You know, as Saitama stared at a massive hole in the ground that was filled with large chunks of the Earth that had been broken off to ensure such an outcome, he felt...proud. Yeah, crazy, right? For the first time that Saitama could recall, a sudden, unexpected revelation didn't leave him wanting to bury his face into his pillow while contemplating the course his life had been thrown onto. Instead, he was amazed and glad to see that his recent disciple had handled himself in a situation with no injuries.

Furthermore, although unintentional, Genos hadn't caused any destruction to City Z or any other nearby location where civilians were present. Sure, the cyborg should've reported back to everyone once he found the unknown non-human's exit from the underground. But overall, Genos's first foray into the career of a hero had gone better than anyone could've hoped for. Thus, Saitama, as stated, was not only proud but wanted to compliment the latest addition to S-Class. Unfortunately, before Saitama got a chance to say ANYTHING, the other members of S-Class had quite the earful to give to their newest member.

"WHAT were you THINKING?!" Tatsumaki was the first to get the ball rolling as the majority of S-Class looked at Genos. The only ones who didn't were Metal Knight, Drive Knight, Superalloy Darkshine, Tanktop Master, and Watchdog Man, as they were busy removing the rubble from the pit.

"Sensei instructed me to search Ghost Town for anything that could be connected to the non-human entity that was escorted to the House of Evolution. Upon discovering the tunnel the creature emerged from, I proceeded to enter it to continue my investigation." Genos stated. He stood at attention and spoke with a composed tone.

"Searching Ghost Town doesn't mean jumping into a FREAKING hole!" Tatsumaki exclaimed, now jabbing her finger into his chest. "What if things went wrong? What if you didn't make it out? What if Dog Boy over there had to dig up your scraps? Did you consider the risks AT ALL?!" She interrogated.

"...Huh..." Saitama sounded, earning everyone's attention.

"What, Baldy?" Tatsumaki replied.

"Sorry. I'm just surprised to see you be so concerned about Genos's well-being is all." Saitama explained.

"HA!" Tatsumaki immediately responded, returning her focus to the cyborg. "I'm not CONCERNED for him. Clearly, given what he's done here today, this newbie either has a screw loose or his brain's not installed in his head correctly." She said.

"Then why are you so upset?" Saitama asked.

"Because this glorified toaster oven is a member of S-Class! If he screwed up, it'd reflect poorly on us!" Tatsumaki answered before pointing at Saitama. "Plus, he's YOUR disciple. If he made a mistake, WHICH HE HAS, or if he got himself killed, then everyone would start to doubt your capabilities as the top-ranking hero, which is NOT acceptable." She added, showing a little bit of her true motives.

"Aw, come on. The public wouldn't suddenly try to tie me to a log and set me ablaze like the dark ages." Saitama disputed the idea with an amused smile.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I agree with the runt, Saitama." Bad confessed. "Sure, like you said, the public wouldn't try to hold a public execution or anything. But Genos came out of NOWHERE, INSTANTLY became an S-Class hero, and on top of ALL that, he debuted as YOUR disciple. Not mine. Not Tornado's. Not even Silver Fang's or Atomic Samurai's. If Genos got himself turned to scrap, people would've reacted negatively to it. And, as his direct mentor, you'd be seen as responsible." He told him.

For a moment, everyone stopped talking. Most of the S-Class, who were participating in this discussion, looked at the rebellious young man with disbelief.

"...Believe it or not, my brain's not been turned to mush from all the blows it's taken," Bad stated after a few seconds, annoyed by their surprise at his well-spoken point.

"Look, I'll acknowledge that Genos should've contacted us before jumping into the hole. That was a bad call." Saitama began, getting things back on track. "However, you guys need to remember that Genos is a walking weapon like all of us. Not only that, but I saw the full extent of his current capabilities earlier today. Genos could easily reduce most things to ash in the blink of an eye. Yet, even when he does, it doesn't drain him of all his power. To put it simply, he's packing SERIOUS firepower." He told them, still on the cyborg's side.

"Ah. But that's the issue, Saitama." Bang started. "Genos, the monster was impervious to your attacks, correct? That's why you had to think of alternative ideas." He inquired.

"Yes, sir. The beast was formidable. Even now, I'm not certain that it was killed by the collapse I caused. Severely wounded, most likely. But still, that's the most we could hope for." Genos confirmed.

