Tokyo Ghoul belongs to Sui Ishida.
One Punch Man belongs to ONE.
I own none of them.

| Kafka's New Apprentice |

Saitama, the hero nobody knew, could have sworn that what he was seeing at the moment was not his current roommate, Eto. Her appearance changed drastically overnight. Not that he failed to recognize her, but the change really blew his mind away, to the point that he began to question his own sanity.

'Oi, oi, oi…!' Saitama stared at the half-ghoul as he silently sipped his morning tea from his mug. 'Is it just me or does she really grow taller? Like… Three inches, maybe? Seriously?'

Eto who had just exited the bathroom turned to see the hero and presented him with a wide smile. Her white T-shirt and gray shorts she bought the other day looked, somewhat, undersized.

Not to mention that the logo "Sugoi Dekai" on her shirt was accentuated by her bust.

Saitama's eyes widened as his very hand, responsible for ending countless dangerous mysterious beings, shook. His mug trembled in his grip.

In general, not only Eto grew taller, but her face also turned far more attractive. All in all, she became more gorgeous and quite alluring.

This sight was enough to send a quake for his fortitude as a man.

"Hmm… What's wrong, Saitama-kun?" Eto asked as she noticed the palpable nervousness and exasperation on Saitama's face. "You don't look… really well."

The baldy gulped. As the green-haired novelist drew closer, nearly all muscle fibers in his body tensed. Either he didn't have the gut to speak it or simply got petrified, no words could come out from him. His brain almost melted into grease at the newly refined form of the former Aogiri leader.

To add to his torment, her innocent smile looked mesmerizing and it made his heartbeat go faster, sending heat to the entirety of his body. As she plopped down before him, he took a hitched breath, nearly flinching at how close Yoshimura's spawn had claimed her seat.

"Saitama-kun, are you alright?" Eto repeated cheerily like she usually did.

Steeling himself, the hero swallowed the phantom lump in his throat and faced the flesh-eater with his rather serious face. "Eto-san… Did you last night go to a beauty salon?"

"Eh?"

A giant imaginary mark of question floated on Eto's head. She blinked several times as her eyes seemingly turned into a pair of dots. How on earth Saitama could conclude that the places she visited was a beauty salon?

Being an effective thinker like she always did, her mind found the answer in a blink. She had just realized that when she woke up, there were some changes in her person. Thanks to the flesh she consumed from Men's Aesthician Man, Eto's physique underwent a rapid transformation. The effect was immediate like ingesting kakuhou sac and... it was fancy. Her ghoul gene quickly absorbed the nutrition from the poor cosmetic-dude and translated the characteristics it carried as a total upgrade for beauty.

Yes. It was a beauty plus… almost ultra. A bizarre quirk she acquired which would be perfect if she sought fame.

Although at the moment, it could also work to make her days with our hero more desirable.

Of course, she was surprised at first. It was mind-boggling to say the least. How could she get the beauty which probably far surpassed her late mother, Ukina Yoshimura, in just a single night? This absurdity almost reached the border of a fairy tale.

When she thought about some ghouls she had ever met however, this kind of crazy stuff was not uncommon. In the past, she had encountered some kakujas whose ability was similar – tempering with their humanly appearance and even retain their youth. They roamed about Tokyo and used that power to slip out from CCG's clutch, and many times for causing mayhem in that blasted city.

Dodgy Mother was one among those notable ones – a SS-rated kakuja who managed to escape Cochlea during a raid. The wench sold herself to Clown just to get some fun like most of its lunatic members.

Speaking about fun, Eto's devil cheered her as Saitama was still staring at her. He stayed in his place like a statue. If not because of the faint blush on his cheeks, she would surely call him a piece of post-apocalyptic art.

"Hmm…? A salon?" Eto raised her brows as her smile bent into a teasing one. "Oh, come on, Saitama-kun. What kind of salon is still open over 10 pm? A salon for ghosts? Maybe yes."

"Uh… Maybe? But I guess in City A, there are some?" The hero exerted some effort to break eye contact.

Eto's smile stretched wider as she saw Saitama's stiffness ascend some levels than before. Now, she felt really grateful to have a large bite of Men's Aesthician Man.

And partly she felt sorry at the simpleton she kept teasing on.

The fun had just begun.

"Oh. But what if I didn't? I know Saitama-kun. You are just very~ tired." The half-ghoul started in a sultry voice as she drew even closer and stuck her chest onto his arm. "Killing monsters every day is boring, right? So, why don't you take a day off and let me pamper you, hmm?"

