Steve turned to Saitama and said solemnly, "Mr. Saitama, we…"
His voice was cut off by a faint beeping sound.
Saitama had already fished out his crumpled supermarket discount flyer from the inside pocket of his hero uniform and was hurriedly flipping through it.
"There's still…"
Saitama stared at the time printed on the flyer, did some quick mental math, then lifted his head. Facing Steve, Natasha, and the cheering crowd all around, he showed an awkward but utterly sincere apologetic smile.
"Um… sorry, everyone! The supermarket discount… only has ten minutes left!"
Before the words had even fully left his mouth, the yellow-clad figure turned into a streak of blurred light. Under everyone's stunned gazes and the still-rising cheers, he shot out of the ruined street like the wind and sprinted away from the battlefield without the slightest hesitation.
His speed was so great that he left only a neat line of dotted footprints in the lingering dust on the ground, and in the blink of an eye, he vanished into the distant ruins.
Only one muffled sentence was carried back on the wind:
"…If I'm any later, I'll miss the discount steak…"
The smoke and dust over the Brooklyn battlefield had yet to fully disperse. Acrid gunpowder mixed with dust, softened asphalt, and a faintly strange sulfurous stench hung heavy in the air. Between the shattered ruins, broken fire hydrants spewed weak streams of water that formed little rainbows, but they could not wash away the brutality visited upon this neighborhood.
Rescue workers and medical staff had already entered the area. Sirens wailed back and forth. Under the guidance of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, the survivors were being evacuated, casting looks that mixed fear, exhaustion, and endless gratitude toward the familiar figures still standing in the very center of the battlefield—
Captain America Steve, who was combing through the rubble in search of the wounded, and Black Widow Natasha, who was directing the aftermath.
A low, powerful engine rumble approached from a distance.
A matte-black armored SUV, its angular silhouette like a charging black rhino, ground ruthlessly over broken bricks and debris, then came to a halt not far from Steve and Natasha.
The door slid open without a sound.
A man in a trademark black trench coat stepped down—one-eyed, carrying an aura that brooked no argument: Nick Fury.
His gaze was as sharp as an eagle's. It swept across the district that looked as if some colossal beast had trampled it flat, then finally settled on Steve and Natasha.
"Report." Nick's voice was low, revealing no hint of emotion.
"The target energy-based life-form has been completely eliminated. No residual energy detected. Casualty statistics are still in progress. Preliminary estimates put the death toll caused directly by the monster at over three digits. There are even more injured, and the property damage is massive." Natasha spoke in a steady rhythm, delivering the data with crisp clarity. Her uniform was streaked with dust as well, but her eyes were as calm and focused as ever.
Steve took off his helmet, revealing blond hair soaked with sweat. His exhaustion was impossible to hide.
"The civilians in the core area have all been evacuated. We're currently expanding our search for any residents who might still be trapped on the outskirts. Mr. Saitama…"
He paused, glancing in the direction the bald man had disappeared, his tone tinged with a complicated emotion.
"He left immediately once the fight was over. He said… he had to rush to grab the supermarket's discount steak."
Nick's single eye narrowed slightly. He didn't comment, just gave a small nod.
Then he started walking in the direction Saitama had vanished—toward the area where the monster had first torn open the ground and left a massive crater.
Steve and Natasha exchanged a look, then followed after him.
(End of Chapter)
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