Chapter 228: The Final Battle!
Behind Sonic, the other heroes emerged through the opening in the roof one after another.
They arrived just in time to witness Melzargard being completely destroyed.
For many of them, this was the first time they had seen Sonic's strength so clearly.
One of the Dark Matter Thieves' three Great Generals had been reduced to pieces before he could mount any meaningful resistance.
Among the crowd, Satoru Suzuki stared at Sonic's figure in the air.
The distance between them was growing wider.
He had trained desperately, mastered multiple martial arts, created his own Breathing Style, and risen all the way into S Class.
Yet Sonic was still pulling farther ahead.
Inside the sword, Asuramaru sensed the anxiety stirring in Satoru's heart.
"The final moment has arrived."
Satoru's eyes shifted slightly.
Asuramaru continued.
"Boros is aboard that ship."
"If you defeat him, you will obtain all of my power."
His voice became serious.
"What will you do, Satoru Suzuki?"
Satoru fell silent.
His expression gradually became solemn as he looked toward the enormous spacecraft hanging over the ruins of City A.
Before he could answer, Sonic had already moved.
Without hesitation, he rushed toward the alien ship alone.
His figure grew smaller in the distance before disappearing entirely from sight.
Satoru watched him go.
A decision slowly settled within his heart.
Meanwhile, Saitama stood on the rooftop and stared up at the enormous spacecraft.
"It's really big."
He tilted his head.
"Are those guys aliens?"
After thinking for a second, he bent his knees.
"I'll go take a look too."
The rooftop cracked beneath his feet.
Saitama launched himself into the sky like a cannonball.
The alien ship immediately detected another intruder.
Weapons along its hull adjusted their aim.
A barrage of shells erupted from the side of the ship and rushed toward Sonic and Saitama.
Neither slowed down.
The bombardment posed no real threat to either of them.
Back on the rooftop, the heroes watched with different expressions.
Atomic Samurai narrowed his eyes at Saitama's rapidly disappearing figure.
"That guy's name was Saitama, right?"
He suddenly remembered their previous encounter.
Saitama had offered a handshake.
Atomic Samurai had brushed the hand aside and declared that he only shook hands with the strong.
Now, watching an A Class Hero leap directly toward an alien warship under heavy bombardment, he found the memory unexpectedly awkward.
Superalloy Darkshine stepped closer to the edge of the roof.
"Is there any way for the rest of us to board that ship?"
Genos answered immediately.
"My sensei is already inside."
His tone carried absolute confidence.
"He is more than enough to handle the interior."
Genos turned toward the devastated city below.
"We should concentrate on rescuing survivors from the ruins."
Tatsumaki immediately glared at him.
"What kind of nonsense is that?"
Her green hair lifted slightly beneath the pressure of her psychic power.
"You expect me to stand here and leave everything to some A Class baldy?"
She crossed her arms.
"Who exactly do you think you are, ordering me around?"
The argument quickly began heating up.
Satoru did not join them.
He looked once toward the enormous ship.
Then toward the ruins of City A below.
Without saying anything, he jumped from the rooftop.
He had already made his choice.
There were people below who needed saving.
That was where a hero should be.
At the same time, deep inside the alien spacecraft, alarms echoed through the command room.
A dark blue creature resembling an enormous octopus floated before several monitoring screens.
This was Geryuganshoop, one of the three Great Generals of the Dark Matter Thieves.
He was regarded as the strongest telekinetic user in the universe.
At the moment, however, even he was under pressure.
Two natives of this planet had already entered the ship.
One was the bald man in the yellow suit.
The other was Sonic.
Of the two, Sonic concerned him far more.
Melzargard had already been killed.
And far too quickly.
Before Geryuganshoop could issue further orders, the massive doors behind him opened.
Heavy footsteps entered the command room.
Geryuganshoop turned.
An armored figure walked forward.
Wild purple hair rose from his head, and beneath it was a single enormous eye.
The pressure radiating from him needed no introduction.
Boros.
Leader of the Dark Matter Thieves.
Dominator of the Universe.
He stopped behind Geryuganshoop.
"What are you doing?"
Geryuganshoop immediately turned and bowed respectfully.
"My deepest apologies, Lord Boros."
He gestured toward the screens.
"Two natives of this planet have infiltrated the ship."
"One of them has already killed Melzargard."
Boros's eye shifted toward the display.
For a moment, surprise flickered across his face.
