"Compound insect eyes, crimson armor, a Rider Belt... he looks absolutely magnificent."
Standing atop a skyscraper not far away, Aomori gazed down at the Crimson Rider confronting the Deep Sea King. A satisfied smile played on his lips.
It wasn't a surprise that Mumen Rider had achieved Mighty Form upon his first transformation. In terms of physical conditioning and sheer willpower, he far surpassed Yusuke Godai, who had lived in an era of peace.
His current appearance mirrored Godai's, though his facial features were softer. A diamond-shaped red crystal was embedded in his chest, and his belt served more as an ornamental piece.
"Is this your reason for stopping me from interfering?" Beside Aomori, Tatsumaki stood with her arms crossed, shooting him a sidelong glance.
"Well? Is he cool or what?"
"Boring." Tatsumaki curled her lip. "I don't care what experiments you're running, but..." Her expression turned stern. "You chose not to act even in that situation. Do you really think you're a god who can control everything? What would you have done if that man had actually been killed?"
"I am no god, nor can I control everything. However, protecting a few people from such a weak monster is a small matter I can handle. As for you, rushing over the moment your sister is in danger... isn't that a bit too much coddling? Fubuki isn't as weak as you think."
"You call nearly being killed by her own technique 'not weak'? If I hadn't stepped in just now, she'd be dead! Someone should stop teaching useless skills. Besides, she's my sister; how I treat her is my prerogative, it's none of your business!"
"One last warning: don't be so blindly confident, or you'll regret it!" With that, Tatsumaki tore through the barrier Aomori had set up around them and flew off.
"Thanks for the advice. I've known the taste of regret for a long time; that's why I won't allow myself to feel it again," Aomori murmured to himself. He turned his full attention to the battle brewing below between Mumen Rider and the Deep Sea King.
As for the fact that he had already dispatched Darkrai to lurk nearby for protection… that was something he didn't feel the need to explain to Tatsumaki.
Under the torrential rain, the heat radiating from Mumen Rider's body evaporated the water into a mist, shrouding him in a hazy, ethereal glow.
"Mumen Rider?" The Deep Sea King exhaled a puff of hot air, his face twisted in disdain. "You think putting on a suit of armor makes you my equal?"
"I am the King who rules the seas, the Deep Sea King! A mere human dares to dream of victory over me?"
The Deep Sea King roared, his muscles bulging until he seemed to expand another size. He stomped the ground, leaving a massive crater, and propelled his hulking frame forward like a runaway train. Pivoting his body, he drew his elbow back before unleashing a devastating punch.
Mumen Rider remained calm, meeting the strike with his own fist: "Justice Punch!"
BOOM!
The collision of the two fists generated a powerful shockwave that sent raindrops flying and forced the standing water on the ground to part in waves.
Seeing Mumen Rider standing unmoved, the Deep Sea King's face contorted with disbelief. "You blocked my punch head-on? You were just a pathetic ant a moment ago!"
"I have been reborn from the flames, granted power far beyond what I once possessed. Deep Sea King, you have slaughtered the innocent and committed countless atrocities. Today, I shall bring you to justice!" Mumen Rider pointed boldly at the monster.
"You? To me? Ridiculous!" As a King, the Deep Sea King refused to be intimidated by an insect. He retracted his fist, reset his stance, and unleashed a barrage of alternating strikes like a heavy-duty pile driver.
Mumen Rider dropped into a slight crouch, his fists igniting with crimson flames. Every punch he threw was a full-throttle strike with no reservation.
Fists filled with murderous intent clashed against fists fueled by the flame of life. Neither the Deep Sea King nor Mumen Rider chose to retreat; this was a battle where their lives and pride were at stake.
"Die!"
"Haaah!"
THUD THUD THUD...
The violent power and continuous rapid-fire strikes created a series of shockwaves, forming a vacuum zone where the rain could not penetrate. Not just the water, but even the air itself was becoming thin.
As the brawl intensified, Mumen Rider's armor turned an even deeper shade of crimson. The Deep Sea King began to feel a sense of dread. What is this fire? Heat is transferring from his fists into my body... I feel like I'm going to incinerate! At this rate, I'll...
As massive amounts of water vapor evaporated, the Deep Sea King's body began to shrink, gradually reverting to the smaller form he had when he first made landfall. Simultaneously, his strength plummeted. He went from suppressing Mumen Rider to being completely overwhelmed.
Finally, Mumen Rider knocked the King's arms aside with a punch and landed a heavy blow to his abdomen, sending him sliding back dozens of meters until he crashed into a utility pole.
However, once he was clear of the vacuum zone, the rain soaked the Deep Sea King again, allowing his strength and wounds to begin recovering.
Feeling the surge of power, the Deep Sea King laughed maniacally. "I admit you are the strongest human, but defeating me is impossible! Wherever there is water, I am invincible!"
"I wouldn't be so sure." Mumen Rider dropped into a sprinting stance and charged.
With every step, a burst of red flame ignited beneath his feet. Midway through his charge, he leaped into the air, spinning 3,600 degrees before shooting toward the Deep Sea King with a descending kick.
"Justice Rider Kick!!!"
Looking up at the airborne hero, the Deep Sea King roared, "I am the victor! Die! Acid Spit!"
His jaw unhinged as he spat a massive glob of green saliva at the mid-air Rider. The foul-smelling liquid was clearly hyper-corrosive.
With no leverage in mid-air to dodge, Mumen Rider twisted his body violently, spinning his entire form into a blazing red drill. He tore straight through the green acid and slammed his foot into the Deep Sea King's chest.
His burning feet left a glowing red mark on the monster's torso.
Using the recoil, Mumen Rider flipped through the air several times before landing steadily on the ground, half-crouching with his back turned to his foe.
Sensing a destructive force spiraling through his insides, the Deep Sea King clutched his glowing chest and wheezed his final words: "The Seafolk... are the strongest..."
BOOM!
The Deep Sea King's body exploded into a massive, mushroom-shaped cloud of fire, illuminating half the sky.
The dark clouds began to break, and a single beam of sunlight pierced through, bathing the crimson rider standing amidst the ruins in a brilliant, glorious light.
…
[Victory in J-City! The Hero Association successfully eliminates the monsters led by the Demon-level Deep Sea King; Zero civilian casualties.]
[A-Class Hero Puri-Puri Prisoner suffers crushing defeat! B-Class Hero Mumen Rider turns the tide!]
[Who is Mumen Rider? How did he achieve what an A-Class hero couldn't? A look back at his journey.]
[The Mayor of J-City publicly praises Mumen Rider as the 'Savior of J-City' and invites him to take up permanent residence.]
"Man, Mumen-senpai, you're a total celebrity now."
In the hospital ward, Glasses held a stack of newspapers, his voice tinged with envy.
Mumen Rider, lying in the hospital bed, shook his head. "It wasn't just me. Without the other heroes fighting for their lives before I arrived, the citizens wouldn't have been unharmed. This glory belongs to everyone. It feels wrong for me to take it all."
The intensity of the battle had left him completely drained; he had collapsed immediately afterward and still felt like he had no strength in his limbs.
"But the public only ever sees the one who lands the final blow. Explaining it won't change their minds." Saitama picked up an apple from the fruit basket and took a large bite.
"Hey, Saitama! Those were for Mumen-senpai! Why are you eating them?"
"What's the big deal? There are plenty here, and Mumen can't eat them all by himself anyway."
"It's fine, eat as much as you like. It would be a waste otherwise," Mumen said with a smile.
"See? That's the spirit of a Great Hero," Saitama said, feigning a lecture. "You should learn from him, Glasses."
"I get it!" Glasses rolled his eyes and grabbed an apple for himself.
"So, I still don't get how you suddenly became able to beat a Demon-level monster," Saitama asked. "Care to fill us in?"
"Well, Chairman Aomori didn't ask me to keep it a secret, but I can't say too much. Essentially, I accepted an experimental mission from him and gained this power." Mumen still looked a bit dazed. "I'm still wondering if this power is permanent or temporary. I'm afraid that if I rely on it too much and it disappears, I'll just go back to my old self."
"True. That kind of external power can never compare to strength gained through your own training," Saitama mused.
"Mumen-senpai, you could just think of it as a special suit of armor. That makes you just like the heroes who use exchangeable gear. Even if it is external, it allows you to help people more effectively. I don't think you'd reject it for that reason," Glasses suggested.
