One-Punch Man: Boros, the Universe Overlord

"travel?"

Boros was idly flipping through his comic book, enjoying a rare moment of leisure since mastering the essence of the Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist. Hearing King's words, he put down the comic book with some surprise, his eyes showing a hint of astonishment.

"Ah." King sat opposite him, holding a cup of hot tea in his hands.

"Because of the misunderstanding caused by the last emergency meeting of heroes, the headquarters has specially allocated funds to organize a two-day, one-night hot spring trip to express their apologies, and specifically invited S-class heroes to participate."

Boros sneered, "Heh, so they still know how to use such low-level tactics to win people over? But... there's still hope for them."

"So, are you going?" King put down his teacup and asked.

"I heard that the hot springs there are top-notch, and they also have kaiseki cuisine."

"Hey bald guy over there, don't bother eavesdropping. Didn't you hear they specifically named S-class heroes? Whether you go or not is none of your business." Boros turned around with a smile on his face.

"Ah, ah."

Saitama was drinking water when he heard this, and didn't even lift his eyelids. He gave a casual, perfunctory reply. After several incidents like this, he had become accustomed to this level of mockery. He felt no emotion, and even felt a little amused. He was only concerned with whether this would pass.

"Go ahead, there's nothing else to do anyway." Boros casually placed the comic book face down on the coffee table, his gaze drifting to the seemingly peaceful street outside the window, his brow slightly furrowed.

"Speaking of which, things have been strangely quiet lately. It feels like there are fewer weird people appearing these days."

"Isn't it a good thing there are fewer weirdos?"

King sounded quite pleased: "Then I'll tell the association, and I'll set off with the main group tomorrow."

"Forget it, just ask for the address, and we'll take a taxi there ourselves."

Boros decisively rejected the suggestion. He waved his hand, his gaze drifting to the seemingly peaceful street outside the window, lost in thought:

"That shouldn't be... Why haven't those guys from the Monster Association made a sound? Tsk, are they scared out of their wits by me? Heh..."

The next day, the taxi slowly drove along the winding mountain road, and the scenery outside the window gradually changed from the steel and concrete of the city to lush green forests. A faint smell of sulfur filled the air, the unique aroma of hot springs.

"We're here!" King said.

A quaint Japanese-style inn stands halfway up the mountain, its upturned eaves and wooden structure appearing exceptionally serene in the afterglow of the setting sun. Two huge red lanterns hang at the entrance.

After putting their luggage away, the group pushed open the heavy wooden door engraved with the words "Men's Bath," and a wave of steam, mixed with the smell of sulfur and the fragrance of herbs, rushed out. The open-air hot spring pool was surrounded by a beautifully designed dry landscape garden, and the water shimmered under the lights.

Several figures were already in the pool. Atomic Samurai was comfortably resting with his eyes closed, while Metal Bat floated on the surface like a dead fish, holding a freshly opened can of beer in his hand.

Upon seeing Boros and his group enter, Metal Bat immediately whistled, breaking the tranquility of the hot spring.

"Hey, Pineapple Head, you're late as always!"

Boros expressionlessly took off his coat. He ignored Metal Bat's provocation and walked straight to Bang, who was standing by the pool, to bow.

"Professor Bang," Boros said with a slight bow.

Bang opened his eyes and smiled: "Boros, you're here? Come in and soak in the hot spring, the water temperature is just right."

Genos, who was standing nearby, also bowed to Bang: "Bang-sensei."

After greeting everyone, Boros slowly walked to the edge of the pool. He stepped one foot into the water, his gaze sharp as a blade as he stared at the still grinning metal baseball bat.

"Metal baseball bat".

Boros's voice was deep and cold, and the surrounding heat seemed to freeze for a moment in response to his emotions.

"If you dare call me pineapple head again, I'll kill you."

"Huh? What did you say? You think you can kill me?"

The metal bat sounded angry as he suddenly stood up from the hot spring water, splashing water like a torrential rain onto the pebbles by the pool, making a crisp sound.

"Everyone, calm down, Boros!" Bang, who had been resting with his eyes closed, opened them, slightly adjusted his position in the hot spring, and calmly advised:

"We're all here to relax in the hot springs today, so let's not shout and fight and disturb this peace."

"That's right, today is a rare day off."

Iai-an quickly stood up from the other end of the hot spring pool, walked to the metal bat, and used both hands to press down on the metal bat's arm that was about to swing.

The metal bat's body trembled slightly as Iaian held it back, while the warm spring water gently rippled around it, as if soothing its emotions.

Atomic Samurai sat at the other end of the pool. He slowly opened his eyes, his sharp, eagle-like gaze sweeping back and forth between Boros and Genos, who was standing to the side, before finally settling on Bang.

He stroked the stubble on his chin, pondered for a moment, and then asked in a steady, powerful voice, "Bang."

There was a hint of doubt in his voice, almost imperceptible, "Have you already taken them both as your disciples?"

Bangu's face broke into a gentle smile as he looked at the two young men beside him, his eyes filled with anticipation and admiration.

"They are all very talented. I just want to teach them something. Whether they are teachers or not doesn't matter. What's important is that they are willing to learn and grow, and we can learn from each other and make progress together in the process."

