Tornado's green curls bristled like an angry cat's fur, the air in the banquet hall trembling with her power.
Floating cutlery suddenly spun mid-air, turning into a rain of arrows aimed at Gaio.
"You—!" Tornado's face flushed red with rage, her psychic waves flipping tatami mats into the air. "Perverted white-haired freak!"
Gaio tilted his head, dodging a flying soy sauce bottle. A sake jug grazed his ear, smashing into the wall.
Satoru Gojo, somehow already in a safe corner, used his ability to shield a plate of wagyu beef while munching away. "Nero-kun~ Need some love advice?"
"Shut it!" Gaio snapped, just as an entire low table came hurtling toward his face.
As he sliced the wooden table in half, Tornado yanked a chandelier down, aiming for the back of his head.
"Sis! Metal Knight's…" Fubuki's voice rang out from the banquet hall's entrance.
Tornado's psychic field stuttered, and a floating bowl of miso soup plopped onto Zombie Man's head.
Fubuki stepped in, her black dress sweeping over the debris-strewn floor.
She surveyed the chaos in the hall, then glanced at Tornado hovering in mid-air. "You guys… already started?"
Tornado whooshed down to her sister's side. "This white-haired creep just admitted he's after you!" she hissed, lowering her voice. "And Psykos said your kids would…"
"Sis! Sis!" Fubuki's face turned beet red, her hands fumbling to cover Tornado's mouth.
Unlike Fubuki's flustered reaction, Gaio's brow furrowed. Just before entering, Fubuki had mentioned "Metal Knight."
His senses flared out instantly. The hot spring inn was eerily empty—no staff, no guests, not a single soul around.
He'd been distracted by Tornado's tantrum.
Gaio stood, and Tornado spun around, thrusting out her right hand, trying to pin him with her psychic power.
A green glow shimmered around him, but it had no effect. He looked at Tornado. "About Fubuki, I'll explain later. But right now—"
He glanced at the S-Class heroes trapped in his spatial rifts. "You've got two choices: die, or get lost."
The banquet hall erupted in shocked murmurs.
Superalloy Darkshine clenched his fists, his bulging muscles tensing, his massive frame leaning forward as if ready to break through the spatial rifts and throw a punch at Gaio.
Atomic Samurai's hand gripped his katana's hilt, knuckles white. His eyes flickered with hesitation—partly wary of Gaio's strength, partly unwilling to be cowed by a threat.
Flashy Flash frowned, his fingers tapping rhythmically on his rapier's sheath, calculating. Could his speed get him out of these eerie rifts before Gaio struck?
Zombie Man, unfazed, just wiped the miso soup off his face, watching the scene with mild amusement, like it was a blockbuster drama.
Tornado's face alternated between pale and flushed. No one had ever threatened her like this, especially not in front of a crowd. "You… you dare threaten me?"
Gaio had no time for her games.
He started counting down. "Five, four, three…"
His voice echoed like a grim reaper's whisper, reverberating through the hall, making everyone's ears ring.
Even Zombie Man, usually nonchalant, tensed up, his eyes locked on Gaio warily. Sweat beaded on every hero's forehead.
The S-Class heroes could feel countless tiny spatial rifts creeping closer to their bodies.
The rifts were like starving beasts, radiating a chilling aura. Each breath felt like it was being shredded by the rifts, every inhale laced with pain.
"Wait!" Fubuki shouted, stepping toward Gaio, her brows furrowed. "Nero-kun, I don't know what's going on here, but can't we figure this out first?"
Her voice trembled but held firm, her eyes meeting Gaio's, searching for a chance to de-escalate.
Gaio paused the advancing rifts. Atomic Samurai spoke up. "Nero's right. It was Macoy who sent us. His orders were to get you to leave this place—and to use force if you showed even a hint of resistance."
As he spoke, Atomic Samurai loosened his grip on his katana, his shoulders relaxing, as if dropping some guard or just exasperated by the mess.
"Macoy? Who the hell does he think he is, ordering us around?" Tornado exploded, hands on hips, her face red with fury. Her psychic energy stirred again, making tables, chairs, and dishes tremble.
"'Ask us to leave'? Heh, doesn't look like you guys were planning to ask," Gojo said with a sly grin, his eyes narrowing into crescents, glinting with cunning mischief.
Gaio slowly closed his eyes, his aura shifting. The sharp, outward menace retracted, replaced by a colder, more oppressive presence.
When he opened his eyes, they seemed to hold an endless abyss. With a casual wave, the dense web of spatial rifts around the S-Class heroes popped like bubbles.
"Fifteen minutes. That's all the Hero Association gets," Gaio said, his voice icy, glancing at Atomic Samurai and the others. "Fifteen minutes from now, I'll pay the Association a personal visit."
He strode toward the banquet hall's exit.
Gojo, seeing Gaio's expression, grinned wider, practically skipping after him like a kid eager for the show to start.
At the door, he turned back, sticking out his tongue at the stunned heroes. "Ooh, you guys are screwed. Nero's pissed~"
The Hero Association members stood frozen, staring at Gaio and Gojo's retreating figures, struggling to process what just happened.
The tense standoff seemed to ease with Gaio's departure, but everyone knew this was just the calm before the storm.
"Sis, what the heck's going on?" Fubuki asked, bewildered, looking from Tornado to Atomic Samurai and the others.
Tornado grit her teeth, her face still flushed, fuming at being ignored by Gaio. She stomped her foot. "That white-haired jerk's too cocky! Fifteen minutes? Hmph, I'd love to see what he's got!"
But deep down, she knew Gaio's strength was inhuman.
