"I can win!"
After clashing fists with the rampaging Carnage Kabuto, that thought suddenly surged within Superalloy Darkshine's mind.
The monster's punches only caused a faint sting, insignificant, really, while his own Superalloy Bazooka sent Carnage Kabuto's fluids spraying with every hit.
That's right. Just like every victory before, this is something easily achieved. No twists, no accidents, just effortless!
His only "loss" had been the recent sparring match against Child Emperor during the unveiling ceremony, but strictly speaking, that wasn't a formal battle. Darkshine's defenses hadn't been breached, so it didn't count.
Ever since his physical training bore fruit, he had crushed every opponent in his path. He had never encountered a fight that forced him into a desperate struggle, leading to a sense of unparalleled self-confidence.
However, this confidence was built on the foundation of constantly bullying the weak. Once he fell into a true war of attrition, his mental state was likely to crumble long before his physical defense was ever pierced.
This battle can serve as a touchstone for Darkshine, Aomori thought to himself.
As time passed, the hurricane-force winds in the room grew more violent. The intensity of their mutual bombardment didn't drop; instead, it continued to scale upward.
Affected by the pressure, the light orbs created earlier flickered out one by one. Eventually, none were spared, forcing Aomori to manifest a new sphere of light, holding it aloft in his palm.
A single light orb couldn't illuminate much; the room inevitably grew considerably darker.
Huddled against the walls, Zombieman and the others had grown numb to the spectacle. They no longer felt the weight of their earlier defeat.
Against an opponent like that, how were they supposed to fight?!
And Instructor Blackluster was utterly ridiculous. Was this a level a human could truly reach?
Yet, thanks to witnessing such high-intensity combat, they found themselves setting higher goals. For instance, Puri-Puri Prisoner was already having new thoughts, wanting to model a "Black Tank" mode after Darkshine's example.
"Instructor Darkshine should be able to win, right?"
"I don't know. This has already exceeded the scope of my calculations."
"I don't know if the Instructor will win, but the Hero Association will definitely win in the end, because Chairman Aomori hasn't even made his move yet."
In their hearts, Aomori, as the Chairman of the Hero Association, was significantly stronger than Darkshine. If he acted, it would surely be a cataclysmic event, the kind where the very heavens collapse and the earth is ground to dust.
With Aomori holding the line, their sense of security was off the charts.
In the midst of the fight between the two muscular behemoths, Carnage Kabuto had completely succumbed to madness. Conversely, Darkshine's mental state was beginning to shift.
"Can I really win?"
Watching Carnage Kabuto grow more ferocious after every injury, as if he would never stop, Darkshine's confidence began to waver.
If this lasts another ten minutes and he hasn't been defeated, my prized muscles will start to take damage. If this continues, my win rate won't be 100%. That means... I might lose.
Lose?
Darkshine panicked.
With panic in his heart, the power in his fists diminished. The stalemate of the brawl broke, and the situation reverted to Darkshine being single-handedly pummeled.
Aomori frowned, thinking, Darkshine's mentality really is lacking. Oh well, he's basically a product of the gym after all; he shouldn't be compared to battle-hardened gods of war like Flashy Flash or Bang.
If that were the case, Darkshine's future positioning would need to be reconsidered. Either let him continue crushing weaker foes to avoid powerful enemies, or find a way to improve his stress tolerance.
How to improve it? No need to ask, just beat him a thousand times. Once he becomes numb to failure, he will no longer fear it.
But that would require Aomori to get much stronger. Currently, if he went in, he wouldn't be the one doing the beating, he'd be the one getting beaten.
As he pondered, he contacted Darkrai, who was observing from the shadows.
Upon receiving the boss's signal, Darkrai didn't hesitate. He unleashed a four-hit combo on Carnage Kabuto: Disable, Hypnosis, Dark Void, and Dream Eater.
Darkrai's attributes and stats had already completely surpassed Aomori's, and the power of his moves had increased accordingly. After these techniques hit, the rampaging Carnage Kabuto suddenly halted his pursuit. He stood in place, swaying unsteadily, with faint signs of his Carnage Mode dissipating as he reverted to his normal form.
Darkshine, who had nearly been beaten into a state of shut-in depression, didn't notice Darkrai's subtle interference. Seeing Carnage Kabuto looking "off," he assumed his previous attacks had finally taken effect. His lost confidence came rushing back.