As the ghoul's hand quickly slipped towards the zipper of the hero's jumpsuit, he couldn't move. Saitama's body failed to respond the panic signal from his brain. He couldn't budge, even when he could feel Eto's breath at the side of his neck. The drawing seconds felt like eternity as the Owl took this lonely hero in its grip.

"Aaaaa…. E-E-E-to-san…." Saitama's call almost turned into a gibberish as Eto softly giggled, ignoring his plea.

"Saitama-kun~… Is it that hard for you to relax? Just please, let~ me~ help~ you~."

Eto was enjoying her most pleasing moment when Saitama suddenly moaned in agony. Nothing could beat the sensation and she would savor it to her heart's content.

This hallucination, if it was true, was too much for Saitama. He could feel the supple lumps which were pressed against his back. He only prayed that something would salvage him from this numbing sensation as Eto's face went closer onto his. Their cheeks almost met. It was mere centimeters before the impending collision. He was not still ready for this!

A knock on the door echoed. Maybe the hero's wish really came true.

"Sensei!"

The hero miraculously regained all his strength. He gently moved away from the flesh-eater and offered a dopey smile, partly apologizing that he should refuse her free offer, however tempting it was. Saitama had his fair share of Eto's teasing in the passing week and he had lost count of how many he got. He always turned down her generosity politely. Just now was truly a close call.

"Um… Sorry, Eto-san. We got a guest, I think." The baldy placated as he stood. "I hope it's not a salesman."

"Aw… That's not fun!" Eto rolled her eyes as she gave a pout, adorable enough to stun Saitama for a moment.

The baldy couldn't imagine until how far his roommate could torture him with her surprises. He was glad that he got a nice friend to chat, but each day, her teasing grew more dangerously pleasing. Now, added with her sudden change in appearance which would cause lesser men to obey their lust, he doubted until how long he could survive.

He put a faint hope that whoever stood behind his door was the answer for this dilemma.

Wordlessly, Saitama left Eto who inwardly flipped, out of glee. She never thought that being pretty would be this incredible. Moreover, he seemed to be a submissive type. Just very perfect! Maybe next time, she would pull more naughty things on him. She silently watched his tired steps and smiled mischievously behind his back.

The baldy opened the door and peeked from the gap. "Who's there?"

It was half an hour already and Saitama should hear a tiresome monologue from this cybernetic boy who he had permitted to be his guest. If not because of how well Eto handled the situation, he would have snapped.

"Hmm… I see. So, this mad cyborg is still on the loose and probably destroying anything in its path, correct, Genos-kun?" Eto asked for confirmation as she wrote some notes on a piece of paper while her off-hand squeezed Saitama's wrist under the table.

Saitama couldn't explain what he felt at that moment. He was partly annoyed at the boy, happy that Eto could turn the conversation to be less boring, but also nervous at her way to calm him down. The situation was plain weird.

"Yes, Eto-sensei. And together with Doctor Kuseno, we hunt him down." Genos answered without losing eye-contact with Eto.

Since she was a novelist, being addressed as sensei didn't bother her in the slightest. However, the master of that apartment was totally troubled to be called so. How Saitama dropped Genos' relentless effort to show his respect and the baldy's surrender amused Eto. Her guess truly was spot on about Genos. The boy with a tragic past had lightened the atmosphere in a quite unique way.

On the other side, Genos' sensors had picked up the presence of a substance akin to iron around Eto. It was faint, but he found that her body emitted a trace of that foreign chemical. The cyborg however decided to dismiss it and put the weird case as a kind of human body's anomaly which he would study in the future.

Genos glanced at Saitama and he found Eto tried to calm him for some reason. At this point, the boy deemed their interaction was also interesting as a subject to study. He turned his attention back to Eto and saw how pleasing her demeanor as a hostess was.

Saitama truly was really lucky to have Eto at his side.

Eto nodded as she cast a sympathetic smile. "Chasing a machine which has a mind of its own. That truly is an almost impossible job."

"Indeed. But with Doctor Kuseno's help, I am sure that one day, I can bring down that cyborg for good." The young cybernetic stated as an optimistic smile rose on his synthetic face.

"And so you come here to seek some wisdom about strength from Saitama-kun." Eto concluded as she put her pen and turned to Saitama.

"Yes, Eto-sensei. I want to become Saitama-sensei's disciple." Genos replied with vigor as he made a slight bow.

"Disciple, huh?" Saitama inhaled through his nose as his face turned serious. "So, Genos. How old are you?"

"I am 19, Sensei!" The vigorous young cyborg answered.

