"Bang!"
Sol's right fist, carrying violent energy, struck Boros and sent him flying.
Boros was blasted backward, skidding across the ground for dozens of meters and carving a deep trench before forcing himself to a stop.
"That's it, Sol. This is why you're worth everything I have!" Boros's single eye burned with obsession. "You will fall to me!"
Energy patterns across his body flared to their peak as a violent storm swirled around him. He slammed his foot down, shattering the ground, then launched forward like a cannon, his fist driving straight at Sol.
"Bang!"
Sol crossed his arms to block, but the force still sent him flying. Before he could recover, Boros appeared again, unleashing a relentless barrage.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
Then, just as suddenly, Boros pulled back. His eye sharpened with resolve.
"Sol!"
His voice echoed across the battlefield.
"Let's end this in one move. I'll release everything and wipe you out along with the surface of this planet!"
Energy surged toward his chest, gathering into a massive sphere.
"Collapsing Star Roaring Cannon!"
A colossal beam erupted, over a hundred meters wide. The sky twisted under its pressure as blue-gold energy tore through the air, warping space itself.
"Invincible Defense evolution complete."
Sol's mind steadied.
Instead of dodging, he stepped forward and charged directly into the beam.
Within the torrent, he stood firm, like an immovable wall.
"Is he insane?!" Tatsumaki's hair whipped violently as she rushed toward them, her expression tense.
Under countless stunned gazes, crimson patterns spread across Sol's body. With his defense fully evolved, he advanced through the beam step by step.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
Explosions roared as the energy slammed into him, yet he did not retreat. He kept moving forward.
Then he broke through.
His body flashed forward like lightning. Energy gathered around his right fist, pulling the air inward and forming a visible vortex.
He struck.
A blinding golden light swallowed everything.
"It's over."
Bang!
The punch drove straight through Boros's chest.
The light in Boros's eye faded as his body dropped from the sky.
Boom!
He hit the ground hard, dust rising around him. When it settled, a massive hole gaped in his chest. He was barely alive.
Sol descended slowly, cracks running across his armor. The red glow in his eyes had faded, leaving them clear.
Boros lay there, unable to move, yet his expression held no resentment. Only satisfaction.
"So... I lost... Sol... you really are strong..."
"As expected... this was an even fight."
Sol gave a small nod. "Yeah, it was."
Boros's eye flickered faintly. "Liar. You still had strength left. Your wounds are already gone... this wasn't equal."
With that, the last trace of life left him.
Sol stood in silence beside the body. Above, the massive spaceship began to lose stability, tilting as its systems failed.
"It's over," he said quietly.
A sudden disturbance cut through the air.
Tatsumaki flew in, her psychic power sweeping away debris as she stopped in front of him.
"You liar!" Her voice trembled with anger. "You've been lying to me this whole time!"
Sol met her gaze. "I did hide things."
"Hide things?" Her energy surged, the air around her distorting.
He held her eyes. "But one thing is true. I never intended to hurt you."
Her fists clenched, her hair trembling slightly.
Before she could respond, Sol coughed violently. Blood slipped from the corner of his mouth as his body swayed.
"The damage from Boros... it's catching up."
Tatsumaki instinctively moved forward, then stopped herself. "Don't think acting weak will make me forgive you!"
Sol let out a faint, tired laugh before collapsing forward.
"Idiot!" she snapped, catching him instantly with her psychic power.
She lowered herself beside him, her anger fading as she looked at his battered body.
"Hey... don't pretend you're dead..." her voice softened despite herself.
Sol's eyes opened slightly. "Tatsumaki... I'm exhausted... let me rest a bit..."
She hesitated, then sighed and gently rested his head on her lap.
"Just this once."
A faint smile crossed his face as his eyes closed.
Above them, the crippled spaceship groaned, metal twisting as it began to fall.
"Oh no, it's coming down!" Genos shouted.
Saitama scratched his head. "Ah... should we move?"
Everyone scattered.
Only Tatsumaki and Sol remained where they were, sitting atop the collapsing structure.
"Hey... shouldn't we leave?" she muttered quietly. "Everyone else already did."
Sol opened his eyes slightly. "Give it a second... this is nice..."
Her ears tinted red. "Stupid..."
The setting sun cast long shadows over them as the massive ship tilted further, finally crashing into the ruins of City A.
"Move!" Metal Bat shouted, sprinting ahead through the debris.
"After all that, we still have cleanup," Atomic Samurai muttered as he leapt to higher ground.
Watchdog Man dashed through the rubble with ease, glancing back occasionally.
Genos hovered midair, scanning anxiously. "It's good the civilians evacuated. Otherwise this would have been catastrophic. But Tatsumaki Senpai and Sol Senpai are still up there..."
"Relax," Zombieman said, lighting a cigarette. "With their strength, they're probably having a quiet moment."
Superalloy Darkshine flexed proudly. "Ah, youth. Everyone should admire these muscles more."
"Too sweet~" Puri-Puri Prisoner clasped his hands together, swaying as he moved through the ruins.