Hey Guys! Crescent Rider here and I am back with another chapter! I won't say much, except that this chapter is the second part of the Alien Conqueror Arc.
A lot of things were planned and I intend to show it here and in the next chapter.
That is all and enjoy the chapter!
Bang's Dojo
Once served with today's lunch, everyone dug in and the one who expressed the most delight was Seaweed when her lunch was combined with some daifuku.
It may not be candy, but Seaweed isn't too picky. A lesson she learned from Kombu was when she tried to not eat vegetables.
"This is sweet, Bang-san. Where did you buy it?" Seaweed asked while her mouth was full,
Kombu wouldn't scold her for talking with a full mouth, but she did occasionally wipe her mouth with a napkin.
"Why it's from a vendor I know," Bang revealed, "Though they're handmade, they bring out the best taste of traditional sweets. Even now, children would often flock around and buy some themselves,"
"Can you tell me where it is?" Seaweed asked after she swallowed her food,
"No," Bang sternly declined, much to Seaweed's dismay, "I had heard from your sister that you said a foul word when you challenged Genos-kun. And with your age, that word was inappropriate and her punishment is just. Once it passes, only then will I tell you,"
"And don't even think about using your psychic powers on him," Kombu warned, "The moment you do, I will extend that week to two,"
With that, Seaweed was down by not having any sweets for a week.
"Serves you right," Genos bluntly commented,
"Hey! Just because I've punished her, doesn't mean I'll let you berate her," Kombu stated, "Don't forget, she beat you in a race without Mew's assistance or mine,"
Normally, Genos would retort to her comment. But seeing the logic and the reason, he chose to remain silent rather than be sore about it.
"To punish one's sibling, yet defend her still. An admirable quality you've earned as a human, Kombu-san," Bang praised,
"It's part of being responsible," Kombu said, "I gain insight from what I read and learn, use what's naturally appropriate, and ensure that I don't take things too far,"
She turns to Seaweed, and caresses the top of her head, "But the last thing I want is for her to resent me,"
Bang shuts his eyes and silently agrees to her words. It caused him to reminisce about the times when his dojo was once filled with students. Much like Kombu, he would act appropriately when a disciple requires guidance or discipline and ensure that his actions won't cross any lines.
But one student, in particular, came into mind and he pondered about that incident whenever he reminisced the old days of his dojo.
Speaking of old days, Bang would stand after he finished his lunch and put his hands behind his back, "That reminds me, would you all like a demonstration of my Martial Arts? During your first visit here, I wasn't able to show it,"
"Normally, I'd say no. But seeing that you treated us with some lunch, I wouldn't mind," Saitama said, and everyone else shared the answer.
"Very well," Bang said,
A Few Moments Later
With a clean dojo, Bang demonstrates his signature Martial Arts, 'Fist of Flowing Water, Crushed Rock'. The way he moved his hands was like a river flow and it amazed Kombu and Seaweed while Saitama and Genos remained despondent by what was shown to them.
"It goes something like that," Bang inquired, "Want to try? All four of you look like quick learners. I bet you'll get the hang of it in no time,"
"So this is the cool thing you wanted to show us? A sales pitch? I'll pass," Saitama declined, "You do it, Genos,"
"No, I will pass too. What I seek is not ar of self-defense but absolute destructive power," Genos said, then he turned to Kombu and Seaweed, "What about you two? I'm certain, you're good enough with what you currently have,"
"I'm quite interested," Kombu said, "It's often good to pick up a thing or two. But that doesn't mean I'll be your disciple,"
"I want to try, so long as Kombu-Onee-chan allows me," Seaweed said, "Although, I don't think I'll be able to do what you can do, Bang-san,"
"Of course, you won't," Bang modestly said, "You are far too young to reach my level of skill so quickly,"
Seaweed wasn't offended, instead, she appreciated Bang's modesty as she knew that she couldn't reach his level of training the only thing she was good at was her psychic powers and Mew was the best teacher she could ask for.
