Aight folks, I've got one more chapter in the rounds, and after that I'm not sure what's going down. It's also finals week next week, so I probably won't get a chance to work on it much, so it might be a couple weeks before I update again, who knows. Anyways, just wanted to give an update and let y'all know whats going on.
Chapter Eight: Testing his Mettle
Saitama stood in the middle of the field in his hero suit. In front of him was Supermetal Blacklight, standing about twenty feet away. The hulking man stretched, bending down on one knee while extending the other one as far as it could go. Then he rose and rotated his shoulders. Light reflected off his skin, making the man glow majestically as the sun started to fall behind the mountains.
"Are you going to stretch, Saitama? It is important to make sure you don't hurt your muscles. This is only a sparring match after all. You don't want to injure yourself when there are monsters to take care of," Darkshine called out to him.
"Nah, my muscles are loose from the hot springs earlier," Saitama informed him.
"I see. In that case, are you ready to begin?"
Saitama looked over to the audience. Pretty much everyone who had been invited was here. Metal Bat was the only S Class not in attendance, recovering from his experience earlier. Drones flew above the arena at the request of Bofoi. Child Emperor had also set up a few cameras, and Saitama had little doubt that the one eyed robot was recording this as well. Turning his attention back to his opponent, Saitama answered. "Yeah, let's do this."
The instant the words were out of his mouth, Darkshine rushed at him, shoulders down ready to tackle the shorter bald man. Saitama just stood there, watching the large man bear down at him. Dimly he was aware of the other S Classes watching with a mix of anticipation and trepidation. As they watched the massive form of Darkshine approach the smaller frame of the caped baldy, they started to doubt whether they had the right man after all.
But when Darkshine smashed into Saitama, nothing out of the ordinary happened. At least, not to Saitama. The larger man just ran into him and bounced off him and fell on his ass.
Darkshine was stunned. Few monsters had survived a tackle like that, all of them Dragon Level Threats. None of them had remained standing however. And none of them continued staring at him like they wanted to go take a nap.
Darkshine immediately shot to his feet. "Impressive Saitama! You are truly strong! Let me show you my abilities!"
Darkshine leveled a punch at the shorter bald man. To his surprise, Saitama dodged out of the way, the fist larger than Saitama's head missing him by mere inches. Darkshine threw a kick at Saitama who jumped just high enough to avoid being hit. Darkshine grinned, knowing that there was nowhere for the smaller man to go. Darkshine punched at Saitama, but through some impossible aerobic feat, Saitama evaded his punch. The man landed back on the ground, the same dull expression on his face. Growing angry, Darkshine aimed a hammer strike at Saitama's head.
Saitama, watching the fist descend on him, decided he'd had enough. He caught the large fist in one hand, and praying this guy was durable, hit him with an open hand. The large man rocketed off, quickly disappearing from sight. A large dust cloud appeared in the distance, and a moment later a quiet boom was heard.
Saitama cracked his knuckles. "Next?"
While the other S Classes gawked at Saitama, Tatsumaki just smirked arrogantly. What idiot thought they could go toe to toe with Blast? He was the first ranked hero for a reason. Tatsumaki wouldn't put some jackoff with no strength whatsoever ahead of her. Maybe seeing him in action would teach them some respect.
Saitama watched the white ninja dude unsheathe his sword and charge at him. Saitama dodged out of the way of the two slashes the guy aimed at him and ducked behind him. Placing his hand on his shoulder, he told the dude, "Calm down a sec."
The ninja visibly sweatdropped and leaped away from Saitama. "Impossible! No one can see through my attacks so easily."
"Sheesh, you even sound like the other guy. What was his name? Supersonic noise? Panic! at the Disco? Three o'clock manic? Uh, Speed of sound sonic?"
The white ninja blanched. "What was that last one?"
"Speed of laundry iconic?"
The white ninja shook his head. How could this idiot be so powerful? It didn't make sense. And where had he learned that name? Sonic was supposed to be dead.
"Anyway, you done? Cause there are like two more dudes that want a piece of me."
"Not quite," the white ninja answered, whipping two kunai at him. Saitama caught both in his hands before ducking under the sword swipe. Saitama tossed the two knives into the air, spinning end over end.
