It's impossible not to feel a twinge of envy.
Watching the expression on the alien's face—a creature whose name remained a mystery—it was clear just how satisfied and overjoyed he felt in this very moment.
The city had long been cleared out; not a single civilian remained on the ground.
The landscape was nothing but broken buildings and ruins.
Would anyone really be this happy just smashing stuff up? If that were the case, why come all the way here to do it? You could wreck things anywhere.
In truth, Saitama didn't need to analyze the situation to feel it.
That alien wasn't wearing that expression because of the slaughter or the destruction; he was simply happy because he was fighting.
The tension of battle, the thrill, the sense of fulfillment—these weren't absolute necessities for Saitama. Even without them, he would continue to fight monsters.
But he knew all too well the hollow, lingering taste left behind when those sensations were stripped away.
If I had an opponent evenly matched with me, would I make that same face?
To pour everything you have into a fight, to risk your life in the heat of battle...
The other heroes didn't have the luxury of Saitama's detachment. That earth-shattering duel had turned nearly half of A-City into a graveyard of rubble.
Even among the S-Class heroes, most could only watch as the city was incessantly pulverized; those capable of keeping pace with the duo's speed and comprehending the reality of their clash could be counted on one hand.
Even I... am barely able to track them? Flashy Flash stared, his face a mask of shock and grim concentration.
He had always taken immense pride in his speed, convinced that no other hero, not even within the S-Class, could outrun him.
And yet... what was this?
These two weren't just faster than him; they were stronger, more destructive, and far more durable than anything he had ever seen.
One was seemingly unkillable no matter how many times he was slashed, and the other was immovable, no matter the force of the blow.
If I were the one up there...
Wait!? What is going on!?
A sudden shift on the battlefield made Flashy Flash's eyes widen.
As the ground split open once more, Alice was forced to break off her assault. After parrying a strike, she retreated a significant distance, her expression clouded with distress.
This abrupt pause in the rhythm of the fight didn't prompt Boros to press his advantage. Instead, he felt a strange, jarring stagnation—like being splashed with cold water just as the heat of battle was peaking.
Watching the unsightly, conflicted look on her face, Boros realized the reason behind her hesitation.
True, it meant nothing to him, but for her, this was her home, her planet.
It was only natural that she would feel heartache and be held back by such concerns.
But...
"It seems if we continue like this, our battle will never reach its conclusion." Boros narrowed his eyes.
He felt displeased, perhaps even angry.
Just as he was savoring the fight to its fullest, she had revealed an attitude that suggested she cared more about other things than their duel.
This gave Boros the distinct feeling of unrequited love—a one-sided obsession—and made him feel looked down upon.
Do you truly consider me an opponent who can be treated as a secondary concern during a fight?
I am giving you my absolute, undivided focus!
The anger didn't rob Boros of his composure, but it was enough to drive him toward a more extreme method of engagement.
Fine. Since you insist on being so timid and distracted, I will provide you with enough peril to ensure your eyes are locked onto nothing but me!
"It appears my subordinates have been all but wiped out. In that case, I shall finish you off before they are all dead!" As Boros spoke, white-purple energy erupted violently from his chest.
The space around them was already barren, but the crushing wind pressure and the sky-choking dust billowed up, a testament to the raw intensity of his power.
She can cause this much destruction just by letting the excess energy leak from her body?
High above, Tatsumaki couldn't help but cast a glance downward.
The telekinetic aboard the ship was clearly struggling. Under Tatsumaki's all-out offensive, the enemy had taken a few hits, though it wasn't enough to cause her real trouble.
And yet, only three short minutes had passed since the fight began.
She wanted to divert some of her focus to support Alice on the ground, but as if sensing her intent and refusing to let her interfere, the waning power within the ship surged once more, as if in a desperate, final struggle, burning brighter than it had at the start.
GeRyuuganshoop had never imagined it would be pushed to the point of giving everything it had just to pin an opponent in place.
It was truly giving its all. To contest Tatsumaki, it had linked its own body to the ship's power core, gaining immense, surging strength while its physical form endured the agonizing shock of that energy.
Even so, it could only manage to inflict minor, stinging wounds.
Lord Boros is completely serious now. I must hold on until he settles the score with that enemy, to create the perfect battlefield for him!
"That power! It's absolutely catastrophic!"
Child Emperor, clutching his custom-made device, broke into a cold sweat as he stared at the data. "If this energy explodes, the entire Earth will be reduced to cosmic dust!"
His words grabbed everyone's attention—Saitama included.
Strong enough to turn the Earth to dust? Is that guy really that powerful? Saitama looked back toward the girl, Alice, who still stood tall and unwavering across from Boros.
If this keeps up, Alice might be in danger.
With that thought, Saitama leaped from the rooftop. The only one to notice his movement was Genos.
Even Master couldn't resist going to provide support?
Could it be that the talk of destroying the Earth wasn't just empty words? Genos clearly didn't have much faith in Child Emperor—after all, the brat was one of those who had plotted against Alice.
Child Emperor didn't know he was being doubted. He turned toward King, who was standing near the Hero Association building.
With a whir, four mechanical legs, mimicking the limbs of an arthropod, extended from his backpack, launching him toward King with a few precise hops.
The other heroes, catching sight of King, felt a glimmer of hope and converged around him.
"King! If it's you, can you join a battle of that magnitude!?" Child Emperor asked immediately.
The Strongest Man on Earth—King.
Whether among the general public or the heroes of the Association, King possessed immense prestige.
After all, every battle he was involved in left behind terrifying, landscape-altering scars, and judging by the angles, the structural integrity of the ruins, and the nature of the destruction, most were the result of a single strike.
It was simply not something a biological entity should be capable of.
If it were King, perhaps he could intervene!
Me?
Thump—thump—thump—thump-thump-thump!
King's heart hammered against his ribs; he desperately wished he could simply vanish.
He had absolutely no idea what was happening, but even from this distance, he could see the ground and the skyscrapers being pulverized into dust.
They want me to join a fight like that? Are they trying to see how fast I can die?
--+--
T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL