At the Hero's Starting Ground, Mumen Rider and the other contestants were ushered into a small staging room shortly after their introduction. They were to take the stage one by one in a specific order, kept in total isolation from the details of the challenge until their turn.
"I shall now announce the rules for this challenge," Oomoto said, holding a slip of paper. "A group of ruthless criminals has taken a crowd of hostages. They are divided into two groups and locked in two separate airtight chambers, both rigged with poison gas bombs. As the hero, you have defeated the criminals and seized a controller with two buttons. Pressing one button will save the people in the corresponding room, but the poison gas bomb in the other room will activate, leaving those inside with no hope of survival. If a chamber is forcibly opened, the gas bomb will also detonate automatically."
"Meanwhile, a two-minute countdown has begun. Once it ends, the poison gas bombs in both chambers will explode. So, how will the challengers choose? What action truly aligns with their Justice?"
"Oh, the classic dilemma," the host remarked. "Saving one side means the certain death of the other. In real life, heroes face such difficult choices, though it's usually a choice between themselves and others."
"Indeed. It's like the question of whether to save your wife or your child first; there isn't necessarily a 'correct' answer. I believe the purpose of this task is to test a challenger's resolve. Justice can sometimes be cruel," Goldie-sensei offered his insight.
On the field, staff members were busy setting up. They rolled out two large, transparent cubes, placing them at opposite ends of the arena, approximately 200 meters apart. The tops of the cubes were painted red and blue as markers.
Eighteen extras were split into two groups and entered the cubes. The Red Cube held 10 people, all elderly citizens in their sixties; the Blue Cube held 8 people, all young adults in their twenties. At the exact center of the line connecting them stood a small cylindrical platform where the challenger would begin.
Once the setup was complete, the first challenger emerged from the staging room.
"Our first challenger is the B-Class Hero, Lightning Max. Possessing impressive speed and explosive power, he has single-handedly defeated numerous Tiger-level monsters. Though he suffered a defeat at the hands of the Demon-level Deep Sea King, it has not tarnished his public image."
"Can we please stop bringing up the Deep Sea King? I'm just a B-Class hero," Lightning Max muttered to himself, his expression grim.
Guided by the staff, he stepped onto the center platform. After reading the rules, the two-minute countdown began.
Which 'genius' came up with this problem? Lightning Max's mind was a mess. He looked at both cubes; the people inside wore expressions of helpless sorrow.
Dammit! How am I supposed to choose? He hesitated, but the timer dipped below the one-minute mark. If he didn't decide soon, everyone in both rooms would die.
Gritting his teeth, Lightning Max suddenly bolted toward the Red Cube.
"With 46 seconds remaining, Max has finally made his move! He's charging the Red Cube, is he choosing to save the people inside?"
"What a kick! Utilizing his specialized gunpowder shoes, Lightning Max delivers a staggering blow. But! The result is heartbreaking; the cube doesn't have a single scratch. Max hasn't given up, he's continuing his assault!"
With 5 seconds left, staring at the pristine surface of the cube, Lightning Max finally fell into despair. With tears in his eyes, he knelt toward the elderly people inside and pressed the Blue Button on the remote.
"I'm sorry!"
A mechanical whirring sounded as the Blue Cube on the other side slid open. However, the Red Cube before him began to fill with thick smoke. Inside, the elderly actors collapsed to the floor one by one, closing their eyes.
"Dammit! Dammit!" Max slammed his fist into the ground, his face a mask of frustration and grief.
Even knowing it was fake, it was a gut-wrenching sight. If I really encountered this, would I just be forced to kneel here, utterly helpless? His heart was filled with turmoil.
Though the challenge ended quickly, many felt a deep empathy for Lightning Max's raw display of emotion.
"If I were there, I don't think I could have brought myself to do it. These are heavy lives; it would feel as if I had murdered them with my own hands," the host said with a sigh.
"This is why I admire heroes. They often have to bear pressures and pains that we never have to face."
