The monster was tall—twelve feet of scaled muscle draped in a crude toga made of what looked like oil-stained fabric. Its voice boomed across the city square, echoing off the damaged buildings.
"HEAR ME, LAND DWELLERS! I AM ZORAK, MESSENGER OF THE SEA FOLK! OUR ARMADA APPROACHES! SOON YOUR CITIES WILL FALL!"
Civilians scattered—screaming. The creature pointed a clawed finger toward the harbor visible in the distance.
"YOUR FLESH WILL FEED OUR PEOPLE!"
Zorak laughed—a wet, gurgling sound—before unleashing a wave of cursed energy shaped like a tidal wave. Buildings crumbled. Cars flipped.
Yoshino landed on a nearby rooftop—watching.
Yoshino dropped from the rooftop—landing between Zorak and the fleeing civilians. His four black whips extended—they floated behind him like living shadows.
Zorak's eyes locked onto him.
"Ah! A challenger!" The sea monster roared. "You will make a fine appetizer!"
The creature charged—claws
The first whip shot forward—wrapping around Zorak's ankle. The massive monster stumbled—grunting in confusion.
"A toy!" Zorak snarled—trying to shake off the appendage.
Three more whips lashed out—each aiming differently. One snaked beneath Zorak's center of gravity. Another aimed at his throat. The third coiled around his sword arm.
Zorak yanked—his raw strength tearing two whips free. They dispersed into raw energy and reformed instantly. The other two held tight.
"Impudent land dweller!" Zorak swung his massive claw at Yoshino.
Yoshino didn't flinch. The remaining two whips tightened around Zorak's neck and waist simultaneously. Then he pulled.
Hard.
Zorak's feet left the ground.
The monster slammed into a building—cratering the wall. Dust and debris exploded everywhere.
"GRAHH! WHAT IS THIS?!" Zorak thrashed—his scaled body rippling. He released a burst of cursed energy—a shockwave meant to sever whatever was holding him.
The whips flickered—but didn't break. Adaptation.
Yoshino didn't rely solely on the whips. While Zorak struggled—Yoshino twisted his finger.
Piercing Blood.
A thin stream of pressurized blood shot from his fingertip—traveling faster than the eye could follow. It punched through Zorak's shoulder—narrow hole, deep penetration. The monster screamed—dark ichor spraying from the wound.
Yoshino flicked his wrist—a simple gesture.
Dismantle.
Invisible blades of cursed energy slashed through the air. Zorak's toga shredded instantly. Then his flesh—clean cuts appearing across his chest and arms. Not deep enough to kill—but enough to incapacitate.
The monster collapsed to his knees—blood spurting from multiple wounds. The whips tightened around his neck and waist again.
Yoshino's fist connected.
Black Flash.
A distorted space, a distortion of time itself. The impact landed square against Zorak's face—the monster's head snapped back violently. The sound was a thunderclap—raw cursed energy erupting in a black-and-red shockwave.
Zorak's body was launched through three buildings before crashing into a water tower. He didn't get back up.
Yoshino stood before the Hero Association's emergency council—a temporary meeting called by S-Class heroes. He described the encounter with Zorak—the "Sea Folk" threat—the clan's intentions.
The room was silent. Then chaos erupted.
"Sea Folk? Like fish-men?" One hero scoffed.
"You're telling us an aquatic civilization is planning an invasion?" Another challenged.
The council chairman—a balding man in an expensive suit—sighed dismissively.
"Thank you for the report, Yoshino. We'll... look into it."
The words were hollow. Empty. He saw the way they exchanged glances—the subtle smirks. They'd heard it all before. Monster threats that never materialized. False alarms.
That was the hurdle. Rank.
In their eyes, he was just B-Class. Talented, sure. Promising. But not S-Class. Not King. Not Blast. A B-Class hero talking about an *invasion* from an underwater civilization sounded like delusion. They filed his report under "Investigate Later"—which usually meant never.
Yoshino walked out of the Hero Association headquarters—the heavy doors closing behind him. He checked his phone. No alerts. No reassessments. Just status quo.
Zorak had been serious. The Sea Folk were coming. And the people responsible for stopping invasions were treating it like a fanfiction.
He headed back to the quarry—his sanctuary.
News alerts blasted through Yoshino's phone.
