"He's completely lost it! Can our HQ building even withstand that?" Metal Bat blurted out, his eyes fixed on the cluster of meteors plummeting from the sky.
The sheer size of them made his voice waver with a mix of disbelief and urgency.
"Mr. Sitch mentioned earlier that the HQ was built with extremely sturdy materials by Metal Knight. It should be able to hold," Atomic Samurai said, attempting to reassure everyone present.
However, a large robot stepped forward, and Metal Knight's voice came through it with calm detachment. "No… with meteors of this magnitude, and with several approaching at once, this building will almost certainly be destroyed."
His lack of concern made it obvious he was speaking through a remotely controlled machine. Even if the robot was obliterated, he wouldn't suffer any real loss, and the nearby cities were far enough away to be of no concern to him.
"Was this caused by that fool, Sweet Mask? What are we supposed to do now?" Metal Bat's glare landed sharply on Sweet Mask, his tone dripping with blame. It was, in his view, entirely Sweet Mask's fault for provoking the situation with careless words.
"I get where Shinji's coming from," Puri-Puri Prisoner said, his voice tinged with frustration. "If you defeat an unbeatable enemy and then get questioned like that, anyone would be furious. But… is he really not going to spare us this time?"
"Silver Fang, what exactly was Shinji trying to do just now?" Child Emperor asked, remembering how Bang had abruptly headed to the HQ mid-conversation, clearly seeking shelter.
Bang tilted his head with a playful grin. "Ah… truthfully, I don't know." But then his expression shifted, becoming serious. "I do know Shinji well enough to say he wouldn't harm us without reason. I understand him better than most."
"That's not very comforting, you know!" Atomic Samurai muttered with a nervous chuckle, watching the meteors grow larger in the sky.
Saitama turned to his clone, Shinji, his tone casual but direct. "I don't know what exactly you're aiming for, but if this building really can't take the hit, should I just smash those meteors myself?"
"No problem," the clone replied with a small nod.
Outside, away from the relative safety of the HQ, Boros stood motionless, eyes fixed on the incoming meteors. Unlike the others, he hadn't sought shelter. Instead, he was quietly trying to decipher Shinji's intentions. As the blazing projectiles closed the distance to mere meters from the HQ, clarity struck him: Shinji was forcing him to reveal where he stood.
Their eyes then turned instinctively toward Sweet Mask. Some suspected it had been his hostility that provoked Shinji, while others believed Shinji had merely been giving him a warning. Regardless, all signs seemed to point to Sweet Mask being at the center of the problem.
Sweet Mask lowered his head in silence. He wasn't avoiding their gaze; rather, in front of Shinji, he felt the full weight of his helplessness.
In the next moment, Shinji suddenly appeared right in front of him.
"Do you still see any meaning in debating justice and evil? When death was about to claim you, it was the 'evil' in your eyes that saved you." His voice was calm but firm. "After this, whether others view me as justice or evil no longer matters to me. As long as I believe my actions are right, that is enough. Other people's opinions hold little weight."
Sweet Mask said nothing, his expression unreadable. Shinji, seeing no need to push further, left the rest for him to consider.
"My apologies for frightening you all just now," Shinji said, turning to address the group.
"It's fine. We were startled, but at least no one was hurt," Atomic Samurai replied with a small smile, scratching his head.
"Hmph, giving that guy a lesson was probably for the best," Metal Bat remarked, making it clear "that guy" referred to Sweet Mask.
"I don't mind. Silver Fang's at the age where he's more sensitive to shocks like this," Atomic Samurai teased.
"I'm not that old yet. My body's still in great shape," Bang shot back.
Their brief exchange drew a round of laughter from Atomic Samurai, and with it, much of the tension in the room faded.
"Genos, Saitama, let's go," Shinji said as he prepared to leave.
"Okay," Saitama replied casually, as though nothing unusual had happened. Genos followed immediately.
Before stepping away, Shinji looked back at Sweet Mask. "Although I don't share your idea of justice, if you ever have doubts or questions, you can come find me."
With that, Shinji left the HQ.