By the time they arrived at the base, many personnel were already bustling in and out, dismantling equipment and packing it away for transport.
A base whose location was known to the enemy could not be kept; otherwise, one would have to live in constant fear of a "Big Ivan" nuclear strike falling on their head. It was safer to start fresh and build a new facility elsewhere.
Aomori led Dr. Kuseno and Genos to the deepest part of the base, first showing them the wreckage of the defeated robots, including the mass-produced models and the two special units.
"This secret organization is called 'The Organization.' Those two unique models belong to the so-called 'Machine God' series. Their performance is formidable; not only do they possess high-level AI, but each one has the capacity to easily level an entire city," Aomori explained.
Dr. Kuseno stepped forward to inspect the debris closely, nodding in approval. "Indeed, there are many assembly techniques here that even I haven't seen before."
"Once we've organized the data, I can send you a copy. For now, a physical inspection will suffice."
"Mhm." Dr. Kuseno was quickly absorbed in the mechanical remains.
Genos scrutinized the two Machine God robots. Comparing them to the rampaging robot in his memories, the resemblance became more striking. He was almost certain that The Organization was the target of his revenge.
However, hearing Aomori say each was capable of destroying a city, he knew his current self was no match for them. He needed to get stronger.
He turned to Aomori. "Chairman Aomori, how can I become stronger?"
"You no longer have a biological body; you are a cyborg. The simplest way to grow stronger is to have Dr. Kuseno upgrade your hardware. This base contains plenty of suitable technology to give you a full-body overhaul."
"Yes, that is indeed the fastest way." Genos looked at Dr. Kuseno, eager to request the upgrades.
"However!" Aomori added, "Beyond that, a true powerhouse must possess a powerful psychological fortitude."
"Psychological fortitude?" Genos was puzzled. "What do you mean?"
"Simply put: never let your guard down. If you are careless in battle, you could very well lose to an opponent weaker than yourself."
"I see." Genos was impressed and pressed further. "Then how should I improve my mindset so that I don't become careless in combat?"
"That requires constant combat experience. A veteran of a hundred battles naturally doesn't suffer from carelessness."
Because those who did are already dead.
"So, starting tomorrow, you will officially become a hero. You will grow while helping the citizens. Is that acceptable?" Aomori asked seriously.
"No problem!" Genos agreed immediately.
This was the first time someone had explained the path to power so clearly to him. He found the feeling of being guided quite refreshing.
Chairman Aomori is a powerful man; I must learn from him at all times. Genos thought to himself. I need to prepare a notebook and a pen.
Unaware of Genos's internal monologue, Aomori was deciding where to station him.
Should I stick him with Saitama like in the original plot?
After a moment of thought, he made his decision.
…
After sending the reluctant Dr. Kuseno and Genos home, Aomori took a detour to find Tatsumaki.
Tatsumaki was currently on a mission, tasked with handling a giant spider monster.
"Ugh, how disgusting. I don't want to see you again." She clenched her fist, crushing the spider monster into smithereens.
Aomori, having just arrived, felt like those words were directed at him.
"Ahem. Good morning, Tatsumaki," Aomori said, flying over to greet her.
As expected, he received a massive eye-roll. "Hmph. Why are you in front of me again? Looking for a beating?"
"I have actual business with you."
"Business? Don't be ridiculous. As if we could have 'personal' business."
"..." Aomori gave up on the banter. "I want to contact Blast."
"Blast? I can't reach him."
"Didn't you call him right in front of me last time? Tatsumaki, I truly have something important."
"What's that supposed to mean? You think I'm lying?" Tatsumaki glared at him angrily. "I told you, I can't reach him!"
"He disappears from time to time. I haven't been able to get a hold of him for several days. Believe it or not!" With that, Tatsumaki turned to leave.
Aomori quickly blocked her path. "Then can you give me his contact info? I'll try him myself."
Tatsumaki stared at him with a dark expression for a long while before finally nodding. Reluctantly, she pulled out her phone, flipped to Blast's entry in her contacts, and showed it to him.
"Great, thanks!" Aomori memorized the string of numbers in an instant.
"Are we done? Can I go now?"
"Yes, yes. Please, go ahead."
After watching Tatsumaki leave, Aomori took out his phone and dialed the number. As expected, he got the "out of service area" notification.
Did he go to another dimension?
Left with no choice, Aomori put the matter aside, waiting for Blast's return to discuss the black box.
…
The next day, Genos, admiring his new mechanical arm and filled with anticipation, arrived at the Hero Association Headquarters alone. He met Aomori in the top-floor office.
There was also someone else there: a figure in silver armor.
A cyborg like me? Genos was slightly surprised but quickly corrected himself. No, wait. That thermal signature... there's a human inside. And likely a woman.
"This is Genos, a new B-Class hero. Genos, this is the B-Class hero, Ironclad Warrior," Aomori introduced them.
Fubuki had recently been promoted from C-Class to B-Class after defeating a Tiger-level monster single-handedly, setting a record for the fastest promotion. Her signature move was the "Forbidden Technique: Rasengan" taught by Aomori. Although her version was still a work in progress, it was enough to slay a Tiger-level threat.
Since Genos wasn't exceptionally strong yet, Aomori placed him in B-Class to let him grind at the lower levels for a while.
After they exchanged greetings, Aomori said, "From today on, you two will be partners. You'll carry out missions together until one of you is promoted to A-Class."
Partners? He probably assigned her to me as an assistant so I can learn how to be a proper hero as quickly as possible. If she caught Chairman Aomori's eye, she must have something unique about her.
