"Genos, let's go! Push the spaceship!" Saitama called out.
Genos followed without hesitation, answering with a crisp, "Yes, Sensei," as he trailed close behind.
Watching the two leave, Kaito stood still, pondering his next move. A sharp, disdainful snort snapped him from his thoughts.
"Hmph!"
Hovering in mid-air, Tatsumaki crossed her arms. Her emerald eyes flicked toward Kaito, chin tilted upward as she barked:
"Hey! Just now, you said 'the three strongest people in the world' standing together… While you're right to acknowledge me as the strongest, who gave you permission to stand at my side?!"
Kaito looked at the pint-sized esper, who despite her twenty-eight years still had the appearance of a stubborn teenager. The corner of his mouth curled upward. Her expression—caring, but desperate to hide it—was irresistibly amusing.
"Oh~, then little Tatsumaki," he drawled deliberately, "if you're not on my side… are you siding with those useless people?"
"Don't call me little Tatsumaki!" She immediately flared up, her pale cheeks puffing as they turned pink with rage. "Call me Tatsumaki-sama! Have some respect for your elders, you idiot King!"
"Alright, little Tatsumaki." Kaito nodded earnestly. "Whatever you say, little Tatsumaki."
"Ahhh—!!!" Tatsumaki completely lost her composure. Her psychic aura trembled with fury, rippling the air around her. Stomping on the void itself, she screamed:
"Reina! We're leaving! I refuse to waste another second with this annoying guy!"
Before her words had even finished, a torrent of psychic energy surged outward. Chiba Reina barely managed to gasp before her body was swept up in the emerald tide.
As she was carried off, Reina shot Kaito a sharp look full of accusation, as if to say: Did you really have to provoke her? I'm the one who pays for it every time!
Kaito only shrugged and smiled back, the very picture of mischief. He even waved cheerfully, like teasing her was a pastime he'd never tire of.
Of course, he knew Tatsumaki wasn't truly angry enough to cut ties. She just needed a convenient excuse. Or, more accurately, a "reasonable" reason to help out.
After all, relying on Saitama's raw strength to push a spaceship of that size? That would end in disaster. The hull would tear before it even budged.
No—Tatsumaki's telekinesis was essential. Wrapping the ship in psychic reinforcement, protecting its frame while Saitama applied brute force—that was the only safe method.
This girl… always saying one thing while doing the opposite. Pretending to storm off when in reality, she was making sure everything went smoothly.
"A woman's heart, impossible to read… No, scratch that. A tsundere loli's heart is a cosmic riddle," Kaito muttered under his breath.
At that moment, Pig God, who had been silently standing by, finally spoke up.
The enormous S-Class Hero stepped forward, patting his round belly. With a wet, nauseating sound, he spat up a ball of meat—one that pulsed faintly, sealed within it the alien Geryuganshoop.
"King, the thing you asked me to hold. I… have something else to handle, so I'll be going now."
Pig God stretched out a hand like a massive fan, offering the squirming orb to Kaito.
"Thanks, Pig God. You really helped me out." Kaito accepted it without the slightest hesitation, then grinned. "In a few days, I'll treat you to hot pot. Same place as always—top-grade wagyu all you can eat, plus Orochi sashimi. You have to come."
At the mention of hot pot, Pig God's eyes gleamed. His face lit up with pure delight, two rows of pearly-white teeth flashing as he beamed.
"Okay! I'll definitely be there! If there's food, I, Pig God, will never be absent!"
His booming voice echoed with certainty. Then, to Kaito's mild amusement, his massive body suddenly moved with shocking agility. Like a rolling tank, Pig God barreled toward the outskirts and vanished from sight in an instant.
Once he was gone, Bang also excused himself quietly, leaving Kaito alone again.
Weighing the heavy "sealed meatball" in his palm, Kaito turned his gaze back toward Saitama and Tatsumaki. It was time to catch up and deal with the real challenge of moving the ship.
Just then, a cold, mechanical voice rang out behind him—flat and emotionless.
"King, interested in making a deal?"
Kaito paused, then slowly turned around.
About ten meters away, a sleek, futuristic robot stood silently among the ruins, as if it had materialized out of thin air.
Its silver-gray armor gleamed with a cold luster under the dim light, its frame streamlined like a weapon forged for efficiency. The most distinct feature, however, was the oval-shaped head with glowing reddish-orange sensors that flickered faintly like watchful eyes.
Kaito raised an eyebrow, instantly recognizing the design. His tone was flat, almost bored:
"Bofoy?"
The robot's eyes blinked once, a small flicker betraying a trace of surprise at hearing its real name spoken aloud. But its voice remained calm and even, unshaken:
"King. During official duties or in public, please use my hero alias—Metal Knight."
Kaito gave a casual shrug. "Okay, Bofoy. No problem, Bofoy."
He deliberately dragged out the syllables, teasingly crisp.
The machine didn't flinch. Bofoy's AI-controlled drones had no patience for childish banter, and the scientist himself had long since built a resistance to verbal prodding. Instead, he cut straight to business:
"King, I require complete alien technology data from inside the spaceship. Specifically: propulsion systems, weapons modules, and structural blueprints. Name your price."
Kaito stroked his chin, considering.
If Bofoy had cloaked his request in lofty excuses—"for Earth's safety" or "the Association needs it"—Kaito would've dismissed him instantly, told him to roll back into whatever bunker he crawled from. He wasn't a philanthropist, and he certainly wasn't one of those hot-blooded heroes easily swayed by righteous speeches.
But Bofoy wasn't trying to strong-arm him. He was offering a deal—an exchange between equals.
That made it interesting.
The reasons to accept were obvious:
First, it was practically free profit. Data was just information. With Tong Di's team making a complete copy, Kaito's side would lose nothing. The core ship, the hardware, the most valuable assets would still be theirs. Giving Bofoy a set was no different than selling the same book twice.
Second, Tong Di could act as a filter. The boy genius wasn't just brilliant—he was meticulous and absolutely loyal to Kaito. With him overseeing the data, only "safe" technologies would ever make it to Bofoy's hands. Any dangerous or world-shaking designs could be conveniently labeled "damaged," "unrecoverable," or "classified."
And third…
This was what Kaito valued most.
The mechanical army.
The automated factories.
The sheer construction capabilities under Bofoy's control.
For someone like Kaito, who never wasted strength on pointless fights and preferred to win through overwhelming resources, such an ally—or even just a temporary partner—was worth serious consideration.
He smirked faintly.
"Not a bad offer…"
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