I don't own One-Punch Man

(All of this Belongs to the one and only: ONE)

Chapter 16: Stuffed Muscles

A Champion's Challenge

On the Patio Space...

Speechless

Was the state that everyone was left in after seeing Saitama just waltz onto the patio space, his dopey smile killing all of the tension that was just in the air. A few seconds of silence passed between everyone, Saitama standing in front of the patio doors, holding his corndogs causally. Flashy Flash and Drive Knight looked at Saitama dumbfoundedly, wondering why the hell he's even here. Not knowing what was happening, Saitama slowly took a bite from one of his corndogs, his face deadpanned as he did so. Soon the whole patio space was filled with nothing but the sound of Saitama's chewing, make some heroes' sweat drop comically. All was still and quiet, up until a deranged esper tackled him, mounting him on his shoulders in an instant. The other heroes, besides Saitama's group, were further left speechless, watching as the second strongest hero was now on the shoulders of a bald guy.

"What do you think you're doing, stupid baldy?!" Tatsumaki loudly questioned, her legs snugly wrapped around Saitama's head, while her arms snaked around his head lovingly.

"Um, I think most people call it eating, if you wanted to know so badly." Saitama joked lightly while he was eating, his face never letting go of that dopey smile. Tatsumaki could only blush at Saitama's stupid face, her heart aching from all the heavy pounding it was doing.

"A-And what took you so long baldy?!" Tatsumaki yelled at Saitama, her blush still on her face, slowly rubbing her chin on top of his head. Saitama could only sigh, taking another bite from his corndog, being mindful to not get any crumbs on Tatsumaki's legs.

"Uh, do you remember how big this place is Tats? I'm kinda new here, so I got lost looking for something to eat." Saitama said while taking another bite of his corndog, lifting his eyebrows towards the corndog on his left hand, implying that he went out to find food.

"W-Well, you could've been quicker about it!" Tatsumaki said with a quiet yell, only to be answered by another sigh.

"Not my fault this place is so freaking big. But look at this way, I'm kinda happy that these corndogs were free for heroes, since I forgot to bring my wallet and all." Saitama said with a laidback tone, his dopey smile still on his face. Tatsumaki was left silent after that, having the decency to hide her face in Saitama's head again.

Saitama then walked over towards his seat, greeted by everyone in his group. The other S-Class heroes however, were now very curious on why a bald guy was here in the first place. Drive Knight and Flashy Flash sat back down in their seats, Flash sheathing his sword quietly, and Drive Knight's box reforming on his back. Both were highly intrigued about the bald guy that had an esper around his shoulder. Thing was, both of them felt like they've seen him before, yet they can't remember where. Tanktop Master and Puri-Puri-Prisoner had a flash of recollection in their eyes, seeing as they've seen that bald guy before. Darkshine held respect for the weird guy that just came in, managing to stop a full fledged fight in only a couple of seconds, by eating no less. Pig God only smiled, knowing full well who Caped Baldy was, and that he was very interested to learn about on how his match with Metal Bat went. All of the S-Classes' thoughts were then silenced when they heard Bang's voice quietly ring throughout the patio space.

"As expected, you have returned in one piece, unscathed no less. You displayed such a wondrous fight, so full of emotion and guts. My, how much the young could learn from you Saitama" Bang said with a splendid voice, a rare smile on his face that made his beard stand up in a comical way.

"Took you long enough to get back here." King said jokingly, watching as Saitama sat down, eyeing one his corndogs. His stomach then grumbled, hunger now taking root in his mind.

"Hey, wanna split that bro?" King asked Saitama, only to get answered by Saitama finishing both corndogs in an instant. King's mouth dropped, instantly getting pissed off from Saitama's carelessness. Saitama in turn just wiped his mouth with his sweater sleeves, oblivious to King's words.

"Saitama, bro! What the hell is wrong with you?! I wanted some of that!" King roared at Saitama, making the other S-Class heroes watch Saitama with cautious eyes. To make the usually quiet and reserved King yell with such passion, Indeed, who the hell was this guy? They all waited for how the bald guy would answer back to a now pissed off King.

"Damn it King, go get your own! Do you know how far I had to walk just to find a food stall, let alone get something to eat? If you're hungry, go get some yourself, you jackass. All of the food courts are down in the 6th floor, you can thank me later." Saitama answered back with an annoyed voice, looking at King with furrowed brows. This only made King get even more pissed, making him get up from his seat, his eyes downcasted. King's engines soon started to rev up, signaling his clear intent to the other S-Class heroes.

Some of the other S-Class heroes watched in horror, their eyes wide open, as they witnessed the bald guy answer King with such balls. They hoped that King would take out the bald guy as quickly, and painlessly as possible.

"You're seriously a pain in my ass sometimes, you know that bro?!" King said with a heavily pissed off voice, now stomping his way over towards the patio doors, going to get some food. The other S-Class heroes' mouths only dropped, watching as the mighty King walked away from his seat.

"Let me join you King, I seem to have gotten a bit famished myself." Bang said in loud voice, a very amused look on his face. He waved King down to wait for him, which he did, grunting loudly to himself. Bang then got up from his seat, and slowly made his way over towards King.

