It had been one hurdle after another for Kombu Infinity ever since he miraculously survived his encounter with the 'Tornado of Terror.' He even felt a strange sense of gratitude toward that crazed man, Caspian. Without him enraging her and drawing her attention away, Kombu Infinity knew he wouldn't have made it out alive.
After escaping, he had been on the run ever since. Defeating those two heroes had made him a target, forcing him to stay on the move. His life had nearly been taken multiple times, and he was grateful the Hero Association had underestimated him, never sending an S-Class Hero or an army of A-Class Heroes after him.
Things only got worse when he found a decent hiding spot on the outskirts of A-City, a place surprisingly unguarded. Kombu Infinity assumed this oversight was because of human arrogance, the belief that no monster would dare do what he was doing. But none of that mattered when, a week ago, a colossal, city-sized ship appeared in the sky and decimated almost the entire city, sparing only the Hero Association Headquarters and the hiding spot he had hoped to call home.
Fleeing the ruins, he ran, stopping only to rest. During this one week stretch he hadn't paid attention to where he was running, which led him, today, to a place he definitely had not planned to go to: Z-City. Not the Ghost Town, but the thriving, hero-filled city, or at least its outer edge. This shouldn't have placed him in immediate danger, but of course, there just had to be two heroes wandering around.
As soon as they spotted him, they shouted their names as if he, Kombu Infinity, would recognize them. What sort of names were 'Tanktop Tiger' and 'Tanktop Black Hole,' anyway? They attacked together. The first one, Tanktop Tiger, he defeated in a single strike. The second, Tanktop Black Hole, rushed forward with his hands raised in the air, screaming about his 'grip strength.' Kombu Infinity didn't bother responding. He simply slapped him twice with his kombu tentacles, sending him crashing through the cracked, dried earth.
Ideally, he would have been able to flee the area uncontested, but then multiple shouts rang out in the distance. When Kombu Infinity spotted a group charging toward him, all wearing similar attire to the two heroes he had just defeated, he realized they must be part of this 'Tanktop' cult. He wasn't going to stick around and wait for them, so he turned and ran away.
"Get back here, monster!"
"The Tank Topper Army will never let you off!"
To his dismay, a portion of the group chased after him. Even worse, they could keep up. While they weren't gaining on him, it was only a matter of time before stronger reinforcements caught up.
Leave me alone! I was only defending myself!
The desert-like flatland he was running across wasn't going to allow him to escape. Where could he go? To his right was Z-City, and to his left was an endless expanse of these flatlands, with only a paved road stretching beyond the horizon. That's when Kombu Infinity spotted a scattering of rocky hills in the distance.
A chance!
He had to give it his all.
Two of Kombu Infinity's kombu tentacles shot out in front of him, embedding into the earth and pulling him forward. The motion repeated in tandem, increasing his speed as he raced toward the hills.
Kombu Infinity glanced backward and was relieved that he was pulling away. However, his bloodshot eyes widened when one of the 'Tanktoppers' who wore a blue tank top appeared, blowing past all the other members running at a far greater speed.
No! Is that an S-Class Hero?!
It seemed hopeless. The hero would catch up to him in several breaths. Was this the end? Perhaps not, as the sun seemed to favor Kombu Infinity, its light catching something golden up ahead to his right, shimmering brightly.
Two monsters? Maybe they can save me.
Within moments, he reached them, taking in their appearances.
The smaller, chubby pink monster covered in blue spots seemed weak and unremarkable. But when Kombu Infinity looked up at the tall, cyclops-like monster adorned in spiked golden armor, his inner nature screamed that this being was a grave threat.
"Haha! What did I tell you, Gunner? Eventually, there would be those who ran to us instead of from us," the spiky-haired monster's deep voice thundered.
Gunner threw up his hands. "Your wisdom is astounding, Lord Boros!"
An odd duo. But this Lord Boros...
Footsteps pounded behind him, causing Kombu Infinity to spin around, only to find the large hero standing before the three of them. It wouldn't be long before the rest of the group caught up.
"Three monsters, and so close to Z-City…" the hero muttered.
Kombu Infinity shuffled backward, positioning himself beside Gunner. The fact that he was allowed to do so gave him hope that these two were on his side — it was a risk he had to take. Now, Lord Boros and the hero stood facing each other, several meters apart.
"Are the three of you planning to attack Z-City? Well, you can forget about it," the hero declared, raising his fist. "Because I, the S-Class Hero Tanktop Master, and the Tank Topper Army won't let you run free. Especially after one of you gave two of my bros a hard time."
Kombu Infinity eyed Tanktop Master warily. Do all members of this 'Tank Topper Army' announce themselves like this?
"'Army,' you say? So, you are some kind of group?" Lord Boros bared his sharp teeth in an excited grin. "I was told that some of the S-Class Heroes are strong."
Tanktop Master's brows rose. "You could say that. Informed? What are you getting at monster?"
"I understand perfectly what is happening here," said Lord Boros, shaking his head as he crossed his arms.
I don't!
"Explain. Or are you just trying to buy time by spouting nonsense—"
A rush of footsteps from behind interrupted Tanktop Master.
"Avenge our two brothers, Master!"
"Don't let these monsters escape! Especially that bipedal seaweed thing!"
It was self-defense!
Lord Boros' voice cut through the outcry, silencing everyone. "Explain? I, Lord Boros, will keep it simple. Your Tank Topper Army is trying to steal the newest recruit of my New Dark Matter Thieves."
He did it too? Is introducing oneself like that common practice? Have I been out of the loop this whole time? Wait…