Atomic Samurai sighed, picking up a broken toothpick from the floor and sticking it in his mouth. "No point arguing now. Better notify HQ and let them figure out a plan. Macoy, that idiot, dragging us into this mess…"
He pulled out his communicator, fingers rapidly tapping out a full report.
Superalloy Darkshine growled, "Damn it! Just letting that guy walk away? I can't swallow this!"
His muscles stayed tensed, itching to fight, but he knew chasing Gaio now would be suicide.
Flashy Flash sheathed his rapier, smoothing his disheveled blonde hair, frowning. "Whatever happens, we need to prepare. Nero's strength is unfathomable. The Hero Association's in for a tough fight."
Zombie Man shrugged, wiping the last of the miso soup off his face. "God-level. His power's at least god-level."
The banquet hall buzzed with tense chatter, the air heavy with dread.
Meanwhile, Gaio and Gojo stepped out of the hot spring inn.
A light rain had started, its fine mist carrying a cool chill.
Gaio looked up at the gray sky, his gaze deep and unreadable.
"Nero-kun, you really gonna storm the Hero Association in fifteen minutes?" Gojo sidled up, brimming with curiosity. "They're kind of a pain, but they are heroes. Busting in like that… maybe not the best move?"
Gaio stopped, turning to Gojo. "Not the best move?" A dangerous smirk curved his lips. "You think I care?"
Gojo's sunglasses slid down his nose.
After a two-second pause, he threw his head back and laughed, startling the crows perched on the eaves.
"Of course you don't!" Gojo hopped in front of Gaio, walking backward. "They think those fifteen minutes are for investigating—"
He leaned close to Gaio's ear, his voice low and giddy with madness. "But it's really a countdown to run for their lives, right?"
At the Hero Association's headquarters in A City, Atomic Samurai's message hit like a bombshell, sending shockwaves through the high-level meeting room.
Around the conference table, the Association's top brass wore varied expressions, the atmosphere thick with tension.
"Macoy, you've gone too far this time!" a white-haired executive bellowed, slamming the table, making papers jump. "Do you realize your recklessness could drag the entire Hero Association into ruin?"
Macoy snorted, his sneer unshaken. "Hmph, Nero's just bluffing. One guy challenging the Hero Association? What a joke! I'm doing this to uphold our authority!"
"But his strength is undeniable. Trapping all those S-Class heroes so easily…" another executive said, brows furrowed with worry. "If he really comes for us, can we stop him?"
The room erupted in debate—some cursed Macoy, others feared Gaio's threat. Sic and Zeginger stayed silent, their eyes heavy with thought.
Macoy scanned the room impatiently, standing abruptly, hands braced on the table, leaning forward. "Stop hyping him up and undermining us! I'm telling you, if he dares show up, he's dead. His behavior screams 'monster.' We have to eliminate this threat!"
He looked around, seeing no objections, and nodded to himself. "I propose we issue an S-Class hero summons immediately. Call every S-Class hero back to HQ. We'll crush Nero and end this once and for all!"
"But…" someone hesitated, "summoning all S-Class heroes at once? What about the safety of other cities? If monsters attack, who'll handle it?"
Macoy scoffed. "Some kid with fancy powers dares threaten the Hero Association? We deal with him first, then worry about the rest. Our prestige can't be challenged! And besides—"
His grin turned sinister. "If we beat him—and those Jujutsu sorcerers with him—our name will spread across the neighboring island!"
"We'll march in openly, hailed as their new heroes!"
Macoy's words lit up the eyes of the sponsors and investors like wolves spotting prey.
To them, the lure of profit far outweighed any risks. Danger? Who cares when there's money to be made?
Zeginger's heart sank, realizing Macoy's true aim: the neighboring island, all along.
Fury surged, and he started to stand, ready to tear into Macoy's insane plan, but Sic grabbed his arm.
Zeginger looked at Sic, confused. Sic shook his head, his eyes filled with resignation and sorrow.
Sic stood, his gaze sweeping the room gravely. "It seems you all back Macoy's actions. Fine. I won't be part of this madness."
He strode out of the meeting room.
Zeginger, not hesitating, hurried after him. In the quiet corridor, only their brisk footsteps echoed.
"Sic, why'd you stop me? Macoy's lost it! He's pushing the Hero Association into a fire pit!" Zeginger broke the silence, his voice thick with anger and urgency.
Sic paused, sighing deeply. "Zeginger, haven't you seen it yet? The Hero Association isn't the pure organization it once was, protecting people. Money and power have rotted it. Maybe this crisis is a chance for it to face itself."
Zeginger's brows knit, still struggling to accept it. "Even so, we can't just let Macoy run wild! He'll get people killed, and the Association's reputation will be ruined!"
Sic clapped Zeginger's shoulder, his voice heavy. "We can't change their minds. All we can do now is minimize innocent casualties. Get our teams and the innocent staff out of here. Keep them away from this storm."
Zeginger fell silent, staring at Sic, his eyes torn with conflict. After a long moment, he nodded slowly. "I get it, Sic."
Sic watched Zeginger's retreating figure, his heart heavy, and let out another deep sigh.
That sigh carried all his frustration and grief.
He knew the Hero Association was terminally ill, and Macoy's madness might just be the spark for its reckoning.
In the meeting room, Macoy was in a frenzy, his eyes gleaming with greed, gesturing wildly as he painted his "grand vision." "Once we crush those Jujutsu sorcerers, the fools on that island will worship us. We'll march in, raking in fame and fortune!"
His voice boomed, echoing painfully in the room.
The sponsors and investors, blinded by profit, nodded eagerly, shouting praises, oblivious to the looming crisis.
Only the digital clock on the wall ticked down coldly in blood-red numbers:
10:55
10:54
10:53
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