"As I thought, I cannot lose!"
Darkshine returned to his peak state—no, he felt even stronger than his peak.
He closed the distance to Carnage Kabuto in a few strides, leaped, tucked his elbows, and swung both fists with all his might toward the monster's skull, unleashing his ultimate move.
"Superalloy Double Bazooka!"
Fists like tempered steel, carrying the roar of wind and thunder, slammed into Carnage Kabuto's head. The skull buckled and flattened. Green fluids erupted, drenching Darkshine's face and dyeing him a vibrant green.
Carnage Kabuto's massive frame crashed to the ground, reverting to his original form. His breathing had ceased.
"This Darkshine sure is fast." Seeing the Dragon-level kill he had been coveting snatched away, Aomori cursed Darkshine for being a "kill-stealer" under his breath. He deactivated the "Hero Association Founder" title and equipped Ultimate Hottie.
"The final form of artificial evolution... my painstaking masterpiece, Carnage Kabuto... actually died just like that." Dr. Genus stood there agape, refusing to accept the outcome.
Aomori, his charisma surging, offered a smile as refreshing as a spring breeze. "Dr. Genus, it seems I've won this time. I trust you will keep your promise."
"Sigh, what choice do I have? Fine. I'll leave the arrangements to you." Dr. Genus's heart was as cold as ash; he sat on the ground, no longer wishing to speak.
"Very good. Welcome to the Hero Association. Aside from your personal freedom, your other benefits won't be lacking."
"..."
With Carnage Kabuto defeated, the battle was over. The objective of conquering the House of Evolution had been achieved.
"It's finally over!" Tanktop Master and the others sighed in relief, gathering around Darkshine and Aomori.
"Instructor Darkshine, great job!"
"Incredible! I want to learn from you. How do you think I should improve my 'Black Tank' mode?"
Crunch, crunch...
Surrounded by flattering praise, Darkshine chuckled, flexed his biceps in a signature bodybuilding pose, and said, "This victory was all thanks to my thousand-fold tempered muscles! If you all want to get stronger, come train with me!"
"Next time for sure!"
Amidst the laughter, Zombieman walked up to Dr. Genus with a grim expression. "Genus, do you remember me?"
Dr. Genus looked up, adjusted his glasses, glanced at him, and shook his head.
"I am Subject 66. I escaped your control ten years ago."
"So it's you," Dr. Genus finally remembered. "I had a feeling back then that you'd return for revenge. It seems today is the day."
"What goes around comes around."
"Just now, your Chairman invited me to join the Hero Association, and I've accepted. It looks like we'll be colleagues from now on," Dr. Genus provoked him subtly.
"What? Chairman Aomori, is this true?" Zombieman looked toward Aomori, his face dead serious. "Chairman, the person who created these monsters shouldn't even exist. For the safety of the public's lives and property, I request his total physical elimination."
"Don't be so tense, Zombieman. I understand your perspective," Aomori explained. "However, technology itself isn't good or evil. If Dr. Genus's expertise can be used for the right path, it will surely benefit humanity."
"It's too dangerous, Chairman. I will stand by my opinion, but I will respect your choice." Zombieman maintained a rare level of calm, turning back to Dr. Genus. "I'll be watching you. You'd better not let me find you doing anything to harm human safety, or there will be consequences."
"Rest assured, I've given up on my dream. With that man around, nothing I do will ever succeed," Dr. Genus said, looking at Darkshine.
"It better be that way."
"Genus, let me correct your misunderstanding."
"What?"
"Darkshine is not the strongest existence in our Hero Association. There are at least four people who could crush him. The number of powerhouses among humans is far greater than you imagine," Aomori said.
And that wasn't even counting Saitama.
"Impossible!" Dr. Genus looked skeptical.
"You'll believe it eventually."
Shortly after, Aomori and the others returned to the surface to regroup with Suiryu and the rest.
In the ruins, they found Armored Gorilla, who was nearly scrapped by the EMP bomb, and they had captured a new mole-like monster who could dig tunnels, Ground Dragon.
With that, the mission to conquer the House of Evolution was officially declared complete.
The remaining materials were left for the logistics department to help transfer to the Hero Association.
Aomori left Darkshine and Zombieman to watch the site, while he took the others back to Hero Association Headquarters.