"I'm also coming with you, It appears I need to eat too." Genos said calmly, getting a look from King shouting hurry up already, making Genos run up from his seat towards King and Bang. It was around the same time where Saitama felt a small growl from the back of his head, knowing all too well what that meant, all to the tiny esper's redden face, and extremely palpable embarrassment.

"Hey, you guys take Tats with you! Turns out she's also hungry!" Saitama shouted to the three of them, raising his arms and gently wrapping his hands around Tatsumaki. He then picked her up by her waist from his shoulders, putting her in a bridal hold. Overwhelming heat covered Tatsumaki in her entirety, yet Saitama didn't see how hard she was blushing, nor feel the heat she was giving off.

"Y-You idiot! I'm not hungr-" Tatsumaki didn't get to finish, as she was then thrown comically into the air. Genos and Bang then carefully caught the esper on the other side, Genos throwing a thumbs at his Sensei once the task was done. Saitama then answered back with a thumbs up of his own. The other S-Classes heroes had lost their ability to talk at this point, watching as the bald guy was harmlessly tossing the world's second strongest hero like a stuffed animal. It's like he knew them all on a personal level, being able to show how comfortable he was with such major players in the Hero Organization.

"Get me another corndog if you can too, alright? Thanks a ton, and Tats, you go eat, I don't wanna feel your stomach rumbling behind my head again." Saitama shouted at the group easily, making several veins pop up in King's head, since he knew he was going to do it. While Tatsumaki on the other hand, was having a miniature heart from all the embarrassment Saitama was making her feel.

"We will get you one Sensei by your request!" Genos shouted back at Saitama, while Bang nodded along amusingly, his old smile making Saitama smile back at him. King was still heavily pissed off, but in the end, couldn't really stay mad at the dopey smile Saitama was flashing all of them.

"Don't get your hopes up bro!" Was all King said, before opening up the patio doors, soon followed by Bang and Genos, who were making sure Tatsumaki would follow them. Just as he was about to leave the patio, he could hear in the distance Saitama going uh huh, making even more veins pop up in King's head. King's footsteps could be heard from the other side of the patio walls, causing the S-Class heroes in their seats to look over at Saitama even harder.

Saitama then sat back down on his seat, now looking wistfully at the Arena field once more, too eager to get back down there, and fight in an even better match. Shoten during all of this, only looked at Saitama with a look that seeped with curiosity. Watching Saitama talk with everyone else so easily made Shoten feel awkward all of sudden, considering he's only known Saitama for a couple of hours. And yet he still felt he could trust him for some reason. Another thing that made Shoten feel so awkward was watching Tatsumaki casually sit on Saitama's shoulders like it was the most natural thing in the world. Sure, Shoten knew that she and Saitama looked like they were really close, but something in Shoten's heart made him feel a tiny bit envious. This little spout of envy made a simple, yet highly inappropriate thought pop into Shoten's mind, making him rub his legs slowly together in a very childish fashion. A light pink hue soon dusted Shoten's face, as the new thought grew bolder in his mind.

"Sure, I might be smart, but I'm still a kid…" Shoten thought to himself, still rubbing his legs together with heavy embarrassment, as he eyed Saitama's neck with much interest. Sensing a pair of eyes on him, the man on Shoten's mind soon turned towards him, a curious look on his face.

"You good Shoten? You're looking kinda pink over there." Saitama said easily to Shoten, completely ignoring the fact that Shoten was having a miniature heart attack for no reason.

"I-I'm fine Saitama! J-Just thinking about some i-idle thoughts, t-that's all!" Shoten shouted quietly over to Saitama, his face betraying him as he talked, his kid voice completely taking over again. Saitama only shrugged his shoulders, and continued to look at Shoten with a dopey smile now present.

"Well, tell me about it kid. I told you can tell me anything, didn't I?" Saitama joked with Shoten, his face devoid of any ulterior motives, making Shoten's blush grow darker. Shoten then stared hard at Saitama, wondering if he would actually comply with his ludicrous idea.

"U-Um actually, i-if you really d-don't mind…" Shoten started off with a terrible stutter, only for both of hands to quickly cover his face in front of Saitama, too scared to hear any semblance of rejection that Saitama might respond with. Saitama then looked at Shoten with a raised eyebrow, wondering why he was acting all meek now.

"Uh, you ok Shoten? You were saying?" Saitama asked with a soft tone, wondering what Shoten was going to ask him. It took Shoten a few seconds to find the courage to face Saitama, but once he did, he forced both his arms down to his sides. He then looked at Saitama with a very red face, ready to die in that instant.

"CAN I SIT ON YOUR SHOULDERS TOO?!" Shoten screamed at the top of his lungs at Saitama, covering his face in an instant, embarrassed to all hell. Shoten wanted to die at that very moment, his heart hammering hard. What kind of guy would let a kid he literally just met a few hours ago, ride on their shoulders?! Shoten was all new to the concept of interacting with people, and he feared that he just ruined his one and only chance to make a friend that didn't involve wires or metal. Shutting his eyes closed from Saitama, Shoten was on the verge of crying again.

Small trails of tears soon came from Shoten's closed eyes, since he didn't hear a response coming from Saitama at all. The feelings of rejection soon started to well within his heart again, and Shoten was about to jump out of his seat and run away. Those feelings were blown away however, when he felt two strong, yet gentle hands wrap around his body. Being carefully lifted into the air, Shoten found himself a moment later sitting on Saitama's shoulders, his legs instinctively wrapping around Saitama's neck snugly. Shoten then felt his back getting gently rubbed, making him breathe out all of the bad feelings he was experiencing all at once. Moments of beautiful silence passed between the both of them, with Saitama looking towards the Arena field with an expectant look, while Shoten was feeling all sorts of good inside of him.

