area51novel Page 28
Page 28
Bang's gaze lingered briefly on Lin Mo and Genos before landing on Saitama beside them, a hint of undisguised surprise flashing in his eyes.
He found it strange that this bald man in the comical yellow bodysuit could climb to the top of the tower with KING and the others in this way.
"my friend."
Lin Mo explained succinctly, his gaze fixed on the meteorite in the sky.
------
The city beneath the tower has been reduced to a chaotic sea.
However, amidst this apocalyptic scene, a voice resounded throughout every corner of the city via the Hero Association's emergency broadcast system:
"Attention citizens! Please remain calm! We have confirmed that S-Class Hero KING is currently in Z City!"
"I'll repeat myself: the strongest man on Earth, Mr. King, is watching over us right now!"
Countless fleeing citizens stopped in their tracks without prior notice.
They raised their tear-stained and dust-covered faces, casting their last glimmer of hope towards the highest point in the city.
They are searching for the legendary man.
As long as he stands here, hope has not yet been extinguished.
------
On the other side, Genos's view of the data stream was refreshing at an unprecedented speed, as he was conducting a preliminary scan of the meteorite.
[Target: A giant meteorite.]
[Diameter: Approximately 210 meters.]
[Plunging speed: Continuing to increase, already exceeding Mach 15.]
[Time remaining until impact: 6 minutes 28 seconds... 27 seconds... 26 seconds...]
[Estimated impact energy: equivalent to... calculations exceed the range of conventional equivalents.]
“Teacher, Mr. King, Master Bang, please step back.”
Genos's expression was more solemn than ever before. He stepped forward and stood in front of the crowd.
"I can handle a disaster of this scale!"
Before he finished speaking, the metal shells on his arms rapidly deformed and unfolded, revealing the energy core inside.
Blue and white light gathered in his palm, and the power of the energy reactor was instantly boosted to its limit.
The heatwave spread outwards from him, distorting even the air itself.
"Incineration Cannon - Maximum Power Output! Energy Recharge Begins!"
Genos aimed his arms at the meteorite in the sky, and terrifying energy began to gather in the muzzle of his palm.
A huge blue energy ball formed in front of him, growing larger and larger, emitting a low "humming" sound, and the surrounding metal railings turned red due to the dissipating energy.
This is the strongest attack Genos can currently unleash, powerful enough to flatten a small mountain in an instant.
"They're here!" Genos roared.
"Incinerate—Cannon!"
A massive, blue energy beam, over ten meters in diameter, tore through the atmosphere and, carrying terrifying heat, crashed into the falling meteorite!
Bang didn't blink for a moment, his hands behind his back, displaying the demeanor of a grandmaster.
The wind whipped his white hair and beard, but he remained as still as a rock.
His dojo is in Z City, where he has poured his heart and soul and passed down his legacy. He would never leave alone.
The citizens of Z City also held their breath, hoping for a miracle.
The beam of light hit the center of the meteorite precisely.
However, the next second, everyone's hopes froze.
The beam of light, powerful enough to destroy a small mountain, merely caused the meteorite's surface to explode into a dazzling burst of sparks upon contact.
The meteorite's descent speed seemed to... not even pause for a moment!
The massive, dark red rock, bearing the full force of Genos's incineration cannon, continued to relentlessly slam into the earth!
"How can it be……"
Genos was shocked; his full-force attack hadn't even scratched the meteorite.
As the energy output ended, thick smoke billowed from the muzzles of Genos's arms, and the core energy glow dimmed, entering a brief cooling and recharging state.
He could no longer support his body; his knees buckled, and he half-knelt on the ground, his metallic body trembling slightly from the extreme output and the enormous impact.
It was a complete and utter failure.
Despair, like a tsunami, swept through Z City once again. The newly ignited flame of hope among the citizens was instantly extinguished.
“Genos-kun…” Master Bang sighed, a resolute look appearing on his aged face.
He stepped forward and patted Genos on the shoulder, indicating that he had done his best, and then stretched his limbs—he was ready to make his move.
Although he himself knew that even a modern technological marvel like Genos couldn't move a meteorite, his Flowing Rock Smashing Fist probably wouldn't be able to either...
Just then, a piercing sound came from another direction.
A strangely shaped robot, exuding a cold, industrial aesthetic, hovered in mid-air, emanating a lifeless, mechanical voice:
"S-Class Hero Metal Knight, here to deal with the disaster. Seriously, I have to clean up this mess and test the power of my new equipment."
