"Could this be the black cube that Blast has been collecting?"
Aomori looked at the black box before him. Its size and shape matched his memories perfectly, so it was highly probable that, as he suspected, this was the black box Blast had been relentlessly pursuing.
To say he wasn't interested in this black box would be a lie. Anything Blast deemed important was likely a key item for dealing with "God."
The box had been stored in a private room within the Machine God organization's warehouse. The fact that those two leaders hadn't taken it when they fled suggested that even the Machine God organization didn't fully understand it.
They likely obtained the black box by accident and sensed it held secrets, but after wasting significant time failing to analyze it, they had no choice but to shelve it.
"Not even the Machine God organization could unravel its mysteries? Interesting."
Aomori deactivated the security devices around it and tried to lift it with telekinesis. He found his psychic energy disappearing like silt into the ocean, leaving no trace.
The black box didn't budge an inch.
"This?" He reached out to touch it. Upon contact, a piercing chill seeped into his bones. He applied physical strength with both hands and finally picked it up.
After a thorough physical inspection, Aomori gained a preliminary understanding of the object.
"The density is immense; such a small volume weighs nearly two tons. It's immune to telekinesis, lightning, light, darkness, and all other forms of energy. Its hardness is also exceptional, at least, my fist didn't leave a mark."
Such a peculiar object would seem abnormal even to an ordinary person; it was no wonder the Machine God organization had kept it.
Realizing he couldn't decipher its secrets alone, Aomori decided it would be best to seek help from someone "in the know."
Handing it over to Blast in exchange for information and a personal favor would be a guaranteed profitable trade.
To find Blast, he currently had to rely on Tatsumaki as a contact.
It looked like he would have to pay Tatsumaki another visit tomorrow.
…
After a long wait in the ruined base, Child Emperor arrived, looking travel-worn.
"The 'interesting thing' you mentioned is this?" Child Emperor said while browsing through the intelligence data intercepted by Kayaba Akihiko.
"Why? Aren't advanced, sapient robots that act like humans interesting?" Aomori said with a smile.
"But I still have a pile of projects to finish!" Child Emperor scratched his head, looking like he was about to snap. "I might be a genius, but you have to consider the fact that I'm just a kid with limited stamina. Do you know how many lollipops I have to eat every day just to keep my sugar levels up? If this keeps up, I'm going to get diabetes!"
As he spoke, he pulled another lollipop from his small backpack and took a fierce bite, as if he wanted to swallow Aomori alive.
Sensing his top lieutenant's dissatisfaction, Aomori quickly soothed him. "Alright, alright, I know it's been tough. The Hero Association is just starting out, after all. There's a lot to do, but things will get better once we're on track. When that time comes, I'll definitely give you a long vacation. You can do whatever you want."
"Hmph, those words can only fool a child."
Well, aren't you a child? Aomori smiled and said, "Forget it, focus on the projects you have. I'll find another professional to handle this."
"A professional?" Child Emperor shot a sideways glance at Aomori. "You're not talking about yourself, are you?"
"Of course not. Where would I find the time? Haven't I been leading by example, working overtime until the early morning?" Aomori replied righteously.
"Then is it Dr. Bofoi, who's about to join?" Child Emperor guessed again.
"No," Aomori shook his head. "But he's a similarly famous doctor. I'm preparing to formally invite him to join the Hero Association. You'll know when the time comes."
It was unclear whether Dr. Bofoi was good or evil, so Aomori naturally couldn't leave this place to him. The candidate in Aomori's mind was another equally brilliant but kind-hearted doctor.
Aomori had already scouted his address. He would pay him a visit tomorrow morning.
"So mysterious." Child Emperor took another look at the data and warned, "This Machine God organization seems quite complex. Many of the technologies here are years ahead of the outside world; they might be hiding even more unknown cutting-edge tech. And judging by their actions, they aren't exactly the 'good guys.' What's scarier is that once robot technology matures, they can be mass-produced. We have to stay on guard."
More than just "not being good guys," the data showed they had been testing robot performance by massacring humans—textbook villains.
"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. How could mere robots possibly compare to the flesh-and-blood bodies of us humans, which hide unknown treasures?" Aomori said calmly.