Eto felt Saitama's hand suddenly hardened beneath the red glove. Her palm slightly could feel his constricting muscles and protruding vein instantly. A bead of sweat trickled down her cheek as the memory from the first encounter with the man played once again in her mind. It still terrified her. However, that couldn't stop her from teasing him.

Just teasing him and fortunately, he didn't look annoyed.

"So young…" Saitama remarked as he nodded. "You know, Genos, I started my training when I was 22. It was summer, and now I'm 25."

Genos gasped. His artificial face unbelievably could mimic human's expressions perfectly. Eto made a mental note to put his creator as an interesting individual she wanted to meet at a later date. Not because she was fond of scientists, but simply because she found that this art of necromancy through the use of technology, as she put it, had really piqued her interest.

"Three years? Really" Genos stammered.

"Yes. That's why I believe you can surpass me if you stick to this training, hard enough."

'Jeez… If you can make that nice face, why do you always use that dull one.' The half-ghoul inwardly complained at Saitama who always resorted to his bland, lifeless expression.

Eto admitted that when Saitama became serious, he looked intimidating, but quite attractive for a man two years younger than her. She wasn't a person who really had taste for men, but his extremely bored expression sometimes looked awfully painful to behold. No wonder that onlookers on the street gave some nasty ridiculing leers when they went out together.

'Coupled with how well you could quote those lines from manga, I guess you deserve the title of Sensei.' Eto's lips arched into a little smirk as she glanced at the rack of manga beside the TV.

"Genos, I will train you. But I won't go easy on you. So, are you in?" Saitama asked while his serious face was still on.

"Yes, Sensei!"

And thus the young cyborg swore to become the baldy's apprentice and dashed towards the door, all of sudden, prompting the half-ghoul to stare in perplexity. Saitama also turned to his disciple-gonna-be, but his face reverted to his bland one.

"Genos?"

"Sensei, I detect unknown objects are approaching!" Genos exclaimed as he prepared himself to engage.

Before Eto could process what was transpiring, the roof of that room burst open, pouring some debris. There, the culprit, a humanoid mantis with a glass dome for covering its cranium stood while brandishing its scythes.

"Hehe… My name… Eh?"

Its introduction was cut by Saitama's punch to its face, shattering its head completely and smeared the wall with green matter. Eto tried to stand while blinking in utter surprise. Again, the absurdity of this world had caught her in a daze.

"You should pay for breaking my roof!" Saitama yelled angrily as he looked at the damage.

"It seems that agent Kamakyuri successfully breached into our target's abode." A pink slug humanoid exclaimed as its two snail eyes stared at the hole in that apartment.

"Yeah. It seems so." A frog humanoid who happened to be the slug's companion concurred.

The two guarding agents suddenly lost their view as pain smacked their bodies. They tried to move their bodies to no avail since their upper half were buried in the ground. Turned out, the target was already out and vented out his anger at them.

"Jeez… Can't you enter my house through the door? Breaking in from the roof isn't cool at all." Saitama mumbled after he landed near the two unfortunate monster agents.

Following him, Eto landed smoothly besides him and looked at the surrounding. "Whoah! A giant lion?"

"Oh! You're right!" Saitama turned to the source of Eto's surprise. "EH?"

"Saitama-kun!" The half-ghoul called when the hero sunk into the ground, leaving only his head stuck out from the surface.

"SENSEI!" Genos shouted, worried at the well-being of his master despite facing his own enemy.

'This is… Totally absurd! Monster attack!? Just… What the hell is this!' Eto mused, overcome by bizarre situations. 'Is this how those CCG guys felt when we raided Ward 11 Branch?"

"Nah. I'm okay. Don't worry." The hero nonchalantly replied. "Ah… I feel warm here."

Eto's jaw dropped. Sure, Saitama had shown his capability to obliterate his enemies like they were nothing. However, why did he get tangled in this kind of situation? The novelist's mind clogged at the reality before her.

"HAHAHAHA… Good work, Ground Dragon!" The lion man praised his mole compatriot as he walked over the dumbfounded ghoul and the bored hero.

The brown mole shot out from the ground and stood proudly, showing its name on its stomach in full view. Meanwhile, Genos was still fighting an intruder which appeared to be a gorilla in black armor. The situation would only turn worse at this rate.

"Tell me what's your purpose, big cat!?" Eto frowned at the lion. "Are you coming here to challenge us?"

"PFFT… HAHAHAHAHA…!" The lion let out a roaring guffaw at Eto's question. "Well said! You sure have some nerve, human! But, very well. I, Beast King, the second strongest of House of Evolution, are sent here to take that man."