The ninja kicked at Saitama, who jumped back to dodge. He started backpedalling rapidly, the white ninja speeding after him. Dodging a few sword slashes, Saitama kicked his leg out at the ninja's legs. The ninja jumped over his swipe, but Saitama leaped up into the air, grabbing the ninja's shirt and pulling him upwards. He lost his sword as the two rocketed into the sky, and Saitama let go of his shirt to block the series of punches the ninja launched at him. They traded blows all the way up the arc and as they descended. The ninja landed in a sick pose on the earth and grabbed his sword, while Saitama just landed, shattering the ground below him. From his pose, the ninja swung his legs at Saitama's neck. Saitama grabbed one of his legs and flung the ninja over his shoulder. The ninja somersaulted in midair, throwing several kunai and shurikens at him. Saitama dodged them all with ease and rushed at the ninja who met him halfway. Saitama dodged all of his strikes, ducking or blocking all of them, circling around his opponent. The ninja struggled to keep up, his punches and sword slashes always seeming to land on his afterimage. Saitama started side hopping around him, going so fast a tornado was starting to form around him. The ninja struck futilely at Saitama, desperately trying to keep up with his erratic movements. Finally, Saitama stopped, right behind him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Ok. I win."
The two knives clattered to the ground.
Flashy Flash panted heavily, out of breath. He stared incredulously at this man, who stared back at him with a nonchalant expression. This man, who outpaced Flashy Flash, the fastest man alive. It was absurd! How dare he! Flashy Flash vowed to train until he was once again the fastest being on the plant. Leaving behind a dust trail, he disappeared into the resort to meditate.
"Alright, that's two down, who else wanted to fight me?"
"I believe it is my turn," a blue haired man said. He wore expensive black pants and a blue shirt, with a thin white coat.
"Ok."
The blue haired man jumped into the air, dropping down on him with a kick. Saitama jumped back just in time for his foot to smash into the ground and create a shockwave. Immediately the man was on him again, jabbing at him. Saitama dodged all the strikes easily.
The overcompensating man grabbed his suit and brought his blue hair to smash against his bald head. When he lifted his head, Saitama returned the headbutt, knocking the man across the field, blood spurting from his nose. When he rose, his nose was just as pristine as it had been before.
Saitama sent a knowing smirk at him. His eyes widened flaring yellow for a brief moment, and he lowered in his stance, growling softly. He shot at Saitama, landing a series of blows on him. Saitama took it, before kicking him away and charging after him. Saitama caught up quickly, and punched over his shoulder. The guy dodged anyway, striking at his ribs. Saitama pulled a punch at him, only for the guy to drop onto his hands and kick him with both feet. The force propelled the guy backwards, and he flipped several times before landing back on his feet.
Amai Mask whipped his hair out of his eyes, glaring daggers at Saitama. Saitama just waved a hand as if to say well get on with it. Eyes flashing yellow again, he rushed at Saitama, delivering a powerful kick to his sternum, then grabbing his head and kneeing him in the face, propelling himself up. Using his momentum, he landed a powerful blow to the top of Saitama's head as he landed. Seeing that Saitama received no damage, he growled, and went to sweep his legs, but Saitama hopped over his legs. Filled with fury, Amai Mask punched at Saitama full force, creating shockwaves as his fist smashed into Saitama's invulnerable body. Amai Mask chopped at Saitama's neck, whirling to hit his ribs with his other hand, and continued spinning and striking Saitama with rapid momentum. After a few seconds of this, he stopped, recognizing the futility of such a technique. If he was going to hurt this man, he needed stronger attacks.
Amai Mask punched downward at Saitama's face, then returned with a strike upwards at his chin. Grabbing the bald man's face, he squeezed, trying to crush the puny man's skull.
Saitama almost sighed. If this guy kept this up, he was going to get himself hurt. Deciding to end this, he raised his hand in front of his face. His eyes widened, but he couldn't react as Saitama flicked him, knocking him unconscious and throwing back into his chair.
"And another one bites the dust. Next," Saitama said, sticking a finger in his ear.
