"It's quite rare to see so many people here."
Roy teased Saitama as soon as he entered the room.
Saitama replied, "They're all a bunch of self-absorbed folks who just tagged along... By the way, Roy, where have you been these past few days?"
Roy sat down. "I moved to a friend's place."
"Oh."
"You guys are already having sukiyaki? I was just thinking about having sukiyaki."
Hearing Roy's words, Saitama muttered quietly, "Even a large pot of sukiyaki wouldn't be enough for this many people..."
Roy placed the ingredients on the table.
Saitama's eyes lit up, and he exclaimed, "Great!"
Ignoring them, Roy looked at the other people in the room.
There were unfamiliar faces.
But there were also people Roy knew.
Starting from the oldest.
Ranked third in S-Class, Bang, also known as Silver Fang, along with his younger brother, just as strong as him, Bomb.
Then there was...
With three scars on his face, a dignified appearance exuding a king's aura, but in reality not very useful, ranked seventh in S-Class, King.
The rest were all familiar faces.
Dr. Kuseno, Genos, and Fubuki, who had been clinging to his arm since earlier, shouting, "Insufficient Roy-energy, need replenishment!"
Before Roy could say anything, Bang spoke up, "This is the Rank-2 A-Class hero, Iron Man, right?"
"Uh... I guess I'm Rank-2 in A-Class, but Iron Man? What's that supposed to mean..."
Although he had once fantasized about it, he wasn't Tony Stark.
"That's the hero name the Association gave you. You're officially listed in the hero registry now."
Fubuki said as she tried to get closer into his embrace.
Genos added, "By the way, as suspected, my hero name is Demon Cyborg, and Saitama-sensei..."
"Don't say it!"
Saitama was getting a bit annoyed.
Roy patted Saitama's bald head sympathetically, "Don't mind, Caped Baldy."
"Why do you know aaaaall about it?"
"It's not a big deal, Saitama."
"Sigh."
"By the way, why are there so many people here today? Having a party?"
Bang chuckled, "We just finished dealing with a monster and came here to rest our feet."
"I see."
Although it was said casually.
But what they had just faced was actually a Dragon-level monster, one of the executives of the Monster Association, Elder Centipede.
With a massive body that even when coiled up, covered several blocks.
It seemed to have been severely injured by the hero ranked first in S-Class before.
Escaping by shedding its skin, it vowed revenge.
It joined the Monster Association, and after causing a scene in the city, it was supposed to destroy a whole city. But it was taken down by a certain bald guy.
Of course, while that was indeed the truth and the initial reason, it wasn't the main reason why Bang and Bomb stayed here. The Hero Hunter... Garou, he was Bang's disciple, but his recent actions made Bang consider cleaning house. One reason they were staying here was to wait for Saitama to bring back news about Garou.
However, Saitama only brought back news about his lost wallet, and nothing else.
Well, he even lost the cabbage he was supposed to buy.
"The Monster Association..." Roy brought out another pot, cooking while speaking, "Monsters are creatures very loyal to their desires. When the physical limiters are broken and reconfigured, the mental limiters will undergo mutations as well. So the moral compass of monsters distorts from that of humans. Although, in terms of temporal continuity, monsters and the humans they used to be are the same person, there's a distinction between the two."
"Generally speaking, the stronger the monster, the greater the distortion in their psyche... After all, even if they were once human, having power that's unrestricted leads to a constant indulgence of oneself, which can distort the mind. And this is even more pronounced in monsters."
"Overall, monsters surpass ordinary people in destructive power but have issues with their spirituality. So in the past, they were isolated and easily defeated. But now, someone is orchestrating the monsters, and their goals are significant."
Roy analyzed calmly, causing a slight tension in the room.
Most of the people present remained composed, except Saitama and King.
Well, that's how it seemed on the surface.
In reality, King was panicking.
As for Saitama...
He became somewhat excited. "So, stronger opponents will appear?"
Roy replied, "Perhaps not inferior to Boros."
"Boros? Who's that?"
"The intense alien leader you fought last time."
"Oh, him. Well, that's something to look forward to."
Saitama was eager to try.
Even though opponents at Boros's level weren't challenging enough for him to fight, at least he could have a decent match without just ending it with one punch, which would be too dull.