"But your martial arts aside, It's quite strange that someone as popular as you would have so..." Kombu eyes on Charanko, "Few disciples. Did no one try to apply for your martial arts?"
"I used to have students. But one of them went wild while I was away," Bang revealed, "He beat my most skillful students so badly they're out of commission. The rest got scared and quit,"
"He's that strong? What's his name?" Saitama inquired,
"Garou," Bang named, "He was my top disciple at that time but I gave him a good beating and expelled him,"
"You must pack a punch, old man," Saitama noted,
"Hey!, This is the famed hero 'Silver Fang'! Class S Hero, Rank 3. He toys with his opponents as he flows like water then delivers a blow like a raging river smashing huge rocks! Master of martial arts!" Charanko reminded, "You only became a hero recently, right? You'll regret taking Bang-sensei lightly!"
"Enough, Charanko! Do not disgrace us," Bang scolded, "Saitama-kun is many times stronger than me,"
"Y-You can't be serious, Sensei?" Charanko asked in disbelief,
"He is," Kombu said, "Bang-san and I were there and saw how strong he is. I even fought and lost to him before I laid a hair on him,"
"Really?" Seaweed inquired, and Kombu replied with a nod,
"Silverfang-sama!" Everyone turned to the dojo doors and saw a worn-suited man. Mew quickly hiding inside Seaweed's bag, "The Association sent me! An emergency summons has been issued to all Class S Heroes! Please come to Association Headquarters,"
A moment later, the man saw Genos as well, "Is that you, Genos? Since all Class S heroes have been summoned, please come too,"
"Is it a new Dragon Threat Level," Genos assumed,
"Here we go," Bang muttered, "Charanko, look after the dojo,"
"Be careful!" Charanko said,
Naturally, Genos invited Saitama since he may be necessary to the battle ahead. The latter agrees but before all of them can leave, Saitama turns to Kombu and Seaweed, "What about you two? Do you plan on going back to the apartment on your own?"
"I try to stay out of the Hero Business since it isn't my style. So you guys can go ahead," Kombu insisted,
They would leave, but Bang recalls a particular matter, "I think you should come along with us. You see, the heads of the Heroes Association have taken quite a fancy towards you. Considering that you're somehow related to the creature that claimed to have made you human,"
Kombu tenses up and Seaweed was the first to notice. She never even considered that being involved with Mew would lead to the attention of the Heroes Association.
Recalling the encounter with some heroes has led to some negativity and being in the heart of the Heroes Association is a quick guarantee for all heroes to target her.
Though her tensity was slightly soothed by Seaweed holding her clenched hand and a smile when she turned to her, "You know... I kinda want to see what the Hero Association looks like. But if you don't want to go, then I won't go too,"
Kombu reconsiders this proposal, not just for Seaweed's sake but for Mew and herself. She could still say no and go back to the apartment, but that would put her in a situation where the Heroes Association would keep on sending their employees to find her.
Such things would interfere with her life, and therefore, she has no other choice but to see what these people want with her.
"On second thought, I think we'll just go. Those guys are bound to bring me in no matter what. So I might as well indulge them by walking in myself," Kombu declared,
With that, Kombu, Seaweed, and Mew went with the three heroes to the Main Headquarters of the Heroes Association.
City - A
Upon their arrival, Seaweed was dumbfounded by how tall the Heroes Association Headquarters Building was. For Kombu, she was a little tense but mentally prepared for what was ahead.
Mew remains within Seaweed's back but conceals its presence with invisibility upon hearing Kombu's instructions via telepathy.
As soon as they walked through the doors, the very same employee instructed Kombu and Seaweed the following, "I'm afraid you two are going to have to wait in another room. Since both of you aren't registered as heroes, you will have to wait at the waiting area,"
"Guess this is where we'll stop then," Kombu declared, "You guys can go while Seaweed and I wait here,"
"You sure you don't want to come?" Saitama inquired,
"Rules around here aren't going to budge us an inch in this place, so we might as well hang around the reception area," Kombu said, and let the employee lead them to the reception area, "Let's go, Seaweed,"
"Bye-bye!" Seaweed said, before dashing off to join Kombu,
Saitama, Genos, and Bang went ahead and attended this important meeting. Unbeknownst to them, Mew carefully emerged from Seaweed's bag and quickly dived into Genos' shadow without the cyborg's notice.
