Sonic came back.
And he brought along a lot of "friends."
Genos, Bang, Tatsumaki, Fubuki—and Saitama.
Wait.
Saitama?
"Aren't you on vacation?" Chu Yang asked, his face lighting up with surprise.
"Vacation my ass!" Saitama roared. "You dumped me on some godforsaken deserted island and didn't even bring me back! I ran all day just to sprint back across the sea! You bastard!"
Saitama grabbed Chu Yang by the collar, veins bulging across his face, looking like he was about to kill someone.
"Hey, hey, my bad, my bad. Didn't you make it back just fine? Look how tanned you are—seems pretty healthy," Chu Yang said with a grin, patting Saitama on the shoulder, trying to calm him down.
"Don't think playing dumb will get you off the hook…" Saitama growled, refusing to let go.
"There's a newly built game room upstairs. Wanna check it out?" Chu Yang said, his voice dripping with temptation, like a devil's whisper.
"…Where?"
Saitama immediately took the bait. He let go of the collar and started looking around before walking off.
"Cough. Well then, everyone—welcome to the House of Evolution."
Chu Yang applauded Bang and the others, then had Dr. Genus pause his work and guide them on a tour.
The laboratory itself was strictly off-limits, of course. At most, they were allowed to see the Iron Man Legion's production workshop.
The House of Evolution was still expanding.
Monsters could be seen everywhere. Under Armored Gorilla's leadership, they were thrown into endless construction work.
Everything existed for one purpose—serving Chu Yang.
Bang and Genos remained relatively calm, but Tatsumaki and Fubuki were visibly uncomfortable—especially Tatsumaki.
Normally, her first instinct upon seeing monsters was to wipe them out. But now, she couldn't make a move.
This was Chu Yang's territory. After suffering a huge loss once before, she had become extremely cautious.
Nearby in the forest lay the interstellar battleship seized from Boros. Its components were being dismantled one by one, then sent into factories to be reforged into sets of steel armor.
By the time Bang and the others arrived, the ship had already been stripped down to half its original size.
The materials used in the ship were exceptionally rare metals. They compensated perfectly for the lack of vibranium. Combined with materials harvested from Dragon-level monsters, the quality of the armor skyrocketed.
"So it really is here," Bang said, looking up at the swarms of monsters dismantling the battleship like locusts gnawing away at it. The sight was spectacular.
"How did you even pull this off?" Tatsumaki asked curiously.
As she spoke, everyone's gaze turned toward Chu Yang.
"Looks like everyone's curious about ninjutsu. Then let me give you a demonstration."
With that, Chu Yang walked over to Bang.
He placed a hand on Bang's shoulder—and in the blink of an eye, the two of them appeared amid a sea of ruins.
"This is City A?" Bang asked in shock. He hadn't felt anything special—just a brief blur before arriving here.
Besides the Flying Thunder God Technique, Chu Yang could also use Apparition, since he'd been to City A before and had a clear mental image of it.
However, compared to Apparition, Flying Thunder God consumed less energy and was far safer.
Only when teleporting alone would Chu Yang consider using Apparition.
Moments later, Chu Yang brought Bang back to the House of Evolution.
Bang clicked his tongue in amazement.
That unfathomable expression of his made everyone else's curiosity explode.
"Where did you just go?" Tatsumaki asked.
"City A," Bang replied.
"No way!" Tatsumaki shook her head immediately. "There's no way you could go to City A and come back that fast."
"Go see for yourself," Bang said, winking at her.
"Take me! Take me! Hurry!"
Tatsumaki stood right in front of Chu Yang, staring at him intently, completely forgetting her earlier fear.
The corners of Chu Yang's mouth lifted. He placed a hand on top of Tatsumaki's head, like teasing a child.
Tatsumaki's expression darkened as she was about to lash out—but the scenery before her suddenly changed.
"It really is City A!"
Looking at the city undergoing reconstruction everywhere, Tatsumaki's eyes went wide, her heart pounding violently.
Even flying at full speed with psychic power, it would take her a long time to reach another city. Chu Yang, however, only needed the blink of an eye.
"Can this be learned?" There was a hint of anticipation in Tatsumaki's eyes.
"You can't learn it," Chu Yang said, shaking his head.
