Having deftly freed myself from a mildly irritating predicament, I hastened my return, for the day's work had likewise been completed. As I went home, traversing the ethereal expanse of clouds and the boundless sky, a melody escaped my lips, a gentle hum resonating with the sheer joy that filled my heart.
However...
"Damn, that bald man sure is one persistent character. How long is he going to chase me?"
A subtle sense of his presence trailed behind me as I ventured forward. Yet, no matter how many times I glanced over my shoulder, I couldn't find him. Then, in an unexpected twist, the tranquil clouds beneath me were pierced by a mysterious force.
"Did he leap from the solid earth below?" I couldn't help but let my surprise seep into my voice, for it dawned on me that the bald man could not fly through the air. It became clear that his ascent to this height was achieved solely through a daring jump.
'But is that possible for humans?'
My senses failed to comprehend the inexplicable sight before me in a perplexing twist of fate. At that very moment, the man soared through the air, hurtling directly towards my position. By some stroke of fortune, my reflexes kicked in just in time, allowing me to swiftly evade his path. With a fleeting encounter, he whisked past me, descending again to the ground.
"I'll be sure to catch you."
His voice reached my ears as the wind whispered through the air, causing an inexplicable shiver to course through my body. With a determined spirit, I continued to beat my wings with increasing speed. Despite having already soared through countless layers of clouds, the unmistakable presence I sought remained elusive, lingering far beneath me.
With no alternative in sight, I ascended to greater heights, surpassing the altitude of earthly planes traversing the skies.
However...
"You seem to think you can get away from me... Ah, have I managed to catch you off guard?
Once more, the bald man appeared before me, his white cape billowing in the wind with an almost violent intensity. The change in altitude seemed to have granted him a momentary respite, allowing him to hold his body a bit longer.
"Hey, tell me, what feelings am I experiencing right now? How do I deal with it?... Isn't this really amazing? Even though it's not the kind of emotion I expected, it still makes me excited."
An increasing sense of fear enveloped me with each utterance that escaped his lips. Every word he said stirred an unsettling unease within me. Even when he begged me to explain, I could only remain silent because…
"What the fuck are you talking about?"
The answer eluded me as he was abruptly yanked by the force of gravity, hurtling towards the earth. Yet, I found myself utterly indifferent to the outcome. With a sense of urgency propelling me forward, I pressed on, my sole focus fixated on one thing: accelerating my speed.
As I soared through the sky, a thought crossed my mind - 'what if I lead him back to my home? The mere idea sent a shiver down my spine, for I knew that doing so would undoubtedly stir up a world of trouble with Kaiser.'
Anxiety coursed through my veins as I grappled with the weight of my decisions. A foreboding sense of impending doom loomed over me as if each choice I made would inevitably steer me towards a disastrous ending. Engaging in combat with him is the last resort I am inclined to choose.
"First of all, why is he so obsessed with me? He also keeps saying things that don't make sense... ahhh. It's really annoying, Kaiser, please help me."
-***-
Unbeknownst to Mosquito, their pursuit had led them to the bustling city A. Meanwhile, Kaiser, enjoying a moment of relaxation in the comfort of his own home, swiftly became aware of the unfolding events as a notification from the system alerted him to the situation.
Guided by the system's map, he swiftly donned his battle suit and made his way to Mosquito's location. As he soared through the boundless expanse of the sky, his search continued unabated. He still couldn't find her despite ascending to greater heights with each passing moment. Nevertheless, an unwavering conviction coursed through his being - he knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that he was already at the right point.
As Kaiser neared the final layer of earth, his heart raced with anticipation. At long last, he had discovered Mosquito Girl. A sense of worry etched across her face, her eyes fixated on the ground below. It was as if an unseen presence lurked in the shadows, trailing her every move.
"Kaiser! You came to save me?" As Mosquito Girl approached him, her appearance was reminiscent of a young girl joyfully reuniting with her long-lost parents.
Without a moment's hesitation, she enveloped him in a tight embrace. She knew his warmth was the only thing capable of soothing her troubled soul. In a sudden turn of events, Kaiser swiftly moved towards her, his hand instinctively finding its way to cover her mouth. His face grew grave, a clear indication that something serious was about to unfold. And so, with a sense of urgency, she proceeded to tell the events that had happened.
"You can tell me later. The person following you doesn't seem to have given up yet."
Kaiser's battle suit detected a series of movements, alerting him to the presence of a person hurtling towards them with incredible velocity from below. Without hesitation, he tapped into the depths of his extraordinary abilities, effortlessly harnessing the power of teleportation. In an instant, they were whisked away from that very spot.
There remained merely a glimmer of white, fragile as glass droplets, scattered in its wake.
Meanwhile, Saitama, having just arrived, found himself immediately confused as he scanned the vast expanse of the sky, unable to locate Mosquito Girl. The fiery emotions that once consumed him gradually waned, fading away into nothingness.
The smile that had graced his face moments ago had now vanished, replaced by his usual deadpan expression. Saitama came to the realization that, yet again, he had let Mosquito Girl slip through his fingers.
Saitama extended his arms, surrendering to gravity as he reclined and allowed himself to fall. Due to his remarkable jump, he found himself suspended in mid-air, requiring a moment to gracefully descend back to the earth.
At that moment, a familiar emptiness washed over him once more. Despite the relentless pressure bearing down on him from all sides, making it hard to catch his breath, his unwavering gaze remained fixed upon the sky above. Now and then, the image of Mosquito Girl would fleetingly cross his mind, only to leave him with a profound sense of disappointment.
'How can she escape from me? So far, no one has ever been able to escape from me.'
Seizing a rare opportunity, Saitama made a conscious effort to engage his mind. He delved deep, searching for answers, determined to unravel the truth. With utmost diligence, he sifted through the recesses of his memories. And then, in a moment of revelation, his eyes widened in shock.
"I remember, whatever that Gundam monster he is, there's no mistaking it. He helped Mosquito Girl escape."
As Saitama attained enlightenment, a resounding explosion shattered the tranquility, marking his return to the earthly realm. His body, firmly embedded in the ground, struggled to break free from its embrace. Just as he grappled with the challenge of freeing himself, Genos arrived on the scene, providentially offering his help.
"Master, you are too reckless, even though nothing can harm you-"
Saitama swiftly interrupted, his attention momentarily diverted as he brushed off the lingering dirt from his attire. With a hint of urgency, he posed a question to his student:
"In your opinion, is there a human or monster that is faster than me?"
"What are you saying, master? Of course, no one is faster than you. Maybe you don't want to admit it, but you are the strongest human on earth... no, even in this universe."
In that fleeting moment, Genos found himself at a loss, unable to fathom what had befallen his master. Yet, a peculiar madness seemed to take hold of him as an unexpected laughter escaped Saitama's lips, his eyes betraying an enigmatic gleam. The words that escaped his lips next were nothing short of astonishing, leaving Genos utterly dumbfounded.
"hahahaha... you think so, but there is someone who is faster than me. I don't know whether he is a monster or a human, but if he can be faster than me, he is also probably stronger than me, right?"
Unlike the lustful passions that had consumed him in the past, his current emotions were of a different nature altogether. At that moment, Saitama stumbled upon a newfound emotion, one he had long sought after. His body quivered with anticipation as he dared to envision the possibility of his wildest dreams becoming reality.
"Come on, Genos, we have to find the identity of the person behind the battle suit," Saitama exclaimed, his mind already brimming with anticipation for the thrilling days that lay ahead.