Just then, with a "splash," Flashy Flash, the 13th S-class hero, suddenly leaped out of the water, his long golden hair spraying out countless water droplets.

"Oh no, we have to get out of here!"

As he shouted, Flash grabbed a bathrobe hanging on the rack and haphazardly wrapped it around himself. His usually haughty face now looked somewhat flustered.

"What's wrong?"

The zombie man, who was sitting by the pool and playing with the hot spring water with his fingers, looked up blankly, his pale skin appearing somewhat dazed in the steam.

"Has a strange disaster occurred?"

"The sexy prisoner has arrived!!!"

Without turning his head, Flash shouted something, and as he spoke, he moved with incredible speed.

"Huh?! A sexy prisoner?"

The surrounding heroes were instantly horrified upon hearing this.

"Genos, you'd better run too, haha. Hot springs and sexy prisoners, these two combined are a disaster for you," Boros said, patting Genos on the shoulder.

Saitama asked, "Why did you run? Is he that strong?"

"You're alright, you look perfectly safe."

"???"

........................

The setting sun cast dappled light and shadow through the floor-to-ceiling windows, bathing the spacious hall in a warm orange hue. A subtle atmosphere permeated the air, a blend of the cool evening breeze and the comforting aroma of food.

Everyone sat down in two rows as usual, leaving a wide aisle in the middle. Each table was laden with a carefully prepared and sumptuous dinner.

The silver cutlery gleamed in the candlelight, and the rich aroma of various dishes wafted freely in the air with the evening breeze that swept through the hall, creating a mouthwatering blend that awakened the long-dormant appetite of everyone present.

Sitch sat in the main seat in the center of the crowd, gently swirling a crystal goblet filled with golden liquid in his hand, his expression gentle and calm.

He put down his wine glass with a crisp sound, then coughed lightly. Once everyone's attention had shifted from the food on their plates to him, the noisy chatter and whispers gradually subsided.

He bowed slightly, placing his hands on the table, his tone conveying sincerity and apology:

"I sincerely apologize for the emergency meeting that was suddenly convened last time, which caused everyone to put aside their busy schedules and rush to the meeting. It turned out to be just a false alarm and even disrupted everyone's original plans and life rhythm."

The previously relaxed conversation and laughter around them completely disappeared, replaced by a quiet listening. Seeing this, Sitch's furrowed brows relaxed slightly, his expression softened, and a relieved and comforting smile appeared on his lips.

"However, it's also thanks to everyone's understanding. So, thank you all very much for taking the time to gather together again tonight. Although the situation has been somewhat tense lately, and the pressure is considerable, we need moments like this even more to adjust our mindset and mend our relationships. So, tonight, please forget about those complicated reports and unresolved problems, completely relax, and enjoy yourselves."

He stood up, raising his glass high. The golden liquid inside rippled slightly with his movement. His eyes were bright and resolute, and his voice rose, echoing throughout the hall.

"Cheers to lasting peace!"

"Cheers!"

As Sitch finished speaking, everyone in the hall raised their glasses in unison, the crisp clinking sounds echoing throughout, as if shattering the previous unpleasantness into the wind.

The golden liquid rippled in the glass, reflecting the relaxed smiles on everyone's faces, and the long-suppressed sense of distance instantly vanished.

Immediately afterwards, several heroes who were usually known for their muscles couldn't contain themselves any longer in the open space in the center of the hall. They simply took off their jackets, revealing their rock-solid biceps.

Amid the cheers of the crowd, he started showing off his muscles to the rhythm of the cheerful music, and even clumsily and comically performed an impromptu dance, which drew laughter from everyone around him.

The remaining people naturally split into several small groups, with close friends gathering together to toast and chat enthusiastically, creating an increasingly lively atmosphere.

At this moment, Boros, holding a wine glass, walked steadily towards Bangu:

"Professor Banggu, a toast to you."

Bang, who was chatting and laughing with Atomic Samurai and the others, put down his chopsticks upon seeing this and laughed heartily:

"Ah, Boros, I didn't know you liked drinking too! Don't be shy, come on, come on, we're just in time, let's drink together!" With that, he warmly invited him to join the fray, and together with Atomic Samurai and the others, they continued to toast and drink heartily.

"I don't want any more, you can have it."

As Tornado toasted, she took a sip of red wine. The spiciness immediately made her frown, and a thin blush quickly spread across her fair cheeks. Frowning, she hurriedly shoved the glass into Genos's hand, turning her face away and muttering under her breath:

"It's too spicy. I guess I'm still not good at drinking."

Just then, Saitama strolled by leisurely carrying a plate of grilled meat. Seeing Tornado pushing the drink away, he casually took the glass and said with an air of nonchalance:

"What do you mean by being good at or not good at? How can a kid drink alcohol? Drinking orange juice is better for your health. Do you want me to order you a freshly squeezed one?"

"Huh? I remember your face." Tornado turned her head sharply, her green pupils instantly igniting with anger as she retorted to Saitama without any politeness.

"At the last meeting, someone brought along some low-level B-rank character, and now they're shamelessly showing up again! Would a normal person come here at this time? Don't they have a brain? They just want to curry favor with us S-ranks and get their attention, right? Seeing you annoys me, I'm not happy, get out!!!"

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