A week later, after undergoing a complete reconstruction by the House of Evolution, Genos—now equipped with a brand-new combat body—once again stood before the door of Zenin Kyūjō's ho.
"Kyūjō-sensei! I wish to duel you!" Genos declared earnestly, his voice firm but respectful. "I know I'm nowhere near your level… but I want to try anyway. I need to see how far I still fall short."
Kyūjō didn't reject him. He simply nodded and said, "Alright."
Monts later, the two of them soared through the sky, heading toward the outskirts of Z-City.
— — —
They stood facing each other roughly a hundred ters apart.
After the enhancents done by the House of Evolution, Genos had undergone an astonishing transformation. His firepower, durability, and mobility had all improved dramatically. His chanical coordination was sharper, his movent algorithms smoother, his body more refined.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the current Genos could defeat five of his forr selves simultaneously.
Blue flas ignited across his limbs as his boosters flared to full power. With a thunderous roar, he launched himself forward—like a blazing rocket—straight toward Zenin Kyūjō!
But Kyūjō sidestepped effortlessly, his voice calm yet firm.
"Genos, even if your body is part machine, you should still study close-quarters martial arts—the rhythm and flow of human combat. Your form is still humanoid. If two people have the sa strength and speed, but one is a trained martial artist while the other is a street brawler… who do you think will win?"
Before Genos could respond, Kyūjō seized his chanical leg mid-flight. Using the force from Genos's own thrusters, he twisted his body slightly—
—and in an instant, Genos beca like a ragdoll.
Kyūjō slamd him repeatedly into the ground, creating a chain of massive craters that cracked the earth one after another.
— — —
When the dust settled, Genos lay buried in a smoking crater. Kyūjō stood above him, hands in his pockets.
"Do you feel it now, Genos?" he asked quietly.
"The power and speed I just used weren't higher than yours. Yet you couldn't land a single hit on . That's the difference technique makes."
Genos was silent for a few seconds, his chanical pupils dimming, before nodding resolutely. Then, without hesitation, he leapt up and charged again.
— — —
The progression of his fighting skill was rapid—almost frighteningly so.
With his supercomputer-level processing capacity, Genos could grasp the logic behind complex combat patterns that normally took humans years to master. With only a few words of guidance, he began to understand what it ant to fight.
Their master-and-disciple battle continued for the entire afternoon.
Only when Genos's energy core began to run low did they stop.
By the ti the sun began to set, Genos had gained more practical experience in one day than most heroes did in years.
Compared to the original Saitama's ntorship, Zenin Kyūjō was… far more instructive. A true teacher rather than a silent wall of power.
"Genos," Kyūjō said as he turned away, "after you rest and recharge, co see tomorrow. I'll take you to A-City for the Heroes Association exam. There are plenty of monsters there suited for your growth. You'll gain strength through real battles."
With that, he leapt lightly into the air—vanishing from sight in an instant.
Thanks to his mastery over Starforce, Kyūjō no longer needed techniques like Air Step. He could simply fly by manipulating energy itself.
— — —
The next morning, Genos returned as promised. Together, he and Kyūjō traveled to the Heroes Association Headquarters in A-City.
A few hours later, Genos—whose power and charisma made a huge impression—was imdiately promoted to S-Class, Rank 17, just like in the original tiline.
The reason was simple: the Association believed he was the one who destroyed the House of Evolution.
In truth, it was Kyūjō who had eliminated the organization, but because Genos's plasma cannon had reduced their above-ground base to rubble, the Association assud he was responsible for everything.
Thus, he was rewarded with instant promotion.
anwhile, Zenin Kyūjō quietly rose one rank to B-Class, Rank 5.
This happened because Hellish Blizzard, the Rank 1 of B-Class, had voluntarily applied for promotion to A-Class—automatically moving everyone below her up one slot.
Among the S-Class heroes who actually knew Kyūjō's true power, none reported it to the Association.
Especially not Tornado of Terror, Rank 2.
After all, it would be humiliating to admit that she'd once been punched so hard she threw up.
Even though the one who made her vomit had technically been Saitama the Bald, not Kyūjō, the incident was still far too embarrassing for her to ntion.
— — —
The real shock, however, ca from Saitama himself.
He had already climbed to A-Class, Rank 2, with only Sweet Mask—Rank 1—standing in his way.
But could Sweet Mask truly stop him?
Kyūjō doubted it.
If Sweet Mask minded his own business, he'd survive. But if he challenged Saitama, then…
Kyūjō feared the man would die from a single punch.
After all, Sweet Mask's true identity—was a monster.
A monster who swore to protect humanity.
"Let's hope Saitama holds back," Kyūjō muttered as he looked up at the Association's ranking board. "That guy might be eccentric, but he's not evil. He doesn't deserve to die."
"I should warn him tonight."
— — —
"Kyūjō-sensei! This is outrageous!" Genos shouted beside him, his tone filled with righteous fury.
"The Association's executives must be blind! How could soone as strong, wise, and compassionate as you be ranked so low?! You're the one who destroyed the House of Evolution, not ! This injustice cannot stand! I'll go confront them right now—"
"Calm down, Genos."
Kyūjō smiled wryly, patting his student's shoulder.
"I don't care about rankings. It's not their fault. Most of my battles happened off the record. There's no need to get angry."
But before Genos could respond, a familiar green blur descended from the sky, landing right in front of them with explosive force.
"Hey, white-haired guy! You're Zenin Kyūjō, right?!"
"Fight again!"
Standing there, arms crossed and hair floating like a storm, was Tornado of Terror—Tatsumaki, the Rank 2 S-Class hero herself.
Kyūjō only sighed softly and shook his head.
"I'm not interested in fighting you. It's a waste of ti."
"Hmph!" Tatsumaki snapped, her eyes flashing. With a surge of psychic power, she unleashed a violent telekinetic wave.
Genos was instantly blown back, smashing into the Association's reinforced wall hard enough to leave a crater.
Kyūjō, however, stood unmoving, his Starforce aura shimring faintly around him, completely negating the attack.
He frowned slightly. This woman really doesn't learn…
After confirming Genos was still functional, Kyūjō vanished and reappeared right in front of Tatsumaki, his right fist already drawn back.
The sa clean, devastating strike as before—straight to the stomach.
But this ti, Tatsumaki was prepared. She poured every ounce of her psychic energy into a defensive barrier around her midsection.
Unfortunately, when Kyūjō's fist connected, her barrier shattered like fragile glass.
"—Blargh!!"
And once again, history repeated itself.
Kyūjō sidestepped smoothly to avoid the incoming spray, his expression completely calm. Then he turned around, walked to the wall, and gently pulled Genos free from the dented tal.
Without saying another word, the two of them left the Association grounds—
—leaving behind a furious, humiliated Tornado of Terror who could only grit her teeth and clutch her aching stomach, eyes burning with tears of rage.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
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