**"CITY J UNDER ATTACK - SEA CREATURES SIGHTED"**
He was already moving—sprinting across rooftops. The Hero Association hadn't even dispatched a response team yet. He arrived in under five minutes.
Four monsters. Not dozens. Not an armada.
One was a massive crab-man—eight feet of armored shell.
The crab-man was brutal—heavy claws that could crush concrete. But Yoshino's black whips shredded its armor while Piercing Blood found the soft joints beneath. It fell in seconds.
Three more monsters remained. Shark-type humanoids. Serpent-like creatures. A giant eel.
Yoshino could handle them. Easily. But Stinger was already engaging one of the shark-types across the city.
Yoshino perched on a building edge—watching Stinger work. The A-Class hero moved fast—his stinger blade piercing through the shark monster's skull in one clean thrust. Professional. Efficient.
Stinger wiped blood off his blade and glanced up—noticing Yoshino.
"B-Class kid. What are you doing here?" Stinger called down—sheathing his blade. "This is our fight."
Stinger scoffed—twirling his stinger blade with a cocky grin.
"Ha! Listen to this B-Class joker. You think you can just step in and clean up?" He pointed at the remaining three monsters—the eel and two serpent-types circling nearby. "These are threats meant for A-Class heroes. Go home kid before you get hurt."
Yoshino tilted his head slightly.
Dismantle.
Invisible slashing grids swept across the battlefield. Instant.
The massive eel and two serpent-types were sliced apart simultaneously—clean, horizontal cuts severing heads, tails, and torsos. Three monsters hit the ground in separate piles of flesh and blood before they even registered what happened.
Stinger froze mid-breath. His blade dropped slightly. Absolute silence.
"you were saying."
Stinger stared at the dismembered monsters. Then at Yoshino. Then back at the monsters. His mouth opened and closed—no words coming out.
"I... what..." Stinger shook his head—regaining composure. "Okay. Okay. That was impressive. But you're still B-Class. You got lucky—"
A rumbling sound interrupted him. The ground shook.
The impact echoed off the damaged buildings—Stinger's body crumpled like laundry on a wash cycle. Air exploded from his lungs as he tumbled backwards, crashing into a parked car with a sickening crunch.
Yoshino hadn't moved a muscle.
Standing before him was the Sea Folk's royal messenger. He was terrifying—seven feet of green muscle, regal attire, gold crown.
Stinger wheezed—gasping for air. His vision swam. He managed to push himself up from the wrecked car—spitting blood.
"What the... fuck..." He glanced at the monster—this *thing* wearing a crown and a fur-lined cape.
"Stinger—A Class Rank 11—is going to kill you—"
Stinger flew sideways—body skipping across the pavement like a stone on water. He demolished a storefront before stopping. Inactive.
Yoshino turned slowly toward the new threat.
The Deep Sea King flexed his green muscular arms—fins on his head twitching. Those sharp eyes locked onto Yoshino. Heart-shaped nipples rising and falling with each breath.
"Another land dweller?" His voice was deep.
The Deep Sea King smirked—teeth sharp and predatory. He was barely looking at Yoshino. His gaze kept drifting to the fallen Stinger.
"A-Class. Pitiful." He glanced up at Yoshino—dismissive. "And who are you? Another B-Class running for his life?"
He cracked his knuckles—those dark green arms flexing with terrifying power.
"oh, trust me, I don't run from weaklings like you."
The Deep Sea King's smirk vanished. His eyes narrowed—the temperature around him shifting. Something about the B-Class's words hit a nerve.
"Weakling?" The voice was quiet. Dangerous. "You have no idea who you're speaking to."
He raised one hand—five thick fingers curled into a fist.
"I am the Deep Sea King."
Black Flash.
The punch landed perfectly—distorting space and turning the cursed energy into a lethal distortion.
BOOM.
The Deep Sea King's head snapped back violently—his muscular body launching backward through three city blocks. A building collapsed entirely on top of him from the sheer impact.
The ground cracked beneath Yoshino's fist. Absolute shockwave.
Stinger's jaw literally dropped—his mouth hanging open. He was still reeling from the earlier punch but now... this.
The Deep Sea King—the one who'd terrorized coastal cities—just got *folded* like a lawn chair. By a B-Class.
