Chapter 515 - 513: vs. Mundo!

"You’ll lose."

Saitama’s casual words landed like a hammer.

Genos’ dream had always been to grow stronger — to push beyond his limits. That was why he had sought out Saitama and bowed his head as an apprentice in the first place.

Hearing his teacher’s honest opinion, however, didn’t discourage him. Instead, it ignited something fierce in his golden eyes.

"I see," Genos murmured, standing up abruptly.

He ignored the droning voice of the man on the podium and began walking straight toward Fenric’s seat.

The movement immediately drew every gaze in the room.

"Genos?" Saitama called after him, flustered. "Ah—wait, hold on!"

But it was too late. Saitama slumped back in his chair, scratching his head awkwardly. For all his power, the bald hero was still a man who preferred a quiet, civilian life — sale days at the supermarket, good bargains, and minimal public embarrassment.

Genos, on the other hand, cared about none of that. For the sake of power, he could ignore everything else.

The man on the podium — the scrawny B-class hero with a monkey-like face — noticed that Genos wasn’t paying attention to his "lecture." His expression twisted in outrage.

"Hey! Genos! Don’t think just because you were exceptionally promoted to S-rank that you can ignore your seniors! I’m still talking here! Hey! Don’t turn your back on me, you—!"

Genos ignored him completely and stopped in front of Fenric. His expression was serious, his tone firm.

"Sir, my teacher said you are very strong. I would like to challenge you — to test myself."

"..."

Fenric blinked, momentarily speechless.

The Samsaras watching were equally surprised. They had heard earlier that this half-mechanical man — the Cyborg Hero Genos — had been specially promoted to S-rank. That alone made him one of the Association’s most powerful new heroes.

Yet even he was requesting to spar with this quiet man named "Mundo"?

Then just how strong is this Mundo...?

The thought flashed through their minds, and several of them began eyeing Fenric warily.

Fenric sighed softly. "Challenge, huh..." He gave Genos a wry look.

"Yes!" Genos bowed slightly, eyes glowing. "Please don’t refuse, sir!"

Fenric rubbed his temple, half amused, half exasperated. But after a moment, he nodded.

"Alright. Fine."

He knew Genos’ personality well from the story — direct, honest, and almost too earnest. Rejecting him outright would only wound his pride. Besides, Fenric was curious. Testing the power of an S-rank hero would give him a useful benchmark.

Genos didn’t smile. His expression only grew sharper. He turned to glance around the room.

"Then let’s move somewhere else to spar."

Fenric nearly laughed aloud.

This guy really doesn’t care what anyone else thinks.

He gestured toward the podium. "Hold on. Let him finish first."

Genos turned his head. The scrawny hero on stage froze under that mechanical stare.

At last, he found his voice again, puffing out his chest.

"Genos! You’ve been incredibly rude to your seniors. I’ll be reporting this to the Association executives, mark my words!"

Genos didn’t flinch. He walked calmly up to the stage and said in a steady voice:

"According to the Hero Association’s internal rules, A-rank heroes have the right to request evaluations for B-ranks. S-rank heroes..." — he paused deliberately — "...can directly demote a B-rank hero back to C."

He stared at the man. "I suggest you finish your nonsense within one minute."

The color drained from the B-class hero’s face. His voice cracked. "W-what...?! You wouldn’t dare—!"

But he would. And everyone knew it.

Less than a minute later, the so-called "briefing" ended abruptly. The man fled the room pale and trembling.

Of course, his pride couldn’t let it go. Soon after, he burst into a senior official’s office, slamming his hands on the desk.

"That new S-rank, Genos — he’s out of control! He interrupted my speech and even threatened me with demotion!"

The bespectacled official raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Who did he challenge?"

"Some new B-rank recruit — a guy named Mundo or something!"

"I see," the man said quietly.

"So what about me?" the thin hero demanded. "Aren’t you going to punish him?"

The official sighed, clearly uninterested. "Genos’ S-rank was approved directly by the upper council. At this stage, even I can’t intervene."

He coaxed the man out with a few empty assurances. Once alone, he opened his drawer and pulled out two test reports — both stamped with multiple seals marked Full Score and Record-Breaking.

One belonged to Saitama.

The other to Fenric.

As his eyes moved across the impossible data, the official whispered to himself,

"Both broke every record in the Association’s history. These aren’t men... they’re monsters."

When he saw the note about Genos’ challenge, his lips curled.

"A duel between monsters. This... might be worth watching."

...

Outskirts of City Z – A Desolate Plain

The mountains loomed in the distance. The wind howled through an empty clearing — far from civilization.

Fenric, Saitama, and Genos arrived together.

"Here," Genos said. "I’ve already scanned the area. It’s thirty kilometers from the city and ten from the nearest village. No civilians will be affected."

Fenric looked around, then nodded. "Good spot."

"Then, Mr. Mundo," Genos said, lowering himself into a fighting stance, "please... show me your strength!"

Before Fenric could respond, he added quickly, "Don’t hold back."

Fenric raised an eyebrow, then said calmly, "Before we start — my strength might be a bit much. If I damage your mechanical body, can you repair yourself?"

Genos blinked, then straightened proudly.

"Don’t worry. As long as my brain remains intact, my body can always be rebuilt."

"Good," Fenric said, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Then I won’t hold back."

He raised his hand and gestured lightly. "Let’s begin."

Saitama sat a few meters away, crouched on a rock, looking mildly entertained. "Guess I’ll just watch."

"Understood!" Genos’ voice boomed.

His internal engines roared to life — a thunderous hum filling the clearing as flames burst from the thrusters on his back. The ground cracked under the pressure.

The air trembled.

The wind screamed.

Fenric’s eyes gleamed with quiet amusement.