After the promotional ceremony ended, Shunshi offered his family to stay the night at his new house. While his parents accepted, Ishisu had to get back to college. He also made the same offer to Lin Lin, but she likewise turned him down, insisting she needed to get home for her own personal matters.
As for official business, Shunshi's training program was supposed to start in two days as the Hero Association finished setting up a training facility for him. In regards to his fears for Blast's safety, Shunshi spoke to Sweet Mask on the topic, who directed him to one of the higher-ups present at the party. However, when he spoke to the man, Shunshi was told Blast had been reported as present at the Hero Association headquarters after the fight.
Shunshi suspected the possibility of a cover-up but chose to let it go until or if he had more evidence to support the number 1's death.
That night, Shunshi was relaxing in his new large bed. He had set all of his armor on a nice rack in his bedroom provided by the Hero Association, was staring at the ceiling, and thought of where he'd be going next.
Alright... Tomorrow morning, the Hero Association wants me, Genos, Zombie Man, Flashy Flash, and Sweet Mask to all show up for a meeting. After that... Will Genos want to have our sparring match? Maybe...
Shunshi then reached over to a desk beside his bed and picked up the business card his Dad had been given at the ceremony.
"Neo-Heroes, huh...? I guess I'll see if I have time to call them tomorrow," Shunshi muttered with disinterest.
His parents had explained that this group was a new Hero company looking to recruit him as a leader for their Heroes. They would supposedly pay him more and give him better equipment than the Hero Association does. None of this interested Shunshi, though. He felt he was making plenty of money already, got all the supplies he needed from Dr. Stench, and was now committed to his new position of helping to train others in the Hero Association. The young Hero felt he couldn't just abandon them after promising to help.
Putting the card away, Shunshi started drifting off to sleep while thinking, Oh... I gotta remember to offer to let Mom and Dad live here... They'll be safer that way.
The next morning, Shunshi was at a meeting room with Genos, Zombie Man, Flashy Flash, Sweet Mask, Sitch, and Sekingar. He'd arrived in full armor but took his helmet off once he sat down.
Sitting at the table with the high-ranking Heroes, the thought occurred to Shunshi how, just a couple of months ago, he would have felt as if he were sitting among gods. Yet now, he felt like he was simply sitting beside co-workers he respected. Shunshi knew his respect and admiration for true Heroes weren't gone, but he no longer felt the glee of a mindless fanboy. Admittedly, he felt a bit of guilt sitting across from two men he'd assaulted. Flashy Flash's face and Sweet Mask's throat looked like they'd fully recovered, and neither looked upset with him, but that didn't do much to lessen Shunshi's awkwardness.
Starting the meeting, Sitch told the five Heroes, "Thank you for coming, everyone. I gathered you here today because you all reported odd phenomena during the raid on the Monster Association, and it may be related to Shibabwa's final prophecy. I need to know more details of what you all saw to formulate an official plan moving forward. Until then, keep what you hear today under wraps. Understood?"
Confused but not in the mood to argue, Shunshi shrugged and said, "Sure."
"Understood," Genos replied.
Taking a draw of his cigarette, Zombie Man remarked, "I don't mind, but what's the point of the secrecy?"
"As I reported, any Hero could monsterize at any moment. We should issue a warning," Flashy Flash answered.
Deciding to speak up after all, Shunshi said, "Actually, that doesn't sound like a bad idea. That thing that impersonated Master Saitama tried to turn me into the same kind of space monster Garou turned into when I was fighting. Who knows who else that thing could offer power to."
Raising his hands in a calming gesture, Sitch explained, "I understand your concerns, but we need information and form countermeasures before we go public. An open warning would only spread suspicion among Heroes and civilians."
"Right. We know monsterization has been a thing for years, but if we told people they could be more common, Witch Hunts would start if the public panicked over fears of anyone around them possibly turning into monsters," Sekingar added.
Crossing one of his legs, Sweet Mask stated, "Hold on. I'm out of the loop. What's this about monsterization becoming more likely? And what's this imposter Monster Mask talking about?"
"You didn't read the report before coming here?" Flash asked.
While using a compact mirror to check his looks, Sweet Mask replied, "I've been busy at a film shoot today and had to handle hosting the promotion ceremony yesterday. I'm here to offer advice, but my schedule is packed, so keep it short."
At his tone, Flash and Zombie Man couldn't help but glare at Sweet Mask.
Deciding to use his Master's twenty words or less training to his advantage, Shunshi grimaced and explained, "Okay, here's the summary: There's an entity that powered up Garou. It looks like people you trust to trick you into taking its power."
Opening up a pack he'd brought with him, Genos stated, "That is the short version." He then produced a two-foot stack of papers labeled notes and slammed them onto the table. "For a full explanation, I will need three hours to explain our Master's role in the conflict and the revelations therein."
Looking at Genos awkwardly, Zombie Man said, "I think all that was already condensed for the official report."
"Then it is crucial I elaborate!" Genos stated.
Putting his gauntleted hand on Genos' shoulder, Shunshi suggested, "Senpai, how about we just send everyone home with copies of this, or at least let the others talk first?"
Looking at Shunshi with a bit of annoyance, Genos relented and replied, "I suppose that is understandable. I will prepare the digital copy of the notes and have the Hero Association distribute them to everyone in this room. I expect everyone with a sliver of intellect to read them."
"You know I will, Genos-Senpai," Shunshi said, internally deciding he'd just skim them after remembering the last time he'd read the overly detailed notes Genos would take.
With a thought of gratitude for Monster Mask's tact, Sitch pulled out his copy of the report and said, "I suppose we'll start with Zombie Man, then. Homeless Emperor told you of an unusual path to becoming a monster, and it seems to line up with what Monster Mask reported experiencing."
As a holographic profile for Homeless Emperor appeared from the table, Zombie Man glared at it and said, "Yes. He said he received divine power from an entity claiming to be God."
"God?" Sweet Mask asked with shock as everyone else processed the possibility of the name.
"Hmph. Pompus of a pretender like that to take on such a lofty name," Shunshi remarked with folded arms.
"Whether the name is genuine or not, whatever this thing is, it is powerful. I was going to question the Cadre on the topic, but when I captured him, he turned to salt or ash and crumbled." Taking the cigarette from his mouth, Zombie Man finished, "And at the end, he called out to something he called God. It seems likely that some power silenced him."
Remembering the ghost version of Garou, Shunshi remarked, "I think I saw something like that. But it might have been a hallucination. It was a copy of the Hero Hunter apologizing for everything that happened before falling apart."
Cutting in, Flashy Flash asked, "Do either of you know if telepathy was involved?"
Cocking an eyebrow, Shunshi stared at the ceiling for a second before answering, "Maybe that's how this god spoke to me when he took on Master's looks. But I don't know for sure."
"I wouldn't know either. Why do you ask?" Zombie Man replied.
Leaning in, Flash stated, "Caped Baldy, Monako, and I encountered something underground."
"Monako?" Sitch asked.
Obviously avoiding the question, Flash went on, "Anyway... It offered power like Monster Mask described, but threatened to take it away from the unworthy. And the message was beamed into our minds."
Glancing up, Zombie Man remarked, "Now that you mention it, he was talking as if he was having a conversation only he could hear."
"If his death was the result of losing power, then we likely encountered the same god," Flash concluded.
"Wait. Worthyness? It said it didn't want unworthy people, whatever that means?" Shunshi asked.
"Yes?" Flash asked back.
Leaning back in his chair, Shunshi stated, "Hrmm... That might be a bit of good news, actually."
"What do you mean?" Sitch asked.
"It sounds like this thing is picky about who it gives powers to. So, the risk of increased monsterization is less than we thought. Heck, a warning about this thing to Heroes of A-Class and above might actually be a good idea so they know what to look out for," Shunshi remarked with a cautious smile.
