Chapter 16 — Dominator of the Universe
After promising not to attack anyone anymore, Fubuki finally loosened her embrace around Tatsumaki. With brisk steps, she walked over to Zenin Kyūjō and Saitama.
Seeing Fubuki standing beside him like that, Zenin Kyūjō could only sigh helplessly.
Was she really expecting both him and Saitama to help her deal with her older sister's wrath?
"Hey! Since when did you three get so close, huh?" Tatsumaki shot them a sharp, suspicious look.
Zenin Kyūjō just shrugged and replied casually, "Maybe... just a few minutes ago."
"Enough, Tatsumaki." His tone softened, but his words carried weight. "Honestly, there's no real grudge between us. Sure, I made you throw up twice, but think about it—weren't you the one who attacked first each time? You never even gave me a chance to explain. If you keep doing that, I won't be as nice next time."
"Hmph." Tatsumaki snorted coldly, her voice sharp as usual, but there was a faint shift—her tone had softened ever so slightly.
Noticing the tension melting away, Zenin Kyūjō smiled and turned to the two sisters. "Have you eaten? If not, stay and have a meal here. I can cook plenty of dishes."
— — —
"I want ramen... tonkotsu ramen... is that okay?" Fubuki asked softly, her cheeks tinged pink as she glanced sideways at Zenin Kyūjō.
"Of course. Give me a moment," Kyūjō replied with an easy smile before turning to Tatsumaki. "And you? What do you want to eat?"
"Hmmph... Fine. Since you seem sincere enough, I'll accept your apology. Make me some hot rice with soup..." she muttered, her voice trailing off toward the end.
"Got it. One tonkotsu ramen and one bowl of hot soup rice. It'll be ready soon."
With that, Kyūjō headed straight to the kitchen.
— — —
Their casual conversation left Sweet Mask frozen in disbelief.
Tatsumaki—the Rank 2 hero of the S-Class. He could understand that she might not be able to defeat Saitama, since he'd seen firsthand just how absurdly powerful that bald-headed man was.
But Zenin Kyūjō... was on that level too?
The way he spoke to Tatsumaki—it was as if he were talking to a mischievous child.
There are still heroes this powerful hiding in the world? Sweet Mask thought to himself.
It seemed he'd been far too naïve all along.
After finishing the sisters' meal and calming the mood, Zenin Kyūjō suddenly felt something through his Infinity Perception System—an enormous object moving fast through space.
A massive spaceship.
It was hurtling through Earth's orbit, descending rapidly.
Zenin Kyūjō's eyes narrowed. He knew exactly what it was.
The main villain from One Punch Man's first season—the Dominator of the Universe, Boros—who crossed the sea of stars just to meet his death on Earth.
And who would eventually be obliterated by Saitama's Serious Punch.
Glancing at the bald man still relaxing nearby, Kyūjō mused silently, Should I head there first and take care of those monsters myself?
...Why not?
At worst, he could have a light spar with Saitama afterward—and maybe help him break through to the God-level even earlier.
Having made up his mind, Kyūjō decided to distract his bald friend.
"Saitama, I saw a new supermarket open downtown yesterday! They're doing a fifty-percent-off sale today—everything's half-price. Want to check it out? If you find any good ingredients, grab some for me too. I'll make you a special lunch later."
Saitama's golden eyes sparkled instantly, his excitement bubbling over.
"Seriously?! I'm going right now! Where is it?"
Kyūjō calmly gave him the name of a rather remote location. Without hesitation, Saitama dashed off, his figure vanishing in a blur.
When Sweet Mask looked like he was about to follow, Kyūjō quickly stopped him.
"Sweet Mask, let him go alone. I still need your help here. Alright?"
Sweet Mask hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Fine."
— — —
Once Saitama was far enough away, Zenin Kyūjō's expression turned serious. He faced everyone in the room.
"There's going to be an attack—by a group of monsters. Aliens, to be exact. Their mothership is currently in orbit, approaching Earth. Their goal is to conquer this planet."
"I'm going to confront them. Anyone who wants to come with me, I'll take you along. This is a great opportunity."
"Except you, Fubuki. Sorry—but your strength isn't enough yet. I'll be fighting their commander myself, and I can't guarantee your safety."
The room fell silent.
...Aliens?
Tatsumaki stared at him like he'd just lost his mind.
Even if aliens did exist, how could he be the only one who knew? The Hero Association hadn't detected a thing.
How could he pinpoint the enemy's exact location all the way out in space?
Though she found it hard to believe, Tatsumaki still asked, "If that's true... how strong are they?"
"Most of them are Dragon-level threats, and there are many. One of them is even said to be the strongest esper in the galaxy."
"Their leader, Boros, is somewhere between the peak of Dragon-level and the threshold of God-level. In this world, only Saitama, Blast, and I can face him."
"If you don't want to come, that's fine. I can just bring Genos."
Sweet Mask frowned slightly. "But you said their ship is still in space. We're human—we can't survive in a vacuum. Even with space suits, our movement would be too limited for a real fight."
"Why not wait until they land? Once they enter the atmosphere, we can take them all out together."
"And one more thing... why send Saitama away? He's insanely strong. If he came along, this would be over with one punch."
Zenin Kyūjō exhaled softly and replied with calm certainty.
"I have a way to keep everyone alive in space. As for Saitama—he's too powerful. Those aliens wouldn't give him any meaningful experience."
"But for the rest of you, this is a rare opportunity."
"If we fight them on Earth, the destruction would be catastrophic. That's why I want to confront them outside the planet."
"Fine, I get it! Let's go!"
Surprisingly, Tatsumaki—usually so stubborn—looked excited this time. She genuinely wanted to see what kind of esper dared to claim the title of the strongest in the universe.
Sweet Mask merely shrugged, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
"In that case... I'm coming too."
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