Great, we're doomed now!

"You can't survive without fighting." Ye Shouye's statement was also brief, but his tone was much more complex than Saitama's.

The answers from these two left Sweet Mask speechless. After a pause, he looked at KING with a hint of awe and seriousness.

"As the 'strongest man on earth,' King... that scar was left in battle, right? But your past is a complete mystery. Why did a strongman like you, who can roam the world alone, become a hero and willingly protect ordinary people?"

"..."

KING was silent for a moment, and a heartbeat like the tolling of bells filled the room. Even someone as strong as Sweet Mask couldn't help but worry that he might have touched on KING's secrets.

"...I didn't have any particular reason, I just happened to be there."

"You instinctively attacked the strange person you saw? Typical of you."

Sweet Mask then asked, "Then why do you hate weirdos so much?"

Boom!Boom!Boom!

King's heartbeat quickened, and his face darkened, as if he were recalling painful memories.

After a long silence, amidst the respectful yet fearful gazes of the crowd, he slowly said, "That day, my most beloved person... fell in a pool of blood."

After that… all I saw were the monster's corpses.

Gum!

Everyone swallowed hard, and some even showed a pitying look of sadness.

So that's how it is. It's because his lover was murdered that he mercilessly annihilates any monsters he encounters... King, a tragic hero!

'It's just that the figure fell into the blood and got dirty... I could never bring myself to say something like that.'

—KING thought expressionlessly.

Only the "Emperor Engine" was still beating continuously in the room...

Chapter 343: Yes, she's still growing (Bonus Chapter)

In the early morning, an unlicensed motorcyclist patrols slowly, his eyes focused and earnest beneath his helmet. He skillfully avoids shaky irrigation ditches, occasionally raising his hand to respond to greetings from passersby, steadfastly upholding his heroic duty as always.

Neither magazine interviews nor association promotions affect his daily life.

As a hero, the things I need to do will never change.

Generally, he would encounter some people who needed help, and then do some small favors to end his patrol day. After all, strange people and natural disasters don't happen every day—how would ordinary people survive?

However, as if deliberately playing a trick on him, having just dealt with the unlicensed knights of the Peach Blossom Gang a few days ago, he soon encountered an even more formidable enemy—

call out!

A sharp whooshing sound came from overhead!

The unlicensed rider's pupils contracted sharply. Years of fighting instincts allowed him to react instantly, leaping off the motorcycle and rolling backward.

Almost the instant he landed, a giant metal block several meters high crashed down.

Clang!

With a loud crash, the motorcycle was smashed into scrap metal, its parts twisting and flying everywhere!

Passersby screamed in fright and fled in panic, plunging the once peaceful street into chaos.

"My newly bought motorcycle...tsk! What's it this time?"

The unlicensed rider propped himself up, dusted himself off, and looked up at the still-smoking pile of metal. His expression turned serious, tinged with resentment.

The metal block suddenly began to move, and a screeching sound came from the modules. The outer armor slowly unfolded, and the internal mechanical structure reorganized, transforming in the blink of an eye into a giant robot clad in heavy armor!

It stands over three meters tall, with limbs as thick as iron pillars, its body covered in hard armor, and the camera unit in its head exudes a cold, intimidating power that can analyze everything.

"Target confirmed: Unlicensed Rider, the number one hero in C-rank."

The robot's voice was mechanical and stern, devoid of any emotion: "Special energy fluctuations detected. I'm very interested in why you've suddenly become so powerful..."

I am 'Machine God G4', a general-purpose humanoid combat weapon against heroes. To further advance my grand plan, I need to collect a large amount of combat data. You are a very valuable reference sample, and if necessary, I will take you back for research.

Would you be able to cooperate?

Are you kidding me?

The unlicensed rider glanced at the robot, then looked away, gazing at the scattering crowd. A sense of responsibility overshadowed his regret for the motorcycle.