Waiting Area
As soon as they arrived at the waiting area, Kombu was reading a book she brought along while Seaweed decided to lay her head against Kombu's shoulder.
Seaweed may look like she's sleeping, but in truth, she learns the ability to project her spirit out of her body and sneak into the meeting of Class-S Heroes. It takes a lot of focus and energy, but she somehow learned this ability through countless lessons from Mew.
Kombu approved of this but stated that she shouldn't stray too far from the Association Building. Otherwise, she will be forced to wake Seaweed out.
While waiting, Kombu would soon meet with another hero of the Association. Or rather, he approached her out of curiosity, "Excuse me, are you perhaps a hero of the Association?"
"Not really," Kombu replied after she looked up from her book, "It's just that your Association had set their sights on me due to my connection with some alien they're interested in studying. Since I won't be able to avoid them for long, I decided to come here myself rather than prolong this encounter,"
"Some alien... Are you perhaps referring to a shapeshifting alien?" The Hero asked,
"Yeah, why?" Kombu inquired,
Baffled by discovery, he soon calmed his composure and proceeded with an introduction, "Before I answer, it's only appropriate that I introduce myself to you. I am Iaian, Disciple of Atomic Samurai and Second Ranking Hero of Class A,"
"I'm Kombu, and this girl on my shoulder is Seaweed," Kombu presented, "Now that we know each other, what do you want to know?"
Iaian would converse with Kombu with all forms of questions but keep them short as it would be imprudent to bombard her with too many questions. Kombu, on the other hand, decided to give answers despite the risk.
But she'll do just that if it keeps people off her back.
Meeting Room...
With almost all of the Class S Heroes present and accounted for, Seaweed and Mew eavesdrop on whatever's in discussion without attracting anyone's attention. But while they wait, they've decided to scope out the other Class S Heroes present.
The ones that Mew didn't meet were Puri Puri Prisoner, Tank Top Master, Flashy Flash, Superalloy Darkshine, Pig God, Drive Knight, and Zombieman. The rest are those it met or fought in the past, and Mew is quite fond of them regardless of their personality.
From Seaweed's perspective, she was eyeing a few heroes but the one she had her sights on the most was the only child in the room, Class S Rank 5, Child Emperor. Seaweed was curious as to why someone who was probably close to her age was a Class S Hero.
Eventually, all matter of thought was soon disrupted when the one who briefed them on the matter, Sitch, arrived accompanied by Busho and Jinzuren, "My apologies for being late. We do not know the whereabouts of Metal Knight or Blast nor can we reach them. No sense waiting any longer, so let's begin this emergency meeting,"
Sitch proceeds to introduce himself to them, summarizes that the people in this room are the best of the best, and asks them to save the Earth. He then elaborated that even with their Class S Skills, there is no guarantee of survival and that walking away takes courage as well.
He also offered a choice to either dismiss themselves retain their rank or stay and hear him out. But those who stay and hear him out will not be allowed to walk away until the incident is settled.
What comes next is Metal Bat stating that whatever's going on should be important as he skipped out on Zenko's piano recital for this meeting. If it's not important, he wouldn't hesitate to tear the whole building apart.
That's when Tatsumaki rebuked that he'd be able to do it with just his bat and it soon spiraled out into a full-blown argument between them. Before it escalates any further, Sitch reveals today's topic per Flashy Flash's request, "The great seer, Madame Shibabawa, is dead!"
"Shibabawa? Was she killed?" Zombieman inquired,
"No," Jinzuren corrected, "While looking into the future for the next six months, she became agitated and had a coughing fit. She popped a cough drop in her mouth and ended up choking on it,"
The meeting continues, but Mew and Seaweed soon learn who Shibabawa is when they hear Saitama asking who she is to the nearest Class S Hero; A Great Seer who uses her powers to accurately predict the future.
