In the stadium, Child Emperor and Darkshine's spectacular performance earned cheers from the entire audience.
Mr. Oomoto seized the moment to announce the result: "Superalloy Darkshine was knocked out of the ring, so the winner is Child Emperor!"
"Child Emperor! Child Emperor! Child Emperor!" His adorable appearance won the hearts of many young women.
"Child Emperor, you were truly great," Darkshine said while shaking hands with Child Emperor.
"You're the really strong one. If the match hadn't had those limitations, the loser would definitely have been me," Child Emperor was high in intelligence and not lacking in emotional intelligence.
"I still haven't trained hard enough. I need to redouble my efforts. Child Emperor, do you want to join me?"
"Ahaha, I think I'll pass," he politely declined, as he had his own scientific training methods.
"That's a shame. My muscles shine brightly in the gym; they're very popular."
After the chat, Darkshine returned to his seat.
Mr. Oomoto then said: "Let's see how Chairman Aomori and the S-Class Heroes evaluate Child Emperor's performance."
Aomori: "It was a splendid match. What's even more remarkable is that Child Emperor is only seven years old. The future holds great promise for him."
Tatsumaki: "Nothing special, boring."
Bang: "Very impressive. At seven, I was probably still playing in the mud."
Atomic Samurai: "Children should be in school. Fighting is an adult's business."
Flashy Flash: "His inherent ability is too lacking. I hope he considers becoming my disciple; he could catch up to me in just a few years."
Darkshine: "Very strong, but I hope he trains his muscles more."
"Thank you for your comments, everyone. We believe Child Emperor will only grow stronger from here. Next, we invite the second winner to the stage, the physically-powered Tanktop Master. We wonder who he will choose to challenge?"
Tanktop Master had already made his decision off-stage and chose Tatsumaki.
"I've long wanted to experience the power of psychic abilities firsthand. Perhaps my Tanktop Power can gain valuable experience from it."
"Heh heh, I was just looking for a chance to stretch," Tatsumaki smiled happily.
The scene that followed was utterly brutal. In any case, Tanktop Master was eventually sent for emergency treatment.
"Oh dear, he was too weak. I didn't even put in any effort," Tatsumaki shook her head and returned to her seat.
"..." Aomori felt helpless. Just looking at the shocked eyes of the heroes left knew that Tatsumaki wouldn't have any more scenes for the rest of the day.
The third hero to take the stage was Drive Knight, who chose the untouched Flashy Flash.
Drive Knight didn't even have time to switch to flight mode before he was "instantaneously defeated" by Flashy Flash, forcing him to surrender.
Then, Puri-Puri Prisoner also chose Flashy Flash, and the match also ended in one second.
The following challengers, Suiryu and Zeburou, chose Bang. After exerting all their strength, they were easily subdued by Bang.
Pig God and Mysterious Mask chose Darkshine. Like Child Emperor, they couldn't penetrate his defense, but they did showcase a certain level of skill.
The final challenger, Iaian, chose to challenge his own master and was one-shotted by Atomic Samurai.
"Iaian, your swordsmanship is not yet mature. You must continue to work hard."
"Yes, Sensei!"
"Atomic is quite strict, isn't he?" Bang said with a laugh.
"He is. Atomic-sensei is not only demanding of himself but also exceptionally strict with his disciples," Aomori concurred. Ever since Atomic Samurai told him to practice his sword swings daily, he had checked Aomori's progress every month.
Aomori simply hadn't yet met his expectations.
With this, the challenge matches concluded. Apart from Child Emperor defeating Darkshine, the other matches all resulted in an overwhelming victory for the S-Class Heroes.
Everyone had now learned of the immense power of the S-Class Heroes, monstrous-level beings far surpassing ordinary people.
In the breaking news reports of some media outlets, the S-Class Heroes had virtually become the guardians of humanity.
"I will definitely become an S-Class Hero!" countless youths vowed that day.
On the viewing platform, Mr. Oomoto made the final announcement: "Distinguished guests and friends, the Hero Association Debut Ceremony has now come to a successful conclusion. Moving forward, the Hero's Starting Ground will be under restricted access. We apologize for any inconvenience. In one month, the first batch of heroes will officially be on duty, and the Hero Association will be fully operational, working tirelessly to protect the citizens. Finally, let us all shout the Hero Association's slogan: Heroes Never Die, Humanity Will Triumph!"
"Heroes Never Die, Humanity Will Triumph!"
…
After the debut ceremony ended and the audience was sent off, the heroes remained behind.
Mr. Oomoto took to the stage again: "Following internal discussion within the Association, it has been decided to appoint Chairman Aomori as the Chief Executive of the Hero's Starting Ground. Furthermore, the S-Class Heroes Silverfang, Superalloy Darkshine, and Flashy Flash will serve as permanent instructors, and the other three will serve as temporary instructors."
"Hold on, when did I agree to be an instructor? I'm very busy. Besides, there's no need to ask me to teach these ordinary people," Tatsumaki objected.
"Consider it an obligation of the S-Class Heroes. Don't worry, you won't be forcibly required to teach classes," Aomori explained.
"Hmph!"
Mr. Oomoto continued his speech: "We now ask the staff members to help distribute the smartwatches. Each person will receive one corresponding to their hero identity. This smartwatch is necessary not only here but also when you're out in the field, so please keep it secure."
Staff members handed out piles of smartwatches according to each hero's identity. Ten minutes later, everyone had received their device.
"First-time activation requires your fingerprint and iris recognition. You can open it later by pressing and holding the switch on the side of the watch for five seconds, then follow the on-screen instructions. Additionally, detailed user instructions are included. Please examine them carefully once you leave the stage."
Drive Knight: "..."
"Alright, that concludes the basic information for the orientation training. If you have any questions, you can ask a staff member or call the customer service hotline. Finally, I wish you all smooth sailing through your training and success in becoming a qualified hero!"
Amidst the applause, Aomori, Mr. Oomoto, and the S-Class Heroes left the stadium.
"It's finally over! Bye!" Tatsumaki, like someone who had been liberated, flew off immediately.
Atomic Samurai also said his goodbyes: "I'm returning to my dojo. Come find me when you need me to appear. And Aomori, do not neglect your swordsmanship! Continue to work hard!"
"Understood," Aomori could only nod in agreement.
"Chairman Aomori and the three instructors, your living quarters have been arranged and are ready for immediate occupancy," Mr. Oomoto said with a smile.
"Then let's go."
Their living quarters were built deep within the camp. After a 10-minute drive in a specialized vehicle, they arrived at a lakeside where over ten detached villas were situated.
"This place is really nice. It matches my muscles perfectly," Darkshine said.
Flashy Flash also nodded, satisfied with the environment.
"Aomori, isn't this a bit too extravagant?" Bang asked.
"Of course not. The scenery here is beautiful, and the air is fresh. It was supposed to be a highly developed resort area, but because of frequent Monster attacks, which couldn't be completely eliminated, it had to be abandoned. I only spent a small fortune to contract the whole area."
"I see."
"Did you kill all the Monsters?" Flashy Flash asked.
"I killed every one I saw. Perhaps there are a few that got away," Aomori replied.
"Good. I might take a stroll around the area when I have free time."
And so, the group each selected a villa and settled in.