"What a terrifying robot… I feel like I'll have nightmares tonight. Better play some games and forget all this."
King muttered as he turned on his console. His tense body slowly relaxed. "As expected, the opening animation of the Heartthrob Sisters series is beautiful… I can't stop feeling moved~~"
"Big brother, please give me a name," came the sweet, cutesy voice of a girl from the game.
"What name should I use?" King muttered to himself.
"Why not just use King?"
A laid-back, unfamiliar voice spoke up behind him.
"No way! If the character keeps calling me 'Big Brother King,' I'd… huh? Saitama?!"
Startled, King dropped the controller and stumbled back.
Twenty-two stories up, and yet… right, this was the S-Class Rank 2 hero… and he knew King's secret. The thought made cold sweat pour down his back, his nerves stretched taut.
"I came in through the window. I didn't expect you to play this kind of game."
Saitama scratched his cheek, looking curious.
"Big brother, please name your character!" the adorable voice repeated on the TV.
King felt like collapsing. Not only had his mask as a fake hero been discovered, but now even his guilty pleasure of playing moe games was exposed. He'd be nailed to the pillar of shame forever!
"What game is this? Looks kinda fun."
Saitama picked up a disc curiously.
"That's an action game," King explained quickly.
"How about we play that instead?" Saitama suggested.
"Y-yeah! I love action games too. That Heartthrob Sisters thing? Just a mistake, I thought it was Rage Stream! Let's play Mobile Warriors instead!"
King yelled loudly, covering up with a flimsy excuse.
Saitama didn't press him. Gaming was one of the few hobbies he had left in life.
King loaded the disc into the console, hurriedly fetched drinks and fruit from the fridge, his face plastered with a stiff smile as he sat with Saitama to play.
Meanwhile, down in the street, Genos was still battling the hive-headed mechanical creature.
"My apologies. In the past, I might have dodged such an attack. But now…"
With a grim smile, Genos crossed his arms before his face and charged straight into the hail of crimson beams.
Energy blasts tore thumb-sized holes through his body. But his bionic battle suit's regeneration sealed them in seconds.
Whoosh—!
His figure appeared before the monster, delivering a perfect roundhouse kick.
Boom!
The strike was so fast it burned red-hot from air friction. The mechanical head flew high, sparking as it was severed.
In less than three minutes, Genos had annihilated the true body of G4.
The onlookers froze, then erupted into cheers.
"Amazing! Genos!"
"As expected of a top S-Class hero!"
"But if King came back from the bathroom, he'd have finished it even faster!"
"Long live the Hero Association!"
Genos scanned the wreckage, then picked up the severed head. It might be useful.
As a cyborg, he couldn't grow stronger through training. Better parts were his only path forward.
Back in the apartment building, the bald hero slurped iced tea through a straw.
"King, you're really good at video games."
From start to finish, Saitama had been utterly crushed. At least in gaming, King truly was unbeatable.
"Well, I've only played in a few pro tournaments and won some prizes. Nothing worth mentioning," King said modestly, though the sweat on his forehead betrayed his nerves.
Why hadn't Saitama left yet? Would he keep his secret?
"How about this, Saitama… let's play a serious match. If I win, you'll keep my secret, okay?"
King's lips twitched as he probed carefully. He knew Saitama was a pushover in gaming, a fat sheep ready to be fleeced.
"Oh?"
Saitama's eyes lit up. He was about to reply when the blaring of air raid sirens shook the city.
"Warning! Warning! A giant monster bird has appeared in the city! Citizens, take caution!"
"Warning! Warning! A giant monster bird has appeared in the city! Citizens, take caution!"
Saitama curiously looked out the window.
Boom!
The entire apartment shook violently as rubble fell. The massive bird crashed straight into the building, its sharp, crimson beak smashing toward their room.
King turned pale as a sheet, trembling uncontrollably.
Again? Monsters just kept coming after him… was he cursed to attract them?
Especially today—three monsters in a row! Impossible!
His nerves broke, fear making his pants warm.
"So it was all true. Those achievements, that strength you bragged about…"
Saitama's dead-fish eyes stared calmly at him, unmoved.
"I-I… I'm sorry! I'm just a fraud! A big fat fraud!"
King collapsed to the floor, sobbing.
Ever since becoming an S-Class hero, he'd lived in constant fear. His "achievements" were nothing more than him stumbling upon the aftermath of Saitama's battles. Those false victories scared off all other monsters—until the cursed G4.
"King."
After two seconds of silence, Saitama finally spoke.
"Huh?"
King looked up nervously, sweat dripping down his face.
"Do you want to become stronger? To become a real hero?" Saitama asked plainly.
(End of Chapter)
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