What comes next is Sitch revealing the last and greatest prophecy Shibabawa was able to predict and wrote down one final message and placed it on the desk to scan and present it to all: "The Earth is in Trouble!"
"What? That's so dumb. Can I go? I have to cram for school," Child Emperor inquired,
"I know you are a prodigy, Child Emperor, but if you cannot grasp the danger it reveals how immature you still are," Sitch bluntly rebuked,
"What did you say?" Child Emperor angrily questioned, and Seaweed frowned what sounded like an insult,
"Listen up! Madame Shibabawa's predictions are 100% accurate!" Sitch reminded and continued to elaborate on her ability and her not having to use the word 'Trouble' once, "Something more dangerous than a Dragon-level catastrophe or monster is coming. And it will occur in the next six months!"
Some of the heroes then remark that even if something terrible is happening in six months, they can't possibly plan it since the date wasn't specific. Still, Sitch insisted that everyone must be prepared for a fight in the next six months.
"In the next six months means it could be tomorrow, or even today," Saitama inquired,
"That's true. Who are you, exactly?" Sitch dumbfoundedly inquired,
However Saitama didn't answer as he smiled at this piece of information, "Good thing I'm here,"
Seaweed giggled at this comment, and then the moment was interrupted when the building began to rumble from outside. This soon made her go back to her body, but being so quick about it didn't go unnoticed...
"Huh?" Tatsumaki exclaimed and turned towards the source,
"What is it?" Atomic Samurai inquired,
"I've never doubted myself with my powers before, but I think someone was eavesdropping on the meeting earlier," Tatsumaki revealed,
"An eavesdropper, was it an enemy?" Silverfang inquired while some of the heroes looked at her with caution on their faces,
"Can't say, it got away before I got a look of its ugly face," Tatsumaki said,
"Huh? First, you saw something, now you're saying that you don't know? Some psychic, you are," Metal Bat openly rebuked,
"Then about you try figuring it out! You bat bonehead!" Tatsumaki yelled,
Before their arguments escalate any further, the building loudly rumbles and all power is shut down. Mew would use this opportunity to slip out of Genos's shadow and dash out of the room with its current transformation.
Though most wouldn't see in the dark until their eyes adjusted, a few of them were capable and what they saw as a glint of red eyes. One of them drew their sword and attempted to strike this creature down, but the blade phases through its body and escapes through the gaps of the door before anyone else can act.
Once the emergency power generators brought the entire building back online, the one who drew the sword was Flashy Flash and proceeded to inspect his blade.
Not a single drop of blood was left...
"It would appear that the eavesdropper has managed to escape," Flashy Flash remarked as he sheathed his sword, "Along with everything it heard from this meeting,"
"Could this be the prophecy that Shibabawa foretold?" Zombieman presumed, "More importantly, how could it have sneaked its way here and escaped afterward,"
"Well whatever it is, it's proven itself to be quite elusive," Flashy Flash remarked, all while Sitch checked the condition of City - A, "If it ever shows up, it will not escape the second time,"
The reason why they're all still alive is due to the building being made by Metal Knight, which is much stronger than the average shelter for civilians. Some of the Heroes present decided to stand from their chairs and walk their way out.
Those who remain briefly pondered about what kind of monster would be able to slip in and out of this building without their attention. But with the circumstances of today's crisis, they would put it on hold and clarify whether the attack outside is related to the prophecy or not...
That is all for this chapter, and in case you all wonder how Mew taught Seaweed Astral Projection. My answer is that Mew isn't limited to teaching her in the ways of a psychic and with so much mystery revolving around Mew's power.
I know that Astral Projection doesn't exist in One Punch Man or Pokemon. But I'd like to experiment with a few things and see where it goes down from there. If it doesn't go well, then I wouldn't mind revising those parts for something else.
And finally, here's the hint of the fourteenth 'Who's that Pokemon': Shadow
That is all I have to say and I'll see you all in the next chapter!