Gouketsu's massive body stiffened. His single remaining eye locked onto Sol, disbelief flashing across his face as a cold weight settled in his chest.
"Mr. Sol, what do you mean by this?"
Sol did not answer. He simply looked at him, the blue and red patterns beneath his skin shifting slowly, releasing a suffocating pressure.
The air grew heavy. Even the shadows of the abandoned factory seemed to deepen.
"What did I do wrong?" Gouketsu asked, his voice no longer steady as he took a slight step back, crushing concrete underfoot. "I came here on Gyoro Gyoro's orders to assist you."
Sol's crimson eyes held no warmth.
He raised his right hand slightly. The faint glow beneath his skin intensified, and an invisible force pressed down on Gouketsu.
"I will give you two choices," Sol said, his tone quiet yet sharp enough to cut through any resistance. "Drink my blood and gain power, but you will belong to me. Or…"
He paused, letting the silence settle.
"You die here."
Gouketsu's body trembled despite himself. The pressure coming from Sol surpassed even Orochi. Every instinct in him screamed submission.
"Why?" Gouketsu forced out. "I have no intention of opposing you. I came to help."
Sol stepped forward. The ground sank slightly beneath his foot.
"I have no use for pawns that answer to someone else. Gyoro Gyoro's plans mean nothing to me."
Gouketsu's thoughts raced.
He knew he could not win. The image of Sol overwhelming multiple S Class heroes still lingered in his mind. Yet giving up his freedom was not something he could accept lightly.
"If I drink your blood…" Gouketsu said carefully, "what changes?"
A faint smile touched Sol's lips, though it carried no kindness.
"You will become far stronger than you are now. In exchange, your will becomes tied to mine. You will not betray me."
He extended a finger. A drop of dark red blood formed and hovered in the air, pulsing with an unsettling energy.
Gouketsu stared at it.
Power called to him. So did survival. Freedom felt distant in comparison to the threat in front of him.
After a long moment, he lowered his head.
"I will drink it."
Sol gave a small nod.
The drop drifted forward and touched Gouketsu's lips.
The moment it did, power surged through his body.
"Ah…!"
Gouketsu roared, his massive frame shaking violently. It felt as if his entire body was being torn apart and rebuilt from within. Every muscle tightened and expanded, his senses sharpening beyond anything he had known.
His vision cleared, his strength rising rapidly.
Minutes passed before the pain faded.
Gouketsu dropped to one knee, breathing heavily, feeling the overwhelming power coursing through him.
"Stand," Sol said.
Gouketsu rose immediately, his body responding before his mind fully caught up. Something had changed. Deep within his consciousness, he could feel it, like invisible threads binding him to Sol.
"From now on, you follow my orders," Sol said, turning his gaze back toward the distant stadium. "As for Gyoro Gyoro, you already understand."
Gouketsu bowed his head.
"Yes, Mr. Sol."
"Return to the Monster Association. Watch Gyoro Gyoro closely, report everything to me, and do nothing without my command."
"Understood."
Gouketsu turned and walked away, his heavy steps echoing through the empty factory before fading into the distance.
Sol remained where he stood, eyes half closed.
Through the connection, he could sense Gouketsu's position and condition clearly. It was far more reliable than dealing with Psykos directly.
Deep underground, Psykos stood from her seat, her expression dark as she paced in front of the control panels.
Sol's display of power in the stadium replayed in her mind, along with that brief glance toward Gyoro Gyoro's hiding place.
"Why was the Hero Association able to intercept our forces so accurately? Why did Sol ignore Gouketsu? And why is Gouketsu behaving differently now?"
The questions built on each other, forming a conclusion she did not want to accept.
"Could it be him?"
She stopped and slammed her hands onto the console.
"Did Sol leak the plan? Did he draw the Association into attacking us while making himself the center of attention at the stadium? What is he trying to achieve?"
Her thoughts sharpened.
"Does he intend to take control of the Monster Association… or destroy both sides?"
The idea settled heavily in her mind.
Sol's strength and unpredictability had already exceeded her expectations.
"We cannot delay," she said, her voice low and decisive. "We need answers. If he truly has his own agenda…"
She reconnected with Gyoro Gyoro. The massive eyeball lit up again in the main control chamber.
Its limbs moved quickly, sending out signals across the base.
"All executives involved in this operation, gather in the main control room immediately," Gyoro Gyoro's voice echoed through the tunnels, firm and urgent. "This concerns the newly arrived executive, Mr. Sol."