"Why not? I'm really smart! Just because I lost to you doesn't mean I'm stupid!" Tatsumaki snapped, panicking. She had never once been questioned when it came to "talent."
"Didn't Sonic already say it? This is ninjutsu. Only ninjas can use it, and becoming a ninja requires special aptitude."
After saying that, Chu Yang pressed his hand down on Tatsumaki's head again and brought her back to the House of Evolution.
Tatsumaki walked off to the side, sulking.
"What's wrong with her?"
Everyone looked confused.
After that, Chu Yang let Genos and Fubuki experience the speed of the Flying Thunder God as well.
"This ability of yours is extremely important," Bang said solemnly."It could connect cities instantly. If a monster appears, massive forces could be gathered in a short time to eliminate it!"
Chu Yang shook his head. "The idea's good, but it's not realistic. Activating Flying Thunder God requires a special kind of energy. At present, only Sonic and I possess it."
Bang felt a deep sense of regret.
Genos asked curiously, "How are you so sure no one else has this energy?"
Chu Yang merely smiled without answering.
Sonic shot Genos a glare. "Do you think just anyone can be a ninja?"
Genos frowned. He felt that Chu Yang hadn't told the whole truth.
Seeing the atmosphere grow heavy, Fubuki changed the subject. "Genos, we're guests. Asking too many questions is a bit impolite."
Genos nodded. "My apologies."
Unexpectedly, Chu Yang changed the subject himself. "Genos, if you can arrange for me to meet Dr. Kuseno, I can tell you the key to becoming a ninja."
Everyone was startled.
Chu Yang was very interested in Dr. Kuseno, the man responsible for Genos's modifications. His research into mechanical life was incredibly advanced.
If they could cooperate, it would be a huge boon to the House of Evolution.
After a brief hesitation, Genos shook his head and refused the deal.
He didn't want to drag Dr. Kuseno into danger.
To Genos, Chu Yang was still more of an unknown variable. And anything unknown carried risk.
"That's fine. There will be opportunities in the future," Chu Yang said.
He led everyone inside to see the rest of the facilities.
As evening fell, they had dinner, and everyone departed one after another.
Saitama reluctantly left the game room, declaring that he'd come back to play again next time.
Chu Yang smiled and nodded in agreement—while secretly preparing the syringes.
That game room had been built for Saitama from the very beginning…
"JARVIS."
"Yes, sir."
Chu Yang called out to a computer in the laboratory, which immediately responded.
"For an artificial intelligence system to be perfected to this degree… incredible, sir! You truly are a genius!" Dr. Genus said, adjusting his glasses, his face full of excitement.
"It still needs time to grow. In the future, it'll control the legion entirely. The House of Evolution's defenses can also be fully handed over to JARVIS."
After serving as Tony's assistant for so long, Chu Yang already knew JARVIS's entire code structure. Copying it only took time.
With JARVIS in place, the Iron Man Legion was finally complete—whether for external combat or internal defense, everything could be handled in perfect order.
One could even say that compared to armor manufacturing, artificial intelligence was the pinnacle of Earth's technology.
"Sir, there have been more and more outsiders entering the base lately. Is it really all right?" Dr. Genus asked worriedly.
Nearly everyone coming and going from the House of Evolution now was an S-Class hero. If any of them sabotaged things from the inside, the losses would be catastrophic.
Especially that bald guy!
"You don't need to worry about that. I know what I'm doing," Chu Yang said, waving his hand dismissively. He understood their personalities well—none of them would pull something like that.
And even if it somehow happened, with JARVIS's full-spectrum surveillance, security was guaranteed.
"Is Saitama still in the game room?"
"He is. And there's one more person with him."
"Who?"
"S-Class Rank 7, King. He's known as the strongest man on Earth. He's been coming with Saitama recently."
Chu Yang suddenly understood why Genus had become so sensitive.
King was even less of a concern. His overall combat ability was worse than Genus's. He had become an S-Class hero purely by accident—every time a monster appeared, Saitama showed up, and once the fight was over, the credit somehow landed on King.
Calling him a human-shaped "Saitama Summoner" wouldn't be an exaggeration.
From that perspective, calling him the strongest man on Earth almost felt… fitting.
"You don't need to pay attention to him. And don't collect his lineage factor either—it's a waste of resources and time," Chu Yang said pointedly.
A waste of resources and time?