The S Class Heroes looked at one another. This guy had beaten the strongest and the fastest amongst them, with seemingly no issue. Was there really any question as to if he was qualified?
The answer was no, but being the prideful son of a bitches that they were, decided to keep testing him anyway.
"Alright Saitama, my blade has felled innumerable monsters and villains. My signature technique is world renowned for its speed and precision. Let us see how you fare against it!" The middle aged samurai guy announced, hand on his sheathed blade. "Atomic Slash!"
Oh wait a second! For whatever reason, this man reminded him that they were serving coconut milk! Oh that shit was good. Before the samurai guy unsheathed his sword, Saitama ran back to the resort and grabbed one of the coconuts, a straw, and one of those little umbrella things. Racing back, he waited for the samurai to draw his blade. Once he did, Saitama held the coconut under it. The blade cut the coconut cleanly in half. Saitama grinned and stuck his straw and umbrella in it and started slurping. Ah, this was the life. After avoiding a few more slashes, Saitama frowned. This could use something. Hmm. Oh! He could make a smoothie!
Rushing back to the resort, he ran into the kitchen. What kind of smoothie should he make? Flipping through a recipe book, Saitama decided to go with a simple one. A chocolate, banana smoothie. He grabbed some cocoa powder and a banana. He added the cocoa powder before rushing back to the samurai man. Unpeeling the banana, he used the man's sword to slice the bananas. Placing the cut pieces of the banana into the smoothie, he stirred the drink with his straw until it was all blended. Now this was good. He hadn't had anything coconut in a while. It really did make a difference.
When the guy finished all his chopping, Saitama stood there, sipping his coconut smoothie. The other man just stared at him.
"What is that?"
"A smoothie."
"Where'd you get that?"
"I made it."
"You…made a smoothie…while I used my most powerful attack on you…" the middle aged samurai clarified.
"Yeah," Saitama shrugged, sipping from his coconut again.
"...WHYYYYYYYYYY!" He screamed, falling to his knees. He continued screaming until Bang came over and gently pulled him to his feet. The man sobbed quietly as Bang led him away, gently patting the bawling hero away.
Saitama raised an eyebrow at him, taking another sip from his smoothie. What a weird dude. Weren't samurais extinct, like dinosaurs or something?
"Saitama-kun. We have a request for you," someone said.
"Hm?" Saitama asked, still slurping his smoothie. It was the big dude from earlier. He was flanked by two other guys, one dressed in a tank top, and another dude with some fabulous eyelashes.
"You are indeed very strong, there is no doubt about that. The three of us, the physically most powerful besides King and yourself, wish to challenge you together in order to see if we could compete with you," Darkshine explained.
"Yeah hold on let me finish my smoothie real quick, don't want to waste it," Saitama said, tipping the coconut back and sucking the contents down his throat. Saitama finished it off and tossed the empty coconut away with a belch.
"Are you ready Saitama-kun?" Darkshine asked, readying a fighting stance.
"Yeah hold on, give me a sec, I think I slurped that too quickly," Saitama said, holding his stomach.
"I get that when I drink my protein powder too quickly as well," Tank Top Master agreed, nodding his head in sympathy.
"You boys got to be careful, we wouldn't want you to choke. If you ever need my assistance, I would be glad to perform the heimlich maneuver on you," Puri Puri Prisoner exclaimed, exuding an aura of love and affection. The others naturally took one big step away from him.
"Nah, but I think I'm gonna need a minute, and maybe a glass of water. I'll be right back," Saitama said, disappearing.
The heroes stood there in confusion, unsure what to do now. It was at this exact moment that Metal Bat appeared, recently released from the infirmary and noticing how empty the resort was.
"Hey, what's goin' on over here?" He asked Bang, signature bat slung over his shoulder. He hadn't changed from his hero outfit since the meeting earlier, and he was one of the few aside from those planning on challenging Saitama that was. The rest were in complementary robes given to them by the staff.
"Ah, Metal Bat! It is good to see you up and about. To answer your question, some of the others wanted to test Saitama-san's strength and wished to spar with him. He has just stepped out for a moment, but he will be back to fight Darkshine, Tank Top Master and Puri Puri Prisoner. How are you feeling?"
