After clashing head-on with the Ten-Tails for so long, Tatsumaki was gradually reaching her limit.
Her stamina was almost depleted, and now even maintaining a basic energy barrier around herself was exhausting. If this went on, defeat was inevitable.
By now, Shinji had already seen how this battle would end. The fact that the Ten-Tails could overpower Tatsumaki honestly came as a bit of a surprise to him.
If she had kept her cool and avoided confrontations directly, things might not have turned out this way. He knew exactly how terrifying her powers were in the mana when she faced Psykos and then Saitama.
It wasn't just her pride and stubbornness at work. Tatsumaki hadn't faced an opponent on her level for too long, so meeting the Ten-Tails had excited her. In short, she had gotten carried away, flinging her powers without regard for her energy reserves.
And against a being like the Ten-Tails, whose vitality was absurd and whose immortality made it practically unstoppable, that recklessness was the worst possible approach.
The only way to defeat the Ten-Tails was through a sealing technique like the Six Paths: Chibaku Tensei; otherwise, its undying nature was a complete flaw in the system. The next best option would be to have power far beyond its own, enough to obliterate it instantly, then strike it down again the moment it revived, leaving no chance for retaliation.
Just then, Shinji's phone rang. He answered.
"Hello?"
[Hello, this is Sitch.]
Sitch's voice came from the other end. "Mr. Kamui, it seems that Tornado of Terror is locked in a fierce fight with some very powerful monster. Could I ask you to assist her?"
He knew Shinji was among the fastest in the Hero Association, something proven back during the Seafolk's invasion.
Before Shinji could reply, Sitch quickly continued. "We had planned to hold an S-Class hero meeting today, but now a Dragon-level threat has appeared. Miss Tatsumaki is already in a tough battle. If possible, I think we should avoid postponing the meeting."
Shinji stayed silent for a moment, as if recalling something. "Okay, I understand."
That was all he said before hanging up. If today was the day of the S-Class meeting, then it was also the day Boros and his Dark Matter Thieves were scheduled to arrive on Earth. He had no time to waste clashing with Tatsumaki.
Conveniently, Tatsumaki was on the verge of collapse. The natural disasters she had conjured to counter the Ten-Tails were fading, and even the energy barrier protecting her from lightning and tornado winds was draining the last of her strength.
Sweat streamed down her face as she raised her hands, clinging to the barrier with sheer willpower.
Crack…
Hearing that sound, her heart sank. Sure enough, visible fractures were spreading across the barrier. It wouldn't last much longer. Once it shattered, she would be in serious danger.
[Alert! The host-controlled Ten-Tails has defeated the S-Class Rank 2 hero, Tornado of Terror. Reward: 150 points!]
The moment the system confirmed the Ten-Tails' victory, Shinji ordered it to stop.
All the rewards he could claim were already his, and he obviously wasn't going to let the Ten Tails actually kill Tatsumaki.
The Ten Tails immediately stopped its attack, halting the "world-changing" storm. The once apocalyptic chaos in the sky and land gradually began to settle.
At the same time, Tatsumaki's energy barrier shattered, her strength completely spent. Even her ability to float in midair failed, and she began plummeting straight toward the ground.
Although Tatsumaki was recognized as the strongest esper in the world, her physical endurance wasn't much better than Fubuki's. In truth, both of them had the physical constitution of ordinary humans.
Falling from such a height without the strength to use her psychic power meant she was almost certainly going to die.
Naturally, Shinji couldn't just watch her getting isekaid. In an instant, he used Kamui to teleport beside her and caught her securely in both arms in a princess carry.
It wasn't that he was trying to take advantage of her. In that moment, this was simply the safest way he could think of to keep her from injury.
[Alert! Host has completed "Princess Carry" with Tatsumaki. Reward: 50 points!]
"Okay, thanks, but why points on this?"
That was a surprisingly high amount for something as simple as a princess carry, but it was probably because the difficulty rating was enormous. Anyone else trying it would have been flung tens of thousands of meters away by a single thought from Tatsumaki. Of course, her current state of exhaustion didn't count.
When Shinji caught her, Tatsumaki's fading consciousness caught a glimpse of his face.
"...Wha…"
She parted her lips slightly, but didn't even have the strength to speak. Her lips trembled, yet no sound came out.
"Don't push yourself. Just rest," Shinji said quietly.
The next moment, he teleported them both to the ground.
He then laid her gently on the ground.
...
While unconscious, Tatsumaki experienced the "flashback" of her life.
Some of her most vivid memories replayed in her mind, like being locked in the laboratory, being rescued by [Blast], and moments of Fubuki's resentment toward her.
But the flashback ended quickly. After all, she was only exhausted, unlike during the Monster Association war when she had overextended herself and suffered serious injuries.
When Tatsumaki opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was Shinji's face. The second was a colossal head looming above her, along with a Rinnegan far larger than her entire body.
If someone had a fear of giant objects or a heart condition, waking up to the Ten Tails' enormous head might have sent them straight into shock again.
Tatsumaki, however, only widened her eyes slightly without panicking, then did a quick sit-up.
"You're finally awake. Come on, we need to head to the Hero Association for the meeting," Shinji said.
Right before she woke, he had been sitting and eating sunflower seeds. Now, he was already on his feet, ready to leave.
"..." Tatsumaki was still a little dazed.
But one question already weighed heavily on her mind: why was Shinji standing so casually and unharmed under the foot of a thousand-meter-tall beast, and why hadn't she herself been hurt?