Genus was stunned. He had actually been preparing for it already, but since Chu Yang said so, he could only abandon the idea.
"What about Melzargard?" Chu Yang asked.
"He didn't make it," Genus replied."According to your instructions, I didn't inject multiple lineage factors at once—only one. But his body still collapsed immediately."
"What about the observed data?"
"The cells expanded rapidly in an instant, then deteriorated until the body completely collapsed. The process was extremely fast, leaving no more detailed data behind."
Genus said guiltily, "Sir, please punish me. An experimental subject that could've been tested multiple times was destroyed in a single experiment."
Chu Yang sighed. "I was the one who told you to switch lineage factors. What responsibility are you supposed to bear?"
Actually, Chu Yang had expected this outcome a long time ago.
What he implanted into Melzargard was Saitama's lineage factor. He hadn't expected that even a Dragon-level monster with insanely strong regeneration couldn't endure it—its body collapsed and disintegrated on the spot.
"If it were Mumen Rider… it'd probably end even worse."
"What kind of prerequisite do you need to break the limiter?"
"Is it really just willpower?"
"If that's the case, then Mumen Rider's will is plenty strong. He's faced life-and-death situations more than once—so why is he still just an ordinary man?"
"More likely, it requires two conditions: an unbreakable will… and some kind of stimulus at the physical level…"
"Forget it. I'll keep observing. First, I'll go get some blood from Saitama."
Chu Yang left the lab and headed upstairs to the living quarters.
Saitama was still gaming with King. The former was raging in humiliation; the latter was calm and composed, carrying himself like a true master.
King's character had only a sliver of HP left, while Saitama's character got juggled from full health to death in one brutal combo.
If Chu Yang were being honest, in that situation even he might've gotten a brain hemorrhage.
A pile of broken controllers sat beside Saitama, silently describing his emotional state.
During a short break, Chu Yang casually walked in and used genjutsu to control both of them at once.
Inside the illusion, the two of them were still playing the game.
Chu Yang began drawing blood from Saitama.
Saitama's skin was absurdly durable—normal methods wouldn't even pierce it. But Chu Yang had ninjutsu, magic, Kidō, cursed techniques, and more. Getting a little blood from him was easy.
When the genjutsu was released, Saitama didn't feel any discomfort at all. Still, staring at Chu Yang's smiling face, he inexplicably felt… uncomfortable. Like something was off.
With a huge tube of blood in hand, Chu Yang turned to leave—only to run straight into Genos walking in.
Genos greeted Chu Yang first, then turned to Saitama. "Sensei, Mumen Rider was injured by someone last night. He's hospitalized right now. Would you like to visit him?"
Saitama scratched his head. "Why does he get hurt every single day?"
Genos explained, "There's been a famous Hero Hunter recently. Mumen Rider was injured by him. Not long ago, he also caused a disturbance at HQ and crippled several A-Class heroes."
Hero Hunter?
Hearing that familiar plotline, Chu Yang's first thought was—Garou's out?
Chu Yang was intrigued. He'd been buried in experiments lately and hadn't paid attention to the outside world.
The only one in the House of Evolution who still had regular contact with the outside was Sonic—but he was singularly focused on helping his master hunt monsters and had no interest in anything else.
"I've heard of the Hero Hunter too. They say he isn't a monster, but a human…" King's heavy voice suddenly sounded.
"As a human, why would he attack heroes?" Saitama genuinely couldn't understand Garou's way of thinking.
"People are used to dividing the world into heroes and monsters—good and evil," Chu Yang said with a smile. "Almost everyone believes heroes must be righteous, and monsters must be evil."
"Sometimes, it might be the other way around."
Saitama and the others stared at him in surprise.
"Are there monsters in this world who just want to live quietly?"
"If they exist, and a hero kills them… is that hero's action righteous or evil?"
"The meaning of a hero's existence is to protect the weak. If a monster becomes the weak one, should a hero protect the monster?"
"If not, then who exactly is the hero protecting? The weak—or the interests of humanity?"
Chu Yang's rapid-fire questions left all three of them a little dazed.
Saitama had never thought about anything so soul-deep before.
But in his heart, he still leaned toward the idea that heroes existed to protect the weak.
Up until now, every monster Saitama had killed had posed a real threat to human life.
He'd never gone around slaughtering indiscriminately.
