deep?" Saitama asked, finding that odd.

"A fine inquiry, surface dweller. In short, an inquisition was held! I interrogated EVERY Seafolk to make certain no more traitors polluted our waters." He proudly answered.

"He ran around like a lunatic screaming into everyone's face while threatening to decapitate them, asking whether or not they were traitorous scum," Konbu said with another grin. "It was super funny." He added.

"Which is admittedly another reason we have come to the land. I've got my hands full trying to keep Legion under control during this rather hectic day. I was hoping our queen might return a bit earlier due to these circumstances to settle the nerves of our people." Lord Great White shared.

"Well, if you guys are looking for Deep, you're in an awkward situation. She's currently inside of a building that only two of you can fit in." Saitama informed.

"Is that so? Hm, unfortunate." He hummed, a hand now placed on his chin in thought. "Surface dweller, given your familiarity with the Ancient Queen, would you by chance have the same relationship with our queen?" He asked.

"Yup," Saitama answered.

"Excellent! Would it be possible for you to help by bringing our queen to us?" He inquired.

"Yeah, sure," Saitama replied before standing up.

Taking a few seconds to wipe the sand off the bottom of his shorts, when he was done, Saitama walked away and headed for a nearby parking lot. Bespectacled Worker, who wasn't interested in being on the beach, opted to stay in the limousine and get some additional work done over the phone as Saitama and the Ancient Queen relaxed by the shore.

tap tap

With a light knock at the window closest to the well-dressed man, Saitama got his attention, causing him to roll down the window.

"Do you need something, Saitama?" Bespectacled Worker asked.

"Yeah. I need you to call your partner and tell him to tell Deep that she needs to get down to the beach." He answered.

"Why?" Bespectacled Worker inquired, surprised by such a specific need.

Deciding to show rather than tell, Saitama pointed behind himself.

"...Oh." Bespectacled Worker said with widened eyes, surprised by the Seafolk on the beach. "Are...they friendly?" He asked, noticing the lack of terrified people screaming for their lives and running away in mass.

"Yeah. A little weird, but I'd expect nothing less if Deep's anything to go by. They're here because they need to talk to her about what happened earlier today and some other stuff." Saitama answered.

"Ah, alright." He replied, now understanding the situation. "Give me a moment; it'll only take a few seconds." He requested as he brought up his phone to call his partner.

Sadly, before Bespectacled Worker could even open up his contacts, the entire world was brought to a standstill by a deafening:

BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM

Like a fireworks display one might witness on a summer night, a series of explosions were heard and seen coming from somewhere in the city. Startled by this, like everyone else, Bespectacled Worker hurried out of the vehicle and looked in the same direction as Saitama, both men's gazes being drawn to a massive black plume of smoke rising into the air.

"You...You don't think..." Bespectacled Worker stuttered in a slight state of disbelief and shock.

But before Saitama could respond to the rattled employee, another voice called out to him from the beach.

"MASTER!" The Ancient Queen shouted, causing him to turn around. "THOSE EXPLOSIONS! DO YOU THINK THAT THEY HAPPENED WHERE THE OTHERS ARE?!" She asked.

No matter where Saitama looked, all he could see were stunned or terrified expressions. Be they from Bespectacled Worker, the Ancient Queen, the people around them, or even the Seafolk. So, he knew he couldn't overreact; it'd only worsen the situation. Saitama needed to give an answer that, while truthful, didn't invite more panic.

"Okay. You got this." He thought, doing his best to remain level-headed. "I don't know, Ancient! It's too far into the city to tell from here! But we should go check it out just in case!" He called back to her by cupping his hands around his mouth to ensure she'd hear him.

"Wait, when you say others, are you referring to the queen as well?" Lord Great White asked since they established moments prior that Saitama also knew the Deep-Sea Queen.

"Yes, we are." The Ancient Queen answered with a nod.

"WHAT?!" Legion shouted in surprise, making the other Seafolk around him jump. "YOU MEAN TO TELL US OUR QUEEN IS CAUGHT WITHIN THOSE EXPLOSIONS?! ANOTHER ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT?!" He questioned.

