As an S-Class hero, he naturally possessed his own confidence.
Even after losing the initial exchange, he merely felt that he hadn't put in enough effort.
He wasn't afraid, and he certainly wouldn't retreat because of a few words from Genos.
In truth, part of the reason he felt this way was because he failed to recognize Genos's strength.
As an S-Class hero imprisoned for harassing men, Puri-Puri Prisoner's access to updated information was slow; naturally, he didn't recognize Genos, nor did he know that Genos was an S-Class hero with a rank nearly identical to his own.
If he had known that, he might have given Genos's advice more serious consideration.
But... there were no "ifs."
"Has another one come to seek death...?" Deep Sea King's voice drifted from afar as his figure gradually drew closer.
"Seek death? With my love for boys... I am invincible!" Puri-Puri Prisoner responded in a high-pitched tone.
As an S-Class hero, his minor fractures from moments ago had already healed within this short span of time.
He stood on one knee and pointed a finger at the imposing Deep Sea King, his face brimming with confidence.
"Angel Style!"
Although he didn't think he would lose, Puri-Puri Prisoner recognized that the monster before him was not weak.
Thus, he immediately activated his powered-up state.
However, calling it a powered-up state was a bit of a stretch... in reality, his clothes simply exploded off his body, leaving nothing behind.
He faced the Deep Sea King as a muscular, naked pervert.
This was the so-called "Angel Style."
This didn't really matter, though, as the Deep Sea King's attire was remarkably similar in style.
Humanoid and unclothed.
The only saving grace was that he at least wore underwear.
Oh right, he also wore a cape and a small crown.
"No one who witnesses my 'Angel Style' leaves alive!" Puri-Puri Prisoner said proudly, glaring at the Deep Sea King with his finger still pointed.
'But I saw it too.'
Genos, who was currently adjusting his own state, couldn't help but think to himself.
"Oh?" Deep Sea King raised an eyebrow, an interested look appearing on his face.
Whoosh...
The sound of wind whistling rang out, and in the next instant, the Deep Sea King's figure appeared directly in front of Puri-Puri Prisoner.
'So fast...'
Puri-Puri Prisoner's proud expression froze, a surge of shock hitting his heart.
However, he reacted immediately.
He concentrated his strength into his fists.
"Angel Rush!!"
His muscular body leaped high into the air. For a fleeting moment, a pair of pure white wings seemed to unfurl behind him, granting him a touch of angelic divinity.
His fists, brimming with power, struck forward repeatedly at extreme speed, generating intense wind pressure and leaving behind a blur of afterimages...
But... just before his fists could make contact with the Deep Sea King...
"You people... really love your rapid-fire punches, don't you...?"
As the gloomy voice fell, an incredibly fast and violent punch followed.
The Deep Sea King's fist connected squarely with Puri-Puri Prisoner's face before any of the latter's attacks could land.
Bang!
A violent impact resounded as all of Puri-Puri Prisoner's punch afterimages vanished. His face was nearly caved in, and his entire body was sent flying backward, slamming hard into another building.
Such was the result of overconfidence.
To be honest, if Lexon were here, he might have been unable to hold back a laugh.
'As expected... even Puri-Puri Prisoner is completely outmatched.'
Genos mused as he witnessed Puri-Puri Prisoner being taken out in a single blow.
'The people around here have already fled... I should avoid combat for now and notify Mr. Lexon and Teacher Saitama.'
He made a rational decision.
Without hesitation, Genos rose and dashed toward Puri-Puri Prisoner's position. He grabbed him from the debris and began to run away.
"They ran away?" The Deep Sea King seemed not to have expected this turn of events, touching his crown with a confused finger.
'Should I give chase... or...?'
After a moment's thought, the Deep Sea King waved his hand.
"Since these two weak humans are destined to die anyway... I'll let them be for now..."
"I'll enjoy the pleasure of slaughtering more fragile humans first!"
As he spoke, a morbid smile appeared on the Deep Sea King's face.
"The place where the scent of humans is strongest is..."
After sensing his surroundings, the Deep Sea King leaped and sped toward that direction.
He couldn't wait to hear the miserable wails of humans and feel the joy of tearing their bodies apart.
The dark clouds in the sky were thickening...
Just as the weather forecast had predicted.
The sunny sky gradually turned into rain.
Nourished by the rainwater, the Deep Sea King's moving form seemed to grow even larger and more robust, and his speed increased.
His humanoid head and face also began to shift toward a more fish-like appearance.
A more hideous and terrifying aura radiated from his entire body.
Water allowed the Deep Sea King to return to his peak condition.
...
"Cute boy... what is your name...?" Puri-Puri Prisoner, his body somewhat immobile as Genos carried him, had not given up on getting to know the handsome cyborg.
"Shut up, Puri-Puri Prisoner. I'm calling for backup," Genos replied.
"What a cold boy... but I don't hate it..."
Genos ignored the delirious ramblings of Puri-Puri Prisoner and gazed anxiously at the phone in his hand as it made the call.
'Mr. Lexon... Teacher Saitama... please answer...'
But in the next instant, Genos's expression shifted slightly as he came to a sudden halt while running.
"What's wrong, my cute, cold boy?" Puri-Puri Prisoner asked curiously from where he was tucked under Genos's arm.
"That monster is heading toward the civilian shelter," Genos said, his voice heavy.
"..." Puri-Puri Prisoner also realized the gravity of the situation, his expression turning serious.
"I'll be able to recover some of my combat strength in one minute," Puri-Puri Prisoner stated, dropping his playful attitude.
"Understood," Genos nodded.
No more communication or explanation was needed.
In the next moment, Genos pushed his power core to the limit and sprinted toward the shelter at top speed.
Although they were heroes, they would also strategically retreat when facing enemies they couldn't overcome...
Furthermore, not every hero possessed a "Hero's Heart."
Much like how Saitama was criticized by some "heroes" after shattering the meteor...
But... whether it was Puri-Puri Prisoner or Genos...
neither of them was that kind of "hero."
As two who possessed the heart of a hero, as long as they were fighting on the front lines to protect ordinary people, they would never retreat an inch, even when facing an opponent much stronger than themselves.
Because the situation was so urgent, Genos stopped the phone call to focus entirely on moving.
Before that, however, he sent the location of the shelter to Lexon and Saitama.
He believed that these two respected and powerful heroes... would understand his meaning.
...
"Huh... why did Genos send me a location?" Saitama, walking with an umbrella, looked at Lexon beside him in confusion.
"He probably sent one to me too; I heard my phone ring." Since Saitama had already mentioned it, Lexon didn't bother taking his phone out.
"Is it in J-City?" Saitama realized the place Genos sent was their destination.
"J-City, huh...?" Lexon pondered for a moment.
'If I'm not mistaken... this Demon-level crisis should be caused by the Deep Sea King leading his tribe to invade the surface.'
'In that case... with Genos's current strength, he should be able to handle it easily...'
Based on the original plot, Lexon thought it only natural.
He had taken Genos's increased strength into account, but forgot that due to the butterfly effect, events that were originally fixed might have changed...
"Since Genos didn't send us a distress signal... he probably has it under control," Saitama said, taking it for granted.
"With Genos's strength, it really shouldn't be a problem," Lexon remarked.
Neither of them realized that sending a location was, in itself, a sign of an urgent situation requiring immediate backup.
Saitama was simply dense, while Lexon was suffering from a fixed mindset due to knowing too much.
In any case, the final result was that neither of them got what Genos was trying to convey.
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]