A few days had passed since Tornado's sudden visit and things had quieted down in the Ghost Town. Saitama was leading the Beast Queen, Kogane and Mizuki on their morning run and were now heading home back home.
"So you and Genos-Senpai are heading to City-M today?" Mizuki asked as they walked.
"Yeah. The ingredients for hot pot will be on sale today. I wanna get there early before the stock runs out." Saitama answered.
"Mind if I join you? If I know the others, they may want some as well. And that means more ingredients needed." Mizuki offered.
"Oh, sure. I don't mind." Saitama answered.
"Actually, I'd like to come as well." Beast Queen spoke up. "There's a bounty that's been spotted in City-M, and I aim to take them down."
"Monster or human?" Mizuki asked.
"Human. Don't know much about them, but they're the leader of this new cult that's popped up called Enlightenment." Beast Queen explained.
"You mean that group that's been spreading that new drug everyone calls Nirvana?" Mizuki asked. "The Hero Association's been trying to find them! How'd you find out about them?"
"One of the previous bounties I went after was using the stuff when I busted into his hideout." Beast Queen answered with a chuckle. "He started to spill his guts about the drug when I questioned him before he started losing his mind. Started getting loopy and thought I was an iguana named Mr. Sprinkles."
"He what?!" Mizuki asked with a laugh.
"Yeah! I was actually so stunned that I didn't react at first when another thug hit me from behind with a bat. When I finally looked at him, he smiled and knocked himself out with that same bat before I could wail on him." Beast Queen continued, getting a chuckle from both Mizuki and Saitama.
"That's actually a little funny." Saitama said before noticing Kogane quietly staring at the ground. "Hey, Kogane. You okay?" he asked, earning more silence from her.
"Hey!" Beast Queen said loudly as she nudged the tallest Kombu sister.
"Huh?" Kogane answered.
"You okay? You've been spacing out for a while." Saitama asked.
"Oh...I'm fine. Just...thinking about things." Kogane replied. "I'm gonna head back." she said before she ran off ahead of them.
"Why is she running? We're all heading back." Mizuki asked.
"Hmm." Saitama hummed as they continued walking. The Beast Queen near a hydrant, a bag of fresh clothes and towel nearby, and ripped it open for her shower.
"I'll meet you guys at the train station." she said as she began to strip.
"Okay. See you." Saitama waved as he and Mizuki walked on. 10 minutes later, the two of them arrived at the apartments, a waiting Genos standing outside on the street.
"Master, did you have a good run?" Genos asked.
"Yeah. Give a few minutes and we'll get going." Saitama said as he walked past Genos.
"The Beast Queen and I are going with you two to City-M, Genos-Senpai." Mizuki informed him.
"For what reason?" Genos asked.
"Beast Queen's hunting for a bounty while I go shopping with you two." she answered. "I volunteered to help carry the bags."
"That will not be necessary. I am more than enough to help Master Saitama with his shopping." Genos protested.
"I know, but Saitama already agreed." she said with a smile.
-Later, City-M-
After arriving in City-M, the Beast Queen, in her usual disguise, left to find her target, allowing Saitama and his disciples to head for the stores that had the sales. Time had passed and they had gotten most of the items on the list.
"This has been fun. I even got a bargain on protein powder for my sports shakes." Mizuki stated with a smile, an extra bounce in her step as they walked. "It'll be a great substitute for...for Nori's hair." she finished bitterly. "I can't believe Ki and Midori lied to us all this time!"
"Indeed." Genos said before looking at Saitama. "Master, I ask that we evict the Kombu sisters from the apartments once again."
"Leave it alone, you two." Saitama ordered in a dull, but firm, tone. "I was just as shocked as you when the effects of eating their hair came to light. All we do from here on is use regular kombu and not their hair. Plus, not all of them knew this."
"True. Kogane and Nori verbally ripped Ki and Midori a new one when they found out." Mizuki sighed before looking down at herself, her breasts and butt bouncing a little in her tight spandex top and bottom with each step she took. "And it explains why I've grown so much."
"Not to mention the Subterranean Queen." Saitama added.
"How much kombu did you say she was forced to eat?" Mizuki asked.
"A lot. She looked like she swallowed a bunch of watermelons." Saitama answered.
"Why did that water monster take all of that extra kombu anyway?" Mizuki questioned.
"We do not know. However, we will be keeping an eye for it in the future." Genos answered.
"Good. First the Deep Sea Queen, then the Subterranean Queen. I don't want to be a target for that monster." Mizuki said with a shudder, her mind picturing a much larger version of herself after it was done with her. She shook her head and smiled. "A-Anyway, where to next, Master Saitama?!"
"Let's see...we got all the hot pot ingredients, so next comes the toilet paper and sham...poo..." he trailed off when they passed by a store with multiple Hero figurines on display, with King being the most prominent.
"Interested in getting your own action figure, Master?" Mizuki asked.
"It would be a little cool." Saitama admitted before looking at the other figurines. "Hey, they got a lot of others here, too."
"Including Superalloy Darkshine!" Mizuki fangirled before sighing. "I still can't believe I missed him."
"Well, he knows about everyone, so he may come over again." Saitama said, trying to cheer her up before seeing Genos on the phone. "Who are you calling?"
"The toy company." Genos stated. "I shall request a toy of your image be made immediately."
"Don't bother them. It's a 'Don't call us, we'll call you' kind of thing." Saitama said before he started to walk again. "Anyway, let's finish our shopping." he said.
-Meanwhile-
A woman screamed in terror as a monster threw five grown men off of him.
"GYAHAHA! I'M THE MAN WHO LOVED REPTILES SO MUCH, I TURNED INTO ONE! BEHOLD, THE GREAT TONGUE STRETCHER!" the monster declared. "YOU LADIES SHALL BEAR MY BROOD! LICKY LICKY LICKY LICKY!" he said before shooting his tongue out at the fleeing crowd, his aim at the nearest women.
Suddenly, all went quiet after a gust of wind blew a man's cap off his head, allowing the light to shine on his frowning face.
"WHOA! WHERE'D YOU COME FROM?!" Tongue Stretcher asked as a rumbling sound came out of the man. "Wh...What's with this aura? And that face?! He...He's no ordinary man!"
