Chapter 82: Bang
"So the Children's Day Gift Pack actually includes me. Back when I first thought of it, that was just idle speculation. I can't believe the theory actually checked out… that's genuinely unexpected."
Ryū grumbled internally. Mentally, it was wall-to-wall profanity. But in practice, he wasn't about to turn down a free Gift Pack.
After all—it was an Event Gift Pack. His first one ever.
He had no idea what was inside, but it couldn't be anything cheap. At minimum, it should be worth a few hundred Points. Anything less and the chat group would be downright stingy.
"The catch is I can only open it after leaving the Activity World. Otherwise I'd crack it open right now to see what's inside."
"Actually… no. Opening it now would be the worst possible move. If the others found out I qualified as under twelve, I'd never live it down."
The corner of Ryū's mouth twitched. For once, he was grateful for the restriction. Having to wait until after the event meant he could keep his "age" a secret.
* * *
Just as his mind was wandering, the Little Wandering Planet let out a sudden yelp of excitement.
"Admin-dono! I think I got an Event Gift Pack too!"
"…Come again?"
The Planet chirped happily: "An Event Gift Pack! A Children's Day one! Though it says I can't open it until we leave the Activity World."
How a being with no mouth was producing speech remained an unsolved mystery. And somehow, everyone within earshot could hear it perfectly.
But Ryū wasn't hung up on that detail. What had his attention was the words "Event Gift Pack." The Little Wandering Planet had also received one?
The Planet was billions of years old. How did that qualify as underage? As under twelve?
Ryū frowned, thought for a moment, then said:
"Is it because your consciousness only awakened a few months ago? So the system classified you as under twelve?"
Yukari, who'd been mid-pinch on Kaguya's cheek, paused. Surprise flickered across her exquisite features.
"There's a rule like that?"
She scooped the Little Wandering Planet off the ground with one hand.
The terrifying weight that had nearly thrown out Ryū's back? In Yukari's grip, it registered as "a touch heavy."
She studied the Planet up close, muttering to herself:
"A planet that's been alive for billions of years gets a Gift Pack, but this one—young and beautiful as this one is—doesn't? How is that fair?"
Ryū fired back: "Your 'muttering' was loud enough for me to hear from over here. And as for why you didn't get a Gift Pack—do you really have zero self-awareness about that?"
Yukari set the Planet down and sniffed with theatrical disdain:
"Hmph~ They're clearly just jealous of this one's youth. That's why they refused this one a Gift Pack."
Tatsumaki: "…Um, does living for several thousand years really count as 'young'?"
Yukari: "…Little Tatsumaki, don't let the Admin corrupt you."
Ryū: "???"
He desperately wanted to point out that he hadn't corrupted anyone. Tatsumaki was twenty-eight—over a decade older than him! Accusing him of being a bad influence on Kaguya would've been one thing; Kaguya was easy to sway. But corrupting S-Class Rank 2 Terrible Tornado?
That was functionally impossible.
If anyone's corrupting Tatsumaki, it's you, you purple old hag.
* * *
The retort was on the tip of his tongue when an unfamiliar voice cut in, swallowing his words whole.
"Oh? Little Tatsumaki is here… Hm? And these people are… friends of yours?"
The aged voice carried a note of surprise—and a thread of wariness.
Everyone turned toward the source. An elderly man with a full head of white hair approached them, hands clasped behind a stooped back. He radiated an air of harmlessness.
But not a single person present was fooled.
Even Kaguya Shinomiya could faintly sense it: this unassuming old man was powerful.
Genuinely powerful.
He'd suppressed his aura, but she could still feel it.
Whitebeard—still an imposing figure at his reduced two-meter height—let out an easy laugh:
"Gurararara! An acquaintance of little Tatsumaki's? This one seems quite capable!"
The faint but unmistakable aura of kingly dominance radiating from Whitebeard made the old man's pupils contract sharply.
Because this old man was none other than Silver Fang—Bang—S-Class Rank 3 of the Hero Association.
For this major supporting character who featured heavily throughout One-Punch Man, Ryū naturally had no trouble placing him. He'd followed the manga past chapter one hundred. How could he not recognize such an important figure?
Bang was S-Class Rank 3, and his strength was formidable. He was also the inheritor of the Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist—a true grandmaster of martial arts.
And he was firmly, unambiguously, one of the good guys.
* * *
"Admin-dono, do you know this person? He looks like he's only a little younger than Old Man Whitebeard."
Kaguya had sidled up next to Ryū and asked in a whisper.
Ryū didn't bother hiding it. He nodded:
"More or less."
Tatsumaki's brow furrowed slightly as she watched Bang approach.
Within the Hero Association, she gave face to almost no one. But there were two exceptions: Bang, and the enigmatic, rarely-seen Blast.
Those were the only two heroes Tatsumaki genuinely respected.
She spoke up:
"They are my friends, yes. Is there something you need, old man?"
Bang's wariness eased. He scratched the back of his head and chuckled:
"Haha—if they're friends of little Tatsumaki, then this old man can rest easy. Though I must say… several of these people give me a rather… dangerous feeling."
His guard had lowered, but internally he was full of questions.
How on earth did little Tatsumaki come to know… such an unusual group of people?
Among them, one detail in particular had seized his attention: a talking wolf.
If Tatsumaki hadn't just vouched for them as "friends," Bang would've been half a second away from treating that wolf as a monster that had infiltrated the Hero Association.
A wolf that can speak… how is that not a monster? Normal wolves can't talk.
Bang paused, then got to the point:
"There is, in fact, a matter. The Association is convening a meeting—all S-Class heroes are required to attend. This old man came specifically to notify you."
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