"So you think Garou treats monsters as the weak, and that attacking heroes is his way of protecting the weak?" Genos challenged.
Chu Yang smiled faintly. "No. Garou believes he himself is one of the weak. What he's doing is revenge against a world that treats the weak unfairly."
"He's furious."
Garou's admiration for monsters was, at its core, empathy for the weak.
Because of what happened in his childhood, he divided the world into two camps: "the majority" and "the minority."
The majority meant the powerful.
The minority meant the powerless.
Monsters, in his mind, obviously belonged to the minority.
And he placed heroes—and the humans sheltered by heroes—on the side of the strong.
He believed that "a script where monsters win never existed from the beginning."
To him, monsters became the ones bullied by the strong—and since he saw himself as "weak" as well, that meant he was one of them.
That distorted value system was born from there.
But in the end, what Garou wanted was "fairness" and "justice." It had nothing to do with evil at its core.
"Hearing you say that… I suddenly feel really interested in that Hero Hunter," Saitama said, setting down the controller and deciding to go with Genos to the hospital to visit Mumen Rider.
They often ran into each other on low-level missions, and their relationship was pretty decent.
"I'll go with you," Chu Yang said, taking the opportunity. He could also talk to Mumen Rider and see whether his mindset had changed.
King showed no intention of leaving. His eyes stayed glued to the other games, like he planned to wait until Saitama left so he could play alone.
With him staying here, Saitama would come by often too—so it wasn't a bad thing.
Chu Yang placed both hands on Saitama's and Genos's shoulders. With a thought, the three of them instantly teleported into the city.
After experiencing the convenience of Flying Thunder God several times, Saitama's face was filled with envy. "So nice… I want an ability that convenient too."
"You always describe me with weird-ass words," Chu Yang said as he headed toward the hospital, exasperated. "Can't you use a nicer adjective?"
"They're basically the same," Saitama muttered. He suddenly stopped, turned, and walked toward the supermarket next door. "You can't visit a patient empty-handed."
After that, he bought a bunch of bananas, walked out while eating them, and kept eating as they went.
"Aren't those for the patient?" Genos asked.
"Yeah," Saitama replied. "I'm gonna eat them in front of him."
They entered the hospital, asked a nurse for the room number, and smoothly found Mumen Rider.
Most of the damage was to his face. The rest of his injuries weren't too serious.
Maybe because Chu Yang had previously infused him with life force, Mumen Rider was recovering pretty well—at least he looked spirited.
"Thank you all for coming to see me," Mumen Rider said, half-sitting up in bed with polite composure. "I'm already really happy you're here—you didn't have to bring gifts—"
Before he could finish, Saitama started eating bananas again like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Mumen Rider: "..."
Chu Yang chuckled. "You're hard to kill. Every time something like this happens, you still don't die."
Mumen Rider gave a bitter smile. "One of the few talents I've got."
"That's an incredible talent," Chu Yang said. "You should treasure it."
Saitama, still aggressively devouring bananas, suddenly spoke. "So what's that guy Garou like? Is he stronger than the Deep Sea King? Looking at your injuries, it doesn't seem as bad as last time."
Mumen Rider thought back for a moment, then shook his head. "They're different. The Deep Sea King's strength is that he overwhelms humans completely—power, speed, physique, all of it. And when he enters that frenzied state, he gets even stronger. It's suffocating."
"But Garou…"
A different voice suddenly interrupted him.
"He's strong in martial arts."
The curtain was pulled aside. Lying on another hospital bed was someone else who had also been beaten senseless by Garou—Tanktop Master.
Saitama tilted his head toward Mumen Rider and whispered, "Who's this guy? Why's he butting in out of nowhere?"
Genos whispered back, "S-Class Rank 14—Tanktop Master."
Saitama scratched his head. "Don't know him…"
Chu Yang grinned. "The one who got beaten the worst last night!"
Tanktop Master exploded. "Say I was the one who held out the longest!"
Saitama patted his shoulder. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Good job. Must've been rough."
Tanktop Master's face turned a shade darker.
"Garou's speed and strength aren't actually higher than mine," Tanktop Master continued, "but he always manages to deflect my attacks. He predicts my approach and counters—using the smallest amount of force to produce the most lethal retaliation."
