Chapter 516 - 514: B-Rank?

Boom!

A thunderous roar echoed through the clearing as Genos’ engines flared to life. Twin streams of fire erupted from the boosters on his back, launching him forward with blinding speed.

The air split apart with a sharp whoosh, and Genos’ figure blurred like a missile closing in on its target. In an instant, he twisted midair and unleashed a powerful kick straight toward Fenric’s chest.

At Genos’ current speed, that strike carried the force of a cannon shell.

But Fenric didn’t move to dodge.

It wasn’t that he couldn’t — he simply didn’t feel the need to.

Om!

A deep vibration pulsed through the air as Fenric’s Armament Haki activated. His right arm darkened, turning as black as polished obsidian, gleaming with a faint metallic sheen.

The kick landed squarely against his arm.

Clang!

The collision echoed like the crash of two steel plates. Sparks erupted between Genos’ mechanical leg and Fenric’s flesh-and-blood arm. The shockwave rippled outward, kicking up dirt and debris. Fenric’s feet slid back across the ground for more than ten meters, carving two deep trenches beneath him before he came to a stop.

He looked down. The earth beneath his boots had been gouged open, the soil overturned.

The power behind that strike was monstrous — for anyone else.

Fenric, however, didn’t even flinch.

He had deliberately taken the hit to gauge Genos’ strength.

Now, he felt a little disappointed.

So that’s it? he thought. Impressive for humans, but for me... this is barely a scratch.

"Genos," he called out calmly, "your strength’s a bit underwhelming. If that’s all you’ve got, we can stop here."

His tone was casual, not mocking — but it cut like a blade nonetheless.

Saitama, sitting on a nearby rock, raised an eyebrow in mild surprise. His normally blank expression gained a trace of curiosity. "Oh? Armament coating, huh? Interesting."

Genos froze for half a second. His pupils contracted.

Uninjured? Impossible.

His eyes glowed faintly as his internal scanners kicked in, analyzing every frame of Fenric’s movement.

"Just now... a black substance appeared on Mr. Mundo’s arm," he noted internally.

"Composition unknown. Strength level: immeasurable. Possibly a personal superpower... No wonder the teacher said I’d lose. He’s strong."

But then his jaw tightened.

"Still... I won’t admit defeat so easily!"

Flames roared again from his back. His chest panels slid open, revealing swirling cores of energy as the heat inside him surged to critical levels.

He was done holding back.

Genos lunged again, the air exploding beneath his feet. His forearms shifted and reconfigured midair, transforming into massive energy cannons.

The temperature spiked instantly — enough to warp the air.

Mr. Mundo’s power seems defensive, Genos calculated rapidly. Hard, resilient... but no material can withstand plasma-level temperatures!

He halted just five meters from Fenric, arms leveled forward.

"That distance is enough," he murmured. "You can’t dodge this!"

"Burning Cannon!"

A blinding torrent of flames erupted from his cannons. The entire area lit up as a pillar of white-hot fire tore through the air, melting everything in its path. Rocks turned to molten slag. The mountain behind Fenric began to collapse, crumbling under the searing heat.

Genos exhaled, chest heaving slightly. "Direct hit," he muttered. "There’s no way he—"

"Genos."

The voice came from behind him.

Genos froze. His sensors spiked in disbelief.

"Your flames almost burned my clothes," Fenric said dryly.

Before Genos could react, he felt a rush of air behind him. He spun around, using the recoil from his thrusters to deliver a desperate kick backward—

—but Fenric had already moved.

Enough playing around.

He clenched his fist. The air trembled.

Boom!

The very space around his arm fractured like shattered glass.

Spiderweb-like cracks spread through the air, glowing faintly white — the signature of his Quake-Quake Fruit ability, the power to shake the world itself.

Crack!

Genos’ kick connected with the fractured air — and reality responded.

His entire right leg shattered instantly, disintegrating along with the distortion around it.

Clang!

Metal fragments scattered across the ground as Genos crashed down, half his body smoking.

Fenric lowered his arm slowly, the cracks in space fading away.

"..!"

Genos lay on the ground, breathing hard. His mechanical frame sparked, one leg completely gone. But his face wasn’t twisted with pain — only shock.

He wasn’t despairing because of his injuries. Replacing a leg was trivial.

What crushed him was the gap.

My attack didn’t even touch him...

And he defeated me with a single punch.

"Genos, are you alright?" Fenric asked, walking over.

Saitama jumped off his rock, scratching his bald head. "Genos! You okay, man?"

"Teacher... Mr. Mundo..." Genos straightened up slowly, balancing on one leg. "I’m fine."

Fenric raised an eyebrow.

Still standing after that?

His mentality’s solid. I’ll give him that.

"Sorry," Fenric said lightly. "I might’ve used a little too much force."

Genos shook his head firmly. "No. I could tell... Mr. Mundo held back."

Then, with that trademark analytical intensity in his golden eyes, he added,

"Mr. Mundo, during our spar you displayed two distinct abilities. Normally, an individual can only possess a single type of superpower. How is it that you have two?"

Fenric stared at him blankly.

You just got flattened, and your first thought is to run diagnostics?

He sighed inwardly.

"Maybe because," he said simply, "I’m different."

"I see..." Genos nodded, processing the vague answer, though his curiosity didn’t fade.

Saitama clapped his student on the shoulder. "Don’t overthink it, Genos. You’re already plenty strong. Just keep training."

Then he looked at Fenric with mild fascination. "Still, Mundo-san... those powers of yours are incredible."

Fenric smiled. "Thanks. But let’s save the talk for later. It’s almost dinner time. How about we discuss it over food? My treat."

"Food?" Saitama’s eyes brightened instantly. "Oh, now I’m definitely awake! You sure about treating us?"

"Of course."

Saitama grinned. "Nice! I know a place that serves great okonomiyaki!"

"Then what are we waiting for?" Fenric said, chuckling. "Let’s go before it gets crowded."

"Right!" Saitama nodded eagerly. "Mundo-san, we’re fated to meet — and fated to eat!"

Laughing, the three of them left the battlefield together.

...

A few moments after they were gone, something small moved in the sky — a tiny, invisible drone hovering in the air. Its red recording light blinked once, then disappeared into the clouds.