Chapter 163 Demon-Level Disaster: God's Emissary
A-City, Hero Association Headquarters.
"Reporting, Director! The underwater shadow we were monitoring has officially made landfall in D-City. According to the surveillance footage from the scene, this Mysterious Being calls itself an emissary of God and intends to annihilate humanity. It has also triggered a tsunami that is battering the coastal buildings."
The moment the underwater shadow made landfall, the Hero Association, which had been monitoring it, received the news immediately. Maria reported the latest information gathered on the Mysterious Being to Sitch.
Sitch frowned. "A tsunami? An emissary of God, wanting to annihilate humanity?" A flash of insight struck him, and he exclaimed, "Is this the disaster from Noah's Ark? The one prophesied by Madame Shibabawa! That's it! It was never a natural flood or tsunami as we guessed, but a divine punishment. The real disaster is that giant Mysterious Being!"
Maria asked nervously, "Department Head, should we evaluate the Mysterious Being and issue a disaster warning?"
Sitch's expression was grim. After a moment's thought, he waved his hand. "There's no need to issue another disaster warning. When Madame Shibabawa predicted that D-City would suffer the Noah's Ark disaster, we had already evacuated the construction companies and a portion of the citizens. D-City is practically a ghost town now." *Well, except for some stubborn households who refused to leave their homes.*
"However, we still need to conduct a Disaster Level assessment. We need to dispatch a hero team to eliminate it based on its power."
"Yes, I understand."
Maria turned back to her computer, evaluating the Mysterious Being's strength based on the collected data. The computer handled the assessment, so the result came quickly.
"Department Head, based on the data from the scene, we estimate the Mysterious Being is approximately a Demon-Level Disaster."
"A Demon-Level Disaster, is it?" Sitch's brow furrowed slightly. "Are there any S-Class heroes near D-City?"
"Hmm? Previously, Silverfang was responsible for Demon-Level and above Mysterious Beings near D-City. But right now, Silverfang is in F-City with Child Emperor and King. The closest S-Class heroes to D-City are probably Tatsumaki and Tanktop Master, who are stationed here at headquarters."
"Hmm, have Tanktop Master and his Tanktop Army deploy!" Sitch thought for a moment, then said, "Tanktop Master has a record of eliminating Demon-Level Mysterious Beings. There shouldn't be a problem."
"Understood."
Coulson, who had been waiting nearby for some time, nodded. He was in charge of hero information management and was also responsible for notifying heroes and dispatching them on various missions during operations.
On the tenth floor of the Hero Association Headquarters was a gym built exclusively for Tanktop Master. At this moment, the man himself—with a crew cut, a long face, and a body of knotted muscles clad in a gray tank top—was lifting a one-thousand-kilogram dumbbell. He looked at Coulson, panting slightly. "Hah... hah... a Demon-Level Mysterious Being in D-City? What about old Mister Silverfang?"
Coulson said, "Silverfang left D-City on other business. There are no other S-Class heroes in the vicinity, so we have to dispatch you from headquarters. Also, Department Head Sitch hopes you'll bring the other members of the Tanktop Army, just in case."
Tanktop Master smiled faintly. "My little brothers? Alright. It's a good chance to show them... that the strongest power in the world is Tanktop Power! It'll motivate them to train harder and become an important force for the Hero Association."
"Then we're counting on you."
After relaying the mission, Coulson walked back to the operations room to report. To his surprise, when he opened the door, he was met with a tense standoff.
With her hands on her hips, Tatsumaki said with displeasure, "What's this? You'd rather send that muscle-bound idiot, Tanktop Master, than me? Do you think I'm weaker than him?"
Sitch cleared his throat. "Ahem, Tatsumaki, please don't misunderstand. We just think this Mysterious Being's power is relatively weak, so it can be eliminated without needing you to take action."
"Tch, how boring." Tatsumaki yawned. "There haven't been any Mysterious Beings of Demon Level or higher for a while. I'm bored to death being cooped up at headquarters all day. By the way, where's King?"
"King is on vacation in F-City!"
"What? King is on vacation again? As the Strongest Man, doesn't he have any sense of duty to proactively eliminate Mysterious Beings? He just wanders around all day, treating the whole world as his home. Honestly, he's completely unreliable!"
"..."
Sitch and the others were speechless. King really was quite idle at times.
...
D-City.
Rumble!
A series of explosive sounds echoed between heaven and earth.
Ever since the appearance of the unknown giant that destroyed it before, D-City was once again facing a city-wide catastrophe. Buildings that had just been recently constructed were collapsing and being ruined one after another.
On the streets, a giant several dozen meters tall advanced one step at a time. The giant had a rugged appearance, a face full of beard, and a body of knotted muscles that bulged like boulders. A loincloth of animal hide was tied around its waist, making it look just like a primeval barbarian. It swung its arms with immense strength, smashing everything in its path to pieces.
"God has spoken! Humanity is sinful, and I am commanded to bring about its end!"
As it advanced, vast swaths of D-City's streets and buildings were destroyed, accompanied by its booming chants, like a divine judgment being passed upon humanity.
"What gods are there in this world? Only charlatans pretending to be deities..."
In front of the giant, Tanktop Master led more than a dozen of his powerful underlings, watching it. He scoffed at the so-called "God" the giant mentioned. After the advent of science, theology naturally declined. In this new era, very few people still held superstitious beliefs.
Tanktop Vegetarian frowned and warned, "Don't be careless. This guy is a Demon-Level Mysterious Being! Be careful not to capsize in a calm sea."
Tanktop Vegetarian was the second-in-command of the Tanktop Army. He had a square face, a standard crew cut, and a gray tank top adorned with leaves that perfectly showcased his sturdy muscles. He was currently ranked 9th among the A-Class heroes, a true powerhouse.
"That's right. The strength of a Demon-Level Monster should not be underestimated. They possess the power to destroy cities. Even if we have the strength to completely overwhelm our opponent, we must act with caution to avoid falling short at the last moment. Even a lion uses its full strength to catch a rabbit; otherwise, it might end up empty-handed."
Tanktop Master continued where Tanktop Vegetarian left off, taking the opportunity to impart his combat experience to his underlings.
"Master's teachings are wise. However, you are the main force in this battle. As your underlings, we'll just watch you display your awesome might and cheer for you from the back."
The one speaking was the B-Class hero, Tank-top Black Hole. He wore a black tank top and was also muscular. It was rumored that he had a grip strength of 100 kilograms, making his power quite considerable.
"Yeah, with the boss taking action, there's nothing left for us to do."
"Hehe, we're just following the boss to pick up the credit."
"We'll have to celebrate at a bar or a KTV tonight."
Tanktop Girl and the others laughed, echoing Tank-top Black Hole's flattery.
"No. Besides me, Tanktop Vegetarian and Tanktop Ranger will also be joining the fight this time. Opportunities to fight a Demon-Level Mysterious Being are rare. This is a great chance to improve your strength. I'll cover you and ensure your safety, so attack without holding back!"
"Yes, boss!"
Tanktop Ranger was originally a forest guardian. To better protect the forests, he joined the Hero Association and became a hero, eventually becoming one of the few powerhouses in the Tanktop Army—ranked 23rd among A-Class heroes. He was a stout, broad-waisted, and heavyset uncle with knotted muscles. He had a crescent-shaped black mustache on his upper lip, and his body hair was thick; his exposed arms were hairy, making him look more like a primitive man.
"I will do my utmost to eliminate the Monster," Tanktop Vegetarian said, his gaze fixed firmly on the advancing giant.
(end of chapter)