If Shoten was harboring any doubts about Saitama, they've now vanished completely from his heart. Not even his own family had ever given him the slightest inkling of want for him for all of his life, and here came Saitama, a bald stranger walking in from nowhere apparently, causally lifting him up onto his shoulders with ease, as if they were brothers.

"And I've only known him for a couple of hours too…" Shoten thought to himself with such happiness, that he cried silently to himself again. Shoten had the decency to bury his crying face into Saitama's head, and he kept crying to himself for a solid five minutes, before bringing his head up again, wiping his teary-eyed face with a loose arm. Saitama could only sigh to himself, feeling relieved that he was able to make a kid breathe a little easier now.

Saitama just sat there, still rubbing Shoten's back, knowing full well this was not the time to joke around. He always had a knack for reading the situation, and this one in particular was no exception. Shoten's only response was him wrapping his arms around Saitama's head affectionately, satisfaction the main emotion he was feeling at the moment. Saitama kept up with soft rubbing, making it clear to Shoten that he was alright with him sitting on his shoulders, which Shoten responded with quiet, cute sighs.

The other S-Class heroes said nothing, and just stared quietly out towards the Arena field, knowing that questioning the bald guy right now would be inappropriate. Though, both Darkshine and Pig God smiled inwardly to themselves, extremely proud that the bald man had made a crying kid smile again, even if that kid was the smartest one in Japan, with him being a hero himself no less. Drive Knight was impressed that the bald guy was able to calm down the child hero's ego so easily, while Flashy Flash only scoffed to himself. Child Emperor's behavior only strengthened his previous opinion of him, that being he was only a child at this time, nothing more. Tanktop Master was happy that the bald guy had a the qualities of a good man, whereas Puri-Puri-Prisoner was looking wistfully at the bald man's demeanor, so manly, yet so gentle when he needed to be.

After 30 minutes of blissful silence had passed between the heroes on the patio, with a stupidly happy Shoten feeling like he was king of the world, the Arena intercom rang out, its voice booming throughout the entirety of the Arena.

"Welcome beloved audience members to our 2nd bout of today's matches. If you think our opening match with Metal Bat and Caped Baldy was exciting, then prepare yourself with what our next match will bring! At this time, we would like the heroes: S-Class Rank: 10 - Pig God, and S-Class Rank: 15 Tanktop Master to head towards the Arena entrance. As for the rest of you lovely patrons, please enjoy the coming match!" The intercom boomed throughout the Arena, cutting off abruptly.

On cue, Tanktop Master stood up from his seat, and walked himself towards the patio doors, ready to regain some honor back for the tanktop clan. Too many unfit tanktops have already slandered the once proud clan of tanktop, and Tanktop Master was more than prepared to rectify its name. Pig God on the other hand simply shook in his seat, softly at first. Only a few minutes passed as Pig God's soft vibrations grew more violent, until the he was shaking the entire patio space. The area that Pig God sat in groaned under the immense stress that Pig God was providing, and within a couple of seconds, Pig God's couch area had fallen right in front of the Arena entrance. Funnily enough, all of the heroes on the patio space didn't really mind Pig God's actions, as this was the usual method for him to travel. Well, almost all the heroes, as Saitama could only stare towards the area that Pig God once sat in with a deadpan expression.

"Yo Shoten, does Pig God always do that?" Saitama asked, scratching the top of his head. Shoten responded with a cute giggle, swatting Saitama's hand away from his head.

"Yes, but fortunately, he always reimburses the cost to repair the damages he makes." Shoten said easily, rubbing his small hands on the top of Saitama's head, wondering how on earth did he get it to feel this smooth. Saitama nodded to Shoten's response, feeling relaxed as Shoten was massaging his head. Shoten looked at Saitama's head with curious eyes, thinking to himself a dark thought.

"It looks so tempting… Maybe just for a little while…" Shoten said to himself, as he got into a resting position that he saw the Tornado of Terror get into. The moment Shoten leaned into Saitama's head, it was over for him. Feelings of instant comfort flooded him, and his eyes felt heavy almost immediately. Soon after, Shoten could be heard letting out tiny snores, which was answered by a sighing Saitama.

"Great, I gotta deal with two kids now… What's with this younger generation and sleep anyways?" Saitama to himself while shaking his head softly, looking up at Shoten with a smile. At least he didn't squish his head in, like some other annoying kid he knew. At this moment Tatsumaki sneezed loudly, her face growing into a soft blush, wondering if someone was thinking about her just now.

The Arena Field…

After only 20 minutes of intermission, the arena field changed it's scenery, bringing in what looked like a clear, grassy field. Soon after, one panel opened up on the Arena field, making way for the upcoming hero. Coming out first, and standing on a platinum pedestal, Tanktop Master posed in some old fashioned bodybuilding poses, his muscles already glistening in sweat. Most of the audience were silent when they saw that display, with the exception of a few little girls crying from how scary his body looked. Once the pedestal had stopped moving, Tanktop Master shouted a comment onto the audience, a strong voice following his words.