"Take Saitama-kun?" Eto turned to Saitama who was yawning like a newborn in his mother's cradle. "Are you sure?"

Eto only raised her brows, partly mocking at the monsters. These mysterious beings from this Darwin's House of Something truly had human level intelligence, which sadly dulled their instinct. Whoever the people behind the organization, Eto assumed that they were just the crazier version of Akihiro Kanou.

Eto giddily wanted to see how Saitama would crush those morons for pissing him off. And she would merrily join in the carnage.

"Hmm… Are you questioning me, weakling? I'll surely tear your frail body from limb to limb!" Beast King sneered as he pointed his claw at Eto who sported a small smirk.

"Oi, Beast King, we just need to bring that baldy to the base." The mole reminded his comrade. "Just ignore that woman!"

"Ignore!? Khh! Not until I wipe that smug face of this bit– AAAAAARRRGGGGHHHH!"

The haughty Beast King suddenly screamed as he held his right arm which only remained as a bleeding stump. The arm flew somewhere else before he could even finish the insult. Turned out, the half-ghoul had severed it using her kagune in a manner of scissors, cutting the lion's limb in one swift move.

"Wow! Eto-san. That's very cool! How did you do that?" Saitama spoke in surprise as he quickly escaped from his momentary vertical grave, shocking Ground Dragon. "They're like swords and arms at the same time. Awesome!"

"Hehehe… Do you like it, Saitama-kun? Praise me more, please…" Eto giggled as she let her ukaku kagune dance in joy above her shoulders, leaving Beast King to his own suffering.

"B-Beast King!" Ground Dragon staggered in panic at the sight of his wounded superior.

"Ugh… Bastards! I WILL KILL YOU!" The lion raised its left paws to strike the couple.

"Eeeeh?" Eto sidestepped in reflex, jaw slacked in surprise as Saitama went to meet the attack.

[ 連続普通のパンチ ]

"Consecutive Normal Punches!" A flurry of reds rushed towards Beast King.

Eto's eyes failed to register those blows. She only saw Saitama's right fist turned into blurs of red and the overgrown feline was reduced to minced meat, exploded into messy bits, leaving its remaining lower half to topple. The legs and abdomen fell to the ground and so did the innards, falling like a rain of red.

Eto turned to Saitama. Her expression told him that she was rather disgusted.

Though in truth, what disgusted her was the thought if she was in the monster's place. This thought kept haunting her, but weirdly, it never ceased her from sticking with Saitama and pulled some prank on him.

"Eww… That's quite messy." Eto slightly grimaced as she looked at the utterly demolished carcass.

"Well, can't be helped. Monsters I punched always end up like this." The caped-hero replied with a shrug.

The couple then turned their attention slowly towards the remaining intruder in the vicinity. Ground Dragon could see both the baldy and the green-haired woman grinned from ear to ear. Fearing at those signs of apex predators, the mole slammed its claws and dug the ground like there was no tomorrow.

"Oh, it fled…" Saitama said as he stared blankly at the hole.

"Hmm, hmm… Not a chance, Mole-chan!" Eto extended her kagune to make an armed giant claw and shoved it deep to scoop the ground.

"UWAAAAAAAHHHH!" Ground Dragon yelped as the claw managed to hurl him and the dirt into the air.

Eto used her other kagune to pinch the poor brown rat. Its fate had been sealed when the half-ghoul caught him.

"Nice catch." Saitama commented as Eto gripped the tiny creature by its leg.

While thrashing to flee from the claw's tight grip, Ground Dragon spat some profanities at the two humans. The man and the woman turned to each other.

"Have you ever seen a noisy monster, Saitama-kun?" Eto asked as she shook the rat while giving a blank look.

"I guess I had. But I always punched them before they ranted too much." Saitama poked Ground Dragon in the stomach, earning a terrified yell. "It's annoying. Are you gonna kill it?"

"Let's keep it as a guide to lead us to the guy who sent them here." The former Aogiri leader smirked.

Saitama hammered his palm. "Oh! Nice idea! Maybe we can find some strong monsters to fight."

"… Yeah, I guess." Eto nodded as she inwardly sighed.

Eto morphed her kagune to make a cage for Ground Dragon as Saitama stared in awe. She didn't have any intention to hide her ability from the hero. After all, ghoul didn't exist in this world. She had scrounged any information about it in this place and there was no evidence of its existence, so far.

Or perhaps, she had yet to find one.

The couple turned to Genos who had just ended the skirmish. He successfully subdued his enemy, now showing its true form. It was just a gorilla in a thick black armor with some cybernetic enhancements. Like its compatriots however, it had human level intelligence since it could talk.

