When Genos agreed to spar with Melzargard, he wasn't sure what to expect. The alien was a shapeshifter, so, theoretically, there was an endless variety of combat possibilities. The cyborg assumed that he'd be forced against an opponent that deliberately kept things unpredictable, which wasn't an unwelcome prospect. However, what Genos received was arguably better.
For now, only Melzargard would fight Genos. Groribas acted as a spectator, waiting for his turn. With Melzargard, the session started with one of his five consciousnesses taking on the cyborg. If Genos proved himself capable fairly quickly or lasted a set amount of time, then another consciousness would enter the fray.
As of now, Genos was battling three out of five. Admittedly, both of his temporary instructors were impressed. It's not that either one thought little of him, mind you. It's just that, due to being a mostly artificial entity, there was worry that he might be nothing beyond an impressively made weapon.
But as the session with Melzargard progressed, Genos showed he was more than a sentient gun. The speed at which his body moved meant nothing if his reflexes and instincts weren't honed. The variety of tools that were built into Genos were useless if he didn't know when to use them. Creativity was also a factor being assessed, but not solely because his opponent was a malleable life form.
Genos was using the force generated by his heat dispersions to evade and reposition at a moment's notice. He was also doing a great job at paying attention to his enemies and any extra pieces that extended from them. An example of that awareness was when Melzargard got too close for comfort with a limb. To try and surprise the cyborg, he'd make spikes emerge from it to keep the pressure and prevent any counterattacks. Yet, as mentioned, Genos never took the bait and remained relatively unscathed.
Alas, that word choice is key. Relatively. Genos received more scrapes and scratches as the fight went on. Of course, Melzargard was not trying to cause any legitimate damage. Even though he was fighting at full speed and power, at any point where he knew he'd make contact, he'd reduce the solidity of the blow to zero.
The best way to imagine this, given the properties of Melzargard's body, is to think of it like clay that can soften and harden whenever it pleases. If Genos were to take a punch straight to the face, Melzargard would ensure the impact would be like getting hit with a wad of wettened clay. He didn't want to give the cyborg the impression that he was holding back. As a warrior, Melzargard would never show anyone such disrespect. But just because he was doing that didn't mean he'd be reckless and hit Genos with a move that would cause a person to explode violently.
Anyway, it was nearing the end of what could be considered the third round. Genos' clothes had several tears, but he didn't need to change. Against three Melzargards, he barely attacked. The lack of offense wasn't upsetting since this wasn't a real fight. Honestly, he was extremely grateful for the learning opportunity and the chance to clash with someone who had this much experience.
"Enough," Melzargard spoke. The voice came from the copy closest to the cyborg. "I'm afraid this is where it must end for now, Genos. Your offensive output has dropped well below half. If I were to add another of myself to this match, you'd be unable to do anything unless you disregarded your safety. For obvious reasons, I cannot allow that behavior." He stated.
"I understand," Genos assured him, taking a neutral stance. "Please, tell me how I did. I want the truth, so do not hesitate to assess me by your standards." He requested.
"I will only be speaking about yourself and not the weapons you wield. Any commentary aimed at them should be given to Kuseno since he is their maker." Melzargard began as his copies rejoined to make a singular mass. "Your biggest failing is your eagerness, Genos. There is a fine line between determination and reckless desire. Although we are in a controlled setting, I could still sense that unwavering drive within you. It was as if you moved your body through sheer willpower. You silently commanded every attack to connect and deal the maximum damage it could. At every evasion and error, there was a flash of annoyance or anger in your eyes. You are compelled by something passionate to become a master-class warrior. That motivation is pure and will always carry you, even in your darkest moments. But it is a double-edged sword. In a real fight, with your back to the wall, I suspect you would disregard personal safety and harm if it meant you could achieve the win." He told him.
"Forgive me if this sounds rude, but is that not what Boros would do?" Genos challenged. "From what I know, she possesses an incredible healing factor. Would she not charge ahead into danger and take the harm that comes with it if it meant that victory was guaranteed?" He added.
"Unfortunately, Genos, you're correct..." Melzargard sighed with slumped shoulders, continuing to speak with one head for now. "Yes, our lady is a goddess made flesh. However, there IS a threshold, even for someone like her. Yet, until Saitama, there was never any person or beast who brought her close to that limit. Still, we could have encountered such a thing in our travels. It's easy to act confident or that there is nothing to worry about when the unknown is behind you, at least for now. There was never any certainty that our opponents had no weapons or other inventions that might've been problematic for our mistress. While I respect her just as much as Groribas and Geryuganshoop, I've always been aggravated by her refusal to be cautious or to reach a higher level of combat proficiency." He said.