"HEY LOOK! THAT MAN!" someone from the crowd yelled.
"IT'S THE STRONGEST MAN ON EARTH!"
"IT'S KING!"
The people who were fleeing were all now gathering to see King take down the monster.
"I THOUGHT YOU LOOKED FAMILIAR! YOU'RE THAT LEGENDARY HERO!" Tongue Stretcher yelled in shock.
"He'll take that monster down in one punch!"
"King! Can I have your autograph!?"
"KING! KING! KING!"
The whole crowd was chanting King's name as Tongue Stretcher was trembling in place from terror.
"I'M SO SORRY! PLEASE FORGIVE MY HORRIBLE ACTIONS, MR. KING!" Tongue Stretcher begged as he dropped down on all fours.
The crowd began to cheer for King and belittle the monster.
"HA! THE MONSTER'S BEGGING FOR MERCY!"
"IT'S TOO LATE FOR YOU! KING HAS YOU IN HIS SIGHTS! YOU'RE DONE FOR!"
"Go lick in Hell, pervert." one of the women said in disgust as the crowd began to crowd around King.
"Did you sense the monster's presence and arrive to save us?!"
"No, I was just out shopping and-"
"Hey! Back off! Don't talk to Mr. King like that!"
"It's okay. I'm just trying to-"
"May I please shake your hand?!"
King dusted off the cap he was wear and looked at the crowd.
"I'm busy. Could you all let me through, please?" he asked with the same scary face.
"OH! We're so sorry!"
"MOVE IT PEOPLE! MAKE A PATH!"
The crowd watched as King walked off. Some time later, he came out of a gaming store.
"Enjoy your new game!" the cashier called out.
"Finally, I got a Limited Edition release of Heart Throb Sisters." King said as he looked at his game's cover before slipping it back into the bag. "Nothing beats the feeling of walking home with a new game you've been waiting for. Can't wait to play it." he said with a smile, not noticing three sets of eyes on him.
"Master, that is King." Genos stated.
"King? You mean The King?!" Mizuki asked in shock.
"I heard that name before. Who is he?" said Saitama.
"He was at the Class-S meeting. He has claimed your title as Strongest Man on Earth." Genos informed him.
"Well that's only because a lot of the public doesn't know Master Saitama yet." Mizuki explained as she watched King walk on. "I'd love to see a fight between the two of you. I bet it would be the event of the year!"
"Is he that strong?" Saitama asked in mild interest.
"I've only ever heard rumors. Like how he can split the ocean just by blinking. And blow storms away with a single sigh." Mizuki answered.
"Wow. Sounds strong." Saitama commented.
"I find it strange though. What is a man like him doing in this part of the city?" Genos asked.
"AAAAAAHHHHHH! A MONSTER!" a woman cried out, setting the three heroes on edge.
"A monster! Master, we should...no." Genos began before stopping himself. "This is a good opportunity to see how King fights."
"Oh! Good idea! I've always wanted to see him in action!" Mizuki stated as she and her Senpai and Master hid themselves. They looked to see King being confronted by a towering robot.
"My moniker is G4, a Machine God built by the 'Organization.' You are King, Class-S hero. I have come here to kill you!" the monster declared.
"LOOK! OVER THERE! KING WILL SAVE US!" a citizen declared, causing the crowd to stop fleeing and start cheering.
"You know that I'm a Class-S hero, right? Rank 7, and Strongest Man on Earth. Yet you still came to fight me?" King asked in a calm voice. G4 responded by unsheathing a blade that appeared on his back and pointing at right at King's head, the gust of wind knocking King's cap off.
"I said I have come here to KILL you!" the robotic monster restated. All was quiet...
THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!
"What's that sound?" a citizen asked.
"You've never heard of the King Engine?! It's the sound King makes when he goes into battle! They say there's not a single monster who's heard it and lived!" another explained.
"This fight is a test for my combat A.I. I expect you to fight at your full strength!" G4 stated.
'A Machine God...built by the Organization...What is he talking about?' King thought before sighing. "Alright. But first, I gotta hit the head. If I'm holding it in, I can't even use 50% of my power. That would throw off your data, right?"
"You have 10 minutes. Every minute after that, I shall kill 10 humans. And if you run away, I shall destroy this entire city!" G4 decided, sending the crowd running in panic again.
"That's one big monster." Saitama commented.
"Actually, that is a robot." Genos corrected as he scanned the monster. "A highly advanced one, too. Perhaps even moreso than me. How will King fare against an opponent like this?"
"I don't know, but I can't wait to see!" Mizuki said with a grin. "I bet King is thinking up a battle strategy against this oversized tin can as we speak!"
King was inside a public restroom, thinking about the monster. How big it was. How strong it looked. How...absolutely terrified it made him!
'Why does this keep happening to me?!' he thought as he stood in the bathroom stall, a terror filled smile on his sweating face as his 'King Engine' roared. 'Scaryyyy! I'm scared! This is not good! Earth's Strongest Man?! Yeah right! I'm nothing more than an unemployed 29 year old otaku loser! The King Engine is just my heart pounding so loud that others can hear it! I'm twice, no, TEN times the coward!' He thought back to how he would be the only one left in the area after a monster was killed. 'Whenever a monster showed up, I'd close my eyes out of fear. When I opened them, I was the only one there with a dead monster at my feet! AND IT JUST KEEPS HAPPENING OVER AND OVER! THAT'S ALL! Then one day, out of the blue, the Hero Association sent me a Class-S certificate and declared me the Strongest Hero! I admit, I should've told the truth from the start, but I never thought things would get this bad!'
His cheeks puffed up before he hurled into the toilet.
'I'm dead...I'm screwed...I'm not a hero!' he lamented before he heard explosions going off, the ground shaking around him. 'Oh no! It's starting! 10 humans every 10 minutes! I'm so sorry! Think! What do I do?! What can I do?! That robot's not afraid of my name! If I fight, I'll die!' Suddenly, his face sharpened. A moment later, he covered his face with his hood and hat and ran away with all his might. 'I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'M SO SORRY!'
He saw someone flying through the air where the robot was last seen.
'Someone's fighting in my place?! I'M SAFE!' King thought as he ran.
Genos broke G4's blade before throwing a rocket punch at the monster, launching it back before the fist came back via a cable.
