The Centertown

BOOM!

BLAST!

BLAM!

The punches completely obliterated the boss's body, bringing an end to his existence. 

But, as soon as his blood touched the ground, Saitama's lower body started to fade, gradually disappearing into thin air. Saitama watched in awe as he mysteriously vanished.

The crater was once again left in silence as the reflection of the blue moon shone in one of the puddles.

On the other hand, Marcus had been hiding behind a rock twice his size, shielding himself from the battle between the two monsters. Confused, he closed his eyes as he began to fade away, just like Saitama.

Later, Marcus cautiously opened his eyes only to discover that he was no longer in the harsh atmosphere of the crater. Instead, he was teleported to a familiar place, the Centertown.

However, the town didn't look anything like he had seen earlier. It was barren. The air was cold and dry, as if the town were inhabited by ghosts. The scent of blood filled the atmosphere. The devastated tall skyscrapers, captivating buildings, and piles of debris showed otherwise.

As Marcus shifted his gaze from the buildings to the streets, he saw dead bodies of people lying around. The bodies were disorientated, some had no hands, some had no legs, and some were just heads. 

The sight was horrifying; the stench of decay lingered in the air, and the remnants of once bustling streets now resembled a graveyard.

Marcus slowly turned around as he was about to puke, but he saw Saitama brushing dust off his clothes.

"Mister, I think we got teleported to the Centertown!" Marcus cried as he approached Saitama. 

"Oh," Saitama turned towards Marcus. "You survived?"

"What do you mean by survive!?" Marcus stopped abruptly and turned serious. "It looks like something happened to the town before we arrived."

Saitama glanced around and stood agape with surprise. 

Marcus fixed his gaze on Saitama, furrowing his brow in confusion as he couldn't comprehend how Saitama hadn't seen the destroyed town. 

With a slight tone of disbelief, Marcus mumbled, "Wait, I thought you were teleported here before me."

"..." Saitama pointed towards a rolling head. "Any idea on what happened?"

Walking towards Saitama, Marcus sighed. "Like I said, I just arrived-" 

Suddenly, his eyes met a trail of blood that was created by the movement of the head, and surprisingly, it was very long. 

Curiosity took over Marcus's brain as he changed his direction to that of the trail. "Mister, I think I might have found the answer."

Saitama noticed the trail as well and decided to follow. "I wonder if the town had any supermarkets."

On the way, they saw more lifeless bodies, experienced the vibe of a ghost town, and the utter silence that gave Marcus chills. 

"I cannot believe that the town I grew up in would be wiped out," Tears of sadness and nostalgia hit Marcus as his eyes flooded. "Who would've thought that the place I wanted to protect as a kid would no longer exist."

Marcus entered into a flashback. 

He was standing in a green garden full of flowers and luscious trees. A lady, whose face was blurred in his memory, wore a beautiful white attire and smiled at him as he rolled through the garden. 

Flashing a wide grin, Marcus exclaimed. "Mom, I'll become a hero and protect this town from Arplesis and our great-grandfather!"

The lady chuckled and replied in her soothing voice. "Yes, you will, Marcus."

Making a clenched fist, Marcus threw punches in the air. "I'll beat them up if they try to approach us."

He returned back to reality. "If only I could relive those beautiful days of childhood."

"Anyways," He wiped off his tears and smiled again. "Mister, when did you become bald? Are you in your fifties?"

Saitama started to furrow his brow in frustration as his fist clenched automatically. "I'm still 25, and I became bald because I trained very hard every day until my body gave out."

"So, is that the secret to this strength?" Marcus questioned, his face clearly showing his curiosity.

"Yes," Saitama sighed, quelling his frustration.

Suddenly, Marcus burst into laughter. "You're very funny!"

After a few minutes, they reached the end of the trail. It ended just before a large, suspicious-looking mansion.

The villa looked nothing less than a place where a lot of ghosts dwell. It was particularly spooky, as if decorated for the occasion of Halloween. But, after observing the situation in the town, Marcus seemed to be unfazed.

The manor had a lot of windows, a colossal door, and a garden filled with heaps of garbage.

"From all the things I've seen, I can make out that this town was either attacked by a strong monster or by an undead," Marcus started to tap his chin as he pondered. "If only the mayor were here, he could have solved the mystery."

Saitama stared at the mansion and was intrigued by its spookiness. "Do you think there will be strong monsters inside?"

"Uhh..." Marcus looked around, thinking about what to say. "Probably."

"Then, let's go inside," Saitama exclaimed as he began walking towards the colossal entry.

"Wait," Marcus shouted. "I think they might be undead, and from what I can recall, they are unaffected by physical attacks. So, don't you think we should prepare beforehand?"

"Hoh!" Saitama made a fist and smacked his palm to show that he understood. "So, they're strong."

"I brought two of the strongest pistols that we've created for battling Arplesis," Marcus began searching in his pockets. "The mayor had anticipated that Arplesis might be using undead, so he gave them to us..."

He pulled out two tiny discs, but as soon as he looked up, Saitama was nowhere to be seen. "Mister!?"

He panicked but quickly noticed that one of the colossal doors at the mansion's entrance had been forcefully torn apart.

"No way!" He sprinted towards the manor. "It's time I find out what happened to my city."

TO BE CONTINUED...