Melzargard had served him for a long time.
He had not expected one of his Great Generals to die so quickly.
But Boros was a warrior.
Death in battle was hardly something he mourned.
His attention instead settled upon Sonic's image.
He could sense something even through the screen.
Power.
A rare anticipation stirred in Boros's chest.
"Guide the one who killed Melzargard to my palace."
His voice carried absolute authority.
"I will fight him myself."
Geryuganshoop lowered his head.
"And the other intruder?"
"Leave him to you and Groribas."
Boros turned away.
"Eliminate him."
"As you command, Lord Boros."
Geryuganshoop watched Boros leave the command room.
The moment the doors closed, he turned back toward his subordinates.
"Continue bombarding the city below."
"Call Groribas to the command room."
His tentacles moved rapidly over the control system.
"And deploy combatants throughout the corridors."
"Guide the intruder who killed Melzargard toward Lord Boros's palace."
The orders spread throughout the ship.
Alien combatants immediately began moving.
Elsewhere aboard the vessel, Sonic advanced alone.
His sword remained in one hand.
Blood covered the corridors behind him.
Every alien warrior that attempted to block his path died.
Some lost their heads.
Others were cut apart before they could even attack.
Sonic did not slow down.
"Asuramaru."
He stepped over another corpse.
"Haven't you found him yet?"
Inside the sword, Asuramaru expanded his perception through the alien vessel.
Corridor after corridor entered his awareness.
Then he felt it.
A presence so enormous that it seemed to shake the senses themselves.
"Found him."
Sonic's eyes sharpened.
"He is directly ahead."
A smile appeared on Sonic's face.
"So he's waiting for me?"
He increased his pace.
Today was the day.
If he defeated Boros, he would finally obtain all of Asuramaru's power.
Sonic crossed the final corridor.
A massive gate stood before him.
He did not bother opening it normally.
His foot slammed into the center.
Boom!
The doors flew inward.
Dust and debris swept through the chamber beyond.
A vast palace stretched before him.
At its highest point stood a throne.
A figure seated upon it slowly rose.
"So you finally arrived."
Boros descended from the throne.
His single eye focused on the silhouette emerging through the dust.
The moment Sonic stepped into view, Boros felt it.
An enormous amount of power rested within this warrior.
That alone was enough to stir excitement he had not felt in years.
"I can sense your strength."
Boros stopped near the top of the stairs.
"Before we fight, tell me your name."
Then he placed one hand against his chest.
"I am Boros."
"Leader of the Dark Matter Thieves."
His eye gleamed.
"The Dominator of the Universe."
Sonic stepped completely out of the dust.
He did not attack immediately.
For an opponent of this level, he was willing to offer at least the respect of an introduction.
"I am Speed o' Sound Sonic."
He raised Asuramaru.
"The strongest ninja."
His smile sharpened.
"And I'm going to kill you here."
Boros's expression changed.
A smile appeared on his face.
"Yes."
He slowly descended the stairs.
"That is exactly what I wanted to hear."
The coldness in his eye gave way to genuine anticipation.
"I travelled across the universe for years."
"World after world fell before me."
"No matter where I went, I was too strong."
His fist tightened.
"Eventually, no one even dared challenge me."
"For someone who lives through battle, there is no greater misery."
Boros continued walking.
"Then a seer told me of a distant planet."
"He said that somewhere on this world, there existed an opponent capable of giving me the battle I desired."
"That prophecy was made twenty years ago."
His smile widened.
"My subordinates believed it was merely a lie meant to send me away."
"But now..."
Boros looked directly at Sonic.
"I know the prophecy was real."
He spread his arms.
"Come."
"Give me the battle I crossed the universe to find!"
Sonic answered with his sword.
Lightning erupted along the edge.
His figure vanished.
Boros raised his right fist.
Sword and fist collided.
The impact exploded through the palace.
A violent shockwave blasted outward, tearing across the chamber and rattling the support pillars.
For a brief moment, the two remained locked together.
Then Boros's eye widened.
His body was blasted backward.
He crossed the entire hall and crashed into a massive support pillar.
Stone burst outward.
Boros became embedded deep within it as dust flooded the palace.
Sonic lowered his sword.
There was no triumph on his face.
He knew that strike had not decided anything.
His real battle was only beginning.
Within his mind, Sonic spoke without hesitation.
"Asuramaru."
His grip tightened around the sword.
"Lend me all your power."