No matter how one tried to break through beyond their limits, there would always be a dead end. That dead-end is inevitable, sort of like a law that governs everyone in their physicality. Even superheroes who seemed to be indestructible and all-powerful have a weakness, be it their loved ones, or a drawn-out fight that would expend all of their energy. Crow knew that perfectly well and that's why the villains he brought with him were all defensive, or at least physically tanky enough that any superhero will have a hard time bringing them down. Their goal wasn't to defeat Splatoon and his team but to deplete their energy in a drawn-out battle.
And it seemed to be working.
Even the famous son of the Midoriyama Duo was already getting overwhelmed, and even with his almost invincible integration skill, he was nearing his limits. Sera, who had been buffing the four of them the whole time, was also nearing her limits as well, so Satoshi had no choice but to put her back in the Orb Oboros so she could rest. This was the first time he saw one of his familiars get exhausted and he couldn't get used to it. But then again, that much should be expected since they'd been at it for at least an hour now.
There was still no sign of Plume, nor any sign of backups coming to their aid.
"What do we do now?" Flexor asked as one of the villains with a strength-type superpower (like him) overpowered him, pinning him on the ground and locking one of his arms behind so he wouldn't be able to move. Another villain who could extend his appendages managed to catch Merman off-guard as well, wrapping him around and rendering him immobile. The only one left standing between the villains and Splatoon was Satoshi.
A barrage of fireballs shot at Satoshi causing him to jump sideways. Something blocked his path, however, an invisible panel that made him look stupid. Without thinking twice, Hajime crouched so he could dodge the fireballs but a few of them grazed his back. Before the fireballs reached Splatoon, he used Ghast's power and created a portal on their trajectory, then released the fireballs down on the other villains.
Suddenly, the ground where he stood began turning into mud, Satoshi lost his footing and a series of claws and spikes almost cut him in half. If it weren't for Ghast who was currently integrated with him, he'd have died right then and there. He summoned Nailgun and then called out Gabriel and the Ice Queen to aid him. "I'll be relying on you again, sorry,"
"No worries, master," Gabriel reassured him, giving him a thumbs-up before summoning his Phoenix. His phantom tigers also came out as well, and they were the ones who dealt with the villain with claws and the villain who shot spikes. As for his Emperor Penguin, it focused on the villains who have fire-type superpowers, and his Commander dealt with this who could fly. Since Satoshi was already having trouble controlling his familiars while he was integrated with one of them, he decided to leave most of the fighting to Gabriel and the Ice Queen.
But then again, it should be emphasized that these villains used Superpower Boosters. That's why even though their superpowers aren't that strong, they gained a huge boost to their abilities. These villains should've been small fries in front of Gabriel and the Ice Queen but even they had a hard time dealing with them. For the first time throughout the one-hour battle, both sides reached an impasse. Of course, it may look like a deadlock but it's actually a huge advantage for Splatoon's side since their main goal was to buy some time.
"Nothing will happen if you just keep on defending, Splatoon," Crow called out. He didn't stop trying to attack Splatoon with lightning, but his lightning would always be nullified by Satoshi's white lion. Satoshi only calls his White Lion when Crow attacks and this gesture was a huge low to Crow's pride.
"No one will come to your aid, and pretty soon, we'd be able to transfer the goods and deliver them to all the underground markets in Japan. By the time all the superheroes are notified, everything would be too late."
"Yeah, we'll see about that," Splatoon muttered.
Half an hour ago, Splatoon should've already collapsed but somehow, Satoshi's buffs kept him going. First, he summoned a cute stuffed-toy-like creature that floated atop them, and now he summoned a phoenix. These two familiars gave him the strength he needed. Although his limiter was removed, he didn't run out of energy. There were certain moments when he felt like dying, however, but he held on, knowing that they were the only ones who stood between a peaceful nation and a dead one.
.....
The devastation that Pyromaniac caused at the heart of Tokyo was truly a sight to behold. Not only did he melt dozens of buildings, but even the ground also melted in his wake. It was so fiery that the reporters were stationed a kilometer or so away, just so they wouldn't feel the intense heat that Pyromaniac caused.
While that, in and of itself, is a good thing, it still didn't solve the overall problem of a supervillain running amok. When Pyromaniac was caught a few years back, it took more than a dozen superheroes to bring him down. Right now, there was only Plume in the scene and she was flying way overhead. What they need right now is a powerful water-type superhero. That's their only hope.
Suddenly, a projectile seemed to slingshot from the reporters' area towards Pyromaniac. The reporters were shocked by the sudden appearance of the projectile but they managed to point their cameras at it. Upon closer inspection, they realized that the projectile was actually a large orb of water—
— and in it was a person.
.....
Aquaborne's visit to Japan was a result of both curiosity and assurance. First, he wanted to get to know the famous son of the Midoriyama Duo, Midoriyama Satoshi. And second, he wanted to use his connections to pave the way for his daughter's transfer.