"For the people that sit on these humble stands, today I bring you nothing but my best, for you deserve nothing less!" Tanktop Master said confidently, flexing his massive muscles, playing into the camera. Although a bit intimidated, the crowd answered with a loud cheer, hyped to hear such words coming from an S-Class hero.

After the crowd cheered on for Tanktop Master, everything went silent, with only the whirrs of machinery being heard. More time passed, as seconds became minutes with Tanktop Master standing on his platinum pedestal, waiting patiently for his opponent to come. Soon after, the crowd started to get antsy, wondering if there was any problems coming up.

Underneath the Arena Field…

"Is everything alright with you over there, lift supervisor?" Pig God called out to the person standing beside the lift controls, wondering why his pedestal had only lifted about 2 ft into the air. With beads of sweat rolling down his face, Robin Dabank answered Pig God, scratching the top of his head in a comical way.

"U-Um, how do I say this Pig God, sir… It appears the lift can't seem to handle your weight…" Robin said sheepishly, still trying to fiddle with the lift controls. Due to Pig God's enormous stature, the lift could barely move due to the weight, let alone rise to the surface of the Arena Field. All seemed hopeless, before an idea popped into Robin's head. Pulling out his pocket transmitter, Robin then radioed in his sister from the lower levels of the Arena facilities.

"Onee-chan, it's Robin, and I'm kinda stuck with a problem in the lifting area, can you come up here for a second?" Robin whispered softly in his pocket transmitter, answered immediately with Felicitate coming up from the floor, right in front of Robin. Before Robin could say anything, he found himself in a bear hug, Felicitate engulfing him in her breasts. Robin knocked back Felicitate quickly, laughing at how much she was such a dork.

"Hey Onee-chan, mind giving me a hand with the lift here? As of now, it can't seem to handle Pig God's weight." Robin said with questioning look, already back to business. Felicitate looked towards at Pig God, who just now took a glance at the new person that just appeared in the lifting area.

"My goodness, is that you Dabank?! How long has it been, I think 10 years now?" Pig God said in a jolly tone, now turning his attention towards Felicitate. The woman answered back with a warm smile, happy to see Pig God remembering someone as old as her.

"Wait a second, if you're here, then that must mean… Of course, why didn't you say anything before, Robin! Excuse me for being so rude to you. It's been far too long since I've seen the both of you!" Pig God said with a hearty voice, making Robin smile inwardly to himself. That Pig God, one of the few heroes that actually liked working with other people.

"W-Well, you know how it is with the Hero Organization. They'll make a nobody out of you the moment you've used up all your usefulness to them, or you messed up too badly for them to cover for you." Robin said with a sad smile, reflecting on what happened to him and his sister all those years ago. Who would've thought that saving civilians over a Hero Organization sanctioned building would mean their unexpected retirement.

"Yeah, you have my sympathy for that spoiled steak of a situation. But you did the right thing saving those poor people. Worst part still, those suits made you guys work within a Hero Organization area again for the sheer fun of it. The balls on them, huh?" Pig God said truthfully, remembering how cold the Hero Organization had turned on this two heroes, just because they had the heart to save people, rather than a few million dollars worth of concrete.

"Well, it was either this, or getting a massive fine placed on us, including our names being dragged through the mud, politically and publicly. I just didn't think those bastards at the Hero Organization would omit our presence at Hero Organization so quickly. It's like we were never even heroes to begin with." Felicitate said with bite her voice, her glasses shaking from her anger, and rightly so. She was frustrated that everything they had done for not only themselves, but for countless other people, was erased from existence, almost like a snap of someone's fingers. Both Robin and Felicitate were borderline about to take the fine as punishment, but were too intimidated by the fact that the Hero Organization could slander their names so easily, even going far as labeling them as villains if they saw fit to do so.

Pig God really felt for those two heroes, silently promising them that he will one day bring the Hero Organization into the limelight, to make sure something like this would never happen again. To see such young, capable heroes be reduced to nothing more that Arena workers made Pig God's blood boil. But as it is right now, he would have to suck it up. He knew that heroes like Atomic Samurai, Silverfang, and Blast knew plenty of the Hero Organization's cutthroat acts and dealings, but this conversation would have to wait for another time. There was a match that needed to be settled, and Pig God was not one to run away from fight. Ok, maybe he'd be late to one, but never run from one. So with a heavy sigh that softly shook everything in the lifting area, Pig God spoke in his usual rich voice.

"I'll be sure to bring up your guys' situation to the Hero Organization again, but for now, can you lift me up already?" Pig God said with a chuckle, looking at both Robin and Felicitate, both of them suddenly moving in a comical fashion. Both of them frantically messed with the lift controls, trying their damnedest to get Pig God to the top. More time passed, before Felicitate just said screw it, and pointed her hand towards Pig God's pedestal. Within a very short time, the pedestal rumbled softly, before stopping where it sat.

The pedestal then instantly jolted upwards, with Felicitate making it very repulsive to the floor below it. Very much surprised, Pig God soon approached the Arena ceiling at rapid speeds, the panel still not yet opened for him to enter the Arena Field. Hysterically, Robin just managed to push the button that opens the panel, watching as Pig God just barely squeezed through the opening. Wiping the sweat that covered both of their foreheads, Robin and Felicitate stood at the lift controls, hoping that Pig God would make good on his promise.