"Was that a rocket punch?" Saitama asked before G4 tried to stomp onto Genos. "You need help?"
"NO! You gave me a goal...to be one of the Top 10 of Class-S!" Genos reminded him before burst through and jumping toward the monster's chest. "HE IS MINE! I HAVE TO ABLE TO HANDLE THIS ON MY OWN!" he roared as he began to pelt the monster with punches.
"Alright! What about you, Mizuki?" Saitama asked.
"I'm no match for that monster! I'll direct the civilians away so Genos can fight at his best!" Mizuki answered.
"Alright! Do your best, you two!" Saitama yelled as he calmly began walking away while carrying all the bags with ease, the sirens going off about the monster attack.
The bounty office in City-M was quiet, the receptionist behind the desk calmly organizing papers. She smiled when she heard someone stop in front of the desk.
"Welcome. How can I...help...you?!" she said when she looked up at a giant woman wearing a hoodie and cat mask. Her presence got the attention of everyone else in the office, bringing everything to a halt.
"Got a bounty to drop off." the woman said behind her mask before dropping a man dressed in robes, beaten and bound, on the floor next to herself. "This man is the leader of that dumb cult called Enlightenment that's been spreading that drug, Nirvana, all over the place. I'd like cash up front, please."
"Uh...can you...prove that it's him?" the receptionist asked.
The woman responded by pointing her thumb at the door to show a group of people gathering outside, all of them chanting their cults name and demanding their leader be released.
"Right." the receptionist said with a nervous smile as she started gathering the proper paperwork. "I just need you to sign some forms, please."
"Fair enough." the big woman sighed.
"Hold it!"
Both women turned to see a middle aged man if office attire walk off of a room in the back, a stern frown on his face as he approached the big women.
"I've been hearing a lot of rumors about a woman like you. A big woman who never takes off her mask and is always wearing a blue hoodie." the head of the bounty office branch stated. "I've heard that your strength is frighteningly...monstrous. That you can take down Class-A bounties like they're nothing."
"So?" the big woman asked.
"I want a face to put with the woman behind these rumors." he said before pointing at her. "Mask off!"
"Sir, she doesn't need to remove her mask!" the receptionist said in protest.
"She does in my office! Now remove that mask or we're not paying you!" he declared. The silence stretched on as the man looked up at the large woman, his frown still in place as the receptionist looked between the two. Others in the office were worried about the giant woman's reaction until...
"Okay." the woman agreed with a shrug before removing her cat mask, revealing a woman's face underneath. "This enough? Or maybe you need to see more?"
She then proceeded to throw off her hoodie, revealing a toned, feminine figure underneath, large breasts under a black tank top and long blonde hair that was spiked everywhere.
"This enough?" she asked, her red eyes looking down at the man before she leaned over, her cleavage in full view as she continued. "Or do you need to see more~?"
The man kept up his stern frown, despite his nose starting to bleed.
"I've seen enough." he said as he shoved some tissues up his nostrils. "Pay her." he ordered before going back into his office.
"R-Right!" the receptionist obeyed. After a bit of paperwork, the large woman was given the money. "546 thousand yen, as agreed."
"Thanks. See ya!" the large woman said with a wave as she walked toward the door.
"Wait, ma'am! I need to call the police to handle that mob!" the receptionist yelled as she looked at the mob of people demanding their leader back.
"I got this." the woman said as she stepped outside-
BAM! POW! WHACK! BOP! PUNCH! CRACK!
-and proceeded to pulverize the cult followers, leaving them all dazed and injured in front of the office.
"Well, that was fun." she chuckled as she walked on, a sack full of money over her shoulder and her hoodie tied around her waist. "Today was a great haul. Better remember to pay the Doctor his cut." she said.
-Flashback, a few days ago-
The Beast Queen was sitting in the Takoyaki shop that was run by her creator, Dr. Genus, and was requesting something from him.
"You wish to look human, like Mosquito Girl?" the doctor asked.
"Yeah. I got nothing against my body now, but looking human would be more beneficial down the line." she said.
"Explain how." he ordered, making her sigh.
"I've been doing a little bounty hunting. Let's me fight here and there and I get a nice sum of cash each time." the Beast Queen explained. "Lately, however, the bounty offices have been getting curious about who I am since I keep appearing in disguise."
"And you're worried that they'll find out you're a monster and call the Hero Association on you. Is that correct?" the doctor guessed.
"Exactly. So would you be able to do it?" Beast Queen asked.
"Hmph. A simple procedure." he said as he readjusted his glasses.
"Great! When can we start?!" Beast Queen asked with a grin.
"Not so fast." Genus said with a raised hand. "The procedure is easy, but it's not free. I'm working on expanding my store, and that costs money."
"How much?" she asked. She got a list of materials and the sum total it would cost. "That's a lot of cash!"
"Indeed. However, I believe that, say, thirty percent of the earnings from your new bounty hunting hobby will be able to fund it quite easily." he said before holding his hand out. "What do you say?"
"30%, huh?" she said before shaking his hand. "Deal."
-Present-
She looked at herself in the reflection of a store and smiled.
"Human looks good on me. Gotta remember to give the doctor his cut by the end of the week." she said before she continued walking and stretched her arms above her head. She noticed that she was getting a lot of stares from nearby pedestrians and smiled. She couldn't blame them. She was tall. She was strong. She was beautiful. And her tits and ass did a little bounce with each step she took. "Hehe. I could get used to this." she said with a smile. "Hmm. Wonder what Saitama would think?" she muttered before her thoughts turned to him.
"You look beautiful, Beast Queen."
"And you're looking as handsome as ever, Saitama. Take me now!"
The two of them were suddenly in the bedroom, Saitama's tearing the clothes from her body before grabbing her-
"WHOA! Time out! Where'd that come from?!" she yelped, her face beet red before she shook her head. "Must be the heat." she said with a nervous smile. A smile that turned a little lewd as she started to see Saitama gently cup her face and- "GAH! Quit it!" she yelled, startling the people around her. "What's going on? Why can't I stop thinking all this?!" she said through short breaths. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and tugged on her top, her body feeling a lot hotter than usu-
She stopped and went wide eyed before groaning.
"Crap. I think I need another shot from the doctor." she whined.
