The deafening cheers that had erupted just moments ago when Saitama turned the tide and heavily injured No.17 with a single punch were now met with deathly silence.
In the final moment, just as victory seemed imminent, the apocalypse had arrived in such an absurd and cruel manner.
A wave of immense absurdity and collapse swallowed all remaining hope.
Many collapsed on the spot, their eyes vacant, unable even to cry. What could be more ironic than this ending?
The Hero had defeated the destroyer, but had destroyed the world along with him.
"It's over... everything is over..."
"Haha... hahaha... how... laughable..."
"Is this God's punishment for us?"
"I'm sorry! I messed everything up!" Saitama cried out in anguish.
Although he didn't care much about others' opinions, this mistake was too great.
However, contrary to his expectations, instead of curses, he heard scattered words of comfort.
"No, you are a Hero!"
"That's right! Without you, we wouldn't have even seen hope!"
"You were only supposed to fight No.17! You had already won!"
Hearing these voices, Genos's eyes were filled with disbelief.
He murmured to himself, "They've changed... they really have changed..."
"I believe it now. He is the God who changed Earth!" Fubuki looked at Setsuna with admiration. "He surely won't let Earth be destroyed!"
Indeed, in this moment where even despair seemed pointless, at the end of all things.
A figure slowly rose into the sky.
Setsuna looked down at the apocalyptic scene, shook his head gently, his tone carrying a hint of helplessness, like a teacher looking at a child who had accidentally broken a vase: "You really are too careless."
"Hades?"
"Why is he coming out now?"
"What's the use of coming out now?"
"He didn't dare to challenge No.17 before. Now that Earth is destroyed, why is he pretending to be a good guy?"
"That's right! Saitama is ten thousand times braver than him!"
Before the remaining live broadcasts, some who recognized Setsuna murmured in confusion, numbness, or even displaced anger.
In their eyes, this Hades, regarded by many as a 'hope', had been absent during the final battle and only appeared after Earth's destruction was certain. It was the ultimate irony.
However, the next scene silenced all remaining murmurs.
Among the arena's ruins, No.17, heavily wounded by Saitama's punch, and No.18, also seriously injured...
Struggled to their feet, faced Setsuna in the sky, knelt on one knee, and bowed their proud heads.
Their usually cold or mocking faces now held only absolute reverence.
"Master!"
"..."
Absolute silence.
It was as if even the sound of Earth cracking, magma erupting, and storms howling had been muted.
"Master?"
"These two immensely powerful androids call Hades 'Master'?"
"So, Hades is the true mastermind behind it all?"
After the initial shock came even more numbing despair.
"Whatever, it doesn't matter..."
"Earth is going to be destroyed anyway..."
"Who the mastermind is... does it still matter?"
Many closed their eyes, waiting for the final annihilation.
Setsuna smiled. "I thought you would hate Saitama. It seems you've finally learned to cherish Heroes."
"In that case, I'll give Earth back to you."
Setsuna spread his arms, as if embracing, and gently brought his hands together before his chest.
An immense, scientifically inexplicable force instantly enveloped Earth, penetrating every inch of shattered ground, every drop of boiling magma, every strand of chaotic energy...
Time seemed to reverse at that moment.
The terrifying rift that had almost torn the planet apart was smoothed over as if by an invisible divine hand.
Shattered crustal fragments flew back, recombining perfectly.
The exposed core was gently pushed back into place, its wounds rapidly healing.
Erupting volcanoes calmed instantly, magma flowing back underground.
The global megatsunami seemed paused, then obediently retreated to the ocean.
The torn atmosphere was rewoven, the chaotic magnetic field easily restored.
Within just a few breaths, this blue planet, which moments ago had been a hellscape on the brink of destruction, now floated intact in space once more.
Blue oceans, green continents, white clouds... everything was restored to before the disaster.
As if the cataclysmic scene just witnessed had been an incredibly vivid collective hallucination.
Deathly silence reigned across the globe.
Everyone looked up at the sky, dazed.
Their eyes were wide with extreme shock, bewilderment, and... an awe beyond understanding.
Then, someone, it was unclear who, was the first to collapse to their knees with a thud.
Followed by a second, a third...
Like dominoes falling, from around the A-City ruins to viewers worldwide seeing this through remaining live feeds...
Countless people knelt involuntarily.
"God!"
"Lord God has saved the world!"
"Long live Lord God!"
Deafening shouts rose from every corner of the world, converging into a sound wave that shook the world.
In their eyes, one who could easily destroy a planet might be a demon, a monster.
But one who could, with a thought, restore a dying planet from the brink of destruction, could only be a true god!
Fubuki and Genos were equally awestruck. Though they knew Hades was unimaginably powerful, witnessing that 'power' so viscerally still shook them to the core of their souls.
Facing the fervent calls for a god from the planet below, Setsuna's expression remained calm.
For him, having reached the second level of the Eighth Sense, equivalent to secondary gods like Thanatos or Hypnos, there was indeed no difference between him and a god.
A third-level Hades could create the Underworld. So for him at the second level, while creating a planet might still be somewhat taxing, restoring a dying planet was not particularly difficult.
Setsuna said calmly, "Saitama, you won the fight. Although there was a small accident in the process, the result is unquestionable. You have surpassed my two subordinates."
"As a reward, I'll give you back the moon too."
With those words, Setsuna reached toward the starry sky.
In the solar system, near the original moon's orbit, countless meteorites and interstellar dust defied the laws of physics, converging wildly toward a single point.
In an instant, a brand new moon was born from nothing.
It floated silently there, reflecting the sun's light, casting its soft silver veil once more upon the blue Earth, upon every upturned, stunned face.
Restoring Earth was a miracle.
What about creating a moon?
Across the globe, witnessing this even more inconceivable scene, people fell into a frenzy of faith.
"The moon is back!"
"Lord God has even created the moon!"
Setsuna hung in the sky, the newborn moon behind him, the restored Earth below.
He looked down at all beings and said calmly, "A world with Heroes is fortunate. But a world with Heroes that doesn't cherish them is irredeemable."
"I hope you remember what I said."
With that, Setsuna left with No.17 and No.18. The three figures seemed to melt into the starlight and vanished.