Toward all enemies, the Hero Association's attitude would be: "Despise the enemy strategically, but respect the enemy tactically."
"Mm." Child Emperor nodded and said no more.
After seeing off Child Emperor, Aomori welcomed Flashy Flash.
To prevent the Machine God organization from reclaiming or destroying this base, he felt more secure having Flashy Flash stationed here.
After briefly explaining the situation, Aomori said to him, "Flashy Flash, stay here and guard this place until all the data has been transferred back. Thanks for the help these past few days."
"Mm," Flashy Flash grunted softly. Usually, he was a man of few words and decisive action.
Leaving Absol and Pidgeot to help look after Kayaba Akihiko, Aomori returned to the Hero Association Headquarters alone.
"Sensei!"
Fubuki was still waiting in the office. Seeing Aomori return unharmed, she breathed a sigh of relief and rushed forward to greet him.
"Fubuki, don't look so miserable. I'm perfectly fine," Aomori said, comforting her by patting her head.
"It's all my fault for letting my sister cause you trouble." Fubuki lowered her head.
"If you don't want to cause me trouble, the best way is to train hard and become a powerful hero who can shock even your sister. That's the only way you won't lose face for me," Aomori said in a sterner tone.
"Yes!" Fubuki answered immediately.
She quickly realized the key point: "Does that mean... I can continue being a hero?!"
"Of course. In truth, your sister isn't entirely heartless."
"Really? Then why does she always do whatever she wants and never care about my feelings?"
"Well, the prerequisite is that you must have the strength to make her take you seriously."
"Ugh." Having been dealt a verbal blow, Fubuki's desire to become stronger grew even more intense.
Patting her shoulder, Aomori asked, "How's the practice for that forbidden ultimate technique going?"
"Uh, there are still some parts I don't understand. For example..."
After answering Fubuki's questions and fulfilling his duties as a teacher, Aomori sent her back to keep working hard while he continued to handle the Hero Association's affairs.
The next day, Aomori put on a white suit and took a private car to the residence of his future key subordinate.
After getting out, he let the driver leave, walked to the front door, and rang the bell.
Soon, a cold voice came through the intercom: "Who is it?"
"I am Aomori, Chairman of the Hero Association. I've come specifically to visit Dr. Kuseno."
After a short silence, the voice returned: "Welcome. Please come in."
At the same time, the door opened automatically, leaving a small gap.
With a smile, Aomori pushed the door open and walked in.
On the outside, it looked no different from the surrounding residences, but the inside was a different world.
Not only were the hallways lined with metal walls, but even the floors were paved with metal blocks.
At the end of the hallway stood a handsome man with blonde hair and blue eyes, yet his body had a heavy metallic feel to it.
When Aomori reached him, he said expressionlessly, "I am Genos, a cyborg and a creation of Dr. Kuseno. Dr. Kuseno is currently in the lab. I will take you to him."
The "Demon Cyborg" Genos makes his entrance!
Recalling this man's future history of repeated defeats despite his best efforts, a strange smile played on Aomori's lips as he said, "I'll trouble you, then."
Genos turned to lead the way, while Aomori observed him silently from behind.
If he remembered correctly, Genos was currently only 16 years old. It had been just over a year since Dr. Kuseno turned him into a cyborg. His exterior looked much simpler compared to his later versions; his equipment likely hadn't received many upgrades yet.
His strength probably wasn't that high yet either.
Led by Genos, Aomori arrived at a spacious room and met the busy Dr. Kuseno.
He wore a lab coat and looked to be nearly 70. His most striking feature was his hair, which looked exactly like a mushroom cap.
"Doctor..." Genos called out softly.
"Genos, you've come at the right time. Bring me part number 73," Dr. Kuseno said without looking back.
Genos looked at Aomori, bowed slightly, and said, "Apologies, please wait a moment."
"It's fine, go ahead with your work," Aomori said casually.
Genos nodded and went to assist Dr. Kuseno.
Aomori was quite interested in Dr. Kuseno's work, but since it was their first meeting, it would be rude to watch from too close. He found a chair, sat down, and scanned the surrounding equipment and machinery.
After a while, Dr. Kuseno finally finished. Holding a mechanical arm, he said happily, "Genos, this is the new arm I made for you. With the help of the hydraulic power pump, it can deliver a punch of nearly 10 tons. Do you like it?"