King was panting after running all the way home and slamming the door shut.
"I made it back." he wheezed as he wiped the sweat off his chin. "That robot is going to haunt my nightmares. I better just play my new game and forget about it." he decided as he set up his game and turned the system on. "Ahhh. This is more like it. Romance games are the oasis for my heart."
"Wake up, Big Boy! It's morning!" one of the girls on the screen said.
"What's up with the voice acting? It's too stiff." he said with a dull look. "I need to name the player character? What to use? Can't use my real name. That'd be really lame."
"Why not just use King?" Saitama asked from over his shoulder.
"No way." King said with a chuckle. "If they start to call me Big Boy King, people would find out-"
He suddenly looked over his shoulder to see Saitama smiling down at him.
'What the- How the-...Who's this guy?!' King thought.
"I came in through your open window." said Saitama.
"But...this is the 22nd floor." King answered before standing up and backing away nervously. "H-Hey! It's rude to just barge into someone's home like that!" he said before coughing and calming himself down. "You are aware that I'm a Class-S hero, right?"
"Yeah. You're King." Saitama answered before King's eyes widened.
'Now I remember! He's that Class-B Hero that was at the Class-S meeting!' he thought as Saitama looked at the screen with a frown.
"Didn't take you for the guy to play games like this." said Saitama.
"Hey Big Boy! Choose a name!" the girl on the screen said, making King scream in terror.
"What's this game?" Saitama asked as he looked at another game on the floor before picking it up.
"Huh?! Oh, that's a cool action game!" King quickly said with a nervous grin. "That's actually my kind of game! It's why I bought this one too! Or at least I thought it was an action game! I didn't realize it was a romance game!" He then threw his new game's box onto the floor. "I BOUGHT THE WRONG GAME!"
"It says Heart Throb Sisters on the cover." Saitama pointed out.
"I THOUGHT IT SAID WRATHFUL SHOOTERS! I'VE BEEN SCAMMED! I'M TOSSING IT!" King yelled.
"Then how about we play this one?" Saitama suggested.
"SURE! THAT GAME'S GREAT! Wait, you wanna play?" King yelled before speaking in a normal tone.
"Sure. You've got nothing better to do, right?" Saitama asked.
'What's with this guy? He's being really pushy for a Class-B. I outrank him by a lot.' King thought.
Genos was still engaged in combat with G4, the robotic monster doing it's best to destroy the hero. Genos dodged a punch and landed on the monster's back, making it thrash about in an attempt to throw him off.
"INCINERATE!" Genos yelled before blasting his hand cannons inside the monster's neck, the flames scorching everything inside. Genos jumped away as the monster slumped, it's insides melting out onto the ground.
"Your insides are now molten slag. Your huge body was your own downfall." Genos stated as the monster fell apart. His eyes widened as a figure climbed out of the wreckage. 'The pilot...no. It's true form!' he thought before gasping when the small robot began to unleash laser fire at him.
"Whoa! You're really good at this game, King!" Saitama complimented as he and King sat and played a different game, both of them now sipping orange juice boxes.
"Thanks. I've won a lot of gaming tournaments in the past. This is nothing." King answered.
"So you're a strong fighter and a top tier gamer too? That's pretty cool." said Saitama.
'How long is this guy gonna stay? Go home already! I wanna play my new game!' King internally grumbled.
"So...why'd you run from that robot earlier?" Saitama suddenly asked, causing King to spit out his drink. "Genos is fighting that robot now, but I was still curious. I followed you to ask, but then I saw you playing videogames." he continued, King sweating more and more as Saitama kept up the questions. "Are you bored of fighting? Are you so strong that fighting just isn't worth it to you anymore, despite being a super strong Class-S hero? Come on, man. Tell me."
Suddenly, the sirens went off again.
"THIS IS AN ANNOUNCEMENT FROM THE HERO ASSOCIATION! A GIANT BIRD MONSTER HAS APPEARED IN THE SKIES OF CITY-M! ALL RESIDENTS, PLEASE REMAIN INDOORS!"
"Another monster, huh? That's the third one today." Saitama said as he stood up, bags in his hands. "Well, I had fun. I'll come back another time, okay?" he said just before the bird in question smashed into King's apartment. The whole room was now trashed and King was backed against the wall, with Saitama holding the bird back with one hand. "Well that came out of nowhere. That bird came right for you, like you're a monster magnet of some kind."
'He's right. I've had rotten luck my whole life. And it just keeps getting worse.' King thought as he trembled in fear. 'Is this divine punishment for lying?'
"So, what're you gonna do now? It came to your house. You should fight this monster." Saitama stated.
'...give me a break!'
Genos was jumping all over the place to avoid the lasers that G4 was firing at him.
'I must do something about these lasers!' he thought before landing on a stairwell. He looked around before spotting something.
"Get down here! My objective is to gather data on King alone! I HAVE NO TIME FOR YOUR GAMES!" the robot roared as he launched more lasers at Genos. Genos dodged and launched a projectile at him, making him shoot it on instinct. The object, a fire extinguisher, burst open and covered him in foam. As his systems wiped the foam from his laser lenses, Genos ripped the cover off a water outlet, allowing water to gush forth and hit the molten remains of G4's outer shell, encasing the area in steam. "Steam?!" G4 said before Genos's hand shout out and wrapped around him before pulling him in. He tried to shoot, but his lasers fizzled out.
"Do not bother. The steam will diffuse your lasers." came Genos's voice. "You are targeting King, but I know someone even stronger. But none of that matters at the moment. What matters now..." Genos said as he came into view, his fist clenched. "Is that I am stronger than you!" he declared before they both rushed each other.
King was still trembling as he remembered the many monsters that would appear.
'That time...and that time...and all those other times too! A monster would keep appearing...and all I could do was run and hide while someone else beat them. But everyone would keep thinking I did it, and the money and support came without end. How could anyone think I beat those monsters when I've never been in a single fight my entire life? King...the hero's hero, the Strongest Man on Earth. What a joke. I'm nothing! Just a...man shaped clump of lies!' King thought of himself with a sad smile.
"Are you going to fight this thing or what?" Saitama asked him.
'I can't! I'm not the King that everyone adores! I'm a loser! Whoever the real King is, it's not me!...I have to tell him. If I don't...I'll die!'