"You guys are fighting him? Are you insane?" Metal Bat exclaimed, voice cracking a little. His shouts drew the attention of the others.
"Metal Bat, calm down. It's just a bit of fun," Bang reassured him, but Metal Bat didn't seem to hear him.
"He'll kill you all! What on earth were you thinking? Do you have a death wish?"
"Oi! Pompadour! The fuck you yelling for!" Tatsumaki shouted, floating towards him.
"Don't tell me you're allowing this Tornado," Metal Bat asked.
"Allowing what?"
"Allowing these bozos to kill themselves!"
"I'm not allowing anyone to do anything. If they want to cut their own wrists that's up to them."
"Not that. Fight S-S…Saitama."
"Oh. Yeah, I guess. Why, you scared of bald men?"
"You're damn right I am!"
"Don't tell me that Saitama traumatized you."
Metal Bat stayed quiet for a minute. "Blondie had it wrong. When you look in his eyes, it's not death that you see. It's something far, far more terrifying."
"He did! Oh god this is great."
"Tornado!" Bang scolded. "What did you see, Metal Bat?"
Metal Bat shuddered. "When I looked at him, there was nothing human in his eyes. Even monsters seem docile compared to that...thing. He is pure, unyielding power."
"Ha! And you all doubted him."
"You don't get it!" Metal Bat snapped. Even Tatsumaki stepped back at his tone. "There's no reasoning with him, no bargaining with him, no escaping or fighting him. He's like a hurricane or an earthquake. He's unpredictable, and none of you can possibly hope to control him. Who's to say he wouldn't slaughter us all if he chose not to be a hero?"
"Saitama would never do that."
"Oh really? You don't think he's never killed a human before."
Tatsumaki stayed silent, remembering wiping blood off her cheek as he carried her out of the facility.
"That's what I thought. He would kill you without remorse and forget who you were the next day. Saitama is not a hero, or even a man. He is a storm to be weathered, a force of nature that darkens the sky, blotting out both night and day. His power overshadows everything, even his own damn self. You cannot stand against him."
"When did you become so articulate?" Tatsumaki scoffed.
"Being around the old geezer and the blond girl does wonders for your vocabulary."
"Listen, Metal Bat," Bang said, putting a comforting hand on the youth's shoulder. "I have not known Saitama for very long. But I sense he is an honorable man, with pure intentions. He has a strict moral code and a strong sense of justice. He is, in many ways, the ideal hero, and is suitable for the number one spot. No monster or villain could turn him against us."
"It's not the monsters I'm worried about," Bad said, brushing his hand away. "What happens when he learns the Hero Association isn't all it's chopped out to be?"
"What do you mean?"
"You know exactly what I mean."
Bang thought for a moment. "I can't give you an answer to that. We simply must have faith that he will do the right thing."
"I became a hero to protect my sister," Bad said. "He says he's a hero for fun. What happens if he decides that it'd be more fun to just take what he wanted and fight heroes? Like you're all inviting him to do?"
Bang was stumped. He didn't really have a good answer to that. He trusted Saitama, but no amount of convincing would change the young man's mind.
"Why don't you find out for yourself?" Tatsumaki said. Bang and Bad looked at her. Tatsumaki nodded towards the three heroes, who were still waiting for Saitama's return. "See for yourself what he's made of."
"No. No way. Nuh uh. I am not fighting him," Metal Bat said, paling.
"What, scared?" Tatsumaki taunted.
"Shut up midget," Bad retorted.
"Hey! I'm older than you, you fucking delinquent!"
"Sorry but you must be at least this tall to talk to me," Bad said, raising a hand over her head.
"Shut up minor! You're not even old enough to drink!"
"Sorry, you'll have to speak up, I can't hear you down there," Bad said, cupping his ear.
Tatsumaki slammed him to the ground. "Can you hear me now?"
"Oh now you've done it you brat!" Bad shouted, swinging his bat at her. Tatsumaki dodged back. "So you'll fight me, but not some baldy?"
Bad growled. "Shut up shortass!"
"You're too chicken. Bawk, bawk," Tatsumaki taunted.