"Yes, I like it very much, but Chairman Aomori has been waiting for you for a long time." Genos stared intently at the mechanical arm, clearly very fond of it.
"Oh, right." Dr. Kuseno finally remembered Aomori's presence. He put down the mechanical arm and turned to Aomori. "Sorry, sorry. I'm getting old; once I start working, I have to finish. Otherwise, if I stop for a bit, I'll lose my train of thought."
"It's quite alright, I understand," Aomori stood up and waved it off. "I'm also the type who doesn't like to be disturbed while working."
"Hahaha, is that so?" Dr. Kuseno walked over to Aomori and invited him to sit down, taking a seat opposite him.
Genos stood straight behind Dr. Kuseno like a butler.
"So, Chairman Aomori, what brings you to this place?"
As one of the most prominent figures currently, Aomori's name was well known to both Dr. Kuseno and Genos. They were somewhat puzzled as to why such a big shot would come here.
"I've come to invite Dr. Kuseno to join the Hero Association," Aomori said with a serious expression.
"Join the Hero Association?" Dr. Kuseno was a bit surprised.
"That's right." Aomori nodded firmly and explained in detail, "The Hero Association is currently expanding and needs fresh blood. In the field of mechanics, Dr. Kuseno is a highly authoritative figure. Our Hero Association desperately needs such talent."
Dr. Kuseno shook his head. "I'm old; I'm afraid I won't be able to do those things well."
In his younger years, he had joined a certain technology research institute, but those people didn't focus on research and instead spent all day bickering and fighting for power.
Finding it too annoying, he simply quit to work alone. Although he had less money, he enjoyed ease and freedom.
Now that he was old, he wanted to live comfortably even more.
"I see that you are still hale and hearty, Doctor, stronger than many young men." Aomori observed his expression and, seeing Dr. Kuseno's hesitation, quickly explained, "Although I say 'joining,' it's more accurate to call it a partnership. You can work on your own things as usual and only help us resolve issues when you're free. We will provide you with abundant resources to use as you please."
"This..." Dr. Kuseno pondered.
Aomori immediately struck while the iron was hot. "To tell you the truth, we recently dismantled a secret organization's underground base. There wasn't a single human there; they were all advanced, sapient robots. Because we're short-handed, we're eager to collaborate with you to decipher the high-end mechanical technology in that base."
"According to intelligence, that secret organization has carried out multiple inhumane massacres just to test their robots' performance..."
"Please wait!" Before Aomori could finish, Genos interrupted him emotionally.
"The massacres you just mentioned... are they real?!"
"Of course. We breached their database, and it clearly records their atrocities."
"Can you share the intelligence on that secret organization with me? Please!" Genos bowed deeply to Aomori.
"This is?" Aomori asked, feigning ignorance.
"Sigh." Dr. Kuseno sighed and explained, "Genos's hometown was destroyed by a rampaging robot. When I found him, he only had a head left. I had no choice but to turn him into a cyborg to save his life. Ever since then, he has been thinking of nothing but avenging his family."
"That robot, and the organization that created it, I won't let a single one of them go! Please tell me everything you know about that secret organization, I beg of you!" Genos went straight into a dogeza posture, pleading once more.
"Genos, this isn't just your business. Against such an evil organization, every hero in our Association will fight them to the bitter end." Aomori crouched down and extended his hand. "Will you join the Hero Association and fight these evil forces with us to the very end?"
Genos looked up, seeing the sincerity in Aomori's eyes. He reached out and grasped Aomori's hand, nodding heavily. "Yes! I'm willing!"
Unexpectedly, Genos was the first to join the Hero Association.
After pulling Genos up, Aomori said to Dr. Kuseno, "If we let such an evil organization continue its rampage, who knows how many more tragic children like Genos will appear. Please lend us your strength."
Moved by his emotional and logical appeal, Dr. Kuseno finally nodded. "Alright. This old man will make one last contribution to humanity."
New top-tier talent acquired!
Aomori flashed a satisfied smile and said, "Then there's no time to lose. If there's nothing else, shall we head to that base first? The data and intelligence are all there."
"Alright!"