"Th...The truth is...I'M-"
The bird roared, the sound echoing everywhere...then nothing but silence.
'I don't hear anything...What happened?' King thought, his eyes screwed shut. 'What about that guy?...Oh no! He must've gotten eaten by the bird! He was waiting for me to save him...but I couldn't. He's...gone...because of me...I'm so sorry-'
"Wait, really? Your strength and battle history is...all lies?" Saitama asked. King's eyes shot open to see Saitama standing there, a gaping hole in his room where the bird once was. The bird in question was now lying dead on the street, it's head completely gone. "Did you really pee your pants?" Saitama asked.
'What happened?! Where'd the bird go?! Did he...Did he beat it? A Demon Level threat?! But...how did he-"
"You okay?" Saitama asked, interrupting King's thoughts. King's eyes slowly widened as a memory came to the front of his mind. A memory that made his scars ache. A memory...of him!
-Flashback-
"IT'S OCTOPUS CLAW MAN! A THREAT LEVEL OF TIGER! RUN FOR IT!" someone shouted as the crowd fled. A slightly younger King cowered in fear as the monster reached back and slashed at King's face, leaving three cuts over his left eye.
"AHHHH! IT HURTS! SOMEONE SAVE ME!" King begged as he clutched his face in pain.
"Hey!...HEY! Calm down!" someone told the screaming King. "I beat the monster!...How's your eye? Try to open it, slowly."
King did so before looking up at who was talking to him.
"W-Who are you?" King asked.
"Me? Just a guy trying to be a hero for fun."
"Y-You've been wounded!" King exclaimed to the injured man. The man merely smiled at that.
"Pfft! This? This is just a scratch!" he said with a laugh. "Today was a great victory!" the man said before his image changed from Saitama of the past to Saitama of the present.
-Present-
King stared up at the man that had saved him, his eyes filled with tears as he broke down crying, confusing Saitama while he apologized over and over again. After calming down, King explained himself to Saitama.
"Is it fun for you? Telling lies and running away all the time?" Saitama asked.
"No. Not one bit." King admitted.
"Well, I'm not gonna lecture you." Saitama decided.
"I...think I might have gotten credit for some of your actions." King said after thinking for a moment.
"Who got the credit doesn't matter now. You're King. You're a hero that everyone looks up to." Saitama pointed out.
"No! I'm just a nobody!" King said in shame.
"Well, what will you do now? Keep telling lies, or quit being a hero?" Saitama asked.
"I...don't have the courage to decide." King muttered.
"Well then, why not just get strong?" Saitama suggested.
"Huh?" King said in confusion as Saitama stood up and gathered his things.
"Well, I'm gonna leave now." Saitama said as he stood near the hole in the room.
"Wait! Aren't you mad at me?" King asked. 'You've trained so hard to be a hero...and all I've done is...'
"I'll come by again to play more videogames. SEE YA!" he yelled as he jumped out of the hole.
"HEY!" King shouted, hand outstretched before letting it drop. "Um...yeah...sure."
Genos, damaged but functional, was gathering the remains of G4's destroyed body.
"I hope that Dr. Kuseno can integrate these parts with my body." he said to himself.
"Genos?! What happened to you?!" Mizuki yelled as she ran to him.
"I was damaged during the fight. I am still operational." he stated. "What of the civilians?"
"I got them to a safe distance. Took forever since they all wanted to watch a Class-S hero fight." she answered. "I don't blame them. I'd have stay to see King fight. I wonder where King went?"
"He must've found another monster to fight that he could not get away from. I heard during my battle that a giant bird monster had appeared." Genos explained.
"I see. Maybe he saw you fighting the robot and decided to take down the bird!" Mizuki surmised. "Still, I wish I could've seen it." she said before seeing Saitama approaching. "Master! There you are!"
"Hey guys." Saitama greeted before taking in Genos's appearance. "Whoa! What happened?"
"I was damaged, but I am functional. Forgive me, Master, but I will take my leave here. I will return after I have been repaired." Genos stated.
"Okay. Either of you seen the Beast Queen?" he asked them.
"My ears are burning. Talking about me?"
All three of them turned to see a humanized Beast Queen walking towards them with a smile.
"Who are you? This area may not be safe." said Genos.
"Genos is right. You should leave with the other civilians." Mizuki added.
"Giving me the brush off? That's cold. I thought we were friends." Beast Queen said in mock hurt before laughing and reaching into her bag. She then pulled out the cat mask she had and placed it on her face. "Recognize me now?" she asked.
"Wait a second. Is that you, Beast Queen?" Saitama asked.
"Bingo~" she said before crushing the mask and letting it's remains fall to the ground.
"No way! Is it really you?!" Mizuki asked in astonishment as she examined her taller friend. "You look so...human!"
"How'd this happen?" Saitama asked.
"Same with Mosquito Girl. I had the doctor give me a human form. I can change between this and my regular form at will, so I don't have to wear a disguise anymore!" Beast Queen explained with a grin before turning to Saitama. Her whole demeanor changed as she averted her eyes, a blush on her face. "How...How do I look, Saitama?" she asked.
"You look pretty great." he said without hesitation, a small smile on his lips. Hearing him say that sent her whole face ablaze before she turned away.
"W-W-Well, I'm glad you l-like it! An-Anyway, we should get going! Hot pot won't cook itself!" she said before she quickly walked towards the train station.
"Her internal body temperature is higher than usual." Genos stated.
"Oh? Oh! It must be that again." Saitama said before shrugging. "It's no big deal. Let's go." he said.
"Yes, Master!" both disciples said before following him to the train station.
Darkshine was going though his daily reps, his expression stone faced as he finished off his last set. He placed the weights down before crossing his arms, his mind going back to the City-Z Ghost Town.
More specifically, to it's inhabitants.
As a Hero, it was his duty to fight crime and destroy monsters. But the way the monsters he met in the Ghost Town acted made him think.
"They don't attack anymore. They're too scared. Scared of him." he muttered as he remembered Saitama. He remembered meeting him after the aliens attacked and at the resort. And even meeting a third time in the Ghost Town. Each time, he didn't look like much. But then again, Tornado looked like a child but was a powerful Esper. "What is it that makes them afraid to go against him? His strength? Other heroes are strong, but monsters never yield to that. If that were true, monsters wouldn't bother attacking me. Hmm...I got it! It must be the shine of his head!" he declared as he remembered Saitama's shiny bald head. "I admit, that shine could rival mine. I wonder why he got upset when I complimented it, though?"
