The battle raged fiercely in the small park in Z-City, escalating constantly and leaving trees, benches, and playground equipment thoroughly devastated.
"Thunder Angel, hold on! I, Kamen Rider Decade, have come to lend you a hand! Monster, prepare to die!"
"Ahh!"
"Thunder Angel, hold on! I, Jet Black Flame Master, have come to lend you a hand..."
"Ahh!"
"Thunder Angel, hold on! I, Long Aotian..."
"Ahh!"
"..."
As time passed, more Heroes rushed to the scene upon hearing the news. However, despite their impressive names, their actual strength was pathetic. They tried successive sliding tackles toward Centipede Grandpa, only to be immediately knocked away by a collision.
If Centipede Grandpa's target hadn't been Aomori all along, they would have been dismembered long ago.
Now, Aomori was covered in blood—some his own, some from the arriving Heroes. Thanks to the immediate activation of Healing Spell, his condition was much better than it looked, but his strength was certainly diminished compared to before.
Centipede Grandpa, on the other hand, having sacrificed its entire family, fought with renewed ferocity, and its speed seemed to have subtly increased.
With the disparity growing, Aomori's situation became increasingly dire, and the frequency with which Centipede Grandpa landed an attack on him grew higher.
"Lightning Breath: Ryuko Atomic Slash!"
Aomori seized an opportunity, leaping high into the air. Fine, dense sword-light slashed towards Centipede Grandpa's eyes. It quickly snapped its eyes shut, and the sword-light struck its eyelids, drawing a few spatters of blood and causing the Monster to hiss in pain.
Taking advantage of the brief moment Centipede Grandpa opened its mouth, Aomori imitated the tactic of the Undefeated Fighter, jumping near its mouth. He put away Ryuko, crossed his hands, and plunged them into the creature's mouth, unleashing his most potent offensive skill: Ah Wei's 18 Forms: One Hit, One Kill!
The night sky instantly turned to daylight. The surging dual energy of thunder and light traveled directly down Centipede Grandpa's esophagus, piercing its internal organs. Its entire body flashed like a firefly, and wisps of blue smoke began to emerge.
Boom!
The overflowing energy blast flung Aomori away. He tumbled three and a half times in the air before landing steadily.
Centipede Grandpa, having suffered the heavy blow, wailed and collapsed. Its massive body crashed onto the ground, kicking up a huge pile of dirt.
"Amazing! Was a Monster that strong defeated by Thunder Angel?" The surviving Heroes who had been clinging to life instantly perked up, shouting excitedly.
Please, I beg you, stop jinxing me.
"Phew!" Aomori let out a long breath, his eyes fixed on Centipede Grandpa, which was shrouded in dust. A hundred-legged worm does not die easily; it might not be completely finished.
Especially with such a large smoke screen...
Two red dots suddenly lit up in the rolling dust. Centipede Grandpa's body straightened once more. Its huge mandibles clacked and danced, and the aged face on its head shrieked, "It hurts! You will all die!"
The situation was much worse than Aomori had imagined; Centipede Grandpa had not lost its fighting ability.
"Whoa! The Monster isn't dead! Run!" The auxiliary Heroes, who had been hiding somewhere, vanished in an instant, leaving Aomori alone to face the "resurrected" Centipede Grandpa.
"..."
I hate unkillable enemies. Aomori recalled that Muzan and Kayaba Akihiko had been extremely difficult to kill. Among the Monsters he would face later, Centipede Grandpa's relative, Elder Centipede, Boros, Phoenix Man, Evil Natural Water, and Black Sperm also seemed to possess a form of immortality...
Should I use Ittou Shura? No, it's not the time yet. Swordsmanship is ineffective, and Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist isn't suitable. All that's left is Exploding Heart Release Fist.
Exploding Heart Release Fist was a newly drawn skill that Aomori hadn't practiced yet, which was why he had relied on swordsmanship until now. But he couldn't afford not to use it now; he would have to try to familiarize himself with it in combat.
Facing the aggressive Centipede Grandpa, Aomori stepped forward with his left foot. He crossed his hands, setting them one in front of the other at his chest, palms clawed, adopting the stance for Exploding Heart Release Fist.
"Die!" Centipede Grandpa made its initial charge.
Aomori used "Quick Dodge." As he brushed past Centipede Grandpa, he jumped onto its back and threw a punch. Thud!
It didn't feel right. He tried another punch. Thud!
Thud, thud, thud, thud!
Centipede Grandpa felt nothing, and it performed a "Centipede Grand Roll," shaking him off.
