A scene instantly appeared in Kaito's "field of vision."
He "saw" himself breaking through the smoke and dust surrounding the Hero Association building at astonishing speed, soaring toward the sky overshadowed by the colossal spaceship!
Under the effect of Child Emperor's mimicry system, the mecha's appearance had become exactly like his own. From his face and figure to his iconic outer shirt, everything was imitated with uncanny resemblance—even subtle changes in expression were precisely simulated.
The only difference was the occasional metallic sheen and the energy patterns flowing across its skin.
With Kaito's current Spirit, he could easily eliminate the disorientation caused by the dual perspectives. After adapting for just a moment, he quickly locked onto the bald figure in front—Saitama—who was advancing by stepping across the massive cannonballs bombarding him amidst the overwhelming barrage!
"Whoosh—!"
Kaito controlled the engine, spraying a quiet blue plasma stream. His speed suddenly increased, catching up to Saitama in just a few breaths.
Mid-air, Saitama was effortlessly punching back the incoming cannonballs, the energy blasts striking the spaceship and exploding into dazzling fireworks. Seeing Kaito catch up, his eyes widened in surprise.
"King? You can fly now?"
"This isn't my main body," the mecha replied with Kaito's exact voice. "It's a remote-controlled mecha built by Child Emperor."
With a hint of showmanship, Kaito temporarily deactivated the mimicry, revealing the mecha's original, highly technological appearance.
Saitama's eyes instantly lit up. While casually swatting away an incoming cannonball and using the rebound force to stay afloat, he exclaimed, "A mecha?! That's so cool!"
Unconcealed envy showed on his face—after all, what man could resist the temptation of controlling a super cool mecha?
Kaito couldn't help but laugh. "Child Emperor made one for you too, but there wasn't enough time to complete the final adjustments."
"What?! I have one too?!" Saitama's voice instantly shot up by eight octaves. "That's awesome! I can't wait to deal with this big guy quickly and go see my mecha!"
"King, shall we race to see who reaches that ship first?"
"Just as I intended."
The two figures instantly broke the sound barrier, leaving rings of sonic boom clouds behind them as they sped toward the colossal battleship blotting out the sky…
Meanwhile, on the top platform of the Hero Association building—
Since there was no need to dispatch personnel to rescue civilians buried in rubble as in the original timeline, all the S-Class Heroes were gathered here. They looked up at the enormous object looming above, marveling at its sheer size.
Tatsumaki floated mid-air, her long emerald hair swaying with invisible force, a psychic field radiating around her.
"Tch! It's just big, that's all!" she snorted disdainfully, her slender fingers trembling slightly as she tried to pull the spaceship down with her psychic powers.
But to her surprise, the surface of the ship seemed covered by a special force field, completely blocking her telekinesis.
"Interesting…" She was about to increase her power when a series of violent explosions shook the skies.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
A squadron of fighter jets—urgently dispatched from other cities to assist the heroes—soared into A City. But before they could even approach, they were instantly shredded by the spaceship's dense anti-aircraft fire.
"Damn it! This iron shell!" Metal Bat furiously slammed the ground with his bat, sparks flying. "If we can't even get close, how do we fight it?"
Just as the heroes were at a loss, a sudden change occurred!
"Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!"
Several broken corpses of tengu-like monsters with grotesque fleshy wings crashed onto the platform, splattering foul blood across the alloy floor. A nauseating stench spread instantly.
Moments later, a massive, twisted figure with enormous fleshy wings slammed heavily into the center of the platform. The impact made the alloy ground groan under its weight.
It was Melzargard—one of Boros's three Dragon-level cadres, a terrifying existence responsible for perimeter security!
Five grotesque heads rotated simultaneously, ten eyes gleaming with cruel, violent light as they scanned the gathered S-Class Heroes.
"Heh heh heh heh…" All five heads cackled in piercing unison. "Looks like this lord is lucky. After finishing off those annoying flies, I can still encounter you lot… Hmm? So these are the native 'heroes' of this planet's main body?"
The middle head extended its long tongue, licking the bloodstains from its lips with contempt.
"Looks like… you're not much stronger than those winged insects from before! Truly disappointing prey!"
"Planet?" Atomic Samurai snorted coldly, his thumb pushing open the scabbard of his katana. "So you alien monsters are invading Earth, are you?"
Before his words finished, his figure had already vanished.
The next instant—blinding sword light slashed through the air, weaving into a deadly silver storm.
Atomic Slash!
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Countless razor-sharp sword strikes tore into Melzargard's massive body, shredding flesh and spraying blood. All five heads were even severed simultaneously!
"Tch. So arrogant at first—I thought it was some formidable guy."
Atomic Samurai flicked his blade clean and sheathed it in one fluid motion. To him, monsters who relied solely on size and brute force were just more fodder beneath his sword.
However—
"Heh heh heh heh… Useless! Idiots!"
In just a single breath, the countless shattered pieces of flesh scattered across the ground surged back together. The five severed heads instantly reassembled!
Melzargard stood in place, completely unharmed, as if that devastating slash had been nothing but an illusion.
"Wh-… What?!"
Atomic Samurai's pupils shrank sharply. For the first time, an expression of grave disbelief appeared on his face.
"Surprised, native?!" all five heads sneered in hideous unison. "This lord possesses a nearly infinite immortal body! No matter how many times you low-level beings cut me apart, I will instantly regenerate! And you lot…"
Before the words finished, Melzargard raised its massive palm. The air shrieked under the motion, the strike tearing toward the just-sheathed Atomic Samurai like a titan swatting a fly.
"Just one hit from this lord, and you'll be nothing but meat paste! Heh heh heh!"
The gust from its swing carried the stench of blood and death.
Atomic Samurai's expression shifted sharply. He kicked off the ground with explosive force, retreating like a bolt of lightning. The crushing palm slammed into the alloy floor where he had just stood, narrowly missing him.
The gale tore at his face, stinging his skin. A cold bead of sweat slid down his temple. This monster's strength and regenerative ability far exceeded his imagination.
He tightened his grip on his katana's hilt, eyes sharp as an eagle's, body coiled to unleash another fierce strike.
Just then—
A calm voice pierced the suffocating tension, echoing clearly across the platform:
"Oh~, is that so?"
All eyes turned toward the sound. From a massive hole in the platform—its appearance unnoticed until now—Kaito stepped out casually, holographic glasses glinting as he walked. His hands remained tucked lazily in his pockets, his demeanor almost mocking in its composure.