"I think Shunshi is on the right track, but I also think we should only share the information amongst the S-Class for now. After our confrontation with the Monster Association, some A-Class Heroes might be desperate enough for power to willingly seek this entity out. And who knows what would happen to whoever this deity deemed unworthy," Genos said.
Looking a bit disheartened, Shunshi replied, "I... Hmm... Yeah. I guess that's only fair for now."
Folding his arms, Sweet Mask jumped back in, "Maybe we're all blowing this out of proportion? If psychic powers were involved, then maybe the monster boss was responsible. That Psykos woman was an Esper, after all."
Shaking his head, Shunshi said, "I doubt it was her. She was way too weak to pull off the kind of power boost Garou got. Even if she gave Garou the same kind of power I got from Blizzard, the resulting form was nothing like my own. I don't even think he could use Kie anymore."
Nodding, Flashy Flash added, "Indeed. Blast wouldn't hide himself just to chase after someone like her."
Genuinely surprised again, Sweet Mask asked, "First Monster Mask, and now you? Why's everyone asking about Blast?!"
Looking at Sitch, Flash asked him, "You're aware of the number 1's mission, aren't you, Sitch? Blast asked us to send his regards."
Turning his attention to Sitch, too, Sweet Mask asked, "What?"
Seeming intrigued, Shunshi leaned in while thinking, Oh, good. I might get some answers about Blast after all.
Clearing his throat as everyone focused on him, Sitch placed his hands on the table and said, "Yes. I've hidden it up until now, but... Blast has been fighting this same God creature you've encountered for the past twenty years."
At once, everyone in the room went silent. Even they're breathing decreased in volume, lest they miss any detail of something so important.
"He operates with his partner and collaborators to collect mysterious monsterizing cubes."
These words reminded Flashy Flash of another detail of his, Saitama's, and Monkao's, encounter underground with this entity. How the whole thing was facilitated by the black cube Saitama had pulled from the Earth while digging him free.
"They're artifacts for contacting God. He collects them for his collaborators to analyze. Then, two years ago, when Blast encountered Elder Centipede, God contacted him directly. He refused the offer of power and chose to fight with his own strength instead for a battle where even the full might of the Hero Association would not have been victorious."
Taken aback, Sekingar remarked, "I didn't even know that..."
"Despite what Blast told us, our sensors hadn't picked up on anything. Regardless, we thought that if Heroes were not aware of this God, it might reduce the risk of being targeted, even if just slightly. So we made it seem like Blast became a recluse from society on a whim instead of his real mission in order to protect everyone. Although... Even if I told the higher ups of this, they probably would have just assumed Blast was trying to escape responsibility for letting Elder Centipede escape."
Hearing all this, a curious thought entered Shunshi's mind, Elder Centipede really gave Blast that much trouble...? Either Blast has gotten a lot stronger since then, or Elder Centipede got weaker.
Once everyone was sure Sitch was done, Flashy Flash remarked, "Even now, he seeks a way to fight back? I always assumed he had a good reason for disappearing."
Taking another draw of his cigarette, drawing an irritated stare from Shunshi for stifling up the room, Zombie Man said, "He's fighting alone to protect us. That's hard-boiled."
"Actually, it is too bad that he has kept this secret," Genos said, drawing a puzzled look from Zombie Man and one of agreement from Shunshi. "If he had known sooner, Master Saitama, otherwise known by his disdained title of Caped Baldy, could have handled the situation."
Nodding, Shunshi remarked, "Yeah. After what I saw, I'm certain that Master Saitama is the strongest Hero in the Hero Association. Even above King and Blast."
Having had the least experience with him of the present Heroes, Zombie Man asked, "I know what you told me, Monster Mask, but... Are you sure that Saitama was above even what you were like during your fight with Garou? The entire sky was lit up by what you were doing."
Leaning back in his chair, Shunshi replied with sheer honesty, "I get what you mean. Blast said he had to divert a lot of the power Garou and I were throwing around, or else the whole world could have been destroyed... Even then, I'm certain Saitama-Sensei could have blown me away with a sneeze."
The full weight of Monster Mask's measurement hit the room with incomparable force. Only Genos and himself were completely calm, with the Demon Cyborg even seeming a bit amused by his fellow student's praise of their teacher.
While everyone else tried to recompose themselves, Sitch gave a half-hearted rebuttal, "But, erm... Even if what you're saying is true, raw strength isn't enough. To fight God, you need to be able to warp space and time. Only Blast has that kind of power."
Right away, Shunshi remembered what Genos told him about Saitama's time-traveling escapade. And with how Genos took at least an hour to tell the story to those already aware of Saitama's greatness, he knew he had to give the explanation before his senior.
Sitting up straight again, Shunshi said, "Um... About that. You see, Sen-."
Cutting Shunshi off, Genos produced the cloth-wrapped core onto the table and said, "Allow me, Shunshi."
Giving the teenage cyborg a baffled look, Shunshi muttered, "Are you just carrying that everywhere now, Senpai?"
With a hint of a genuine smile, Genos told the room, "I could not include all the details in my report, but I can elaborate on what Shunshi has told you. This should illuminate a way to solve this problem."
As a last-moment desperate move to save his fellow Heroes from spending the entire day in this room, Shunshi reached his hand to Genos' shoulder and told him, "Uh, Senpai... Don't forget Sensei's wisdom on keeping our sentences condensed."
His eyes widening, Genos gritted his artificial teeth in self-loathing and said, "Damn! I nearly forgot one of Sensei's first lessons! Thank you, Shunshi..."
Smirking awkwardly, Shunshi replied, "Of course, man..."
After taking a minute to collect his thoughts, Genos began his lecture on the alternate history's events. Shunshi's advice, fortunately, seemed to have been headed. What would have otherwise taken the Demon Cyborg four or more hours to overexplain was instead condensed into an hour-long breakdown of how Saitama defeated Garou. Although this lecture still became mind-numbing by the end, with even Shunshi's eyes starting to glaze over, it was at least presented in a cohesive manner.
Just as Genos wrapped things up, Sweet Mask stood up and said, "Oh, thank... goodness. I have a schedule to keep. If anything else comes up, just message me... A short message!"
Once Sweet Mask left the room, the sound of the door slamming behind him helped to snap Flashy Flash from the start of nodding off.
"Were you falling asleep, Flash?" Genos asked aggressively.
With indignation in his eyes, Flash replied, "I thought Monster Mask told you to keep it to a minimum."
"I did!" Genos exclaimed. "Keeping the glory of Master's exploits as condensed as I had was nothing short of a Herculean feat!"
Raising a hand between them, Zombie Man told Genos, "Just take it easy..."
Rubbing his chin, Sekingar asked, "So, he went to Jupiter and nearly wrecked the entire planet?"
"And reversed time, thereby changing history? Sounds nuts," Sitch added.
"They say even King's limit is wrecking the moon..." Flashy Flash stated.
Resting his chin on his hand, Shunshi replied, "I did say Master is probably stronger than King and Blast."
"I know the public statement we made about Garou's defeat was just to put people at ease, but was it really Caped Baldy who did it? We should confirm details with him," Sitch suggested.
Frowning slightly, Genos remarked, "Erm... Master's memories of the fight are incomplete."
While Sitch and Sekingar seemed floored by this excuse, Flash remarked, "You two should come up with better lies to prop your friend up."
"WHAT?!" Genos roared as his eyes turned into lightning-blue orbs.
"Calm down a second, Senpai," Shunshi said while putting his hand on Genos' chest. Making his eyes glow with Kie, Shunshi pointed to them and stated, "I know no one else could see it, but the flash of light before Garou got beat wasn't exactly a problem for me. I saw Master Saitama cold clock the Hero Hunter myself... Admittedly, I kinda wish I hadn't." Remembering the sight of his nude teacher, Shunshi shuddered slightly as he turned his glow off.
