How Sitch negotiated with the Hero Association's higher-ups, Tatsumaki and Child Emperor had no idea.
But after waiting about half an hour, Sitch returned, drenched in sweat—clearly, his discussions with those executives had been extremely difficult.
Even after being told by Sitch that Child Emperor couldn't extract "Blackbird: Lover," they still hadn't completely given up resisting.
Some even suggested a desperate fight to the death with Zuke, betting on the strength of the S-Class heroes for a slim chance of survival.
However, it wasn't until Sitch informed them that Tatsumaki had fully defected to Zuke's side that the Hero Association's executives finally abandoned their resistance.
Thus, when Sitch returned, he brought good news for Zuke:
The Hero Association's higher-ups had agreed to obey Zuke's orders from now on.
After receiving Sitch's message, Zuke sensed a reaction from his "King's Army."
This confirmed that the "Hero Association" had become a force that could be incorporated into "King's Army." Zuke could now absorb it at any time.
Once that happened, not only would the Hero Association's staff fall under his command, but even its heroes would have to obey Zuke's orders.
Just like Homeless Emperor, even if they only nominally joined the organization, "King's Army" would count them as Zuke's subordinates.
Even Blast, the S-Class Rank 1 hero, was technically a member of the Hero Association... meaning Zuke could command him if he wished.
However, Blast's teammates—who never officially appeared in the original work—were obviously not part of the Hero Association, so Zuke likely couldn't mobilize them.
But it didn't matter. Zuke hadn't taken control of the Hero Association for their combat strength in the first place.
"Good work. You've done well."
Looking at Sitch, who seemed to have accepted his fate, Zuke nodded in satisfaction, patted his shoulder, and met his eyes.
"When those fools refused to see reason, your persuasion didn't go unnoticed. You didn't disappoint me."
Hearing Zuke's words, Sitch froze for a moment before his face turned pale.
The meaning was clear—Zuke had heard everything they discussed.
That's right. "Blackbird: Lover" was hidden inside their minds, so Zuke could listen to all their conversations through it.
While some among the Hero Association's executives were pragmatic, most still hadn't accepted reality and were unwilling to relinquish their power.
Even though Zuke had said he had no interest in interfering with the Hero Association's internal affairs, they clearly didn't believe him.
Though Zuke truly didn't care much about the Hero Association's day-to-day operations, the incompetence and corruption of these executives still annoyed him.
He had already decided that once the Hero Association helped him locate Garou, he would replace these higher-ups.
The transition would be seamless—no one would even notice the complete overhaul of the Hero Association's leadership.
Only a few competent executives like Sitch, who had performed well in the original story, would be spared.
As for who would replace the others... Zuke already had some ideas, but he naturally wouldn't share them with Sitch yet.
---
"You wanted to kill the Hero Association's executives earlier, didn't you?"
Though Zuke hadn't voiced his thoughts, Tatsumaki, who had been closely observing him, noticed the murderous intent in his words.
So after returning home with Zuke, she confronted him directly.
"I did consider it."
Zuke stroked his chin and smiled at Tatsumaki.
"What? Don't want me to do it? I doubt any of those executives are people you care about."
Tatsumaki had always been prideful, both inside and out. It was hard to imagine her having any fondness for those corrupt higher-ups.
"If they die, they die."
Sure enough, Tatsumaki scoffed, completely indifferent to the fate of the Hero Association's executives.
"What I'm worried about is that if you kill them all at once, the Hero Association might collapse into chaos."
This was also the main reason she had stopped Zuke from acting against the Hero Association earlier—while most of the higher-ups were scum, they couldn't all be purged in one go.
"Don't worry. I know. I'll gradually replace the Hero Association's leadership to ensure it keeps functioning."
Zuke nodded. After absorbing both the Hero Association and the Monster Association into "King's Army," this world would essentially become his virtual garden.
Since it was his territory, he naturally wanted to maintain order.
Though the Hero Association's leadership was corrupt, its heroes were the ones upholding society's stability.
Zuke had no intention of disrupting that—there was no benefit to him if this world fell into chaos.
"I see. That's good then."
Hearing his answer, Tatsumaki relaxed.
As long as the Hero Association remained intact, she would support whatever Zuke wanted to do.
---
"But since you took the initiative to help me persuade the Hero Association's executives, you've done well."
Zuke looked at Tatsumaki with a faint smile. When he first entered this world, he hadn't given her any orders—she had chosen to persuade Child Emperor and Sitch on her own.
Clearly, despite her tough attitude, Tatsumaki had already fully submitted to him, which pleased Zuke greatly.
"Is there any reward you'd like?"
Though Tatsumaki was already incredibly strong, Zuke had ways to make her even more powerful.
If she asked for a boost in strength, he could grant it.
But the "reward" Tatsumaki had in mind was completely different.
At his words, her face flushed red.
She glanced down at her petite figure, then recalled Psykos' earlier taunt about her physique.
"With a body that small, even if you wanted to do 'that' with Zuke, you probably couldn't handle it."
Remembering those words and now hearing Zuke mention a "reward," Tatsumaki could no longer suppress her dangerous thoughts.
So what if she was small? She was an adult—perfectly legal!
And who said an esper's body couldn't handle it?
She looked up at Zuke, took a deep breath, and voiced the "reward" she truly wanted.
To be continued...