Suiko descended the rugged terrain at breakneck speed, the crunch of dead foliage and loose stones beneath her running shoes echoing through the woodland. Her hands struck every tree she passed, using them to propel herself forward and maintain balance on the uneven, hazardous ground.
Faster!
Two minutes had passed, but in a situation like this, even a single second could save countless lives.
By now, she was nearly at the bottom. The trees had thinned out before disappearing altogether, giving her a clear view of the monster, which stood still with its huge pitchfork pulled back.
Oh no! If that soars through the city…
Suiko didn't have time. She needed to find an opportunity to do something, anything, to stop the monster. But what?
She dug her feet into the tan earth, pushing for every ounce of speed. "Hey! Over here, pig brain!"
The monster seemed to hear her, its massive head turning to look over at her with glowing red eyes.
"Who dare—"
Suiko's jaw dropped as the behemoth suddenly exploded. The shock was so overwhelming that she didn't notice the uneven ground ahead. Her foot caught, sending her body hurtling forward at high speed. She had no time to react and could only watch as the ground rushed up to meet her.
But instead of crashing, a pair of firm hands gripped her shoulders, freezing her in place. When she opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was a familiar pair of red boots.
"You need to be more careful."
Suiko looked up to see Caspian staring at her, his expression a mix of concern and relief.
Caspian continued, "Are you okay? I didn't realize you were the clumsy type."
Still slightly dazed, Suiko nodded. "I'm fine… The monster, you, what?"
"Those are all words, no doubt," Caspian said, releasing his hands from her shoulders. "Anyway, it's good you came looking for me. Otherwise, I'd have had to scour the entire mountain range to find your dojo."
"You came here to look for me?" Suiko's focus sharpened.
"Of course. I wanted to see you, and don't I owe you something?"
"I wanted to see you too." Suiko leaning forward before poking Caspian's chest. "You've kept me waiting for too long."
"That I have… meaning there's no time to waste. Come on, show me the legendary dojo of Suicho, creator of the revered 'Void Fist.'"
A rush of pride and happiness washed over Suiko at his words. "I would love to. But… what about the monster?" She peeked around Caspian at the massive pile of monster remains scattered across the tan landscape.
"What about it? It's not going to hurt anyone."
Suiko's attention snapped back to Caspian before she flashed him a grin. "That's true." She reached out and tugged on his arm. "You had better tell me what happened here."
"Sure. But first, you'll need to guide me there. Make sure not to let go. I wouldn't want to get lost."
"I won't let you go," Suiko said, pulling Caspian along. Her earlier loneliness had been replaced with excitement, and a dash of something she would have to affirm using her own methods.
She still hadn't forgotten when he called her his future wife. It was a passing, absurd comment, one she should have brushed off. Yet, it always seemed to flicker in the back of her mind.
What is going on with me? How could I have fallen for him this fast…?
¤ ¤ ¤
Gunner's eye-tipped tentacles swiveled toward the plant-like monster beside him. "What's your name?"
"Kombu Infinity," he replied, his gaze still fixed on the scene unfolding before them.
Gunner turned his attention back to the confrontation. Kombu Infinity? What an odd name.
Lord Boros stood with his arms crossed, waiting for Tanktop Master to respond. Behind him, the Tank Topper Army remained silent and focused.
Gunner had been traveling with Lord Boros, searching for an archive filled with books detailing this planet's history and customs, as well as scouting for new recruits for the New Dark Matter Thieves.
Unfortunately, every human they encountered ran away screaming 'monster!' And no matter how much Lord Boros and Gunner searched, they could never find the supposed monster the humans were fleeing from. How were they supposed to recruit anyone when every attempt was sabotaged?
Because of this, they could not ask for directions to an archive. It had been a frustrating ordeal. Even more so due to when the Heroes would show up and mistake the two of them as monsters.
On a more positive note, Gunner had learned something valuable from spending so much time with Lord Boros: he was surprisingly easy to talk to. Despite addressing him as "Lord Boros," Gunner no longer felt like a dispensable subordinate but more like a trusted ally — or perhaps even a friend.
Tanktop Master responded, having been deep in thought before shaking his head. "Recruit… three monsters? Impossible. The Tank Topper Army has no tank tops to spare for any of you."
Another mistaken case of being called monsters. What have we done to deserve this treatment?
"Yeah, you tell those monsters, Master Tanktop!"
"Just wait till I get my hands on that plant noodle!"
Members of the Tank Topper Army shouted one after the other.
Gunner couldn't help but notice Kombu Infinity flinch at the remark. Before he could offer any words, Lord Boros stepped forward, his arms outstretched.
"Well, can you bring any exhilaration to my existence?"
Tanktop Master grinned. "Exhilaration? Another monster who overestimates its abilities. You picked the wrong city to mess with."
Without warning, Tanktop Master roared, driving his fist into the earth. The force of the strike sent cracks rippling through the ground, the earth bursting apart for meters in their direction, enveloping the three of them.
Gunner lost his balance as the ground shook, but to his relief, Kombu Infinity's plant-like tentacles shot out, one wrapping around him while several others anchored them both by stabbing into the earth. How cold and metallic the tentacle felt surprised him.
Lord Boros stood unfazed.
Tanktop Master followed up his strike, dashing forward with his arms crossed. "'Tanktop Tackle!'"
Gunner watched as, the moment Tanktop Master was about to strike, Lord Boros simply bumped his shoulder into the hero, sending him spiraling into the air before crashing back into the ground.
Distressed cries rang out.
"Master!"
"How? He must be using dirty tricks!"
"What was that?" Lord Boros frowned. "Are you really an S-Class Hero?"
"It seems I was mistaken," Tanktop Master said as he struggled to his feet. "However, I won't let you wreak havoc—"
Lord Boros remained in the same spot. "You are mistaken about our intent. If that is the extent of your strength. We will take our leave."
Gunner still felt a tinge of surprise at Lord Boros' behavior. Throughout their travels these past several days, Lord Boros hadn't killed a single being. Even when heroes attacked after misidentifying them, he simply incapacitated them. Curiosity had eventually gotten the better of Gunner, and he had asked why. Lord Boros' answer had been clear: 'If we want Caspian to join the New Dark Matter Thieves, we should not cause problems with those he works alongside in the Hero Association. More importantly, we could be killing off potential future recruits.'
"Not yet!" Tanktop Master cried, charging forward once again with his fist drawn back. "'Tanktop Punch!'"
Lord Boros stood without reacting as Tanktop Master's fist crashed into his chest.
As Gunner expected, Tanktop Master cried out in pain as he clasped his fist with his other hand. His attack did nothing besides waste time.
"Weak. Any of my past generals would have easily defeated you." Lord Boros shook his head.
Tanktop Master looked up at Lord Boros, his expression one of pained shock. "How many tank tops do you have underneath that armor?"
No further words were spoken between the two.
With a straight punch to the chest, Lord Boros sent Tanktop Master hurtling back dozens of meters, skidding across the ground.
The Tank Topper Army rushed after him, their cries filled with worry.
Gunner couldn't help but ask, "D-Did that kill him?"
"No," Lord Boros replied, his gaze fixed ahead. "This will be an excellent lesson for him. After all, he has the potential to become a member of the New Dark Matter Thieves."
Lord Boros then turned to Kombu Infinity. "You will be joining us, then?"
"Yes!" Kombu Infinity nodded.
"Good. We should head back and introduce you to our two other members."
Gunner followed the pleased Lord Boros, walking beside the shaken Kombu Infinity. Coming to Earth really was the right decision!