Sol stood atop the highest cooling tower at the edge of the abandoned industrial district, his crimson eyes fixed on the chaotic battlefield below.
The wind howled through the ruins, pushing back his white fringe, yet his expression remained relaxed, almost amused.
Gouketsu's roars, Elder Centipede's shrieks, exploding artillery, and the desperate cries of heroes blended into a single wave of noise. To Sol, it was nothing more than background music.
Everything was moving exactly as planned.
Gouketsu and Elder Centipede's frontal assault had drawn the Hero Association's full attention. Black Sperm's underground forces remained hidden beneath the battlefield, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Meanwhile, Muzan and the demons stood close to the Association's higher-ups like executioners waiting for the signal.
Too smooth.
That was what bothered him.
Destroying the Hero Association's corruption was only part of his objective. His true focus lay far beyond the battlefield itself.
Sol slowly raised his gaze toward the darkened sky.
He was waiting for something ancient.
Something watching.
God.
This war, carefully orchestrated from the shadows, should have created enough destruction and chaos to attract its attention. The battle had already reached catastrophic levels. Dragon-level monsters rampaged freely, S-Class heroes fought at full power, and the entire city had become a wasteland.
Yet nothing appeared.
No distortion in space.
No strange pressure.
No unseen gaze staring back at him.
"Still not enough?" Sol muttered with a faint smile.
Was the scale of the war insufficient?
Or had God simply lost interest?
Maybe his calculations had been wrong from the beginning.
His eyes narrowed slightly as countless possibilities ran through his mind.
Below him, the battle had already shifted.
Under Tatsumaki's overwhelming psychic restraint and the relentless assault of the S-Class heroes, Elder Centipede was finally beginning to collapse.
Its massive armored body cracked apart piece by piece. Green blood poured across the battlefield like rivers of acid, melting the ground into smoking craters. Its shrieks became weaker with every passing second.
Gouketsu's condition wasn't much better.
Facing Bang, Atomic Samurai, Flashy Flash, and Superalloy Darkshine simultaneously, even his monstrous durability was reaching its limit.
Bang's martial arts constantly disrupted his movements.
Atomic Samurai repeatedly sliced into the same wounds.
Flashy Flash targeted every opening with terrifying precision.
Superalloy Darkshine met every collision head-on, crushing Gouketsu back with raw overwhelming force.
Gouketsu looked like a beast trapped in quicksand. The more he struggled, the deeper he sank.
Defeat was inevitable.
The monster army clearly noticed it too.
Their morale plummeted.
Their attacks weakened.
Several parts of the frontlines had already begun collapsing despite Hellfire Flame and Gale Wind desperately trying to maintain order.
Meanwhile, the Hero Association's momentum surged higher and higher.
"Sol-sama!"
After taking another devastating punch from Superalloy Darkshine, Gouketsu staggered backward and sent a strained message through their mental link.
"We can't hold much longer!"
Sol finally looked away from the empty sky and back toward the battlefield.
His expression remained completely composed.
"Hold for ten more minutes."
His calm voice echoed directly into Gouketsu and Black Sperm's minds.
"In ten minutes, Black Sperm begins the second phase. Your target is the underground structure beneath the command center."
"Gouketsu, once the signal is given, abandon the battlefield and regroup at the designated location."
The order came without hesitation.
Black Sperm instantly burst into excited laughter.
"Yes, Sol-sama!"
Gouketsu clenched his teeth.
"…Understood."
Even Elder Centipede let out an unwilling screech after hearing the order through Gouketsu.
Still, both monsters obeyed.
Elder Centipede stopped wasting energy trying to break free and instead focused entirely on defense while enduring Tatsumaki's psychic suppression and the heroes' nonstop bombardment.
Minutes passed.
The battlefield only grew more violent.
Tatsumaki raised one hand, green psychic energy exploding around her like a storm. Massive slabs of reinforced concrete ripped free from the earth before crashing down onto Elder Centipede one after another like meteors.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The giant monster's body trembled violently with every impact.
Armor shattered apart.
Acidic blood sprayed everywhere.
Atomic Samurai's blade flashes rained down endlessly on the same damaged joints.
Flashy Flash darted through cracks in the monster's armor, driving blades into exposed flesh before vanishing again.
At the same time, Bang and Superalloy Darkshine completely overwhelmed Gouketsu.
Bang neutralized every counterattack with flawless precision while Darkshine's heavy punches crushed into Gouketsu's body like falling steel pillars.
"They're almost finished!"
Child Emperor's excited voice echoed through the communication channel.
"Focus all firepower on Elder Centipede first!"
The battlefield erupted again.
Artillery fire and concentrated energy blasts slammed directly into Elder Centipede's massive body.
Its painful screams echoed across the ruined city as its attempts to burrow underground were completely shut down.
Inside the Hero Association command center, Sitch finally loosened his clenched fists slightly.
"Good," he muttered. "Finish them now."
Still, unease lingered in his eyes.
Sol still hadn't appeared.
That alone felt wrong.
His gaze shifted toward another battlefield monitor showing the left flank.
Muzan remained standing there calmly, almost as if he were watching a performance rather than participating in a war.
"Sitch to Drive Knight," he ordered immediately. "Continue monitoring Muzan's group and scan for underground activity. Do not lower your guard."
"Understood," Drive Knight replied. "No signs of large-scale underground movement detected so far."
Deep beneath the battlefield, Black Sperm's countless smaller clones whispered excitedly among themselves.
"Five more minutes~"
"Those big idiots up there are getting destroyed~"
"Lord Sol is really patient~"
The main body yawned lazily while grinning.
High above the battlefield, Sol quietly observed everything.
Despite their miserable condition, Gouketsu and Elder Centipede still possessed absurd vitality and regeneration. Surviving ten more minutes would not be difficult.
His senses spread across the battlefield like an invisible net, scanning every fluctuation in energy and space.
Still nothing.
No trace of God.
No interference.
No presence watching from beyond.
Sol narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Are you waiting for something bigger?" he wondered quietly.
Then his gaze sharpened.
The ten minutes were finally over.
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