"Oooh. Careful, Melzargard, if our lady hears you speak like that, you could receive quite the tongue-lashing." Groribas warned him.
"Groribas, don't pretend as though you're not concerned," Melzargard replied, looking at his fellow elite. "We're both the combat specialists of the Black Matter Thieves. Do you seriously intend to stand there and say to me that you have no issues with how our mistress conducts herself in a fight? As well as how she refuses to improve her technique." He asked.
"Everyone who has successfully defeated Lady Boros by a substantial margin, raise your hand." Groribas smugly answered.
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"Everyone who has beaten Lady Boros by a decent difference, speak now." Groribas continued.
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"Everyone who BARELY achieved victory against Lady Boros, please-"
"Enough already," Melzargard sighed while rolling his eyes. "You know as well as I do that our mistress achieved victory through her godly strength and power. But, as we've seen with Saitama, that isn't enough to win the day." He said.
"Ah, but you just contradicted yourself by mentioning Saitama. He's not a master of any particular style, but he doesn't need to be. From what we've observed, Saitama's strength has no limit. The man could likely split the world in half if he gave it a go." Groribas replied.
"That's...different..." Melzargard grumbled, folding his arms.
"Oh? Go on, then. Elaborate." Groribas urged.
"From what our lady has shared about her species, she is merely the apex of what her kind can produce. Granted, that is what makes her the goddess that she is. However, Saitama has truly pushed beyond limitations. Our mistress is capable of many incredible things, but the few marvels shown by Saitama are indescribable." Melzargard explained.
"If I may, I feel as though Melzargard is right," Genos interjected. "So far, I've only witnessed Master and Boros spar once. At the start, it seemed like Boros controlled the pace since she caught him with a surprise attack. But that's when I noticed two very important details. The first was that Master allowed her to do so. The best way I can describe it is that he didn't actively resist her assault. If Master wanted to, he could've absorbed the force of each impact as if it were nothing. But since this was only a training session, he must've felt being that serious wasn't appropriate. However, that does lead to my second observation, which is that nothing Boros did affected Master at all. The greatest result was how the winds and force generated by her strikes interacted with his attire. Apart from that, even when Boros was using a fair amount of effort, there was no change in Master's condition." He informed them.
"See? Thank you, Genos." Melzargard responded before resuming. "Although our lady is durable, she CAN still be affected by things. If I were to pour magma on her body, the flesh would bubble and burn. But from what we've seen and will continue to learn about Saitama, I have doubts if something so extreme would make him wince." He stated.
"Eh, true. After all, Saitama was engulfed by fire and walked away in perfect condition. Our mistress could easily withstand the same without receiving any wounds, but her hair would get singed, among other things." Groribas acknowledged.
"Hmm, if only Master had hair that we could conduct a comparison with..." Genos muttered, putting a hand on his chin. "Perhaps I should speak to Kuseno about making him a wig? Or, if Master would be open to the idea, we could attempt implants." He suggested.
"Ha! Yeah, go on and try that!" Groribas exclaimed, snapping his jaws from amusement. "But before you do, let's get on with our exchange of blows. I'm tired of standing around." He added.
The next few seconds were spent resetting the session. Melzargard stood off the to side, Genos readied himself, and Groribas was now positioned opposite of the cyborg.
"Before you do anything, I'd like to give Genos a fair warning," Melzargard requested. "Between the two of us, I am the weapons and fighting styles expert. Additionally, although I am a shapeshifter, I cannot produce any materials or manifest any properties that are not innate to my being. In contrast, Groribas is the truest definition of a wild card. His homeworld is nothing but a vast jungle. Groribas was the only intelligent life that was found because he dominated the ecosystem. He was, in a sense, a god in his own right." He described.
"What all that boils down to is that I'm an evolutionary marvel. Adaptation and mutation are what I embody. The best mindset to have when fighting me is to expect the unexpected. Melzargard can turn his body into weapons and creatures, but as he said, those have limitations. Truthfully, I have none. But I first need to actualize a new tool in my arsenal before I can use it. Do you get what I'm saying?" Groribas told him, ending with a question.
