Hero Association.
The gate was shoved open and King strode in.
The receptionist instinctively looked up; the moment she saw that domineering, authoritative face she froze on the spot.
Only after a second or two did she come back to herself, her whole face flushed with excitement.
"M-M-Mister KING? What brings you to the Hero Association today?!"
Aaaaaah! It's the real KING! The living, breathing Strongest Man on the Surface of the Earth is standing right in front of me!
Realizing she had lost her composure, the receptionist hastily straightened her collar and, struggling to look normal, asked respectfully:
"Mister KING, is there anything I can help you with? Should I notify Mister Sitch?"
King nodded.
"Yes, thank you."
"No trouble at all, no trouble at all!"
The receptionist scurried off to deliver the message, and moments later Sitch arrived in an even greater fluster.
He almost sprinted up to King, skidding to a halt, tension written across his face.
"What is it, Mister KING? Has something happened?"
A wave of Dragon-level Disasters? An ancient god awakening? Or has the fabled God-level Disaster arrived? Some evil organization about to overthrow the world?!
In an instant Sitch's mind raced through countless scenarios that could wipe out humanity.
To him, any news that brought The Strongest Man on Earth here in person had to be a crisis capable of erasing mankind.
As it turned out, the man's intuition was sometimes spot-on.
King glanced around; seeing too many people coming and going, he frowned.
To avoid unnecessary panic, he and Sitch moved to a private, sealed room and sat facing each other.
Inside, King was calm and relaxed, while Sitch felt a mountain of pressure.
Normally it wasn't obvious, but seated opposite The Strongest Man on Earth, Sitch felt a crushing weight, as though a sledgehammer had struck his soul.
To ease the pressure he lifted his teacup, but the hand holding it trembled slightly.
Sitch took a deep, steadying breath before letting the tea slide down his throat.
King spoke first.
"Soon, a crisis that could end humanity will descend."
Pfft—!
The tea he had just sipped shot straight back out; Sitch coughed until tears streamed down his cheeks.
"Cough, cough, cough!"
King wasn't rushed; he waited quietly for Sitch to compose himself.
Finally recovering, Sitch wore panic on his face for the first time ever, both hands slapping the table as his voice shook.
"Mister KING, are you certain? A crisis great enough to wipe out humanity is really coming?!"
He never imagined his wild guess would be true—an actual God-level Disaster was about to arrive!
"Is it a natural calamity or man-made?"
Sitch asked anxiously, his heart in turmoil.
If it was man-made, they might still prevent it; if it was a natural disaster, all they could do was pray for humanity's safety.
Hmm… how to put it… King organized his thoughts and spoke gravely.
"Strictly speaking, you could call it a natural disaster.
Soon, a mighty Cosmic Emperor will arrive on Earth, leading a fleet of ships above City A.
According to my prophecy, the instant they arrive they'll unleash a terrifying bombardment that will obliterate City A."
What?! Aliens too?!
The sheer volume of information had left Sitch almost numb, yet that keyword still made him lose his composure.
He had imagined a natural disaster, or perhaps a powerful monster leveling the city.
But now you're telling me, by damn, it's aliens?
"Mister KING, this…"
Sitch was lost for words.
From a rational standpoint he found such an absurd prophecy hard to believe—aliens invading Earth? With all the satellites overhead, how could no one detect them?
But the problem was that this absurd prophecy came from The Strongest Man on Earth.
That single fact nailed the prophecy to the wall as undeniable truth.
"Understood, Mister KING. The Association will immediately form the highest-level disaster-response unit. Based on your prophecy we'll upgrade City A's defenses by two levels—no, three!"
Sitch vowed solemnly, eyes blazing with resolve.
If the prophecy was true, they had to prepare in advance or City A would be reduced to scorched earth.
As the first of the twenty-six cities and by far the largest, City A boasted the greatest population and unmatched political importance.
If it were destroyed, humanity would suffer a staggering blow!
"Then I'll leave it to you."
King nodded, stood up, and turned to leave.
He had come solely for this, hoping his early warning would reduce casualties in City A.
Even King had no idea when Boros and his cosmic warship would arrive, or whether his presence might alter the original timeline.
Everything was uncertain, so reinforcing City A's defenses in advance was the only way to prevent a one-shot annihilation.
Watching King turn away, Sitch quietly exhaled and started to rise.
The next second, King, now at the door, suddenly stopped and slowly looked back.
Sitch froze, tension flooding back into his face.
No way—there's more crisis?!
King turned, expression calm.
"Right, soon Granny Shibabawa will make a corresponding prophecy; you can use that to confirm the truth of my words.
Also, tell her to cut back on throat lozenges—there's a chance she could choke on one. That, too, is part of the prophecy."
Sitch: "Huh???"