"Shut up!" Bad roared, swinging his bat at her. Tatsumaki danced back, moving away from his swing. "Who's the chicken now?"
"Yaaawn, oh sorry, what was that? I was just thinking about how baseball's a stupid sport."
"Baseball is not a stupid sport! It's awesome and fun for the whole family!"
"No, people only go for the shitty hot dogs."
"The hot dogs are iconic! And delicious! And are not the only reason people see baseball games!"
"Pretty sure they are."
"RAWWWR!" Metal Bat roared, swinging his bat even faster, blood pumping fiercely. How dare this little gremlin insult the greatest sport to ever exist? Someone needed to put her in her place.
Tatsumaki easily evaded the petty swings Metal Bat levelled at her. The fool didn't even realize that she was goading him towards the center of the makeshift battlefield.
Saitama returned to the field, raising an eyebrow at her. She just smiled at him and stepped in front of the bald man. Metal Bat jumped at her with his bat raised over his head, intending to smash the esper into the dirt. Tatsumaki moved out of the way at the last second, letting Metal Bat's bat collide with the bald man's head.
"Oh?" Saitama asked as Badd realized his mistake. "You're joining them too?"
"Whaaa-" Metal Bat cried.
"Well I suppose that's fine. Come on then, let's get this over with," Saitama said, urging them on.
"Metal Bat! I'm glad you could join us, you'll be a worthy ally in this battle!" Tank Top Master declared, slamming his fist into the bald man's head.
"You guys are insane!" Metal Bat exclaimed, watching as Puri Puri Prisoner jumped into the air, shedding his clothes as he did.
"Nonsense!" Puri Puri Prisoner declared, levelling his Angel Rush at Saitama, who shielded his eyes. "It is merely a test of strength so that Saitama-kun may demonstrate his amazing strength for us!"
"Yeah Metal Bat," Darkshine added, kicking Saitama's shins as the short bald man continued to stand in place without a care in the world. "It's only a bit of fun. We're not out to hurt on another."
As he said that, the low kick that connected with Saitama's knee created a gust of wind that tore the grass out of the ground for thirty feet in all directions. Similarly, Tank Top Master punched the earth, cracking the ground to create an miniature earthquake. Saitama rolled with it expertly, his feet never leaving the chunk of rock he was standing on. When the ground settled, he hadn't even moved an inch. But he failed to notice Tank Top Master throw a double hammer strike on the back of his head.
The three muscular men retreated, falling back to rethink their strategy. They conversed for a minute, even as Saitama watched with a single raised eyebrow, tapping his foot impatiently on the ground and Metal Bat grasping at the straws falling away from his reality.
Finally, they turned back to Saitama. Darkshine lunged first, grabbing Saitama's face and slamming him into the ground, shattering the broken ground even further. Darkshine jumped out of the way for Puri Puri Prisoner to Angel Rush him, burying Saitama in the ground. Darkshine stomped his foot on the ground, the tremors causing Saitama's body to come back to the surface so that he could punch him into the sky. Saitama rose for a moment in peace before the first rock slammed into him. Saitama let the next couple boulders Tank Top Master threw at him hit him before he started smashing them in midair. Saitama landed on his feet with the grace of a walrus, the tremors, while not faltering the S Class, made the executive stumble. Before they could rush him again, Saitama said a few words.
"Normal Clap."
Bringing his hands together, Saitama aimed a shockwave so powerful it knocked all the S Classes fighting him to get knocked on their asses. They were back up in seconds, but in those precious moments Saitama closed the distance between them. In an instant, all of them were sent back into the stands, unconscious.
Saitama turned back to Metal Bat. "So, do you wanna go or not?"
Metal Bat shivered where he stood. He could see it now. This thing's power. It radiated off him in waves, dampening the very air around him. Metal Bat was a simple man with simple beliefs. He didn't bother with things like 'a higher power' or 'destiny' or even the 'supernatural' unless it came knocking on his door. But standing in that field, Badd wanted to pray to any god out there that got rid of this monster.
"No," Metal Bat answered quietly, looking down at the ground.
"Ok, I'm gonna get more food then. All this sparring's got me hungry," Saitama said, casually walking towards the resort.