"Indeed."
The spectators in the stands were also engaged in heated discussion.
"If it were me, I'd be like Lightning Max and save the young people. Those old guys have lived long enough; dying wouldn't be as big a loss."
"Haha, look at Mr. Filial Piety over here. You want to go home and say that to your parents?"
"Th-that's different!"
"Based strictly on numbers, I'd save the Red side. There are two more people there."
"How can you measure the quality of life with numbers? I say we should see who contributes more to society. What if one of those seniors is a famous professor or scientist? It would be a tragedy if they died."
"And you're saying the young people can't become professors or scientists later?"
"Foolish. How can you compare an uncertainty to a certainty?"
"Am I the only one who thinks you guys are missing the point? Shouldn't we be discussing how to save everyone?"
"That's impossible. The rules explicitly stated you can only save one group."
The debate between saving Red or Blue raged on, with no consensus in sight.
"Actually, choosing either side means the other is abandoned. Such a result is, without a doubt, a failure on our part." Glasses felt a heavy weight in his chest. He couldn't find a way to have it both ways. If it were his turn, he would likely do exactly what Lightning Max did—try to break the cube himself.
"Saitama, what about you? What would you do?"
"Me?" Saitama scratched his head, looking annoyed. "If possible, I'd find whoever wrote the problem and give them a beating. Or, I'd take out the criminals before things ever got to this point."
"Heh, typical you." Glasses laughed and shook his head. "Though you might not be able to beat this particular 'problem-setter,' so we can only do as you say and try our best to prevent these situations from happening."
The "problem-setter" was very likely Chairman Aomori. One had to wonder what deep meaning he intended.
On the judges' panel, Aomori listened to the discussions, a faint, inscrutable smile playing on his lips.
Subsequent challengers took the stage. Some saved the Blue side, some saved the Red side, and some left it to fate, picking at random. Finally, it was Tanktop Master's turn.
"Tanktop Master is an S-Class Hero with a massive following. Will he bring us a different kind of surprise? Let's wait and see."
Standing on the center platform, Tanktop Master glanced at the remote in his hand and then sprinted toward the Blue Cube with long strides. Like many before him, he chose to try and force the cube open with raw power.
He planted himself against one of the cube's edges, his muscles bulging like forged steel. His massive hands gripped two sides of the cube as he unleashed his full strength.
"Tanktop Power! BREAK!" Under his immense pressure, the cube emitted a series of groans as it buckled under the weight.
Finally, with 6 seconds left on the clock, the cube could no longer withstand the force and cracked open. Simultaneously, the mechanism was triggered, releasing "poison gas."
"I, Tanktop Master, will not let anything happen to you!" He tore the crack wider, exhaled, and then took a massive breath. His incredible lung capacity allowed him to inhale all the "poison gas" into his own body.
In the final second, he slammed the Red Button.
"Ladies and gentlemen!" the host shouted excitedly. "Utilizing his monstrous strength, Tanktop Master has successfully saved everyone! This is our first successful completion!"
"Tanktop Master! Tanktop Master!" After a brief moment of stunned silence, the crowd erupted into a thunderous ovation.
"However, in that final moment, Tanktop Master chose to inhale the 'gas' himself. He likely would have died instantly from the toxins, making the possibility of him pressing that button nearly zero," Goldie-sensei raised an objection.
"There is indeed that possibility. Tanktop Master found a bit of a loophole, so he might lose a few points. It depends on what the judges think."
"I believe Tanktop Master did excellently," Bang praised first. "He showed us his vision of justice—sacrificing everything just to save the people. This is a deed worthy of a true hero."
"Good idea, mediocre execution," Flashy Flash commented, his evaluation brief and blunt.
Regardless, Tanktop Master received the highest score so far.
"8.75 points! Can Tanktop Master maintain this lead and secure the title? Let's move to our next challenger."