After he cultivated the Ripple technique, he could vaguely sense the strength of the opponent if they were human or other creatures, but it was useless against robots, so he couldn't be sure if he could defeat the guy in front of him.

But since the other party is targeting me, then regardless of the outcome, at least ordinary people won't be the target.

He deliberately paused for a moment without a license, waiting until there were no more people on the street, before looking up and staring directly at the other person's camera.

"Of course we refused!"

He raised his hand to remove his helmet, then put on the goggles that were slightly askew from the impact. He took a deep breath, his chest heaving, and the ripples within his body began to flow rapidly.

"A hero cannot succumb to evil!" The unlicensed rider's voice was firm. "Protecting the citizens is my duty. Although I don't know who created you, he is definitely an enemy of the people!"

Before he finished speaking, a faint golden light suddenly emanated from his body, and an invisible aura erupted, stirring up dust waves in a gust of wind.

A semi-transparent knight phantom appeared on his body, his armor gleaming with a dark green luster, his eyes flashing with a faint red light, and the long golden horn on his head looking as majestic as a rhinoceros beetle. This was his Stand ability - [Rider NoName]!

The phantom's movements were perfectly synchronized with the Mumen Rider's. His posture became upright, and although his figure was extremely short compared to the Machine God, he now had a presence that was no less than that of the Machine God.

The previous unlicensed person was actually quite "ordinary," with an overly ordinary demeanor. He would be hard to distinguish if thrown into a crowd, which is the complete opposite of KING, who naturally possesses "Conqueror's Haki".

But the unlicensed man who used a stand-in became a completely different person, as if sand had turned into steel, and he was eye-catching just by standing there!

—Some people take off their masks to reveal their true selves, while a very few people are truly themselves when they wear masks.

That's probably what they mean by not having a license.

If a Stand is the manifestation of spiritual power, then Mumen Rider's ideal self is a powerful hero like Saitama, capable of defeating any enemy with a single punch and protecting everyone from harm. Therefore, [Rider Nameless] does not exist independently, but is a "possessed type".

"Abnormal! Abnormal!"

The red probe beam on the robot's head flashed wildly, and data streams rolled rapidly on its internal core.

"Warning! Target energy fluctuations are rising rapidly, cause unknown..." For the first time, a fluctuation appeared in the mechanical voice.

"An unknown reason has caused a surge in strength; the data is extremely valuable and must be captured!"

It couldn't see the phantom of the unlicensed rider's spiritual power, so it couldn't understand the source of this sudden surge in power. But for the AI ​​it carried, the unknown meant value. As long as it was brought back, it could advance the "organization's" technology.

"Battle Mode!"

The robot drew a massive sword as thick as a door panel, while the unlicensed rider fearlessly met it with the stance of the Flowing Water Rock Smashing Fist!

At the same time, the alarm sounded when the unlicensed rider's motorcycle was destroyed was also received by the "Kuse Building". King, who was on duty, was shocked and quickly piloted the GK robot to fly over.

Facing the Demon-level Machine God G4, it remains to be seen whether Mumen Rider can hold out until reinforcements arrive...

-

City A is the core of this continent, and the headquarters of the Hero Association stands in the city center. The black-walled building soars into the sky, symbolizing humanity's determination to fight against all disasters.

This place is densely populated, with bustling streets and towering skyscrapers. At night, neon lights intertwine, exuding a vibrant energy. It is the most prosperous megacity on the entire continent.

But today, City A is shrouded in an unprecedented panic:

The city's public address system broadcast mandatory evacuation orders on a loop, and piercing sirens pierced through the streets and alleys, shattering the usual hustle and bustle. People, with their families and belongings in tow, surged out of the city, private cars and buses blocking all roads leading out of the city, the sounds of horns, cries, and children's wails mingling together.

The police officers, dressed in uniforms, maintained order, their clothes soaked with sweat and their voices hoarse from shouting, yet they could hardly quell the chaos.

