Apocalypse thrust out a hand and a translucent barrier bloomed before him.
Would that work on Saitama?
Saitama's mouth curled. He launched a single punch.
Light burst across the sky. Apocalypse streaked away like a meteor. His barrier had blunted some of the force, sure—but the raw momentum hurled him into the distance all the same.
What in the world? Is this thing a monster?
That thought had barely formed when Saitama stepped in midair and was already upon him.
Apocalypse drew a deep breath and roared, "Body Enhancement—S-Rank!"
Bang!
Two plates of his armor blew off and speared into the ground below. His flesh swelled, adding two full rings of bulk around him. He bellowed and dove for Saitama.
Saitama's reply was just another downward punch.
The sky rippled with a spreading pressure ring. Apocalypse cratered, driven hundreds of meters underground. The earth around the impact fractured into a spiderweb of faults. Far above, the long-suffering people of France felt the ground shudder yet again.
Apocalypse was dazed.
You've got to be kidding me! I already boosted my body to S-Rank! I can't lose—I won't lose!
He roared and blasted up out of the depths.
"Wait," he snarled at Saitama.
"Huh?" Saitama blinked, genuinely puzzled what the guy was up to.
Apocalypse inhaled, eyes snapping wide.
"Flight—Boost to S-Rank!"
"Elemental Affinity—Blessing S-Rank!"
"Infinite Guard!"
"Wall of Sighs!"
"Divine Barrier!"
"False Intel!"
"All Attributes—Boost S-Rank!"
"Cloak of Chaos!"
"Elemental Triple-Cast!"
"Absolute Penetration!"
"Luck—Boost S-Rank!"
"Absolute Super Regeneration—S-Rank!"
"Undying Body!"
"Round-Trip Resurrection!"
"Body of God!"
Half an hour later, after stacking every combat-useful buff he had, Apocalypse faced Saitama with solemn intensity. "Then… let us fight, Saitama."
Saitama stared at the rainbow glare pouring off him—hundreds of different lights at once—and looked a little stunned.
"Oh… then I guess I can be a little serious now?" He rolled his neck. In truth, Saitama was interested; it wasn't every day someone could keep standing after a few hits.
"Hahahaha! Come at me with your strongest attack!"
Confidence overflowed from Apocalypse. He'd mastered thousands of mutant powers over his reign; each was mighty on its own. Together, they gave him reason to believe he could defeat Saitama.
Saitama nodded and drew a breath. "Then I'll use this… Serious… Punch."
No flourish. He simply threw it. And in the instant his fist moved, Apocalypse felt something like regret—no, dread. A single, treacherous thought flashed: I might die here.
Impossible! No one could be stronger than me!
Boom!
The continent buckled. From the point of impact, a cataclysmic wave of force ripped forward. Behind Apocalypse, the land erupted into a storm of stone. A trench hundreds of meters deep carved itself into the earth and ran toward the far horizon.
"Reporting, sir—we've detected—"
No one in the operations lab could even stay on their feet, but the maps on their screens made them break. From France westward, a gouge had been punched straight across Europe.
Seventeen cities were devastated on impact. Two more were simply erased.
"Impossible…"
Silence collapsed into panic. A few who'd mocked France went white as their own nations lit up red on the disaster map. How many dead in just one strike?
"What are we even doing—who do these mutants think they are?!"
Rage boiled over. Others didn't shout, but their faces were no calmer. Fight your fights if you must—but why do something this outrageous? You think this is your private playground?
Across the battlefield, Apocalypse stared, disbelieving. Only his head remained—rolling across the ground just in time to watch the body he'd stacked with so many blessings crumble to ash in midair.
One punch. Just one punch.
No! Apocalypse cannot fall like this! I refuse!
He howled. Flesh surged from his severed neck, re-growing his body at speed. He had barely reformed when he saw Saitama turn and glance far into the distance.
"Mm… might've gone a little overboard," Saitama murmured.
"Look at me when I'm talking!" Apocalypse, fully restored, slammed a fist into Saitama's face. The blow tilted Saitama's head—barely.
Saitama looked back. "Uh… are you hurt? Why are you hitting so lightly?"
Apocalypse froze. Then the realization hit, and with it a bitter smile.
From the start, I was wrong. This man—this body—is the dream I've chased all along. A perfect vessel. His X-gene must be the apex, a perfection of flesh. Compared to him, the powers I've hoarded are trash.
He threw his head back and roared, "I want you!!!"
(End of Chapter)
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