Unexpectedly, he came at the wrong time. What should've been a relaxing visit soon turned the exact opposite as a supervillain managed to escape prison and started wreaking havoc in the center of Tokyo. Apparently, Aquaborne was on his way to the airport when he heard the news, and he immediately rushed over to check the scene.
When he arrived, however, things had already taken a turn for the worse. No one was responding and a supervillain was let loose. The incident had already aggravated to the point that no ordinary superhero could stop it. Aquaborne had no choice but to step in, launching himself towards Pyromaniac while enveloped with compressed water. This is one of his special moves, the Hydro Cannon Ball.
Meanwhile, Plume took this chance to distract Pyromaniac, shooting him with some of her feathers but he easily parried them. Pyromaniac was surprised to see Plume flying above him but he wasn't thrown off guard at all. Before Plume could react, a spire of flame shot towards her at increasing speeds.
Now, Pyromaniac wasn't just any other villain. He's actually one of the most powerful fire-type villains so his flames were no joke. Even if Plume were to block his flames using her indestructible wings, she could still get scorched due to its intensity. That's why she dropped her urge to block the attack. Instead, she tried to fly away as fast as she could. The flames, however, spread in the air and continued to shoot towards her, covering a much greater distance than her.
In other words, there was no way she could dodge the attack. Out of desperation, she covered herself with her wings, hoping that she won't get burned to death. So much about causing a distraction.
Just before the fire reached the tips of her feathers, however, it was extinguished in an instant. Instead of flinching from the stinging pain of a burn, she flinched as drops of water splashed onto her. She unfurled her wings and maintained altitude, fairly certain that Aquaborne managed to land a good hit.
Aquaborne stood in front of Pyromaniac, his blue hair swaying with the breeze just like a scene in a cliché superhero comic. A smile formed on his face as he extended his arms, orbs of water forming all around him. "Plume! Just go do you thing, you can leave me here with this small fry." Aquaborne announced.
At the same time, Pyromaniac licked his lips and extended his hands as well, orbs of flames surrounded him. "You think you're the only one with that gimmick, huh." Pyromaniac exclaimed before unleashing his barrage of fire balls. Aquaborne started shooting his water orbs as well, matching his attacks with Pyromaniac. "I don't have time to deal with small fries like you." He said, waving his hand upward.
In an instant, a huge wave rose up out of nowhere, smoothly sliding towards Pyromaniac who have no room to dodge. This was another exclusive special move by Aquaborne— Tsunami Wave. Using his innate energy, he draws out water from an unknown source and uses it to overwhelm his opponents. He could form the water in any way he wanted but as for this moment, tsunami seemed like the best attack. Moreover, it was flashy, so the reporters are sure to have a celebration if they get a footage of it.
The tsunami attack didn't just wash away the fire that Pyromaniac caused, it also flooded the vicinity and washed the rubble away. Of course, Aquaborne took into consideration the fact that everyone was already evacuated. Had that not been the case, he'd have used an entirely different special move.
From afar, the group of reporters and civilians started cheering. All the cameras pointed at Aquaborne as he raised his fist, a gesture of victory that a superhero does after a successful battle.
Meanwhile, Plume headed towards the flock of reporters and tried to get in front of as many cameras as possible. The reporters were all confused but they focused on her camera even without their superiors giving them the signal. All of a sudden, Plume closed her eyes and scream. "All able-bodied superheroes! Come to the Yokohama Port right now! Heimdall Agency needs assistance with a group of smugglers!"
Upon saying that, Plume turned around and headed back to Yokohama Port without saying another word. She had finished her mission. Now it's time to go back and assist the others. She clenched her fists in frustration while hoping that everyone's still on their feet. "Please be safe, Satoshi." She muttered to herself.
A sonic boom resounded as she flapped her wings.
.....
Satoshi's memories started to turn hazy as he drifted into the state of consciousness and unconsciousness. His body was running purely on adrenaline and he could feel his control over his familiars slipping away. From time to time, he could hear Dex's voice in his head, calling for him, prodding him to go back... but he didn't know what he meant. His mind was in a state of confusion, and his movements were purely based on muscle memory and instincts alone.
This was what Satoshi felt as soon as he tried integrating with two of his familiars even though his energy was almost depleted. Since Ghast's abilities weren't enough, he decided to integrate with Sera as well. Even though Dex had already warned him to slowly practice his newfound skill, he still didn't listen. This time, something in the depths of Satoshi's mind clicked and he started rampaging like a wild beast. Splatoon, Merman, and Flexor watched in horror as he mercilessly defeated each and every single villain in sight. He was unstoppable, to say the least, and even Zeus was starting to get frightened of him.
What Dex feared the most has happened. Due to Hajime forcing himself to the limits and going above what his body could handle, he had lost all sense of humanity in him, making him a killing machine in the form of a teenager whose regenerative and teleportation abilities matched no other.
This 𝓬ontent is taken from fre𝒆webnove(l).𝐜𝐨𝗺