"Finally..."
A man who looked absolutely imposing mumbled as he held something tiny in his hand.
"Dad, that guy looked like the mafia we've watched in movies!"
"Don't look, sweetheart..."
A little girl pointed at the big guy as her dad seemed to be feeling nervous. Sweat trickled down his forehead, and his expression paled.
"...Let's go see the dolls over there," he immediately grabbed his daughter's hand and hastily left the scene.
Considering the dangerous feeling he felt from the guy, as that mafia-looking man seemed like someone he shouldn't even talk to, the dad decided to do what he should be doing for his daughter's safety!
However, despite the commotion, the mafia-looking man didn't seem to care as he smiled to himself, scaring more people away.
He looked at the picture of a schoolgirl posing cutely on the cover of the video game he had just bought, silently screaming, "I finally get to play with you, Mi-chan!"
His name was King!
Despite his outward appearance, he was, in fact, an otaku!
Society did not see Otaku in a good light, as they often spent most of their time at home obsessing over manga, anime, or video games.
"..."
Feeling happy, King slowly exited the store, walking along the street where people were visibly avoiding him or looking at him with shaken expressions.
"...I guess that's how people look at an otaku like me," King silently thought calmly as he had stopped caring about what people were thinking about him anymore.
Mi-chan was all that mattered to him!
As he kept on walking, a big shadow clearly covered the sunlight under his feet.
King blinked in confusion and muttered, "Huh? Did it suddenly get cloudy or what?"
However...
As King turned his body around to gaze at the sky, his eyes widened in shock. He stood frozen on the ground, his gaze fixed on a colossal bird-like monster sharply crashing into the building next to him.
Kyaaakkkkk....
A piercing shriek echoed through the air, sending shivers down everyone's spine. They instinctively covered their ears in response to the ear-splitting sound.
BOOM!
Meanwhile, the building collided with another structure, the impact reverberating across the area with a deafening thud.
"Waaaahhhh!"
"Run away! A monster suddenly appeared!"
"Mom!!"
The panicked cries of the people echoed through the chaos as they fled for their lives.
King stood frozen in place, his senses overwhelmed by the sudden onslaught. His vision blurred, his ears ringing painfully from the shock.
A trickle of blood ran down his earlobe.
The bird-like monster fixed its reddened gaze upon him, its eyes burning with an ominous intensity.
"...!"
King's entire body trembled at the sight.
He felt a warm sensation spreading slowly from his groin as he stumbled backward, landing heavily on his butt.
His gaze remained fixed on the monstrous bird-like creature looming above him.
"Let's team up, Saitama!"
"Oh! Alright, but are you sure you're not gonna run away? I think I can do it on my own..."
"That's fine, I have some stuff I'd like to try as well. Besides, as a cook, I can't let go of such an opportunity to cook rare meat like this birdie..."
A seemingly out-of-place conversation was heard as King slowly turned his head toward a young man who looked like a teenager and a man with a blue tracksuit approaching the monster.
"...R-run... away..."
His voice was barely audible, his face completely paled like a sheet of white paper.
"Alright, do whatever you want..."
Saitama looked at Tsuna oddly, still unable to believe someone like him existed.
Tsuna explained he was a cook and decided the bird-like monster in front of them seemed edible if cooked correctly, expressing his desire to try it.
Saitama smiled, feeling excited to face another monster as excitement coursed through his whole being, and remarked, "Don't forget my share after we're done hunting this bird!"
"Don't worry, I'll cook you something amazing. And with my ability, I should be able to help you fight him..."
Tsuna's eyes gleamed as he felt a strong connection with the earth.
He slammed his feet down, causing a large chunk of earth to lift off the ground and hover in front of them.
With a focused expression, he guided the chunk toward the bird-like monster, his concentration unwavering as he controlled the projectile as it sharply aimed toward its head.
"Wow! Are you some kind of wizard!?"
Saitama exclaimed, marveling at Tsuna's abilities and wondering if he could learn them too.
However...
The bird-like monster simply growled as the chunk of earth approached.
With a swift motion, it swung its head and shattered the projectile with its beak, sending debris raining down with a loud crackling sound echoing across the area.
"...Hmm? That's it?"
Saitama looked on, blinking in slight surprise that such an attack didn't even damage the bird properly, which seemed to be angered by it as it let out another loud shrill.
The bird ascended into the air, its eyes fixated on them with an intense glare.
"Saitama, change of plan. I'll support you in killing that thing. I can create a platform for you to attack it..."
Tsuna spoke with a deadpan expression.
"Oh... Alright then, I guess we should just do this from the beginning..."
Saitama nodded with his gaze shifting from Tsuna's trembling hand to the approaching bird that was swinging its feet down at them.
"...Let's get that guy out first."
Saitama narrowed his eyes as his figure moved toward King, pulling him out of the attack range just as the monster's attack was about to land.
Tsuna had already moved to evade the attack as a deafening explosion ripped through the air.
A deafening explosion reverberated through the air, sending shockwaves rippling outward.
Swoosh...!
As the shockwave washed over them, the wind of the explosion brushed against their skin.
"...!"
Tsuna's gaze fell upon the aftermath of the monster's attack, his eyes were cold as he took in the sight of a large crater created by the devastating force.
Smoke billowed out from the epicenter, obscuring their vision as dust filled the air.
"...Seems like I'm underestimating this world by a large margin," Tsuna silently reflected, his hands still trembling from the earth-bending move he had made earlier.
"I've overestimated myself. I'm still not accustomed to earth bending, and that move was too draining..."
He was well aware that his lack of physical fitness was the primary reason behind his struggle.
Moreover, the effort of moving the earth at a normal speed had already drained his stamina considerably.
He knew that attempting to move it faster would only exhaust him further.
With a determined gleam in his eyes, Tsuna realized, "It seems like I need to focus on body training for now."
After all, the overall strength of his body was the most crucial foundation!
"You alright?" Saitama asked, having safely put the stranger earlier to safety.
Tsuna nodded in affirmation, "Yeah, I'm fine."
"Be careful with that attack. Getting hit would hurt..."
Saitama cautioned, his tone serious.
"I can see that, don't worry..."
No... Tsuna was quite sure being struck by such an attack at his current level would likely result in his death.
Despite the gravity of the situation, Tsuna couldn't help but chuckle softly as he shook his head, "Interesting, such an adventure, such a thrill... I'm so in for this!"
His gaze met Saitama's, and they shared a knowing smile at that moment.
"Let's go!"