The Arena Field…

Almost 30 minutes had passed during the time Pig God was underneath the Arena, making some of the audience leave the Arena entirely. Tanktop Master was more worried for Pig God, rather than the match itself. As Tanktop Master was about to move off from his pedestal, the panel in the far off distance opened up, with a Pig God getting launched from said panel in the process. Tanktop Master, along with everyone else in the Arena were speechless, seeing a man as big as a hill soar through the air. But soon, cheers erupted from the audience, as they saw the look on Pig God's face, one that held a smile as big as the burger sack he brings with him. It was during this time, that Pig God answered to the crowd.

"Listen good and well folks, let it be known that this will be the best match yet! Grant me the chance to show you all a true feast for the eyes!" Pig God proclaimed with his hearty voice, loudly soaring through the air, aiming his sights on a still bewildered Tanktop Master.

"Meat Mayhem: Meatier Shower!" Pig God yelled into the air, rolling up his body into itself, taking the appearance of a gigantic meatball. He was then surrounded by a cloud of brown mist, while also releasing an extremely foul stench. A trail of foul, brownish air followed Pig God, as he sailed closer to Tanktop Master, who inturned shook himself from spacing out. Eyeing his opponent before him, Tanktop Master got himself in a squat, his arms going into a bumping formation.

"Stand resolute my fellow audience members, for this match will be etched down in history!" Tanktop Master roared into the air, a hail of applause answering his resolve. Tanktop Master then focused his attention on Pig God, ready for anything Pig God was about to throw at him. With only seconds before Pig God's impact, Tanktop Master yelled into the air, his muscles bulging outwardly, while his voice shaked the grassy field around him.

"Athletic Apex: Service Ace!" Tanktop Master roared towards Pig God, throwing his arms upwards. The mass of meat then came crashing down on top of Tanktop Master, his figure gone with a shroud of brown mist. What followed was a small crater that formed around where Tanktop Master stood, mists of brown surrounding the impact site. Gasping at the sheer speed Tanktop Master was smothered, the entire audience were struck with anticipation.

Just when the audience thought the match was over with, Pig God was then catapulted upwards at lightning, grunting softly as he ripped through the sky. Back at the ground, Tanktop Master stood his ground, his legs shaking visibly from the amount of damage he'd just taken. Battered and bruised, Tanktop Master was struggling to stand, his vision going in and out, as he looked off into the sky trying to find Pig God. Tiny trails of brown mist came off from his body, a stench of rancid garbage and bug repellent filling his sense. Coughing violently as a result, Tanktop Master knew he was already at the end of his limits, as he could've sworn that his arms almost snapped the other direction the moment Pig God came into contact with them. The stench surrounding the field wasn't him helping either, as the obnoxious smell invaded his thoughts. The smell was so bad, it was as if his lungs were refusing to use the air that he was breathing in.

Even still, Tanktop Master steeled himself to look upwards at the sky, trying desperately to find Pig God location. But the only thing he could see in the sky was a black dot, almost non-existent compared to the sea of blue and white that was the sky that surrounded it. Shaking his head, while holding his breath when he could, Tanktop Master hobbled off from where he stood, making his way upwards from the small crater that was made from Pig God's initial impact. It was only after Tanktop Master came out of the crater, did he notice a circular shadow form around him. Immediately looking up at the sky, the once tiny black dot grew into a large void in the sea of blue and white, only growing bigger by the second. Watching Pig God's imminent arrival made a drop of sweat visible on the side of Tanktop Master's head, both his arms aching just thinking of Pig God's attack. Cursing himself for being so weak, Tanktop Master could only prepare himself for whatever Pig God was about to throw at him, stancing himself the best that he could.

A pin drop could be heard from the stands, as the entire audience made themselves scare and quiet throughout the match. The only thing they could give to Tanktop Master were looks both of respect and pity, knowing full well who the winner was going to be from this match. Even though he had impressive muscles and a spotless reputation, Tanktop Master was still considered to be one of the weakest S-Class heroes in the Hero Organization, and to be pitted against a man that weighed more than the ground he walked on was more than unfair. And yet, Tanktop Master still went in the fight no holds barred, already knowing what the outcome would be. This act alone earned the respect from a number of audience members, especially the mass number of Tanktop clan members that came that day to support him. And within that moment, resembling a large crack of thunder, Pig God's voice rang throughout the sky. This caught the attention of everyone in the audience, including those that sat on the patio space.

"Do not think for a second that this hero didn't have chance! Remember, we only do this to show you all that we strive to make the world a better place, and to prove our power to do so! So enough with your petty thoughts, and applaud this man for his guts already, goddammit!" Pig God roared throughout the sky, speaking to no one in particular. Touching the hearts of both the audience, and Tanktop Master, the Arena was then again ignited with applause and cheers, while Tanktop Master could only tighten his stance, smiling to himself.

"Truly, he has a heart fitting a man his size… I promise to get stronger for all those that are weak. And let me just say, I'm glad to have fought you today, my friend…" Tanktop Master said to himself, looking proudly into the sky, his arms no longer aching from the pain. The black void soon took the shape of Pig God, spinning rapidly, the brown trail of mist engulfing his body. It was almost like a small meteor crashing down onto the arena field, and Tanktop Master tensed up for Pig God's final attack.

