"I heard about what happened," King sighed when he let them all in from his window. "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay. I'm just very shaken up right now," Mitsumi admitted.

"It caught all of us by surprise," Zenchu muttered.

"I told her that if she is not laughing within the hour that I would take her home. This crap really messed her up," Saitama sighed and had her move directly into his lap. It was easy for him to work a controller with his arms around her.

"Master! I just got word that you may be able to get a new ranking into A class! It's being considered!" Genos said with sudden excitement from an email on his phone. "When they saw the footage, they were able to see how strong you truly are. They would like to test how powerful you can be in full."

"Really? That would be something, eh?" Saitama mused. "The only thing is that I won't want to leave Mitsumi behind. So, if they can't let her be with me, then I may not want to do it."

"Don't be ridiculous," Mitsumi sighed. "I should be fine for a bit without you. I have my family, too, you know."

"Hmm. We'll see," Saitama nodded.

"I can also inform you if anything goes wrong," Inichi said from where he floated near the ceiling.

"Good. Hey! You cheated with that move!" Saitama scowled when King did a mass combo move and one shot his fighter.

"There is no way to cheat in this game," King chuckled. At Mitsumi's sudden soft whimper, Saitama quickly put down the controller and wrapped his arms fully around her just as she started to burst into tears. King now looked over with a heavy frown and thought. "Okay. I can do online gaming. You can watch me piss off other players. Will that work?"

"Yeah," Saitama nodded. King even turned on the voice chat to speaker to hear the other players get royally pissed off at him. He kept himself muted, though. He didn't want to give himself away.

"He rage quit!" Zenchu laughed out hard at a teenager's voice that screamed out his displeasure. Saitama was barely paying attention. He was completely focused on Mitsumi right now and simply stroked her black hair gently.

"He's dead," he muttered softly to her with his mouth against her forehead. "No one will ever touch you like that again. Ever."

"Okay..." she shivered.

"I will destroy everything if I have to in order to get you back. I'll be a hero for fun to others. Not to you. I will save you from everything. You actually make me feel...something. Again. Something that I thought I lost. I have no other emotions. But...when it comes to you...I feel everything..." he continued to mutter. "Nothing will stand in my way the moment you are under attack."

"I can believe that..." she nodded softly.

"Crappy way to end a first date..." he sighed just to feel her snuggle into him a bit more. He pressed his cheek on the top of her head now and sighed again.

"Despite that...I think I did enjoy it," she admitted.

"Good. Maybe the next one will be better," he said and blinked at how King had neatly wiped out an entire team of fighters with one character. "I have no idea how you do that!"

"They all play the same. Like you," King grinned.

"Take that back!" Saitama growled to get the others laughing hard. At Mitsumi's soft sigh and chuckle, he could only grumble a bit. At least she's laughing again. He glanced over when there was a knock on the door.

"That should be the food," King said.

"No. It is not," Inichi suddenly said. "Zenchu, please answer it."

"Oh?" Zenchu asked and got up with a light stoop to keep from hitting the ceiling. On opening the door, he saw it was a buff guy in a martial arts fighting outfit. He was in a fighting position to show he was amped up to fight.

"I'm here to challenge King!" the man said. "I had been following him here for some time, and now I know he's in there! Let me see him!"

"He's busy. But you can challenge me..." Zenchu grinned. "I'm one of those monsters that will be working at the new restaurant. Neutral Grounds. You know of the place, right? The Hero Association is gonna let me hang out there. So now I get to hang out with other heroes, too."

"You're...a...?" the man gaped.

"And I'm friends with King, too. So, I'm giving him a break. Now, you have a choice. Tell me your name, why you're here and then leave. Or fight me. Or I'll get my answers from you if you still decide to stay," Zenchu warned.

"I'm here to see if King is really the strongest man there is!" the man said.

"Eh...why do you think I'm friends with him?" Zenchu asked now with a puzzled expression. That got the man pausing. Then he went as white as a sheet. "Yeah. So...? Are we...gonna fight...or...?"

King was listening in and biting his knuckles to keep from laughing hard.

"Is it the delivery guy?" Saitama asked now with a mild glance over his shoulder. Mitsumi blinked and frowned a bit.

"Nope," Zenchu said without taking his eyes off the man.

"Oh. Then close the door and come back in. You're letting in the cold air from outside," Saitama said with dismissal. Mitsumi sighed and shook her head.

"It's summertime, though..." Rendor mused.

"I just want him to shut the door," Saitama shrugged.

"Zenchu, can you please come back in?" Mitsumi asked now.

"Of course, Lady Mitsumi," Zenchu nodded. Then he looked at the frightened man. "Go home."

"Y-yes, s-sir!" the man gulped down and sped off quickly.

"You should wash your clothes, Zenchu," Mitsumi said when he shut the door to walk back in and settle back down in his spot.

"Monsters don't need to, but..." Zenchu mused. "I'll ask Richoo for help when we get back. How much longer?"

"I don't know. But the food should have been here by now," King frowned.

