As soon as Kaito spoke, the eyes of every S-Class Hero lit up.
Even the ever-aloof Flashy Flash quietly shifted a little closer to the hotpot.
"Three, two, one—dig in!"
With Kaito's cue, more than a dozen pairs of chopsticks shot toward the pot like lightning.
Swish swish swish—
The air itself trembled!
Atomic Samurai's sword speed, Flashy Flash's movement techniques, Bang's Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist—at this moment, every signature combat skill had been perfectly repurposed into a meat-grabbing ultimate technique.
Pig God, of course, skipped the chopsticks entirely and immediately switched on his "vacuum cleaner" mode, his mouth becoming a monstrous portal of devouring.
"Hey! Superalloy Darkshine, your arm's taking up half the hotpot!"
"Pig God! Using your ability is cheating!"
"Child Emperor! Stop sending nanobots to steal meat!"
Chaos erupted instantly.
Poor Tornado—Rank 2 of the S-Class!
Her overwhelming psychic power was absolutely useless in this ancient and savage battlefield where only hand speed and physical reach mattered.
Every time she reached her chopsticks toward something, the piece of meat she targeted instantly vanished into someone else's bowl.
"Hey! That one was mine! Bang, you old geezer, stop hovering!"
"Atomic Samurai! Watch where you're poking!"
Her little face flushed red from anger. She flitted around the hotpot like a furious green bumblebee, yet failed to grab a single piece of meat.
"You—you savages!"
Tornado was so outraged she nearly used her telekinesis to flip the pot—and everyone around it—into the stratosphere.
Just then, a bowl filled to the brim with meat slices was quietly held out to her.
"Here."
Kaito had appeared beside her at some point, and the bowl was stacked so high it looked like a complete victory.
"H-Hmph! Who asked you to help!" Tornado snapped, turning her head away sharply. Her tiny lips were pursed so tightly a coin could have hung from them. "I—I can take it myself! I just… don't want to stoop to their level!"
"Yes, yes, our little Tornado is very impressive." Kaito restrained a laugh and nudged the bowl toward her. "Eat it before it gets cold."
Tornado let out a tiny snort, then oh-so-reluctantly picked up a slice and put it in her mouth.
Her emerald eyes immediately widened.
The flavor—explosive, rich, irresistible—hit her all at once. No wonder those idiots were fighting like wild animals.
"Mmm—"
A soft kitten-like sound escaped before she caught herself. She straightened up immediately, cheeks puffing slightly.
"It's… alright. Barely acceptable…"
But the speed of her chopsticks doubled, then tripled. Her cheeks puffed up adorably as she stuffed herself like a starved hamster.
---
After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, Kaito wiped his mouth and called out:
"Isamu, one more job. Make something that can fly."
Child Emperor perked up instantly.
"No problem, Dad! What kind? A fighter jet? A shuttle? Or—"
"Something sturdy that can take two people to the moon," Kaito replied simply.
Jumping there would cause too much damage to the ground.
"...To the moon?" Child Emperor blinked, baffled. "Why? Sightseeing? Saitama and Boros already made a giant crater there. The Association's planning to turn it into a tourist attraction."
Before Kaito could respond, Garou—leaning back and picking his teeth—spoke lazily:
"Why? To fight, obviously."
He stretched his neck, the dark crimson armor along it cracking loudly.
"On Earth I can't go all out. Too many things to break. The moon? Empty, spacious, no houses—perfect place for King to witness my newly evolved 'Monster Calamity God-Slaying Fist'! This time, I'll shatter that flashy armor of his!"
He didn't raise his voice, but the entire courtyard went silent, then electric.
The S-Class Heroes stared at him.
This kid…
This kid truly had guts.
After the Boros battle—and after King's million-meter illusion—no one dared question his title of "Strongest Man on Earth."
---
It must be said: Child Emperor truly lived up to Kaito's personal designation as a one-boy nuclear-powered workhorse. Give him a bit of motivation, and his efficiency skyrocketed.
He waved his tiny hand, and dozens of miniature robots immediately swarmed toward Emperor Maru, clattering like a mechanical beehive.
"Anti-gravity engine output increased by 300%… Outer armor reinforced with vibranium plating… Life support system expanded…"
In just two and a half hours, the original ten-meter-tall silver mech had been utterly transformed.
The newly completed Emperor Maru Kai glowed with a soft blue radiance. Sleek curvature thrusters—each spanning over fifty meters—unfurled from its back like the wings of a mechanical roc from myth.
"Dad! It's done!"
Child Emperor wiped the sweat from his forehead, his small face rosy with excitement. "This is definitely the strongest spacecraft in human history!"
To create this upgraded version, he had used the Dark Matter Thieves' mothership data as the foundation, perfectly adapting every system for operation in a cosmic environment.
The other S-Class Heroes gathered instantly.
Atomic Samurai clicked his tongue while chewing his toothpick. "Tch… the brat's got real skills."
Superalloy Darkshine reached out to touch the surface—only to yank his hand back with a wince as the charging coils sent a sharp electrical snap up his arm.
"Hey, I heard you guys are heading to the moon?"
Metal Bat shoved his way forward, bat slung over his shoulder. "Count me in! No way I'm missin' somethin' this fun!"
"I'm going as well."
Zombieman adjusted his coat as he stepped up. "Excellent chance to test my regeneration in a vacuum."
Faced with the relentless enthusiasm (and physical pressure) of a dozen S-Class Heroes, Child Emperor had no choice but to get back to work.
Miniature robots swarmed out at his command, dismantling abandoned vehicles and torn metal structures nearby. A torrent of steel surged around Emperor Maru Kai, reshaping and assembling itself like liquid machinery.
Within minutes, what had been a modest cockpit expanded into a full spacefaring ark large enough to carry over a dozen passengers.
---
When everyone boarded, Emperor Maru Kai ignited its engines. A pillar of dazzling tail flames burst beneath it, tearing through gravity's chains and propelling it upward—faster and faster—toward the cold, silver moon.
As the massive lunar body filled the viewport, the cabin fell silent.
Even S-Class Heroes, used to constant battle and disaster, were momentarily struck speechless.
The desolation of space… the sheer emptiness…
And that giant crater on the moon's surface—up close, it was even more shocking.
Its vast rim was jagged, its center a bottomless pit of shadow, as though a god had reached down and gouged out the moon itself. The debris patterns radiated outward like frozen tidal waves—the eternal echo of a battle that had taken place not long ago.
"Hiss… That crater… is from Saitama and that alien monster?"
Prisoner's voice cracked with disbelief.
"What terrifying destructive power."
Drive Knight's electronic eyes pulsed, rapidly mapping and analyzing. "This exceeds conventional energy measurements. Almost… divine."
"In front of this kind of power…"
Atomic Samurai's fingers tightened subconsciously around his sword hilt. "My swordsmanship is… insignificant."
Instinctively, he glanced toward the figure in the yellow suit resting in the corner.
Saitama was sprawled comfortably on a beanbag chair specifically prepared for him in the cabin—looking bored out of his mind. He was lightly picking his nose with his pinky, completely unaware of the awe-inspiring sight outside the window or the reverent silence in the cabin.
As if he were just out on a casual Sunday trip.
This stark contrast stirred an indescribable emotion among the S-Class Heroes.
Because this man—this expressionless, utterly ordinary-looking man—
Had caused that enormous, god-scar-level crater on the moon…
With a single punch.
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