"That's right! I think I've seen you on TV… Are you a superhero?"
Eddie looked at the man standing before him—he had an air of power and calm that stirred something in Eddie's memory. After a moment, it clicked.
Zenkichi paused thoughtfully, then smiled. "Superhero? Well… I suppose you could say that."
Eddie's eyes widened with excitement. "That's perfect! I've got something important to tell you. It's not just one of those parasites—the Life Foundation has more of them, locked up in their labs."
"They've been abducting homeless people, using them as guinea pigs for human experiments. Many of them have already died. Maybe… you could help stop them?"
Zenkichi gave a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. Just leave this to me. Life Foundation? Even if you hadn't told me, I'd still take care of them."
Meanwhile, inside the Life Foundation laboratory…
Drake strode down the hallway, his expression dark. Something was off.
The silence. It was too quiet. Not a single voice, not even the faint hum of monitors. The air felt… lifeless.
As he rounded a corner, he spotted a little girl standing alone.
"You… Are you Drake?"
Her voice was flat and devoid of emotion.
Dark tendrils began to slither out of her body—the symbiote known as Riot had emerged.
Drake's eyes lit up. "You can speak?"
Riot sneered. "Don't underestimate us. We're far more intelligent than you think."
"How about we work together?" Riot continued. "You use your rocket to bring my kin to this planet, and in return, we'll help you conquer it."
Drake hesitated—but only for a moment. The promise of power was too intoxicating to resist.
"I agree."
Without another word, Riot left the girl's body and entered Drake's, fusing with him completely.
Drake shuddered as a rush of power overwhelmed him. "Incredible… this strength..."
The black substance covered his body, reshaping him into a towering form. Strength surged through him like a tidal wave.
Suddenly, a calm voice echoed through the lab.
"Riot. Drake. Looks like I arrived just in time."
Both Drake and Riot turned sharply. A young man approached them slowly, unfazed by the monstrous figure before him.
"Kill him," Riot growled.
Without hesitation, Riot fused fully with Drake and charged forward. A massive spear formed from the black substance, thrusting directly at Zenkichi's heart.
"Shinra Tensei."
Zenkichi's calm voice broke the air, and a wave of repulsive force erupted from his body, blasting Riot away like a ragdoll.
Drake staggered backward, disbelief in his eyes. "What… what was that?! Riot shouldn't be that weak…"
Inside his mind, Riot growled.
"This isn't an ordinary human. He's dangerous."
"You… You recognize him?" Drake asked.
Riot sounded uncertain for once. "Who is he?"
Drake's voice turned solemn. "That's Zenkichi. A well-known superhero on Earth. They say he's strong enough to defeat even the Hulk."
"I don't know what a 'Hulk' is… but I can tell—he's no ordinary man," Riot muttered.
"We're outmatched. We need to fall back."
Zenkichi stepped forward, his smile calm but unreadable. "Retreat? Who gave you permission to leave?"
In an instant, his body shimmered and broke apart into golden particles. In a flash, he reappeared directly in front of them.
"Die."
Riot's spear lashed out once more, but it passed harmlessly through Zenkichi. His body had turned into pure light.
Riot stared in horror. "What?! His body became light?!"
His punches followed—fast, powerful, relentless. Yet every blow passed through Zenkichi as if he were nothing but mist.
Zenkichi stood firm, golden light flickering around him. "You won't lay a hand on me."
"This ability… it's infuriating." Riot gritted his teeth, then turned and lunged for the nearby window, desperate to escape.
But Zenkichi was faster. A flash of golden light intercepted him, followed by a brilliant kick that sent Riot flying.
"Stop struggling. It's over."
Zenkichi extended a hand. A crushing gravitational force pulled Riot toward him.
"Banshō Ten'in."
He seized Riot by the throat. Spiritual pressure radiated from his palm, ripping the symbiote away from Drake.
"The second one," Zenkichi muttered, sealing the symbiote away with ease.
He glanced down at the trembling man before him.
Drake's fear quickly morphed into a pitiful smile. "T-Thank you! I… I was completely under its control. You saved me!"
He bowed his head, voice oozing gratitude. "I swear, I'll make it up to you somehow."
Zenkichi's gaze didn't soften. "Gratitude? That's interesting. I thought you'd be furious with me."
"After all, this… was your dream, wasn't it? You were willing to sacrifice others to study these things."
Drake let out an awkward laugh. "N-No, it wasn't like that… I was scared. That thing was going to destroy me."
But Zenkichi saw through the act.
He already knew exactly who Drake was.
___
Patreon.com/Zphyr_
Advanced chapters available on patreon.