“You are fast,” Asahi commented, amusement tugging at his lips. “I guess killing Zeniru was worth it.”

The ninja in black scoffed. “Call your father, little fuck. I don’t have time for your pranks.”

Asahi heaved an exasperated sigh and let an ounce of his killing intent flow. Sonic may have trained since he was young, but he was no match for a mere fragment of Asahi’s killing intent.

After all, he destroyed a city for enjoyment. He slaughtered monsters for fun. He had the instincts of a beast, rivaling the most perceptive fighters. And his mana had reached a frightening level, where he could create torrents of shockwaves by simply unleashing his mana.

Sonic shivered, his nape freezing like his heart. Asahi’s killing intent was like a deadly scythe of a reaper hanging over his neck.

Sonic swayed forward for a fraction of a second and zapped towards him faster than lightning. He drew the sword from its sheath on his back and slashed Asahi’s stomach.

He didn’t say anything to provoke. He didn’t flaunt his abilities. Instead, he went for the killing blow from the get-go, knowing Asahi’s strange powers.

The wind produced by Sonic’s sword raised a cloud of dust. He cleared the dust with another swing, and the scene struck him with terror. The man he called a little fuck had grasped his sword between his index and middle finger. Sonic merely used half of his maximum speed. Even so, that attack could have killed the best of A-Class Heroes.

Asahi flicked back Sonic’s blade and dusted his shorts. “You got dirt on my clothes.”

Sonic jumped back and landed a dozen meters away. He lowered the cloth covering his face and grinned ear to ear like a psycho. “You managed to survive the technique I have been honing since I was brought to the Ninja Village. You also killed my employer in front of my eyes. Both of your acts are unforgivable. My pride won’t let me go no matter who you are.”

Asahi beckoned Sonic. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

He needed to crush Sonic’s spirit then recruit him into the Blizzard Group. His wives alone couldn’t fulfill justice everywhere in twenty six cities. If he wanted to rival the Heroes Association’s big army, he had to bring more numbers on his side.

Speed-o’-Sound Sonic was a good candidate for his or rather Astraea’s organization.

Sonic darted to the tree with a sonic boom then another tree. His blurry figure zapped everywhere around him. The trees slowly fell apart with his speed and shockwave.

“Can you keep up with me?” Sonic laughed at the sight of Asahi standing in one place. “I dare you to stop my blade now.”

He was in glee, finding his opponent stationary. When the opportunity was ripe, he lunged at Asahi’s back and stabbed.

Asahi saw Sonic in his peripheral vision. Sonic’s wide posture was begging for a kick in the balls. Knowing how agonizing a nut buster was, he refrained from using his leg.

So, he gently raised his hand. His elbow connected with Sonic’s chin and threw him into a tree, then another, and another. He crashed face-first into the seventh tree.

Sonic quickly got to his feet and wiped the blade from his lips. Ninja Village had trained his body to the point he could break sound barriers.

“That was my fastest attack.”

Asahi appeared before Sonic. “It wasn’t that bad.”

Sonic gritted his teeth and pointed a finger at Asahi. “I am the strongest ninja there is. I am Speed-o’-Sound Sonic. What’s your name?”

“Asahi Marikawa.”

The name fetched a stupid look on Sonic’s face. “Y-You are the new S-Class Hero in town?!”

Sonic had heard about his deeds of saving the city from a disaster. He just didn’t think that hero would be of the same age as him.

“Yup.”

Sonic fell to his knees and punched the ground. “A hero countered my Ultimate Ninjutsu. This is a disgrace. I must train until I overcome this man.”

Sonic prepared to leave or rather flee and dashed toward the city. A slap sent him tumbling down a grassy hill.

Asahi caught up to Sonic. “Who said you could leave?”

“You want to kill me?” Sonic growled. “I expected nothing less from a hero. Flashy Flash was wrong in joining the HA.”

Asahi’s instincts prodded him. “Isn’t Flashy Flash a S-Class Hero? You two must share a deep history.”

“We were from the same class in the Ninja Village—why am I giving my history to my enemy?!”

“You aren’t worthy of being my enemy.”

Sonic heard Asahi behind me and a chill crawled down his spine. He didn’t see Asahi move or hear anything for that matter, as if the hero teleported behind him like a ghost. In other words, Asahi was so fast that Sonic’s eyes could not perceive it.

Sonic rolled forward then stood aghast. “What are you? What do you want from me?”

Sonic was stubborn, but he wasn’t an idiot. From their exchanges, he could tell Asahi’s speed was beyond his league. He was only alive because Asahi wasn’t aiming to harm him.

Asahi smiled. “Quite perceptive, aren’t you? I want you to join my organization.”

“What organization?”

“Blizzard Group.”

Asahi rolled with the old name since hadn’t chosen a new name for the organization. He was bad at naming stuff so he’d let Astraea decide it.

“Blizzard Group? I have never heard of it.”

“...”

“Well, are you threatening me to join it?” Sonic uttered with a baffled look. “I was sold by my parents when I was five. I trained like hell to stop the Ninja Village—”

“Shut up. I don’t need your backstory.” Asahi exerted his aura over Sonic. “I’m going to overthrow the Heroes Association. Will you join me or will you die?”

Sonic raised his brows. “Overthrow HA? I guess I’ll join you. I don’t have a choice in the matter.”

Sonic grinned, his fighting spirit rising. After several years of impasse, he felt a surge of motivation to train once again. Like the time he acted weak in his Ninja training to receive the harshest lessons.

‘Huhuhu, Flashy Flash. We’ll be standing on opposite sides. I’ll teach you a lesson for poisoning me that day.’

Asahi chuckled. Sonic made an excuse just because he wanted to train more and challenge Asahi again.

(Who will tell him?)

‘Not me.’