"So, without considering the possibility of being outmatched, Genos put himself into a scenario where that was precisely the outcome," Bang said, returning his focus to their leader. "Although impressive that Genos was able to come out of this unscathed, it could've easily turned out far differently. The excavation efforts currently underway could also have been a search for a corpse to be buried. While not as fiery as Tornado, I do understand her anger. I also agree with Metal Bat's point to a certain extent. Overall, the core problem is that Genos put himself in needless danger. As an S-Class hero, regardless of his status as your disciple, he is meant to represent the best of our organization.

Additionally, other heroes will not only study his performance with scrutiny due to details already mentioned but also look to him as a pillar of inspiration. The latter might not happen right away, but it will eventually. Being in S-Class carries far more expectations and responsibilities than those that have been shared. Moving forward, Genos must keep this in mind. It's the same mentality and awareness that we're trying to instill in the House of Evolution's members, who will be entering the world as heroes at the same time as him. We can't have anyone, be they your disciple or our non-human members, cause any problems for ourselves or the public. That is not what heroes are meant for." Bang stated.

Again, there was a pause in the conversation. This time, even those working on the excavation noticed. But unlike Bad, who surprised some of his peers, everyone expected this sort of thing from Silver Fang. The reason for the silence was a combination of amazement and contemplation.

Yet, it wouldn't be the martial arts master who'd get people talking again. Surprisingly, it was Genos. However, it wasn't with words.

"Uh...Genos..." Bad spoke as everyone slowly looked at him. "What...are you doing?..." He asked.

In the cyborg's hands was a journal and pen. With blinding speed, the blonde-haired hero scribbled away at the pages.

"Taking notes," Genos answered before showing everyone what he'd written. Astoundingly, he managed to transcribe everything that Silver Fang said perfectly. "If I am to be a proper hero in everyone's eyes, I must carefully study as much as I can to ensure nothing of value is missed or forgotten." He explained, turning the journal back toward himself afterward. "In fact, it is because of my memorization that I was able to beat my opponent." He added.

"How so?" Zombieman inquired, expressing everyone's curiosity.

"Sensei shared with me some of his wisdom during our training session. The guidance he provided ensured my victory." Genos revealed.

"Words of wisdom?" Flashy Flash quickly interjected with intense interest. "Could you show them to us?" He requested.

Upon doing so, Flashy Flash, before receiving a reply, produced his journal and pen. When this happened, an unexplainable phenomenon unfolded. The cyborg looked at the ninja's belongings and vice versa. Then, they locked eyes with each other.

CLAP

Suddenly, Genos and Flashy Flash locked their hands together. Each one gripped the other with impressive intensity. The pair stared into each other's eyes with a burning passion. To everyone else, this was a display of madness that could not be rationalized. To these two men, they had found a kindred spirit. They understood themselves better than anyone else could. In short, they had become brothers.

Side note: Saitama, who felt an unnerving sense of deja vu earlier that day, now experienced a chilling cold run through his body. There were now two of them. They were multiplying.

"Hey!"

A sudden exclamation brought the group back to its senses. Genos and Flashy Flash even ended their staredown of respect. Following the voice back to its origin led every gaze to the pit. Specifically, the center of the area where Watchdog Man was, indicating that he was the one who had shouted.

"What's up? Is something wrong?" Saitama asked.

"I don't know. Something weird is going on." Watchdog Man started before looking at the cyborg. "Genos, you said the monster fell to the bottom of the pit, right?" He inquired.

"Yes, sir. I watched it fall as I ascended." Genos responded with a nod.

"Well, that's weird. Because from how it smells, the creature's scent is only a few feet-"

BOOM

A single second. During that nearly imperceivable moment, so much happened. A massive torrent of energy surged forth from the Earth below. It tore through all of the rubble and pierced the sky above. A glowing pillar of destruction and death that could be seen for miles.

Watchdog Man, with his unmatched senses, heard the beam's approach when it was fired. In the fraction of time he had to react, he did. The white-furred hero lept from danger easily. As such, he didn't worry about himself. He felt concern for those working alongside him as he reached safety.

Fortunately, Watchdog Man was the only one close to the attack when it happened. Superalloy Darkshine and Tanktop Master were in charge of organizing the rubble as it was removed, which placed the duo at the pit's edge. Drive Knight, although in the pit as well, had a much greater reaction window than his colleague, meaning his evasion was far easier. The only casualties were Metal Knight's drones, which not even their creator would be bothered by the destruction of.

Did you notice it? How the sudden streak of energy was referred to? An attack. That's because Watchdog Man knew what the cause was. There could only be one logical explanation for this development. The Earth hadn't suddenly produced an unusual geyser. The monster was still alive.

