Limitless Ascension

Amid the dust and lingering crackle of twisted metal, a new figure approached, striding purposefully into the wreckage of City A. The man was impeccably dressed, his appearance almost surreal against the backdrop of destruction. Amai Mask's sharp features contorted with a mixture of frustration and disbelief, his eyes narrowing as he took in the devastated cityscape.

"What in the world happened here?" he demanded, voice carrying over the ruins. "I was filming a scene in the next city over when I got news that City A was practically flattened. Care to explain?"

Metal Bat scoffed, stepping forward with a glare. "We took care of it, alright? Alien ship, freaky multi-headed monster, the whole deal. You missed out."

Amai Mask's face twisted with indignation. "Took care of it?" he echoed, tone seething. "This entire city is rubble. What part of this looks 'taken care of' to you?" He crossed his arms, an accusing look in his eyes as they swept over the group of heroes, lingering especially on Azar, who stood a few steps back from the unfolding argument, clearly uninterested.

Azar's attention was drawn elsewhere. Moving away from the brewing confrontation, he began scanning the massive, twisted hull of the spaceship. A faint booming sound drifted from within, just on the edge of his perception. His brow furrowed in curiosity as he took a step closer, the echo gradually growing louder.

Meanwhile, Metal Bat stepped forward with an air of annoyance, glaring at Amai Mask. "Look, princess," he growled, "why don't ya go back to whatever stage they dragged ya from, and leave the real work to the heroes who actually show up?"

Amai Mask's expression soured, but before he could retaliate, the booming sound from the ship intensified. All eyes turned to the massive craft, the faint rhythm now growing louder, like footsteps resonating through the metal ruins. A moment later, a figure emerged from the spaceship, silhouetted against the broken hull.

It was Saitama.

Dusting himself off and muttering something under his breath, he stepped out into the open, his expression a blend of mild exasperation and relief.

"Finally found the exit…" he muttered, looking around and taking in the destruction with his usual blank expression. He glanced at the surrounding heroes, unphased by the devastation around him.

Azar narrowed his eyes, watching Saitama closely. So he was the source of one of those massive energy surges during the battle. There had been more than one, though—and Azar had a strong suspicion that whatever lay at the other end of those surges was exactly what he was after.

Genos quickly closed the distance between himself and Saitama, concern evident on his face. "Sensei! Are you alright? Did you defeat their leader?"

Saitama gave a small nod, scratching his cheek absentmindedly. "Yeah. He was definitely the strongest guy I've fought so far," he said, almost with a note of satisfaction. He looked around at the devastation and shrugged. "Big spaceship, big fight, big mess."

Azar, watching with a gleam of intrigue, saw his chance. Saitama had defeated this alien leader—the most powerful foe he'd ever faced. That meant that somewhere in the wreckage lay the remains of an immensely powerful creature. If Azar could harness the residual energy from that being, if he could devour the essence of such strength... His fist clenched with anticipation.

He moved quietly, almost imperceptibly, slipping past the heroes absorbed in conversation. His eyes flickered across the remains of the spaceship, pinpointing where the clash of powers felt strongest. Azar was no stranger to power, but Saitama's was on a level unlike anything he'd sensed before. The idea of siphoning even a fraction of the strength Saitama considered "strong" sent a thrill through him. 

The silence of the shipwrecked ruins enveloped Azar as he moved deeper into the shadows, letting the faint pull of his Devouring Law guide him. The energy he sensed ahead was unlike anything he'd felt before. Following the waves of dormant, yet overwhelming, power, he soon found himself standing before the twisted remains of a once-mighty figure. It was the alien leader's corpse, shriveled and lifeless, yet radiating an energy so intense that it felt as if the creature's very essence had seeped into the air around it.

Without hesitation, Azar extended his hand, feeling his Devouring Law surge forward, wrapping around the corpse like tendrils of invisible force. The energy seeped into him at first like a gentle river—then quickly intensified, flooding his body with raw, alien power. His muscles expanded with strength, his senses sharpened beyond anything he'd ever known. He could feel every pulse, every beat of power coursing through him, doubling his strength, then quadrupling it.

His breaths quickened as the energy compounded further, pushing past levels he had previously considered unimaginable. His power was growing exponentially, not just increasing but multiplying with an unrelenting force. Eight times, then sixteen times, then thirty-six times—each wave felt as if it could split him apart, and yet he held on, pressing deeper into the boundless ocean of strength pouring into him.

Azar gritted his teeth as he felt the familiar sensation of his body nearing its limit. Even with his Devouring Law, the human body had boundaries, physical limitations that couldn't be ignored. He could feel that threshold looming, the ceiling he'd always thought was unbreakable. And then, as if sensing his defiance, the energy surged, shattering that limit with a force that nearly knocked him off his feet.

The boundaries of his human shell disintegrated, breaking under the weight of raw power as he transcended. A new realm opened before him, one where energies of different frequencies danced across his senses like a newly unlocked spectrum of colors. He could see it, a sea of endless potential all around him, pulsing and alive. He felt as though he was part of something greater, no longer shackled by the constraints of a mere human body. In this new state, he could sense the world's energies in their truest, most unrefined form, as if he had touched the very essence of life and strength itself.

A mad chuckle escaped his lips, growing into a full, resounding laugh that echoed across the destroyed landscape. He felt invincible, his skin humming, his blood alive with an unceasing, fiery vitality. The strength coursing through him was unlike anything he'd experienced before; he was beyond anything he'd ever imagined possible.

As the last traces of Boros's energy fused with his being, Azar stood there, basking in his newfound power. In this state, he felt untouchable, like a force of nature that transcended mortal limits.