S.H.I.E.L.D.'s convoy began moving in to handle the aftermath. Captain America walked over and said to Saitama sincerely, "Thank you, Saitama. You helped a lot again."
"It's fine. I was passing by anyway." Saitama waved it off, more concerned about something else. "Oh, right, Cap—do you know if the supermarket around here closed early because of what just happened?"
Tony landed, his faceplate retracting. His expression was a bit speechless. "Are you serious? We just dealt with the vanguard leader of a dimensional incursion…"
"Tony." Steve cut him off, then said to Saitama in a gentle tone, "It shouldn't have. The crisis was resolved quickly—most shops will return to normal soon."
"Yes!" Saitama's eyes lit up and he instantly looked energized. "Then I'm heading out! I've gotta get back and get ready for tomorrow's sale shopping!"
After saying that, he ignored everyone else, stuffed his hands into his pockets, stepped over the mess covering the ground, and wandered toward home—his figure blending back into streets that were gradually returning to calm.
Tony watched his back and shook his head. "Sometimes I really want to know what's in that head of his besides discounted items."
Steve smiled. "Maybe that's exactly why he's Saitama."
And beyond Earth's orbit, at the source where the dark green cloud mass had dispersed, a far larger and more vicious shadow slowly writhed in the void. Its gaze seemed to pierce endless space, locking onto that blue planet. The next battle truly never stopped.
Saitama kept his hands in his pockets, whistling off-key as he strolled down streets steadily regaining order. Behind him were the sounds of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents busily sealing off the scene and clearing rubble, forming a sharp contrast with the everyday bustle gradually rising ahead. The crisis had come fast and left fast—so for most residents, it felt like nothing more than a sudden bout of bad weather that stopped just as abruptly.
His destination was clear: the large supermarket on the corner that always loved running weekend sales.
"Hope the milk isn't sold out… and eggs…" he muttered, not giving the slightest thought to the fact he'd just blown apart a dimensional vanguard leader with one punch. To him, that was no different from brushing dust off his clothes. The real "battle" was snatching high-quality discounted goods before the time limit.
Meanwhile, beyond Earth's orbit.
That dark green cloud mass that had begun dispersing after the gargoyle leader was destroyed hadn't vanished completely. At its source, the grotesque, enormous shadow convulsed violently once, as if offended by the vanguard's instantaneous annihilation. Several old satellites floating nearby—originally meant to monitor space debris—silently turned their cameras toward this abnormal region of space.
Inside S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Helicarrier command center, the alarms abruptly jumped up a level.
"Ma'am! High-energy reaction detected! Source is the coordinate point of the abnormal spatial rift from earlier!" a technician shouted nervously.
Deputy Director Maria Hill strode to the main screen, her face grim. On the display, an indescribable gigantic creature—formed of rock and some kind of dark green energy—was slowly tearing itself free from the void. Its volume far exceeded the previous gargoyle leader, comparable to a small mountain range. It had no obvious limbs or head—more like a living asteroid with constantly shifting form. Its surface was covered in holes that opened and closed nonstop, leaking an unsettling green glow.
(End of Chapter)
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