"Tch, at least this newbie knows his place. Iaian, when we're promoted to S-class we'll… wait? What… what did he just say?"
Bushidrill spoke instinctively, then suddenly froze, thinking he'd misheard.
Not just him.
All the pro heroes present, the staff recording results, Sekis, and everyone else were stunned.
When they came back to their senses—
The entire testing area erupted in laughter!
"Hahahahaha! You're killing me! The thickest and hardest one? From this weakling?"
"I swear, he's just here to put on a show!"
"Careful, brother, don't snap your hand in half when you punch it!"
"Tsk tsk, coming to the Hero Association just to seek attention—this guy's got screws loose."
Sekis hesitated, but still followed instructions and had the thickest test steel plate prepared.
Four reinforced androids slowly carried in a three-meter-thick cube of steel.
"Sigh… I'll wait outside. Hurry it up."
Seeing the all-too-familiar scene, Saitama looked bored. Last time he had blasted straight through this cube with a single punch—it had been so dull he nearly fell asleep.
"Tsk tsk, looks like even Saitama's disappointed in him. Poor guy!"
"I bet he's gonna scream for his mama after one punch!"
"No way, he'll scream for his dad instead!"
The pros watching were mostly muscle-heads, full of testosterone, their words unrestrained and mocking.
But Bruce Banner didn't get angry. Instead, a strange calm welled up inside.
A world where strength decides everything…
At least it was better than constantly running for his life back on Earth.
"Let's go, there are other tests."
Iaian glanced over, uninterested.
Bushidrill scoffed. The Association often saw rich fools come here to show off or "experience" the life of heroes. To him, this was no different.
Just as the two were about to leave—
BOOM!
The steel cube split apart.
Bruce Banner transformed into the Hulk, towering three meters tall.
His hulking body made even bodybuilding champions look pathetic.
Hulk roared and wrapped his massive arms around the three-meter cube of steel.
The sheer weight caused the ground to crack and sink beneath him.
"This guy…"
"No way! Am I seeing things? He just picked it up? That thing weighs tens of thousands of kilos!"
"Impossible! This… what the hell!?"
The crowd erupted in disbelief.
Even Iaian and Bushidrill turned back, stunned.
CRUNCH! CRACK!
The screech of metal filled the air as Hulk's hands sank into the cube.
With a thunderous roar, he tore it apart like tofu—
Ripping the massive steel block clean in half.
The two halves crashed down, gouging pits over three meters deep into the floor.
Nearby heroes staggered, faces pale with shock.
Sekis stood frozen, her lips slightly parted, eyes wide.
"Huuh…"
Hulk's body shrank back down, chest heaving as he returned to Bruce Banner.
He had gained some control, so long as he didn't lose his mind entirely.
"This should do, right?"
Bruce brushed off his hands and calmly changed into the spare clothes waiting nearby.
"…"
The testing area went silent. Everyone stared like they'd seen a ghost.
"Y-yes! Of course! Bruce-sama, please follow me for the rest of the tests!"
Sekis nodded frantically, leading him on.
Then chaos erupted.
High jump, long jump, shot put, weightlifting, sprinting—
BOOM!
Every attempt destroyed something.
The high jump shattered the ceiling, the long jump crashed through a wall, the shot put vanished who-knows-where, the weightlifting bar snapped in half…
When the results came out—
The staff were completely dumbfounded.
"C-congratulations… you… you've achieved a perfect score… no, wait… the theoretical score set by Saitama-sama himself!"
Sekis clutched her chest, her face still flushed with shock.
"Not bad. At least Saitama won't look down on me. Didn't embarrass him either."
Bruce sighed in relief.
He had been nervous. After all, these pros looked tough.
"Move aside, let me through."
Bruce—middle-aged, slightly paunchy, yet completely calm—walked out the door.
Iaian and Bushidrill stood frozen, eyes wide, waves of shock crashing in their hearts.
"A monster…! His strength is… terrifying!"
Bushidrill clenched his fists. His limit was piercing thirty centimeters of steel… yet Bruce had torn three meters apart with his bare hands.
"Hmph, it's just brute strength. Combat isn't only about power."
Iaian's grip tightened on his katana, his eyes flashing with a hidden hostility.
Especially realizing these two men might be tied to Saitama—
A vague sense of crisis stirred in his chest.
Leaving the physical tests behind, Bruce followed Sekis to the written exam.
With his intellect ranked at 6, a super genius, it was child's play.
In just three minutes, he finished, leaving the proctors gaping.
Meanwhile—
Saitama was slouched in a chair like a limp jellyfish, nearly bubbling from boredom.
"Yo, isn't this Saitama? Long time no see."
A voice called out.
Saitama lazily lifted his eyelids.
Standing there with a toothpick in his mouth, looking smug, was Atomic Samurai.
Saitama couldn't quite place it, but something about him felt a little different than before.
"That fight with Tatsumaki was impressive… but I've had my own breakthrough lately! Saitama, interested in a match?"
Atomic Samurai raised his hand, revealing a brand-new white katana.
"Oh… so that's what's different. Another sword, huh?"
(End of Chapter)
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