The instant he realized the giant's severed head had lost its downward momentum and was starting to rise again,
Genos cut the High-power incineration cannon without hesitation, ignited every thruster in his chassis, and shot skyward.
His mechanical arms unfolded and reconfigured into a pair of stabilizing struts that wedged themselves beneath the colossal skull.
Crushing weight bore down from above, brutal thrust pushed from below; Genos was the meat patty squeezed between two burger halves.
His steel frame began to fracture—countless components sheared away, joints erupting in crackling arcs of electricity.
Too heavy… his mangled body could no longer take the load. Cracks crawled across his faceplate, yet he refused to let go, throttling the thrusters back and lowering the head toward the ground a millimeter at a time.
Only when the skull sat safely amid the rubble did he release his hold.
In the rising dust, sparks danced across his shattered chassis; the cyborg stood taller than ever and smiled.
"I did it, KING-Sensei."
The moment those words left his lips, the tension drained away; Genos lost control of his overloaded frame and toppled forward.
A broad, steady hand caught him before he hit the ground.
King cradled the immobile cyborg and gave his shoulder an approving pat.
"Nice work."
At the praise, Genos's mechanical eyes softened. He nodded solemnly.
"Yes, KING-Sensei. I'll keep improving."
Scattered footsteps echoed from the broken boulevard.
The survivors of City B had watched Genos guide the Giant Head to earth; curiosity and admiration drew them closer.
When they saw King standing there drenched in blood, the pieces clicked together in their minds.
They had all witnessed a Crimson Dragon of energy obliterate the calamity-class giant, scattering it across the sky.
So… that blood-red dragon had been conjured by King!
"As expected of King! You saved us! You saved City B!"
"Told you—no mere giant could beat the strongest man on the surface. Mr. King is invincible!"
"Ahh! The real King in the flesh! Please sign this—I'm your biggest fan!"
Excited citizens ignored the wreckage and pressed in, beaming.
They hadn't dreamed the legendary Strongest Man on Earth, S-Class Hero No. 7, King himself, would handle the crisis.
Someone shouted the word, the crowd froze, then roared in unison, the chant swelling like surf:
"Hero!!"
"King! You're our hero!"
Amid the cheers, a little girl wriggled through the throng.
Dust coated her from head to toe; her small face was streaked with grime, testimony to her narrow escape from the giant.
She stepped forward shyly, palms open, amid the clamor.
King and Genos looked down: two tiny hands, each clutching a bright red paper flower.
Feeling their gaze, the girl flushed but forced the words out:
"Um… thank you, big brother King, for saving us and beating the monster. This flower's for you—teacher says red flowers are for good people!"
King smiled, gently accepting the paper bloom.
"Thank you. I'll treasure it."
Cradled in King's arms, Genos—his body wrecked beyond movement—could still see and hear.
Watching King's gentle smile and listening to the cheers, the cyborg mused:
KING-Sensei really is beloved—truly the undisputed strongest man on the surface.
The girl turned and pressed the second flower to the one intact spot on Genos's forehead, beaming:
"And thank you, robot big brother. You worked so hard—thank you for saving us!"
For an instant, the world went white.
Genos's optics widened in disbelief; he tried to lift a hand to touch the flower, but his ruined servos refused.
In that moment, he understood why heroes throw themselves into danger again and again.
They fight to protect moments as pure as this…
Meanwhile, in City Z,
Saitama toyed with his brand-new handset, still looking sour.
He'd gone to the Hero Association to change his hero name, but everyone was tied up responding to the giant crisis, so he'd slunk away without asking.
Finding no free staff, he'd simply collected the S-Class exclusive phone from Logistics and left.
A sudden uproar caught his attention.
The next block over was chaos—terrified screams and pounding feet filled the air.
People fled in every direction, faces twisted in fear, cursing their parents for not giving them four legs.
In the center of the street stood a three- to four-meter-tall, yellow-furred, lion-headed humanoid, claws glinting as it swung them through the air.
"I'm Beast King, Number Two of the Evolution House! S-Class Rank 17, Saitama—get out here! I know you're nearby!"
Crimson eyes shone with bloodlust; thick muscles rippled beneath its heavy pelt.
One swipe carved three deep gouges into the concrete—had it struck a human, the victim would have been bisected in the blink of an eye.
Watching the panicked masses, Beast King—finally free after ages cooped up in the Evolution House—threw its head back and laughed in scorn:
"Bwahahahaha! Puny humans—tremble before the mighty!"
"Uh… you looking for me?"
A calm voice sounded behind it; Beast King's laughter died as it spun around.
What greeted its eyes wasn't a human body—just a gleaming, hairless scalp reflecting the sun…
...
(End of Chapter)
[Throw some stone]