Kamen Rider Zi-O, Dimensional Descent

"What's wrong, my Demon King?"

"...No, it's nothing."

A sense of incongruity arose from that person.

It was enormous. Even Yan Minglai, without paying attention to the sense of incongruity, would probably only see him as an ordinary person.

"…ah."

Saitama, who was standing to the side, seemed to have noticed Yan Ming's gaze as well.

At that moment, Woz seemed to notice the man's unease as well.

'What… this aura? Could it be that he really is different from others, and is about to say something extraordinary…?!'

Several people sat around his house, and after a moment of silence...

Saitama finally spoke.

Were you just staring at my head?

"..."

Upon hearing this, Woz froze on the spot like a statue.

Volume 10, One-Punch Man: Chapter 461 If I could become a normal person…

No, I didn't look at your head.

"No—you definitely saw it, didn't you? Don't think I didn't notice, I just saw it with my own eyes! The look in your eyes!"

"That was just out of curiosity about you as a person."

"Uh... what do you mean by 'out of curiosity about me'? I don't understand."

What's going on with this man? He's completely unpredictable!

Woz's doubts were amplified by Saitama's behavior, and he couldn't understand why Yan Ming would think that such a person was a so-called strongman.

No matter how you look at it, he's just an ordinary young man...

"Ugh...really, it's already this late?"

"What's wrong, teacher? Is it time for your special training...?"

"That's not true at all."

Somewhat troubled, Saitama glanced at the ingredients on the table next to him: pork, chicken, vegetables, and a lot of eggs bought on a special offer…

"This... so much food, we definitely can't finish it all today! But it's all cheap food bought close to its expiration date, hmm..."

"It's decided, that's settled!"

Saitama clapped his fist and immediately smiled at the three people in front of him.

"I said, how about we all have hot pot together?"

"…ah?"

"So, how about we have hot pot together? Aren't you my neighbors living next door? There's usually hardly anyone around here, it's nice to have some people around. Anyway, we've cleared up the misunderstanding, so having a meal together is a good idea, isn't it?"

"Well, it's not that it's impossible... it's just..."

"Don't just say 'just,' don't you guys want to eat hot pot? We can have chicken and beef together, there's plenty of meat! Don't worry about it."

"Exactly! Since the teacher has said so, why don't you just agree? Being able to eat at the same table as Saitama-sensei is something that you and I should feel honored about, right?"

"You're exaggerating a bit too much."

Then he actually started taking action.

The man named Saitama completely ignored the earlier commotion and fighting at his doorstep, and even the series of battles that could have destroyed the city. Now, he just wanted to enjoy hot pot with everyone.

I took out the induction cooker in a very ordinary way, washed the dishes and chopsticks in a very ordinary way, and chopped the vegetables in a very ordinary way.

The more Gates and Wozniak watched him do this, the more they couldn't help but stare at Yan Ming.

"...I mean, are you sure he's a very powerful expert?"

"No matter how I look at it, I can't tell. He looks more like an ordinary person, my Demon King."

Yan Ming offered no explanation, which greatly troubled the two of them.

Because, in essence, aura is something that cannot be explained.

Wozniak and Gates couldn't see it yet, but Yan Ming could. This man named Saitama was indeed very strong, but that was also his personality.

Without any pretense or deliberate effort, he maintained his strength while also retaining the mindset of an ordinary person.

So, after figuring that out...

…In Yan Ming's heart, a slight feeling of envy arose for the lifestyle of the man in front of him.

"Let's have dinner together."

"Huh...? You, are you serious? You're already having dinner with someone you just met?"

“We’re neighbors anyway, there’s nothing wrong with that. Woz, could you go and get the side dishes we left next door? It’s not really appropriate to just eat at someone else’s house, we should bring something with us.”

"Oh...oh, I understand, my Demon King."

Woz was slightly taken aback, but he quickly went to carry out the task given to him by the Demon King.

As for Yan Ming's words—

Under Gates' watchful gaze, he stood up and went towards the kitchen.

"Let me help you."

"Oh... okay, then could you chop those vegetables for me?"

"Then there's the seasoning. Just using the ones you buy in the store doesn't quite taste the same. Let me help you mix it."

"Oh? I didn't know you could cook so many things! That's pretty impressive."

"It's alright, it's just a seasoning, nothing to brag about."

"No, I think it's already amazing! I'm always frustrated when I use quick sauces for rice or stir-fries because they don't taste quite right, but I'm not very good at making them myself, so I often..."

