"It's Tornado?! Lady Tornado is here! Great!"
Exclamations rang out.
The arrogant little loli, Tornado, floated in midair, delicate brows furrowed as she looked at the rankings.
This name felt familiar, but for a moment she couldn't recall who it was.
"Lady Tornado, we've never heard of Bruce Banner, yet today he suddenly ranked S-Class 4th!"
"Yeah! Damn it, I've been struggling to pass the S-Class exam for so long, and he gets there so fast?"
"They say he defeated Atomic Samurai yesterday?"
"Impossible, how could Atomic Samurai lose to some newcomer!"
"It's true, yesterday Saitama brought him in!"
…
The Hero Association was always bustling.
Not everyone had witnessed yesterday's battle.
But Bruce Banner's promotion speed was even more outrageous than Saitama's, practically like riding a rocket—no wonder people felt resentful.
"Saitama brought him? That greasy middle-aged man?"
Finally, Tornado remembered the name.
But she couldn't connect the man Bruce Banner—whom she had once easily suspended in midair—with this newly ranked S-Class 4 hero.
"Indeed, Tornado, let's go. I arranged to meet Saitama and Bruce Banner. That Atomic fellow lost, and Bruce Banner earned the highest score in the Association's history—double perfect!"
Child Emperor quietly walked over, whispering in Tornado's ear.
Tornado's pretty face changed slightly.
Double 250 points.
A perfect score in physical testing and reaction speed!
This was the first in Association history. As for his written exam… cough, best not to mention it.
Feeling like she had missed something, Tornado pouted her cute little lips and snorted:
"Hmph! If he's Saitama's man, then forget it! You guys stop making a fuss. Get back to work!"
Research lab.
Saitama and Bruce Banner arrived together.
"I'll be staying here for now."
Having just received his S-Class 4 hero license, Bruce Banner seemed like a changed man.
This middle-aged uncle now brimmed with confidence and joy.
On Earth he had been treated like a monster, hunted everywhere.
But now—
On his way to work, many pro heroes respectfully called him Lord Bruce!
This feeling… was wonderful!
And there was another reason.
"House of Evolution. I found this in the Association records. There's a Dr. Genos there, supposedly a master of genetic engineering? Even created a powerful beetle mutant?"
Adjusting his glasses, Bruce Banner in a white lab coat looked nothing like the violent brute from before.
"Oh, you mean Genos's old House of Evolution?"
Saitama asked curiously.
Even Child Emperor and Tornado were intrigued.
No one expected this greasy middle-aged uncle to actually be skilled in scientific research.
"Based on the data, I think Dr. Genos has mastered something like genetic decoding. I'd like to exchange ideas with him… cough, though it may have to start with fists."
Bruce Banner smiled. Now, this uncle carried much more confidence.
"Alright."
Since Bruce Banner had a plan, Saitama didn't interfere. After all, this wasn't really his concern.
"Thirty million yen, hand it over."
Saitama stretched three fingers toward Child Emperor.
Child Emperor's lips twitched: "Didn't we agree on twenty-five million yen?"
He felt his wallet shrinking at an alarming rate.
Seriously!
Saitama could travel between dimensions at will, and Bruce Banner could tag along… Child Emperor felt envious beyond words.
"My monthly allowance is ten million yen~~~"
A certain salted-fish bald man said lazily.
S-Class Rank 2, the pay was indeed generous.
Child Emperor: "…"
MMP!
He missed the days when Saitama was only C-Class Rank 233.
Back then, there weren't so many schemes. Back then, buns cost only fifty yen.
"Deal. Be careful, Saitama."
Child Emperor sighed helplessly, his concern genuine.
"Come back soon, hmph! Baldy! I-I'll be waiting for you!"
The tsundere Tornado puffed her cheeks, though her cute eyes secretly peeked his way.
"OK!"
Saitama waved casually, then let himself sink into a black void.
Child Emperor: "…"
Damn it, so envious that this guy could withstand the pull of a black hole!
His vision went dark, his senses fading.
A familiar feeling.
"Ding! Honorable Saitama-sama, the Dimensional Traversal System is honored to serve you once again!"
"Ding! Random mission issued. Mission: Destroy 1,000 unmanned armors. Reward: Mystery Package. Failure Penalty: None."
"The world we are arriving in is 'Iron Man 2'!"
The system voice echoed in his mind.
Saitama finally breathed a sigh of relief. At least this time he wasn't "falling," but landing.
"Iron Man 2? Oh right, I still had that Iron Man 2 movie ticket. Can I use it now?"
"Would you like to use it, Honorable Saitama-sama?"
"Use it."
With a thought, the movie ticket in his storage space vanished.
At the same time, massive amounts of plot data from Iron Man 2 flooded into his mind, as though he had lived through it himself.
"Oh, so Tony's poisoned, huh? Not a big deal."
Saitama muttered.
His vision brightened—he found himself on the rooftop of a high-rise in New York's Times Square.
At the same time, a chill touched his wrist.
It was none other than the tactical wristwatch Stark had given him!
"As expected, before reentering this world, my old gear gets restored."
No sooner had he said this than a holographic projection leapt from the watch.
It was Tony Stark at the Expo, overjoyed.
"Hey! Saitama! You didn't spend all this time on vacation in Hawaii, did you?"
"Jarvis, transmit Saitama's coordinates right now. Hold on, I'll come pick you up myself, hahaha~~~"
Stark laughed, the projection fading.
At the Stark Industries Expo—
It was buzzing with energy.
Blonde models in Iron Man-themed bikinis paraded about, dazzling lights flashing off their curves.
"Hey! I've got to step out for a moment, everyone~~"
Tony Stark laughed loudly, brimming with joy.
After the last incident, Stark Industries' stock had soared by 80%.
Of course, someone didn't yet realize he was now one of Marvel's top billionaires.
"But the Expo just started…"
Pepper, his assistant, was stunned.
Before she could finish—
The dashing Iron Man armor broke through the window. Stark put on a little air show, flying out into the sky.
One thing stood out—
This Iron Man suit's design…
Seemed slightly different from the original. Sharper. Harder to judge.
(End of Chapter)
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