"Find solace in knowing that you are among the best, old friend!" Pig God yelled passionately, just a few minutes away from landing on Tanktop Master again, getting only silence on Tanktop Master's side.

Silence was the only thing that Tanktop Master could give to Pig God as respect, for he was still too weak to even hope to come close to his power. But even so, it was his duty as a man a hero, and a guy who wore tanktops, to show people what he's made of. It was only seconds away before Pig God's impact did Tanktop Master speak again, letting everyone watching know what it means to wear a tanktop. At the same time, Pig God shouted back, his resolve answering Tanktop Master's.

"Hundred Year's Famine: Cultivated Cataclysm!" Pig God roared, about to lay himself right into Tanktop Master, his body spinning all the more faster as a result. With determination in his last attack, Tanktop Master matched Pig God's roar with a shout of his own.

"Limit Break; Final Move: Weight of the World: Atlas Drill!" Tanktop Master shouted with all of his might, his body enveloped in an a bright, crimson aura. It was during this time that his eyes went completely white, while his right arm enlarging itself to be a fourth of Pig God's size. Tanktop Master then let loose a ridiculously strong right corkscrew punch in front him. The punch was strong enough to create little gusts of wind trailing behind it, his right fist meeting Pig God's body with all the power he had left in him.

An explosion of brown and crimson erupted from the collision, hiding the two heroes from view in a blanket of brown, reddish mist. The audience held their breaths, as whole minutes passed as the explosion ran its course. After a what appeared to be a wave of stench and fire, only one man remained standing from it all. With his hair doused in natural body oils, and his body pouring sweat, Pig God stood with his head held high, while Tanktop Master laid crumpled below. Fully passed out and deflated, the state that Pig God left him was comical at best, so much so, some audience members had to stifle a giggle when they say how bad Tanktop Master was beaten up. His right arm was completely bent the opposite way, while his body resembled that of a cartoon character's date with dynamite. Although feeling somewhat happy to have won, Pig God just couldn't let Tanktop Master lay there all broken. So he then picked up Tanktop Master as if he were roadkill, and slung him over his shoulder, carrying him to the nearby medical team that came rushing towards him.

Once Tanktop Master was in safe hands, Pig God turned back towards the audience, waving his hand in respect, while acknowledging Tanktop Master's guts. The audience indeed were impressed with Tanktop Master's guts, but there was that one glaring issue that still remained, and that was him being one of the weakest S-Class heroes out there. Not only that, but the match with Pig God and Tanktop Master only lasted barely three minutes, aside from the thirty minutes of waiting at the beginning stage. It was the fastest recorded fight in the Arena's history, meaning Tanktop Master was right, this match was going to be etched down in history, with his complete loss.

Applause continued to rain down on Pig God, as he slowly moved his way towards one of the energy barriers, and walked past it as if it were nothing. Wondering how in the hell did Pig God move through pure energy, The Arena workers were left with endless questions. The wall of energy should've vaporized him, not let him pass. But not only that, there was now a gaping hole in the shape of Pig God's figure, in pure energy no less. This caused the Arena workers to go into mega overdrive, hurriedly repairing the damages that the wall had sustained, while questioning Pig God in the process on how he the hell did he do that without dying. The audience of course laughed at Pig God's antics, and sat in their seats for the next match of the day, ready to see what might come next.

On the Patio Space…

All the heroes clapped in honor for Tanktop Master, who had shown some courage in the midst of utter failure. Yet, out of all the heroes clapping, Saitama could only clap slowly, for his mind wandered on about the match he had just witnessed.

"...That one was kinda quick, wasn't it? Pfft, what a snoozefest…" Saitama said to himself under his breath, resting his chin on his hand, his eyes giving off an air of frustration from the lack of simulation. You would think a guy that had muscles to spare would put up a better fight than that? But no, he goes down by the second hit, while also throwing out his silver bullet just to compensate, for god's sake! Goes to show that some people only pride themselves on the talk, rather than the walk. Hmph, a lot of good that did for him now, huh?

Unlike the other previous matches, this one did nothing but disappoint Saitama. Not only was this match too freaking fast, but it ended with just two attacks, freaking two! Like wasn't this whole Arena thing supposed to be about a clash between two strong heroes? What a waste of time that was. He knew all too well how boring a match could be when you have overwhelming power, but still. All of that hype with Tanktop Master too, what a load of bull. But don't get it twisted, Saitama held a massive amount of respect for Tanktop Master and his willingness to face oblivion, but his overall will to fight, and to keep pressing going forward was downright WEAK.

"Ugh, such a shitty word to use too…" Saitama muttered to himself again, realizing he was probably being a little too hard on the guy. After all, he was throwing down against a man that could probably shake up a building's foundations if he wanted to, but that's besides the point. Shoten noticed Saitama's displeasure, curious as to why he was being so mopey all of a sudden. Taking a moment to find some inner bravery, he then spoke up.

"Hey Saitama, why are acting so disappointed for? The match went by pretty quickly, didn't it?" Shoten asked in a curious voice, wondering why Saitama of all people would get disappointed of all things. He was then surprised at what Saitama had to say in response.

"I dunno, it's probably because that match was so one-sided?" Saitama said with a sigh, obvious disappointment in his voice. He then looked out towards the Arena field wistfully again, hoping the next match would be a palate cleanser. Shoten wasn't going to let his new friend feel this way, so he kept asking Saitama.