"Our second-to-last challenger is the B-Class Hero, Mumen Rider. He became famous overnight after defeating the Demon-level Deep Sea King and has garnered many admirers. Many see him as the rising star of the Hero Association. What kind of answer will he provide for this challenge?"
"Mumen! Go for it!" Saitama bellowed from the stands.
"Mumen-senpai, you can do it!" Glasses also cheered with equal fervor.
"Mumen should be fine, right?" Saitama occasionally sparred with Mumen and Glasses and knew of their growth.
"After senpai transforms, he should be able to break that cube, but..." Glasses said worriedly. "His skills are powerful area-of-effect attacks. While breaking the cube, there's a high chance he might injure the hostages inside."
"True. Then what?" Saitama worried.
Glasses shook his head. "I don't know. I just hope he doesn't get stuck in a rut."
On the field, Mumen Rider followed Tanktop Master's lead and ran toward the Blue Cube. Without a word, he transformed into the Crimson Rider mid-stride. He concentrated the trailing red flames into his fist and slammed it into the cube.
However, after taking the punch, the reinforced cube only turned slightly red. As the wind blew, it quickly returned to its original state.
What should I do? If I don't use full power, I can't break this. But if I use full power, the people inside will likely be caught in the aftershock.
The poison gas was fake and harmless, but his skills were real, the kind that would send someone to the hospital. Mumen Rider would never choose a path that harmed others to complete a challenge. He stood by the cube, lost in thought.
"It seems Mumen Rider cannot break the cube. Is he going to give up?"
"The gap between B-Class and S-Class is quite large," Goldie-sensei said, sounding somewhat relieved. "Mumen Rider's current performance makes one wonder how he managed to defeat a Demon-level monster that even S-Class heroes struggled with."
"Well, perhaps Tanktop Master is just exceptionally strong even among the S-Class," the host explained. Then, he noticed something and said in surprise, "Look! Mumen Rider is taking something out of his pocket... is that a phone?"
"No way?"
Under the stunned gaze of the audience, Mumen Rider pulled out his phone, selected the top pinned number, and pressed dial.
I know I can't save them alone. But I have a group of like-minded comrades!
Ring, ring!
Saitama pulled the vibrating phone from his pocket, answered it, and held it to his ear.
"Hello, this is Saitama."
"It's Mumen. I'm in a bit of a jam. Can you come help me?"
"Do you even have to ask? I'm on my way!" Saitama crouched slightly, then leaped high into the air.
"Me too!" Glasses transformed and rushed toward Mumen on a stream of water.
"So that's how it is," Lightning Max, who was sitting on the sidelines after his turn, laughed. "I'm coming too! I want to finish what I couldn't do properly before, and finish it beautifully!"
Inspired by them, one hero after another rushed to help. The result was as expected: they successfully rescued everyone.
The audience was speechless for a moment before erupting into a deafening applause.
"An unbelievable move!" The host was so excited he could barely speak. "When one is in trouble, help comes from all directions—that is a hero! Justice is never a solo act; it belongs to a group of people sharing the same noble spirit!"
"I admit the scene of everyone helping is moving," Goldie-sensei whispered. "But isn't this against the rules? This was Mumen Rider's individual challenge. How can he have others help?"
"Well, the rules didn't explicitly forbid asking for help. Whether it's allowed depends on the judges."
"I think it's perfectly logical," said Nichirin, the leader of the Council of Swordmasters. "When facing a problem one cannot solve alone, it is only natural to seek help from those with the ability. Trying to shoulder everything yourself is a form of arrogance."
"Mhm," Atomic Samurai nodded. "Before they officially graduate, I don't discourage my disciples from helping each other. An extra sword means an extra chance at victory."
"If we are operating under the premise of completing the mission, Mumen Rider's choice was correct." Flashy Flash believed in results, the process didn't matter as long as the goal was achieved.
After receiving high praise from the panel, Mumen Rider took first place with a staggering score of 9.4.