Aomori insisted on playing hide-and-seek with Centipede Grandpa, constantly looking for opportunities to jump onto its back and unleash Exploding Heart Release Fist. A few times, the Monster caught him and slammed him hard.
Gradually, Aomori grasped the essence of Exploding Heart Release Fist: the "Explosion!"
This brutal fighting style involved driving the force of the punch deep inside the enemy's body and then detonating it at an opportune moment. The young Bang once used Exploding Heart Release Fist to literally explode another person's heart, which is how the technique got its name.
No matter how hard your exterior shell is, the internal organs are always vulnerable!
Thud, thud, thud, thud!
Aomori repeatedly punched Centipede Grandpa's outer shell, but the accompanying punch force penetrated the thick carapace and slammed into the soft flesh inside.
"Graah!" Centipede Grandpa cried out in pain and thrashed violently, but Aomori always found a chance to land another Exploding Heart Release Fist.
Centipede Grandpa's body was enormous; the damage from a single punch was insufficient to kill it. If one punch wasn't enough, he would throw ten. If ten wasn't enough, he would throw a hundred. If a hundred wasn't enough, he would unleash a thousand!
Aomori fought with increasing fluency. He only snapped back to his senses when the bones in his hands fractured, and Centipede Grandpa lay utterly still, green bodily fluids staining the ground.
"Hraaaah!" Aomori couldn't help but let out a wild roar toward the sky. This was undoubtedly the most difficult yet most satisfying fight he had ever had. Truly, a fist-for-fist brawl is the ultimate romance for a man!
Click!
A reporter snapped a picture of the scene, his hands trembling with excitement.
A tiny human standing victorious on a massive Monster, a blood-soaked Hero who was also an accessible, major star—this was going to be a massive scoop!
...
The next day, reports about Aomori killing the powerful Monster were everywhere. Eyewitnesses claimed that Aomori, for the safety of those present, had selflessly lured the Monster away, risking his own life. Chief of the Z-City Police Guard, Hamaka, stated that Aomori was the most responsible, powerful, and humble person he had ever met, hoping for a chance to cooperate with him. Many Heroes also proposed that Aomori was the spiritual leader of the numerous Heroes in Z-City...
Aomori had become the most sensational celebrity in Z-City. His demeanor captivated countless young women, establishing him as the "Nation's Husband."
Meanwhile, the protagonist, Aomori, was at the Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist dojo, drinking tea with Bang.
Bang had arrived late the previous night, only seeing the heavily wounded Aomori, whom he immediately brought back to the dojo for treatment. Aomori also had questions for Bang, so he went along with the suggestion and returned to the Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist dojo with him.
"Although I didn't witness last night's battle, judging by the combat residue, your strength has advanced by leaps and bounds," Bang said, taking a sip of hot tea, his old face beaming with a joyous smile.
"It is all thanks to your excellent guidance, Bang-sensei," Aomori replied. His hands were wrapped in bandages, but it did not affect his daily life; he simply couldn't engage in high-intensity combat for the time being.
"Hehe, you only come here a few times a month; I haven't taught you much."
"Bang-sensei."
"Yes?"
"Actually, I achieved a battlefield breakthrough last night. At the time, I couldn't break the Centipede Monster's hard shell, and a sudden idea came to me: what if I could transfer the force through the shell to the inside? And then..." Aomori fully disclosed his insights regarding Exploding Heart Release Fist to Bang. As the creator of Exploding Heart Release Fist, Bang surely had a deeper understanding.
"I see. No wonder..." Bang was clearly surprised. "I didn't expect you to grasp that level of martial arts in just one night. Back in the day..."
Bang shook his head, abandoning the memory, and instead relayed his complete insights on Exploding Heart Release Fist to Aomori. Finally, he couldn't help but warn, "Aomori, this technique is too violent. Your teacher went astray many times because of it. I hope you maintain your integrity and do not stray from the correct path, or I will personally clean up the dojo."
"Don't worry, Bang-sensei," Aomori replied with a smile. "I am a Hero."
"That is true," Bang said, nodding with a grin.
"By the way, there is a martial arts tournament next month, and I, your teacher, am a special guest judge. You and Garou should both attend. It is time to encounter other schools of fighting."
"A martial arts tournament? Understood, Bang-sensei, I will attend."
...
Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist Dojo, backyard training ground.
Garou was stripped to the waist, sweat dripping as he punched.
"Just wait, Aomori. At the martial arts tournament, I will defeat you with my own hands!"