However, the palace plaza—something that should have felt sacred and solemn—was instead filled with tension and unease.
In many places, especially among the coral groves that were once dazzlingly beautiful and the clusters of magical crystals, ominous pitch-black vines had coiled around everything. They were identical to the ones on the sea monster. Like living creatures, they slowly writhed as they corroded the coral and crystals, draining away their luster and leaving them gray and brittle.
A squad of Atlantean soldiers was carefully trying to clear a small section of corrupted coral. One soldier aimed a specialized energy cutter at a thinner vine.
But the instant the energy beam touched it, the vine seemed to activate. It snapped up and, faster than anyone could react, wrapped around the soldier's wrist!
"Ah!" the soldier let out a painful scream.
The black vine rapidly spread from the point of contact up his arm. His eyes turned blood-red in an instant, and black, vein-like patterns surfaced across his face. His reason was swallowed whole by rage and murderous intent. He swung his weapon and smashed it toward a nearby comrade!
"Careful! He's been corrupted!" the squad captain shouted, ordering the others to restrain him—yet none of them dared to touch the black vines directly. The scene instantly fell into chaos.
That was when Saitama walked over.
He glanced at the crazed soldier and the writhing vine, then reached out. With effortless ease, he grabbed the black vine wrapped around the soldier's wrist and gave it a casual tug.
Snap!
The dark vine that the Atlanteans were powerless against snapped in his hand like a dried, rotten weed rope. A wisp of black smoke rose from the break—and then the entire vine quickly withered and turned to ash.
Freed from the vine's influence, the soldier's red eyes rapidly faded back to normal. The black vein patterns disappeared. He stumbled, regained his senses, and stared around in confusion.
Every Atlantean soldier stood there dumbstruck, as if they'd witnessed something impossible.
Namor's eyes flashed with delight. "Just as I thought! These dark creations seem to follow some kind of law—stronger opponents make them weaker… or rather, before absolute power, they're simply—"
Suddenly, an enraged shriek echoed from deep within the palace.
"Who is it?! Who dares destroy the spreading touch of the Honored Master?!"
A surge of dense dark energy erupted. A gaunt Atlantean—perhaps a former Atlantean—floated forward, wearing a dark priestly robe. Black miasma swirled around him. As he waved his hands, massive amounts of black vines across the plaza moved like venomous snakes receiving an order, converging in a frenzy and weaving together into a gigantic black hand.
With terrifying momentum that seemed capable of crushing everything, it slammed down toward Saitama, Namor, and the others!
A shadow swallowed the entire plaza. The soldiers recoiled in terror.
Saitama merely looked up at the massive hand. Then—still just as simply as ever—he threw a single punch upward.
The punch wind howled.
There wasn't even a real impact sound.
The black hand that looked unstoppable collapsed the instant it touched Saitama's fist—like ice thrown into a blazing sun. It disintegrated and fell apart in a blink, reverting into countless snapped, withered vine fragments that clattered to the ground in a messy heap.
The dark priest's pupils shrank violently. His face filled with shock—clearly he hadn't expected his full-power strike to be shattered so easily.
(End of Chapter)
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