At the center of the storm of dust and chaotic energy on the arena.
Saitama's seemingly ordinary fist, carrying terrifying power, once again sent No.17 staggering back.
No.17's arm trembled slightly. Fine cracks appeared on his black jacket.
Through successive exchanges, Saitama's incredible power and nearly flawless defense had made him feel a pressure he hadn't felt in a long time.
Though this pressure was far from dangerous, it at least proved that this bald man was qualified to be the climax of this 'game'.
Just then, No.18, who had been watching silently, moved.
She suddenly joined the fray, attacking Saitama alongside No.17.
"Hey, hey?" Saitama was caught off guard, looking at No.17 with confusion. "Wasn't it just needing to beat you?"
No.18 chuckled. "The rules have changed, baldy. During the time you left Earth to train in space..."
She paused deliberately, her gaze seemingly piercing the camera, meeting the eyes of billions watching.
"The beings you call your 'compatriots' on Earth once again proved how much they 'fail to cherish Heroes' with their stupidity and baseness."
"A Hero who risked exposing his 'ugly' true form to protect them was met not with gratitude, but with curses, fear, even calls for other Heroes to kill him."
"This spectacle greatly displeased my master. So, as punishment... you must defeat us both to 'truly' save Earth~"
Before screens worldwide, countless faces were etched with shame.
To save Earth, Saitama had endured grueling training in space.
And they had not only contributed nothing but had made things worse, doubling the final trial.
Along with shame came a deeper fear.
"Did I hear that right? No.18 just mentioned a master?"
"Does that mean No.17 and No.18 aren't the final bosses? There's an even more terrifying being behind them?"
This speculation sent chills down countless spines, making their scalps tingle.
They desperately told themselves it was impossible.
It had to be a figure of speech, anything but what they feared!
On the arena, Saitama paused, processing No.18's explanation.
He rubbed his smooth head, taking a few seconds to absorb the information.
Then, the confusion left his face.
"Oh, I see," he nodded. "So I just need to beat both of you, right?"
"Correct," No.17 said coldly, resuming his fighting stance.
No.18 casually rotated her wrist, terrifying energy rippling around her.
"Then," Saitama clenched his fists, his eyes burning with fierce battle spirit, "let's continue!"
The battle resumed.
The coordination between No.17 and No.18 was terrifyingly seamless.
They seemed to share a single consciousness, their attacks relentless as a tide and as interlocking as precise gears, flawless.
No.17's power was fierce and overwhelming, leading the frontal assault.
No.18's speed was tricky and cunning, harrying from the side, her energy manipulation more sophisticated and varied.
Facing this combined attack, Saitama immediately felt a different kind of pressure.
If he'd had the upper hand against No.17 alone, using his strength and physical advantages,
Now, under their combined assault, he was quickly overwhelmed, struggling to hold his own.
He felt trapped in a quagmire, each block and dodge an effort, counterattacks difficult to land.
The global audience's hearts were once again in their throats.
The flame of hope, just rekindled, seemed about to be extinguished by this harsher reality.
"This is bad. They're too strong together."
"Can Mr. Saitama hold on?"
However, amidst this seemingly precarious situation,
Saitama's body, forged through countless limit-breaking training sessions, was rapidly assimilating the pressure of the combined assault, transforming it into fuel for evolution.
Setsuna watched from below. This was the most terrifying aspect of Saitama after breaking his limiter: his near-infinite capacity for growth.
He understood this deeply, because his own soul had also transcended its limits, allowing it to grow continuously in its current state.
Saitama, initially struggling and on the defensive, gradually improved. His dodges became more precise, narrowly avoiding fatal strikes with minimal movement.
His blocks became more efficient... he began predicting their attack patterns and deflecting them with minimal effort.
His counterattacks, though still difficult to threaten both simultaneously, began interrupting their coordination, creating brief openings.
Saitama's physical ability was visibly improving.
For the first time, a serious look appeared in No.17 and No.18's eyes.
They could clearly sense this bald man's growth.
"Hah!" Saitama let out a low growl, no longer solely on the defensive.
Seizing a tiny gap during one of No.18's energy transitions, he stepped forward, his right fist, like a dragon freed from its shackles, carrying even greater power than before, actively striking at No.17, who was leading the assault.
"Super Serious Punch!"
Thud!
An unprecedented roar.
At the point where their fists met, space seemed to shatter into a dark void.
A shockwave of terrifying force erupted behind No.17 like a tsunami. The earth was torn asunder for countless kilometers. The entire planet was split by this single blow.
Before this power, all geographical concepts became meaningless.
Where the energy torrent passed, the crust was lifted like a fragile eggshell, revealing the mantle with flowing magma below, then the core, radiating terrifying gravity and intense heat.
This path of destruction began at the A-City arena ruins, tore through the continental shelf, split the ocean, and finally burst out the other side of the planet.
A massive fissure ran through the globe. The core was exposed to the vacuum of space, wildly spewing energy and matter.
The planet's plates shattered completely, triggering global megatsunamis and earthquakes.
The atmosphere was torn apart, cosmic rays and solar wind pouring in unimpeded.
Magnetic fields went haywire... the climate system instantly collapsed.
"Oh no!" Saitama remained in his punching pose, staring at the hellish scene before him. He clutched his bald head, crying out in anguish.
"I hit too hard!"
Most of the global live feeds had turned to static or black screens after the initial terrifying energy impact.
The few remaining satellite feeds trembled as they captured the hellish scene.
Before their screens, people could only feel the bitter irony. In the final moment, just as victory seemed within reach, Earth had been destroyed by its own Hero.