In the blink of an eye, the enormous metal bird monster and the entire vortex vanished without a trace. All that remained was a slow-falling curtain of metal dust, glittering faintly in the sunlight—like a strange kind of "snow." The sky returned to a clear blue.
The metal storm was completely over.
Iron Man descended onto the rooftop where Saitama stood. His faceplate slid open, revealing an expression filled with mixed awe and complicated emotion.
"Seriously… those fists of yours… they're more useful than any shell, laser, or even missile I've ever built. Ridiculous efficiency."
Saitama brushed at his shoulder where a bit of metal powder had landed, then glanced down at the cheap digital watch on his wrist.
"Oh. As long as the problem's solved." His tone was as ordinary as if he'd just gone downstairs to take out the trash. "I should go buy ingredients for dinner. Dunno if the supermarket still has discounted eggs."
Deep within the city, inside the sprawling maze of the drainage system, the air was usually filled with nothing but the dull sound of sewage flowing.
But today, an unusually heavy rumble like massive machinery crushing metal, was rolling up from far underground, mixed with a teeth-gritting sound of melting. It seeped through the narrow gaps of manhole covers and reached the surface, causing faint vibrations.
At the municipal monitoring center, alarm lights flashed wildly. The shrill buzzing made the workers' scalps go numb. On the main screen, footage from a deep-drainage surveillance probe made everyone suck in a breath of cold air.
It was a nightmare beyond belief:
A gigantic creature, dark red all over like it was made from cooled lava and blazing magma at the same time was slithering through a wide main tunnel at a speed completely mismatched to its massive size. Its length was roughly estimated at over fifty meters, and its diameter nearly filled the entire pipe.
Wherever it passed, concrete walls were torn apart with ease. Reinforced metal linings inside the tunnel, when touched by the terrifying heat radiating from its body, melted as quickly as butter pressed to a branding iron. Red-hot molten metal dripped down, splashing into the sewage below with violent hissing, blasting up huge clouds of white, ultra-hot steam.
"The target… the target is moving toward the main hub in District Seven!" a technician reported with a trembling voice. "At this speed, if it reaches there, it could melt the support structure and cause large-scale ground collapse!"
The message was relayed immediately to Ms. Marvel who was patrolling nearby. The young hero didn't hesitate for a second. She became a streak of golden light, found the nearest access point, and dove straight into the underground world.
Inside the drainage tunnel, a wave of heat slammed into her face. The air warped, visibility was terrible. Kamala used her stretch-and-grow powers to enlarge her body, trying to force herself into the pipe and block the terrifying worm's path.
"Hey! Big guy! Road's closed!" she shouted, bracing her expanded body and pressing hard against the tunnel walls.
The lava worm sensed the obstruction ahead. It didn't slow down at all. Instead, it let out a low, heavy hiss—like magma rolling deep beneath the earth. Then its head suddenly shot forward, and a tightly compressed, yellow-white, ultra-high-temperature steam beam blasted violently from its mouth!
The steam's temperature was beyond abnormal—so extreme it even surpassed the lava itself.
The instant the beam struck Ms. Marvel's body barrier, a stabbing burn tore through her. Even with her inhuman physiology—normally able to withstand massive impacts and energy—she was struggling to endure this absolute heat.
(End of Chapter)
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