Metal Bat hung his head in shame. What would Zenko think if she saw him here like this? She'd yell at him and call him a stupid-head. Well, he felt like a stupid-head right about now.
But then she'd tell him to stop being such a pussy and kick that bald guy's ass. He'd be aghast by her language, but she'd interrupt him and tell him that if he didn't beat that baldy then she wouldn't invite him to her next recital.
Metal Bat's grip tightened on his bat. "Hey! Baldy!"
Saitama stopped, his back turned to him. A gentle breeze swept his white cape back. Metal Bat slunk into a battle stance, holding his bat out in front of him in both hands. Even the medical staff that were trying to drag the unconscious heroes onto stretchers paused to look out onto the battlefield.
"I don't care what kind of monster you are, or what hell you come from," Metal Bat said. "But if I don't fight you, I'm going to regret it for the rest of my life. So come on then, you bastard! Show me what you got!"
Without warning, Saitama appeared in front of him, looming over him with a shadow on his face. There was no wind, no sound, no footprints to even indicate he had moved. His eyes seemed to glow, and the aura of sheer, overwhelming power fell over Badd, making him want to puke. But he stood his ground.
"You sure about that?" Saitama asked, his voice unusually low.
"Oh yeah," Metal Bat snarled, stepping forward and thrusting his bat forward. Most people wouldn't try this, since there was no tip to the bat. But with enough power, it could break ribs, or even punch a hole through his opponent.
Unfortunately, his attack never landed. Saitama moved out of the way so quickly it seemed like he just vanished. Metal Bat could sense his presence though, and Metal Bat swung, aiming for the man's bald head. Saitama moved back just a few inches, and his swing missed again.
One would think with such a rash attack that Metal Bat would be off balance, but that's not true. Metal Bat was no rookie and he'd dealt with opponents faster than him in the past. Metal bat adjusted the momentum of the swing and stepped forward, curving his swing up. This time, the strike connected with the bald man's chin, even tilting his head up a little. Saitama just exhaled and looked down at him, pushing the bat off his face. Then the bald man's eyebrow raised.
And that did it. No one looked down on him.
With a primal roar, Metal Bat raised his bat and smashed it down on the bald man's collarbone. Such a blow had cleaved weaker monsters in half. Demon level monsters had arms and ribs shattered by blows like that. Dragons had winced and widened their eyes in surprise. But Saitama had no reaction besides tilting his head to the side, that one eyebrow still raised.
Feeling his anger rise, Metal Bat continued pounding away at the bald man, who continued to just stand there, taking it. With each blow, Metal Bat could feel his Fighting Spirit grow more and more restless, fueled by his rage at this unmovable bald freak.
Metal Bat could feel his swings getting faster and faster, his blows getting stronger and stronger. Every strike caused tremors in the earth and a shockwave that resonated through the battlefield. Saitama even noticed a small tornado picking up. Metal Bat didn't notice any of those things. All he saw was this infuriating bald man and his own inability to make him flinch.
Why couldn't Metal Bat hurt him? How did this dude get so strong? No one that brainless should have this much power. And why, why did he just stand there looking like a fucking avocado!?
Metal Bat's rage continued to climb. But as he stared at the blank face, he realized it wasn't simply the man that enraged him. It was his power, that aura that had scared the shit out of him before. Metal Bat was well aware that there were things stronger than him out there. Hell, he worked with some of them. But never before had something paralyzed him with fear like this man did. This man's aura did. Feeling that limitless power, staring it in the face, was terrifying. And if his childhood taught him anything, if there was something that scared you, hit it in the face.
Metal Bat could almost see it. The waves of power, rolling off him. That roiling, endless sea of power, hidden right beneath the surface of that blank, unassuming face.
It was the next blow that did it. The blow that made Saitama flinch.
"Oh my god," Tatsumaki whispered.
"What is it?" Bang asked.
"He just hit Saitama's aura," Tatsumaki said.
"Aura? What do you mean?" Bang wondered.
"That shouldn't be possible," Tatsumaki said to herself.
"What is it?" Bang urged.
