Inside the abandoned factory in City Z, time seemed to be paused, Tornado's Psychokinesis attack was frozen in mid-air, Metal Bat's bat was just an inch away from Allen, Tanktop Master's fist stopped in front of Allen's face, and Bang's Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist was also fixed in front of Allen.
Suddenly, space shattered like a mirror, and a black-red armored figure appeared out of thin air. At the same time, the phantom of Infinity Castle flashed behind Allen and then disappeared, and several dark figures shot out in all directions like arrows from a bow.
Time resumed flowing.
"Bang!"
Tornado's Psychokinesis attack crashed down, Metal Bat's bat smashed hard onto Allen's head, Tanktop Master's heavy punch and Bang's Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist landed simultaneously, smoke and dust billowed, and the entire factory collapsed under the furious energy impact.
"Did we get him?" Metal Bat gasped, retreating a few steps.
Tornado floated in mid-air, her green curly hair wildly fluttering: "Some little mice escaped!"
"I'm still here." As the smoke and dust cleared, Allen stood intact in his original spot, his armor's surface without a single scratch. His scarlet eyes swept over everyone, then he chuckled softly: "Everyone, long time no see."
"What long time no see? Weren't you just..." Tanktop Master's words trailed off as he suddenly froze, keenly noticing that Allen's aura was even more unfathomable than before.
Bang adopted a defensive stance, his brows tightly furrowed: "Be careful, his strength has increased again."
Allen ignored their vigilance and instead looked up in the direction where the dark figures had fled: "They run quite fast."
Tornado followed his gaze, her green eyes slightly narrowed: "What were those things?"
"Just some small pets." Allen withdrew his gaze, the corner of his mouth under the armor curving slightly: "Rather than that, shouldn't we continue our previous battle?"
Metal Bat rested his bat on his shoulder: "Less talk! Take this!"
The battle reignited, but this time, Allen was clearly at ease. He immediately activated all the forms he could, except for Asura Mode which maintained his sanity, and the Markings which didn't burn his life. All other forms were at full power.
He easily dodged Metal Bat's attack, then counter-punched him away. Metal Bat was sent back several meters by Allen's punch, a trace of blood seeping from the corner of his mouth, but he quickly stabilized himself, his fighting spirit burning even brighter in his eyes: "This guy not only recovered from his injuries, but he's also stronger than before!"
Tanktop Master seized the opportunity to attack from the side, his muscles bulging to their limit as he suddenly embraced Allen: "Got you!"
"Too naive." Dark-red energy seeped from the gaps in Allen's armor, erupting to blast Tanktop Master away. At the same time, his right elbow lashed out like a whip, fiercely elbowing Tanktop Master away.
"Bang!" Tanktop Master was elbowed away, crashing through several walls before stopping.
Bang seized this opening, his Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist raining down like a storm: "Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist!"
Allen was forced back a few steps, and subtle cracks appeared on the surface of his armor. Allen was not worried, because he had tested it, and his armor could be affected by his super regeneration ability.
Soon, in the time it took for a breath, the armor returned to normal. Allen also secretly sighed, impressed by his teacher's strength, which was indeed not to be underestimated.
"Annoying old man." Allen suddenly changed tactics, no longer directly confronting Bang's attacks, but instead using the armor's mobility to move around.
Tornado hovered high above, her green curly hair wildly fluttering: "Don't even think about escaping!" She pressed both hands down fiercely, and the metal structures of the entire factory twisted and deformed. Countless steel bars coiled around Allen like giant pythons.
Allen was forced to stop, dark-red Psychokinesis forming a barrier to resist the steel bars' assault. Seizing this opportunity, the increasingly powerful Metal Bat charged forward again: "Take this bat!"
"Clang!" The sound of metal colliding echoed in the night sky. Allen was knocked back a few steps by the blow, and a noticeable dent appeared on the surface of his armor.
"It worked!" Metal Bat shouted excitedly.
But the next second, the dent in the armor recovered at a visible speed, and Allen's voice carried a hint of appreciation: "I've long heard that the stronger your fighting spirit, the more terrifying your strength. Now I see it's true."
"Damn it!" Metal Bat ignored Allen's praise, gritting his teeth and charging forward again.
The battle fell into a stalemate. Although Allen's strength had greatly increased, facing the encirclement of four S-Class Heroes still left him struggling, especially Tornado's Psychokinesis, which put immense pressure on him.
His greatest gain in Demon Slayer was in regeneration. While the increase in attack power was limited, he still had Markings to further enhance himself. After Allen evolved into a demon, he no longer feared the Markings burning his life, as he was now immortal.
No matter how many side effects there were, they were nothing to Allen's terrifying physical constitution.
He took a deep breath, deciding to significantly increase the activation of his Markings.
Strange red patterns began to appear on his skin beneath the armor, spreading across his entire body like burning flames. These patterns were not simple decorations, but the manifestation of the energy flowing within him.
The surrounding air was drawn away by Allen, and a vacuum began to form around him.
"Be careful! His aura has changed again! The surrounding environment has also become a vacuum, pay attention, all of you!" Bang keenly sensed the danger and immediately warned them.
Tornado's green curly hair wildly fluttered: "Hmph, a dying struggle!" She slammed both hands down, and terrifying heavy pressure instantly descended. The ground cracked and sank, and Allen's knees made a sound of unbearable strain.
But this time, Allen was not suppressed as before. He slowly raised his head, and the dark-red energy seeping from the armor's gaps intertwined with the red glow of the Markings, forming a strange energy field.
Allen's right fist clenched, and the energy in the armor's gaps furiously converged. This strike was no longer a simple swing, but secretly fused the softness of Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist with the explosive power of Exploding Heart Release Fist, plus the full-body energy amplification.
"Boom—!"
The air was compressed to its extreme, and everything around him seemed to be squeezed into a straight line by immense force, producing a deafening sonic boom. A terrifying punch wind spread out in a fan shape, pulverizing all the incoming steel bars, and the aftershock even directly sent Tornado flying.
"What!" Tornado watched in disbelief as her attack was easily nullified.
Metal Bat seized the opportunity to rush in, his bat whistling as it smashed towards Allen's head: "Don't underestimate me, you bastard!"
Allen did not dodge or evade, raising his left hand to precisely catch the bat, while his right hand formed a claw, aiming directly for Metal Bat's throat. Just in the nick of time, Bang's figure suddenly inserted itself between the two.
"Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist · Energy Dissipation!"
Bang's hands wrapped around Allen's arm like flowing water, completely neutralizing his attack power. A trace of surprise flashed in Allen's eyes, but quickly returned to calm.
"Bang is indeed formidable." Allen whispered, simultaneously pulling back his arm abruptly and retreating a few steps to create distance.
The most frustrating thing in the world is when you can't use your own abilities, but the other party can. Allen didn't want to completely fall out with the Hero Association yet; what he wanted was to slowly infiltrate the entire Hero Association, silently taking control of it.
-------------------------
If you enjoy this story, you can read 70+ advanced chapters on Patreon!
Webnovel will keep getting 1 new chapter every day but Patreon readers can stay far ahead.
Maybe it's not a big deal now… maybe it will be later.
[email protected]/Greyhounds
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"