Trying to make a compromise, Zombie Man suggested, "Alright. Monster Mask says he saw what actually happened. So why don't we confirm this with the Hero Hunter? The police questioned him, and Silver Fang said he's currently in his custody."
Jerking with such force that his elbow indented the table, Shunshi jumped to his feet and exclaimed, "Wait, hold on, what?! When did this happen?! Bang-Sensei just told me he was taking some time to recover!"
Looking genuinely surprised, Sitch said, "Erm... Yes. It's only known by the S-Class and the Higher-Ups, but Silver Fang found Garou and was given custody of him. You weren't told at the time because you hadn't been officially promoted yet, but... Well, everyone assumed Bang would have told you."
"I... I..." Taking a moment to call on his years of meditation practice to calm himself down and trust his sensei, Shunshi took a deep breath and said, "That's... I guess Bang-Sensei wasn't sure Garou and I should talk yet with our grudge against each other... I'll go speak with him after this meeting. Sorry for interrupting."
Jumping back in, Sekingar remarked, "Either way, it won't help with clarification. Garou said he can't remember what happened because of the shock of the punch."
Flabbergasted, Zombie Man exclaimed, "Why can't the people actually involved remember what happened?!"
"Aside from Monster Mask's word and what myself and the Caped Baldy saw first-hand, there's very little we actually know about this situation," Flashy Flash remarked.
Putting his hands on the table, Sitch said, "There is something Blast told us. He said God has been acting in our reality more and more because something here is attracting its attention."
"What's that?" Flash asked.
"We're still investigating," Sitch admitted.
"Well, I know you're doubting our claims, but if Master Saitama was able to beat Garou, then God might be trying to find a way to beat him," Shunshi proposed while casually getting out of his chair. "I'm sorry, but my mind is racing right now. I won't be any more help here, so I'm going to leave."
Folding his arms, Genos looked up to Shunshi and added, "You made an astute deduction, Shunshi. Moreso than most others here."
After Sitch and Sekingar exchanged curious glances, and Flashy Flash glared at Genos, Sitch remarked, "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to look into that possibility... Before you go, Monster Mask... If Saitama's really as strong as you claim, then we should try to warn him about God. This thing tries to manipulate Human hearts, after all. Tell him to come to headquarters when you see him next so we can run some tests on him."
Shunshi then picked up his helmet, blinked with surprise, and responded, "Oh... Sure. Genos and I could see if Master's up for that."
Recomposing himself, Sitch added, "Regardless, Blast will find a way to stop this threat. Until then, solidarity and unity are top priority amongst this gathering!"
"Solidarity? Then be sure that Blast contacts Master Saitama as soon as he knows what his next step will be," Genos said as he stood up with Shunshi. "That is the only measure needed."
Nervously, Sekingar muttered, "I mean... All prospects need to be looked into, Demon Cyborg."
Picking up a satchel he'd brought with him, Genos addressed his fellow student, "I will head out with you, Shunshi. We have matters to discuss that we can talk about on the way out."
Flipping his helmet to put it on, Shunshi replied, "If you say so, Senpai."
Watching the two students of Saitama leave with a hint of annoyance, Zombie Man thought, Unity, huh? I have doubts this group can really pull that off.
After Genos and Shunshi leaped out the 10th-floor window, allowing their rockets and blasts to carry them through the winds, Genos explained, "So, after you have spoken with Bang and Garou, I must insist we have our sparring match. Would it sound good to you to meet up at the training ground we fought Master at in two hours?"
With his cape billowing behind him as he looked in the direction of Silver Fang's mountain, Shunshi replied, "Sure. That should work. I have more to take care of after that, so don't hurt me too badly, Senpai."
With a strangely annoyed grunt, Genos seemed upset momentarily before he went on, "Understood... In the meantime, I will arrange a meeting with Death Gatling and Jet Nice Guy. If they are ready, I will escort them to the brilliant Dr. Stench's laboratory."
A bit pleased with this info, Shunshi said, "Oh, cool! I'm sure they'll like that...! Oh, I need to go north here to get to Bang-Sensei's place. I guess I'll see you in a couple hours, Senpai."
"Understood! Best of luck, Shunshi," Genos told him.
With a large explosion, Shunshi's clumsier version of Blast Stepping carried him toward Bang's dojo.
When he was out of earshot, however, Genos muttered grimly, "Stop... Stop calling me that."
After a few minutes of travel, Shunshi arrived at Bang's dojo. With a rolling landing, Shunshi sprung up from the ball his body was in, pulled off his helmet with a flourish, and started casually walking toward the front door.
Shunshi reached to knock on the front door but hesitated slightly, knowing that Garou would be in there. However, Shunshi encouraged himself with the reminder that he and the Hero Hunter had fought numerous times already, and he was all the stronger for it. He had nothing to be scared of other than the possible awkwardness of being kept out of the loop until now.
With his courage gathered, Shunshi went to knock on the sliding door, only for Charanko to open it and try to greet Shunshi simultaneously. With his attention on his reunion with Bang and Garou, Shunshi failed to stop his fist in time before it collided with Charanko's chest, knocking him back and rolling along the wooden floor.
Horrified as he watched Charanko wheeze for air from what was a light tap for the new S-Class, Shunshi dropped his helmet and exclaimed, "Oh, crap! Charanko, dude! I'm so sorry!"
Running to Charanko's side, not noticing at first the dozens of other people coming out to see what was happening, Shunshi helped his friend to his feet by taking an arm over his shoulder. But before he could apologize further, Charanko lifted up his free hand, formed a ball of red Kie flames, and slammed it into his chest. As he did, his breathing became easier.
Taking his arm off Shunshi as the flames dissipated on his chest, Charanko took a couple more deep breaths and said, "Okay, okay, I'm good. I'll be back at a hundred percent in... I don't know, an hour."
Charanko had told Shunshi over the phone he'd figured out means of specialized healing with his Kie, but the Hero hadn't gotten the full picture until now.
Looking at Charanko with intrigue, Shunshi remarked, "Whoa, Charanko. I didn't know Kie could be used like that... How'd you-?"
Before Shunshi could talk anymore, the other people gathered around him and Charanko started exclaiming, "Who the heck is this guy?!" "Is he a dojo buster?!" "What the Hell!? We all just came back!" "Let's kick his ass out of here!"
Looking around, Shunshi took his attention off Charanko and finally noticed the other martial artists around him. He had a suspicion about who they were, and it was confirmed when they started taking up Fist Of Flowing Water Crushing Rock stances. Bang-Sensei either had new students or his old students had come back.
Immediately, he was overjoyed. Silver Fang's dojo had regained its lost pupils. Shunshi couldn't be too happy for long, though, as five of them tried to attack him at once.
Not wanting to hurt any of them, Shunshi countered with his own Fist Of Flowing Water Crushing Rock. His actions were purely defensive, only blocking and redirecting attacks with gentle motions. Unfortunately, a few of the stray redirected strikes ended up flying into other attackers. Within seconds, two of the attackers had downed each other.
Instinctually, Shunshi gauged his attackers internally, Hmm... C or B-Class if I'm being generous.
"Crap! The dojo buster took down Panchi and Kikku! Someone get Sour Face or Sensei!"
Fully realizing what was happening, Shunshi jumped back and exclaimed, "Wait! I hit Charanko by accident! I'm a student here too! I'm Shunshi! I'm a Hero! Monster Mask!"
Stopping to exchange looks, Bang's students clamored, "Is that really him?" "I don't know. I don't watch TV." "I think we should keep attacking until Sensei confirms his story."
Admits the talking, Charanko, his voice still too weak to be heard over everyone else, tried to exclaim, "Guys! He's telling the truth!"