"His martial arts targets joints and vital points. Once you get hit, your body's functions get crippled. He struck too many of my joints—by the end, my body couldn't keep up with the speed of his punches."
"Compared to monsters, fighting Garou feels more like… a kind of slow death."
Tanktop Master spoke of his experience in detail, his voice trembling slightly. "Martial arts is a technique designed specifically to destroy the human body. It counters every hero."
Saitama looked extremely interested and was about to ask more—
When Chu Yang's disdainful voice cut in.
"Garou's just some guy who throws punches. He doesn't know shit about martial arts."
Chu Yang let out a cold laugh.
Martial arts—in front of him?
He was the great demon who made entire wuxia worlds shudder. He'd even discussed swordsmanship with the Sword Saint and Wuming from another world.
Chu Yang's martial arts were on a level Bang and Garou couldn't even begin to comprehend.
So Garou learned a few punches and started calling himself a martial artist?
"Wait until you fight him," Tanktop Master said, clearly unhappy. "Then you'll know I'm not exaggerating."
If Garou didn't "understand martial arts," then what did that make Tanktop Master, losing to him?
"You know martial arts too? I thought you were a ninja," Saitama said, surprised.
"I know a lot of things," Chu Yang replied. "I can do magic too. Wanna see?"
Chu Yang cast a Levitation Charm. The bananas Saitama had bought slowly floated up into midair.
Everyone in the hospital room stared, dumbstruck.
"You actually can!" Saitama blurted out.
Saitama wiped his eyes while speaking in shock.
Genos had detected an abnormal energy reaction. There was no similar data in his database, which immediately made him believe that what Chu Yang said was true.
Mumen Rider swallowed hard, feeling Chu Yang grow even more unfathomable.
"Can you teach me that?"Saitama looked at Chu Yang like a curious child.
"That won't work either. Like ninjutsu, it requires aptitude," Chu Yang said, shaking his head.
"Why not again? Is there nothing you know that can be taught to others?"Saitama was deeply disappointed.
Chu Yang thought for a moment, then said, "Martial arts is fine."
As long as it didn't involve inner strength or internal energy, some external martial arts would work just fine in this world—and with Saitama's freakish physique supporting them, they could unleash terrifying power.
Saitama stroked his chin. "Is your martial arts stronger than Bang's? If it's about the same, then forget it…"
Chu Yang rolled his eyes. "Who are you looking down on? He can't even see my taillights."
"Shut up! You're not allowed to insult Master Bang!"
The hospital room door was yanked open violently. A young man in a hospital gown, leaning on a crutch and wrapped in plaster from head to toe, stormed in, glaring angrily at Chu Yang.
"And who's this now?""You guys sure had a lot of people get beaten last night…"Saitama muttered quietly.
The young man's face flushed red with anger. "My name is Charanko! I'm Master Bang's senior disciple!"
"Ooooh~"Saitama suddenly understood.
"Master Bang is the greatest martial artist in the world! I won't allow you to insult him!"Charanko declared righteously.
Chu Yang smacked his lips.
"With all due respect, every martial artist in this world is trash in my eyes."
Holy crap!
That was brutal.
Even Tanktop Master and Mumen Rider, watching from the side, felt Chu Yang had gone too far. This was basically shitting on someone's head.
Charanko was so furious his eyes looked like they were about to shoot fire. He raised his crutch and charged at Chu Yang, ready to fight to the death.
His leg, encased in plaster, seemed to have miraculously recovered—an outright medical miracle.
Chu Yang flicked his left hand, knocking the crutch aside, then lightly bumped forward with his shoulder. The entire motion flowed smoothly like running water.
Before Charanko could even react, he flew onto a nearby hospital bed, lying there peacefully—as if he were about to pass away in the next second.
Everyone froze.
What just happened?
How did he end up on the bed in the blink of an eye?
Charanko himself was completely bewildered.
Only Saitama had clearly seen Chu Yang's movements. He said excitedly, "Your martial arts are really interesting. Bang can't do moves like that."
Only then did Charanko realize that the other party truly was a martial arts master. His face turned red from neck to ears.
"So what if you know martial arts?""Does that give you the right to belittle Master Bang?"Charanko protested angrily.
Chu Yang looked at him strangely. "How do you know what I said isn't the truth? Are you that familiar with me?"
Charanko was left speechless.
