On the stage, the battle surged on.
Bang and Garou moved together, both unleashing Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist, the same style expressed through two generations, old mastery and youthful ferocity blending in perfect rhythm.
Sol's eyes brightened.
Then he answered with the same technique.
But his execution flowed beyond imitation, combining the strengths of both into something smoother, sharper, more complete.
"Beautiful," Bang said before he could stop himself, pride flickering in his gaze.
Atomic Samurai and Flash attacked again, their timing even tighter.
Sol smiled.
Then his style shifted.
His hand became a blade.
With Atomic Samurai's sword principles replicated through empty-handed strikes, he sliced through the air and struck precisely at Flash's weak point.
Atomic Samurai froze.
"What?"
"Watch closely," Sol said lightly, almost amused.
His hand cut the air with a sharp whistle.
Metal Bat and Tanktop Master charged together, power crashing toward him hard enough to shake the arena floor.
Sol did not meet force with force.
He redirected.
Guided.
Bent both attacks into each other.
A thunderous impact rang out as Metal Bat and Tanktop Master slammed together and tumbled across the stage.
Tatsumaki finally moved seriously.
Psychic force crashed toward Sol like a tidal wave.
At the same moment, Speed-o'-Sound Sonic appeared behind him, shuriken aimed for his back.
Sol shifted slightly, avoiding Sonic without looking.
Then he raised one hand into empty air.
And caught Tatsumaki's psychic force.
The arena went silent.
"Psychokinesis doesn't work like that," Sol said, almost sounding like a teasing Senpai.
He reshaped the energy in his hand into a glowing green sphere.
"You have to read the flow."
He pushed it back toward Tatsumaki.
She caught it by instinct, disbelief written across her face.
Underground, Psykos stared through Gyoro Gyoro in stunned fascination.
"Too perfect..."
Her voice was almost breathless.
"His physique, instincts, adaptability..."
Even surrounded by ten elites, he was still correcting them.
Still playing.
She felt relief.
And worry.
Where was Gouketsu?
Then the stadium exploded.
A violent blast tore through the eastern side.
Screams erupted.
The structure trembled.
Spectators were thrown into chaos.
Even the fighters paused.
A massive hole gaped in the stadium wall.
From dust and debris, a towering figure stepped into the arena.
Gouketsu.
Psykos exhaled in relief.
Finally.
As the dust settled, the monster executive's massive frame loomed over the battlefield.
His eyes locked on Sol.
"Sol, I came to support you."
In the VIP box, Sitch paled.
"Gouketsu... Monster Association executive."
His expression twisted.
"They really are connected."
The crowd panicked harder.
People rushed for exits only to hit the emergency barriers.
On stage, almost every fighter shifted their focus toward Sol.
Suspicion sharpened.
Sol frowned.
"Who sent you?"
Gouketsu blinked.
"Gyoro Gyoro-sama."
"Meddling."
Sol sounded mildly annoyed.
"I do not need support."
Then he turned back to the heroes.
And resumed his stance.
"Let's continue."
Even Bang looked shaken.
"Sol... you truly stand with monsters?"
"Teacher," Sol cut in, "shouldn't you stay focused on the fight?"
Atomic Samurai scoffed.
"Working with monsters adds to your crimes."
Garou grinned.
"As long as the fight stays fun, who cares?"
Gouketsu stood awkwardly by the broken wall.
Unsure what to do.
Underground, Psykos nearly lost her mind.
"What is he doing?"
She could not believe it.
He had backup.
And refused it.
Then realization struck.
He was enjoying this.
Testing himself.
Of course.
Back on stage, the battle erupted again.
This time everyone went all out.
Because now a Dragon-level monster lurked nearby.
Pressure mounted.
And Sol looked even more entertained.
His style evolved with every exchange.
Sometimes wild like Garou.
Sometimes refined like Bang.
Sometimes swift like Flash.
Sometimes precise like Atomic Samurai.
Flash's eyes widened.
"He is learning our techniques..."
Bang understood first.
"He is fusing schools into his own martial path."
Atomic Samurai cursed.
"He's using us to sharpen himself."
His broken blade spun faster.
Yet his attacks carried caution now.
Flash accelerated until he looked like a streak of light.
Still Sol moved one step ahead every time.
Like he was leading a dance.
Monster, Flash thought grimly.
Garou only laughed harder.
His silver hair whipped wildly as his instincts climbed higher.
Strike after strike, he evolved under pressure.
And unconsciously began echoing Sol's blended style.
"Yes... that's it!"
His laughter rang through the arena.
Metal Bat and Tanktop Master launched another brutal combined assault.
This time Sol met some blows head-on.
Perfectly measured impacts.
Each collision boomed across the ring.
Their arms numbed.
Their expressions changed.
Fear crept in.
Above them, Tatsumaki adjusted too.
No broad psychic waves now.
Her power condensed into invisible needles, threading through microscopic gaps.
Lethal.
Precise.
And Sol slipped through them all.
Sometimes even redirecting them into disrupting others.
Tatsumaki gritted her teeth.
"Bastard."
And yet even she had to admit it.
His control over the battle had reached something absurd.
Suiryu and Bakuzan had long fallen out of the central clash.
Now they could barely support from the edges.
Both had realized the same truth.
This fight had risen beyond their level.
I've been dealing with exams lately, so updates have been a bit slower than usual.