Chapter 26: Oh! I Got It!
"Hm? That sound... Was it a human speaking? Why do I only see a giant egg?"
Beast King's tone was filled with confusion. Being so tall, he was looking down from a high angle, and all he could see was a round, smooth egg making noises.
The voice spoke again, this time clearly annoyed.
"Hey! Who are you calling an egg?! I'm the Saitama you're looking for, okay?"
Beast King crouched down. Only then did he realize there was a person attached to the bottom of the egg. He was genuinely surprised.
"So you are a human! I thought the egg was talking. I almost mistook you for an Egg Monster!"
Saitama's face twitched, and his gaze turned unfriendly.
What is up with this giant lion?! Calling someone an egg the moment you meet them... You're mocking my baldness, aren't you?!
Noticing the human seemed a bit angry, Beast King shrugged. He bared his sharp fangs, his eyes filled with playful malice.
He raised a claw and rubbed it against Saitama's smooth, shiny scalp. His scarlet beast eyes were full of mockery.
"Getting angry? Doesn't matter. As long as I confirm you're Saitama, that's enough. The Doctor wants me to bring you back alive.
"Make your choice. Will you come back to the House of Evolution obediently, or do you want me to rip off all your limbs and drag you back?"
However, Beast King failed to notice that Saitama's simple, doodle-like face was gradually becoming sharp and serious.
Meanwhile, on the side of the street.
A creature resembling a gorilla, encased in silver battle armor, stood by the roadside. Beside him was a monster that looked like a giant mole.
Armored Gorilla scratched his head and spoke in a stilted, electronic voice:
"Beast King... that guy... The Doctor said to operate in secret this time. Yet he ran straight onto a human street to find the target!"
Ground Dragon, the mole-like monster, twitched the whiskers on his cheeks. His small eyes were full of disdain.
"Who cares? What's there to be afraid of with these old-model humans? This is much more efficient. Didn't we find the target immediately?"
"That is... true."
Armored Gorilla didn't say anything more. After all, this method was efficient; they had found the target almost immediately after arriving.
But for some reason, an ominous feeling lingered in his heart, growing stronger by the second.
As panic began to affect his mental state, Armored Gorilla took two deep breaths, forcing himself to calm down.
It's fine...
Beast King is the second strongest in the House of Evolution, surpassed only by that monster (Carnage Kabuto). This capture mission should be a piece of cake.
Just then, the fleeing crowd began to stop. People noticed that in front of the ferocious-looking monster, a bald man was standing in the way.
Some passersby who followed Hero Association news suddenly remembered something and pointed at Saitama in surprise.
"I remember! That bald guy is the new S-Class hero from a few days ago! Caped Baldy!"
"What? That guy looks like a C-Class hero, but he's actually S-Class?"
"Who cares what he looks like? Since he's an S-Class hero, defeating this monster should be easy for him! Go get him, Caped Baldy! Beat that monster!"
"Yeah! Go, Caped Baldy! You can definitely win! Get him!"
Hearing "Caped Baldy" repeated endlessly in his ears, veins began to pop on Saitama's forehead.
Sensing the crowd's rising excitement, Beast King grew interested.
"Caped Baldy? What a hilarious and honest nickname. It suits you perfectly. Not only are you bald, but you also wear that ugly white cape. HAHAHAHA!!"
"However..." Beast King stopped laughing. He could no longer suppress the bloodlust in his heart. He raised his sharp claws high.
"It seems you won't come quietly. Perfect. I'll tear off all your limbs and drag you back like a dead dog!"
[Lion Slash: Meteor Shower]!
His sharp claws glinted coldly in the sunlight, carrying a ferocious momentum as they struck downward, threatening to slice Saitama into pieces in the next instant.
Seeing the claws about to land on his body, Saitama suddenly realized something and panicked.
"Don't ruin my clothes, you bastard!"
A punch filled with annoyance flew out.
No flashy special effects. No hot-blooded catchphrase. Just a plain, unadorned punch that landed directly on Beast King's body.
SPLAT.
In the next second, that tall, majestic body exploded into a mist of blood and chunks of meat. Two scarlet eyeballs popped out, rolled on the ground for a bit, and stopped at Saitama's feet.
Seeing this, the crowd instantly erupted in excitement and praise.
"As expected of an S-Class hero! He killed that monster in one hit!"
"Caped Baldy is amazing! I'm going to vote for you in the popularity polls!"
"Long live Caped Baldy!"
"At first I thought the bald head was ugly, but now I think it has a certain flavor. The more I look at it, the more I like it."
Hearing that last comment, everyone turned their gaze to the speaker.
Round face. Beard. Short hair. Heavy set. Wearing white socks. The full package.
Originally, hearing everyone praise him made Saitama a little happy.
But hearing that the praise consisted entirely of "Caped Baldy," his fleeting happiness vanished instantly.
And when that stereotypical-looking man spoke, Saitama broke out in a cold sweat.
Could this be one of those guys I saw on the internet...
Saitama didn't dare think further, nor did he dare stay any longer.
His gaze scanned the surroundings, looking for a gap in the encircling crowd to escape.
Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted something. Confusion flashed in his eyes.
At this moment, Armored Gorilla and Ground Dragon were scared witless. Their brains had short-circuited.
Th-Th-Th-This... Beast King, the second strongest of the House of Evolution, was blown up in one punch?!
Damn you, Doctor! What kind of target did you give us?!
Realizing Saitama was looking right at them, the gorilla and the mole felt their souls leave their bodies. They chose to flee without hesitation.
Armored Gorilla turned and ran. Boosted by his mechanical armor, he sprinted like the wind, disappearing around the street corner in moments.
Ground Dragon was even simpler. Using his sharp claws, he dug a deep hole in the asphalt and burrowed underground to escape.
Seeing the two suspicious-looking accomplices flee just from a glance, Saitama finally thought of a way to escape the crowd.
Oh! I got it!