He set up another set to do his squats and began to lift them as he continued his thoughts.
"Now I see why some of the other Class-S heroes were friendly with him. He's got the strength to be in Class-S and-"
His eyes widened as a thought came to him.
'Tank-Top Master and Siverfang were the first ones to be around him...Do they know about the monsters?'
Zombiewoman was walking through the streets of City-W before she stopped in front of the House of Takoyaki. She had cased the place for the last few days and gathered all the intel she could on the building. Now, she was ready to face what was inside. She stared at it for a second longer before snuffing out her cigarette and approached the front area.
"Hi! Welcome to the...House of Takoyaki." Marissa, a.k.a Mosquito Girl, greeted warmly before faltering at the sight of the Class-S hero glaring at her. "Uh...we're...not open just yet."
"Where's Dr. Genus?" Zombiewoman asked.
"I'm afraid he's a little busy at the moment." Marissa answered. Zombiewoman leaned over the counter to whisper something into the disguised monster's ear, making her gasp in shock. "...Follow me." Marissa said before leading her into the back, where Genus and Armored Gorilla were making the first batch of Takoyaki before opening. "Doctor Genus. You have a visitor?"
"Oh? And who is it?" he asked without looking at her.
"She said you'd know her as Subject No. 66." Marissa answered. Genus stopped stirring the batter he had before looking over his shoulder at both women, one nervous and one glaring daggers at him.
"Gorilla. Marissa. Take over." he ordered before handing the bowl to Mosquito Girl. "This way." he told Zombiewoman before leading her into the back. A few moments later, the two were sitting at the table, a cup of tea in front of each of them.
"I must say, I'm quite surprised. I never expected you, No. 66, my only successful experiment in immortality to become a hero." Genus said with a smile. "You trashed the lab and escaped ten years ago. Are you here seeking revenge?" he asked.
"Nothing would make me happier than splitting that rotten head of yours wide open." Zombiewoman answered. "However, I came here for answers. I know that you've disbanded the House of Evolution and have set up this takoyaki shop. I also know who was responsible for making you give up the research you spent your entire life on."
"I see. So you've met Saitama, correct?" he asked.
"That's right. I paid him a little visit when his disciple, Genos, spoke about them coming here." Zombiewoman answered.
"You've been to his home? Then you must know about his neighbors." said Genus.
"If you're referring to all the monsters he's friends with, then yes. I know of them." Zombiewoman answered.
"Then tell me, what is it that I can offer that you couldn't get from them?" Genus asked. "I know that one of my other experiments now lives there. You could've simply asked them."
"I could've, but you can give me a more in-depth answer." she stated. "Your strongest creation was destroyed by Saitama, and that in itself made you give up. I want to know the full story."
"So that's why you've come." Genus said as he readjusted his glasses. "Why did I give up on my research? It's simple." he said before looking her in the eyes.
"That man, Saitama, has removed his Limiter."
Flash was running as fast as he could through an unknown forest, swerving and zigzagging everywhere nonstop. He kept this up for hours before he finally stopped, sweat coating his face as he panted for air. He sat down on a stump and removed the weighted braces from his legs before letting them drop, the braces leaving a small crater from the impact.
"I never thought I'd go back to wearing something like these again." he said as he remembered his days as a child going through similar grueling training as a child growing up.
He had thought he was the fastest before meeting with Saitama. But after seeing Saitama's speed and knocking him out so easily, he pride as the fastest took a hit. That in itself infuriated the Class-S hero to no end.
"I must train harder. I must become the fastest!" Flash declared to himself, his eyes taking on a shine before he sat cross legged on the stump and began to meditate. His mind began to run through a mental battle against Saitama. Each time, however, resulted in him losing to Saitama's speed. Still, he did not quit. He kept on going long into the hours of the night.
Tornado was relaxing in her home and watching television with a bored look. It had been a typical day of doing her duties as a hero and defeating monsters, all of which were wiped out in an instant with her power. She sighed as she flipped through the channels before grabbing her drink, a smoothie, off her coffee table and took a drink.
"Mmph." she grimaced at the taste. "Might've used too much kombu." she said before taking another drink. "Mmph! It'll be worth it." she muttered as she thought back to her interrogation of Ki.
-Flashback-
After her battle with Saitama, Tornado grabbed Ki and brought her to a secluded part of the surrounding forest.
"This should be far enough." she said before bringing her hostage and herself down to the ground.
"Far enough for what?" Ki asked nervously.
"That no one hears our conversation." Tornado answered with a glare. "I need some answers from you, and you're going to give them!"
"I'm not telling you how to beat Saitama. Especially since I honestly don't think anyone can." Ki answered, making Tornado's hold on her tighten.
"I'll defeat that baldy another day!" she snapped. "But that's not what I want to know. I want to know about the food you've been making him!"
Ki's eyes shot open at the question before she calmed down, a knowing smile on her face.
"Go on." she said.
"My body hasn't grown in years. I've been...small, for a long time. But recently, I've grown. Not a lot, but enough that I actually needed to get a new dress." Tatsumaki began. "Nothing out of the ordinary has happened except for the fact that I've eaten food that you prepared. Twice! I want to know what you put in that food! And I. Want. More!"
Ki's smile grew at that before she took a deep breath.
"Okay. I'll tell you." Ki said. "There's an ingredient in the food that, if enough is eaten, will have an effect on the body. Or at least, the female body."
"Not the male body?" Tornado picked up on.
"It doesn't work with men. I don't know why. It just doesn't." Ki answered with a shrug. "Anyway, the ingredient is...our hair." Ki answered while holding up a strand of her own hair.
"Your hair?" Tornado gaped before recoiling in disgust.
"Don't give me that look! It may be a part of us, but it doesn't taste any different from regular kombu!" Ki said in offense. "Anyway, eating our hair results in different matters of growth."
"What do you mean?" Tornado asked.
"You've seen my sisters, right? Each of us are different physically." Ki explained. "Kogane's the tall one, Nori's the busty one, and Midori's got the ass."
