Years of effort felt like a joke.
Chu Yang patted Genos on the shoulder, his tone lighthearted. "From today, this place is under my control. You can continue your research, but only as my assistant."
Genos, still vacant-eyed, said nothing.
Sonic, annoyed, slapped Genos hard on the back. "My teacher is talking to you!"
Startled, Genus snapped out of it, looking at Chu Yang in a panic. "I'm sorry, what did you just say?"
Sonic glared at him. "This place is now our base."
Genus quickly nodded. "Of course, no problem, as long as you don't kill me."
Sonic's tone turned icy. "I wasn't finished. You'll stay here and help my teacher with his research."
Genus's expression turned sour. "The strongest modified human from the House of Evolution was defeated. My research is worthless now; it has no value."
Grabbing Genus by the collar, Sonic warned impatiently, "Value is for my teacher to decide. Your job is to follow orders. Got it?"
Terrified, Genus nodded repeatedly.
"Can you be more polite? You're a registered hero, not a villain. If you keep acting like this, one day you'll become a 'solitary ninja.'" Chu Yang clicked his tongue, offering friendly advice.
"Haha, Teacher! A ninja should be solitary!" Sonic, thinking Chu Yang was complimenting him, struck a proud pose and eased his grip on Genus.
Relieved, Genos sighed in relief.
"Whatever makes you happy. May your dreams come true!" Chu Yang muttered, shivering at the thought of Sonic's future. His lower body suddenly felt cold.
"Grab something random to hand to the driver outside and send him away," Chu Yang instructed before diving into Genus's experimental logs.
With Genus's help, Sonic collected some inconsequential data and returned to the surface.
As he stepped out of the building, Sonic saw a bald man in a strange cape and a cyborg standing by a car, arguing with the driver.
"The monster inside is already being handled by a hero. Please wait outside for now."
"Huh? What are you talking about? The guy in there attacked us!"
"Please control your emotions. If you cause trouble, I'll report you to the Hero Association."
"Damn it…"
Are these the people who originally came to the House of Evolution?
Was the Carnage Kabuto released for them?
Seeing the two newcomers, Sonic's mind stirred, and he approached, handing the data to the driver, who looked visibly relieved.
"Who are you?" Sonic asked, turning to the two.
"I'm Saitama, and he's Genos. And you are?" Saitama scratched his head as he instinctively introduced himself.
"I'm Sonic, a ninja… still in training, so not a full-fledged ninja yet."
Sonic paused before continuing, "If you're here for the monsters from the House of Evolution, you can leave. My teacher has already dealt with them."
"What?! Already dealt with?" Saitama complained. "I came all this way for nothing…"
Genos hesitated upon hearing that the House of Evolution had been destroyed. He had previously fought some modified monsters, and their strength wasn't trivial.
One particular gorilla had mentioned that the House of Evolution had even stronger creations.
Ordinary heroes wouldn't be able to handle such monsters.
"May I ask what rank hero you are?" Genos asked cautiously.
Sonic proudly lifted his chin. "I am the renowned C-Class hero, Flashy Ninja!"
Genos and Saitama exchanged glances, silent for a moment, before speaking in unison.
"Let us go inside and check for ourselves!"
"This guy doesn't seem too bright. Could he have been tricked by a monster?"
"Teacher, that's possible. We need to confirm if the monsters are truly gone."
"He even has a teacher?"
"If he's C-Class, his teacher is probably B-Class at most."
"The more I hear, the less reassured I feel. Genos, let's go in and take a look."
As they spoke, the two attempted to enter the building.
Sonic blocked their path, his expression darkening. "If you two take another step, I'll make a move."
Having spent time with Chu Yang, Sonic's personality had changed somewhat.
Previously, he wouldn't have said a word before attacking.
"Then go ahead, Genos."
"Understood, Sensei."
Genos's metal body began to heat up rapidly, his arms slightly raised as flames gathered in his palms.
Looking closely, one could see a red-hot cannon barrel in his palms.
Sensing danger, Sonic vanished from his spot in a flash.
The next moment, a scorching beam pierced through where he had been, distorting the air with its heat.
"Huh?"
"He dodged it…"
Genos realized that the self-proclaimed ninja C-Class hero seemed to have real skill.
Even with the power output reduced, the laser's speed wasn't something an average person could evade.
"This isn't just C-Class hero strength."
In a fleeting moment, blades glinted before Genos's eyes. Activating his thrusters, he retreated with immense force, narrowly dodging the attack.
The blade grazed his steel chest, sparking brightly.
Barely avoiding the strike, Genos's arm cannons fully unfolded, unleashing a barrage of firepower.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Explosions echoed relentlessly, the ground trembling, scaring the driver into fleeing with the car.
Genos's firepower was overwhelming, but he was most vulnerable to agile melee fighters.
No matter how powerful the attack, it was useless if it couldn't hit. And Sonic's speed was top-tier.