Though he didn't boast or express it openly.
But Saitama knew his strength was formidable, to the point where finding an opponent who could match him was rare.
With this kind of power, he could achieve almost anything.
Well, within limits.
After all, he was only powerful in combat, not omnipotent.
If you asked him to destroy the Earth, that would be simple, just a matter of a punch. But to restore the Earth after destruction, he would have to admit defeat.
Yet, despite this, he wasn't complacent.
Compared to satisfying material desires or dominance, Saitama preferred a peaceful and carefree life.
But there was still a sense of emptiness.
He couldn't find an opponent with whom he could have a thrilling fight... Thinking about this, Saitama couldn't help but glance at Roy.
This guy always claimed he didn't fight, and even when forced to, he only used props to retaliate.
But Saitama could sense that Roy could unleash astonishing combat power even without relying on external objects. Perhaps, he could be even stronger than Boros.
It wasn't just a hunch.
Because Saitama had witnessed some of Roy's power.
He once heard Roy mutter, "Oh, am I at the fourth stage now?"
Then he effortlessly crushed a stone into powder and then squeezed the powder, turning it back into a stone.
At that moment, Saitama was quite surprised.
He asked about it, and Roy explained, "It's just a technique of using force... It's well known that everything in the universe is made up of particles. If the force emitted can penetrate into the microscopic level, then even a small force can unleash the power to move mountains. For example... applying force to cause two smaller atoms to collide..."
He just casually threw a stone.
But that stone flew several kilometers away and rapidly expanded during the process, followed by a tremendous explosion.
The scorching hot wind generated by the explosion could be felt even standing here.
"Generally, only extremely high temperatures and pressures can achieve nuclear fusion. But human strength is limited, so this is akin to a brainless individual nuclear weapon with a destruction range greater than its range, yet insufficient pressure to achieve nuclear fusion... that's how limited human strength is. If you really want a nuclear explosion, it's better to just use a nuclear bomb."
Saitama didn't fully understand those complicated words, but he knew that even without relying on those miscellaneous tools or weapons, Roy himself possessed extremely strong combat power.
Thinking about this, Saitama, somewhat hot-blooded, proposed a fight to Roy.
But he was rejected.
"I'm a desk worker, you know. Plus, look at my skinny arms and legs, how could I possibly win against you?"
Ah, this.
The nuclear explosion just now was fake?
But Roy didn't want to, so Saitama didn't push him.
Although he wanted to find an opponent who could match him, Saitama himself wasn't a battle enthusiast. Perhaps, even he hadn't realized that he was lonely inside. Despite still having the appearance of a human, the overwhelming power and irrational physique gave him a sense of loneliness deep inside, a feeling of being different from others.
Ordinary people generally don't treat animals as equals because they can't understand each other and can't communicate correctly. And in the interaction between humans and animals, humans always hold the dominant position, making it unequal.
A poor boy usually can only win the love of a beauty in stories.
It's the same logic here.
Boros probably felt the same way as Saitama to some extent.
But in Boros's long life, he met an opponent who could make him give his all, burning himself up at the end of his life. Although he realized in the very end that the other's strength far surpassed his own, he had no regrets on his path. Probably.
However, Saitama still couldn't find such a person.
When he sensed that Roy might be such a possibility, Saitama felt delighted.
Back to the present.
Compared to Saitama's little excitement, the others seemed somewhat heavy-hearted.
Bang sighed and said, "It's a troublesome autumn. I hope we can resolve it quickly before the Monster Association's destruction spreads further..."
"It's, it's fine. Even if the sky falls, the S-Class heroes will hold it up."
Fubuki said as she thought of her sister, she knew that with her sister's ability, there was nothing she couldn't lift, even the falling sky could be lifted.
"My brother's strength is entirely comparable to mine. Even when we teamed up against Elder Centipede today, it was difficult to win. I don't know how many Dragon-level monsters are still in the Monster Association."
"Elder Centipede... Since he's here as the vanguard, he probably isn't the strongest among the cadres." Roy said wondering what monster could possibly be the leader of this Monster Association.
King listened to the exchanges of several people and made a 'thud! thud! thud!' sound.
Bang smiled and said, "Even the King Engine is revving up. Looks like you're excited, King. Well, with the strongest king on the surface, no matter how bad things get, they won't go too far."
