"SHUT UP! SHUT UP!"
Carnage Kabuto's roar shook the cell walls—hardened alloy trembling from the sheer volume.
"How could that possibly be enough?!"
The massive beetle straightened to its full height, chains rattling.
"I was born to wipe out the obsolete human race! I am the pinnacle of the House of Evolution's ecosystem—the complete form of humanity's next stage!"
Its wings buzzed with agitation.
"The ultimate life form! The strongest combat power!"
The roaring intensified, each word hammering the reinforced walls.
"You've kept me locked in this dark, freezing hole since birth! When do I finally get to go outside? When do I get to hunt in a real human city and kill to my heart's content?!"
The alloy groaned under the acoustic assault.
As the echoes faded, another clone stepped through the doorway. Number 41. The number on his chest seemed almost apologetic.
He looked at the blood coating the floor. The bodies. The scattered remains of four previous clones.
His fingers trembled as he adjusted his glasses.
"Carnage Kabuto," he said, voice remarkably steady. "The evolution experiment on you isn't complete yet. You need to be patient—"
"Right now, we have a perfect test subject available." Clone 41 spoke faster, trying to get the information out. "A human S-Class hero has come to us. He's waiting in the large combat arena where you normally train. If you can defeat him—"
The upper half of Clone 41's body turned to red mist.
His legs collapsed.
The wall behind him dripped crimson.
"How long-winded," Carnage Kabuto muttered.
It stretched—muscles expanding, flexing. The chains binding its limbs snapped one by one with sharp cracks, scattering across the floor in a cascade of breaking metal.
The creature flicked its wrist casually. The final chain around its neck shattered like brittle candy, high-strength alloy links fragmenting into useless pieces.
"Tch. If you'd said that from the start, none of this would've been necessary."
Wings vibrated into a blur. Carnage Kabuto lifted off, flying over the corpses of the five clones it had destroyed, and exited the cell without a backward glance.
Outside the door, Clones 32 and 27 stood frozen with buckets and mops in hand. Their hands felt like ice. Their feet wouldn't move.
Only after Carnage Kabuto's massive form disappeared down the corridor did they exhale.
"Finally gone," Clone 32 whispered. "That terrifying monster..."
"Stop talking and get inside to clean!" Clone 27 hissed. "You want to get killed when it comes back?!"
They hurried into the cell, trying not to look at what they were mopping up.
House of Evolution – Combat Arena
"What the hell?"
A towering figure strode into the battle space, led by two nervous clones.
"Choosing an ordinary human as my opponent? This is a gross underestimation of me—the No. 2 of the House of Evolution!"
Beast King.
Five meters tall. Humanoid frame draped in warrior's garb—simple tunic, cheetah-spotted fur skirt, heavy metal armor on wrists and calves. But the head was pure lion—full mane, predatory eyes, fanged maw. The feet ended in clawed paws instead of human toes.
Another fusion of animal and human genetics. Another of Dr. Genus's successful experiments.
"As he said," Dr. Genus explained from behind Jordan, standing safely outside the combat arena's entrance. "This is Beast King. The second strongest warrior in our combat power rankings."
BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
Heavy impacts—something massive hitting the ground with each step.
Beast King whirled. "Armed Gorilla! What are you doing here?! This human is my prey!"
"Received orders to cooperate with Beast King in eliminating intruders." The voice came out flat, mechanical, emotionless. "Therefore: arrived."
A silverback gorilla covered head-to-toe in alloy plating stomped into view. Nearly as large as Beast King. Most of its organic body had been replaced with machinery—only essential biological organs remained.
"Tch! I don't need help from defective merchandise!"
Beast King bared its fangs, raising one massive paw. Claws extended fully—five gleaming blades that would make Wolverine jealous.
"Stay out of my way when the fighting starts, or I'll shred you too!!"
"Acknowledged. Switching to: remote. Support. Mode."
Armed Gorilla had no ranged weapons installed, but that didn't stop it from enthusiastically entering spectator mode. No point arguing—Beast King's overall combat performance was nearly double Armed Gorilla's specifications. If you couldn't beat it, you obeyed it.
Simple hierarchy.
Jordan tilted his head, watching the two massive bio-weapons bicker.
Armed Gorilla had managed to fight Genos—the budget warrior—for about five minutes in the original timeline. That put it solidly at Demon-level threat. Beast King, ranked even higher, was a powerhouse despite getting obliterated by Saitama shortly after his canon appearance.
As everyone knew, the only monsters qualified to be one-shot by the bald man were either complete weaklings or genuinely powerful threats. No middle ground.
These two represented different paths: one chose mechanical augmentation, the other genetic enhancement. Both valid approaches to transcending human limitations.
Not enough to compare to Jordan's current power level, of course. But impressive proof that Dr. Genus's research had serious merit.
Pull out two finished prototypes and they could crush most professional heroes without breaking a sweat.
"Hey," Jordan called up. "You two done discussing tactics yet?"
Beast King's enhanced hearing detected sound from the wrong direction. It looked down.
The short creature—barely waist-height—had appeared directly in front of it.
Beast King jerked back, startled.
Impossible!
Its hearing could detect a mouse moving a hundred meters away. How had this human crossed the distance without making a sound?
But Beast King's undefeated record within the House of Evolution had fostered tremendous arrogance. And its genetic enhancements unfortunately hadn't extended to intelligence.
It quickly dismissed the implications of Jordan's silent approach.
"Hmph!" Steam billowed from Beast King's nostrils. "Already impatient to die?"
Its mane rippled despite the still air. Muscles bulged along its arms, veins standing out like cables. The claws extended further—knife-length feline blades designed to tear through steel.
"Then I'll grant your wish!"
SLASH—
Five streaks of concentrated wind pressure sliced through the air. Not just physical claws but sword energy—compressed air sharp enough to carve deep gouges into the alloy floor as Beast King swung.
Mountain-splitting. Rock-shattering. The full force of the House of Evolution's second-strongest warrior—
Stopped.
Beast King's claw hung frozen mid-swing, pressed against Jordan's head.
Not a single hair bent.
A transparent barrier—faint shimmer barely visible—held the strike completely motionless. No matter how much pressure Beast King applied, the AT Field didn't budge a millimeter.
Beast King's laughter came out forced. Strained.
It took half a step back.
Sweat beaded on its leonine features.
The creature wasn't an idiot—just reckless and arrogant.
And seeing this, Beast King knew immediately: I just kicked a hornet's nest.
But it had already made those declarations. Already postured. Already claimed dominance as the House of Evolution's No. 2.
Armed Gorilla was watching.
There was no backing down now.
Not without losing face completely.