blueteamnovel Chapter 167 167: The Great Purge
Chapter 167 167: The Great Purge
For a moment, Shinji was dazed, almost thinking the space-time traversal had failed. But when he opened his eyes and saw Psykos five years later, he realized it was only a coincidence. Wait... wasn't this Psykos's secret hideout?
"President Shinji... you're finally awake." As their lips parted with a silver string still attached, Psykos gazed at him with hazy, lingering eyes, as though she still hadn't fully recovered. Hearing her call him "President Shinji," he immediately realized his rewrite of events from five years ago had worked. Otherwise, she would have addressed him as Vice President Shinji.
"What was that just now?" he asked. At the moment, he was lying on Psykos's bed while she leaned over him, hands planted on either side, hovering above him.
"It's nothing. When I woke up, I found you slumped at my bedside, like you'd fallen asleep while taking care of me. So I laid you down so you could rest properly." She admitted directly, "As for that kiss... I guess I lost control for a moment. My mind went blank, and I don't even know what I was thinking."
"I see..." Shinji understood. It seemed that when he traveled back five years, his body in this timeline hadn't simply vanished but had remained here in Psykos's secret hideout. Given the flow of time, one year outside equaling a single day here, his trip to the past that spanned five years amounted to only half a day in this timeline.
"President Shinji, do you need to rest a little longer?" Psykos asked with concern. She leaned in so close their noses nearly touched. Heck, Shinji could even feel her breath against his skin.
"No, I'm fine now," he replied. Instead of pulling back, Psykos pressed even closer, resting her forehead against his as if testing his temperature. Satisfied that nothing was wrong, she smiled softly. "Looks like you really are fine."
Shinji could tell Psykos was bolder than before. Was this also a ripple effect of his journey to the past? When Shinji nodded, only then did she pull away from him.
Shinji sat up on the bed and cautiously asked, "Psykos, what's your goal right now?"
"Of course, it's to stand at the very top of the world. Has it really only been five years and you've already forgotten?" Psykos replied with a playful smile.
"I didn't forget. I just wanted to ask," Shinji said. "So you founded the Monster Association to help yourself climb to the top of the world, right?"
"Wrong. Not for myself." Psykos interrupted, her eyes shining, "but for us. For you and me, President Shinji." She corrected him. "That's why we have to defeat the Hero Association. Right now, they're our greatest obstacle. Since President Shinji seems to have regained his memories, I have to ask, do you intend to continue serving the Hero Association, or will you stand with me?"
Though Shinji had freed her from "God" five years ago, Psykos's ambition had not faded. She had abandoned the plan to exterminate humanity and returned to her original goal of standing at the very top of the world. To reach that summit, she still intended to lead the Monster Association against the Hero Association. A clash between them seemed inevitable.
"But you can't fully control the Monster Association yet, can you?" Shinji asked.
"You're right. To some of the executives, I'm just a strategist, not their leader. I don't have complete control over them," Psykos admitted.
"To defeat the Hero Association, the first thing you need is unity," Shinji said plainly. "If no one can keep the executives in line, internal conflict is inevitable. And if it happens at a crucial moment, it could cost us everything."
"I don't have that ability. But with you, President Shinji, it's different. I want you to take command of the Monster Association from here on," Psykos said firmly.
"...Alright. I'll do it," Shinji nodded after a pause.
Hearing that, Psykos's face lit up with joy. "President Shinji, you've finally come back to me!" She had waited for this moment for five long years.
"But for now, I don't want to make the Hero Association our immediate enemy. What I mean is we shouldn't harm humans or go out of our way to provoke the Hero Association. We need time to grow stronger first," Shinji said, his tone serious. "To be honest, the Monster Association isn't ready to face them yet. Can you trust me on this?"
"...I trust you," Psykos replied after a pause.
Usually, with Shinji back, she would feel confident enough to confront the Hero Association directly. She knew the strengths and weaknesses of every S-Class hero, while the Hero Association had limited information about the Monster Association. She could assign the right officials against specific opponents. For example, Ugly President matched well against Sweet Mask, and Gums could restrain Pig God. Psykos had long prepared herself to face Tatsumaki. Above all, President Shinji was their key card.
His caution, however, made her hesitate. She trusted him too much to doubt his judgment.
"Listen. Even if I persuaded Boros to leave the Hero Association and join us, our odds still wouldn't be great. We need more time to develop," Shinji explained. "Before that, we have to bring order inside the association. Those monsters need to follow our rules."
The rule was simple: no harming humans at will. With that policy, the Monster Association could operate without immediately provoking the full force of the Hero Association, and they could avoid drawing in Saitama's attention. Humans would tolerate harmless monsters, and Saitama never bothered with threats that did not endanger people.
Psykos raised no objections. She had already given up on annihilating humanity five years ago. Now, everything she did aimed toward one day standing at the top of the world alongside President Shinji.
"A purge is coming," Shinji muttered as he rose to his feet. He would crush every executive and member who refused to obey the rules until the association moved as one.