"Alright, alright, Senior Yang, this is a hospital. Arguing with patients isn't very appropriate…"Genos stepped between them to stop things from escalating.
If he weren't injured, I'd have beaten the shit out of him already!
Chu Yang's expression turned indifferent. He ignored Charanko and turned to leave the room.
Saitama was about to follow when Charanko stopped him and said solemnly, "If you want to learn martial arts, you must find Master Bang. He admires you and will teach you everything he has."
"Got it," Saitama replied casually.
Charanko pulled out a ticket from his chest and forcefully stuffed it into Saitama's pocket. "If nothing else, go check this place out. Whatever you do, don't believe that fraud!"
Saitama ignored him and walked away.
Tanktop Master picked up his special communicator and reported what had just happened in the hospital room to headquarters. He was also quite unhappy with Chu Yang's attitude.
Elsewhere, the Hero Association—already planning to cause trouble for Chu Yang—didn't hesitate to relay the incident to Bang.
They believed that while Chu Yang might be able to restrain Tatsumaki, that didn't mean he could deal with Bang. On the contrary, Bang's martial arts countered all humanoid beings.
Meanwhile, Bang—who was searching for Garou with the intent of cleaning house—stopped in his tracks the moment he received the message.
"What's wrong?"Bang's older brother, Bomb, also a martial arts master, noticed the change in his younger brother.
"Something interesting has happened."
After reading the message, a smile appeared on Bang's deeply lined old face.
He didn't feel angry at Chu Yang's words. Instead, a surge of fighting spirit rose within him.
Someone capable of training a disciple like Sonic couldn't possibly be an empty braggart. Bang was more inclined to believe that Chu Yang truly was a martial arts master.
"At my age, I often worry about how much longer I have left. This time, searching for Garou was partly because I feared I might not have much time left—and leaving him alive would bring disaster to the world."
"But before that, I want to satisfy a bit of selfishness. Otherwise, I might die with regrets."
Bang let out a long breath, his gaze tinged with melancholy.
"At your age, stop saying such ominous things. It's annoying. If you want to do something, just do it. Besides, there's no news about that kid Garou right now anyway,"Bomb said bluntly.
He had always disliked his brother's indecisive nature. If not for that, Garou wouldn't have had the chance to grow to this point.
If it were him, he would've strangled that kid in the cradle long ago.
"You're right. Then let's go. I'll take you somewhere interesting,"Bang chuckled, the gloom in his eyes fading away.
The next day.
Saitama arrived at the House of Evolution early in the morning, accompanied by Genos.
After learning from Genus that Chu Yang was busy, the two of them went upstairs to the game room and played with King.
"Are you planning to live here?"Saitama asked expressionlessly, though he felt a bit envious of King.
"That's not my intention. I just ended up staying here for a long time without realizing it. Mr. Yang is a nice person—he didn't chase me away,"King said shyly.
In truth, he really wanted to live here. There were endless games to play, and more importantly, the sense of safety was off the charts—no need to worry about monster attacks at all.
Even though there were plenty of monsters here, they all behaved harmlessly.
"How's the food?""Pretty good."
"Do you have to clean?""No. There are monsters specifically in charge of cleaning."
"Any water or power outages?""Never encountered any."
Saitama asked a bunch of trivial everyday questions, then turned to Genos."Genos, I want to move here and live."
Genos asked in surprise, "Sensei, you're giving up your home?"
Saitama waved his hand. "That place only existed because no one lived there anyway. It's fine."
After a moment of silence, Genos reminded him, "Shouldn't you ask Senior Yang's opinion? This isn't an uninhabited place…"
Saitama's old face flushed with embarrassment. Having lived in a deserted area for too long—and with his emotions growing increasingly numb—he often subconsciously ignored normal social etiquette.
"When you put it that way… yeah, that wouldn't be very good. Forget it then."
Saitama gave up on the idea.
"It's fine. You're welcome to live here anytime. I'd be happy to have you,"Chu Yang suddenly appeared at the game room doorway.
"Really?"Saitama's face lit up with joy.
Of course it's great!
I can draw your blood every day for checkups!
Chu Yang grinned widely.
Seeing Chu Yang's gentle smile, Genos suddenly shuddered, wanting to urge his teacher to think twice.
"I'll pack my luggage tonight."