"What? No!" Saitama exclaimed, now realizing the unintentional blunder he and Ancient just made. "I said there was a POSSIBILITY! We don't know for sure if she's-"

Too late, before Saitama could finish his sentence, Legion was already halfway down the beach.

"I'M COMING, YOUR MAJESTY!" He cried out with his claws raised into the air, his multiple legs moving so fast they were nearly impossible to see.

"LEGION! WAIT!" Lord Great White ordered before giving chase.

However, neither Eel nor Konbu followed, which caught the Ancient Queen's attention.

"Why are you two not giving chase?" She inquired.

"Are you kidding? We couldn't keep up with those two even if we had the same amount of legs as Legion." Eel replied.

"Yeah. Plus, I'm not worried about the queen. A few explosions are like child's play to her. If she IS there, she's fine." Konbu casually responded, completely relaxed.

"Hey!" Saitama called out to the trio, regaining their attention. "Come on! We have to get going! Everyone in the limo!" He instructed.

"...Limo?" Eel and Konbu questioned, unsure of what he was referring to.

"It's the long black tube master is standing next to. You'll understand as we ride in it." The Ancient Queen told the duo before all three made haste.


Meanwhile, In What Was Once A Shopping Center...


One second. That's all Lady Boros had to do these three things at once: Assess. Plan. Act.

The very instant that her eye registered the objects held within the ninja's hand were throwing weapons, Lady Boros's mind rapidly went through EVERY possible event that could follow. He could throw them at her, her friends, nearby civilians, or the explosive, hoping that one of them would make it. But then, as the ninja's body began to turn, her brain pieced it together; there were MORE explosives. By the time the kunai left the ninja's grasp, flying through the air with the same swiftness as the knife before, Lady Boros had already turned around with her arms outstretched.

And then, as she thankfully managed to get her arms around the others, everyone's senses were overtaken by a blinding flash of light accompanied by...

...

...

...Nothing...or at least...that's what it seemed like.

In every direction, there was an ear-shattering explosion. The combined sound of all of them detonating at once, in a strange, inexplicable way, canceled out the impact it had on them. That wasn't to say none of them nor anyone else caught in the radius didn't HEAR the explosions. But it was so much that for several minutes afterward, everyone believed the bombs hadn't gone off.

That's when the ringing started. It was low at first, a faint noise in the distance. But it grew until it was the ONLY thing that filled anyone's ears. Quickly, everyone's heads began to hurt; they wanted to cover their ears in the hope that it would help, but of course, it wouldn't.

However, no one could move their arms. And when they tried to move their legs, it was the same non-response. Were they dead? Had everyone in the mall been taken out by the explosion?

No, that couldn't be true. More accurately, it couldn't be for most people who came with Lady Boros to the mall. The Deep-Sea, Sky, and Subterranean Queens had all survived and bounced back from worse things during the battles their species used to wage against each other. So, why now, of all times, did it feel like they were dead?

Seconds became minutes, and as time ticked away, the ringing slowly faded. Everyone's heads still hurt like hell, but their other senses were returning, the first of which was a blurry but intact vision. And among the indiscernible shapes and colors that filled their sight, there was one thing that, even with impaired vision, the group could easily identify.

"...B...B...Boros?..." Deep-Sea Queen was the first to speak. This was impressive since, like the others, her head felt like shit at the moment.

"Heh...why...am I not...surprised...you're the first to wake up?..." Lady Boros responded. But it was strained, as was her chuckle. "What...about...the rest of you?..." She asked.

In response, Lady Boros received a variety of groans, making her chuckle a second time.

"That's...good...glad to see...none of you...are dead..." She said.

"What...about you...Boros?..." Deep-Sea Queen asked, doing her best to clear her vision by blinking. "Are you o-"

plop

Something just touched the Deep-Sea Queen. Something warm and wet. At first, she thought it might be water or sweat. But then, her sense of smell started returning, and a scent the Deep-Sea Queen had known her entire life instantly reached her nostrils.

