### Chapter 16: Saitama's Challenge
Kouki's eyebrows raised slightly, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.
That guy Garou, actually started hunting the strong just like the "original story"?
Not only did he act, but he cleanly defeated two S-Class heroes.
But this wasn't strange.
That kid's talent was already good, and Grandpa Bang had taught him the way of "Ki" cultivation unreservedly early on.
The current Garou, his strength compared to the original story, was more than just a little bit stronger, right?
Ordinary S-Class heroes facing him probably wouldn't even have the power to fight back.
Thinking of this, a dashing smile curled up on Kouki's lips, and he didn't have the idea of intervening.
After all, that kid was only keen on challenging, and his hands hadn't been stained with human lives yet.
Wait until the day he recklessly bumps into his hands, then it won't be too late to "teach" him conveniently.
At that time, naturally, he will be made to personally understand what "there is a sky beyond the sky, and there are people beyond people" means.
Garou's self-proclaimed vigorous hunting path, in Kouki's eyes, was just a slightly comical one-man show.
"Eh?" Fubuki beside him let out a soft exclamation.
"What's wrong?"
Kouki leaned closer naturally, his gaze directed at her phone screen.
The hot breath instantly approached, Fubuki only felt her ears slightly burning, two imperceptible blushes flew onto her cheeks, and she hurriedly spoke to cover it up: "Hero Association emergency notice... A Demon-level disaster appeared in Z-City! The source seems to be... mosquitoes?"
"Demon-level? Mosquitoes?" Kouki raised his eyebrows, instantly understanding. "Just right, the old man is rushing me to go back to the dojo quickly. Since a Monster appeared, I might as well deal with it along the way."
He turned his head, his gaze falling on Fubuki, carrying a hint of invitation: "Fubuki, want to go to Z-City together?"
"This... isn't very appropriate, is it?"
Fubuki was a little embarrassed.
Getting along these few days, she indeed had a good impression of this unfathomably strong and sunny handsome "little brother."
But suddenly visiting the other party's home... seemed too abrupt.
"What does it matter?" Kouki's voice carried obvious anticipation, as if discovering an interesting toy. "My Grandpa is that 'Silver Fang' himself, don't you want to see him with your own eyes?"
"This..." Fubuki looked up into his sparkling eyes, the words of refusal came to her lips but she couldn't spit them out no matter what, finally turning into a whisper of compromise, "...Alright."
"Heh~!"
Seeing her agree, the smile on Kouki's lips instantly widened. He spread his arm and extremely naturally wrapped it around her slender waist—
"Ugh!?"
The sudden intimate contact caught Fubuki off guard, and the warm touch on her waist made the blush spread all the way to her neck.
"Wh-What are you doing...!"
Before the cry of surprise was completely out, Kouki had already taken her into the air.
"No time to lose, let's go!"
It wasn't until the wind whistled in her ears that Fubuki recovered from her panic.
Helplessly giving him a reproachful look, she finally buried her burning cheek gently into his solid chest, her arms also quietly tightening around his waist.
In just a moment.
Two figures quietly landed on the edge of the desolate suburbs of Z-City.
This was a forgotten corner of urban expansion. Due to frequent Monster occurrences, residents had long moved away, leaving only a dead silence like ruins.
The Demon-level Monster coordinates marked by the Hero Association were right here.
However, when Kouki and Fubuki arrived, only the smell of gunpowder smoke after battle remained in the air—the target seemed to have been solved.
"Fubuki, wait for me here a moment."
Kouki swept his perception and had already captured the auras of Genos and Saitama.
Especially the latter's overly "open" state made the corner of his mouth twitch.
Before his voice fell, his figure disappeared on the spot like a ghost.
His sudden appearance made Genos, who had almost been dismantled into parts by Mosquito Girl, instantly tense up, but his damaged body had no combat power left to speak of.
On the contrary, after seeing the newcomer clearly, Saitama's trademark dead-fish eyes suddenly burst with amazing brilliance!
"It's you!" He clenched his fist abruptly, surging fighting intent burning the air like a solid substance. "Let's fight!"
Kouki held his forehead speechlessly: "...I say, shouldn't you at least put on some clothes before talking about fighting?"
"Uh..."
Saitama was stunned, looking down at his bare body, only realizing it in hindsight.
Intense embarrassment made him kick off, instantly turning into an afterimage and disappearing on the spot.
"Just now that person... what was that about?"
Fubuki, who followed closely, only caught a glimpse of a back streaking away naked, her face full of confusion.
"His name is Saitama." Kouki crossed his arms, revealing a meaningful smile. "A... how should I put it? Very pure, and also very interesting guy."
Fubuki remained baffled.
A gust of wind swept up fallen leaves.
The next second, Saitama, dressed in his iconic yellow battle suit, had returned to the spot, his eyes hot as lava: "Alright! Now we can fight to our heart's content!"
"Fighting you is something I couldn't ask for more." Kouki admitted frankly, flames of excitement also igniting in his eyes. "But Saitama, now is not the time."
"Why?"
Saitama tilted his head in confusion.
Kouki pointed helplessly at the slightly fragile ruins around them: "Just the two of us? If we really let go and fight here, the entire Z-City might be flattened to the ground by the aftermath, right?"
"Oh oh!"
Saitama came to a realization, but the fire of battle in his eyes not only didn't extinguish but burned even more vigorously.
That was the extreme longing for a hearty peak duel!
After exchanging contact information, Kouki left with Fubuki.
Conveniently reporting the truth of Saitama killing the Demon-level Monster Mosquito Girl to the Hero Association—credit couldn't all be pinned on Genos who was almost a corpse.
Bang's Dojo.
*Hoo! Ha!*
Pushing open the simple and ancient dojo door, the uniform shouts of disciples and the sound of fists and feet breaking the air hit them in the face.
"Senior Brother is back!"
Someone with sharp eyes shouted, and the dojo instantly boiled over.
"It really is Senior Brother!"
"Great, Senior Brother is back!"
"Senior Brother! Heard you've already become an S-Class hero?!"
Charanko, with a face full of adoration, squeezed to the front, stars shining in his eyes.
"Haha~ Mere S-Class, easy peasy!"
Kouki crossed his arms and laughed proudly.
"Eh? Senior Brother, this is...?"
Charanko then noticed Fubuki with outstanding temperament behind Kouki, his eyes lighting up.
Immediately, he leaned thief-like to Kouki's ear, lowering his voice but unable to hide his teasing. "Senior Brother is really amazing! Just a few days down the mountain and you kidna... cough, found such a big beauty as a girlfriend?"
Behind him, Fubuki heard this, and her ears instantly dyed with crimson clouds.
"What nonsense are you kid spouting!"
Kouki scolded laughingly and gave Charanko a slap on the back, but his action extremely covertly gave him a thumbs up.
Charanko understood tacitly, immediately squeezing out an "I understand" smile.
Just then, sensing their grandson's return, Bang and Bomb paced out.
"Grandpa! Second Grandpa!"
Kouki put away his jokes and bowed respectfully.
"Hmph, I wondered why this kid was dawdling and unwilling to come back, so it turns out..."
Old man Bomb stroked his beard, his gaze circling Fubuki once, revealing a knowing and teasing smile.
...