Mr. Muzan remained quietly in the corner, like an observer detached from the situation.
He elegantly clasped his hands, his crimson eyes taking in all the chaos within the command center, and through a psychic link, he silently conveyed the Hero Association's deployment, the locations of the interception points, and the movements of the main Heroes to Allen in the distance, down to the smallest detail.
"Lord Ancestor, they have chosen pre-set interception point number three, located in an abandoned industrial zone fifteen kilometers west of City A. Bang, Atomic Samurai, and Flash have already departed as the vanguard."
"Tatsumaki and Metal Bat's rapid response team are the second echelon. Superalloy Darkshine and Zombieman remain at the command center. Genos and Saitama are moving together, their direction seems to be the flank of the interception point." Mr. Muzan's information was very clear.
A moment later, Allen's reply came, with a hint of expected calm: "Do not expose yourself for now. Continue to keep an eye on the Association's high-ranking officials."
"Understood." Mr. Muzan nodded slightly.
Just then, Sitch's gaze swept over and landed on Mr. Muzan: "Mr. Muzan! This is an extraordinary time. Since your side has cooperated with the Association, please also send forces to assist in the interception!"
Mr. Muzan slowly rose, smoothing out non-existent wrinkles on his suit: "Of course, this is our responsibility. Kokushibou, Akaza, you will accompany me to the interception point. Daki, Gyuutarou, you will lead the others to assist the Association in guarding and ensuring the safety of the headquarters, especially protecting the high-ranking officials."
He deliberately emphasized the last sentence, his gaze meaningfully sweeping over Sitch and the several Association high-ranking officials beside him.
Sitch did not notice anything unusual; instead, he was slightly relieved to have strong reinforcements: "That's great! We'll leave it to you all!"
Mr. Muzan bowed slightly, then turned and left with Kokushibou and Akaza.
Their speed was incredibly fast; they disappeared at the end of the corridor almost in the blink of an eye.
Inside the command center, the atmosphere remained tense.
Real-time footage from the screens showed that the Heroes' vanguard had successively arrived at the abandoned industrial zone and were using rusty factory buildings, towering cooling towers, and broken pipes to construct temporary defenses.
In the distance, the dust raised by the Monster' army was getting closer and closer.
Fifteen kilometers west of City A, abandoned industrial zone.
Rusted steel frameworks cast shadows under the sunlight, broken pipes snaked and coiled, and the air was filled with the stale smell of rust and engine oil. The wind howled through the empty factory buildings, echoing with a "whoosh."
Figures streaked across the sky, landing on the highest spires, the roofs of half-collapsed factory buildings, or mountains of discarded shipping containers.
Bang, Atomic Samurai, and Flash, as the first to arrive, stood in a triangular formation on a wide rooftop, overlooking the gradually approaching Monster army, which raised a sky full of dust.
"Quite a spectacle." Atomic Samurai, chewing on a freshly replaced toothpick, his hand on his sword hilt, his eyes sharp, said, "It seems that kid is serious."
Bang slowly stroked his beard, his aged gaze sweeping over the Monster army's formation, his brows slightly furrowed: "The formation is loose, but the advance is orderly, not like a mindless charge. That child, Allen, certainly has a knack for troop deployment."
Flash remained silent, his arms crossed, his body leaning slightly forward like a leopard poised to strike, his gaze locked on the several powerful-aura-emitting cadre figures at the very front of the distant army.
More Heroes arrived successively, quickly constructing simple defensive lines using the complex terrain.
Heavy artillery trucks were pushed into pre-set positions, Association armed personnel in exoskeleton armor set up heavy energy weapons, and A-Class Hero each led their teams to occupy key points.
"Rapid response team in position!" Tatsumaki's voice came through the communicator, with a hint of suppressed impatience.
She and Metal Bat hovered above the middle section of the defense line, green Psychokinesis light faintly swirling around her.
Metal Bat slung his bat over his shoulder and grinned: "Tsk, this looks really annoying. Later, I'll have to properly ask that kid what he's really trying to do!"
"Flank secure." Genos's voice reported calmly. He and Saitama landed on a high ground on the right side of the defense line.
Genos's mechanical eyes continuously scanned ahead, his palm cannons faintly glowing. Saitama, meanwhile, squatted beside him, propping his chin, looking boredly at the dust rising in the distance: "So slow... Can't they walk faster?"
Just then, a low hum sounded, and several Association armed helicopter formations flew overhead, heading towards the Monster army for reconnaissance and deterrence.
Inside the command center, Sitch stared intently at the main screen, which was divided into multiple perspectives: aerial view, Hero's perspective, and real-time footage from various parts of the defense line.
"Have Mr. Muzan and his subordinates arrived?" Sitch asked, his voice a little dry.
An operator immediately reported: "Mr. Muzan and his subordinates have arrived at the left flank of the interception point and are establishing a defensive line."
The screen switched to a view showing Mr. Muzan elegantly standing on a broken overpass pier, with Kokushibou and Akaza standing on either side. Behind him were dozens of powerful, grim-faced Association combat personnel, who were seemingly casually spread out but subtly formed a barrier.
They surrounded Mr. Muzan and his two companions.
Sitch breathed a slight sigh of relief; with Mr. Muzan's strong reinforcements, the pressure on the left flank should be much less.
"Drive Knight, how is the stability of the energy barrier?"
"The multi-layered energy barrier in front has been fully activated. Theoretically, it can withstand several full-force impacts from Dragon-Level Monster."
"But their numbers are huge, and it's hard to say how long it will last under continuous consumption." Drive Knight responded, "The underground vibration sensors have not detected any further anomalies. The hidden Monster forces may have changed their route or are temporarily lying low."
"Don't be careless!" Sitch emphasized, "Keep them monitoring underground! What about Centipede Elder?"
"The outermost monitoring station last captured its signal twenty kilometers to the northwest, but it quickly disappeared, making it impossible to pinpoint its exact location. It may have burrowed underground or has the ability to shield itself from detection."
Sitch's heart tightened again; an untraceable Dragon-Level threat was far more unsettling than the frontal army.
Not to mention, Allen, the core figure of this operation, had not yet appeared.
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