Ice Block – Eight Precepts Descends!
Then—
Thunder roared!
BOOM—!!!
Carnage Kabuto raised his arms to block, but the building beneath his feet couldn't endure such force.
In a single instant.
His massive, demon-purple frame, together with a shattered corner of the rooftop, streaked down like a meteor and slammed into the street below.
Huge slabs of pavement burst upward.
Dust and rubble shot sky-high.
Several city blocks were swallowed by smoke.
Even Beast King, standing on the rooftop, felt the violent tremor from the ground.
Gulp. Beast King swallowed, his scarlet eyes tight with tension.
His dragon tail lashed behind him as Aokiji, Eight Precepts across his shoulder, looked at him.
More precisely, at what lay behind Beast King's eyes.
"Genus, I'll come for you later."
Then Aokiji leapt.
Once more he raised Ice Block – Eight Precepts and dove at Carnage Kabuto.
Relieved, Beast King crouched to steady himself.
What… what was that attack?!
Had it been aimed at him, he wouldn't have survived.
Asura… we haven't known each other long, but I truly mourn for you.
BOOM—!!!
Thunder crashed across the city again.
Beast King shuddered.
At the same moment, through the tiny machine in Beast King's eye, Genus—watching remotely—jerked as well.
His hair was disheveled, glasses slipping; he didn't care.
He only clenched his fists until blood ran.
Carnage Kabuto—however twisted, violent, and bloodthirsty—possessed intellect and power.
He was exactly the "final form of artificial evolution" Genus had envisioned.
Yet he'd been utterly helpless?!
Damn it, damn it, damn it—
Genus swept everything off the desk in fury.
Using rage to mask his panic.
"Aaaargh!!!"
Battered again and again, Carnage Kabuto went completely berserk.
Instinct drove his body in a last struggle.
That seemingly clumsy frame attacked with incredible agility from every angle.
Aokiji drew on his inner power.
Beyond black-red lightning, pure white frost surged.
"Chandali – Dragon Legion!!"
Eight Precepts blurred into countless after-images.
Each strike met Carnage Kabuto's attacks with lethal precision.
Shockwaves like constant thunder cracked surrounding towers, toppling them.
At the center of the clash the ground had already caved in deep.
The exchange didn't last long.
Every brief collision.
Left Carnage Kabuto not only pounded by Haki but layered with ice inside his body.
His battered form visibly slowed.
Cyan dragon scales rippled over swelling muscle.
Peak frost and Peak Haki merged.
Aokiji delivered the final blow.
"Ice Pheasant – Thunder Bagua!!"
Overwhelming force swallowed every sound.
The world seemed plunged into eerie silence.
Haki erupted.
Heaven and earth changed color.
"…Wow, the ground's shaking—just like a massage."
Saitama lay back, enjoying it.
The surrounding heroes stared speechless.
At a time like this you're relaxed? How thick is your heart?
They'd quickly introduced themselves earlier.
They knew each other's names or hero titles.
"Saitama," Snake said cautiously.
"You seemed really familiar with… Aokiji. Are you friends?"
"Yeah, I'm staying at his place," Saitama replied.
"I figured I'd move out after passing the recruitment exam, but it's not nice to overstay."
"The test got interrupted by Monsters. I wonder if they'll start again…"
Snake's thoughts derailed.
He forgot what he meant to ask and said instead.
"It'll probably be postponed, but after your performance the Association should pass you on the spot. You can apply to collect your Monster-bounty early…"
"That's not the point!"
Snake shook his head.
He dragged the topic back.
"I mean—when you're with Aokiji, do you notice anything… off?"
The other heroes pricked up their ears.
Aokiji's transformation had shaken them.
Even from afar the battle's shockwaves weighed on them.
If he really were a Monster… "Nothing to worry about—he's a hero."
Saitama said calmly.
No suspicion or doubt about Aokiji's change.
"Besides, don't you think that form of his looks cool?"
The heroes exchanged glances.
It did look cool… but that wasn't the issue!
They didn't know where to begin.
Perhaps Saitama's calm infected them.
The heaviness in their hearts lifted.
It was the Association's problem; even if action were needed, they weren't strong enough.
And Saitama was right.
Aokiji's past deeds.
Had earned their genuine respect as a hero.
A cyan blur streaked across the sky.
Then slammed down, shaking the earth.
"Sorry to keep you—let's begin."
Aokiji's massive dragon-man form strode forward.
Above, thunder rolled silently.
"…Mm." The Tsukuyomi Leader pushed his Esper power past its limit.
"Roar—!!"
A synthetic beast like a small mountain range howled, jaws gaping as it snapped at him.
Its fangs pierced the ground easily.
Centered on Aokiji, a huge chunk of earth was gouged up and swallowed.
The beast chewed madly, trying to crush its prey.
"Above!!" the Tsukuyomi Leader shouted.
He thrust out his hands.
Skin peeled like old plaster.
Releasing every ounce of power squeezed from the Artificial Espers.
He hurled a concentrated blast at the creature's upper body.
Meanwhile.
Aokiji had already gathered his strength in mid-air.
Haoshoku wrapped.
Two-layer fused Armament coated.
Even natural lightning paled before the black-red tempest.
"Great Vajra – Thunder Bagua—!!!"
At the instant the attacks met.
A vast white halo spread across the city sky!!
The god-demon figure didn't slow.
Unstoppable.
The compressed Esper power was blown apart!!
Lab-grafted power couldn't rival templates forged by the System!!
Eight Precepts crashed into the colossal synthetic beast.
Countless black-red bolts erupted!!
Everything around dimmed beneath their glare.
When the Tsukuyomi Leader lowered his arms.
No longer shielding against the shockwave.
A giant hole had been melted through the beast.
Only thin strands of flesh held its upper and lower halves together.
Behind it lay the mountain-sized corpse.
Its shadow fell over Aokiji.
He stood before the Tsukuyomi Leader.
Just a few steps away.
"Hah—" the Leader exhaled.
"Still can't see your limit."
His ever-cold expression finally cracked.
"Another total defeat… next time—"
"There won't be a next time." Aokiji cut him off.
"Counting the Assassination Alliance incident, this is the second time you've caused me trouble."
"A third time—then I'll come looking for you."
Aokiji tapped the ground casually with Ice Block – Eight Precepts.
Then looked up and called.
"Tatsumaki, you sensed the source of his Mental Energy, right?"
...
(Throw some stones)