"Hmm..." Inichi now searched for any thoughts that were present around him. "Oh, dear. It appears that our delivery man is being held up. Shall we assist? We will not attack, but merely an intimidation factor."

"Rendor, I think you can handle this," Mitsumi nodded. "You have a way with words and teeth. Hmm?"

"Ah. That I do," Rendor grinned savagely and rose up to head out the door. "Guide me, Inichi?"

"Of course, my brother!" Inichi nodded and mentally began to inform on where to go.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd almost say that you were controlling them," King said and shook his head.

"Hardly," Zenchu grinned lightly. "We choose to follow her. Without her, we'd be attacking and killing without reason. It's so...pointless now. I'm still shocked at myself after all this time."

"Oh?" King asked.

"Yeah. For eighty years...since I became a monster in my twenties...I killed something each day," Zenchu sighed and shook his head. Now King looked at him with complete surprise. "I'm glad I don't do that anymore."

"Same here!" King grimaced.

"Don't worry. No matter what happens, I won't hurt ya," Zenchu nodded. "If I make a promise to myself, I keep it. No matter what mindset I'm in. Even when I'm in a blood-thirsty rage from protecting Lady Mitsumi...I remember how I vowed to never hurt her. Not only does the flower she keeps on herself help...but so does my promise to keep her safe and unharmed."

"Ah...thanks," King said with a small sigh of relief.

"And, if you need my help, let Inichi know," Zenchu nodded.

"I can do that," King chuckled.

"Oh. You have a new portable game?" Saitama blinked at a cartridge he saw by the television.

"Yes. And you're not touching it," King grunted. Saitama was ready to rage at him, but Mitsumi started a soft giggle at it. "You need to get your own stuff. You know?"

"Then he'd have no real reason to come over," Kianna chuckled.

"True. Eh...he should still have his own stuff," King said.

"I did want to ask you something, King," Kianna mused.

"Oh?" King asked her. Inichi started to cough out laughter and sent a thought to Zenchu. Now they were both dying with laughter.

"Would you ever think about dating a monster?" she asked. Mitsumi looked at her with her jaw dropped. Saitama blinked and glanced at what King would say. Even Genos paused with complete surprise.

"Ah...what?!" King asked and actually had to pause his game to regard her.

"I used to be human once. Long ago," she sighed and looked down at her furred-over hands. "Well, over a year ago, that is. I loved to study wolves. Then I was attacked by one that was sick. I don't know if it was rabies. I honestly don't know to this day what that wolf was infected with. But...the pack I was studying...they protected me from it before it could kill me. When I woke up the next day...I found myself like this. And I had only the instincts of a wolf.

"I remember that...I think it was around four months that I was not myself. I was attacking and fending for myself for so long with the pack...but then they abandoned me when hunters showed up. I killed the hunters...but the pack was gone. I tried to search for them, but it was like...they were never there. I found myself going hungry very quickly without them. I had hunting skills...but a lone wolf is not meant to live on their own at any point in time.

"When Lady Mitsumi found me a week later, I was close to dying of starvation. She was cooking something over an open fire with Zenchu watching over her. I followed the scent and made ready to attack, but I was too weak to lunge when the fire revealed me. Rendor was already with them, though. So was Tacki. They brought me to her. She woke me up with her kindness. I was the fourth one she freed from the madness. She showed me the flower. She gave me food. I was in tears of gratitude for a week..."

"Kianna," Mitsumi said with a soft, sad smile.

"Wow..." King frowned. "Your name is Kianna?"

"Yes," she nodded. "I told you before, but if you forgot I do understand."

"Huh. Let me think about it. Okay? I won't say no. But I can't say yes just yet. Give me some time?" King asked.

"I can do that," Kianna chuckled. "Just let me know. If you want to try it, I'll accept it. If not, then it's okay. Of course, you'd get free food from the restaurant..."

"Bribery?" Genos frowned. Zenchu was coughing from laughing so hard.

"I call it incentive," Kianna winked. That got Inichi cracking up even more.

"I'd just say yes," Saitama shrugged and continued to comfort Mitsumi.

"Um...why?" King frowned.

"She gave the perfect reason. Free food!" Saitama grinned.

"And us?" Mitsumi asked. Now he looked at her with a raised brow.

"We were meant to meet," he said calmly. That had her pause before looking away with a soft blush.

"You should kiss her already," Zenchu said.

"What?" Saitama looked at him now with his expressionless face.

"Actually, it's bad luck to kiss on a first date," Kianna chided him. "Wait until the third or fourth date. Then you should try."

"Ah...um...okay?" Saitama asked in his usual blank way. He looked at the door when Inichi let Rendor in. He was carrying in several bags of various sushi and cooked foods.

"That kid was in a bit of trouble. Glad I showed up when I did to scare off the muggers," Rendor snorted in his gravely tone and helped disperse the bags.

"You don't have a tail?" King had to ask when Rendor had bent down.

"Huh? Oh. I actually don't," he chuckled.