"I noticed that. What about your hair?" Tornado questioned.
"My hair acts as a sort of activating agent. Without it, the rest of my sisters hair won't work. I think it might be because they split from me." Ki explained.
"Split from you?"
"We were all one. We drank multiple fertilizers to regrow our hair back. It had a nasty reaction and...here we are." Ki quickly elaborated. "It wasn't pleasant."
"Hmm." Tornado hummed before making some of Ki's hair float with her powers. "So if I were to eat of Nori's hair, the one with the biggest breasts, my own breasts would grow?"
"Correct." Ki nodded. "And Kogane's would make you taller. And Midori's will affect your hips and ass." The moment she was done talking, Tornado pulled her in close, a dangerous smile on her face.
"So if I eat enough, no one would ever think I'm just a little child anymore. That's what you're saying, right?" she asked.
"If you eat enough, no one would ever think that you're the younger sister ever again." Ki answered. "Now I have a question for you. How much do you want?"
"How much you got?" Tornado asked.
-Present-
Tornado finished her drink with a grimace before making it float to the kitchen and washed it with her powers while reading a note Ki had left for her detailing each Kombu's properties and portions, along with a few recipes to use them in.
"I guess I did use too much for the smoothie. Tasted too kelpy." she muttered before reading the bold 'WARNING' at the bottom.
Please try not to use too much at once. You may want to grow, but you might overstep it and grow too much for your liking. It wouldn't be as easy to fix like a haircut.
She thought on before an image of herself having Fubuki's sizes came to mind. Her mental image smiled before she started to grow a little more before she saw herself with ridiculously oversized proportions, making her shake her head.
"Good point." she said before taking a piece of kombu in her hand, a smile coming to her face. "Watch out, Fubuki. Soon, everyone will know who the little sister is."
Fubuki was looking over Saitama's Hero file before a chill went up her spine.
"You okay, Miss Blizzard?" asked Lily.
"I don't know. I just felt...a disturbance of some sort." she answered.
Saitama, Mizuki and the Beast Queen were walking through the Ghost Town of City-Z and talking. Mostly it was Mizuki after Saitama dropped that he had met King.
"I can't believe that you actually spoke to him! What was he like?! Did you challenge him to a fight?! I heard the bird smashed into his home! Is he the one who killed it?! Did you show off to impress him!?" she ranted.
"MIZUKI!" Saitama yelled, stopping her stream of questions. "I can't answer if you don't let me talk!"
"Right! Sorry!" Mizuki apologized.
"I'm just glad I wasn't there. I heard that he can sense the fear of monsters and relentlessly hunts them down. I doubt my human appearance here would've fooled him." Beast Queen said with a nervous frown before shaking her head and smiling. "Anyway, let's get back home. I'm looking forward to hot pot."
"You and me both." Saitama said as the apartments came into view.
"Should we really not wait for Genos?" Mizuki asked.
"He said not to wait for him. It's his choice." Saitama reminded her as he walked up to his door and opened it. "Let's put this stumphf!"
"Welcome home, Master~" the Subterranean Queen cooed as she stared down at Saitama, his head between her swollen tits. Saitama just stood there before looking up at her with dull eyes.
"What are you doing, Subterranean Queen?" he asked, his mouth muffled by her breasts while Mizuki and the Beast Queen gaped in shock, blushes on their own faces.
"Just welcoming you home. Nothing else." she answered before looking at Mizuki and the Beast Queen. "Hello, Captain Mizuki and...who are you?"
"That's the Beast Queen." Saitama answered.
"The Beast Queen?" the Subterranean Queen asked in surprise.
"Uh, yeah. I got the doctor to give me a human appearance." Beast Queen answered, her face still heating up as she stared at the Subterranean Queen while Saitama backed up.
"I'm glad for the welcome, but you're a little big for my home now." he said to her as he looked at her attire, which looked like a bikini made of hardened magma. "And what's with the outfit? Or lack of one?"
"My new armor isn't ready yet, and I don't believe we have any clothing that can fit my new...figure." she answered as she ran one set of hands down her hips and gently lifted her breasts with the other set.
"I see." he said. "Well, we're going to get dinner ready. It's hot pot for everyone, but we need some room. I'm gonna need you to step outside."
"Very well." she consented before she crawled towards the door, due to her being to big to walk through anymore. As she crawled out, the three others watched her ass bounce and jiggle from the movement before she got out and stood up to stretch. She shot another glance at Saitama over her shoulder, a small smile on her lips.
"Farewell for now, Sai. Ta. Ma~" she said before walking away, leaving the three of them staring and blushing.
"Master? You're blushing." Mizuki pointed out.
"Am I?" he asked before shaking his head. "Let's just get the hot pot ready."
"I'll...get Ki." Mizuki said with hesitation.
"She's already been punished." Saitama sighed. Mizuki still pouted as she left to get the monster. A few moments later and Mizuki and a hairless Ki walked into the room.
"Is that really the Beast Queen out there?" Ki asked.
"Yeah. She says she can go between her normal look and a human look now." Saitama answered as he got the ingredients out.
"Lucky." Ki sighed before she started to help prepare the food. She was in the middle of prepping the stock before she turned to Saitama. "Um, Saitama?"
"You can't have any fertilizer until the end of the week." he answered without looking at her.
"No no. Not that." Ki denied. "It's Kogane."
"She see the vacuum cleaner again?" he asked.
"No. It's...Can you talk to her? She's a little down." Ki requested.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"It's something she doesn't want to talk about in front of the others." she said before throwing him pleading eyes. "Please?"
"Alright." he sighed before handing her the knife and tofu. "But while I'm talking to her, you get this ready until I get back."
"Thanks." Ki said with a grateful smile as Saitama walked out the door and headed for the Kombu Sisters room. He knocked on it a few times, but got nothing but silence. He knocked on it again. "Kogane? Are you in there? Ki said you wanted to talk to me about something." He waited a few moments, but still no response. "Well, if you want to talk about it, I'll listen." he said before he walked away from the door. He got a few steps before he felt something grab his shoulder, stop him from moving. He looked to see a strand of Kogane's hair had come out from the now open door and was gently ushering him inside. He walked inside the room and shut the door behind before looking around. The room was the same as usual, save that it was dark. And sitting in her corner and hugging her knees was Kogane, her face hidden by her hair.