Genos looked over the silver-armored hero and nodded. "Understood. I will learn a lot from her. I look forward to working with you."
"Likewise." Fubuki scrutinized Genos as well, using her telekinesis to observe and memorize his voice.
What does Master mean by this? Is it just a partner, or is there another motive?
Given the events of the previous day, Fubuki couldn't help but overthink.
Aomori seemed to read her mind. "Don't overthink it. Your goal is to improve yourselves through mutual learning. In three months, I will open the A-Class promotion trial for you. Don't slack off."
The last part was directed specifically at Fubuki. Genos had Dr. Kuseno's help; he might reach his "two years later" peak in less than a month.
"Yes!" Fubuki replied hastily.
Genos nodded in agreement.
Aomori then dismissed them. As they took the elevator down, Genos asked, "Ironclad Warrior, how do we conduct hero activities? Do we patrol the streets and eliminate any monsters or criminals we find?"
"No." Fubuki realized he was a complete rookie who hadn't even visited Hero's Starting Ground, so she explained patiently. "Our missions generally fall into three types. First is Patrol: every hero except S-Class has a designated patrol area to handle sudden incidents. Second is Commission: citizens call for help, and we are dispatched to handle it. Third is Support: when an emergency occurs and other heroes need backup."
"I see."
"Our patrol area is in J-City. But before we go, let's head to the Logistics Department to get your hero watch."
"Hero watch?"
"It's a smart watch. Missions are usually issued through it." Fubuki wore hers on her wrist, receiving messages via Bluetooth Headphones.
"Understood." Having lived with the Doctor, Genos found high-tech gadgets perfectly normal.
After getting the watch, Genos and Fubuki took the train to J-City.
"These streets are within our patrol range. Your watch should show the details," Fubuki said.
"Yes, I see it." Genos followed Fubuki's lead while monitoring his watch.
As they walked through a commercial street, he noticed many shopkeepers greeting Fubuki warmly.
"It's the Ironclad Warrior! Are you on patrol today? That's wonderful."
"Yes, with Ironclad Warrior around, we don't have to worry about our safety."
"Ironclad Warrior, would you like some miso soup? It's on the house!"
"No, thank you." Facing their enthusiasm, Fubuki was a bit bashful. she explained to Genos, "A Tiger-level monster appeared here before. I happened to be here and saved them."
If she weren't hidden behind this armor, she would receive similar praise, but the feeling was entirely different now. Before, her beauty and status made people keep their distance. Now, she was just an ordinary B-Class hero, earning satisfying praise through her own hard work.
Through these interactions, she truly began to feel the joy of being a hero.
Is this what a hero is? Can I help people and become a qualified hero too? Seeing how welcomed Fubuki was, Genos felt a spark of inspiration. He said to her, "You are a good person."
"I'd prefer if you said I'm a good hero," Fubuki replied with a smile.
"...Is there a difference?"
"Mhm. Is this the type you are, Genos? You don't look like it."
"Apologies, I don't understand."
"It's nothing important. Don't worry about it."
They patrolled for half the day without any incidents, much to the disappointment of the eager Genos. And so, his first day as a hero ended.
…
After several days of work, Akihiko Kayaba finally cracked and organized all the data from The Organization. The equipment from the base had been safely moved to the new facility.
This meant Dr. Kuseno could officially start his job.
However, to Aomori's surprise, The Organization didn't send anyone to sabotage the move. They seemingly abandoned the massive base entirely, making Aomori and Flashy Flash wait for nothing.
He had planned to follow any leads to strike more bases to fund his operations, but that plan fell through.
"They really are playing it safe. Are they waiting until they can mass-produce Dragon-level robots before showing their faces?"
Aomori wasn't afraid of villains staying hidden, as his own growth potential was higher, but he was wary of them suddenly causing a massive incident after lying low, or worse, uniting with other forces.
He preferred to have the situation entirely under control, but The Organization had only revealed the tip of the iceberg, making them more concerning than the Monster Association, whose intel was already exposed.
"We'll have to use the slow method. I'll have Child Emperor build some burrowing robots to scout the wilderness."
Searching for a base on a vast continent this way was like looking for a needle in a haystack, but it was better than nothing.
…
After completely destroying the old base, Aomori returned to the Hero Association Headquarters and unexpectedly received a call from Dr. Genus.
"Is there a result?" Aomori asked as he entered the underground lab.
"Mhm, you could say that." Dr. Genus handed him a small vial containing a crystalline, diamond-shaped fragment the size of a fingernail.
"I reconstructed this from matter extracted from that stone. Research confirms that, just as you said, it has the power to materialize human wishes. As for the side effects you mentioned, I've managed to isolate them through various methods. What you hold is one of only two successful products."
"With it being so small, how much is the effect reduced?" Aomori asked.
"Well, if it's used purely to enhance physical stats, it can boost them by about 2 to 5 times."
Dr. Genus showed Aomori a clone merged with the other fragment. The clone was covered in a layer of white armor and easily lifted a one-ton metal block.
"Not bad." Aomori wondered if the clone would grow stronger over time and master more transformations.
"Have you tried extracting the fragment from him again?"
"I tried. It cannot be removed without injury for now. The fragment seems to have fused with him; forced extraction would result in death."
"If we convert the entire stone into these harmless fragments, how many could we make?"
"About 15 pieces of this size," Dr. Genus replied after a moment's thought.
"I don't need that many. Can you merge them? Three units would be enough."
"I can."
"Excellent. I look forward to the good news."
Note: That stone is Amadam Spirit Stone from Kamen Rider, in case you forgot.