"I didn't really spend much time learning about this particular subject, but every living thing, person, plant or animal has this kind of energy, called auras, chakras, chi or soul, if you want to look like an idiot. But they're not tangible things, existing not in but not outside of our dimension. Some espers, with incredible skill and concentration can learn how to manipulate a person's aura. It doesn't cause any physical damage, but it has been known to cause nausea when interacted with, or it can damage one's psyche if you try to attack it. Some espers can even drive people insane or brainwash people like that. It also depends on the person's willpower to resist. Some are incredibly resistant to it, but others easily bend and break. But like I said, it doesn't have a physical form, so there's no way Metal Bat should be able to hit it," Tatsumaki explained, a bit of concern in her voice.
The instant Saitama felt it, he jumped back in surprise. He had felt attacks like that before, but always from an esper, or one time a group of espers. He'd heard the speech though, something about auras and wills and the like, although he never paid that much attention to it. One of them did say something about an 'indomitable will' before he passed out though. Whatever that means.
But he'd never felt it from a physical attack though, and it had caught him off guard. He looked at his opponent now, I mean really looked at him. He was a teenager, probably not even out of high school yet. While he was kinda strong, he wasn't anything special, not like Beerus was. Or was it Booze? The alien guy. But if he had smacked something that didn't even exist, that even he couldn't punch, then maybe this kid was worth his time after all.
Saitama cracked his knuckles as the kid put his bat up in front of him defensively. Saitama just rolled his head and motioned for the kid to come at him. His eyes flashed with rage, and he leaped into the air, swinging his back over his head. He brought it down with a savage shout, slamming it down on the ground, since it didn't hit Saitama's head. Yet the bat stayed erect and Metal Bat swung himself and planted both feet on Saitama's chest, kicking him back a few feet. When Saitama skidded to a stop, Metal Bat was swinging his bat into Saitma's face. The kid hit him a few more times to no avail. Then he apparently switched tactics and hit the invisible thing. Saitama grunted, acknowledging the change. Metal Bat eyes flared again and roared, swinging his bat once more. Saitama stepped in and grabbed the kid's wrist, preventing the blow from coming down. Then he roundhouse kicked him in the gut, keeling him over, and before he could react, swung his foot around and planted an axe kick to the back of his head, burying his face in the dirt. Saitama turned and started walking away, assuming the kid was unconscious.
A fierce crack across the back of his head said otherwise. Saitama turned to see the kid seething in anger, holding his bat over his head.
"Dragon Pummeling Blows!" the kid yelled.
A series of hits slammed into him. Saitama just stood there and took it, hoping it would tire the kid out and this could be over. But as the minutes passed, he wasn't slowing down. In fact, Saitama was fairly sure he was speeding up.
In reality, Metal Bat was slamming his bat into Saitama's indestructible body more than 60 times a second, each strike having enough power to derail a bullet train going at full speed. But to Metal Bat, it felt like he was an infant striking a mountain. And that really pissed him off. He had a sister that depended on him to be strong, and no one, especially not some bald jackass was going to make him powerless. Not again, not ever.
So he kept on hitting this infuriating bald man, alternating between hitting his body and aura with each swing.
Finally, Saitama got tired of waiting for the kid to tire himself out. So he was going to have to tire him out for him. By force.
Saitama lashed out with a kick to the kid's knee. The blow surprised him and Badd fell to his knees, and Saitama kicked him in the face, knocking him into the dirt. But he just hopped back up again and swung at him again. Saitama caught the bat under his arm and punched the kid in the chest, hoping to separate them. But apparently the kid really liked the bat, cause while the punch whipped his entire body back and generated enough wind to keep him afloat for a solid ten seconds, he didn't let go. When the wind died, the kid punched Saitama in the face with his free hand. Ineffectively of course. Is it really necessary to keep saying that?
Saitama head butted the kid into the dirt. But he kept his hold on the bat, and a second later, head butted Saitama back. Saitama had to hand it to him, the kid had spunk. Most of the others would be unconscious by now. But he kept on fighting, even as trickles of blood ran down his face and bruises covered his body. Saitama had been careful not to break any bones, but still he was tanking some pretty nasty hits and kept going.
It was pretty admirable, really. And that fire in his eyes…
A fist hitting him in the stomach knocked him out of his thoughts. Right. They were technically still fighting.