Before things could escalate, Sour Face's voice called out, "What's going on?! Bang-Sensei is in the middle of an important lesson, you-... Aaaaaa!" Recognizing Shunshi and that he was being attacked by the other students, Sour Face started pushing everyone aside as he ran toward him.
"All of you get back!" Sour Face exclaimed. Once the confused students were pushed away, Sour Face bowed to Shunshi and told him, "Shunshi-Senpai! Welcome back to the dojo! We weren't expecting you to return so soon!"
"Did no one else hear the explosion outside when he got here?" Charanko's weak voice asked with annoyance.
"Um..." Was all Shunshi could think to say.
Turning back to the crowd while gesturing to Shunshi, Sour Face aggressively told everyone, "Listen up, fools! This is Bang-Sensei's new number two student, taking my place behind Charanko! And he's taken up Master's role in the Hero Association and won the last Super Fight! Show him some respect!"
Raising his hand half-heartedly at this sudden exclamation, Shunshi said, "No. That's really not-."
Once everyone present realized and accepted Shunshi's identity, the whole dojo, except Charanko, gave him respectful standing bows while exclaiming, "Osu! Shunshi-Senpai!"
While Shunshi stared at Charanko with an awkward pleading, all his friend did was give him a gesture that asked, Well? What are you gonna do?
Although he felt a bit awkward receiving so much praise at Silver Fang's dojo, Shunshi had to accept that this was simply proper dojo etiquette for his apparent rank.
Returning the bow, Shunshi remarked, "Thank you for the honors. It's a pleasure to meet you all... I'm sorry if this is insensitive, but I was under the impression you all gave up on martial arts after Garou rampaged. I'm glad you're here, but what made you all decide to come back?"
Lifting his head up while pumping his fists in excitement, Sour Face stated, "You! After you and Blast defeated Garou, it showed us that if he can actually be beaten, then all we were doing by giving up on the Fist Of Flowing Water Crushing Rock was feeling sorry for ourselves!"
Flattered yet embarrassed by the results of his false accolades, Shunshi smiled awkwardly and said, "Oh... Well, I'm glad you guys got your determination back."
As soon as the formalities were over, a few of the younger students, looking between middle and high school ages, came rushing up to the Pro Hero. Some were clasping their hands pleadingly, while others brought him towels and water bottles.
Presenting their offerings, the young boys exclaimed, "You're the one who taught Charanko-Senpai how to use those Kie techniques, right? Can you show us, Shunshi-Senpai?" "You became a pro Hero like the master did! Is that how somebody really gains martial arts power, Shunshi-Senpai?!" "Can you show us the moves you used to win Super Fight, Shunshi-Senpai?"
Somewhat overwhelmed, Shunshi shifted his foot back to try and properly compose himself, only for it to bump into one of the two unconscious bodies behind him.
"Um..." Glancing down at the two guys who'd been dropped in the scuffle, Shunshi asked, "Before I answer any of that... What about these two? Are they going to be okay?"
Walking up slowly, emphasizing his pained ribs, Charanko produced two more of his red Kie fireballs and said, "I'll handle them. I've become the doctor around here on top of the star pupil."
It was only now, as he walked forward, that Shunshi noticed Charanko had, in fact, moved on from his white belt to a yellow one.
"Hey! Congrats on making up a belt, Charanko! Good work," Shunshi congratulated as Charanko reached the flames out to Panchi and Kikku.
Placing the flames on their heads and dispersing the healing Kie into their skulls, Charanko proudly stated, "Of course! I am Bang-Sensei's star pupil, after all. It's about time I started my rocketing climb through the ranks."
Letting Charanko stroke his own ego, Shunshi replied, "Of course. Only makes sense. I can't wait to see your rise to greatness."
Turning back around to see the crowd of eager students had expanded to include the adult members of Bang's dojo, Shunshi realized he'd need to start giving answers if he wanted to get through peacefully.
"Okay... If everyone really wants to know what I can do, I guess I can start by explaining Kie," Shunshi suggested. Ready and eager to learn, everyone placed the water and towels before Shunshi in neat piles before going to stand at attention.
Hm... I guess this'll help me get used to training with the other Heroes... Wait, why haven't they just learned this stuff from Charanko? Shunshi pondered. However, when he remembered how much Charanko struggled to even grasp the basics of the technique, he answered his own question.
Allowing his eyes to glow white with Kie, Shunshi produced some flames from his chest and said, "See, to get started, you need to-."
"Hey! What the fuck is going on!? I'm trying to focus on cleaning windows here!" An approaching, familiar, rowdy voice called out from further into the dojo.
Throwing open the sliding door to a back room, Garou, with his hair cut short, wearing a karate gi with a white belt, and holding a spray bottle and wipes, came storming in. However, as soon as he noticed Monster Mask preparing Kie, Garou smiled with his typical brand of sinister insanity.
Igniting his own gray Kie, Charanko shouted at Shunshi, "You're here!"
Instinctively, Shunshi shifted back into a defensive stance as he shouted to the dojo, "Everyone! Get out of his way!"
Dropping his cleaning supplies, Garou was about to come rushing at Shunshi, ready to knock over whoever he needed to. However, before he could pounce, the former Hero Hunter was struck atop his head, gaining a comically large bump, by Silver Fang.
"Garou, stop acting up! You have chores to do!" Silver Fang scolded as he walked up to his side. "Now, what is going on out he-? Ulp!"
As soon as Bang noticed Shunshi, the old man froze up a bit. He was clearly not expecting this early visit. Shunshi couldn't help but feel a bit satisfied at this small payback for the secrets kept from him. However, with the master's arrival, all the students in the dojo cleared a path between him and Shunshi.
Clearing his throat as Garou grabbed at his head in pain, Bang addressed his Hero successor, "Erm... Hello, Shunshi. Welcome back... I suppose you heard about Garou staying here."
Although Shunshi still felt his annoyance in the pit of his stomach, the fact was that Bang was his master.
Giving him his due respect, Shunshi turned off his Kie, bowed to Bang, and said, "Thank you, Bang-Sensei. Yes, Zombie Man and Sitch informed me of the situation, so I came here to learn what was happening. That is if you'll allow me in on this secret, master."
Immediately, Bang was struck with a wave of guilt as he struggled, "Shunshi... After the rivalry you formed with Garou, I thought you'd take it poorly if you learned that... Well..."
"Yes, sensei?" Shunshi asked while lifting his head.
Apparently annoyed, Garou picked himself up and bluntly stated, "The old man is trying to give me a second chance, so he brought me back here to start my training over and try to make peace with everyone I beat down. I told him you tried something like that with me too, but..." With a hint of awkward guilt, Garou averted his eyes and said, "Bang reminded me how I, kind of... I took that thing's power and ruined everything... hurt everyone... So Bang figured it'd be better if we waited on meeting again."
To Shunshi's shock, Garou genuinely looked remorseful by the end of his explanation. However, this regret confused Shunshi as to why he was so ready to fight on sight. But he was patient enough to wait on his question until after Bang was done talking.
With Garou having taken some of the stress off him, Bang said, "Yes. I thought it would be best if Garou had at least a week of his rehabilitation before going back into public... Especially considering that he lost most of the strength he gained from his life of crime, and now this crazy boy wants to fight all the S-Class Heroes he fought before once again."
"I'm sorry, what?! Do I have to take you to prison after all?!" Shunshi couldn't help but blurt out.
With a hesitant excitement, Garou explained, "Hey, it's not like I'm trying to actually hunt you guys or become a monster anymore. But if I fight you guys in the same order as before, it might awaken my strength again." Counting his list off on his fingers, Garou said, "First, I fight you, then Tanktop Master, and then we have a rematch. After that, I go to take on Metal Bat, then Watchdog Man, then-."
