A Farmer Carrying Explosives Is Perfectly Reasonable, Right?

Hearing the thunderous crash echo across the farm, Dio did not dare look back.

He finally understood his father's courage.

It was not a reckless charge, but choosing to stand before those he loved even when he knew the danger.

Gritting his teeth, Dio grabbed Clark's arm and hoisted it over his shoulder.

"Hang in there, big guy. Let's go!"

Clark nodded weakly, allowing the unknown being to support him toward the tractor.

His fingertips had turned an unnatural bluish gray, and every step seemed to drain all his strength.

The metal monster seemed to sense their intentions. It suddenly let out another piercing metallic shriek, and the Kryptonite glow in its chest flared brilliantly!

"Bzzzz—!"

A visible green energy wave spread outward. Clark immediately groaned, his knees buckling as he nearly fell to the ground.

"Clark!"

Dio cried out, desperately dragging him, together with The World, toward the tractor.

Within the curtain of rain, the green radiance kept intensifying, casting the entire farm in flickering light and shadow.

"Bzzzz—!"

"ORA!!!"

The monster let out a metallic screech that was almost a scream. Seizing the opening, Dio finally dragged Clark onto the tractor. Trembling, he turned the key, and the old engine let out a hoarse roar.

The tractor started, its rumbling engine drowning out the monster's howls.

Dio could not help looking back.

Star Platinum had leaped high into the air, its fist carrying immense force as it smashed down toward the monster's head.

Behind it, blood stained the corner of Locke's mouth, yet he was still smiling.

That smile seemed to say: Don't worry, son.

Your dad will always be your dad.

"Hang on, hang on." Watching Locke's solitary back in the rain, Dio nearly crushed the steering wheel in his grip. "I'll be right back, Dad."

The tractor roared into the rain, while behind it—

The metal monster's shrieks intertwined with Star Platinum's battle cries as purple fists and green radiation clashed fiercely in the night—

"Good grief."

"You really are hard to get rid of."

Staring at the monster that had stopped before him, seemingly "looking" at him, Locke paused before curling his lips into a smile.

"Star Platinum! The World!"

Time froze.

Raindrops hung motionless in midair, while the lightning's glow solidified into a pale white crack.

In this frozen world, only Star Platinum became a purple afterimage, charging at the monster at speed beyond its limits!

0.5 seconds!

The purple fist traced a dazzling arc through the rain, smashing fiercely into the Kryptonite on the monster's chest with a sonic boom!

Locke was no idiot. If time had stopped, why not strike its weakness?

"ORA!!!"

As the furious roar rang out, time began to flow once more.

Spiderweb-like cracks rapidly spread across the monster's body.

Chunks of metal began to crumble, clattering down like rain. In an instant, the monster shrank from over three or four meters tall to around two meters!

"Bzzzz—!"

With a metallic distortion that sounded almost like a scream, the monster staggered back several steps and crashed into the barn's outer wall, instantly collapsing the wooden structure. Flying splinters streaked white through the rain, several grazing Locke's cheek and leaving tiny cuts.

Yet he did not budge, his gaze locked firmly onto the struggling, shrieking figure!

"ROAR—!"

With an ear-splitting roar, the Kryptonite in WXR9's chest erupted with blinding green light!

The scattered metal fragments rapidly gathered as if drawn by magnets, instantly forming dozens of sharp metal tentacles before it. Like venomous snakes, they shot toward Locke!

"Hmph!"

Locke snorted, a trace of disdain flashing through his eyes.

It wanted to use the same move a second time?

"Star Platinum!"

Star Platinum abruptly appeared, its fists turning into a blur of afterimages—

"ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA!!!"

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

Mixed with rolling thunder, a series of crisp metallic explosions burst through the torrential rain!

Every incoming tentacle exploded into fragments the instant it touched the purple fist wind, silver metal shards scattering through the rain like fireworks!

And when the shattered metal wreckage fell to the ground, it twisted and writhed like living creatures, trying to gather itself again.

"Useless."

Locke stepped forward, pointing ahead with one hand as Star Platinum assumed a fighting stance.

"A month ago, I blew you to pieces."

"Now I can blow you up again!"

"Bzzzz!"

But the moment Locke finished speaking, the monster suddenly made a terrifying move.

It slowly raised its "arm."

The scattered metal fragments reassembled in midair, gradually forming a giant serrated scythe!

Rainwater slid down the sharp blade.

Under the Kryptonite's green glow, the entire weapon radiated an overwhelming aura of death.

Locke narrowed his eyes.

"Click—!"

With a flick of his wrist, he pulled a military blasting cap from his waist.

The World!

Catching the blasting cap precisely, Star Platinum hurled it forward with all its strength.

The fuse burned, hissing in the rain!

"Whoosh!"

Cutting through the suspended raindrops, the blasting cap shot straight toward the Kryptonite in the monster's chest!

Time resumed.

WXR9 hurriedly raised its metal scythe to block, but Star Platinum suddenly changed moves—

"ORA!"

The purple heavy fist slammed into the scythe's joint, forcibly blasting open a path for the blasting cap!

"Boom!"

Amid the explosion's firelight, countless new cracks appeared across the Kryptonite's surface!

The monster let out a piercing metallic wail and staggered backward.

As for Locke—

He pulled out three more blasting caps and clenched them between his teeth, lighting their fuses and sending sparks scattering through the downpour.

"A farmer carrying some blasting tools."

"That's perfectly reasonable, right?"

Star Platinum struck out with both fists—

Its left fist smashed the reassembling metal tentacles!

Its right fist stuffed the blasting caps into the gaps between the monster's joints!

"This is art, and art is..."

Spitting out the last blasting cap, its fuse already lit, a cold glint flashed through Locke's eyes!

"Explosion!"

"Boom—!"

A chain of white flashes illuminated the entire barn ruin as brightly as day, countless metal fragments turning into an iron rain within the flames—

At some point, the rain had stopped.

Moonlight poured through gaps in the clouds, casting a silver band of light across the ground.

Locke lay on his back in the mud, his brown curls covered in muck and metal fragments, his chest heaving violently.

"Ha ha."

Panting heavily, he turned his head to look beside him—

That tiny puddle of silver liquid, less than 30 ml, was still wriggling, slowly contracting like some dying creature.

The Kryptonite fragments had completely dimmed, their green glow utterly gone.

"Such a huge fuss." Locke laughed hoarsely. "And it turned out to be made of something this tiny."

"It really is..."

He raised an arm to cover his eyes, a weary curve appearing at the corner of his lips. "...amazing."

Come to think of it, those two boys were probably crying and making a scene by now. Jonathan and Martha's heads were likely about to explode.

Unable to suppress a laugh, Locke thought of the people who might be worried about him and had Star Platinum lift him up.

But just as he stood—

"Drip."

A drop of water fell from the barn's broken eaves, landing in the muddy puddle before him.

Then came a second sound, and a third.

But Locke could tell.

Those were not raindrops at all.

They were the sound of boot heels lightly tapping on wood.

Those guys had come for him?!

Every muscle in his body instantly tensed. Enduring the pounding in his head, Locke had Star Platinum assume a fighting stance.

"Easy, kid."

A hoarse voice came from above.

Under the moonlight, a tall figure crouched atop a broken barn beam, the hem of his leather trench coat swaying slightly in the night breeze. "Your tactics weren't bad."

The man had a cigarette between his lips, his graying hair tied into a short braid behind his head.

"Oh, right."

He slowly rose to his feet, a faint but palpable sense of danger emanating from him.

"That force that pushed aside the monster's scythe just now."

"Was that telekinesis?"