"Of course. As long as my conviction doesn't change, these things won't affect who I am," Mumen nodded firmly.
"Makes sense." Saitama pulled a banana from the bunch, peeled it, and stuffed it into his mouth.
Glasses sighed. "You two are leaving me in the dust. It won't be long before you both promote to A-Class."
"A-Class..." Mumen took a deep breath and shook his head. "It's not that easy. There are three conditions for promotion, and I've only met one."
"What are the three?" Saitama swallowed the banana and asked.
"First: having a record of defeating a Demon-level monster solo. You and Mumen-senpai have that down," Glasses explained. "Second: maintaining a top-ten Point ranking among all B-Class heroes for three consecutive months. Saitama, that shouldn't be hard for you. Finally: gaining the recognition of Chairman Aomori and three A-Class heroes. That shouldn't be too difficult either."
"What a pain. Why do I have to get other people's approval?" Saitama grumbled.
"Saitama, the benefits for A-Class are more than double those of B-Class."
"Oh, never mind then. If they won't recognize me, I'll just beat them all up one by one until they do," Saitama said, pumping a fist with his usual cartoonish look.
"Shh! This is a hospital, keep it down!"
"Oh, sorry."
"Hahaha!" Mumen Rider couldn't help but laugh. He looked out the window. The sun was shining, and the view was beautiful.
…
In the same hospital, in the ward next to Mumen Rider, lay several other injured heroes: Puri-Puri Prisoner, Lightning Max, and Snek.
Having ended up on the "losing team," their spirits were low.
"We killed plenty of Tiger-level monsters too. Why does no one see that? They only care about the Demon-level," Max grumbled, crumpling a newspaper.
"It can't be helped. a loss is a loss. Being caught on camera looking that pathetic makes any excuse sound weak," Snek sighed.
"The worst hit is Puri-Puri Prisoner. People are calling him the weakest A-Class, saying he's not even as good as a B-Class and shouldn't hold the rank."
"Well, I don't really mind the talk." Puri-Puri Prisoner, wrapped tightly in bandages, blew a few kisses toward Max and Snek. "My biggest problem right now is sharing a room with two lovely boys and not being able to offer them my embrace."
"Prisoner, go back to jail already."
"Aww, so cruel~"
"Get out!"
After a bit of banter, Puri-Puri Prisoner's tone turned serious. "What doesn't kill me makes me stronger. After this, I will grow. Work hard, my lovely boys! If you stand still, you'll be left in the dust."
"I don't need you to tell me that." A look of stubborn determination flashed in Max's eyes. "Mumen Rider... you've taken a step ahead, but I'll catch up soon." Having crossed paths with Mumen many times, he understood better than anyone how massive the other man's growth had been.
"Count me in. I'm not giving up either," Snek added.
"Good!"
…
While Fubuki only needed rest at home, the most severely injured, Genos, who was now just a head, had been returned to Dr. Kuseno for repairs.
"I'm sorry, Doctor. I'm a burden again," Genos said from the cold workbench.
"It's fine. I've been looking over the data on those robots from The Organization. I was already planning to build you a new body," Dr. Kuseno said with a smile. "However, some of the tech still needs research, so you'll have to bear with being just a head for a few days."
"It's no burden. As long as I can get stronger, I'll accept anything." Genos paused, then made a request. "Doctor, could you add a specific function this time?"
"Oh? What do you have in mind? I'll do my best to accommodate."
"Being powerless is a terrible feeling. I don't want to experience it again. Please... install a self-destruct device. That way, even if I fail, I can take the enemy with me."
Dr. Kuseno fell silent for a moment. "Are you sure?"
"I am! Please, Doctor!" Genos pleaded.
"Sigh... Very well. I will add that function."
"Thank you, Doctor!"
"But I have one condition," Dr. Kuseno added. "Promise me that before you choose to self-destruct, you will try everything else first. Can you do that?"
Genos bit his lip. "I promise."
"Good. Then I'm starting." Dr. Kuseno's gaze sharpened. "Believe me, this time you will be completely transformed. Your past enemies will be insignificant. B-Class and A-Class are not your end. Aim for the S-Class, my boy!"
"Yes!"