She looked down at her body without saying a word, expecting to see only one drop. But there was more, SO much more; nearly all of the Deep-Sea Queen's abdomen was covered in the same substance. That's when she began to look around her, finding the others all fairly close to herself, and they too were covered in blood. And yet, there were no injuries on any of them, no wounds or gashes of any kind, which meant the only place so much blood could've come from was...

"Deep..." Lady Boros spoke up from above as she noticed the fish woman slowly piece the situation together. "Whatever...you do...don't...freak...out..." She instructed.

Hearing her friend say that made the Deep-Sea Queen look back at Lady Boros, who was still on top of them. What greeted her now mostly clear vision was nothing short of a horrifying display, even by her and the other queens' standard was grisly. Lady Boros, who was as calm as anyone could be, had an unknowable amount of objects and debris impaling her from behind. Her legs, abdomen, arms, chest, and nearly every other inch the Deep-Sea Queen could see were skewered to some degree by pieces of metal or what was once the mall's architecture.

To make matters worse, there was also a MASSIVE pile of rubble on top of Lady Boro's body. In addition to pushing the debris that punctured her flesh and bones further into her, it added a substantial weight.

"B...Boros..." Deep-Sea Queen muttered in horror, not wanting to see her best friend in such a state.

"Remain...calm..." Lady Boros advised, doing her best to stay composed even with her current struggle. "I...am...fine...my...species...has...a healing...factor...greater...than any life...in the universe...trust me...I've checked..." She said with a shaky smile, hoping it'd comfort her. "The...main...issue...is that I...can't...move...due to...well...everything..." She explained. "So...what I need...from you...when you can...is to get...everyone...out from...underneath me...then...I can collapse...and start to...figure out...how to-"

SCHLICK

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Lady Boros screamed. A natural reaction to having a well-maintained sword stabbed into the left side of her back.

"BOROS!" Deep-Sea Queen shouted out of concern.

"Man, you are tough to kill." The muffled voice of the ninja was heard from above the rubble. "Although, this wouldn't be as enjoyable as it is if you weren't." He said before slowly removing his blade from her body.

True to her claim of having the best healing factor in the universe, Lady Boros's wound healed with every centimeter freed by the blade's retrieval. Of course, just because she could heal anything thrown her way didn't mean it didn't hurt, and given her current precarious situation, there wasn't anything she could do about it.

"Now...let's see..." The ninja hummed, an un-seeable sadistic grin present on his face. "That one didn't kill you...so...let's try...here!" He exclaimed, followed by another thrust of his weapon.

Letting out the same pained howl as before, the sword went through her stomach this time.

"Ooh, that one sounded a bit more painful." He commented, removing it at the same pace as the previous stab. "But you know, doing this ONE stab at a time will take forever; I have no idea how close I am to killing you or if a single blow will even be able to do it." He said, his grin getting slightly bigger. "So, I'll need to pick up the pace!" He exclaimed.

What came after was a rapid-fire assault from the ninja. Faster than the Deep-Sea Queen had ever seen a blade move, his sword went in and out of her best friend with terrifying ease, yet none of these strikes lacked precision or power. Despite this, she endured it all; Lady Boros wouldn't allow them to get hurt or even killed by this psychopath. She gritted her teeth and would tough it out for as long as needed.

"This...guy...doesn't...give...up..." She managed to choke out between her pained grunts and suppressed screams of pain. Her brain was trying to think of a way out of this that wouldn't put the others in danger.

"Aw, come on! Where's that strength you showed before, huh? I thought you were someone powerful like me, and yet here you are, unable to do a thing!" The ninja taunted, increasing his pace.

Stab, after stab. Lady Boros continued to be his living pin cushion. Again, if this had happened before, when the only people she cared about were her elites, she'd already be free and ready to kick his ass. But she couldn't do anything, the likelihood of the queens being alright if she did was solid, but Lady Boros knew the two humans in their company would get hurt or might even die if they weren't out of harm's way.