Chopping Garou in his head again, stopping him mid-rant, Bang said, "I told Garou I'd see if I could work out organized fights with the help of the Hero Association. Once he's regained some of his strength and finished his rehabilitation, then I'm planning to have him join the Hero Association alongside you." Once Bang told Shunshi of his plans, he'd expected his heroic student to react with vehement rage and tensed up thusly.
As such, the retired Hero was more than a bit surprised when Shunshi exclaimed, "Are you serious?! That... That's amazing! You should have told me that from the start, Bang-Sensei!"
"What?" Bang asked, floored.
Picking himself up again, Garou asked eagerly, "Seriously, Monster Mask? You're on board with this?"
Grinning, Shunshi answered, "Of course! Having you work as a Hero would be invaluable! Just imagine how much easier the Monster Association would've been to deal with if we'd worked together from the start! Besides..." Shunshi's grin then turned a tad selfish as he concluded, "I do honestly wanna fight you again."
However, as Garou's smile started to match Shunshi, the older of the two was hit with sudden realization and said, "Um... You might wanna wear a disguise or something when you first start out, though... Most of the other Heroes still hate you."
Giving Shunshi a puzzled stare at first, Garou quickly glared at him and stated, "I'm not dressing up as your fucking sidekick Shit Mask."
Glaring back in disbelief, Shunshi shouted, "No, dumbass! Just put a mask on or something! You just can't let people recognize you at first!"
Putting an icepack on Garou's bumps, disrupting the argument, Bang addressed Shunshi, "I'm surprised but happy you're taking this so well, Shunshi. If you have the time and the willingness, would you consider helping Garou blow off some steam and give him a sparring match?"
Placing a hand on the icepack Bang gave him, Garou looked startled yet as excited as a kid in a candy store by his mentor's request.
Garou only grew more giddy when Monster Mask answered, "Honestly, Master Bang, I'd be happy to do that, but-."
Throwing the icepack away, his bumps already gone, Garou struck up his stance and shouted, "Yes! Let's do this!"
Raising his hands defensively, Shunshi shouted, "But! I said but! Hold on!"
Gritting his teeth as he glared at Shunshi, Garou exclaimed, "What?! What is it, asshole?!"
"It's just, uh..." Looking at all the eyes of Bang's returned pupils, Shunshi said, "I have something important to talk about with you and Bang-Sensei, but it's gotta be in private."
Raising a brow, Bang answered, "I suppose that's fine, Shunshi... The three of us can speak in my room. Will that work?"
Nodding, Shunshi said happily, "That'd be perfect, Bang-Sensei."
Rolling his eyes with a groan, Garou turned to walk back the way he came while complaining, "Fine, dumbass. Let's hear whatever worthless crap you gotta say."
Marching quickly until he matched Garou's pace, Shunshi confidently told him, "We'll see if you feel the same way in a bit."
While Garou glared at the cocky-looking Shunshi as they walked away, Bang told his other students, "Alright, everyone. Back to sparring and kata practice. For those who've already finished their fifty rounds, Charanko, see if you can help them practice Kie. I'm sure Shunshi's arrival got them excited on the topic."
Turning around to follow his two strongest students, Bang left everyone else to their training.
And as a few of the stronger-looking students gathered around Charanko, he thought in despair, I thought being the top student meant I could laze around more. Not have more jobs to do.
After entering Bang's private quarters, Shunshi, Garou, and their master took seats around the table in the center of his room. While Shunshi and Bang sat as straight and proper as social etiquette demanded, Garou was resting on his side, and it was clear from the glint in his eyes he was doing this just to be distracting.
Doing his best to ignore Garou's non-verbal attitude, Shunshi said, "Alright... Erm... First, a couple less serious topics."
Groaning, Garou remarked, "Ugh! Of course, you wanna pad this o-."
Striking Garou on his head to shut him up again, Bang said pleasantly, "That's fine, Shunshi. A couple of icebreakers sounds good."
Trying not to smirk at Garou's punishment, Shunshi said, "Thank you, Bang-Sensei. First, if you've heard of him, I befriended the martial artist Suiryu recently, and he decided he wanted to start coming to your dojo to train alongside me."
Visibly surprised, Bang asked, "Suiryu? Of the Void Fist? That's a shock. His grandfather and I were something of rivals in our younger days."
Pointing a finger at Bang, Shunshi replied, "Suiryu told me that, too. He said he thought it'd be funny."
"Oh... Well, I'll never turn down promising students. When should I expect him?" Bang asked.
"Um... He should be here sometime next week," Shunshi answered.
Sitting up slightly, Garou asked, "Is this void dickhead tough at all?"
Giving Garou's question some genuine consideration, Shunshi answered, "He... Let's see... When I fought him, I'd say Suiryu was a step or two tougher than you were when you pulled my arm off. Ideally, he's at least a little stronger now than then."
Wincing at Shunshi's casual recollection of that night, Garou remarked, "Oh... Yeah, okay. Fuck. I guess that's... a good measuring stick."
"Yeah. If he and Bang-Sensei are cool with it, you two would make good sparing partners."
Putting his hands on the table, Bang said, "We can work out those details when Suiryu gets here. What else did you want to talk about?"
Nodding, Shunshi answered, "Right, right. Well, I was hoping you'd be interested in learning how to use Kie, Bang-Sensei."
As Garou shifted his gaze, intrigued at his mentor, Bang raised an eyebrow and asked, "Oh? Hmm... Yes, I've seen with Charanko and Garou that Kie really can be learned. But why should I learn it, Shunshi? I shouldn't need that strength now that I've retired."
Leaning heavily on the table, Shunshi's eyes suddenly intensified as he exclaimed, "Master Bang, it could heal you!"
Giving Shunshi a disappointed look as the young man stared desperately at him, Bang sighed before responding, "Shunshi... I'm not coming out of retirement. I have a duty as a sensei to all my students. With what time I have left, I have to dedicate it to all of you."
Shaking his head, Shunshi shouted, "That's not it, Bang-Sensei...! I'd love it if you would come back, but... Well, I know your knees were already hurting you before, and the fight with the Monster Association only made things worse for you... I just don't want you to be in pain, sensei."
"I... Hrmm... I don't know, Shunshi. I-."
Cutting Bang off with gritted teeth, Garou exclaimed, "What's the problem here, old man?! You keep complaining about your knees aching and having that loser Charanko ease up the pressure on 'em. Just learn how to do it yourself!"
While Bang flinched at Garou's rude attitude, Shunshi leaned on the table and pleaded, "Please, Silver Fang-Sensei?"
Pressured on both sides by his strongest pupils, Bang sweated a moment before sighing and responding, "Oh... Very well. If you have time to give the dojo some pointers today, Shunshi, then I'll start practicing to unlock the power myself. I'll at least try."
Smiling gleefully as Garou grinned confidently, Shunshi exclaimed, "Of course, Bang-Sensei! I promise you won't regret this!"
Looking slightly defeated, Bang replied, "Right, right. I look forward to it, Shunshi... These were the easier topics, correct? What was the serious issue you wanted to be in private for?"
"Oh, yeah. You see, there's..." Before Shunshi could finish his sentence, he remembered Sitch's instructions to keep the information about God private and went quiet.
"Huh? Spit it out, ass clown!" Garou exclaimed as Shunshi suddenly started pondering his next decision.
Furrowing his brow, Shunshi thought, They... If Bang-Sensei is taking care of Garou, it should be fine to keep him in the loop of this God stuff, right...? Yeah. It has to be.
Letting out a sigh, Shunsi said, "Right, sorry. This'll take a second, but I learned about something that'll explain what happened to Garou when you turned into that weird cosmic form."
As Shunshi held Bang and Garou's full attention, Genos arrived at the A-Class apartments Saitama would soon be moving into in City-A.