"I do. Although you are capable of endless evolution, you cannot instantaneously achieve something new without understanding the process needed to get that result. So, if you wanted to create a new toxin or type of organically-made weapon, you'd have to work out all the details." Genos replied.
"Hey, not bad. You're a fast learner." Groribas praised him. "Let's see if your wit can match my impressively varied assortment of attacks!" He declared, snapping his jaws when he did.
In response, Genos nodded. As both combatants took stances, they waited for the signal from their lone spectator.
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"Go!"
fwish fwish fwish fwish fwish fwish fwish fwish
Immediately, sharpened spines, the kind you'd see on a cactus, shot out from Groribas' body. The amount and rate of fire were equivalent to an automatic weapon with a sizable ammunition capacity. Genos had to strafe around his opponent to avoid the nearly imperceivable projectiles. They were so thin that at the right angle, you'd only be able to hear the sound they made as they pierced the air.
Genos assumed he had the upper hand from the get-go in this fight. That assumption was not born from arrogance, mind you. Groribas was a plant. Genos primarily uses fire and fire-adjacent attacks such as lightning. But, to be on the safe side, he'd conduct a test first.
FWOOM
A quick burst of concentrated flames was aimed at the barrage of needles. As Genos expected, they were reduced to dust. Hoping to catch Groribas off guard, he propelled himself with an explosion of fire at the soles of his feet. If Genos could connect with ONE attack, then he'd be-
THWICK
A vine emerged and nearly struck the cyborg. Yet, it didn't come from Groribas' body. The lengthy limb of greenery stretched from the floor at nearly double the height of Genos.
"Hey!" Melzargard called out. "Groribas! You know what our lady has said about you putting yourself into the ship!" He reminded him.
"Aw, come on! It's no big deal! Besides, I always clean up after myself!" Groribas responded.
"The numerous times that our mistress has been met with a face full of spores when taking a morning shower paints a different picture!" Melzargard countered.
FWOOM
Genos sailed passed Groribas with a high-powered kick. The attempted sneak attack was dodged with nothing more than a slight lean in the opposite direction.
"Oh-ho! You sly dog," Groribas remarked as Genos landed.
"To lose focus of the fight in front of you is unwise, Groribas!" Genos exclaimed, coming at him with another kick.
"Ah, very true, Genos," Groribas agreed, turning to face him as the distance shortened. "However, to call this a fight is being a BIT generous." He said.
BOOM
Suddenly, like a trap being sprung, a mess of vines erupted from the floor. They surrounded Genos as he flew through the air.
"GRORIBAS!" Melzargard shouted.
"Calm down, geez!" Groribas replied. "Geryuganshoop can fix it later!" He reasoned.
As the vines closed in, Genos had to think of an escape. He disabled the thrusters on his calf and activated the ones on his back. The shift in momentum caused the cyborg to travel vertically instead of horizontally. While that course correction helped keep him from the vines' clutches, they were quickly giving chase from below.
"So far, Groribas has remained stationary. The most he's altered his position is by turning." Genos thought, using this brief window to contemplate the situation. "These vines are coming from him, so that means their exact point of origin is his feet. Given the amount and volume, there's no way for Groribas to change his location. He's literally rooted to the floor!" He deduced.
With that realization reached, Genos knew what he needed to do. Swiftly, the cyborg aligned his body with Groribas, and then he re-activated his thruster.
"Heh, a direct collision?" Groribas questioned as the cyborg approached. "YOU FOOL! YOU UNDERESTIMATE YOUR OPPONENT!" He cheered, opening all three of his jaws.
From each of the maws, a powerful spray of acid was fired. The best comparable would be a fire hose or a power washer. Melzargard was about to shout again since he believed that was too extreme of a weapon to use during a training session. Yet, both he and Groribas would be surprised by the outcome. Genos faced the torrents of acid directly, but it was not because he was throwing safety to the wind.
Across the cyborg's body, every port, opening, thruster, and vent was opened. Then, in a flash, Genos erupted into a massive fireball. Since he was designed around incendiary weapons, there were no risks at all. Whether we refer to the few organic parts of Genos or his internal mechanical parts, nothing would be burned or melted in the slightest.
The intensity of the fire caused the acidic wave to evaporate at every point it would've touched the cyborg. Essentially, Genos cut his way through the green spray, creating a perfect path to his target. And, as the final kicker, the conclusion that Groribas was rooted to the floor had been correct. There was no way for the plant creature to avoid this masterfully executed attack.