On that note, during ALL of this unrestrained violence, Lady Boros lost more and more blood. Like a LOT of blood. We're talking enough blood to drown a man with and then some. Which wasn't a big deal since she got it all back the moment she lost it.

However, blood comprises many components, one of which is called plasma. And plasma just so happens to be 90% percent water.

"Wow, I can't remember the last time I've had to try so hard to kill someone!" The ninja exclaimed as he pulled his sword out and readied it behind himself. "Sadly, I think I can hear some sirens in the distance. It's been fun, but I don't want to stay here and deal with it. So, if you could just-"

BAM

From beneath the rubble AND Lady Boros, an intimidatingly large fist attached to an equally sized arm shot forward and decked the ninja. Flying through the air in a slight daze, he landed on his back down on the first floor of the mall. Managing to avoid the water fountain, which miraculously was still intact despite the earlier explosions.

"What...the hell?..." He asked with a cough, having been winded by that sucker punch. "Was that...Boros...no...couldn't have been..." He said as he got to his feet.

BAM

Another punch, this time it hit him straight on. The ninja was sent flying backward through the fountain, effectively destroying it, which caused the water to start spraying everywhere and flood the floor. Once again, the wind was forced out of his lungs; he looked up to see who had dared lay their hand on him as he caught his breath. Standing there at a WHOPPING forty-five feet was a monster, a genuine, undeniably ferocious beast that looked like it had just stepped out of a horror movie.

Its fangs were the size of knives. Its scales resembled that of finely made armor. Its muscles were bigger than most fully-grown men. And its eyes, bright yellow and beaming with hate from behind a mess of long red hair, an unmistakable desire to kill whatever had pissed it off.

Take a wild guess at who had that prestigious title at the moment.

"You..." It spoke; the creature's voice was so deep and menacing it could send ACTUAL vibrations through one's bones to make them shiver. "I am going to separate the meat from your bones. And I'm going to use YOUR sword to do it." It threatened.

"...Ah, okay, that's what you are..." The ninja realized, now understanding what this creature was. "Pretty impressive. I didn't think any of you besides Boros could be interesting. But hey, I'm glad I was wrong." He said with a smile.

"You dare stand there with a SMILE on your face after what you DID?" The creature questioned with widened eyes, taken aback by just how miserable of a cretin this human was.

"Oh, boohoo. Cry me a river." He replied as his smile became a smirk. "Oh, wait. You don't have to. You already made one when you punched me through that fountain." He joked.

That did it. The creature was furious beyond words before, but now it was filled with pure murderous desire. Within the blink of an eye, it appeared in front of the ninja; fist pulled back and ready to reduce him to mush. And, in a technical sense, it did.

"What?!" The creature questioned as the ninja seemed to evaporate after it touched him.

Before it could ask more questions, a sword struck the behemoth from all sides and angles. Some of the blows created sparks as they clashed with the almost impenetrable natural armor. Almost being the key word there, some of the strikes did manage to make wounds, but by the time the weapon's wielder appeared close by, they were healed.

"Oh, come on. Do ALL of you heal insanely fast?" The ninja asked, baffled by how so many different creatures could possess the same power.

"BASTARD!" The creature roared as it tried the same attack again.

FWISH

in one clean swipe, the ninja sliced through the monster's wrist, severing the hand from the arm. However, this didn't deter his foe, as it tried to hit him with the other hand.

FWISH

Different appendage, same story. But, to the ninja's annoyance, the creature's faster healing seemed as good, or at least somewhere close to, the one Boros had, as he could see the bones and muscles of the first fist regenerating while dealing with the second. Additionally, when the creature swung the first fist back at the ninja, it opened its mouth and suddenly shot forward an...eel? That's the only way he could think to describe it.

"Huh, alright. Credit where it's due. That's a neat trick." He said, easily dodging the lunging eel.

"SHUT UP!" It shouted in rage.

"Aw, what's the matter? Eel got your tongue? Or is it your tongue? And if so, how does that work?" He playfully asked, purposefully dodging rather than attacking as he knew it'd piss it off more.

