Saitama didn't want to hurt the old man's feelings; seeing the beaming smile on his face, he couldn't bring himself to yank his hand away.
And so, Bang chatted cheerfully while clamping Saitama's right hand in both of his, as though afraid the younger man might bolt.
Feeling those calloused palms constantly stroking the back of his hand, Saitama broke into a cold sweat as a terrifying possibility struck him.
He had seen on TV that some men had unusual tastes—they weren't into women at all but preferred men of their own gender.
And plenty of creepy old geezers liked much younger guys.
Could it be…? Saitama's face stiffened as he stared at Bang's wrinkled, smiling visage.
Bang, oblivious, kept chatting warmly while continuing to caress Saitama's hand.
No way… Actually, there was another meaning behind it.
By stroking Saitama's hand, Bang subtly used the delicate force of Flowing Water Rock-Crushing Fist to trace the meridians throughout his body and gauge his martial-arts potential.
The reading wasn't infallible, but it usually revealed something.
Yet Bang's brows slowly knitted; he had never felt meridians this bizarre.
His refined energy vanished without a trace the instant it entered this body, leaving no ripple behind.
Refusing to believe it, Bang kept channeling energy through his caresses, but still received no response.
To Saitama, it simply looked as if the respectable old geezer were stroking faster and faster, wearing an unreadable expression.
Damn it!
Saitama had had enough; he yanked his hand back.
Before Bang could react, the Bald Demon King cleared his throat and casually stepped back a few paces.
"Old-timer, everyone's got hobbies at your age, but could you keep them a bit more normal? I'm not cool with this."
Seeing Saitama recoil in horror, Bang froze, then his aged face turned bright green.
"Saitama! What do you take me for? In my day, I had countless beauties! It's not what you think!"
"Sigh…"
After fuming, Bang clasped his hands behind his back and sighed, a lonely, hero-past-his-prime look in his old eyes:
"Such a pity. I'd planned to invite you to my dojo to experience martial arts and share some A5 wagyu someone gave me. Guess I'll eat it alone."
Hmm?!
Saitama caught the key words; his gaze sharpened and he flickered out of sight.
Sensing something rushing at super-speed, Bang's pupils shrank, and he instinctively began the opening stance of Flowing Water Rock-Crushing Fist.
But the pose was shattered the next instant—Saitama grabbed Bang's hands, eyes sparkling.
"Master Bang, I just realized I'm super into martial arts. Name the time; KING and I'll drop by your dojo."
Hearing this, Bang's heart leapt.
Not only had he hooked Saitama—he'd landed an even bigger fish: The Strongest Man on Earth, KING!
A5 wagyu really was the ultimate bait.
It stung that his Flowing Water Rock-Crushing Fist was worth less than a box of beef, but at least there was hope of passing it on.
At the thought, Bang sighed inwardly.
His dojo now held only one talentless, weakling student—Charanko.
If he didn't recruit gifted disciples soon, this exquisite art would vanish forever.
"Then tomorrow afternoon it is. I'll have the wagyu ready—here's the dojo's address."
Saitama pocketed the card, grabbed his bargain shopping, and strode out of the Hero Association.
Watching the Bald Demon King leave, Bang slowly lifted a hand, speechless with shock.
He, a grandmaster, hadn't even reacted to Saitama's speed; his stance had been dismantled in an instant.
A complete monster on the physical plane…
Next morning.
King yawned as he lounged at the dining table.
Eyeing the huge scarlet KING crab, he tapped its hard shell with a finger.
Using [Precise Control], his strength turned into threads that spread outward, striking every part of the crab.
With a crack, every shard of shell burst open, revealing snow-white meat.
After a whirlwind feast, King was clearing the table when a rhythmic knock rang out.
Same steady beat, same crisp metallic clink.
Sigh… King opened the door to find Genos standing stiffly outside, arms full of gifts.
"Reporting in, KING-sensei! I'm back!"
"All right, come in and sit."
In the living room, King and Genos stared at each other, neither speaking first.
The atmosphere grew painfully awkward.
Sensing it but too lazy to break the silence, King simply studied Genos.
After his latest rebuild, Genos had been fully upgraded—firepower and every other parameter greatly improved.
His once black-and-white arm was now almost jet-black, components more precise, even his core glowed brighter.
King reckoned the cyborg had now reached Demon-level peak.
Seconds later, Genos broke the deadlock.
Golden mechanical eyes resolute, he spoke words that nearly blew the roof off:
"KING-sensei! Please spar with me—I beg you!"
...
(End of Chapter)
[Throw some stones]