"He has a stub," Zenchu grinned and let his tail snatch up a bag. "But, having a tail, well...it can have various uses."

"Says you!" Kianna sighed and just wagged hers. King found himself laughing at it all and finally started to eat.

"Another thirty minutes?" Mitsumi asked and was able to share a dish of takoyaki with Saitama.

"I can agree," Inichi nodded.

"Let's see who else I can piss off as much as Saitama," King mused and started to look up different online lobbies.

"Shut up!" Saitama snapped at him. Now Mitsumi started to laugh. Just as they finished up, Genos blinked and stood up with complete alarm.

"Something is approaching us incredibly fast. It reminds me of Speed-o'-Sound Sonic," he growled.

"Again?" Saitama seemed to give a puzzled look.

"I wanna take him on," Zenchu grinned. "Can I?"

"As long as you do not kill him. It would be self-defense," Mitsumi sighed and let Saitama get up with her in his arms. "I should walk..."

"Not with him out there," Saitama said. "If he attacks me, then he attacks you. That gives them a reason to attack back."

"I'm bait?!" she gasped with surprise and delight. "I love this!"

"Oh, goody..." Zenchu grinned widely. "We'll see you later, King?"

"I'll let Inichi pick me up when I'm ready," King nodded and waved at them. Inichi had them leave through the window in a small bubble. Then he gave an infiltrating thought to the stalker to get a sensation to go outside. That the prey he wanted was there. Of course, it was quickly heeded.

"How much more?" Mitsumi asked and yawned against Saitama's neck. They had all been dropped off down the path to the apartment complex again.

"Not much further. Oh. Hey. It's you," Saitama said to Sonic when the black clothed man blocked their path.

"At last! I know that I can beat you!" Sonic shrieked and pointed at him. He tossed several shuriken stars at him, but it was Zenchu that caught them.

"You would dare to attack Lady Mitsumi?!" Zenchu seethed and shattered the stars in his hands.

"Five minutes," Mitsumi sighed and watched Zenchu phase into the shadows to appear right behind Sonic.

"Remember this?!" Zenchu snarled. Now Sonic gaped and jumped out of the way. Using the shadows to jump into and strike out, Sonic was clearly outmatched from the speed that Zenchu used. Genos was calmly watching everything with a critical point of accuracy. Rendor and Kianna had moved to either side of Saitama to ensure that no one else would try to get at Mitsumi.

Sonic narrowly missed the raking claws that Zenchu let loose. He found his tunic torn apart from his whip-like tail of thorns. It was when Zenchu appeared from below him to sucker punch him that it was over.

"Weak punch," Saitama sighed.

"Be glad I was told to let you live," Zenchu seethed. "I would be bathing in your blood right now!"

"Zenchu?" Mitsumi smiled at him. He made his way back to her to crouch down to get the loving pat to his head. "You really are my pet monster, eh?"

"Heh. I don't mind that, Lady Mitsumi," he winked at her.

"Shall I put him somewhere now?" Inichi asked.

"He was in a jail before. I think," Saitama thought back.

"NEVER! I'LL KILL YOU!" Sonic screamed and launched at him. Then he gaped when he simply found himself stuck in mid-air from a blue bubble.

"That is quite enough from you," Inichi clucked his tongue. "I would greatly advise for you stop this foolishness. I can hear your thoughts. I know when you arrive. It is pointless."

"Saitama. Put me down?" Mitsumi asked.

"No," Saitama shook his head.

"Okay. Bring me up to him, then," she said softly. He nodded and walked up to the floating man with her securely in his arms. "Why do you keep doing this? It's only obvious that you can't win."

"Because he knows my skills! He's better than me! I have to defeat him! Then I can move on!" Sonic scowled.

"But he doesn't know your skills," she said softly. "Oh. Inichi is able to peer into your thoughts to tell me a few things. Saitama was never part of the attack that you stopped in the beginning. It was mere chance that you met him. And...I see...you are the last of your village? With your incredible skills? Aren't you lonely? Why don't you work on rebuilding a new lineage? To teach others to keep your ways alive? You can easily build a dojo and teach those that are worthy! You have so much potential!"

"I...I..." Sonic simply had no answers for her. I have potential?! I mean...how do I...? Who is she...?

"You are wasting your life away on doing this. Saitama...he can kill you! Inichi, show him what happened with my tormentor for two years, please," Mitsumi said with a gentle order. Inichi nodded and now showed the intense vision of Ajito's death by Saitama. Sonic's jaw dropped. He saw how no one else could kill the massive mutated human. He now saw how Saitama obliterated it. With just one punch?!

"If you don't want to be like him," Saitama said with a mild glare. "then you should do as she says and leave me alone."

"If you want to see Saitama as someone to spar with to try and get stronger, then I suppose that should be fine. But...just to attack him knowing that he could simply obliterate you? That's a waste of both life and time," Mitsumi said with sadness in her eyes. "We will move you to another city for now. If you come back with the mindset of Saitama's defeat...I will hope that you leave alive."