The operation to head for City 3 and rescue civilian survivors began to take shape.
As Andrew and the others advanced under Saitama's lead, they gained a deeper understanding of him. Saitama was no longer just a powerful "freak" in their eyes—he was superhumanly strong, someone worthy of genuine respect.
Not for glory.
Not for reward.
But because, not long ago on Allen Street in City 2, he had run into a Decepticon scout drone sent by Starscream. In order to save a teammate who'd been snatched into the air, Saitama abandoned his clash with Thundercracker mid-fight and dove to the rescue. Thundercracker, thrown off by the interruption, vanished from Allen Street for the moment.
"Saitama, I'm really sorry! If it weren't for me…"
"Don't keep apologizing. We'll have plenty of chances to beat them later, right?" Saitama said to the dejected soldier. "If you trust me, keep your head up and keep moving."
He didn't scold the man for a mistake—he encouraged him.
That, more than anything, gave the soldiers a spiritual anchor.
After all, they were people—living, breathing people carrying rifles into battle against Decepticons—who had watched the Transformers' world slide into chaos step by step.
"All of this is because of the greed of the U.S. government forces!"
As rank-and-file soldiers, they couldn't stop the politicians' ambitions; they could only pay for their foolishness.
"I just hope… someone can put an end to this war."
"Let's move. Unless you want to go hungry," Saitama said, steadying their morale before setting off again. At this point, even Andrew stopped posturing as "captain," stopped barking orders for this and that. In his heart, he'd already handed the role of leader to Saitama.
Only someone like Saitama—capable, responsible, and willing to push into a city of civilians to save ordinary people—was truly trustworthy.
Before long they reached the two-thirds mark of City 2, where a gaping breach yawned in the urban boundary wall—the hole Optimus Prime and Megatron had punched into the world during one of their battles shortly after arriving on Earth.
The locals had planned to repair it, but the city officials labeled it a "symbol of friendship" between humans and Transformers and even turned it into a tourist attraction. They'd made plenty of money off it.
Now that the Decepticons had seized the Transformers' world, they painted their sigil over that breach to show their strength—a warning.
It meant: This is Decepticon turf.
Enter Decepticon turf, and die.
Yet this occupied zone was also the fastest route to City 1.
If they didn't pass here, they'd have to make a long detour to reach City 1. With food running low and Decepticons in pursuit, even a "safer" route wouldn't be allowed by the enemy. By the time they circled around, who knew if they'd still have the strength to make it?
"This 'danger zone' you mentioned—is it here?"
Saitama stopped at a chain-link fence. A steel placard dangled from it, the word DANGER stamped in large letters. Three rows of barbed, spiral wire bristled along the top.
"Alright. Looks like here's where we go through." After searching a moment, Saitama spotted a one-meter-high opening—small, like some mischievous kid had snipped the mesh and tugged it open.
"You all wait here, okay?" he said. "I'll clear whatever's inside, then come back for you."
"Got it!" Andrew nodded. "Don't worry, Saitama. I'll keep them safe."
As he spoke, Andrew pulled out a smoke grenade and pressed it into Saitama's hand. "I know you're strong, but just in case, take this."
"Yeah, Saitama, take it!" the soldiers chimed in.
Saitama shrugged and accepted the still-warm canister with a wry, helpless smile. He knew it was just a smoke grenade—but inside it was the warmth of their concern.
"Didn't think I'd make this many friends so soon after arriving in the Transformers' world. Compared to this, S.H.I.E.L.D. types are a lot harder to get along with," he muttered, moving on toward a district of derelict high-rises.
There, a few kids were picking through the rubble.
"Guys, I'm gonna find a real keepsake today!"
A curly-haired boy named Jed led his buddies deeper into the ruins. When they found a wrecked car flipped on its back, he snorted, "See? Now that's the real deal."
They'd watched Transformers news on TV for ages, but never seen one up close. Any scrap of car-bot junk in the ruins felt like treasure.
"Hey, Jed, I found a basketball!"
"I found a toy over here!"
Only one kid was trembling. "Jed, we should go. We saw the Decepticon mark outside—if they catch us, they'll kill us."
"Relax, man. Nobody's gonna come to a dump like this," the curly-haired boy said, scrambling onto a hulking, tank-shaped mass.
"Whoa—check this out! There's something inside!"
The kids crowded up after him. Through a web-cracked pane, they saw a copper-green robot lying inside the glass pod.
"Oh my god!"
"You think it's dead?"
"I bet it is."
"Dead as a doornail!"
Excited as Columbus sighting a new continent, they chattered at the glass on the other side of the pod—never noticing the watcher in the shadows.
At the far edge of the ruins, a small blue mechanical ladybug sat with headlamps for eyes, silently watching.
If anyone saw its true form, they'd realize it looked exactly like the little robot that accompanied the young heroine in Transformers 5.
And someone did notice.
Saitama.
He spotted the blue ladybug, the young girl hurrying in with a scarf covering her face, and—farther out—the groaning approach of a giant machine.
(End of Chapter)
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