"Hey, Kogane." Saitama greeted as he stood there while the strand of her hair on his shoulder slid off and back with the rest of her hair "So...is something wrong?" he asked, not knowing what else to say. Sadly, all he got was silence. In a way, it reminded him of Vaccine Woman when she had nearly been caught by those other heroes. He stood there for another moment before walking over and sitting on the floor next to her. He stayed that way for a while, hoping that she'd say whatever it was that was bugging her. Sadly, after 15 had passed, Kogane was still silent. "Well...I guess I'll be leaving then. We're making hot pot tonight." he told her before he started to get up-
"I'm sorry."
-before she grabbed his shoulder with her hand. He looked to see her looking back at him, her eyes red and puffy.
"You're sorry? For what?" he asked. "Were in the know about what Ki was doing with your hair?"
"No." she answered before taking her arm back. "I...I did something horrible to you. To everyone here."
"What?" Saitama asked in confusion.
"That cat monster, the one that got away during your fight with Tatsumaki...I blabbed everything to her." Kogane confessed.
"You told her about this place?" he asked her.
"About this place. About the monsters and heroes who also know. About you! Everything!" she went on, her voice cracking a little.
"Oh...well...hmm." Saitama hummed. He didn't particularly care who knew where he lived, but the others were far more secretive about it. "Okay, but why?"
"She forced me." Kogane said before sniffling.
"Forced you? How? Who was she anyway?" Saitama asked.
"She's with this...little group of monsters living out here away from humans." Kogane answered. She didn't want to blow the whistle on the Monster Association just yet. "She heard about how a few of her friends came out here earlier, back with all the other heroes." she looked back up him. "Do you remember that elephant looking monster? The one I said tried to eat me?"
"I remember. He ate me and I punched his backside out." Saitama answered.
"That monster, Nyan, said that Vacuuma has a brother. And that brother has the same abilities as Vacuuma." Kogane explained, her eyes welling up. "She said...She said that he wants revenge for his brother's death."
"If it's the same ability, I could've just punched him as well." Saitama responded with a raised fist.
"You can, sure, but not me or my sisters!" Kogane snapped, the tears starting to fall. "Nyan threatened to tell Baquma about my sisters and I! She threatened to find us one-by-one and deliver us to him!" The more Kogane spoke, the more her face screwed up in agony. "You may be strong enough and fast enough to beat any opponent you face, but you can't be everywhere at once, and we can't stick to you forever!" she went on. "I couldn't take it! I couldn't take the thought of him finding me or any of my sisters! So I...I..." Whatever she was going to say was lost in her finally breaking down and sobbing her heart out.
Saitama just stood there in both understanding and uncomfortableness. On one hand, he finally realized that Kogane was being eaten away at by the guilt she felt for ratting them out to an unknown monster. On the other hand, she did, in a sort of way, betray them all, even if it was to keep her sisters safe.
"I'm sorry!" she blubbered as she fell forward, her head against the floor as she kept apologizing over and over to him. Saitama just looked down at her before he put his hand on top of her head. She flinched at the touch and stopped crying before looking up at him to see him smiling down at her.
"It's okay." he said.
"How can it be okay?! After all you've done for me, my for sisters, I ratted you out!" Kogane stated. "I betrayed everyone here!"
"Yeah, you did. I won't say I'm not upset, and the others would probably be pissed, but you didn't do it to hurt me or the others. You were protecting your sisters. And it's like you said. I can't be everywhere at once." Saitama reminded her as he lifted her up until she was kneeling, bringing them to equal eye level. "And it's been days since all this happened. If that other monster was going to do something, she'd have done so by now."
Kogane just kneeled there and listened to Saitama as he spoke, unable to believe that he was being this forgiving after what she had done.
"And if they do show up, I'll protect you and your sisters with all I've got. Okay?" he promised. He waited for answer, but instead got pulled into a hug as she started to cry again. He was stunned for a second before he smiled and hugged her back, letting her cry on his shoulder. They stayed that way until she exhausted from sobbing and backed up.
"Saitama...you're too good for someone like me." she said with a teary smile before wiping her tears away.
"Come on. That's a little much." he said as she stood up.
"Thanks for this. And I'm sorry for worrying everyone." she apologized again.
"It's not me you need to apologize to right now. The others need to hear it as well." he stated.
"Yeah...I don't think they'll take it as well as you did." she admitted.
"You give them too little credit."
They turned to see a hairless Midori standing in the doorway with a smile, with Ki and Nori standing behind her.
"They'll be pissed, but they also know what you went through." Ki said as she and the other two walked in and up to their tallest sister. "Trust me. They'll understand."
"I hope so." Kogane answered before hugging her smaller sisters. "I feel a lot better. Thanks again, Saitama."
"Anytime." he said before he headed for the door. "Well, I'm gonna go and see how the hot pot is coming along. You coming?" he asked the four of them.
"Yeah." Kogane answered.
"Yep." Ki nodded.
"Yes." Nori smiled.
"Uh, actually, can you carry me down there?" Midori asked.
"Why?" Saitama asked in confusion.
"Because I'm about to collapse." she said before she fell on her back. She began to pant as sweat started to coat her face and soak her clothes. "I know...you guys are pissed...and taking my hair...for helping Ki...is understandable." she wheezed before struggling to lift her head and look at them. "But did you...have to ask...Silverfang...to put me through the wringer?!"
"It's your fault. You and Ki were using our hair on other women." Kogane answered with a frown.
"Yeah! You lied to us! You think all women want really big tits like these?!" Nori whined while lifting her own breasts. "I doubt all women want to deal with perverted stares and back pain!"
"We said...we're sorry!" Midori said.
"You try anything like this again, and you will be." Kogane warned as she, Nori and Saitama headed for the door. "At least Ki's hair doesn't do anything."
"It doesn't do anything, right?" Nori asked with a glare.
"For the last time, my hair doesn't have any special properties! It's just regular kombu!" Ki answered.
"If you say so." Saitama said before they left, leaving Ki and Midori in the room. A few moments later, the two of them grinned.
"They have no idea what your hair really does, do they?" Midori asked.
"If they did, they'd have taken my head." Ki answered, making both of them giggle mischievously.