Just as everyone began sinking into despair, a slight distortion appeared in the air where Sol had vanished.
It resembled a drop of black ink falling into clear water, except the "ink" carried a chaotic and unsettling presence.
No sound followed its appearance. No warning came with it. A faint ripple of energy spread outward before disappearing again, nearly impossible to notice beneath the terrifying energy vortex dominating the battlefield.
The fluctuation was far too weak.
No one noticed it.
The heroes were desperately resisting the pressure of God's Avatar, while the Monsters were consumed by fear and confusion. Even God's Avatar on the moon showed no visible reaction.
But the change had already started.
Within that empty stretch of space, reality itself began to shift.
The distortion was subtle, invisible to ordinary eyes, yet anyone with exceptional perception would have sensed the unnatural feeling surrounding it. Something was slowly forcing an existence back into reality.
Bit by bit, time passed.
Above the battlefield, the massive energy vortex became increasingly violent. Thunder roared endlessly while the suffocating aura of destruction pressed down on the entire planet.
Then, at the exact location where Sol had disappeared, a silhouette began to form.
It was not human.
At first, it looked like countless twisted shadows writhing together from the depths of a nightmare. The dark masses struggled violently as they merged, barely creating the outline of a humanoid figure.
Then came substance.
A layer of black, obsidian-like chitin appeared across its body, carrying a dark metallic sheen. The armor formed in uneven patterns, grotesque yet strangely natural. Beneath the gaps, dark crimson energy flowed slowly like molten lava.
Its body stood nearly three meters tall.
The muscles were not smooth like a human's. They were sharp, dense, and explosive, resembling massive slabs of stone crudely forced together while containing enough power to shatter mountains.
Behind it swayed a long tail lined with barbs similar to a dragon's spine. Its sharp tip glimmered with a cold light capable of tearing through flesh with ease.
Its arms reached down to its knees. Long fingers ended in scythe-like claws, while the backs of its hands were protected by the same obsidian armor.
Its face was the most disturbing part.
There were no visible facial features.
A pale bone mask covered the entire head, smooth and expressionless. Only two narrow crimson slits existed where eyes should have been.
No mouth.
No nose.
Only empty stillness.
Broken, twisted horns extended from the top of its head like a shattered crown, giving it an ominous and ancient appearance.
The creature looked less like a living being and more like a forgotten demonic god carved into ancient ruins, an embodiment of destruction and chaos radiating a cold, deathlike aura.
It stood there silently.
The horrifying battlefield around it only made its stillness more unsettling.
The terrified heroes, the uneasy Monsters, and the indifferent God's Avatar all formed a bizarre contrast against the silent figure.
The creature did not move.
It merely tilted its bone-covered head slightly.
The crimson slits slowly swept across the battlefield before locking onto the withered figure standing on the moon.
There was no hatred in its gaze.
No anger.
No excitement.
Not even battle intent.
Only an instinctive and chilling fixation.
At that exact moment, God's Avatar paused slightly.
The worldwide natural disasters raging across the planet stalled for a brief instant.
The giant vortex above the battlefield slowed ever so slightly.
God's Avatar slowly turned its attention toward the ground.
Toward the newly appeared Monster.
That indifferent gaze finally settled on an existence other than Saitama.
On the battlefield, several individuals with sharper senses immediately noticed something was wrong.
Bang, Blast, and Gyoro Gyoro all felt the sudden appearance of an unfamiliar aura at the edge of the battlefield.
Cold.
Alien.
Overwhelmingly powerful.
Instinctively, they turned toward it.
What they saw was the silent figure of the grotesque Monster.
"What is that?!" Child Emperor shouted in disbelief.
He had barely recovered from the shock of Sol's erasure, only for another terrifying existence to suddenly appear before them.
Drive Knight's mechanical eyes scanned rapidly.
"Unknown life form detected. Energy signature cannot be fully analyzed. Existence pattern abnormal. Partial similarities detected with God's Avatar, but origins differ completely. Threat level impossible to determine."
Inside the Hero Association command center, Sitch nearly collapsed.
"Another one?! What is happening today?!"
The heroes immediately became alert.
After suffering such devastating losses, none of them could handle another enemy on this level.
The Monsters reacted similarly.
Gouketsu narrowed all four eyes at the newcomer.
"What is that thing? Its presence feels wrong."
Black Sperm's countless clones began whispering nervously.
"I've never seen it before."
"It's not from the Monster Association."
"That energy is disgusting."
"Stay away from it."
Elder Centipede shifted uneasily. Gums growled lowly while Rover crouched close to the ground, fur standing on end. Ugly President bared his teeth with visible caution.
Even Dragon-level Monsters instinctively feared the aura radiating from the creature.
Supported by Bang, Tatsumaki slowly raised her head.
Her emerald eyes reflected the Monster's figure.
An uncomfortable chill spread through her body. For a brief second, an unfamiliar sense of emptiness appeared in her chest before it was buried beneath caution.
"Another headache," she muttered coldly.
Saitama scratched his head while staring at the creature.
"Huh? Is it helping us or something?"
Genos immediately stepped in front of him.
"Sensei, please remain cautious. This target cannot be analyzed. Its existence itself is abnormal."
On the moon, God's Avatar silently stared at the Monster below.
The Monster stared back.
Neither moved.
Neither spoke.
It felt as though two beings from entirely different realities were silently testing one another.
===
Get access to the entire catalog on Patreon, where all chapters are conveniently organized into collections.
If you prefer not to pay for a monthly membership, this is a more affordable option that gives you access to the content you want.
(Buying the collection gives you access to all chapters in it.)
Search for "_Zeph" on P@treon to get started.