In the world of One Punch Man, there were individuals who could match Sonic's speed, but Genos wasn't one of them.
Firepower and lasers intertwined into a terrifying barrage, attempting to engulf Sonic.
With ghost-like agility, Sonic weaved through the storm of attacks, narrowly avoiding the scorching beams, unscathed.
Watching from the sidelines, Saitama tilted his head. "His speed is impressive. If this continues, Genos might lose."
Under the relentless firepower, the area surrounding the building turned to scorched earth, gradually affecting the structure itself.
Genos, sensing Sonic's formidable strength, regretted underestimating him earlier.
Unfortunately, Sonic, now angered, wouldn't stop even if Genos wanted to end the fight.
The ideal solution was to press on and find a way to suppress Sonic to conclude this pointless battle.
On the battlefield, the situation shifted in an instant.
While Genos was momentarily distracted, a dazzling flash of light surged directly in front of him.
For the first time, a rare look of panic appeared on the half-cyborg's usually indifferent face.
The two were so close that Genos could distinctly sense Sonic's breath and heartbeat.
A katana, gleaming with a cold light, was thrust by Sonic into the energy reactor at Genos's chest.
Sonic intended to sever Genos's energy supply conduit.
Realizing Sonic's plan, Genos immediately caused an energy overload within his body, generating an intense, terrifying heat.
The katana that had penetrated his body melted in an instant, failing to destroy Genos's energy conduit.
However, the energy overload temporarily rendered Genos immobile.
"You can't move now, can you?"
Sonic's mocking laughter made Genos's pupils contract. Only then did he realize that this might have been Sonic's plan all along.
In the next moment, Sonic threw a shuriken directly at Genos's critical parts.
"Damn it!"
Instinctively, Genos closed his eyes, prepared for the worst.
The bald hero in the yellow cape, however, wasn't about to let Genos die so easily. In a flash, he appeared in front of Genos and blocked the attack.
Sonic's smile froze, and his expression turned grave as he stared at Saitama.
As a hero known for his speed, Sonic had exceptional dynamic vision, yet he still couldn't track Saitama's movements.
"Taking on both of them at once is a bit much. Should I retreat first?"
"But Sensei is still down below..."
After a moment of contemplation, Sonic firmly decided to guard the entrance. No matter what, he couldn't allow the two to disrupt his teacher.
Genos, meanwhile, had realized that Sonic was indeed capable of handling the monsters here. He hadn't been lying.
But Saitama, being as straightforward as ever, hadn't considered this possibility.
He still wanted to move Sonic out of the way.
So, after deflecting the shuriken, Saitama's figure disappeared again and reappeared in front of Sonic, delivering a punch.
An ordinary punch.
Yet it carried an indescribably terrifying aura.
Sonic, overwhelmed by the pressure, froze in place.
"Sensei!"
Genos shouted from behind Saitama.
"I know."
Saitama replied in a muffled voice. The punch he had thrown turned into an open palm, aiming to push Sonic away.
Even though he had restrained his strength, the slap was enough to send Sonic flying hundreds of meters.
The mere gust from his palm made it hard for anyone to keep their eyes open.
At the critical moment, another figure appeared in front of Sonic.
This newcomer was cloaked in lightning.
Boom!
A deafening thunderclap echoed.
The figure extended a hand, blocking Saitama's palm.
The terrifying impact rippled outward, centered on the two of them. The building behind Sonic trembled violently, and its windows shattered simultaneously!
"Sensei..."
Sonic looked at the newcomer, feeling both touched and a bit ashamed.
Chu Yang frowned slightly. Saitama's slap had nearly fractured his arm, but the cracks in his bones were instantly healed by his immense vitality.
"If not for the combination of Wood Release and Lightning Armor, that blow would've been hard to withstand."
"As expected of the invincible protagonist in the setting. In terms of raw physical attack power, he's the strongest I've encountered."
Truthfully, Chu Yang had no intention of clashing with Saitama right now.
But life is full of unexpected events.
Chu Yang wasn't afraid of Saitama, who was nearly invincible within this world's setting. After all, he himself existed outside this world's framework and possessed certain methods to counter him.
For example...
Blood-red tomoe appeared once again, spinning slowly in Chu Yang's pupils.
Saitama, accidentally catching a glimpse, immediately fell into a daze, standing motionless.
At the same time, within the illusionary space, Saitama was bound to a massive cross by chains.
The ground, like a mirror, reflected his current state.
Looking down, Saitama saw a familiar yet nostalgic head of black hair.
It was himself, the way he had looked as an ordinary person years ago.
Saitama was momentarily stunned.
A shadow appeared before him.
Saitama saw an unfamiliar young man approaching with a weapon in hand.
The young man's smile was kind and gentle, much like a friendly neighbor's.
"I'm beginning to understand why Uchiha Itachi enjoyed using this technique."
"It's simply too entertaining..."
Moments later, agonized screams echoed within the illusionary space.