"Found it."
Atomic Samurai's blade spun, and hundreds of slashes converged into a single point, piercing with pinpoint accuracy into the core hidden deep within the flesh.
"Crack!"
A crisp shattering sound echoed, and the core broke into pieces.
The regeneration process of one of Melzargard's heads abruptly stopped. The entire head, along with the body part it controlled, rapidly withered, ultimately turning into a lifeless puddle of sludge.
In a flash, Atomic Samurai not only directly countered Groribas's ultimate move but also successfully found one of Melzargard's weaknesses and completely destroyed it!
This was the true power of the S-Class Hero, Rank 4, "Atomic Samurai"!
However, before the other heroes could even feel excited about this, Groribas let out a low chuckle.
"Heh heh… interesting. To be able to find and destroy one of that guy's cores. As a native of this planet, your swordsmanship is commendable."
Though his words carried praise, there was more of a mocking tone.
"But, did you think that was the end of it?"
Groribas stopped his long-range attacks. He pushed off with his legs, and his massive body shot forward like a cannonball, charging directly at Atomic Samurai.
"Swordsman, let me show you how powerless your sword is before me!"
His charging speed was no less than Tanktop Master's just now, but his technique was far superior.
Atomic Samurai's eyes sharpened. Facing the charging monster, he showed no fear, adopting a stance to meet the attack.
He believed that as long as he got close, even the strongest enemy would be cut into smithereens.
However, just as the two were about to clash, Groribas's carapace-covered arms suddenly spread open, adopting an unusual fighting stance.
At the same time, the highly corrosive, viscous liquid began to seep from the gaps in his carapace, forming a thin layer of armor.
"Finishing Move: Acid Armor!"
"Your blade is fast, very sharp," Groribas cruelly chuckled, "But if I touch it even once, your proud piece of metal will turn into a pile of scrap!"
Before his words finished, he had already rushed in front of Atomic Samurai. His grotesque head, dripping with highly corrosive mucus, smashed down!
Atomic Samurai's pupils constricted. He dared not block with his blade, only able to dodge sideways.
But Groribas's other fist followed immediately.
Suddenly, the tables had turned!
Atomic Samurai's proud swordsmanship was completely suppressed in front of an enemy whose entire body was covered in highly corrosive substances.
His sword was fast enough to cut atoms.
But his sword was, after all, a physical object.
In front of Groribas's "Acid Armor," specifically designed to counter weapons, Atomic Samurai felt for the first time that his "sword" had become a shackles binding him.
"Damn it…"
For the first time, cold sweat beaded on his forehead.
Even the slightest contact between his blade and Groribas's body would result in corrosion by the terrifying acid.
He could clearly feel the "sizzling" sound emanating from his blade; each block meant the blade's lifespan was rapidly shortening.
And Groribas's fighting style, though seemingly crude, was incredibly precise.
Every attack continuously compressed Atomic Samurai's dodging space, forcing him to block with his sword.
On the other side of the battlefield, Metal Bat's consciousness was already somewhat blurry.
He knelt on the ground, his bat beside him almost completely corroded.
He watched Atomic Samurai struggling in a difficult fight, his heart filled with unwillingness.
His S-Class comrades were all in trouble, yet he was stuck like an insect on flypaper, unable to move.
Just then, a huge shadow enveloped him.
Metal Bat laboriously looked up and saw a face that was expressionless but chewing on something.
It was Pig God.
He had arrived silently at some point, holding a purple tentacle he had just ripped from a monster's corpse, savoring it as he stuffed it into his mouth.
"Oh, this looks like a lot of trouble."
Pig God mumbled, his gaze falling on the green gel that trapped Metal Bat's legs. He tilted his head, seemingly assessing its taste.
Then, he did something that left Metal Bat wide-eyed.
He squatted down, opened his enormous mouth, and took a bite out of the incredibly hard, strong acid-restraining gel!
"Crunch… chomp…"
A crisp sound, like chewing hard candy, echoed.
The gel, as hard as rock, was easily bitten through by Pig God's teeth and then swallowed.
"Hey… what are you doing?!" Metal Bat was so shocked he forgot his pain.
His bat was custom-made by the Hero Association, with almost unparalleled strength, but that strong acid could even corrode his bat!
Pig God ignored him, simply concentrating on gnawing at the gel on his legs, muttering as he ate:
"Hmm… mint flavored… a bit spicy… texture isn't great, too hard, like stale candy."
His expression looked as if he was tasting a dish that wasn't very good.
Under Metal Bat's astonished gaze, in less than half a minute, the gel that had trapped his legs was completely devoured by Pig God.
"All done." Pig God clapped his hands and stood up, as if he had just done something trivial.
Metal Bat, whose legs were free, immediately tried to stand up, but the sharp pain from the corrosion in his legs made him stumble, almost falling again.
"Tha… thanks." He squeezed out two words through gritted teeth, his tone stiff.
Pig God merely nodded, his gaze turning to the remains of the monsters on the battlefield, his eyes gleaming.
"You're welcome. There's still a lot more to eat later."
With that, he took off, beginning his "eating" work of clearing the battlefield.
And Metal Bat, now rescued, leaned on his pitted bat, barely steadying himself. Though he couldn't re-enter high-intensity combat, at least he had regained the ability to move… Almost simultaneously with Pig God rescuing Metal Bat, a powerful aura descended upon the battlefield.
It was a man whose skin shimmered with a dark luster in the sunlight.
He wore only tight briefs, perfectly showcasing his explosively powerful muscles.
S-Class Hero, Rank 11, "Superalloy Darkshine."
"What a mess, everyone."
Superalloy Darkshine's voice was loud and confident as he scanned the entire battlefield.
