"Damn it!" Clint's heart jumped into his throat. He aimed down at the chaotic battlefield below, where jagged stone spikes jutted from the ground and purple flames leaped everywhere, but he just couldn't find a safe angle to shoot. The interference from that purple fire seemed to bend even high-speed arrows off course.
Standing at the very center of the storm, Saitama looked oddly "relaxed."
Faced with a gigantic purple-black stone spike that suddenly burst out from beneath his feet, thrusting straight up toward his crotch, he didn't even bother to look down. His right fist just swung casually, like swatting a fly.
Pff!
There was no earth-shattering boom, only a dull thump and a white shockwave rippling outward. That spike, hard enough to punch through tank armor and far tougher than ordinary rock, crumbled inch by inch from tip to base under Saitama's fist. The shattered stone was blown aside by the shockwave and couldn't get anywhere near him.
After smashing the threat at his feet, Saitama didn't pause for even a heartbeat.
Taking advantage of the brief stiffness in the monster's movements after unleashing its big move, a rare sharp glint flashed through his eyes (though it was still very faint). He pushed off with one foot, and the spiderweb of cracks he'd left in the concrete earlier instantly expanded several times over.
His body shot out like an arrow leaving the string, wrapped in the fierce wind generated by his own speed. He ignored the towering forest of giant purple-black spikes that turned the ground into a hellish jungle and drew a perfectly straight line toward the Purple Flame Giant Lizard!
In the blink of an eye, he was already at the monster's flank!
This time, his target wasn't the head or the claws, but the relatively "slender" junction at the base of its neck!
A simple, unadorned right hook.
Whoooom—!
The fist wind tore through the air, letting out a low, piercing whistle. His fist slammed solidly, with terrifying weight, into the monster's neck—right where the purple flames burned hottest and the outlines of energy-hardened bones were clearly visible!
Crack——!!
An even louder, clearer shattering sound than before rang out!
The monster's skull was whipped violently to the side by the massive impact, dragging its huge body along with it, making the entire hulking form tilt and spin. Purple flames sprayed wildly from the fist-shaped crater smashed into its neck, like a shattered lantern bursting at the seams!
It let out a shriek more miserable and agonized than any it had made so far. That punch had clearly struck some crucial support point or energy node!
"Effective!" Steve's spirits lifted. Using the stone spikes as cover, he quickly advanced toward the monster. Natasha seized the opening, leaping down from the spikes and melting into the shadows, ready to strike at the perfect moment.
High above, Clint finally saw his chance. His bow bent into a full crescent, the special explosive arrowhead gleaming coldly as he aimed straight at the monster's remaining eye.
Saitama's punch, which looked casual but hid terrifying power, had landed squarely on its neck with spectacular effect. The Purple Flame Giant Lizard screamed like its heart was being torn out, its massive body completely losing balance.
Like a fortress smashed aside by a giant battering ram, it staggered sideways, its heavy legs and long tail dragging furrows through the ground as it crashed and lurched seven or eight giant strides in a row.
Everything in its path was doomed.
A hapless semi-trailer was clipped by its massive body; the trailer tore and crumpled like paper, the cab rolling over and slamming into the storefronts by the roadside. Explosions roared as fuel ignited, sending flames and smoke billowing into the sky.
A sculpture in a small street-corner park was swept by its tail and shattered into a rain of stone fragments.
"Attack confirmed! The target's neck has suffered severe damage!" Natasha's voice came through the comms to S.H.I.E.L.D. instantly. "Saitama's punch was far more effective than any previous strike! It looks like he punched straight through its high-energy outer defenses and reinforced structure!"
"Beautiful!" Clint exhaled in the air above as his timing finally lined up. His bow was fully drawn, the custom explosive arrowhead flashing with lethal light as he sighted deep into the monster's mouth, now gaping in agony wide enough to reveal the darkness far down its throat…
(End of Chapter)
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