So the two of them started chatting without any hesitation.

"No way..."

Gates and the cyborg youth named Genos stood there dumbfounded.

"Teacher... you were reluctant to say more than a few words to me before, so why are you willing to talk so much with someone you just met?"

"That guy, he's usually so low-key, why is he suddenly so enthusiastic at a time like this..."

"Oh, right, you two...why don't you come and lend a hand a little?"

"My Lord, I've brought the enoki mushrooms and konjac noodles I bought earlier, and I also have some noodles that are good for hot pot."

"Good job, Woz. Just leave it there."

"That's great! After eating a hot pot, having a bowl of noodles afterwards... Ah, it would be even better in the dead of winter, then I'd be so warm!"

All five people busied themselves in the room.

Despite their extraordinary fighting abilities, none of them put on airs; they were simply living their ordinary lives like any other person in society.

Moreover, it was a unique experience for Gates and Wozniak as well.

'My Demon King should usually be the one cooking better, but…'

Why does eating here create a different atmosphere...?

Whether it's Genos, Gates, or Wozniak, they are all the kind of people who would never initiate a conversation, and they are simply not the type to have a good chat.

That's where the magic lies.

The young man named Saitama suddenly started chatting with them enthusiastically, and Yan Ming did the same. He was usually quiet and reserved, but he was willing to chat with Saitama and even livened up the atmosphere, getting the other three people in the room involved in the conversation.

The group recounted everything from mundane daily life to exaggerated major events, even embellishing some things from other worlds.

Neither the hot-tempered Gates nor Genos said anything more, and Woz and Yan Ming also changed their usual demeanor.

But, I always feel…

For Genos, all of this seemed incredibly incredible.

Because he seemed to see it.

Saitama often had a joyful expression on his face when he was chatting with Yan Ming.

'The teacher seems to be very happy.'

This dinner lasted for quite a long time.

After everything was over, Yan Ming, Gates, and Wozniak also left the apartment in Saitama.

"Ah, you're already leaving."

"They live right next door, so you can find them anytime you want."

"That's true... Speaking of which, judging from your previous behavior, are you perhaps heroes too?"

"No, then you're also a hero of the association?"

"...Association, what's that?"

After blinking blankly, Saitama quickly said goodbye to them and then slammed the door shut.

"Hey Genos... do you even know what the Association is?"

"I know, the Hero Association. Most heroes join the official hero organization, which can be considered a symbol of society, because if a hero doesn't register with the association, their activities are basically unknown."

"Why, why does this kind of thing exist?! Doesn't that mean that everything I've done over the past few years is unknown to anyone, and I don't even qualify as a true hero?! How come I've never known about this until now?!!"

Thump, thump, thump—! The sound of someone banging their head against the wall came from the room behind, and there was even the sound of the wall being broken through.

"...Is everything alright, that person?"

"He didn't hit the wall on our side, don't worry."

"No, I don't think it refers to that kind of thing."

As Gates opened the door to his apartment, he couldn't help but glance at Yan Ming.

"...You seem to be having a great time chatting with that bald guy named Saitama. Didn't you just meet for the first time?"

"Yeah, because I'm a little envious of him."

"Envious of...him?"

Wozniak and Gates both looked at Yan Ming with some surprise.

"My Demon King... you actually envy people like that?"

"So, what exactly do you envy about him?"

Yan Ming remained calm despite being asked this question.

"Even with such immense talent and power, he can still maintain a life and mindset that is very close to that of a normal person."

"For me, this kind of thing is probably the most precious thing."

As for Gates, he still doesn't quite understand what Yan Ming meant by those words.

But Wozniak understood it perfectly.

Because he knew very well what this man's life had been like from childhood to adulthood.

'…is that so?'

Shi Lun Yanming has been plagued by bizarre, nightmarish phenomena since birth, phenomena that even led to the deaths of his parents.

Although there is no basis for claiming that this incident was caused by Yan Ming himself, almost all public opinion and criticism are directed at him.

Born with a powerful brain and great potential, he accepted the fact that he had these abilities and worked hard to learn them, while also trying his best to face his life positively.

But that's meaningless.

No matter what he does, the people around him always look at him as if he were a monster. Even though Yan Ming himself doesn't care and has gotten used to it, this has been going on since he was a child.

No one was willing to treat him as a normal human being, not even when he was in school.

However, Saitama is different... Both of them possess extraordinary power, yet he is still able to calmly continue living a life that is considered normal.