Scanning the parking lot, Genos spotted a trio of Heroes gathered on the sidewalk. Amongst them were Death Gatling and Jet Nice Guy, but the uninvited third was Blue Fire. Grimacing, Genos landed just a few feet from the lower-ranked Heroes, his heavy metal body shaking the ground beneath them.
Standing up while making a show of dusting his arm off, Genos addressed the startled group, "Hello, Death Gatling, Jet Nice Guy... I do not remember agreeing to meet with anyone other than you two. I assume Blue Fire, A-Class Rank 6, was just leaving."
Unable to contain his excitement, Jet exclaimed, "Mr. Demon Cyborg! It's an honor to meet you! Thank you for coming."
While Fuun stared disapprovingly at Jet, Genos ignored them both and glared at the A-Class, who shared his age.
Sweating a bit, Blue Fire tried to glare back at the Demon Cyborg's glowing eyes and replied, "I got demoted to Rank 10 after recent events, actually. And I was planning to come with you. Death Gatling invited me after I signed up for Monster Mask's training lessons."
"But I did not," Genos replied bluntly
With a groan, Death Gatling recomposed himself properly and interjected, "Gen-... Demon Cyborg, cut him a break. He lost a forearm recently."
Looking down, Genos' scanners took note of Blue Fire's folded-up right sleeve and asked, "I see... How did that happen, Blue Fire?"
His arm twitching with the memory of pain, Blue responded, "Myself and two others were amongst the Hero Hunter's first victims. I tried to kill him, and he took my arm clean off."
The memory of learning how Garou took Shunshi's arm hit Genos almost as hard as Saitama as he stammered, "That is... I... Very well."
Relaxing a touch, Blue Fire asked, "You mean...?"
"Yes," Genos answered. "You may be examined for cybernetic modifications, Blue Fire."
With an appreciative smile that contradicted his dark eyes, Blue Fire responded, "That's... Thank you, Demon Cyborg."
Pumping his fists into the air, Jet Nice Guy exclaimed, "Haha! Yes! We're all good to go for upgrades!"
Raising a hand to Blue Fire, Genos said, "However, if you are simply looking to replace your lost limb, I would ask you to consider focusing on learning how to use Kie from Shunshi. He has regrown missing body parts with that ability several times that I am aware of." Turning to Death Gatling, Genos said, "I also intended to bring this topic up with you at the lab, Death Gatling."
"What?!" Death Gatling asked as he looked at his severed limb. "I never thought... I assumed the fast healing was something only Monster Mask could do."
Looking annoyed, Genos remarked, "Perhaps you should have considered asking him about the details of the powers he has offered to train you in?"
"That's... Okay, fair enough," Death Gatling responded. "I... I still want to take a look at the cybernetics before I make that choice."
"Yes. I feel the same," Blue Fire added.
Nodding, Genos turned around and said, "Very well. All of you, follow me. I will take you to the brilliant Dr. Stench's laboratory for analysis, and upgrades in Jet Nice Guy's sake."
Grinning like a madman as Genos gestured for them to follow, Jet exclaimed, "Yes! Yes!"
Nearly two hours later, back at Bang's dojo, Shunshi and Garou were parallel from each other in a freshly torn-apart mountain plane. Garou was on his knees, covered in wounds and gasping for air, while Shunshi barely had a scratch on him and was looking at Garou with a sort of disappointed pride.
Struggling back to his feet, Garou spit out some blood and said, "Fuck...! You... You're not as strong as you were with the white hair, but it looks like you actually did keep a good amount of the strength you got from fighting me all those times..."
Smiling awkwardly, Shunshi replied, "And you... You weren't kidding. You really did lose most of your power. At least you can still use your Kie, I guess..."
Grinning, Garou retorted eagerly, "Hell to that! I just got a good chunk of it back! And be ready for our next bout! Once I get my rematch with Tanktop Master, we're going again!"
Meanwhile, Bang and the rest of the dojo watched this sparing match unfold from the safety of the elevated cliff on which the building stood.
"That... That was even more intense than Super Fight!" Sour Face proclaimed as he peered over the edge on all fours.
Grabbing a sweating Charanko by his shoulder, one of the larger students demanded, "Charanko, why don't you do stuff like that with Kie?!"
"Uh... I, um... Well... You see. The thing about that is-."
Cutting the questioning short, everyone flinched when they heard Garou's hyena-like cackling booming from the battleground all the way up to them.
Stroking his mustache as his students were in awe, Bang said, "I think Garou needs to be calmed down. I'll be back in a moment, everyone."
Leaping off the ledge, Bang jumped down from one rock outcropping to another. Although this feat was impossible for any normal person to replicate, Charanko couldn't stop a pang in his heart as he watched it. Before the Monster Association, Bang would have just jumped the whole way in one go.
"You know what!? Screw it! I can't wait! Let's go another round, Monster Ma-!" Garou proclaimed just as Bang landed and smacked him in the back of his head.
While Garou trembled in pain on the ground, Bang scolded him, "Take it easy, Garou. If I can sit through the Kie training, you can have patience too. We don't want you transforming again if you push yourself too hard."
Taking a breath after Bang had subdued Garou, Shunshi said, "Thank you, Bang-sensei. I was worried if I tried to stop him, he'd just get more out of it."
"Of course, Shunshi," Silver Fang replied while checking the sun's position. "Hey... Didn't you say you need to meet up with Genos soon?"
Flinching when his instructor said those words, Shunshi looked to the sky as well before realizing he had no idea how to read the sun's position.
"Excuse me!" Shunshi said before leaping up the cliff face in one go. Dashing past all the other students, Shunshi went into the dojo to pull his phone from his backpack. Indeed, if he didn't leave to meet up with Genos now, he'd be late.
As Shunshi left the dojo, he saw Bang carrying the wounded Garou back up the cliff, shouting to them as he ran off, "Thanks for everything today, Silver Fang-sensei! Enjoy the rest of your day!"
"Oh. In such a hurry after all," Bang remarked amusingly. "I certainly hope the rest of my day goes well. Shunshi's lecture on Kie was, hrmm... I'll be in meditation for a while."
At the same time, the punch-drunk Garou raised his hand weakly and stated, "Geeeet bbback herrrre, yyyaaa daaamn c-coward."
Having decided to run the whole way to the training quarry to get his 10-k of the day in, Shunshi came in like a streak of white light to find Genos waiting for him. Coming to a screeching halt, Shunshi skidded just past Genos while smiling nervously at him.
Dusting himself off, Shunshi greeted his friend, "Hey, Genos-Senpai! Sorry if I kept you waiting."
Turning on internal vents to blow dust off himself, Genos replied, "You are seven minutes late... This is acceptable, I suppose."
Stretching out a bit, Shunshi responded, "Glad I've been spared your wrath today. So, how'd things go with Death Gatling and Jet Nice Guy?"
Thinking it over, Genos gave a small shrug and said, "Fine, I believe. Jet Nice Guy was given the most advanced copy of blueprints for one of my old models that he could understand. Death Gatling chose to bring along another A-Class Hero named Blue Fire, whom Garou had amputated a limb from. The two had their fittings done, and the brilliant Dr. Stench has begun work on their cybernetic limbs befitting their fighting styles."
Remembering that he'd heard of Blue Fire's wounds while at the hospital, Shunshi perked up and asked, "Really?! Blue Fire, too?! Thanks for helping him, Senpai! He helped lead the group I was on during my first official mission."
"It was no issue," Genos replied while opening and closing his hand to check his incinerator.
Grinning a bit, Shunshi added, "No, seriously. That's way nicer than normal for you, Senpai! I really appreciate it."
Giving Shunshi a puzzled and hurt look, Genos said, "Well... Perhaps your idiocy is simply starting to rub off on me."
"Oof. And here I thought we hadn't started fighting yet," Shunshi joked as he feigned injury.
"Hrmm... Should we begin?" Genos asked as he took up a fighting stance similar to a stiff fusion of Shunshi's and Suiryu's.
