The Hulk suddenly appeared as vulnerable as a child who had been mistreated. He flailed his hands in a desperate attempt to signal Saitama to stop approaching. His massive form began to shrink, and fear gripped him completely. He felt as if death was imminent, an ant under an unstoppable force.
Overwhelmed by fear and knowing there was no way to resist, Hulk's rage dissipated. He shrank back, retreating to avoid Saitama's presence.
In a few moments, Hulk's monstrous form faded, and he transformed back into Dr. Bruce Banner, now wearing only a pair of underwear.
Banner, now back to his original state, was embarrassed and shaken. The near-death experience had left him terrified. He lamented the chaos and destruction his alter ego had caused in Manhattan and pondered the sins he would have to atone for.
"Hmm?! Humans? Can weirdos turn back into humans?" Saitama's eyes widened in surprise as he witnessed the transformation.
"Is this a weirdo or a human?" He was bewildered, having never seen anything like this before.
A helicopter approached from the distance, and Betty descended from it on a rope, shouting, "Banner! Banner isn't a bad guy!"
She rushed to Banner, shielding him with her body and pleading with Saitama, "Banner isn't the Hulk; he was forced into this!"
Betty tried to shift the blame onto the circumstances that drove Hulk to rage, hoping to clear Banner's name.
Saitama, however, was uninterested. Hearing Betty's distress, he simply adjusted his clothes and prepared to leave. Now that Hulk was a mere human, Saitama had little reason to stay.
As Saitama walked away, Iron Man, battered and bruised, remained on the scene. Peter Parker, disheartened, watched Iron Man leave and thought about the serious situation they were dealing with.
Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Woman helped each other back to safety, reflecting on the extraordinary nature of the battle they had just witnessed. They were humbled by the sheer power that existed outside their understanding.
Peter, feeling downcast, also made his way towards Xu Mo's villa, troubled by the events.
Outside the Manhattan Cordon
The military and police had set up a large blockade to keep people out of the disaster zone. The news coverage was severely delayed, and the only updates came from social media.
Some people stood near the ruins, taking photos and tweeting to prove they were there, while others prayed for their loved ones.
A young couple, desperate to find their daughter, pleaded with the soldiers but were met with indifference.
Amidst their despair, they saw a familiar sight.
"Someone is coming this way, looks like a bald head!"
"I saw it too, he's carrying a little girl!"
Some sharp-eyed observers spotted Saitama emerging from the cordon, holding a little girl. The couple, seeing hope, quickly approached.
The soldiers watched Saitama and, noting his heroic appearance, allowed him to pass. As the couple saw their daughter, joy replaced their despair. The wife hurried to embrace the little girl.
The husband, tears of gratitude in his eyes, said, "Thank you so much. What's the name of this hero?"
Nearby, onlookers applauded, grateful for the life that had been saved.
"The man's name is Saitama," the little girl said excitedly. "He's the hero who defeated the bad guy with one punch!"
"He's Saitama!!" a man in the crowd shouted, rushing to get a photo with Saitama.
The couple and others were puzzled by the commotion but were more focused on their daughter.
The little girl, breaking free from her parents' arms, shouted at Saitama, "Big brother, my name is Rachel. I'll always remember you!"
An officer approached with a smile and said, "Hero, our president and minister would like to speak with you about your heroic deeds."
Saitama, uninterested, replied, "If I don't go, I just want to go home and play games."
The crowd was taken aback. What could be more important than meeting the president? Even though the president was often involved with weirdos, not everyone had the chance to meet him.
The officer, annoyed by Saitama's response, tried to maintain his composure and asked seriously, "Our general wants to know how you defeated the criminal."
Saitama shrugged and answered, "It's simple. If something can't be solved with one punch, then try two punches."
The crowd fell silent, stunned by his response.
A man in the crowd, eager to make a connection, shouted, "Yes, isn't it simple? Just become bald!"
Saitama's face darkened, and he retorted, "You're a bald idiot, shut up."
The officer's frustration was visible. He addressed Saitama sternly, "As a superhero, you need to be more respectful and answer seriously. You're under the scrutiny of the public."
Saitama glanced around and declared, "Listen up. I don't care about your recognition as a hero. I'm only interested in doing things my way. Who cares about your ministers or presidents? It's my business!"
The soldiers, who valued heroism and discipline, were taken aback by Saitama's dismissive attitude.