"The sky... it’s tearing apart..."
"This has to be a joke... right?"
Everyone stared blankly at the sky, their bodies trembling with shock.
Some turned to look at the tall figure standing before the entrance of the shelter, his back to them, bathed in golden sunlight. In their eyes, it was as if they were gazing upon a god, filled with awe and reverence.
To kill a monster that even S-Class heroes struggled against—
That kind of power was simply unbelievable.
Ron cast a glance at Genos behind him. "I’ll leave the rest to you."
And with that, under the stunned gazes of the crowd, his figure vanished in an instant.
Outside the shelter, Mumen Rider stood next to his bicycle, staring at the place Ron had disappeared from.
"That guy... who is he, really?"
The incident in J-City exploded across every major media outlet.
[Breaking News! The monster that devastated J-City has been defeated!]
[J-City witnesses the appearance of a mysterious powerhouse! One blow to take down a monster even S-Class heroes couldn’t beat!]
[Not a hero—so who is this enigmatic young man?!]
[A being stronger than S-Class heroes...]
Stronger than S-Class.
Not a registered hero.
Appearance rivaling that of Sweet Mask himself...
Any one of these headlines would grab attention. But combined into one figure? It caused a sensation.
In no time, the internet and real world alike were buzzing with discussion about this mysterious young man.
Even the usual hype surrounding S-Class heroes and the newly released single from A-Class Rank 1 hero Sweet Mask—along with his upcoming concert—
was completely overshadowed by the incident in J-City.
Not that any of that attention had the slightest impact on Ron’s daily life.
Inside Saitama’s house in Z-City’s abandoned zone—
Ron and Saitama were in the middle of a gaming session.
Saitama held his controller with one hand and scratched his head with the other. "Ron-kun, you’re crazy popular now. You’re all over the news and internet. I heard there are fanclubs popping up for you too. Honestly... I’m a little jealous."
Ron sipped on a straw while holding his controller, eyes on the screen. "Doesn’t really matter to me."
Saitama scratched his butt. "But I’ve defeated so many strong monsters too... Why don’t I get the same treatment? Is it... because of the hair?"
"Could be. But I think it’s more that nobody knows you’re the one who defeated them."
Saitama froze. "...Huh? Is that so?"
Ron took another sip of his chilled cola. "Where’s Genos?"
"Think the Hero Association called him in. Probably for something important."
Meanwhile, at Hero Association HQ in A-City—
Both Genos and Mumen Rider had been summoned.
When they arrived, they found other A-Class heroes already present—Golden Ball, Spring Mustachio, and Sweet Mask himself.
Seated comfortably in a chair, Sweet Mask looked at Genos and gave him a pleasant smile. "Yo, Genos-kun. We meet again."
But the next second, the smile vanished. His gaze turned sharp and cold. "An S-Class hero losing to a mere monster... you looked absolutely pathetic. You remember what I told you last time, right? If this is all you’ve got, you should consider stepping down from S-Class."
"You’re welcome to try me anytime. Also—"
Genos met his gaze, tone frosty. "I didn’t lose."
Sweet Mask’s eyes narrowed.
The two locked eyes, their stares practically clashing like blades.
Off to the side, Mumen Rider looked nervously at the growing tension, not sure how to intervene.
Golden Ball, chewing gum, broke the silence. "So, uh... why were we all called here today?"
Spring Mustachio stroked his mustache. "No idea."
"Tch. And you call yourselves A-Class heroes? Can’t you even guess?"
Everyone turned to look at Sweet Mask.
Arms folded, Sweet Mask sat casually, expression unreadable. "It’s obviously about that guy."
"That guy?" Golden Ball blinked.
Spring Mustachio suddenly caught on. "You mean that mysterious powerhouse from J-City?"
Just then, the door opened, and two Association staff members entered the room—one a bespectacled young man, the other a bearded middle-aged official.
The younger one adjusted his glasses and looked around. "The reason we called you here today is to investigate and uncover the identity of that mysterious individual."
Genos’s eyes flickered slightly at that—
—and Sweet Mask immediately noticed.
After Mumen Rider described the figure he saw standing before the shelter that day,
Spring Mustachio nodded.
"Yes, that’s the same person who saved me from that monster back in Z-City’s abandoned zone."
Upon his confirmation,
Sweet Mask’s eyes narrowed once more.
The two staff members exchanged glances.
The middle-aged one spoke. "It seems our assumption was correct. The mysterious man in J-City is the same figure that has appeared multiple times in Z-City’s uninhabited zone."
Z-City’s abandoned zone...
Sweet Mask mentally locked that detail away.
The younger official turned toward Genos. "Genos-kun, do you have any leads on this individual’s identity?"
All eyes turned to him.
Genos paused, then slowly shook his head. "No. I’m not sure either."
Outside the Association headquarters, Sweet Mask blocked Genos’s path.
"You must know something about him."
"That has nothing to do with you." Thɪs chapter is updated by novèlfire.net
They walked side by side, appearing civil, but the tension was electric—
like a fight could break out at any moment.
Genos glanced sideways. "Why are you even here today? You have no connection to him."
"Isn’t it obvious? I came to identify him."
Sweet Mask pulled out a pair of sunglasses and slipped them on, his tone like ice. "My latest single’s popularity got completely eclipsed by that nobody. It pisses me off."
He looked toward Genos again. "These mysterious types always think they’re untouchable. But drag them out of the shadows, and you’ll see—most of them aren’t what they seem. That’s why I came today. Though frankly, I’m disappointed with what I found."
"What will you do if you do find him?"
"Test whether he’s really worth all this hype. And if not..."
Behind those dark lenses, Sweet Mask’s eyes glinted coldly.
Genos sensed the killing intent and glanced at him. "Then I suggest you don’t do anything reckless."
With that, Genos said no more. He exited the Hero Association in a few swift leaps and vanished into the distance.
Sweet Mask stood at the entrance, watching him go, eyes narrowing once more.
"So you do know something..."
"Z-City’s abandoned zone, huh..."