The mountainous peaks surrounding Bang's dojo were shrouded in clouds that hovered so low, they seemed to almost touch the staircase.
Now, those clouds had parted in half, following the exact line of destruction created by the gaping hole in the main hall where the sparring had taken place.
"...Are you trying to kill me or something?"
Bang's voice broke the silence as he gave Tsuna a doubtful look. His gaze shifted to the crumbling debris, with dust still billowing up in the air.
He mumbled to himself, "Now I gotta pay for a spar and a repair, huh?"
"My bad. I didn't expect that to happen, honestly..."
Tsuna scratched his head, his eyes surveying the sheer destruction caused by the combination of chi and chakra.
Despite the awkwardness, his chest pounded with excitement.
He'd discovered a new technique, one that could prove invaluable against stronger opponents.
"Yo, Tsuna, what the hell was that?"
Saitama suddenly appeared at his side, intrigued by what he'd just witnessed.
He patted Tsuna's shoulder, his eyes wide with curiosity. "Tell me... were you holding back during the Hero Examination?"
Saitama recalled Tsuna's physical exam results—there was nothing in them that suggested he could produce such immense destruction.
Even Genos's ears perked up slightly at Saitama's question.
"Ehm…" Tsuna hesitated. He scratched the back of his head awkwardly before explaining, "I just combined two energies: physical and spiritual. It's the same energy I use for bending, but—"
Saitama's eyes glazed over as Tsuna spoke, clearly lost in the explanation. "I don't know what the hell you're talking about... Anyway, wanna spa—"
"No!"
Tsuna cut him off quickly.
Meanwhile, Genos had fallen into deep contemplation, "I see... So with just a sliver of thought, channeling his will into action, he has grown stronger."
He clenched his fist as if he had just uncovered a profound insight, misinterpreting Tsuna's explanation as a reflection of Saitama's teachings.
"So... he basically just made it up on the spot?"
Charanko muttered, his worldview crumbling as the realization sank in.
His eyes looked distant, his confidence shaken, "No wonder these two are so confident in him..."
The teenager standing before him was nothing short of a freak of nature!
"Alright, since we're in this situation, let's save it for another time," Bang sighed, turning his attention to the Hero Association employee who had burst into the dojo. "Now, could you explain what's going on? It's not every day that all S-Class heroes are called in."
"I-I'll explain on the way..." the man stammered, quickly getting to his feet. His gaze shifted nervously between Tsuna and Genos. "Since Ito-sama and Genos-sama are both here, we should depart immediately. We've prepared a car for you."
With that, the group—excluding Charanko, who grumbled as Saitama was brought along—set off toward the Hero Association.
As they traveled through the city, the employee explained the situation.
"Lady Shibabawa... she's passed away," he began, his voice solemn. "But before her death, she left behind a prophecy. The Hero Association is on high alert because of it. Her predictions have always been 100% accurate."
The gravity of his words settled in the car like a heavy weight.
"Oh? Does that mean a strong monster will appear or something? That sounds like fun to me..."
Even Saitama, usually disinterested, seemed mildly intrigued, while Tsuna remained thoughtful, "My ingredients..."
The cars moved steadily through the bustling streets, taking over an hour to reach their destination. At last, the dark, metallic structure of the Hero Association Headquarters loomed above them, towering over the rest of the buildings in the city like a fortress prepared for war.
"Hmm, who's that?"
Saitama wondered aloud as they stepped into the expansive lobby. His eyes landed on a man standing at the far end, directly in front of the elevator, as if he had been waiting for someone.
Genos's eyes narrowed slightly before he spoke, "That's the number one A-Class hero, Sweet Mask."
As if on cue, Sweet Mask turned, his piercing gaze locking onto Tsuna. His footsteps echoed through the lobby as he approached the group.
"Tsunayoshi Ito..."
The group's attention shifted between the two curious about what might unfold.
"I've heard about your ability to bend the earth at will," Sweet Mask said smoothly, his voice was calm. "That's a remarkable power—one that could greatly benefit humanity in the fight against monsters."
Sweet Mask extended his hand.
Tsuna accepting the handshake, feeling the firmness of Sweet Mask's grip.
"Huh? What's the deal with this guy?"
Then the grip became uncomfortably tight as he raised an eyebrow at Sweet Mask, who didn't seem to notice or care as he released Tsuna's hand.
"However," Sweet Mask continued, "given your age, I still have some concerns—"
Suddenly, a childish voice echoed through the lobby, interrupting him, "What is this? Get the hell away from the lift!"
The ground trembled, the shockwave almost palpable.
Sweet Mask blinked in surprise, "Huh?"
Before anyone could react, his body was enveloped in a green energy and was flung across the lobby, smashing through the wall and leaving a perfectly shaped human-sized hole in his wake.
"..."
Everyone stood in stunned silence, their eyes darting toward the source of the outburst. Hovering midair, her green emerald hair and eyes glowing with telekinetic power, was a petite woman glaring down at the scene with an air of irritation.
"Hmph! So annoying. Why can't you all just blast a hole through the building so I don't have to take the lift? How inefficient!" she complained, scrunching up her face in annoyance.
"..."
The group stood in silence as she suddenly turned to them, this time louder, "Hey! Get moving! I don't have all day to wait! Why can't people just do things right for once? Hmph!"
Everyone exchanged awkward glances. Dark lines of exasperation appeared on their faces as they collectively sighed at her tantrum.
Saitama pointed at the tiny figure with a blank stare and asked Genos, "Genos? Who the hell is this annoying little twat?"
"...She's S-class Hero #2, Tatsumaki the Tornado of Terror."
"Huh?! What did you say!?"
In a flash, Tatsumaki's petite figure zipped through the air and hovered right in front of Saitama's face, her eyes blazing with fury. Veins bulged at her temples as she glared at his shiny head.
"What the hell is a bald guy like you doing here? Go file a land tax for your shiny-ass head!"
"HUH?!"
Veins popped on Saitama's forehead as well, his bored expression immediately shattered.
That was it—the ultimate insult to him!
His bald head, the one thing he regretted, was his Achilles' heel, and having it mocked pushed him over the edge.
"Little girl, you should probably head back to your parents, 'cause you're clearly lacking in manners!" Saitama taunted back.
"Hmph! How dare you say that to an orphan!"
Tatsumaki snapped back flawlessly, making Saitama to stutter, "Y-You little—!"
Everyone was just speechless at their bizarre banter that kept on going.
Shaking his head, Tsuna sighed before patting Saitama's shoulder in sympathy.
Saitama whipped around to him, eyes full of annoyance, "What?"
But Tsuna just gave him a pitying look. "You lost, Saitama. Let's just get going…"
With that, they dragged the seething Saitama into the lift. As they squeezed in, Saitama's sour expression suddenly brightened when he noticed the small lift could only fit five people.
"Hahaha! The lift is full! Go back to school, you little girl!" he cackled triumphantly, pointing at Tatsumaki, whose smug expression immediately crumpled.
"You…!"
Her fingers trembled in fury, pointing at Saitama as the lift doors slowly closed, her face distorted with anger.
As soon as the doors clicked shut, her rage boiled over.
Suddenly, the wall on the human sized hole blasted open with debris scattering everywhere.
Walking out of the debris, Sweet Mask frowned deeply, "Tatsumaki, do you realize what you've just done?!"
"...Shut up!"
She snapped out loud.
With a flick of her fingers, Sweet Mask was flung across the room yet again. He crashed through the floor and into another wall, groaning in pain while wondering what did he do to deserve such treatment.
"How annoying!"
Tatsumaki muttered, seething with frustration as dust settled around her.