"Tell me, who sent you here! Else, I will incinerate you!" Genos threatened as the hole his palm glowed yellow, ready to burn its target.

"… I have lost, but you haven't faced Number Two…" The gorilla spoke with his broken robotic voice.

"Define who is Number Two!"

"ARMORED GORILLA, BEAST KING IS DEAD! THESE PEOPLE ARE FREAKING STRONG!" The rat cried from the cage as Eto shook it lightly.

"Eh!? Ground Dragon!" The gorilla's eyes nearly popped out when he saw his comrade.

No, it was not because of Ground Dragon. It was actually the captor who shocked him. Never in his life has he seen a human with such bizarre monster appendages. Its bony structure screamed death and endless pain. The white kagune with red, glowing veins scared Armored Gorilla that his jaw dropped while he was sweating profusely under his armor.

"Whaaah… What are you!?" The gorilla lost his robotic voice as he stared at Eto. "A-a-are you a human!?"

"Saitama-sensei, Eto-sensei this Gorilla came from… Uh-oh!" Genos gasped when he also saw Eto's kagune.

"Surprised, Genos-kun?" Eto tittered as she walked towards the cyborg.

"Chill, Genos. It's Eto-san's super-cool ability." Saitama spoke to calm his shocked disciple.

Nonetheless, the cyborg watched silently with apprehension at how the half-ghoul moved the organs which previously weren't on her back. He frowned and suddenly widened his eyes when his sensors caught the significant raise of the mysterious chemical in the air. The amount reached hundreds and it came from Eto's additional limbs.

'Is Eto-sensei a monster? No! Saitama-sensei trusts her and they appear to have a very strong bond.' Genos analyzed the premise as he examined the kagune which possessed an odd form of fluidity. 'Saitama-sensei is correct. It is likely that Eto-sensei has some sort of complex biological deformity so that he takes her under his wing. What a merciful hero!And Eto-sensei can use those limbs as a very potent weapon. But what is that? There must be a scientific explanation behind her unique power.'

"Now, now… Look at Ape-kun over here." The half-ghoul spoke as she slowly drove her hand-like kagune towards Armored Gorilla and gently placed it over the chest plate.

"HHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIK! WHAT'S THIS!?" The gorilla wobbled in panic when a kagune finger poked his chin.

The fingers grew longer and morphed into claws, wringing the terrified gorilla around the neck. The kagune choker even sprouted some more spikes which slithered towards his eyes, threatening to pierce them. Armored Gorilla who had lost his limbs completely after his bout with Genos went stiff and sat still, fearing that those sharpies might poke his eyes.

The same thing also went for the mole where his cage grew small needles. The cage turned into a hybrid of Wicker Man and Iron Maiden for the little creature, pricking him from every small motion. It was worse than being experimented on by House of Evolution.

Or probably worse than the instant death from Saitama's punch. That being said, Beast King was quite lucky to die first.

Eto's sadistically playful side had emerged once again.

"Eh? Eto-san, that's like something outta horror movie." Saitama commented at the display of psychological torture.

"Well, that's true. Fear is a very effective weapon mankind has exploited for a long time. Men and animals alike bend their knees before the source of terror, obeying their primal instinct against anything that might harm them." Eto stated sagely, garnering Genos' utter exasperation at the piece of wisdom. "This way, we can extract more information almost like milking a cow."

"Armored Gorilla…" The poor brown mole whimpered from inside the cage.

"Ground Dragon…" His friend spoke shakily as he stared at Eto's cold predatory gaze.

"See…" The half-ghoul tilted her head to look at the enamored cyborg. "A display of power is one among many methods to achieve this effect. You did well, Genos-kun."

Feeling that he had taken the responsibility as a master, Saitama awkwardly added. "Yeah. The way you used those blaster cannons was really cool. It shows your talent as a fighter."

Genos stared with wide eyes at the two masters. Respect and gratitude filled his heart when he regarded the couple. Although deep down he still questioned Eto's disturbing method, his suspicion that she was a monster had vanished.

After all, is it wrong to torture creatures who could only cause mayhem and threaten humanity?

"THANK YOU, SENSEI!" Genos bowed reverently at his masters.

Eto turned to Saitama as she smiled, conveying the message that accepting Genos was not a bad idea. However, her gentle smile only embarrassed him instead since he was aware that he didn't have the right to become a master. Eto in response only sighed and her face snapped to its murderous state the moment she turned back to her captives.

"So… I heard you came from House of Devolution. Care to explain where the hell is this place located and who is the fool has the gall to play god behind that name? Answer!" Eto's kagune spikes grew some centimeters closer to Armored Gorilla's eyes, earning a yelp.