"Although I don't think my sister is weaker than you... But with you and my sister together, the Monster Association is nothing." Fubuki nodded because she also knew the amazing feats and legends that surrounded King.
King's face darkened.
He exuded an aura of a big shot.
It's like someone naturally having a villainous face. Even though he's a gentle and homey guy, he's still misunderstood as a bad person.
Being someone who always encounters monsters but somehow always manages to get away and then inexplicably receives credit, King was panicking at the moment.
'Wow... After that good-looking guy came in and said some incomprehensible things. Although I don't quite understand, it seems like there are many powerful monsters in the Monster Association, right? No way! I'm just a powerless otaku! Putting hope on me is equivalent to having no hope!'
Only Saitama knew his true strength behind his outward appearance. Although he was panicking, King still said, "There will be a solution when the time comes."
Yeah, Saitama-san will handle it when the time comes!
At this moment, King noticed Roy was looking at him.
This made King a bit flustered.
He pretended not to notice Roy's gaze and focused on eating the sukiyaki.
Well, eating sukiyaki wasn't that peaceful either.
Although there were two pots, with a group of people eating, it was truly chaotic. Soup splashed in the air, and ingredients like meat, mushrooms, and tofu danced around. In the moment of reaction, supernatural abilities, martial arts, and technological products engaged in fierce competition.
Roy remained expressionless, not participating.
He was afraid of getting splashed by the soup, so he stayed away.
In the chaos, Fubuki used her psychic powers to lock onto a piece of beef.
"Hehe, let's eat together with Roy!"
Fubuki thought of improving her relationship.
But Genos intercepted halfway.
"This is Saitama-sesnsei's meat!"
"This is my little brother's meat!"
"Even if it's Roy-san, I won't back down! Bring it on, bro-con!"
"Fuck your ass! What's with the bro-con? You're just Saitama's lackey! Do you want to fight me, Jigoku no Fubuki?!"
To insult her little brother like that was intolerable!
"I won't back down here!"
Genos retorted.
"Don't forget about us!"
There were even more hidden cards.
"Even a meal can turn into a world war. Impressive." Roy, the only spectator sipped his tea calmly.
He had a premonition on his way here and felt hungry, so he bought some snacks to fill his stomach. Although they were just snacks, they tasted good. Plus, he could perform photosynthesis like a plant, so he withdrew from the battlefield.
Actually, it looked quite fun.
If it weren't for the risk of getting his clothes dirty, Roy would've wanted to join in.
As for King, he had passed out from the beginning.
After the meal.
Everyone was getting ready to leave.
Saitama looked at King still unconscious on the ground and said, "Oh man, what should we do about him?"
Roy suggested, "Let him sleep for now. He won't wake up anytime soon."
"My place is pretty small."
Although complaining, Saitama didn't say he would kick King out, so it was tacitly accepted.
Bang and Bomb left first, and Genos followed Kuseno out. Because Genos was injured, Kuseno came to take him back for repairs.
As for Fubuki, she went with Roy.
"Oh right, that guy King is quite the show-off, isn't he?"
Saitama who heard was surprised for a moment and looked at Roy.
"You noticed, huh?"
"What show-off? What riddles are you two playing?"
Fubuki blinked curiously at what these two people were talking about.
But neither Roy nor Saitama intended to answer her.
"Alright, then I'll give him a gift... He probably won't refuse. Yeah, if he regrets it later, then he can come find me."
With that, Roy pulled out an iron box from who knows where, opened it, and inside was a syringe.
"What's this?"
"It's complicated to explain. If you want to know, be prepared for at least 12 hours of class time, and considering your level of knowledge, you'll probably need dozens of hours of basic reinforcement."
"Then forget it."
Saitama understood and dispelled his curiosity.
"But isn't it kind of mean to inject him while he's asleep?"
"Although it's a syringe, the needle isn't for piercing the skin. Take a closer look. It's a prototype, closed-tip needle, just a directional device that can deliver the substance in the syringe directly to any position within 10 cm in a straight line from the needle, it's painless injection."
With that, Roy pressed the needle against King's heart.
"His heart is stronger than the average person's, so when the so-called King Engine kicks in, something good might happen."