As the feeling of utter doom abated, Luke took a step toward the Outer Zone.
Iwao grabbed his shoulder from behind. "What's going on?"
Luke didn't have the time to cast a Wall of Spirituality. "It is here," he said meaningfully. "It must have sent Its Claws to get Sam as well. The Warden must be fighting with them…"
Iwao was astute enough to guess that the Leader was talking about Conformity by his mention of Claws.
Which meant either All For One himself or Stain must be in the Outer Zone.
That feeling of despair and fear… Was it truly All For One?!
Iwao wanted to take that step along with Dr. Blessed as well. He wanted to go there and… and what? Die?!
Iron Mentor shook his head. "This is not our fight…"
Luke's brows rose behind the mask.
He could hardly believe it was Mr. Iwao who was saying these words.
From the gravity returning to normal, and the chill in the air, Luke could already guess that something disastrous was happening in the Outer Zone — in favor of Conformity!
If they didn't intervene…
Iwao's hand pressed onto Luke's shoulder, his fingers digging into his flesh.
Suddenly, Luke realized that the old man was shaking, struggling with his emotions as well.
He wants to go, too, Luke thought, seeing into Iwao's eyes behind the mask and sensing his feelings.
"That Alex guy is strong, Leader," Iwao reasoned, letting go of Luke's shoulder. "He will be alright. Meanwhile, our priority should be to run away with Dr. Sam. If the Claws are indeed here for him, then it's best to leave as fast as we can. Young Kazuho is in no shape to fight… And you…"
Iwao didn't look at the bird, but he knew Dr. Blessed would guess his next words.
Without a lifeform like Nyx, the strange Quirk to create new Quirks wouldn't work, either.
That meant, there was only one way to even stand a chance against the Claws was…
"… 30… 29…" Mushroom continued the countdown as Luke looked at it.
Luke let out a sigh, nodding.
A Magician never acted without preparation, he remembered. And they weren't prepared for a full-blown battle with Claws.
So, once again, running away was their best option.
"Let's go," Luke said.
Out of nowhere, both Luke and Iwao stared at each other, dumbstruck.
In between Mushroom's arrival with Iwao and then the gravity returning to normal, along with the monstrous feeling that rooted them to their place, somehow… they didn't even think about how they would leave this place.
On the other hand, Mushroom, who had been waiting to hear the Master's command, suddenly straightened its spine. It again pointed at its chest, looking super proud, all the little mushrooms on its body glowing and shaking in excitement.
"I have this thingy within me, Master," Mushroom explained. "Micro Nuclear Reactor… I combined the power sources of five drones… So… I can fly!!!"
Iwao took half a step back. "Did it say nuclear reactor?!!"
Before he could get an answer, though, Mushroom's entire body underwent a tremendous change.
In a fraction of a second, Mushroom's bio-metallic flesh, from its feet to its massive mushroom head, became three times larger.
A loud THUD rang as the enormous cyborg bent its entire figure.
"Hurry, Master," Mushroom's thick voice rattled the eardrums. "I barely have seconds…"
Sensing the urgency, Luke and Iwao, with Nyx and Kazuho in their arms, jumped over the cyborg's back without asking a question, Mushroom wrapping his arms around Sam.
"Grab tight!" Mushroom said.
A sizzling hiss resounded as tons of gas came shooting out from the soles of the cyborg's feet. Then, as the sizzling hiss became a roaring one, two trails of fire came out of its legs.
The power behind the jet-like fire was so much that Mushroom shot up toward the sky, windows shattering and earth cracking in its wake.
In only a second, it crossed hundreds of meters as Luke and Iwao held dearly to the large mushrooms on the cyborg's shoulders, blasts of wind trying to swat them away like bugs.
Then, changing its posture, the cyborg aligned itself parallel to the ground.
Now, looking at the scene, it was clear that Luke and Iwao were riding the hulk-like cyborg, seated comfortably on its back.
Such a display of speed had exceeded all expectations.
Even if Mushroom had only 15 seconds remaining, it could easily cross miles before it ran out of power.
"Don't worry, Master," Mushroom's thick voice rang against the roar of wind, as it prepared for an even more massive burst of speed. "I will… HOLD!!!"
A BOOM exploded in Luke and Iwao's ears.
In the very next moment, a caped figure appeared over their heads and punched Mushroom's mushroom head.
It had come so fast from behind that even Luke's Danger Intuition was only now catching up to the threat's presence.
Mushroom had reached the sky like a rocket.
It came down faster like a missile, breaking its own record.
A deafening shockwave exploded out where Mushroom landed, creating dozens of meters large crater.
From the sky, two figures came flying down and landed on the edge of the crater.
"I told you we would reach on time, didn't I?" the bigger one was saying.
"We almost missed them!" the smaller one hissed back.
"Haha!" the bigger one laughed. "… It's called a Hero's Entry!"
Yes.
They were Captain Celebrity and The Skycrawler!
Between the Hero Contingent's dispatch after the Villains arrived in the Outer Zone and their arrival at the Detention Center, not much time had passed.
They would have arrived here even earlier if Christopher hadn't stopped midway to change his clothes.
"Are they alive?" Koichi asked concernedly, trying to see through the dust.
"That thing felt strong…" Christopher said, feeling the numbness in his knuckles. "They must be…"
Before Captain Celebrity could finish his words, though, his pupils dilated.
Not only his, but even Koichi's body shook, time slowing down in his senses.
"GET DOWN!" Someone shouted from afar. "YOU IDIOTS!"
And, behind the two Heroes, a figure with red eyes appeared… holding two bloody swords!
********************
AN: Up to 60 more chapters are available in advance across three Tiers. [Use the link in my webnovel profile to access all options]
You can even subscribe Trial Tier for just 1 dollar to have an experience of exclusive chapters for an entire month. I hope a few of you will consider supporting the work.
100 Power Stones/day: +1 Bonus Chapter next day