"I believe you are the people responsible behind the mosquito attack a week prior. Explain!" Genos added the threat as he stared down at the broken monsters.

Saitama hit his palm, producing a loud shock wave as his veins in his forehead bulged. "Yeah! I want to beat this guy! He should pay for the damage on my apartment and this road. Look, the waste pipe is also busted because of you! It stinks!"

Eto inwardly huffed. Turned out, being poor but overpowered could make someone become unrealistically materialistic in a silly way. Somewhat, she felt pity for the hero. Probably she would consider initiating a therapy to adjust his attitude, for free.

Of course a drastic method like what she had applied to Karen von Roswald was out of question. He seemed to be an apathetic being after all. Not to mention that he was insufferable, probably.

"Property damage aside, tell us where your boss is!" Eto demanded as she shook the cage violently while poking the gorilla's face."

"" WE ARE SO SORRY…! PLEASE FORGIVE US! WE WILL TELL YOU EVERYTHING! ""

A man clad in black suit with silver-rimmed glasses stared at a giant monitor in a large chamber. His short black hair was slicked to the side neatly with the front bangs covered his right eye. Despite his cool look, he was not as calm as he appeared to be. His frown deepened at the information on the screen.

This man is Doctor Genus, the man who founded House of Evolution. A head researcher of this unknown organization with the same obscure goal. A forgotten figure from the past who tried to avenge the world with his own way.

He was not alone however, for tens of his assistant were also lining up before him like a company of soldiers. What made this company scarily different however was what made it up. They were the clone of Genus himself. Same height, same posture, same face, even down to the glasses. The only difference were only their working experience and the number on their gray shirts to identify them from each other. Maybe their minds were also different, just like their expressions at the moment.

"Four of our six agents we sent to take our curious specimen have been wiped out." Genus announced with ire, earning gasps of shock from his clones. "This is impossible! How can our elite troops, our greatest achievement for erasing primitive humans were defeated so easily. THIS IS UNFORGIVABLE!"

The clones murmured, wording out their thoughts about some possible outcomes and solutions. Nevertheless, they were in a precarious situation.

"If they do come to our house, all of our research, all we have gained so far, will go to waste!" The doctor hissed, earning nods from his doubles.

When the clones began to buzz in discussion between their copies, a new individual came in. Her presence prompted an eerie silence, snuffing the speech off of the men. Genus and his clones looked surprised, few even paled. This enigmatic snow-haired lady stepped in with graceful, yet silent gait like an icy breeze. An all-white researcher outfit garbed her very lean from. Her face bore the fair beauty of her early twenties, but hardened by an experience not meant for those of the faint of heart.

"Greetings, Doctor Genus." The young woman spoke as she ambled to face the original Genus. "By the look of it, we are facing a trouble, yes?"

""Na-Nashiro…!"" Some of the clones muttered in shock as some of them moved, fearing her presence.

The sound of the girl's shoes echoed in the room for the doctor and his army were silent. With a cold, yet graceful motion, she swiped a glance at Genus and his copies. Her white brows creased when her eyes met with the display on the screen.

The good doctor recomposed himself and smiled. "Good morning, Nashiro. I am glad that you come here at this right time."

"However, should I confirm that you are in a tight spot?" Nashiro quipped with superiority in her tone as she faced the head researcher.

"Well, as you can see, we are indeed have a serious trouble in dealing with our attempt to retrieve the newest sample." The monitor showed some fresh photos of Saitama, Eto and Genos from Armored Gorilla as Genus spoke. "These individuals are quite... troublesome. Fortunately, they are heading to our base, now."

"Heeeh? So, are we going to hold a welcoming party for our guests?" Nashiro inquired nonchalantly as she fixed her glare at the screen.

"Yes. And with all due respect, would you like to see our greatest performer, Nashiro?" Genus asked with beads of sweat, rolling down his face. "Just to notice him that we have some… Interesting guests."

"Uh-oh… Could it be!?"

"Don't tell me!?"

"Our trump card… Ca–Carnage Kabuto!?"

Unexpectedly, Nashiro shrugged her shoulders. Her stoic face told them that it was not a big deal. This led to more murmurs of shock among the clones. Most of them deemed it as irrationally unnerving.

"Number One, is it? I have met him some times and he seemed to be not as crazy as you thought. He just needs a friend for a chat." Nashiro exclaimed as she looked at the good doctor, a small smile graced her face.

"Then, I believe you are the right person for this job." Genus stated as he looked rather reassured.

