"Long live Lord KING!!"
"Strongest of mankind!!"
Waves of cheers slammed Lin Mo's ears.
He stood in the wrecked street, under a startlingly clear blue sky after the storm.
Golden sunlight creased his tall silhouette.
[Ding! Detected: host is at the center of universal attention; harvested 'Adoration' emotion energy! +1000 Energy Points!]
[Ding! Harvested massive 'Awe' emotion energy! +1000 Energy Points!]
[Ding! Detected Deep Sea King's extreme shock; +1000 Energy Points!]
The cheering swelled, even drowning sirens approaching.
Faces mingled with the joy of survival and reverence for KING.
They tried to surge forward, but an invisible aura held them back; they didn't dare step close.
At the edge of the crowd appeared a bald man in a yellow suit with a white cape— Saitama finally arrived late.
He ran onto the street, saw the vanished Deep Sea King and KING in sunlight, and scratched his smooth head.
"Huh? It's… already over?"
He looked around— yep, nothing left to do.
He had been with Genos when the Association's alert came; he'd chased a suspicious figure, but lost him.
He'd told Genos to go ahead… Where was Genos now?
He glanced at KING ringed by people— even Saitama felt the odd aura.
"Well, so long as it's handled." Not one for crowds, he didn't greet KING.
He shrugged and slipped away as quietly as he'd come, vanishing from the cheers.
Lin Mo hadn't noticed him. He stooped, gently lifted the sleeping Unlicensed Rider.
The move confused many; in the eyes of KING's fervent fans, it took on deeper meaning.
"See? Lord KING carried that C-Class himself!"
A young man in a homemade KING fan shirt shouted to a friend, voice trembling with excitement.
"That means Lord KING acknowledged his courage! Even if you're weak, as long as you resist, you'll earn the strongest's respect!"
"That's real heroism! Strong, confident, and kind!"
The crowd opened a path by themselves.
Holding Unlicensed Rider, Lin Mo walked steadily toward the other end of the street.
There, Association logistics and medics had strung up a temporary cordon; ambulances flashed red and blue; staff waited anxiously.
His back stretched long in the sunlight, silent and solitary—etched deep into every survivor's mind.
After handing Unlicensed Rider to medics, Lin Mo, under staff escort, prepared to board a special car and leave.
He never looked back at the cheering crowd—his coolness only added to his mystery and power.
However, once the hero's figure was gone, suppressed murmurs began to stir.
"Say, what was that C-Class—Unlicensed Rider— doing just now?"
A man with glasses, still shaken, wiped his brow and spoke to a companion.
He needed talk to push away the lingering fear.
"What else— playing hero," his friend snorted.
"What can a C-Class do before a Demon? Besides getting killed? If Lord KING hadn't arrived, he'd be a smear."
Others nearby tuned in.
Unnoticed, the emotion from Unlicensed Rider's courage began to fade against cold logic.
"That's not fair, he was… brave?" a young girl ventured softly.
"Brave?" The glasses man pounced, louder now.
"You call that brave? That's stupid! Overestimating himself! If he had any sense, he'd know he'd only be a burden!"
He grew more agitated. "Think how critical it was! If Lord KING had to split focus to save him—"
"If— I say if— that messed up Lord KING's performance and he lost to Deep Sea King— who would bear the cost? Could a mere C-Class carry it?!"
The sharp words thudded into many hearts.
True—rationally, Unlicensed Rider's actions were meaningless, even disruptive.
Before absolute power, courage looked cheap and laughable.
"Exactly! He wanted the spotlight! A national live broadcast—he just wanted face time to boost his ranking!" someone chimed in.
"I've seen plenty like him—fools who risk life for fame!"
"The Association should strip his license! Don't encourage this!"
"Yeah! Disgrace of the hero world!"
The mood skewed rapidly.
Fresh from mortal terror, minds were hyper-aroused and unstable; they craved a vent.
Trampling a weak man underfoot gives a fake safety and superiority.
So they mocked and condemned the one who had used his life to shield them, pretending to separate themselves from "weakness" and "stupidity."
Just as the wave swelled to swallow Unlicensed Rider's little glory, an icy voice cut in.
"What did you… just say?"
The men with spittle flying turned to see three young guys in KING-print tees glaring coldly.
The leader had a buzz cut, fierce eyes, and faded tattoo lines on his neck.
They were hardcore KING fans— calling themselves the "King Engine" support club.
"We were talking about that C-Class hero…" the glasses man began, but the buzz-cut cut him off roughly.
"I asked what tone you're using— to discuss a hero Lord KING acknowledged."
The voice wasn't loud, but the pressure inside it quieted those nearby.
The glasses man balked, but tried to bluster:
"I… I'm just stating facts! And for Lord KING's sake! That C-Class clearly made trouble…"
-------
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