The appearance of an S-rank hero and an A-rank hero alleviated much of the tension among the citizens. Some onlookers, out of curiosity, stopped in their tracks, eager to see how their heroes would deal with the Bat King.
"Just two heroes, one A-rank, and one S-rank? You must think too little of me." The Bat King's swarm of bats dispersed slightly, and as his height dropped to around three or four meters, his true form was revealed.
It was a short man, barely 1.3 meters tall, yet his weight didn't seem light. It was astonishing to see someone like him being carried into the air by bats, proving these were no ordinary creatures.
The sheer number of bats surrounding him created an awe-inspiring sight, akin to the descent of a demon lord, shrouding the skies in darkness.
Half the sky was filled with his bats, a chilling testament to his power.
"We don't need more heroes to defeat you. We're enough!" declared Smiling Superman. Without further ado, he charged toward the Bat King, wielding his massive sword, Jadeblade. "Take this!"
As the giant blade neared the Bat King's face, a surge of bats suddenly swarmed, instantly engulfing the blade's head.
Smiling Superman struggled to pull it free, but the bats clung to it tightly. Despite being living creatures, they felt as immovable as if the blade had been welded to them. No matter how hard he tried, it wouldn't budge.
His efforts only attracted more bats, which began swarming toward him.
Grinding his teeth, he had no choice but to release the blade and leap back.
The battle had only just begun, yet it was the heroes who were already at a disadvantage. The Bat King roared with laughter. "So, this weapon is your main attack? Looks like you'll need to buy a new one!"
As his words fell, even more bats swarmed over the Jadeblade. In just a few breaths, the bats dispersed, and the sword had vanished—completely devoured by the swarm.
"These creatures have an extraordinary appetite. They can even eat something like that," Smiling Superman muttered through gritted teeth. He hadn't anticipated the bats being capable of such feats. It was now clear that close combat would require extreme speed to avoid being entangled by the bats.
At that moment, dazzling light radiated from Flashing Flares' feet. In the blink of an eye, he had closed the distance to the Bat King.
"Flashing Kick!"
A flurry of rapid kicks, so swift they left only afterimages, came crashing toward the Bat King with immense force.
But the Bat King remained unfazed. Facing the relentless assault of Flashing Flares, he casually waved his hand. Several bats broke away from the swarm, spreading their wings to form a layered black circular shield.
The kicks landed on the shield, but the impact vanished without a trace, as if sinking into a bottomless sea.
"Go!"
With a low command from the Bat King, dozens—if not hundreds—of bats surged toward Flashing Flares. The hero braced himself to defend, but the bats suddenly accelerated, bypassing him entirely.
The bats intertwined with one another, forming a bowl-shaped black dome that trapped Flashing Flares inside.
"These creatures... they've cut off all my escape routes!"
Flashing Flares' expression turned grim. The Bat King hadn't launched a direct assault on him. Instead, he had used the bats to block every possible way out, leaving him utterly cornered.
The swarm of bats formed a thick "black dome," turning the daylight into a suffocating darkness. Inside, not a single ray of light penetrated—only countless tiny red dots could be seen, the glowing eyes of the bats.
"Flashing Fist!"
Flashing Flares gathered energy into his fist and launched a powerful punch. A gap was momentarily blasted through the dense swarm, letting in a brief glimmer of light. The bats caught in the attack screeched in agony before falling lifeless.
However, the gap lasted only seconds before more bats swarmed in to fill it, plunging the space back into darkness.
Agitated by the attack, the bats didn't scatter but instead pressed closer to the trapped Flashing Flares.
"Damned creatures! Don't think I'll be scared of you!"
The radiant energy in his fists began to build once more. Flashing Flares planned to break through the swarm in one decisive move and escape.
Suddenly, the swarm shifted, writhing unnaturally. Amid the chaos, human screams reached Flashing Flares' ears. To his horror, four humans—men and women, young and old—emerged as part of the "black dome," replacing sections of the bat swarm.
"Mr. Flares, help us! Save us!" cried a middle school girl in her uniform, her face streaked with tears.
The other three joined in, pleading desperately. The energy that had gathered in Flashing Flares' fists dissipated instantly.
"That bastard! Using civilians to threaten me!" he growled through gritted teeth, realizing the Bat King's cruel tactic.
He had the power to break free—there was no question of that. As an S-rank hero, such abilities were a given.
But the Bat King anticipated this. He wasn't foolish enough to send waves of bats to be slaughtered. Instead, he created a living barrier, replacing bats with innocent humans, forcing Flashing Flares into a position where he couldn't unleash his full power.
After all, beyond these four visible people, who knew how many more civilians were hidden within the structure? Acting rashly could lead to unimaginable losses.
Outside the Dome
Watching the ever-thickening "black dome," the Bat King cackled darkly. "Heh, I know you heroes have immense destructive power. But I won't fight you head-on. Instead, I'll threaten you with these human lives! Hahaha! You're a hero, aren't you? Let's see now—will you sacrifice yourself for these people, or will you abandon them to save your own skin?"
The Bat King's cruel actions sent a chill through the hearts of the onlookers. The originally one-person-thick "black dome" was now reinforced, layers upon layers of bats and humans making it impenetrable. Through the gaps, faint glimpses of human clothing could be seen—proof that more civilians had been forced into the barricade.
Flash Flares had been right: outside the dome was indeed a wall of innocent people. Any attempt to pierce through would result in at least five lives lost in a single strike.
"Damn it! Where are the other S-rank heroes? Wait… is that… King and Genos?"
Smiling Superman's gaze suddenly fixed on a point in the distance. Four figures were approaching, walking calmly amidst the chaos. Unlike the frightened crowd hiding in the shadows, these individuals chatted and laughed as they came closer. Two of the men at the front were unmistakable.
It was none other than King, the hero with the "Emperor's Engine," and Genos!
"It's King! We're saved!"
"And Genos! Amazing! That Bat Monster is doomed now!"
"Go, heroes! Take down that monster!"
The crowd's focus shifted entirely to King and Genos, their arrival reigniting hope. Ironically, the two strongest heroes already engaged in the battle were momentarily forgotten.
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