After wrapping things up, Saitama and the others finally left Skull Island and headed back to the human world's bustling metropolis.
Before departing, they had left the islanders a generous supply of delicious foods that could only be bought on the mainland. That gesture made the natives even more grateful to Saitama and his group.
Only, whenever night fell, the islanders would hear their "Lord Kong" roaring in impotent rage from somewhere beyond the rainforest. The sound left them faintly uneasy.
Then, on a pitch-black night, a watchman suddenly saw a massive black shape leap out of the rainforest.
"Oh my god, our god just ran out of the jungle behind us!"
Under the stunned gazes of the villagers, that black shadow bounded farther and farther away, racing toward the ocean on the far side of the island—straight toward the distant continent beyond.
Just what in the world had happened?
…
On the other side of the world, in an American city district.
Saitama and Vivian had just finished attending the premiere of a movie titled "The Story That Had to Be Told Between Hero Saitama and Skull Island's Kong." Invited as the leads, the two of them now walked down the main street hand in hand.
Their appearance instantly caused a wave of commotion.
Countless reporters, clutching the badges of their respective outlets, shoved their way up to Saitama to get a close-range interview.
Optimus Prime and Bumblebee even helped out, standing at Saitama's side to make group photos easier for everyone.
Strictly speaking, the movie edited and directed personally by Hollywood director Carl shouldn't have had such a ridiculously long title. The only reason things ended up like this was the usual problem of "creative" translations between Chinese and English.
In overseas markets, the film had a much simpler name: "Superman."
"Who knows what's going on in these reporters' heads. At the end of the day, it's just a superhero movie," Saitama thought to himself helplessly.
He had no idea that, as the leading man of a massive commercial blockbuster, his popularity had already surpassed a whole crowd of Oscar-winning stars—putting him almost on par with the actress who played Black Widow.
Carl noticed that Saitama and the others were starting to look tired. He hurriedly signaled the security guards with a look.
"Alright, alright, make some room, please! Our star needs to rest. We can take more photos tomorrow, okay?"
But just then, Carl happened to glance at a distant skyscraper—and saw a new shadow appear on its rooftop.
That shadow covered an area as big as a small mountain, and for some reason it instantly reminded him of Kong from Skull Island.
"My god, did I really just see a shadow that looks exactly like Kong? Don't tell me something's gone wrong…" Carl muttered.
The thought startled him so much that he quickly slapped his own mouth.
"Don't jinx it, don't jinx it. I'm definitely just overthinking things."
Yet in that exact moment, a gorilla-like roar rolled through the night sky.
When Carl saw the looks on the faces around him, he knew his premonition had been spot on—the shadow really was Kong.
Saitama reacted immediately and turned to the Transformers beside him.
"Optimus, Bumblebee, help get the crowd out of here first. I'll go tangle with that guy."
But the Autobot at Cade's side—the one dressed up like an ancient samurai—stepped forward and spoke up instead.
"It's just a big ape, what's everyone freaking out about? Let me be the one in the spotlight this time, alright, guys?"
Seeing this Autobot brother he hadn't met for a while suddenly volunteer, Saitama scratched his head.
He had, after all, been treating this world as if it were Kong's world, and had almost forgotten that the Kong storyline was just a small "side dungeon" inside the broader Transformers world.
He would have to leave the Transformers world sooner or later. So why not use this chance to let some of the heroes who were supposed to stand on the side of justice have their moment on stage?
Boom!
Just as Saitama settled in to enjoy the show, the sky thundered once again.
The Kong from Skull Island swatted Cade's samurai Autobot away in a single blow.
All anyone saw was that Autobot's body flying backwards like a gigantic ball before smashing down onto the sidewalk.
Several parked cars were crushed into scrap metal under the impact. The only fortunate thing was that no one had been inside those vehicles.
In an instant, chaos engulfed the street once more.
Everyone on the road surged toward where Saitama stood, clustering around him.
All eyes were filled with the same pleading expectation—they wanted their hero to take the field.
Saitama: "…"
Optimus Prime and Bumblebee saw how reluctant Saitama looked and tried to help him save face.
"Saitama, I know you don't really want to step in right away," Optimus said solemnly. "You're worried about hurting Swordsman's pride. It's alright. He can hold out a while longer."
Bumblebee: "…"
The crowd: "…"
The fight on the street continued.
But Swordsman's stance kept being forced back, step after step.
The people standing near Saitama could even hear the samurai Autobot's heavy, ragged breathing.
No one truly understood how the Cybertronian Autobots managed to be this… humanlike.
Optimus Prime and Bumblebee both felt their scalps tingle.
They had been on Earth for quite some time now, but this was the first time they'd ever seen a gorilla like Kong—a beast with hide as tough as steel and a body built like a tank.
Their bullets did nothing to him at all, and their tracking missiles couldn't keep up with Kong's agile movements.
All they could really do was slug it out with him head-on.
Three minutes later…
Kong sent Swordsman flying with a single kick, then stomped down hard.
Crack.
Swordsman's leg was crushed under Kong's foot.
Five minutes later.
Swordsman was punched through the air again.
This time his entire chest assembly was shattered.
By the six-minute mark, Swordsman could only lie on the ground, staring up at the furious giant ape looming over him.
Optimus Prime and Bumblebee could no longer spare any thought for Swordsman's pride; they rushed in to rescue him, only to be swatted away by Kong in one sweeping blow.
Kong then sprang straight toward Saitama and landed heavily in front of him, roaring right into his face.
Roar!
A shockwave of sound slammed toward Saitama.
If he hadn't been shielding the people around him, they would all have been blown away by that roar alone.
Only now did the crowd truly realize that the trailers and posters advertising Kong hadn't exaggerated at all.
Kong's real body was ten thousand times larger than an ordinary ape.
His teeth were as solid and unyielding as the standing stones of Stonehenge.
And his sheer presence was the most worldview-shattering thing any of them had ever seen.
"Oh my god, how can something this powerful exist in the world?!"
At this point, everyone's attention focused entirely on Saitama.
Because in the blockbuster about Saitama and Kong, Saitama had been the one—and only—hero capable of subduing Kong.
Saitama stood facing Kong.
A clash between two world-class powerhouses was about to erupt.
Biu!
Just then, an ordinary person behind Saitama pulled out a handgun and fired at Kong.
Kong completely ignored the impact of the standard bullets, his gaze remaining locked squarely on Saitama.
Unwilling to accept this, the man fired a second shot.
This time, they all watched as Kong casually swept his massive palm through the air, smacking the bullet aside. By the time it hit the ground, it had been flattened into a lump of metal paste.
Hiss—
The crowd collectively sucked in a cold breath.
So this was how terrifyingly strong Kong really was.
Yet even so, their hero—Saitama—was still standing right there in front of Kong.
"I did spare you once before," Saitama said quietly. "But it looks like you're not going to calm down unless I beat you into submission."
"Ding~ Kong mission continuation reactivated!"
"Defeat Kong to strengthen your attributes!"
(End of Chapter)
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