At the Hero Association headquarters, Jess looked at the intelligence in his hand with a look of disbelief.
"Minister Sitch, is everything you said true? S-Class Rank 3, Silver Fang actually recommended this guy..."
"Yes. After Bang announced his retirement, he recommended Garou as his successor, with the title of Silver Fang II." Sitch's expression was calm, as if he had long since accepted this outcome.
"But Garou has a history of atrocious behavior like hero hunting, and he even called himself a monster, defeating many heroes in the association." Jess's face looked grim.
Garou's misdeeds were simply too many. Even if they could accept Bang's proposal, those heroes who were once hunted by Garou would hardly agree.
Keep in mind, the current Hero Association is in dire straits. With constant negative reports and Neo Heroes' propaganda, even several S-Class Heroes have jumped ship.
"This is a matter of necessity. To deal with the prophecy of Earth's impending destruction, we must constantly strengthen our power."
"And since Bang himself is acting as the guarantor this time, we can only believe that Garou has turned over a new leaf."
Sitch's melancholy gaze looked through the glass toward the cloud-covered sky.
With monster invasions and the frequent appearance of God's agents, even Blast and the powerhouses from other dimensions are struggling to cope. If things continue like this, the prophecy of Earth's destruction will soon become a reality.
"If only he could come back too..." Sitch murmured to himself, the figure of Dark Mask flashing through his mind.
—
"King-san, we are going to the dojo now. Don't we need to give them a heads-up?"
"After Silver Fang retired, he should be in the dojo. I don't have the phone number there, so let's try our luck."
King sat on the back seat of Mumen Rider's bicycle, leisurely flipping through the newspapers of the past few days.
'Hmph. It seems Neo Heroes has become a bit restless.'
King looked at their increasingly frequent recruitment advertisements. After the failure of the monster invasion plan, Neo Heroes' higher-ups seemed to have gone silent. However, destroying the Hero Association was only a part of their plan. There should be more big moves coming up.
'Next, they will probably tamper with the Battle Suits. There are spies within the Hero Association. But Child Emperor and the others have also successfully infiltrated Neo Heroes to collect evidence, just waiting for them to show their true colors.' King closed the newspaper.
With public opinion flying everywhere, now was not the time to take action against Neo Heroes. But as long as one possesses absolute, overwhelming strength, any schemes and intrigues are like passing clouds.
'I'd like to see what your trump card really is. I hope it doesn't disappoint me too much.'
The corners of King's lips curled up slightly.
Only by completely crushing Neo Heroes' conspiracy can the Hero Association develop better. Only then can the ordinary people truly see who the reliance of all mankind is.
As for the darkness within the Hero Association, he wouldn't mind stepping in to deal with a few of the masterminds when the time comes.
"Eh? You guys are..."
Mumen Rider, who was riding the bicycle, suddenly stopped. Several figures were standing in the middle of the road.
"Hmm?"
King jumped off the back seat and was somewhat surprised to see the newcomers.
"Atomic Samurai, Iaian, Okamaitachi and Bushidrill."
"How lucky. I didn't expect to run into you here. Mumen Rider, King."
Atomic Samurai had a piece of straw in his mouth. He was a bit surprised to see Mumen Rider, but he became excited once King appeared.
"What a coincidence, Atomic Samurai. King-san and I were just about to head to Bang-san's dojo." Mumen Rider greeted them warmly.
Atomic Samurai had always thought highly of himself and was unwilling to converse with heroes below S-Class. However, Mumen Rider's reputation among the public was extremely high, so even S-Class Heroes in the Hero Association would give him some respect.
"Going to Bang's dojo? Is there something going on?" Atomic Samurai was a bit curious, as Bang was his old friend.
When Bang announced his retirement, he was strongly against it, but he couldn't sway the other party's determination.
"We are going to his dojo because we want to see his martial arts techniques." King spoke up.
He could see that Atomic Samurai and his three disciples were here for him.
"Someone like you is actually interested in martial arts?" Atomic Samurai was somewhat surprised.
Whether it was the crusade against the Monster Association or the monster invasion, King had shown extremely powerful abilities. Although Bang's martial arts were unique, they didn't seem to suit a top-tier powerhouse like King.
'I see. Even though you already stand at the pinnacle of power, you still maintain the heart of an apprentice. Is this the resolve of the Strongest Man on Earth?'
Looking at King's serious expression, Atomic Samurai suddenly understood, and for a moment, his admiration for King grew.
"King, my disciples and I have been looking for you for a long time. If you're not in a hurry, I'd like to spar with you. What do you think?"
Atomic Samurai spoke.
Ever since he was defeated by Black Sperm, he had been seeking a way to break through but he was always stuck at a bottleneck. After much thought, he realized that the only way was to fight against the strong. Perhaps he could gain some insight.
"Alright, I agree."
King looked at the sincere gaze of the other party and knew he couldn't decline today.
S-Class Heroes are all arrogant and unyielding. If he refused Atomic Samurai now, the other party might think he was looking down on him.
"Then let's do it here."
Fighting intent appeared in Atomic Samurai's eyes.
His three disciples retreated to the side, clearing the space. Mumen Rider also tactfully moved aside, watching the field intently.
"Actually, I've wanted to fight you for a long time. This is also for me to seek a new breakthrough, so I hope you can go all out."
Atomic Samurai placed his hand on the blade, ready to strike.
"Just bring it on."
Thump-thump!
The deafening King Engine resounded through the sky.
Atomic Samurai's three disciples became nervous.
"It's here! King's exclusive sound during battle, the King Engine!" Cold sweat broke out on Iaian's forehead.
"It's said that every monster who has heard this sound has been killed." Okamaitachi didn't dare to blink, for fear of missing any exciting moment.
"But according to the collected data, King not only has super physical strength but can also use psychic powers, the power of which is not even below that of Tatsumaki." Bushidrill nodded in agreement.
They had done a detailed analysis of King's data before coming.
"That goes without saying. During the last Monster invasion, he summoned thunder, turning four Dragon-level monsters into ashes, and in the end, even their bodies disappeared."
"Such a man is too terrifying. Although it's a bit discouraging to say, how long do you think sensei can hold out?"
"Sensei's swordsmanship has reached the pinnacle. Even King cannot easily defeat him."
"So I think sensei can last at least three seconds."