When he saw Atomic Samurai being miserably suppressed by Groribas, his brow slightly furrowed, and he finally fixed his gaze on the giant green figure.
"That big green guy looks very strong. I'll be his opponent!"
His face radiated absolute confidence.
As the Hero Association's recognized "strongest body," Superalloy Darkshine had an almost obsessive belief in his muscles.
He believed that no attack in this world could harm his tempered muscles.
"Darkshine, be careful. That guy's liquid is highly corrosive," Atomic Samurai warned loudly during a dodge.
"Corrosive?"
Superalloy Darkshine, instead of getting angry, laughed at the remark. He proudly patted his chest muscles, producing a dull "thump thump" sound.
"My body is the most perfect armor! What can mere liquid do to me?"
Before he finished speaking, his body transformed into a black lightning bolt, rushing in front of Groribas with a speed completely unbefitting his massive size.
"Oh? Another suicidal muscle-brain?"
Groribas clearly didn't take this man in only his underwear seriously.
He sneered, and his giant fist, covered in acid armor, slammed fiercely towards Superalloy Darkshine's face.
Facing this punch, Superalloy Darkshine neither dodged nor evaded.
He simply raised his chin slightly, meeting Groribas's attack with his masculine face.
"Come on! Let me feel your strength!" he roared.
"Foolish!"
Groribas's fist solidly struck Superalloy Darkshine's face.
"Boom—!!!"
A muffled, extreme roar, as if two mountains had collided.
A violent shockwave spread out from the two, making the surrounding heroes somewhat unstable.
However, the expected bloody scene of a head exploding did not occur.
Groribas's fist was like hitting a mountain.
Superalloy Darkshine's body remained motionless, and even the expression on his face didn't change in the slightest; it was still that confident smile.
"Wh-what?!"
Groribas's smile froze. He could feel the opponent's incredibly hard flesh.
His proud strength couldn't even budge the opponent an inch!
"Is that all you've got?"
Superalloy Darkshine's voice carried a hint of disappointment. He slowly raised his hand and grabbed Groribas's fist, which was still on his face, "Then, it's my turn!"
"Superalloy Bazooka!"
The next second, Superalloy Darkshine used his waist, and all his muscles instantly twisted into a single rope.
His right fist, shining with a black luster, whistled through the air, fiercely slamming into Groribas's abdomen!
"Boom—!!!"
The power of this punch was far more terrifying than Groribas's previous attack.
Groribas's massive body instantly curled up like a shrimp.
The carapace on his abdomen let out a cracking sound under the overwhelming force, and he was sent flying dozens of meters backward by the immense power, continuously smashing through several buildings before finally coming to a stop.
"Waaah—!"
A mouthful of green blood spewed from Groribas's mouth. He struggled to his feet from the rubble, his face filled with disbelief.
"How is this possible… my carapace… was actually cracked by this creature's fist…"
However, before he could recover from the shock, Superalloy Darkshine's figure had already closed in again.
"Warm-up's over!"
Superalloy Darkshine excitedly flexed his wrists. His body seemed to shine even brighter with the excitement of battle.
"Next, let me show you what true power is!"
He charged again, engaging Groribas in a thrilling hand-to-hand combat.
The sounds of fist meeting flesh were incessant, each clash making the earth tremble.
Initially, the battle was completely one-sided.
Superalloy Darkshine, relying on his unparalleled defense and overwhelming strength, pushed Groribas back repeatedly.
He reveled in this pure clash of power, enjoying the opponent's shocked and helpless gaze.
However, as the battle continued, the smile on Superalloy Darkshine's face slowly faded.
He suddenly felt a slight stinging sensation the moment he grabbed the opponent's arm.
He looked down, his pupils suddenly constricting.
On his proud bronze skin, there were actually faint traces of corrosion.
Though very slight, they were indeed wounds!
Groribas's "Acid Armor" on his body was slowly eroding his muscles with continuous contact!
"This… this is…" Superalloy Darkshine's voice showed an uncontrollable tremor for the first time.
His movements even stiffened slightly in that instant.
Groribas, keenly catching this, was first stunned, then understood something, and let out a wild laugh.
"Heh heh… Hahahahaha! Did you notice, muscle-brain?!"
He no longer passively defended but actively pressed his body against Superalloy Darkshine, letting Superalloy Darkshine's fists hit him.
"Your confidence, your pride, are worthless before me! My acid can corrode all matter in the universe!"
"Though your muscles are hard, they will eventually be corroded! Given enough time, I can melt you from the inside out into a disgusting puddle of sludge!"
These words pierced deeply into Superalloy Darkshine's heart.
His most proud invincible body could actually be corroded!
This was a blow more terrifying than death for him.
Terror instantly occupied his heart, which had originally been filled with confidence.
He subconsciously let go, his body leaping backward, putting distance between himself and Groribas.
He looked in horror at the few insignificant corrosion marks on his arm, as if seeing the terrifying future of his entire body melting.
"No… my muscles… my shining muscles…"
His eyes were filled with fear, and his will to fight collapsed in an instant.
He no longer dared to touch Groribas's body, unable to accept any damage, however slight, to his perfect body.
"That guy… that guy is for you all to deal with!"
Superalloy Darkshine suddenly roared, no longer paying attention to Groribas, and turned to rush to the other side of the battlefield, towards Melzargard.
He chose an opponent that would not cause "damage" to his body.
This sudden scene left everyone stunned.
No one expected that Superalloy Darkshine, who had just held the absolute upper hand, would flee the battle due to a trivial scratch.
"What a useless piece of trash!" Groribas spat disdainfully, but he didn't pursue.
Superalloy Darkshine's few punches had indeed caused him considerable damage, and he also needed some time to recover.