As soon as the words were spoken, dozens of launch ports opened on the robot's armor plates, and a dense barrage of missiles, trailing long white flames, formed a massive firepower net that swept towards the meteorite impact!
boom! boom! boom! boom! boom!
A series of violent explosions occurred on the surface of the meteorite, with flames shooting into the sky and thick smoke billowing out.
Each missile is as powerful as a heavy aerial bomb, and such a dense bombing is enough to wipe a military base off the map.
Metal Knight's ranged attacks represent the pinnacle of human technological weaponry.
However, when the smoke and dust from the explosion were torn apart by the rapidly falling meteorite, the scene revealed plunged everyone back into an icy abyss.
The meteorite remained intact, without even a single crack.
"Tch, test failed. Data retrieved."
The robot emitted a cold, electronic voice, then turned around and withdrew from the scene without any hesitation.
For him, the survival of Z City was far less important than his weapon data.
"Alright, alright, move aside, move aside."
A lazy voice broke the deathly silence of despair, sounding particularly abrupt.
Saitama had somehow reached the edge of the tower's top. He flexed his wrists and complained:
"Honestly, the supermarket sale is about to end if we don't hurry."
After saying that, he bent his legs slightly.
The next second, the special reinforced concrete platform beneath Saitama's feet cracked and shattered instantly! He shot into the sky like a cannonball!
It moved so fast that it even left a white sonic boom cloud in its wake.
On the monitoring screens of countless citizens and the Hero Association on the ground, they could only see a tiny yellow dot, following a trajectory that defied the laws of physics, heading straight toward the enormous meteorite.
"Is that... Mr. King's companion?" someone asked uncertainly.
"Look! Mr. King is still standing there! He's directing his companions!"
Everyone's eyes were subconsciously focused on Lin Mo, who stood motionless and upright at the top of the tower.
Bang's pupils suddenly contracted to a single point. He stared intently at Saitama's disappearing figure, his mouth slightly agape, the shock in his heart beyond words.
"What astonishing power... pure physical strength..."
Mid-air, Saitama had already arrived beneath the meteorite.
He simply raised his right hand, which was wearing a red glove, clenched his fist, and then... swung it at the enormous object that blotted out the sky.
"Don't land in my city, hey!"
Immediately afterwards, the massive meteorite, capable of destroying Z City, shattered like glass struck by a hammer. Starting from the point of contact with Saitama's fist, dense spiderweb-like cracks appeared, and then... it exploded with a deafening roar!
The entire meteorite, thousands of meters above the ground, was smashed into countless fragments of varying sizes by this punch!
"It's...it's a success!" Inside the Hero Association command center, Sitch slammed his fist on the table in excitement.
"As expected of Mr. King! He really knows how to do things!"
However, his joy didn't last long. One analyst immediately let out a horrified scream:
"No! The situation is worse! Although the meteorite has shattered, these fragments have created an indiscriminate attack that will engulf the entire city! This will turn Z City into a sea of fire!"
On the screen, countless burning meteorite fragments, like an apocalyptic meteor shower, covered every corner of Z City.
At the top of the tower, Saitama, who had just landed, scratched his bald head and looked at his "masterpiece" with some distress.
Bang's expression changed drastically. He shifted his stance, adopting the posture of the Flowing Water Rock Shattering Fist, and shouted in a deep voice:
"I'll do my part too! I'll stop as many as I can!"
After saying that, he prepared to use his unparalleled martial arts skills to shatter the fragments that were attacking them.
"Damn it, the area is too big, there's no way to deal with it all in time!" Genos shouted anxiously. His energy was almost exhausted, and he felt powerless in the face of the rain of fire.
Just then, Lin Mo, who had been silent all along, finally moved.
"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"
A peculiar yet powerful sound suddenly rang out. The sound was not loud, but it possessed a strange penetrating power.
The sound of the Emperor Engine drowned out the howling of the meteorite fragments, clearly reaching everyone's ears like a stabilizing force, instantly calming everyone's panic.
"It's King!"
"Mr. King is about to make his move!"
He slowly raised his right hand, palm up, and everyone's eyes were involuntarily drawn to him.
[Ding! Detected that the host is currently the center of attention, accumulating a massive amount of fear, worship, and awe... Energy conversion in progress... Current energy: 20,080!]