Meanwhile…
Pale-green psychokinesis swirled around King as he hovered in the air, quietly watching Genos trade blows with the Giant Younger Brother.
Seeing that Genos's full-power blast couldn't even scratch the giant's armor, King wasn't the least bit surprised.
If this Giant Younger Brother matched his manga specs, that shot would probably have left him badly injured, and Genos would still have a chance to win.
Unfortunately, this was the anime version—a few thousand meters tall, easily Dragon-level or higher.
Right now, even upgraded, the Financially-Strapped Hero topped out at High Demon; breaking the giant's skin was impossible.
King dropped to within a kilometer of the fight and rang the Hero Association.
At Hero Association HQ…
Sitch was suddenly struck by a doubt.
Why is it always me watching, always me stressing whenever a major disaster hits?
Oh, right—the Hero Association's upper brass are all useless; only I do any real work.
Damn it!
After a few silent curses, duty won out. Sitch turned to the staff members and barked:
"Status on the B-City giant—any S-Class Heroes en route?"
"Sir, over 40% of B-City has been leveled. The giant is currently engaged with a cyborg."
"Per our files, it's Genos—not on our Hero Registry—but he's taken down plenty of criminal groups."
The Cyborg Genos?
Sitch blinked, surprised it wasn't one of the Association's own S-Class Heroes trading blows with the monster.
As a mid-level officer, he'd heard of Genos; the cyborg had saved the Association a lot of trouble.
Suddenly, a profile popped up on the control-room screen, requesting a call.
"It's Mister King—requesting connection!"
"Patch him through—now!"
Sitch's heart leapt. If King had arrived, maybe the crisis was already over.
The room's tension melted at once—that's the aura of the Strongest Man on the Surface of the Earth; the moment he shows up, any calamity seems to dissolve in the roar of the Emperor Engine.
The call connected, and King's calm voice came through:
"This is King. I'm in B-City. The one fighting is my disciple, Genos. Upgrade the giant to a Dragon-level disaster—its destructive power and threat meet the standard."
"Understood—updating immediately!"
Sitch, like a grunt taking orders from a big boss, hurriedly reclassified the Giant Younger Brother's disaster level.
Once done, he noticed the line was still open and asked cautiously:
"Mister King, what's the next step?"
"Cancel the disaster alert."
"Wh-what??"
Sitch and the staff members stared at the satellite feed of the still-rampaging giant, baffled.
The giant is alive and active—why cancel the alert?
"Because I'm here."
With those words came the steady thud of an engine—his Emperor Engine echoed through the control room. Gale winds whipped his blond hair as Genos stared in disbelief, the muzzles of both arms still smoking from the high-power incineration cannon.
Impossible!
The Giant Younger Brother slapped his cheek, brushing away the last scorch marks, his voice shaking the air:
"That your so-called power? Pathetic compared to mine!"
He punched. A fist bigger than a house filled Genos's vision.
A razor wind slammed outward; Genos fired every thruster to pull away.
Yet he found the punch's pressure locking him in place—his jets couldn't break free.
No—if that fist lands, I'm dead!
His mechanical body couldn't take it; frame and core would shatter together.
The giant felt victory, grinning blood-thirstily as the blow homed in.
Impact. A shockwave erupted, ground ripping outward in cracked waves.
But instead of crushing his foe, the giant's fist met an iron wall—no give at all.
Genos, rattled, stared at the massive fist a meter away—and at the tall figure blocking it:
"KING-Sensei…"
"You're out of your league—leave the rest to me."
King floated, catching the giant's full-force punch one-handed, not budging an inch.
Saved by his sensei again, Genos lowered his head, fists clenched in shame:
"Sorry, KING-Sensei. I'm always holding you back. If I weren't so weak, you wouldn't have to keep saving me…"
King was speechless.
I told you to run—why are you still here doing self-criticism? The shock waves will tear you apart!
Seeing Genos still rambling apologies, King frowned and grabbed the cyborg by the scruff of his neck.
Enough chatter—are you a machine or a broken record? Move!
Before Genos could react, the world blurred as he was hurled away.
As he flew, his sensors caught King's final words:
"Watch closely—this is what a real fight looks like."
...
(End of Chapter)
[I will Release 2 chapters everyday]
[100 Power stones, 1 Bonus Chapter]