"But what's so bad about watching a match like this one, where the outcome was as clear as the sky reflects the color of the ocean?" Shoten said sheepishly, trying his best to sound normal, if you could call it that. Saitama could only sigh again, reminding himself that Shoten didn't really knew that much about him.

"I wouldn't say there's isn't anything bad about it, it's more like it isn't fun to watch. I dunno man, like imagine if you're watching this super awesome fighting show, but in one of it's line ups, you see one of the fights being an ant and a truck. Like, you know what's gonna happen, and it really doesn't take a genius to figure that one out." Saitama said while rubbing his forehead, a small smile on his face forming. He then wound up ruffling up Shoten's hair playfully, making the boy genius make cute giggles in the process. Saitama then went back on his mini rant, too frustrated to stop.

"Just to get it straight, I wanna see a match where both sides can go at it at their hardest. Where the winner is decided by the will of the fighter, and not by some bullshit power or trick, you get me? Like that exhibition match I saw yesterday, now that was a damn good match! Just two people slugging it out, only to win by their will to keep going. That is what'd I call a match, and a fair one at that." Saitama said with finality in his voice, crossing his arms inwardly to himself. He felt great being able to vent like this, and he would be sure to thank Shoten later.

Shoten could only look at Saitama with starry eyes, as he was saying things that resembled one of his old idols, that being an old superhero that piloted a huge mech. He would not only respect his opponents, but actively find anyone worthy to fight him. Shoten then responded to Saitama's rant by hugging his head as hard as he could, making Saitama look upwards to him.

"I understand where you're getting at, Saitama. Fighting things that don't even put up a challenge is not only a huge waste of time, but an insult, right?" Was the only thing Shoten could say, before Saitama scooped up from his shoulders, and bear hugged him right there and then. Shoten was blushing madly from this new type of contact, while finding it hard to breath in this position.

"You're damn straight it is! Finally someone gets it! And it had to be a freaking kid of all people!" Saitama shouted passionately into the air, releasing Shoten from his bear hug, and gently placing him back on his shoulders. Saitama was feeling all too happy to finally have someone understand him somewhat. But suddenly remembering where he was, he had to reel it back a bit, since they were out in public after all. Shoten, too confused from the flurry of emotion that had just assaulted him, hugged Saitama's head lovingly, happy he could get his friend out of a rut.

All of this happened while all the other heroes were watching, most then not even giving a shit about the situation anymore. The bald guy had a lot to answer for, but that was discussion for another time. But even so, it was during this time that the patio doors opened up, revealing Saitama's group on the other side. After filling themselves up with food, all of them returned with a corndog in their hands. Tatsumaki had the liberally of levitating ten of them, all of them spinning lazily around her. Thing was, Tatsumaki came just in time to see Saitama bear hug a certain boy genius, and then placed gently back on his shoulders, making Tatsumaki feel an emotion she's never felt before.

Soon after, a deranged esper came barreling out towards Saitama, the corndogs around her flying ahead into the hands of Saitama, who only looked at the corndogs with a dopey smile. Next, it was Shoten that levitated into the air, getting lifted off of Saitama, and back onto his seat, rather harshly, with a Tatsumaki taking residence upon Saitama's shoulders. Much to the obvious displeasure of Shoten, the rest of Saitama's group only chuckled to themselves lightly, already used to Tatsumaki's antics.

"Thanks Tats, I owe you one." Saitama said in between bites from his corndogs, which he ate up pretty quickly. Tatsumaki blushed from Saitama's comment, but had the nerve to answer back to him.

"Y-You better baldy! It took a long time get these, considering scar face over there was wolfing down all of them earlier." Tatsumaki said angrily, glaring daggers at King, who was now walking back to his seat. King raised his hands in defense, feeling a bit guilty on his part.

"What? I was hungry, and Saitama-bro did say it was free for heroes." King said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. Tatsumaki could only turn her nose up in front of King, offended at King's answer towards her.

"Tatsumaki is right Sensei, King ate about thirty corndogs in total." Genos said with a blank face, getting situated at his seat. King then looked at Genos with a face that said bro, really? Only to be answered back with a face from Genos saying he didn't give a shit.

"To think a man such as King would have an appetite. Quite frankly, that was the first time that I had ever seen King eat anything actually so passionatly." Bang said with a light chuckle, already in his seat before any of them. King then looked down at his seat all depressed, a drops of sweat from on his forehead.

"That's fine man, at least you guys brought back some corndogs. By the way, thanks again for'em. Though, you didn't need to bring me so many back." Saitama said, laughing lightly at the stupidity his group was showing. They all smiled in response to it, and left it at that. It was then Shoten started poking Saitama's back, making said man turn towards him. Tatsumaki, although understanding of Shoten's situation, still felt an emotion she couldn't name when she saw him interact with Saitama.

"U-Um, is there anyway I c-could, U-Um…" Shoten said meekly, looking at Tatsumaki with a strong sense envy. How dare she take him off of Saitama, it's not like she owned that spot on his shoulders now did she?