Composing himself hastily, Shunshi shifted into his preferred stance and replied, "Oh, crap, yeah... Uh, what do you wanna do for this match? Are we just beating each other until we can't keep going?"
With glowing eyes, Genos answered, "Yes. That is my intention. I wish to fully test my upgrades against your new abilities and compare how far we have both come in our training. I will also accept it if one of us were to surrender, though."
Realizing only now just how brutal this sparing match would be, Shunshi replied, "Oh... Shit, this is gonna be painful."
Taking his backpack off, Shunshi threw it to the side. His half-hearted throw managed to toss the sack all the way to the summit of one of the canyon's walls.
Really glad Garou was so much weaker than me. Otherwise, I might be spent by now, Shunshi thought.
Powering up his combat systems, Genos asked, "Is the distance we are at acceptable for you?"
Taking note of the space between them, Shunshi saw they were barely ten feet apart, ignited his Kie, and answered, "Hmm... Yeah. This should work, Senpai. Ready when you are."
Glaring a bit at Shunshi, his scanners picking up on the massive mountain of energy Shunshi's Kie released, Genos thought, Stop calling me that.
As the disciples of Saitama stared each other down, the two would have been completely tensed up if it weren't for Shunshi's martial arts training and Genos' cybernetics. Finally, as a loose pebble fell from a wall of the canyon and hit the ground, Genos made the first move.
Prodding Shunshi's defenses, Genos went at full speed and got behind him. Genos' arm then rotated like a drill as he threw an uppercut into Shunshi's back. Shunshi's armor took most of the damage, but the force was still enough to send him flying up.
Genos had intended to follow Shunshi into the air for a combo attack, but the explosion that came off him after Genos' blow was enough to send the Demon Cyborg skidding.
Dammit! I underestimated the amount of force his explosive shield would possess! Where is-?! Before Genos could finish his thought, Shunshi set off an explosion that sent himself spinning at Genos.
"Burning Buzzsaw!" Shunshi exclaimed as he threw his flaming summersault kick at Genos.
The Demon Cyborg crossed his arms and blocked the attack from overhead, but the ground beneath him still gave way and shattered a few feet of stone. Using his jets, Genos pushed himself aside, causing Shunshi to crash into the ground.
As Shunshi jumped back to his feet, Genos rocketed toward him with his rotating claws pointed like drills. "Martial Machine Gun Blow!" Unleashing a flurry of mimic Void Fist strikes, Genos tried to pummel Shunshi.
Countering with Fist of the Impenetrable Fire Spirit, Shunshi clawed back and managed to deflect most of Genos' strikes. Each clash set off an explosion, but Genos had properly rooted himself this time to keep from being blown away. Eventually, Genos managed to slip two blows through Shunshi's defense, planting them in his chest and denting his armor.
Taking a double hit, Shunshi's chest unleashed a large enough blast to push Genos back as Shunshi was knocked away.
Glancing at the new scorch marks on his arms, Genos took a second to think. Melee combat is not a sound strategy for victory against Shunshi. On top of his already enhanced defense with his armor and Kie, his explosive aura almost nullifies the force behind my strikes. I should try to stick with my arsenal if I wish to defeat him.
Before Genos could try to gain distance, Shunshi caught him off guard. He seemed genuinely furious as he conjured a pair of Burn Whips on his shoulders and dashed at Genos with a Blast Step.
As Genos blocked the Burn Whips' long reach, Shunshi closed in, connected a kick to his mechanical gut, and exclaimed, "This is a fight for both of us to push ourselves! I'm not here to be your punching bag, Senpai! Spear of Light!" Forming a Light Ball between his foot and Genos, Shunshi sent his Senpai crashing into one of the canyon's walls.
Pulling himself free of his most recent display of modern art with an explosive release of his jets, Genos saw Shunshi giving chase. While watching Shunshi, Genos also noticed the sound of creaking metal coming from where he'd been hit.
Shunshi's Kie attacks are more powerful than I anticipated too... Hmm.
Just as Shunshi covered half the distance between them and was about to Blast Step again, Genos opened up every cannon on his right arm and fired them all at once.
Facing a blast comparable to what Genos had fired to split Elder Centipede in half, Shunshi reflexively threw as large a Light Ball as he could to counter in such a short time. However, to his horror, Genos' beam immediately absorbed the energy of Shunshi's attack and doubled in size.
Remembering how Genos told him about Stench modifying his incinerators to better absorb Kie for their combo attacks, Shunshi could only think, Oh... Crap.
"Just as planned," Genos remarked confidently as he pulled his arm back and watched the resulting blast go off. However, his bit of pride vanished when he didn't see so much as a body in the wreckage left behind.
"What...?" Dashing to the new canal and pit he'd burned into the canyon with horror in his yellow eyes, Genos began frantically scanning for signs of Shunshi. Fortunately, Genos immediately detected Shunshi's life signs as strong as ever and felt his dred evaporate. But before Genos could determine where Shunshi had gone, a pair of Burn Whips erupted from the ground beneath him and wrapped around his neck.
Exploding from the Earth with two more Burn Whips in his hands, Shunshi exclaimed, "Lashing Inferno!"
After enduring a pummeling from over a hundred whip strikes, Genos managed to force Shunshi back with an incineration blast that sent him flying back. Although this one was significantly less powerful than the last. However, the tight grip of Shunshi's Burn Whips caused them to scrape a layer of metal from Genos' neck when they were forcibly removed, leaving behind a nasty mark.
After checking his systems to find that he was still at eighty-nine percent functionality, Genos shifted his focus back to Shunshi as he recomposed himself. His hood and cloak had been completely burned off, but his armor only seemed to have suffered superficial damage.
Readying his incinerators again, Genos first demanded, "Shunshi! How did you escape that blast with so little damage?"
Shaking off the shock of being hit again, Shunshi lashed his Burn Whips and replied, "That...? Well, it was two things. First, my own Kie can't hurt me. Even if you took some of my power, it didn't actually do anything against me."
Raising an impressed brow, Genos went on, "But you still would have had to endure one of my stronger blasts. I did not think it would kill you, but you seem almost unphased. How? Have you simply grown that much more powerful?"
"Eh... Maybe when I was fighting Garou, but I'm not that strong anymore. See, I..." Shunshi then remembered when Saitama dug after Ground Dragon during their fight with The House of Evolution. "It was a technique I picked up from watching Saitama-Sensei."
"What?! What is it?!" Genos demanded.
Smiling behind his helmet, Shunshi replied, "I'll tell you once we're done fighting!" He then started dashing for Genos again.
In response, Genos started firing a volley of Incineration blasts from both arms that Shunshi was forced to evade. All of them were back to the same level of power as before, and although Shunshi managed to dodge most of the beams, a few were still grazing him. And with their ability to absorb his Kie, Shunshi only had his armor and his body's natural durability to rely on.
He'd made attempts to counterattack with his Light Balls, but Shunshi's throwing arms only had a third the fire rate as Genos' automated cannons. As such, most of the orbs were absorbed by Genos' beams, with only a handful managing to strike Genos. Though the few Light Balls that had made it to the cyborg actually left noticeable dents in his body.
Eventually, enough of Genos Incinerator beams started taking small chunks from Shunshi's armor and dealing real damage to him.
Crap, crap, crap! I can't fight Genos-Senpai at range! He has the clear advantage here, Shunshi thought as the lost armor on his arms and legs resulted in serious burns. Gotta think of something else to take him off guard...! Oh!
Eventually, it looked like Shunshi'd tripped backward, only for the Burn Whips on his shoulders to coil beneath him before springing him into the air. Doing this instead of Blast Stepping threw Genos off for a moment, giving Shunshi enough time to lash the Burn Whips in his hands at the Demon Cyborg. But instead of hitting Genos, the whips went into the ground behind him. Pulling tight on them, Shunshi sent himself with a flying kick aimed at Genos' face.