Dust and debris obscured the crater where the monster had vanished.
The Deep Sea King reappeared—blazing fast. Green fists aimed at Yoshino's skull.
But Yoshino caught the punch one-handed—effortlessly. The force should have shattered bones, collapsed lungs, vaporized anything below A-Class.
Yet Yoshino stood there—face impassive. The Deep Sea King's fist was completely stopped—his own knuckles cracking from the strain.
The Deep Sea King's eyes widened. For the first time—shock.
"You caught it?" His voice wavered slightly. Then pride returned. "Nobody catches my punch."
He twisted his fist—trying to wrench free. Yoshino's grip didn't budge. The ground beneath Yoshino cracked slightly from transferred force but his arm stayed locked.
"Let go of me B-Class brat."
Yoshino's hand glowed with swirling cursed energy—simple reinforcement. Then he punched.
The Deep Sea King's abdominal muscles—thicker than any human's—rippled and gave way. The crowned monster bent forward—light green bile spilling from his mouth. He flew backward—crashing through an office building's glass facade.
Stinger was staring—completely dumbfounded.
The ground trembled. A massive figure landed in the middle of the battlefield—impact cratering the street.
Puri Puri Prisoner.
His towering, muscular frame was wrapped in a blue-and-white horizontally striped prison jumpsuit. Massive arms crossed over his chest—thick pink lips curved into a confident smile. Blue eyes scanned the devastation—the destroyed buildings—the Sea Folk remains.
The Deep Sea King rose—shaking off rubble. His dark green muscular body cracked back into alignment, the gold crown settling firmly. Despite the catastrophic hit to the stomach, he looked enraged, not broken.
He snarled—fins twitching.
"A pathetic B-Class..." He glanced at Yoshino. Then noticed Puri Puri Prisoner. "And an S-Class freak."
Puri Puri Prisoner's smile widened—showing perfect teeth.
"Ooh~ A new challenger~" His voice was unnervingly cheerful.
He cracked his neck—shoulders rotating with deadly efficiency.
"Let me entertain you~"
Puri Puri Prisoner's body began to change—muscles bulking, skin stretching. His prison jumpsuit split at the seams.
The Deep Sea King laughed—deep and mocking.
"Angel wings and body hair? You think ridiculous wings make you worthy of challenging the Deep Sea King?"
He crouched low—legs coiling like springs.
"I have crushed heroes stronger than you."
Puri Puri Prisoner's jumpsuit exploded off his body completely—revealing his massive naked physique. Angel wings erupted from his back.
Puri Puri Prisoner's chest expanded—inhaling deeply.
"Angel Deep Breath~"
His muscles swelled violently—veins bulging under thick skin. The air around him trembled. Those massive angel wings spread wide—golden fur catching the sunlight.
The Deep Sea King scoffed—still unimpressed.
"Witchcraft and theatrics. You are still just flesh and bone."
"Angel ☆ Pitter-Patter~" Puri Puri Prisoner's feet lifted off the ground—he blurred forward. The Deep Sea King's eyes widened—he swung his massive fist. But Puri Puri Prisoner was already gone—reappearing behind him.
"Angel ☆ Style!" Puri Puri Prisoner's fist buried itself into the Deep Sea King's back.
CRACK.
The monster spun forward—face planting into the asphalt. A massive crater formed beneath him.
"Ghahhh...!" The Deep Sea King pushed himself up—one arm trembling. His regal cape was torn. His crown crooked.
Puri Puri Prisoner landed gracefully—wings folding behind him.
Puri Puri Prisoner struck a dramatic pose—chin raised, wings fluttering.
"Angel ☆ Rush~!"
He launched forward—fists becoming invisible. Each punch landed—rapid fire. The Deep Sea King's body absorbed hit after hit. His body bounced—slammed backward—skidded across the rubble.
But the punches lacked finality. They bruised. Damaged. But didn't destroy.
The Deep Sea King stopped sliding. His bloodied face cracked into a grin.
"Ha..." He spat out a tooth. "You hit like a *gentleman*. No killing intent."
His eyes turned cold. Deadly.
"Let me show you what it means to truly fight."
The Deep Sea King lunged forward—faster than before. His clawed hand raked across Puri Puri Prisoner's chest.