Letting lose a feral roar out of frustration, the creature, in another shocking reveal, began to attack the ninja with its hair. By this point, this one-sided brawl was a mess to make sense of as he was now dodging two swinging fists, a gnashing eel that might also be a tongue, and countless long strands of strange-looking hair. The ninja must've thought the same as well, or maybe he was getting bored; either way, he decided it was time to teach this animal who was the real killer in this fight.

Using his superior speed, he made another after image to distract the creature.

"NO! NOT AGAIN!" The creature exclaimed once it realized what had happened. "WHERE ARE YOU?! STOP HIDING FROM ME! YOU TALK SO MUCH SHIT TO BOROS, AND YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE THE COURAGE TO FA-"

Like before, a series of blows all at once struck the creatures, only this time it was different in a very important way. Previously, the approach could be described as a scattershot, as the ninja was hoping that'd be all it took to kill his opponent. But now that he knew about the healing factor it possessed, the ninja made sure his strikes were deliberate, each with the intent to inflict maximum damage. The legs, the arms, the eel, and the hair, all we removed in one fell swoop.

THUD

The creature's body, with the head still attached, hit the ground a moment after its separated parts did. As for the ninja, he reappeared, standing triumphantly on top of the neutralized monster, for he knew the advantage was his.

"Well, well, look at what we have here." He said, pressing the tip of his blade into his foe's chest. "Looks like you're a little...indisposed." He commented as if he hadn't been the one to do it.

"BASTARD! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL RIP YOU TO PIECES WITH MY TEETH! NOT EVEN THE BOTTOM FEEDERS WILL TAKE WHAT'S LEFT OF YOU!" It roared while waiting for its limbs to regrow.

Which, they would've. If the ninja hadn't been mindful of that and, in another show of his speed, kept striking at the creature's limbs the ensure it couldn't get back up. And yet, he didn't appear to move at all.

"Nope. Not this time." He stated, his sword seemingly motionless as it remained pointed at the creature's chest. "First, you interrupt my time with Boros, and then you waste more of it by being a disappointment. Both of which are unacceptable." He told it.

"SCREW YOU!" It spat back in return, trying its best to spit blood onto him, which he avoided.

"Hm, funny last words." He replied as he pressed his sword more into the creature's chest. "Are you sure you want that to be the last thing you say before you die? Why not some desperate plea for your life? I might spare you if you do." He suggested.

"THE DEEP-SEA QUEEN NEVER BEGS! AND IF I DID, IT WOULDN'T BE TO THE LIKES OF YOU!" It responded, revealing itself to be female, which did honestly catch the ninja by surprise.

"The Deep-Sea Queen, huh?" He questioned, taking a second to think about that. "Well, your majesty. Since you were so kind to tell me your name, I'll tell you mine." He offered as that same wicked grin from before appeared. "I'm Speed O' Sound Sonic. The fastest person on the planet. And you should feel honored that you got to die by MY hand." He told her as he readied to deal the final blow.

One hand on the base of the handle, the other gripping it tightly, with one push, the sword would pierce the Deep-Sea Queen's chest and puncture her heart. But as Sonic began applying force to his weapon, the blade would be reduced to pieces as an overwhelming power shattered it. Unfortunately for the source of said power, while preventing the Deep-Sea Queen's death, it also warned Sonic and put him on immediate high alert. Disappearing and reappearing far away from his original position, he didn't even need to wonder who was responsible.

Standing on the second floor in horribly tattered clothes, her arm outstretched and two fingers pointed to where Sonic's sword used to be, was Lady Boros. Yet, that's all she was doing. She made no moves and indications that she planned to pursue and attack Sonic. The only thing Lady Boros sent his way was an unblinking stare.

However, unlike the Deep-Sea Queen, whose emotions were fully displayed and could be seen by anyone, there was none to be found in Lady Boros's mono-eyed gaze. Even for someone like Sonic, who welcomed danger as it meant either fun or a challenge, he could tell he needed to walk away.

And so, with one last grin and stare of his own to show her this wasn't over, Sonic took his leave of the mall he destroyed and the small victory he accomplished.