Deciding that trying to separate the kid from his bat was pointless, Saitama dropped it and snatched it with his hand, and threw it backwards over his head. Kid and bat went flying and Saitama followed, leaping up into the air and kicking the kid back to the ground. When he landed, he ran back over to the kid and punched him in the face, sending him sprawling. Saitama raced past him, letting him get to his feet before rushing past him, landing another blow to his gut that had him staggering back. Saitama ran in circles around him, kicking up a tornado as he ran. He watched the kid look around desperately for him, only for Saitama to blitz around him, landing a quick punch before retreating and repeating. Metal Bat got fed up with his antics and slammed his bat into the ground, shattering the earth for a hundred foot radius. Saitama was forced to stop as a ten foot wall of earth got in his path.
But a moment later, a metal bat hit Saitama in the back of the head and sent him crashing through the stone.
Metal Bat stared at the spot where Saitama had been standing a moment before. He hadn't really expected to move the bald man, much less send him flying through solid stone.
"Oh yeah, I can let you throw me around if you want," Saitama said casually as he brushed off bits of dirt from his shoulders.
Metal Bat ground his teeth and tightened his grip on his bat. "Don't you look down on me!"
Metal Bat swung his bat and launched Saitama upward, jumping up and smashing his bat into Saitama's stomach, sending him back to the earth. Before he landed, Metal Bat threw his bat at Saitama. It hit him right between the eyes and rebounded, spinning end over end into Metal Bat's outstretched hand.
"Ok, there's no way that should've worked," Saitama said.
"Shut up!" Metal Bat roared, lunging forward and sending Saitama barreling away with a swing. Metal Bat chased after him, sprinting alongside the bald man as he flew through the air. With a shout, Metal Bat swung his bat and sent Saitama smashing into the ground.
Saitama rose to his feet, an annoyed scowl on his face. He dodged the next swings Metal Bat took at him, weaving in and out of his range.
Saitama punched the kid in the face, launching him across the battlefield, hoping it would knock him out. Alas it did not. Saitama appeared in front of his face and started punching him repeatedly, muttering "go to sleep" with every punch.
After about twenty seconds and potentially ruining the kid's face, a hand snatched his fist. Of course it didn't stop his fist and just ended up smashing into his face.
"Oh," Saitama said in sympathy, and stopped punching him. He looked mad now. Really mad.
The next punch launched Saitama so high he was able to grab a cloud. As he started to fall, Saitama saw the damage the kid's punch had done. The tremors had completely decimated the field they had been sparring on, killing all the plantlife and even shaking the resort, two miles from the field. Saitama pouted as he saw workers scrambling to pick up food that was dropped. What a waste.
Saitama landed with a BOOM. He was only there for a second though because a force sent him barrelling a few hundred feet through solid stone. Another strike hit the side of his head and sent shockwaves throughout the already trashed battlefield.
Ok, that was enough. This needed to stop.
The next time Metal Bat came at him, Saitama resisted the blow and lashed out, grabbing Metal Bat by the throat. Metal Bat squirmed, hitting Saitama over and over, but the bald man didn't let go. He lifted the kid off the ground and tightened his grip. Metal Bat's eyes raged, promising unspeakable agony, mostly because he couldn't speak. Metal Bat continued pounding away at the bald man, but to no avail. After a minute, Metal Bat finally gave in to unconsciousness.
Saitama loosened his grip on the kid's throat, dragging him over to where the rest of the heroes and people were. "Pretty sure he could use another trip to the infirmary," Saitama said, laying the kid on the ground.
The conscious heroes were staring at him. Most of the executives were either cowering, puking, shaking or a combination of the three.
"What?"
Tatsumaki smirked. Who was going to challenge Saitama now? No one. He was a god, a hero incomparable to any other. They would see that now and they'd just beg Saitama to be the number one hero. They'd literally throw money at him just because of how strong he was. Just like he deserved. Finally they'd all see him the way she saw him. The only person worthy of being the number one hero. A hero-a saviour. A legend that was still being written.
"What's for dinner?" Saitama asked, sticking his finger in his ear.