The Deep Sea King's fist buried into Puri Puri Prisoner's jaw—left hook to the ribs—right cross to the temple. Each blow landed with murderous intent.
"You fight like you're at a festival, pretty boy." Punch. "Hitting hard but holding back." Punch. "Mercy is a luxury monsters don't give." Punch.
"You lack the killer instinct." Punch. The Deep Sea King's fist sank into Puri Puri Prisoner's solar plexus. "A hero should end threats permanently." Punch. The massive bodybuilder wheezed—coughing up blood.
The Deep Sea King wound up his leg—delivering a devastating kick.
"Go home and play, Angel Boy."
CRASH.
Puri Puri Prisoner's body smashed through three walls before finally stopping inside an abandoned office. Concrete crumbled around him. His angel wings were bent awkwardly—one feather broken off. Blood dripped from his nose.
He groaned—trying to sit up.
"Nngh... he's... ruthless..."
The Deep Sea King stood in the clearing—barely winded. He turned his attention back to Yoshino.
The Deep Sea King froze mid-step toward Yoshino. His head snapped toward the sound.
Slow clapping. Hollow. Deliberate.
Yoshino stood there—hands meeting hands—bored expression.
"Impressive. You entertained me." The Deep Sea King flexed—blood dripping from his knuckles. "Now you."
He launched—fist aimed directly at Yoshino's face. A killing blow.
The Deep Sea King's momentum carried him forward—straight into Yoshino's fist.
BOOM.
Yoshino's punch buried itself deep into the monster's chest. The Deep Sea King's eyes bugged out—blood instantly spraying from his mouth. His massive muscular frame went rigid—the ribs literally shattering under the impact.
Stinger stared—jaw hanging slack again.
"you gave some good advice to my fellow hero so let me give you some never underestimate me."
The Deep Sea King's eyes went wide. "Don't you—"
BAM.
A single punch launched him violently upward—breaking the sound barrier. Yoshino blurred upward, catching him instantly.
Black flashes filled the sky. A non-stop barrage of devastating, space-distorting punches. Each strike shattered the monster's regeneration completely.
The Deep Sea King was still ascending—body broken, regeneration failing, consciousness flickering.
Then Yoshino raised his hand.
"Dismantle."
Invisible blades swept through the sky like a guillotine. The Deep Sea King was sliced into clean sections—torso, arms, legs—each piece tumbling through the air in perfect geometric slices.
Blood rained down.
Then silence.
Stinger blinked.
Stinger's jaw hung open—his spear trembling in his hand. The rain of blood finally stopped. The Deep Sea King's remains scattered across the ruined street.
"Holy... shit..."
Puri Puri Prisoner crawled out from the wreckage—groaning as he looked at Yoshino.
"Well now~" He grinned despite the blood. "A handsome young man AND powerful?"
Stinger flinched instinctively as Yoshino approached, expecting another blow. Instead, a soothing warmth washed over him. The reverse curse technique flowed—wounds knitting shut, bruises fading, pain evaporating.
Within moments, Stinger stood upright—breathing easily. He patted his chest—completely healed.
"My... injuries... gone?"
"can you get the S class over there cause I do not feel like getting anywhere near him."
Stinger rubbed his arm awkwardly—glancing at the massive Puri Puri Prisoner who was now flexing dramatically nearby.
"Uh... yeah. I can call this in." Stinger reached for his communicator—pressing a button. "This is Stinger, A-Class. Deep Sea King is down. We need S-Class pickup at the waterfront district."
A crackling voice responded. *"Roger that."
"see you around and next time you see me by the way, try to be a little bit more respectful."
Stinger stiffened—understanding dawning. He gave a quick, respectful bow.
"Understood. My apologies."
Yoshino turned to leave—but Puri Puri Prisoner was suddenly in front of him—blocking his path.
"Wai~t!" Puri Puri Prisoner struck another pose—wings fluttering. "Aren't you forgetting something, handsome~?"
Puri Puri Prisoner's wings spread wide—chasing after him with surprising speed.
"Don't be so shy! We haven't even had a proper conversation!" His eyes glinted. "Hakutaku and I would love to have you over for tea sometime~"
Yoshino's response was immediate—he blurred forward, vanishing down the ruined street. A trail of dust was all that remained.