Thinking about being able to mooch meals every day and no longer having to fight over supermarket discounts, Saitama's face was filled with bliss.
"Oh, right! There's something even more important—you promised to teach me martial arts!"
Saitama suddenly remembered the original purpose of coming to the House of Evolution.
"Let's go. But besides you, there are other guests today. If you want to learn martial arts, you might have to wait,"Chu Yang said.
Saitama followed him out curiously—only to see a familiar old face. Bang was standing there, and beside him was an even older old man.
"They're not here to pick a fight with you… right?"
Saitama leaned close to Chu Yang's ear and whispered.
Yesterday's scene of Charanko roaring in the hospital room was still vivid in his mind.
"Bingo! You got it right!"
"I'll reward you with a set of boxing techniques later."
Chu Yang smiled and walked toward Bang.
Bomb examined Chu Yang with a cold expression. He had only just learned about yesterday's incident after arriving here.
As a result, the look in his eyes toward Chu Yang was filled with hostility.
Bang chuckled. "I only found out today that you practice martial arts, so I wanted to exchange pointers. Don't overthink it—it's just a spar."
Chu Yang nodded. Without saying anything more, he directly assumed a fighting stance in front of the two of them.
Bang and Bomb's expressions changed instantly.
As the saying goes—outsiders watch the spectacle, insiders read the technique.
The moment Chu Yang set his stance, that naturally formed, perfectly integrated aura on his body stunned them both.
The brothers exchanged a glance.
Their hearts tightened.
The other party intended to take them on both at once.
"Bang, this trip really wasn't wasted."
"He's a true expert."
Bomb spoke first, rolling his shoulders to show his intent to fight.
"Then let big brother go first," Bang said.
He still couldn't quite bring himself to join Bomb in attacking together.
Bomb shot him a sideways glance, secretly shaking his head. If you don't move now, he'll force you to join in later anyway.
But he understood Bang's personality well—indecisive, yet extremely stubborn.
"Kid, if you're not making the first move, are you expecting me to do it? That's looking down on people too much!"
Bomb stepped forward. Seeing Chu Yang still not attacking, his expression darkened.
"Then please be careful, old sir," Chu Yang said helplessly.
He was worried that if he struck too hard, the old man wouldn't even get a chance to move.
Since the other party insisted—he'd oblige!
Chu Yang's single arm shook violently. Dragon roars echoed through the air. His very first move was the most iconic technique of the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms—
Dragon's Regret!
Dragon's Regret was terrifying precisely because of its lingering force.
The surging palm power transformed into a massive golden dragon that charged straight at Bomb. Its momentum was terrifying. The continuous dragon roars exploding in Bomb's ears nearly shattered his focus.
"Whirlwind Iron-Cutting Fist!"
Bomb roared loudly to bolster his spirit. His punching wind stirred up a violent storm, forming wind blades capable of slicing through steel as they swept toward the golden dragon.
Under normal circumstances, the target would be shredded instantly. Bomb had used this move countless times and was extremely confident in it.
But the instant the golden dragon collided with the iron-cutting storm—
The first thing to vanish was Bomb's proud ultimate technique, Whirlwind Iron-Cutting Fist.
Dragon's Regret—its residual force was endless!
Bomb threw out another punch in desperation, but he was still blasted away by the overwhelming force, letting out a painful cry.
One move!
Bomb was defeated!
Chu Yang turned to look at Bang. "Are you sure you're not making a move?"
Bang snapped out of his shock. What Chu Yang had used was a form of martial arts he had never seen before.
"Hahaha!"
Bang laughed, his expression growing even more excited. What could be happier than exchanging techniques with a true martial arts master?
Bang let out a sudden shout. His muscles bulged violently.
The clothes on his upper body exploded apart, revealing a powerful, muscular physique that looked nothing like that of an eighty-year-old man.
At that moment, Bomb—who had been knocked down by Chu Yang's palm—flipped back up, brushed the dust off himself, and shook his head.
"Looks like I really am getting old, to be unable to catch even a single punch from a young man. But—"
"If you think that's enough to knock me down, you're seriously underestimating me!"
The two brothers stood back-to-back, their auras merging together. After a brief moment, the pressure they emitted became terrifying.
The next second—
They turned into two black shadows and charged at Chu Yang simultaneously. Their punching rhythm was perfectly coordinated, their cooperation flawless, leaving Chu Yang no time to react.
