Inside the Hero Apartment, everyone sat in the living room.
"King, thank you for saving Genos last time."
Saitama had already heard about the monster invasion from Genos.
"Yes, the scene at that time was shocking. King, you truly are a member of the New Blizzard Group." Fubuki nodded appreciatively.
Ever since defeating the Elder Centipede, everyone had been resting at Saitama's house. The self-important Fubuki had incorporated everyone into the New Blizzard Group, though no one paid her any mind.
"King, I have a bold request. Would you agree to it?" Genos suddenly spoke with great solemnity.
"Speak. I happen to have some time lately."
King said.
Genos was also someone who possessed a Hero's Heart and was one of his mission targets.
Of the five people currently discovered to have a Hero's Heart, four were in this very room.
Saitama went without saying, he possessed the purest Hero's Heart and had broken the human limiter.
Mumen Rider, though his combat power was weak, possessed an incredibly terrifying recovery ability, able to recover in a short time after every heavy injury. It was worth mentioning that Mumen seemed to possess the same skill as King: Summoning. However, powerful heroes only appeared whenever he was beaten half to death by a monster.
As a cyborg, Genos obtained different mechanical equipment through battle after battle, constantly modifying his body with the help of Dr. Kuseno.
King speculated that after constant modifications, Genos's strength had reached at least High Dragon-level, though he still couldn't contend with Peak Dragon-level Monsters.
To quickly increase Genos's strength, one could only start with modifications. As the saying goes, if your stats aren't high enough, make it up with gear.
'Since we already know the location of God, the next step is to launch a crusade. But even Saitama cannot guarantee Earth's safety when fighting God, and we also have to guard against God's agents and Divine Emissaries.'
'In that case, our combat power is insufficient. We must raise the strength of all Hero's Heart holders to at least above Dragon-level, like the previous Psykos-Orochi.' King thought silently.
This was why the system had him find holders of the Hero's Heart and help them get stronger.
"King, I want to spar with you to personally experience the gap between us." Genos's expression was exceptionally serious.
In fact, after the monster invasion, he had once again sought out Saitama for a spar. Although still praised his moves as dazzling, he felt he was just humoring him. After all, the gap between the two was too vast. Genos couldn't feel whether he had made any progress at all in front of Saitama.
But seeing King take action that day, Genos felt he had found his goal. He wanted to one day annihilate all enemies with an invincible posture.
"Although your strength cannot be compared to Saitama-sensei's, I see the style of a powerhouse in you." Genos was blunt.
King didn't mind. After all, there was indeed a world of difference between him and Saitama right now.
"Genos, you're being way too direct. King, he didn't mean it like that." Fubuki hurriedly explained.
She didn't want the members of the New Blizzard Group to have internal strife.
King said, "Fine, I agree."
"I am deeply grateful. Let us begin now."
Genos was overjoyed when he saw King agree.
'This... he just agreed? King seems particularly approachable. It's a good thing I pulled him into my New Blizzard Group.'
'However, Genos is overestimating himself this time. King's strength is absolutely beyond doubt.'
'As the leader of the New Blizzard Group, I must protect all members and not let anyone get hurt.'
Fubuki was letting her imagination run wild, a strong sense of purpose welling up within her.
"Alright, I'll go watch the results of Genos's recent training too." Saitama was interested.
He hadn't seen King take action much, so this was a good chance to see it.
"Then I will also go witness it. The battle between King and Genos will surely point the way forward for me." Mumen Rider said with conviction.
He wouldn't miss any opportunity to become stronger.
"Good, then everyone must follow my command. After all, I am the leader of the New Blizzard Group."
"Your sparring must be carried out under my witness. Stop once you've made your point, I don't want anyone getting hurt."
"Now I shall announce the rules of the New Blizzard Group... Hey! Don't walk away, wait for me!"
—
On the open ground, Genos and King stood facing each other, while Saitama and the others watched from a distance.
"King, you don't need to hold back. I want to personally experience the gap between us."
Genos's expression was extremely solemn.
He knew that his current self was absolutely no match for King. But compared to Saitama, he could surely realize something from sparring with King, such as the secret to being powerful.
"Go ahead and make your move."
Thump-thump-thump!
The deafening King Engine resounded through the sky.
King wanted to see what level the multi-modified Genos could reach.
'If the opponent is King, I cannot engage in close combat, or I'll likely lose instantly. However, according to the collected data, he also seems very skilled in using Psychokinesis. He truly is a terrifyingly powerful man. Let's test him with a long-range attack first.'
After much thought, Genos decided not to approach King easily. As long as he maintained a certain distance, he could hold out a bit longer.
"Firepower Mode! Super Spiral Incineration Cannon!"
Rumble!
Spiral flames erupted, rushing straight toward King.
Bang!
The flames dispersed instantly less than half a meter from King, as if they had hit an invisible barrier.
"As expected, it's Psychokinesis. In that case, what about this move?"
"Full Power Output! True Spiral Incineration Cannon!"
Boom!
Flames with several times the power erupted again, but the result was the same. Under the protection of the Psychokinesis barrier, King remained completely unharmed.
"Such terrifying power, yet King blocked it without even moving. He's too strong."
Mumen Rider and Fubuki were beyond shocked. The power of Genos's attack could almost instantly kill an ordinary Dragon-level Monster.
Levitation Core!
Whoosh!
Genos took advantage of the flames obscuring King's vision. His body soared into the air, disappearing from his original spot at extreme speed.
"Consecutive Machine Gun..."
Genos instantly appeared behind King. Just as he was about to launch a continuous attack imbued with lightning, he felt a terrifying aura.
Whoosh!
Genos decisively abandoned the attack, retreating a hundred meters away.
"Strange, why did Genos give up the attack?" Fubuki was somewhat confused.
That was clearly a good opportunity to attack.
"He really is strong."
A smile appeared at the corner of Saitama's lips, though he was also somewhat gratified by Genos's growth.
In the battlefield, Genos was already dripping with cold sweat, his palms beginning to tremble slightly.
'If I had launched that attack just now, I would have definitely been killed.'