Some people scrambled to get on the bus, while others looked back at their familiar homes with reluctance on their faces—no one knew why this city, known as the safest of heroes, would suddenly order a complete evacuation.

Just as the city descended into chaos, several military helicopters broke through the clouds, the whirring of their rotors drowning out the noise on the ground. Their shadows swept across the streets before finally landing smoothly on the rooftop helipad of the Hero Association headquarters.

The hatch opened, and one after another, imposing figures stepped out:

The child-like Child Emperor, the all-black muscular man Super Alloy Darkshine, the slightly hunched martial artist Silver Fang, and the unruly uncle dressed as a ronin, Atomic Samurai.

A moment later, a green light flew from the sky, and the trembling tornado also arrived, causing the several S-class heroes who had been summoned to look at each other. They realized that something big must have happened this time, something that a single S-class hero could not handle and that they had to work together to deal with!

...In the core conference room of the Hero Association, the lights were bright, and the S-class heroes sat down on both sides of the long table. Child Emperor skillfully opened his backpack, took out a device that could project holograms, and operated it continuously, seemingly calculating something.

The others remained calm, awaiting the reason for this emergency summons.

The association spokesperson stood up and said solemnly, "We have gathered everyone here because of Granny Sibabawa's prophecy—City A will be destroyed, and humanity will soon face an unprecedentedly powerful enemy!"

These words struck like a thunderbolt, instantly making the air in the conference room tense.

"Prophecies have never been wrong." Superalloy Darkshine exclaimed in surprise, "Could someone who could do something like this be a Dragon-level monster?"

"I'm afraid so, and there might even be more than one."

The spokesperson continued, "We issued the mandatory evacuation order to minimize casualties. The enemy will be arriving soon... and this call to action is to allow everyone to prepare in advance."

"Prepare?" Tornado said impatiently. "What do we need to prepare? If an enemy appears, just go and kill it, isn't that enough?"

"Of course I have faith in your abilities. This is just a heads-up: do not let your guard down and always stay in touch. The Hero Association may call for you at any time, so please respond promptly."

He paused, then added, "Due to time constraints, it's impossible to convene all S-class members at once. A second meeting will be held later to explain further."

The reason I invited you all here first is that I hope you will also unite the strong individuals you know. The more fighting force we can gather, the greater our chances of defeating the enemy.

The implication is that they hope to leverage their connections, such as having Bang invite Bomb, having Atomic Samurai invite the elders of the Sword Saint Society, and Child Emperor also has a connection with Metal Knight. These are all very powerful combat forces.

As for Tatsumaki, her sister has also shown formidable strength that could rival S-class during this period... However, the [Fubuki Group] is already quite active, so there's no need to recruit them further.

Tornado raised an eyebrow: "No matter how strong the enemy, I can handle them myself. But since it was that old woman's prophecy... I'll be staying in City A from now on, so you can rest assured?"

"that would be great!"

The spokesperson was overjoyed, and the other staff members also breathed a sigh of relief.

For various reasons, the Hero Association cannot simply withdraw, so a large portion of them must remain at their posts, awaiting the day City A is destroyed. Although the headquarters building is constructed of special materials with extremely high defensive capabilities, it may not necessarily survive the catastrophe unscathed, causing many to feel uneasy.

But Tornado's words put their minds at ease:

That's how prestigious the second place in the S-class is!

"Our staff has contacted the other heroes, and most of them are available tomorrow. Please attend the second meeting then."

……

The conference room door slowly opened, and the S-class heroes walked out one after another. Atomic Samurai suddenly caught up with Bang, who was walking in front, patted him on the shoulder, and laughed heartily.

"Old man, now you'll have to bring your brother Bampra in!"

He gently shook the katana in his hand, his words laced with mockery: "The association's intentions couldn't be clearer; they're after Bomb. With you two brothers in charge, even a Dragon-level monster capable of destroying a city would die under your combined killing blows, right?"

Bang paused, stroked his chin, and calmly retorted, "Not necessarily."