"Is that so?" Nashiro quirked her brows. "Well, then. If you say so, just consider it done."

Some of the clones let out a breath of stifled relief. They shouldn't face that abomination, thanks to the girl. Still, her calmness unnerved them.

"Thank you, Nashiro."

"Don't mention it. Just make sure you treat those new subjects well. I have a feeling that I've met one of them, somewhere." Nashiro spoke as she left the baffled scientists.

The clones watched the girl's back with a mix of guarded awe and fear. She was a unique subject who came out of nowhere, but her arrival had changed many things in their research. She was a precious asset for House of Evolution although her behavior sometimes put its members into utter bewilderment.

Above all else, the easiest one to handle sometimes hid the most insidious nature. That was why these clones couldn't shrug the feeling that she was malicious despite her willingness to cooperate so far.

"Not only is she cold, but she is the most cunning among our test subjects." One of the clones commented.

"She isn't scared to face Carnage Kaboto. She truly has the nerve of steel."

"Right. To have her in our place is truly advantageous. She even has lessened our burden."

"She kinda reminds me to Number 66."

"Indeed, gentlemen. We truly are blessed when we found her a couple of years ago." Genus stated as he stared at the live feed on the special weapon room. "She really is a godsend. Until now, I still wonder about how she acquired that curios organ. Though I am still sad that she is based on the primitive humankind, but she possessed the key to unlock the secret of immortality. A fleeting dream we almost grasped a decade ago."

"True… Oh, Mother of Destruction!"

"… The Devourer!"

"… The Flesh-eater!"

"Pervert Tentacle Cannibal Bastard!" One of the clones shouted with hoarse voice in annoyance.

"Number Four, I know how did you feel when I assigned you right after we found her." The original calmed his copy. "She was in a tad of confusion and we truly had trouble when we should conduct a vivisection. Your frustration… I know it quite well."

"That doesn't change the fact that she has those damn red tendrils and none of our blades could pierce her skin! I almost lost my head, back then!" Number Four snarled, gaining some nods of support from his colleagues. "And we should provide her with a ton of human meat? What kind of organism is she!? A T-Rex is even tamer than her!"

"But her special organ tremendously has help us to understand our inquiry about limited rapid regeneration in human body. And we have overcome her eating issue with an additional gland to suppress that organ." Number Thirteen argued. "Not to mention that it has unknown properties we have yet to discover."

The crowd buzzed again, but Genus quickly put a stop before it developed into an unnecessary debate. He didn't want them to be distracted from the pressing matter at the moment.

"Enough, everyone! Like Nashiro said, we are to prepare a party for our guests. Now, activate all the traps, starting from the first floor to the eighth." Genus spoke as he activated the defense mechanism in that building. "We shouldn't let those two to escape! The bald one is an interesting specimen, but that woman… I believe she displays an abnormality like Nashiro's. This is… A very interesting finding! Two birds with one stone!"

And thus the party to welcome the Lonely Hero, the Owl and their new follower was going to begin, specially hosted by House of Evolution. Genus and his clones were waiting with anticipation as their guests would arrive at their doorstep in mere seconds.

"How long will it take, Genos-kun?" Eto asked as she dashed behind Genos.

"We are almost there, approximately in three minutes." The young cyborg replied.

Saitama just followed in silence behind Eto while admiring how fast she could run. Now, dressed in her red hoodie with bandage wrapped around her arms and legs, her dash almost looked like skipping over the ground. Unlike Genos and Saitama, Eto's feet nearly didn't left imprints, meaning that her steps were so gentle, yet powerful enough to propel her body forward.

The trio traversed through a pristine mountain path and leaped from cliff to cliff. When they reached the top of a rock formation, they saw a curious sandy-brown building, stood proudly amid the forestry from a kilometer away. They pressed on and in less than a minute, they landed before the rectangular building.

"House of Evolution." Eto read the sign on the brick fence of the building. "Why should name this place if there's no one who'd come here? This is more like a hidden mountain resort I think."

"I believe this place is built here for discretion." Genos assumed as he turned to Eto.

"Discretion?" Eto raised her brows as she pulled down her hood. "If I were to build a hidden base, I would choose a rather remote island or a deep underground bunker with a complicated maze. This place only speaks about its founder's odd narcissism."

Eto's experience as the leader of Aogiri truly had taught her the importance of a safe hiding spot. Day in and day out through the hell of Ward 24, playing cat and mouse during the day of Tseneyoshi Washuu to the point she overran Rushima island were just a few to mention her vast experience. She didn't intend to become a good mentor, but if someone she had taken interest in asked her politely, she would share her knowledge.