Bomb's technique was rigid and destructive, while Bang's Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist excelled at using softness to overcome hardness.
Their combined assault was seamless.
If Chu Yang used Flash Step or Body Flicker to evade, the two of them wouldn't even touch the corner of his clothes.
Instead, Chu Yang stood completely still and activated Indestructible Golden Body.
A storm of attacks crashed down on him like rain, yet he remained completely unharmed.
Normal attacks couldn't break his defense—you'd need actual techniques for that!
Bang seemed to realize this as well. He focused all his strength into his fingers, preparing a full-power strike to break through Chu Yang's defense.
His Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist was less a fist style and more a finger-based art. Its strongest killing move was executed with two fingers.
Those two fingers, concentrating all power at a single point, actually pierced through the defense of the Indestructible Golden Body and struck toward Chu Yang's chest.
Chu Yang remained unmoving. His palm pressed downward, pinning Bang's fingers, then pulled backward—
A bizarre pulling force instantly caused Bang to lose his balance entirely.
That soft, flowing force felt strangely familiar to Bang, somewhat similar to his own Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist.
Chu Yang had only learned Indestructible Golden Body recently. Having it broken so easily was within expectations, so he wasn't disappointed. Instead, he switched to Tai Chi Fist.
Tai Chi Fist was Chu Yang's greatest specialty. The moment its intent unfolded, Bang and Bomb's movements slowed drastically, as if they had fallen into thick mud.
All their sharp, ferocious attacks dissolved into nothingness.
Bang's face was filled with shock—this completely overturned his understanding of martial arts.
Bomb wore the exact same expression.
The two struggled desperately to break free, but the more they fought, the deeper they sank. The pressure of the Tai Chi intent slowed them further and further, as though a thousand-pound weight rested on their bodies.
Chu Yang shook both arms.
The two brothers were sent flying backward.
Bang barely managed to stand, gasping for breath. His entire body radiated exhaustion, as if he had aged another decade on the spot.
Bomb looked a bit better. He let out a long sigh. "We lost…"
Bang nodded. They still had an even stronger combined killing move, but Chu Yang hadn't gone all out either—and he was far more relaxed than them. By comparison, the gap between them was enormous.
The two gave up any thought of continuing the fight.
Chu Yang withdrew his stance, his aura returning to normal. He still had many things he hadn't used.
Myriad Swords Return to the Origin.Ten Directions Without Rival.Sword Twenty-Three.
If the two old men refused to give up, he'd open their eyes properly.
"What you said before was right. Other than you, all martial artists in this world are trash."
Bomb said the words stiffly, forcing them out. The pride he had carried his entire life had been completely shattered.
"In martial arts, you only need to be stronger than yourself—not stronger than others," Chu Yang replied.
Bomb froze, then repeatedly pondered those words.
Bang didn't take it as hard. Instead, he felt quite relieved and said cheerfully, "You're so young. You'll reach even higher realms in the future. Just thinking about it makes this old man's blood surge."
Chu Yang smiled. "I'll take that as a blessing."
All in all, what started as something close to a doorstep provocation ended up turning into an exchange between martial artists.
The atmosphere grew warm and harmonious.
Watching from the side, Genos and Saitama had long since been stunned. Bang and Bomb's martial arts were indeed incredible—but Chu Yang was clearly stronger.
And… cooler.
"Hey, hey, that golden… monster—how did you make it?"
"That was a dragon! Watch your words!"
"Oh… dragon… whatever! That's not important! How did you make it?!"
"The reasons are complicated. You'll have to learn first."
"If I learn, I can definitely do it?"
"Depends on your physique!"
Saitama was about to lose his mind. Why was it physique again?!
Bang looked at Chu Yang, a sudden thought popping into his head that startled even himself.
But if he didn't say it, he'd regret it even more.
Just as he was about to speak, Bang saw his brother Bomb striding straight toward Chu Yang.
"Hey, kid. If you're going to teach him, could you teach me too?"
Bomb's face remained stiff, showing not the slightest hint of asking for a favor.
Bang walked up and coughed. "If everyone's learning, then I'll learn too. You can charge tuition."
Chu Yang revealed a playful smile.
"Call me 'Master' first—let me hear it."
(End of Chapter)