Instead, an amused smile played on his lips. "Planning to gang up on me?"
"What if we are?" Fuhrer Ugly's hideous face twisted into a leering grin. "That's exactly what we do to good-looking guys. We're going to tear you to pieces together."
"I take it you don't think you can win on your own, then?" Lexon replied with a mocking smile.
The smile on Fuhrer Ugly's face froze, and he roared, "I'm going to rip you limb from limb!!!"
"Then come on," Lexon beckoned the Fuhrer over, his tone dripping with provocation.
Yet despite the taunt, the Fuhrer remained rooted to the spot.
He looked absolutely livid.
But he just stood there, seething.
He didn't make a move.
This was because the display of power Lexon had shown when joining the association let the Fuhrer know he was outmatched.
Naturally, he didn't dare to strike.
"Coward," Black Sperm muttered dismissively, seeing the Fuhrer hesitate.
With that, he stepped forward.
"I can handle this alone," Black Sperm said confidently.
Clearly, he believed himself more than enough to deal with Lexon.
Such confidence stemmed from his at least fifty trillion clones.
No, calling them clones wasn't quite right.
Among those fifty trillion Black Sperms, there was no distinction between original and copy.
Each was an independent entity.
They simply followed a singular way of operating.
"You?..." Lexon's gaze shifted to Black Sperm.
'Black Sperm... he's likely a monster my main body would be interested in, given his abilities.'
"Black Sperm, don't act alone," Gyoro-Gyoro interjected.
"Gyoro-Gyoro, I didn't become a Cadre of the Monster Association just to take orders from you," Black Sperm retorted, looking back. "I don't need you telling me what to do."
It was obvious that the internal structure of the Monster Association was far from harmonious.
The very nature of monsters dictated that they only 'cooperated' to a certain extent.
Unless absolutely necessary, they would never fully follow orders or fight as a coordinated unit.
"He is no ordinary opponent," Gyoro-Gyoro said grimly.
As the creator of Monster King Orochi, Gyoro-Gyoro understood deeply that Lexon was no average existence.
He might even be on par with Orochi...
He was an incredibly formidable foe.
If the disturbance the man caused wasn't so massive, and if not for certain other reasons, Gyoro-Gyoro would never have chosen to face him as an enemy.
"Just let him go first. If he loses or dies, someone else can just step in," Nyan said from the side, licking his sharp claws.
"If he's too weak and dies, he deserves it," the old face on the forehead of Elder Centipede's massive head spoke.
Cadres like Gouketsu and Gums also tacitly agreed.
To them, their colleagues' lives were irrelevant.
In fact, it might be better if they died.
That would only elevate their own status within the association.
Seeing that the Cadres were mostly in agreement, Gyoro-Gyoro said no more.
After all, he was the 'Military Advisor,' not the 'Boss.'
And the actual boss, Orochi, was currently watching the scene with great anticipation.
He had no intention of stopping them.
'Let them fight like this. More will die, and after I consume them, I will become even stronger.'
Gyoro-Gyoro, proficient in psychokinesis, could read the violent greed radiating from Orochi.
"So, is this a gauntlet match now?" Lexon asked in a relaxed posture.
"No, I'm going to slaughter you right here," a ferocious expression appeared on Black Sperm's vulgar face.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"
But in the next moment, a soul-shattering scream erupted, echoing through the dimly lit structure.
Black Sperm and the other monsters turned their confused gazes toward the source of the sound.
The moment their eyes settled, their expressions shifted slightly.
What they saw... was a fat, hideous figure clutching the bloody stump of his severed arm, screaming in agony.
And another figure, holding a severed arm, with half his body splattered in blood.
"Actually, let's just go with the group fight. I prefer it that way," a sinister smile bloomed on Lexon's blood-stained face. He flipped the arm he had torn from the Fuhrer and violently shoved it back into the bloody stump of the socket, triggering an even more intense scream.
"Let me crush you pieces of trash."
Amidst the screams, words laced with malice flowed.
...
"Hey, Lexon, are you really leaving? You won't come back to visit?" After Fubuki and the others left to do their own things, the leftover Saitama asked.
"We already talked about this," Lexon said lazily. "I'll come back if I have the chance, but it might take a while."
'At the very least... I need to wait until I surpass the Main God...'
Lexon thought to himself.
"Aaaaah..." Saitama sighed dejectedly.
"What? Can't handle being without me?" Lexon joked.
"It's true. I can't live without your cooking," Saitama's face suddenly became serious as he spoke with a genuine tone.
"So you're just attached to the food."
"Heh heh heh," Saitama chuckled.
"After I leave, I'm counting on you to look after Mumen and the others," Lexon stood up. "I have something I need to take care of."
A message had come from his clone.
It seemed quite urgent.
He had to handle it.
"Don't worry, they won't die," Saitama said bluntly.
"Good enough," Lexon turned the doorknob.
"Don't make me wait too long."
Saitama's voice came from behind him.
"I'll try."
"I'll die without your cooking."
"Then don't be a mummy by the time I get back," Lexon laughed.
"If you take too long, I'll come looking for you," Saitama's voice was serious.
"..." Lexon was silent for a moment before replying, "Then don't get lost."
"Don't worry, I won't," Saitama said brightly.
"Yeah," Lexon acknowledged. With a click of the door closing, Saitama was left alone in the room.
"Lexon... you said before that we were different..." Saitama murmured. "But... I've always thought we were similar..."
"As for me..."
"I've changed... because you came."
"But... what about you?..."
"Have you changed?"
No one was there to answer the vague question. Saitama stared blankly at the ceiling, lost in thought.
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]