BAM
The best way to describe what just happened is that Genos delivered the world's most explosive dropkick to Groribas' chest. Both of his mechanical feet impacted the plant man's torso. The power behind this strike was enough to forcibly tear Groribas away from his vines that were beneath the floor. Once freed, he sailed through the air and had a lovely encounter with the closest wall.
THUD
If the goal of this session was to adorn the space with a Groribas ornament, then Genos succeeded. The plant man was embedded in the wall and unconscious to boot. A low groan escaped his main mouth as he remained in the perfectly formed shape that the impact created.
"Groribas!" Genos called out with widened eyes. "I'm so sorry! I'll-"
Before that sentence could finish, Melzargard extended one of his arms so it could hold up a finger in front of the cyborg's face.
"Let's not be too hasty. I think Groribas could use a time-out." Melzargard said, retracting his limb. "Besides, I'd like to acknowledge what you did just now. That was a superb counterattack, Genos. It was the perfect solution to the problem at hand." He told him.
"Thank you, Melzargard." Genos responded, bowing as he did. "Do you think Master and Boros would be proud?" He asked.
"Absolutely. If you're going to catch-up to them as fast as possible, then you need to-"
"Melzargard!" The telepathic voice of Geryuganshoop was heard, but only by his fellow elite. Upon hearing it, Melzargard stopped talking.
"Geryuganshoop? What is it?" Melzargard reacted via his thoughts.
"I need to speak to you and Groribas immediately! It's urgent!" Geryuganshoop exclaimed.
"..." Melzargard's heads all looked at the wall decoration that was Groribas. "How...urgent is it?" He inquired.
"It concerns Lady Boros! Meet me in the throne room NOW. This needs to be discussed!" Geryuganshoop insisted before falling silent.
"Melzargard?" Genos called. He didn't do so right away since it seemed as though something had earned the other's attention. "Is everything alright?" He asked.
"Yes. Sorry, Genos," Melzargard answered with an apology, focusing back on the cyborg. "Geryuganshoop just contacted me. I'll need to leave with Groribas for an emergency meeting. Do not worry, though. It's not something as dire as an attack or other similar event." He informed him.
"Very well. I'll find Doctor Kuseno and see how he's doing." Genos decided.
Melzargard wasn't worried about Genos getting lost since he'd already mapped out the ship's interior. He asked for permission to do so from Boros, who happily gave her approval. Being a cyborg came with many conveniences, such as always having perfect navigation. It sure would be inconvenient for someone else who didn't have that to try and find their way around this massive vessel.
Elsewhere...
A cold, smooth metal surface. Such a thing was entirely foreign to the Subterranean Queen. She liked her bedrock to be rugged and scorching. As her senses and the world itself returned to her Majesty, she was met with another perplexing discovery. PAIN.
The Subterranean Queen's cheeks felt like well-beaten punching mitts. Her head was ringing as though a hundred hammers had struck her. Restoring her vision revealed that everything was constantly vibrating and out of focus. WHAT IS GOING ON?!
"Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuugh..." The Subterranean Queen groaned. She couldn't even lift her arms to place her hands upon her sore noggin. Every bit of energy and strength had been sapped by whatever ordeal caused this agonizing condition.
The Subterranean Queen continued to groan and wail like a ghost. She didn't notice how far her voice traveled nor how much it echoed. Eventually, someone heard her ghastly noises and came to investigate. Due to the sounds she made, the incapacitated matriarch didn't hear her visitor's footsteps. Luckily, the visitor intended to speak.
"Oh, so it's you," A man's voice was heard. "I thought Boros might've been torturing a prisoner of war or something." It said.
The Subterranean Queen, still incapacitated, blinked her eyes and looked in the direction the voice came from. There was a figure of some kind that had a very shiny head. A few more blinks and eye rubs later, and the mysterious entity was revealed to be-
"AH!" The Subterranean Queen shrieked, throwing herself backward from surprise. "Y-YOU! IT'S YOU! YOU!" She stammered.
"Yup. It's me." Saitama confirmed with his hands in his pockets. "You know, the guy whose home you burned down." He reminded her.
"YES! THE PERVERT!" The Subterranean Queen shouted, pointing all four hands at him.
"..." Saitama furrowed his brow. Afterward, he turned around to walk away.
"WAIT!" The Subterranean Queen cried out, lunging to try and stop-
THUD
"OW!" The Subterranean Queen exclaimed, reeling from the unexpected impact.
