Chapter 416 - Monster Puppet

*CRASH*

*CRACK*

With each strike of his, more puppets fell down on the ground, missing body parts.

''True Iron Style, Iron Predator!'' He crossed his arms, and his hands slowly transformed until they resembled a lot of ancient beast's claws.

*SWOOSH*

He moved across the room with one step, leaving dozen destroyed puppets in his path.

He moved the mask on his face slightly to allow the air to leave and enter more freely.

Once he felt refreshed, he turned around and came face-to-face with an army of puppets, ready to smash his bones into meat paste.

However, not even a shred of fear was visible in his assertive demeanor.

Marshall, who was currently watching, felt fear.

He grabbed his hair and almost pulled them off from its roots.

''First Ichiro… Now, this guy…'' Regret started piling up.

He was the so-called Hero of Irio, the one who was the peacekeeper.

Criminals were too afraid to crawl out of their holes. However, that changed when Underworld members appeared.

Marshall was perhaps the strongest individual around, but the Commander of Irio's Underworld Base was working for a monster.

The monster that was way above his league.

If he wanted to stay alive, he had to compromise.

What was the use of being a Hero if he dies because of it?

He turned away from the path of heroism and entered the path of criminality.

For the first time since he chose his new path, he felt regretful.

Every good deed he did will be wiped out from the history books if news about his deeds comes out to light.

Everyone will remember him as the guy who worked for Underworld.

Perhaps, the next generation already won't remember his name.

He always wanted to be remembered.

He would be remembered ten generations later, but all that was about to disappear.

In front of him, a large red button was covered by a glass dome.

''Gulp.'' Marshall gulped, and his hand trembled.

If he pressed that button… Irio will be in ruins.

Thousands will die.

Children will lose their parents.

Parents will lose their children.

However, everything he had done will be wiped out.

No one will know what happened here.

His eyes showed ruthlessness, ''It is the masked man's fault, not mine!''

*CRACK!*

He destroyed the glass dome with a punch and pressed the red button with enough strength to make the windows quake.

*BEEP* *BEEP*

The whole manufacturing room started beeping in red, shocking Ichiro to the core.

However, it wasn't only the manufacturing room that was beeping.

It was the whole Police Station!

The sound of sirens reached far away, and from the roof of the Police Stations, red and blue flashing lights colored the dark sky.

Citizens woke up from their deep slumbers and started wondering what the sound was.

Babies who were soundly asleep started crying.

The children, who were happily sleeping, woke up with irritation.

In Kurogami Residence.

Azura, who was hugging Ichiro's pillow, suddenly flinched and jumped on her feet.

She went to the window and looked toward the dark sky, which was not dark anymore.

Flashings of red and blue colors made the previous dark sky colorful.

She gulped, ''Hubby… You better not be there.''

*Bam*

The door opened with a slam, and Alena appeared in a hurry, ''Azura, are you fine?''

''I am, mom,'' Azura replied, without turning her head away from the lights.

Alena nodded, but then she noticed someone missing.

''Where is Ichiro?'' She asked but had a very bad feeling.

Azura turned around and innocently smiled, ''What do you mean?''

''D-Don't tell me.'' Alena saw the colorful sky, ''Please, don't tell me that troublemaker is doing something again.''

Azura shrugged and innocently moved strands of her hair behind her ear, ''Heh, of course not.''

Alena paled and almost fell down on her butt, ''M-Maybe we should get on safety, just in case.''

Back in the manufacturing room.

Ichiro stood in the middle of destroyed puppets, most of them missing limbs and body parts.

Suddenly, all of the assembly lines stopped, except one.

On top of the last moving assembly line, a puppet was being created.

A muscular torso in the color of red was connected with equally muscular legs.

Afterward, two muscular arms were connected with the torso, and lastly, a faceless head was connected on top of the torso.

The current Puppet looked vastly different from the ordinary white-colored puppets.

This one screamed word berserker.

Marshall hid under the table and started praying, ''It wasn't my fault… It was his…''

There was a reason why Government didn't create Puppets stronger than Martial Leader.

Martial Captain level Puppets could barely be controlled.

Martial Commander level Puppets couldn't be controlled.

And Martial General level Puppets were monsters that destroyed everything in sight.

The biggest reason for being unable to control them was the lack of a good enough program to be able to control them.

Martial Generals already are one Realm before being called Gods of the Mortal Realm.

If Government could create such Puppets, they would be unstoppable.

However, Marshall created the abomination that was banned.

He created a Martial General level Puppet.

And he already showed a lack of programming skills, and if Martial General level Puppets made by the Government and their expert team of programmers were uncontrollable.

What about a team of completely inexperienced in programming?

It was a recipe for destruction.

*THUD!*

Once the Monster Puppet took its first step, the ground shook.

''What did you do?!'' Ichiro ripped his mask off and screamed at Marshall.

Marshall stopped praying and widened his eyes in shock after recognizing the voice, ''I-Ichiro?''

He stood up with shaky legs and saw angry Ichiro standing a few meters away from the Monster Puppet.

''I-It was you!'' Marshall screamed angrily, ''T-This is all your fault! Y-You killed everyone!''

''ME?!'' Ichiro laughed with a crazy look, ''WHAT YOU DID HERE WON'T BE FORGOTTEN. HISTORY BOOKS WILL REMEMBER YOU AS A CRAZED LUNATIC!''

Marshall gritted his teeth and shouted back, ''Shut up! Everyone will remember me as Hero!''

''No, I will expose your vile deeds!'' A puff of smoke left Ichiro's mouth, ''True Iron Style, Iron Lance!''

Ichiro jumped across the air and crashed through the window with his hand in a spear-like stance.

Marshall widened his eyes in shock and felt a sharp pain in his throat.

Ichiro's middle finger stabbed through the flesh of the throat; however, before the rest of his hand could pierce through Marshall's throat, he stopped.

''You won't die here. You will live the rest of your days in a rotting cell!''

*THUD*

With an insanely quick strike to the temple, Marshall fell down to the ground.

After taking care of Marshall, he felt a presence looming over him.

He turned around and saw the faceless Monster Puppet looking straight at him!