Chapter 167: The Guy Who Pushes His Luck
"You're not Saitama."
Sonic's eyes flashed with cold light.
His gaze remained locked on the Saitama standing across from him, carefully searching for the slightest flaw in his expression or eyes.
"My intuition has always been accurate."
Unfortunately, the Saitama before him wore the same blank expression as before, the kind of face that seemed to say he was not listening at all.
There was no opening.
No change in breathing.
No suspicious reaction.
Even so, Sonic did not stop. His voice grew sharper as he continued laying out his thoughts.
"After I killed those people earlier, my body was strengthened. At the time, I suspected that the sword in my hand might have been granted power by the legendary god."
His fingers slowly tightened near the hilt.
"I just didn't have time to investigate. But according to the legend, that god tests his Sword Masters. Combine that with the situation now, and there's only one answer."
Sonic's eyes narrowed.
"You are that god."
His voice was firm.
"And this place is your trial."
Hearing that precise deduction, the corner of Saitama's mouth curved slightly.
"Interesting. You saw through it that quickly?"
As the words fell, Saitama's body dissolved into pitch black smoke.
Within that darkness, a pair of blood red eyes stared straight at Sonic.
Even after receiving confirmation, Sonic did not relax.
Doubt still lingered in his heart, and his guard did not drop in the slightest.
Instead, he probed even further with a solemn tone.
"Then tell me. What is your trial?"
"You seem a little too arrogant."
Asuramaru controlled the Demon Power.
In an instant, pitch black spikes surged out from every direction and pierced through Sonic's body, pinning him in place completely.
Even with his body impaled and restrained, Sonic's momentum did not weaken.
He looked straight at Asuramaru and spoke with the same cold arrogance.
"If there's a trial, hurry up and start. Does a god waste time with pointless chatter too?"
His body was trapped, but his mouth remained painfully stubborn.
Asuramaru finally witnessed that firsthand.
Even so, his expression did not change. He merely looked at Sonic with increasing interest.
"Truly interesting. Even at my mercy, you still maintain that attitude."
His crimson eyes narrowed.
"But beneath that stubbornness, your desire for revenge is impressive."
The black mist stirred around him.
"You want revenge against Saitama, don't you? I can lend you my power."
Sonic had originally expected some strange trial.
Being offered power directly was beyond his expectations.
But why would he refuse power delivered to his hands?
His reply came immediately.
"Then lend me all of it."
Looking at the battered figure demanding power from him so boldly, Asuramaru could not help reminding him.
"People who push their luck usually don't end well."
"That has nothing to do with you."
Sonic's expression did not change.
There was no flattery.
No retreat.
No attempt to soften his tone.
Facing that answer, Asuramaru smiled.
"Very well. As long as your will remains firm, I will grant you power."
As he spoke, the black mist shattered.
From within it emerged a set of light armor.
At the top was a demon mask, beneath which glowed a pair of crimson eyes. The rest of the armor was filled with swirling black mist, giving the figure a hollow yet oppressive presence.
Upon seeing this form, Sonic's first reaction was immediate.
"So this is what the legendary Asuramaru looks like?"
Asuramaru did not care.
Changing his appearance once in a while was not bad.
However, if he wanted to use his original power through Sonic, he would still need to switch templates back.
For now, though, this was enough.
His voice lowered.
"But remember this. If your will falters even for a moment, I will take your body."
Sonic's expression showed no concern at all.
"You want my body? Take it if you can."
His eyes burned with obsession.
"Right now, all I want is to become stronger and defeat that man, Saitama."
Asuramaru rather appreciated that attitude.
"You should have already felt the changes in your body."
The surrounding smoke pulsed softly.
"That happened after you used me to slaughter strong individuals. I can extract a portion of the fallen opponent's power and feed it back into your body."
His tone turned dangerous.
"So if you want power, go indulge your desires to your heart's content."
"Slaughter."
That was exactly what Sonic cared about most.
Now that he had finally received an answer, his mind immediately began calculating his future path.
He could become stronger by slaughtering.
However, there was no point in killing the weak. The power gained from them would be far too small.
Killing humans was not a wise choice either. Kill too many, and he would become a target for every hero and organization around.
Then only one option remained.
Monsters.
No one would care how many he killed. More importantly, Monsters were far stronger than ordinary humans, which meant the corresponding feedback should be far greater.
Saitama.
Just you wait.
I'll come kill you very soon.
Sensing Sonic's determination, Asuramaru felt satisfied.
"Then begin your revenge, Sonic."
The moment his words fell, a crisp snap of the fingers echoed.
Sonic was thrown out of that space.
But his voice still rang in Asuramaru's ears.
"You don't need to tell me. I already know."
"A stubborn tsundere?"
The corner of Asuramaru's mouth curved slightly.
"How interesting."
Compared to his previous kind and gentle Sword Masters, changing tastes once in a while was not bad.
When Sonic's consciousness returned to his body, he opened his eyes in the forest.
The pain between his legs was still unbearable.
Yet excitement filled him.
"Saitama, just you wait."
He limped out of the forest while thinking about where to hunt Monsters.
After a brief moment, he already had a target.
The Ghost Town of Z City.
It was said to be a forbidden zone for humans, a place where powerful Monsters lurked in the shadows.
For him, it was the perfect first hunting ground.
Watching the motivated Sonic, Asuramaru nodded slightly in satisfaction from within the sword.
"This is exactly how it should be."
Since the slaughter had not begun on Sonic's side yet, Asuramaru shifted his gaze toward his other Sword Master.
Mumen Rider.
Satoru Suzuki.
At that moment, he was standing outside Inaho Hospital in City F.
Both of his hands were wrapped in bandages. Reporters crowded around him, cameras flashing from every direction.
A female reporter stepped forward with a microphone and a professional smile.
"It's truly thanks to Mumen Rider that this attack was resolved."
Satoru Suzuki faced the praise calmly.
"I only contributed a very small amount of strength."
His tone was serious and restrained.
"Also, I was not the one who defeated those villains. Please make that clear."
He had no intention of taking credit that did not belong to him.
He did not stand up for applause.
Nor did he stand up because he wanted others to praise him.
The reason he stood up was simple.
He wanted to protect the justice he believed in.
But the reporters did not care about that.
They simply turned toward the camera with bright smiles.
"Mumen Rider is too modest. Even so, there is no doubt that he is the hero who protected City F!"
Looking at those hypocritical reporters, Mumen Rider could only smile helplessly.
He turned away from the crowd and went alone to the bicycle shed.
After finding his bicycle, he took out his key, unlocked it, and rode away from the hospital.
However, halfway down the road, a single figure kept appearing in his mind against his will.
A beautiful girl with blood red eyes.
A mysterious existence who called himself Asuramaru.
"My name is Asuramaru."
"If you want power, then stake everything to earn my recognition."
"I will be watching you."
Mumen Rider gripped the handlebars a little tighter.
The wind brushed past his helmet.
For a long while, he said nothing.
Then, beneath the afternoon sun, he pedaled forward again.
.....
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