Almost panicking as Shunshi missiled toward him, Genos' chest core erupted with blinding lightning as he proclaimed, "Lightning Nucleus!"
With his Kie having prepared his eyes for such flashes, Shunshi was only blinded for a half-second. However, this was enough to take him off target. Instead of his planned kick, the folded knee of Shunshi's left leg collided with Genos head and set off the usual explosion from Fist of the Impenetrable Fire Spirit.
As Genos was knocked away, Shunshi just managed to recover and flip to his feet before hitting the ground. Meanwhile, as Genos rocketed up, he could feel a quarter-sized chunk of his artificial cheek crack off.
I must stay at a distance from him! Genos told himself while trying to jet away.
In return, Shunshi Blast Stepped after Genos, shouting, "Get back here!"
The two ended up chasing each other around the canyon for a moment, leaving trails of lightning-fire and Kie as they went. They would get into a rhythm of exchanging Incerater blasts and Light Balls until Shunshi would figure out another trick to close the distance and beat on Genos, only for him to slip away again.
During the fourth such clash, Genos and Shunshi collided roundhouse punches. However, Shunshi prepared a Light Ball on his unarmored fist the size of a boulder, and Genos fully unleashed the rockets at his elbow. The resulting exchange shattered the Demon Cyborg's hand while breaking Monster Mask's.
"Dammit! Martial Machine Gun Blow!" Genos exclaimed as he threw out the refined version of his signature melee attack with one hand.
To retaliate, Shunshi used his Burn Whips to copy Void Fist and focused his Kie on his fingertips to replace his lost claws as he shouted, "Fire Spirit Burning Claws!"
Unfortunately for Genos, although Shunshi's left hand was broken, it was still there unlike the cyborg's right one. And Shunshi had long since grown used to fighting with broken bones. A hand down compared to Shunshi's four, counting the Burn Whips, Genos found himself overwhelmed by his junior's Kie-powered strikes and superior martial arts.
Taking a cross claw strike to his torso as one Burn Whip struck him across the face while the other grabbed his right leg, Genos yelled, "Get back!"
With his free leg, he threw a jet-powered knee into Shunshi's stomach. The blow pushed Shunshi back far enough that Genos was able to ignite a jet on his heel and extend his leg to kick into Shunshi's jaw, breaking the helmet's jaw-piece, knocking out a tooth, and throwing him back.
However, as he went back, Shunshi managed to compose himself with a smirk and pulled hard on the Burn Whip around Genos' right leg, severing it at the knee.
As Genos lost his balance, Monster Mask shot out his other Burn Whip and wrapped it around Demon Cyborg's torso. Pulling, Shunshi yanked Genos back into close range and got ready to get back to melee.
But after landing a blow in Genos' chest and uppercutting him, Shunshi was caught off-guard when the young cyborg shouted, "Stop, Shunshi! I surrender!"
With a look like he'd just hit his own sister, Shunshi pulled his fists back, used his Burn Whip to support Genos, and asked, "I, uh... Senpai, you... You're not serious, right?!"
Glaring at Shunshi with acceptant yet saddened eyes, Genos told him, "I am completely serious, Shunshi... You won, and I lost. In my current condition, I could continue fighting and injure you further, but I could not possibly defeat you."
"What...? No! No, I... I was just having fun here, but you... You're Genos-Senpai! I can't beat you!" Shunshi exclaimed as he put his hands on Genos' shoulders.
Grabbing one of Shunshi's arms with his remaining hand, Genos seethed and exclaimed, "Stop calling me that!"
"Wha- What?" Shunshi asked, mortified as he pulled his free hand back.
Pushing Shunshi's other hand off, Genos yelled, "You far surpassed me during the battle with the Monster Association! And you have just bested me in direct combat!" Looking Shunshi in the eyes, Genos showed his self-frustration as he went on. "There is no reason for you to call me a Senpai any longer! Besides, you are older than me! You... You are Saitama-Sensei's top student now..."
Untying Genos from the Burn Whip, Shunshi let the cyborg slump to the ground to contemplate his sorrow. At the same time, Shunshi stared down with grief, trying to think of some way to argue Genos' points without lying to his face. But after a minute of this awkward silence, Shunshi's eyes suddenly exploded up with realization.
Dropping to sit cross-legged in front of Genos, Shunshi asked him, "Se-... Er, Genos. We're friends, right?"
Looking up at Shunshi, Genos' was perplexed, then contemplative, and finally resolute as he answered, "Yes. That is accurate... Why do you ask?"
Putting his healing fist into the metal man's metal chest, Shunshi asked, "Don't you think we should focus more on just being friends who help each other get stronger rather than whoever's the top student? That's what I'd prefer anyways."
At Shunshi's words, Genos was left speechless for a moment. Leaving his jaw slightly agape, Genos had to take this time to process how to answer his friend.
Eventually, with the slightest hint of a smile accompanied by a kneaded brow, Genos answered, "That... I think that sounds like a good way to move forward, my friend."
Pulling his fist back, Shunshi exclaimed, "Alright! Thanks, Genos-Bro!"
His smile widening slightly from Shunshi's remark, Genos said, "I think I should return to the brilliant Dr. Stench's lab for repairs, and your armor looks to need maintenance as well. Would you mind helping me return to the lab?"
"Of course. No problem," Shunshi answered as he stood up. "You want me to carry you on my back?"
"That would be the fastest means for us to travel, yes."
"Alright. Let's get moving, then!" Shunshi said as he picked Genos up, and Blast Stepped away with him.
As they traveled through the air, Shunshi remarked, "You know, I could use a new cloak, too. You think Dr. Stench has any tougher fibers I could make one out of?"
"Of course. That is what my hair is made from," Genos answered proudly.
Raising his brow, Shunshi thought discomfited, A cloak made of Genos' hair...? Yeah, just don't think of it that way.
About halfway there, Shunshi readjusted Genos to make sure he stayed on his back, thinking as he did, Man, how is Genos staying on there so well with my back... backpack...?
"Shit!" Shunshi suddenly exclaimed.
Turning on his scanners in response to Shunshi's outburst, Genos looked side to side and asked, "What is wrong?! Are we under attack?!"
Shaking his head, Shunshi answered grumpily, "No. Nothing that bad... I just forgot my backpack at the canyon. I'll need to run back for it after I drop you off."
"Is it really important enough for you to be in such a rush? It is not as if your backpack is in danger of being stolen in such an unpopulated area."
"That's not the problem," Shunshi replied. "My phone's in there, and I need to call Lin Lin. We're working out the last details for our first date. It's gonna be tomorrow or the next day."
Hello, readers. Batty1377 here. I just have a quick question about your preferences on something. Should Death Gatling and Blue Fire go through with getting cybernetics, or should they instead focus on learning Kie in pursuit of regrowing their lost limbs? I've posted a poll for this question on my profile page for anyone interested.
Something I want to make clear about Genos and Shunshi's fight. Without Kie, Shunshi could never have won that battle. If you look at it like a video game, Genos has higher base stats than him. Let's say Genos' overall abilities are a 10 out of 10 for this case, Shunshi's base abilities would be 7.5. However, with Kie, his durability is doubled to a 15 and then increased again with his armor and explosion shield. His attack potency gets a similar stat boost from the Light Balls, Burn Whips, and just using his explosions to give his attacks the extra oomph.
Also, they weren't trying to kill each other. This was just a sparring match. Genos' arsenal is built more for overwhelming and killing his enemies as fast as possible, whereas Shunshi's Kie abilities have a greater amount of versatility. If this had been a full-on death match, the fight would've been 50/50 in either direction, whereas the format of a sparing match was more 55/45 in Shunshi's favor.