Genos gasped and quickly pulled out a notebook and a pen from his pocket and wrote down Eto's wise words about strategy and psychology. In some seconds, his writings had filled two pages full.

"Taking a note? What a very diligent student." Eto remarked as she chuckled.

"Eto-sensei, your lecture is very amazing." Genos beamed as his eyes glowed bright yellow. "Your words are very essential to build my capability in the battles to come."

"Hoh? Well, then." Eto smiled contently. "But don't forget that Saitama-kun is the real practitioner of monster extermination."

"Yes, Eto-sensei!" The cyborg proceeded to observe the baldy.

"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight…" Saitama counted the floor of the building, ignoring how his disciple took a lesson from the half-ghoul.

Both Saitama and Eto suddenly heard a small crackling sound like a discharged electricity. When they turned to Genos, he had launched an explosive strike from his arms, blasting the building to small pebbles. Even the cliff behind it was also blown completely. Seeing the devastation it left, Eto hung her jaw while Saitama cringed.

She swore inwardly that the power hidden behind those arms could rival the strongest quinque in CCG's possession. Hell! She was even sure that Genos was a compact nuclear reactor! How could this explosive marionette existed and who was the man crazy enough to craft it? She probably would find out soon.

"… Genos-kun?" Eto blinked as dust swept her face.

"Genos… At least we can enter that building to see what kind of traps in there." Saitama chided as he also blinked in surprise.

"This way, we can dispose the enemies more efficiently." Genos stated simply as the cannons in his arms released some excess heat.

"… Your method is quite drastic. Very impolite should I say if we consider ourselves as civilized people." Eto criticized as she smiled wryly.

"I–I'm so sorry Eto-sensei!" Genos bowed in apology and regret.

"That's right, Genos." Saitama nodded. "This is a serious property damage."

"But~…" Eto turned to Saitama as she smirked, earning a confused look from both men. "Today is Saturday, so…"

"OH! It's bargain sale today!" Saitama almost shouted as he held his head. "You're right! We must end this quickly! Thanks, Eto-san!"

Genos gasped. For him, it appeared that Eto also acted as Saitama's personal secretary who arranged all his daily activity. This interesting finding and interaction afterwards found its way to Genos' notebook.

Although in truth, it was merely because Eto had caught Saitama's excessive obsession for cheap things, thanks to the discount coupons and sale brochures he stacked in his apartment. She didn't really care about it, but it was an interesting thing to know about.

"Hehehe… I know today will be a hectic day. So, I must put this all into my mind." The half-ghoul smiled as she led the men towards a hatch on the ground. "So, Genos-kun, your extreme measure this time is excusable. And bingo! We've found the entrance to the treasury, thanks to you, Genos-kun."

"I am ashamed for my recklessness, but you praise me instead. This is the least I can do, Eto-sensei!" Genos bowed, earning a smile from Eto.

"Uh-oh! Treasury…!" Saitama gasped as he stared at the hatch. "Is that true, Eto-san?"

"We won't find out until we open it, right? I think this is fun. It's like we're some adventurers from an… isekai novel." Eto spoke with a little distaste at the last part.

As his mind was filled with the chance to find a treasure trove, Saitama's face turned serious. It was likely that Eto's words pumped him really much. With a yank, he removed the large, reinforced metal door completely from its frame. It shocked Eto since he lifted that hunk of big steel with just a pinch as if it was a piece of paper!

'J-just… how strong is he…?' Eto shuddered in her thought as Saitama tossed away the metal.

Now beneath the broken door, lied a stair which led to an unknown passage. Eto turned to Saitama and he was still putting his serious face. Soon, the unlikely trio entered the dungeon, venturing to meet an unknown monstrosity House of Evolution had prepared.

"Let's go. Find the treasure and spend it at the super sale!" Saitama spoke with zeal as his white cape fluttered in the air.

Author's Note

Eto snatched some of Banjo's ribs before he could even register what on Tokyo was happening, meaning that she could do the same to Beast King. The kitten was just blabbering nonsense and if Saitama was serious, he could just one-shot it. So, I guess Owl can blitz the lion if she's pressed.

And… yes. Finally, Genos makes his appearance. He will surely worship her in the future. And I hope Eto can mold him to become a more calculating fighter.

What about Nashiro?
I import her merely because her death is… Well, no…
It's more because I consider her as a potential fighter. It's a waste that she's dead by Juuzou's Jason-13. How can she end up in this universe? Let's see in the next chapter, okay. :-3
So, expect more to show up and make the monster theater merrier!

Hope you like this story and see you in the next one. ;-)