"W-Wait, why am I even thinking about something like this?" Shoten asked himself frantically, only blushing madly to himself in reality, which only pissed off Tatsumaki even more. Just when she was about subconsciously launch Shoten to the moon, Saitama lifted Shoten from his seat, and planted him in between his thighs, placing Shoten right in front him. Shoten, already too embarrassed to talk, could only lean back into Saitama's chest, scared to show him his face at the moment. Saitama only laughed, and placed his attention back at the Arena field, while taking another bite from his corndogs.

Even though the rest of Saitama's group shrugged off his actions as being normal, the esper on his shoulders thought otherwise. The emotion that she had been feeling earlier had now grown even larger, and in only a few seconds no less. Dangerous thoughts flooded Tatsumaki's mind, as she began thinking of ways to dispose of a certain boy genius without drawing too much attention. Just as she was about to unleash the power of her imagination onto the poor boy, the intercom of the Arena rang out with contagious bravado, the announcer as lively as ever. During this time, everyone in the audience listened in with much attention.

"Hello again beloved audience members, and let me tell you personally that all of you have been a great crowd. But as it stands, we still have more matches to present to you, and I assure that this one is going to be a doozy! At this time, we would like to have the heroes S-Class Rank: 13 - Flashy Flash, and S-Class Rank: 9 - Drive Knight to come through the Arena entrance as soon as possible. As for the rest of you, continue being the audience that these heroes deserve!" The announcer spoke confidently, before shutting off. As a result, all the heroes on the patio space then turned their attention towards the two heroes selected, waiting for their responses.

Flashy Flash merely scoffed at the mention of his name. He then quietly stood up from his seat, and jumped into air. He then disappeared from sight for most of the heroes, all expect Saitama, who only whistled to the man's speed. Only a second passed before Flashy Flash arrived on the Arena field, his face holding a look of pure boredom. The audience, although a bit a confused on how Flashy Flash came onto the Arena field, answered his arrival with a torrent of cheers, most of them comprised of rapid fan women, who were desperately trying to get pictures of him.

"Pfft, damn show off…" Drive Knight said to himself, before getting up from his seat himself, as well as jumping into the air, the black box on his back morphing into a set of blackened chrome wings, and a single jet thruster. Although not nearly as fast as Flashy Flash, Drive Knight appeared on Arena field in record time, landing with style, earning him even more applause than Flashy Flash, making said hero mutter to himself. This time, the majority of the cheers coming from rampant children that wanted to touch Drive Knight's cool robot parts.

"Are they allowed to do that?" Saitama asked out loud to no one in particular, only to get a laugh from all of the heroes on the patio space. Tatsumaki was about to answer Saitama, when it was Shoten who answered him, his face stilled buried in his chest.

"You can enter the Arena field in any fashion you want to. Also, you don't have to use the pedestal system if you don't want to. Sure, it's a sure-fire way to deter any monster or impostor from getting onto the Arena field through official means. But for real heroes like us, we could enter the Arena field anyway we feel necessary." Shoten explained seriously, though talking through Saitama's chest didn't help him look serious. Large veins of jealously formed in Tatsumaki's heart, as she watched the stupid boy genius get all cuddly with Saitama. It was then Shoten's stomach also growled, making him bury his head deeper into Saitama, while making Tatsumaki angrier. Saitama looked at him with a smirk, handing Shoten one of his corndogs, which he picked up with a trembling hand.

"I-I'm so sorry…" Shoten only said, only making Saitama. And with that, Saitama faced the Arena field again, getting a feeling within that this match was going to be a whole lot more interesting than the last one.

Inside the Arena Field…

The Arena field this time took the appearance of a hilly countryside. Green grass could be seen everywhere, while being paired with gale force winds that came and went in at random intervals. But to the heroes that stared each other off, the land could be in space for all they cared. Both of them had pissed each other off heavily prior, and both weren't willing let the other win. Flashy Flash looked at Drive Knight with extreme contempt, his gaze freezing the very air around him, so much so, his breath was visible. Drive Knight had acquired information that could very well mean the end of the scared operation he was working on, and Flashy Flash wasn't going to let that happen. On the other side, Drive Knight couldn't believe that the Hero Organization would allow a man such as Flashy Flash be a hero of all things. Of the things he's done, he would make sure that Flashy Flash would be brought to justice. Both heroes were itching to get at each other, almost willing to kill the one another if the situation called for it, and with the appearance of that iconic clock, both heroes got into their position.

5…

The air was rife with contempt for one another...

4…

Both heroes never lost sight of each other…

3…

Fan women, young children, and everyone in between were rendered silent…

2…

The Arena's machinery whirred in anticipation…

1…

The wind had died, and the world stood still, as everyone held their breaths collectively…

(Dooong)... (Dooong)... (Dooong)...

Those three rings of the bell brought forth one of the most insane matches of the decade, as the two heroes had removed their safeties, already coming to terms that one of them was most likely going to die by the end of this.

...

Now this is kinda awkward, ain't it?

Hey guys, it's Chicken, and I'm back at it again with another chapter! So uh, I know I've taken several holidays, sickdays, birthdays, and a shit ton of other days to get this out, but I got it out. But wow, I'm truly blessed to have people like you that still read the story. The only way for me to apologize adequately to you guys is for me to post as frequently as I can, and without diminishing quality of the story no less. So, I'm gonna do just that. I know I can't excuse my absence, but I hope to at least alleviate some of your worries. This story is back on, and I hope to see all of you in the next one!