…
"Thank you, two big uncles!"
On the street, a little girl of five or six years old waved her hand and spoke in a milky voice to two men dressed in tracksuits.
"Be careful when crossing the street from now on!"
Saitama watched the little girl skip away, then rubbed his cheek and said to Glasses, "Do I look that old? I've become a 'big uncle' already."
"I'm the one who should be complaining," Glasses teased. "You've been knocking around in society for several years already."
"What's that supposed to mean? 'Knocking around for several years'? I'm only 22, okay? I'm in the prime of my youth. I can accept being called 'uncle,' but why add 'big' in front of it?" Saitama corrected him very seriously.
"That doesn't really matter, does it?"
"How does it not matter?"
The two bickered as they continued their long-distance run.
Using the favor of saving his life last time, Glasses had sought out Saitama to train together for the past ten days or so.
Though Saitama found it a bit of a hassle, he couldn't resist Glasses's enthusiasm and just went along with it.
Through their interactions, the two, who were close in age, quickly became well-acquainted.
From various clues during their time together, Glasses discovered that Saitama wasn't some hidden master living in seclusion; he was purely a novice who had started the path of a hero because he couldn't find a job. His meager living conditions weren't intentional. He was just truly poor.
None of this hindered Glasses's growing respect for Saitama. Simply put, Glasses saw him as a true hero.
In Saitama, he sometimes saw glimpses of Mumen Rider, which made Glasses feel a sense of kinship.
"Eek! A monster!"
There it was, the familiar cry for help.
For some reason, they always encountered monsters suddenly popping up during their workouts.
"Glasses, let's go!"
"Yeah!"
The two joined forces, and after a grueling struggle, they managed to slay the monster. They lay on the ground, utterly exhausted.
After resting for a while, they resumed their run until they finished their 10 kilometers.
On the way home, they stopped at a supermarket to buy groceries as they usually did.
Saitama, as always, picked out discounted vegetables and bananas, while Glasses selected various meats and fish, making Saitama look on with envy.
"Glasses, can you even finish all that food? Don't let it go to waste." His throat felt dry, and he involuntarily swallowed several times.
"I can't finish it alone. So, Saitama, do you want to eat with me? Today's lunch is a meat-and-fish hot pot," Glasses said with a smile.
"That's not right... I keep freeloading at your place, it's embarrassing," Saitama refused, but not entirely.
A meat-and-fish hot pot was truly tempting!
"What does it matter? You're my savior."
"That's true." Saitama felt Glasses had convinced him. "Then I won't be polite. Can we add some sukiyaki? I haven't had it in ages."
"Sure. Let's buy some spinach too."
"Ah, that's a good choice."
The massive pile of ingredients was eventually relocated into Saitama and Glasses's stomachs.
"So satisfying. I'm sweating all over from eating," Saitama said, lying on the tatami mat, unwilling to move.
"That's because you wouldn't let me turn on the air conditioner," Glasses said crossly from the other side of the table.
"Of course we can't turn on the AC. That would drastically reduce the effects of the training. If you want to get stronger, take my advice: never use the air conditioner," Saitama said very seriously.
"I got it, I got it," Glasses brushed it off, not taking it to heart. What did air conditioning have to do with getting stronger?
"Saitama."
"Yeah?"
"Why don't you join the Hero Association?" Glasses finally asked the question that had been lingering in his mind.
"Hero Association? What's that?"
"You don't know? It's an organization founded a month ago, aimed at gathering the strength of all heroes to better protect the people. To tell you the truth, I'm actually a pro hero in the Hero Association."
"A pro hero? I consider being a hero my profession now, so I'm a pro hero too. No need to go to some association, sounds like a hassle."
"It's not a hassle at all! The key is that there's guidance from veteran heroes and job training, it's super useful!"
"No, no, sounds like too much trouble."
"The Hero Association also pays a salary to every hero. I heard that even a C-Class hero at the lowest level has a base daily pay of 3,000 yen."
"A daily pay of 3,000 yen?!" Saitama immediately stood up, his art style shifting to a serious tone. "Let's go! I want to be a pro hero in the Hero Association!"
Glasses: "..."
He's surprisingly easy to understand.
"Alright. Come with me to the Hero Association Headquarters tomorrow."
"Yeah!"
At this moment, Saitama was overflowing with fighting spirit.