Having been startled by Saitama's arrival, the ruler of the underground hadn't observed her immediate surroundings. She was in a fairly small room that had a little wiggle room for comfortable movement. The entrance to this room appeared open with nothing that resembled a door. However, it was guarded by a perfectly transparent barrier that could only be deactivated from the ship's main control room, which was Geryuganshoop's normal station.
"Are you okay?" Saitama asked. Despite being annoyed by this woman and everything she's done to him thus far, he still wanted to make sure she was alright.
"NO! I'M NOT!" The Subterranean Queen answered, holding her face with two hands. Small droplets of the blue substance from within her body formed at the corners of her eyes. "I WAS SUPPOSED TO CONQUER THE WORLD! I WAS MEANT TO ASCEND TO THE STATUS OF A GODDESS! INSTEAD, I'M ASSAULTED BY A PERVERT WHO LIKELY DID UNSPEAKABLE THINGS TO ME! AND NOW I'M TRAPPED IN HIS LEWD DUNGEON BY MAGIC! EVERYTHING IS HORRIBLE!" She ranted before shutting her eyes as tightly as she could. "AS IF THAT WEREN'T BAD ENOUGH, MY HEAD IS KILLING ME, MY BODY IS SORE, AND I'VE BEEN SUBJECTED TO THE WORST HUMILIATION OF MY LIFE!" She added.
Saitama wanted to be nice. He considered himself a decent guy who was capable of kindness. But with each utterance of the word pervert and suggestion of unsavory conduct, he felt as though he would follow in Boros' footsteps and smack this woman until the cows came home. Yet, with slightly gritted teeth and a twitching eyebrow, Saitama decided to give this pyromaniac ONE more chance.
"My name is Saitama. I lived by myself in an abandoned section of the city you tried to invade. I was minding my business when you started declaring this and that, making a nuisance of yourself. Then, you lit my building on fire, which torched everything I owned, including the clothes that I was wearing. So, I grabbed the only thing I had left, which was a cactus, and I jumped from the building to get out of the fire. That's when you leaped from the other side to confront me, only to find that I was naked because of you. After you called me a pervert, I slapped you for setting my home ablaze, and you've been unconscious since then. It's only been one day, so you haven't missed much. Now, with all that said, you HAVE to acknowledge that this is YOUR fault. I was minding MY business when YOU showed up and decided to ruin my day. I'd like us to move past this, but that requires YOU to make amends for what YOU have done." Saitama stated. "Do you understand?" He inquired.
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"...Are...you going to slap me again?..." The Subterranean Queen whispered. The memory of that strike and how strong it had been made her fearful, which was not something she was used to.
"So long as you cut the pervert crap and don't try to light my clothes on fire again, then no." Saitama told her.
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"I...do recognize that the situation that has led us to this point is because of my actions..." The Subterranean Queen began, averting her gaze. "And...if I were in a similar situation in which a stranger destroys my property and leaves me in the nude, I would absolutely be furious...justly so..." She continued as her posture relaxed. "So, if you find it permissible, Sir Saitama, I would like us to pretend as though this is our first encounter. Shave away the etchings in the tablet to make it bare, so to speak." She concluded, now gripping each of her biceps.
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When met with silence, the Subterranean Queen looked back at her visitor. To her befuddlement, Saitama was turned around, meaning she could only see his backside.
"Saitama?" The Subterranean Queen called out.
"Hm?" Saitama reacted by facing her again. "Oh, hey." He greeted her with a small wave. "How is it that you know my name?" He asked.
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"...Oooooooooooooh..." The Subterranean Queen whispered as her eyes widened. "Ahem, forgive me, sir; I learned of your name before this meeting. I apologize if that made you uncomfortable." She answered.
"Oh, okay." Saitama said. "Since you know my name already, could I have yours?" He requested.
"Certainly," The Subterranean Queen agreed, followed by an elegant bow. "I am the ruler of the Subterranean people. Their queen, to be precise. That is how my enemies and rivals refer to me. But for those with whom I have a personal relationship, I am known as Xiomara." She revealed.
"Huh, cool. It's nice to meet you, Xiomara." Saitama told her.
"The feeling is mutual, Saitama." Xiomara replied.
With that out of the way, the duo proceeded to converse. As words were exchanged and each of them learned more about the other, smiles slowly appeared on their faces. These formerly antagonistic strangers were on the fast track to being good acquaintances. Who knows? Maybe they could even be friends!