As the beam dissipated and everyone got their bearings, ready to fight, all eyes fixated on the now-present hole. Where rubble had once been, there was only searing hot rock. The impact zone of the energy left Earth bright red. If someone had stumbled across this sight, they'd wonder if an underground volcano had erupted.

Alas, this was not a feat of nature. This situation wasn't a miraculous scientific event. As everyone looked into the hole, being met with darkness, they'd soon see something within. It was dim at first, but then its brightness grew. Six eyes that shined with crimson light.

What transpired in the next ten seconds was a blur. Everyone, even Genos, acted on pure instinct. Weapons were readied. Muscles flexed in preparation. Stances were taken. Powers summoned. A fight was surely underway.

At the fifth second, the beast emerged. It came from the depth with a mighty bound. Genos's description of the creature had been entirely accurate. From but a glance, everyone could see its terrifying physicality. The aura it exuded was akin to death itself. Was this monster actually a Demon from Hell? Had Genos unknowingly crossed the threshold between realms? Would this be a fight not just for themselves but to save the world from an unstoppable-

BOP

In the tenth second, right when the beast was nearly upon the S-Class heroes, Saitama, with a clenched fist, hit the beast on the top of its noggin. The monster was sent flying back down the hole faster than anyone could track. It was little more than a massive black blob being cast into the shadows from whence it came.

Everyone watched in silence as the creature disappeared. The atmosphere shifted completely. Honestly, everyone should've expected this. Yet still, the group looked at their leader in stunned silence.

Well, except for King. Genuinely. The only thing that caught the world's second-strongest man off guard was the giant laser beam. But after that, he knew a monster was coming. But since Saitama was RIGHT there, yeah, no, there was literally nothing to be worried about.

However, before anyone could say anything, they heard a thunderous THUD come from the hole. The beast had hit the bottom. A few seconds passed, and everyone wondered if it had died. But then, to their amazement, it returned.

BOP

Again, the creature was struck. It emerged from the hole almost instantaneously. The only way this could make sense was the monster's strength. It had enough raw physical power in its legs to leap from the bottom of the hole, which was multiple miles downs, to the top in a single jump. Credit where it's due, that was scarily incredible.

Sadly for the beast, its commendable strength wasn't the main focus. Everyone paid attention to Saitama, now standing near the pit, having just bopped the creature again. You'd think that'd be it, right? That surely had to be the end.

Nope. Saitama wasn't killing this thing. He was just trying to keep it in the hole. If it could be avoided, he'd rather not kill the monster. There was a good chance it could be useful in some way.

So, as the beast proved, it was very persistent. The black-furred creature kept jumping out of the pit, and Saitama kept bopping it. Ladies and gentlemen, the greatest game of whack-a-mole ever conceived. Truly, this is why Saitama was the number one hero.

...

...

...

Come to think of it, what was the monster? As it kept coming back up and getting bopped, everyone, while relaxing, started to study its appearance. The beast wasn't a mole. It wasn't some sort of reptile. The legs, the fur, and the shape of the head all pointed to the possibility that the creature was...a...dog?

No...that...couldn't be it, right? A wolf. Yes. That made more sense. Or just a canine in general. Surely, this ferocious monster wasn't just an oversized dog? That'd be-

Whimper

A sad, heart-melting noise filled the air. It came from the pit. The monster didn't jump back up, but its whines echoed from below. The game was over. Winner: Saitama.

"I...think it's done..." Saitama said, slowly lowering his fist to his side.

Despite being the one who caused this outcome, Saitama didn't feel good about it. As he kept bopping the beast, he could see the animosity in its eyes slowly fade away. Thinking on it a bit more, Saitama realized that before he bopped it for what turned out to be the final time, the creature did have a different expression. No hostility. No animosity. The monster was desperate to leave the hole and to stop getting hit on the head. Now, it stayed at the bottom and cried.

"...Crap...I feel terrible..." Saitama admitted. He wasn't the only one. The longer the beast whimpered and whined, the louder it got. Most of S-Class was progressively feeling sorry for something that wanted to kill them a minute ago. "I'm...gonna go check on it." He decided.

...Wait...check on it...did...that mean?...

...

...

...

Yup. Saitama jumped into the hole. Everyone watched their leader do the same thing Genos did to kick off this craziness. Now, the others just stood in silence and stared at the pit. The only thought on their minds was whether or not they should go in after him.