King vs. Atomic Samurai (2025)

—Atomic Samurai trying to aggravate King into a fight.

King vs. Atomic Samurai is the encounter between the two S-Class heroes King and Atomic Samurai.

Prelude[]

Deep within the mountains of G-City, Nichirin converses with Atomic Samurai about Bang's retirement from hero work, originally motivated by Atomic Samurai's desire to compete with him. Although Atomic Samurai's priorities have shifted, he notes that among the top heroes is a man (King), whose true power remains a mystery to him. He mentions that his decision to continue as a hero hinges on his assessment of King.

Atomic Samurai journeys to M-City with all three of his disciples in search of King. They begin by visiting his apartment and ringing the intercom, but soon discover that King is not home. Disappointed, the four decide to wait for his return at the city's Mouse Sushi branch. Once inside the restaurant, they prepare to enjoy a meal. Iaian spots sushi on the conveyor belt but it's snatched away by someone in the booth next to them. Next, when a Mayo Corn appears, Okamaitachi expresses a desire to try it for the first time, only to see it taken by the same booth. Finally, when a large fatty tuna arrives, Atomic Samurai asks his disciples to secure it for him, but once again, it is seized by someone nearby. Infuriated, Atomic Samurai stands and turns to confront the culprit.

To his surprise, he finds it is none other than King. He approaches the renowned S-Class hero, but King Engine roars to life, drawing the attention of Atomic Samurai and his disciples. Atomic Samurai challenges King to step outside or resolve their issues within the restaurant. In a panic, King chokes on his food, awkwardly raising his chopsticks, which Atomic Samurai interprets as a challenge, believing King can defeat him with mere chopsticks. To demonstrate his swordsmanship, Atomic Samurai slices an apple in front of King with his katana before telling him again to step outside.

Battle[]

—King attempting to bluff his way out of the fight.

Both of them step outside to confront each other in an open area surrounded by grass and trees. King trembles with nervous twitches and has many openings, while Atomic Samurai stands poised, focused on the gentle breeze with his katana at the ready. However, before any action can commence, King attempts to bluff his way out by spewing nonsense and trying to walk away. Surprisingly, Atomic Samurai is convinced by his words and calls off the fight, instead asking King to cut an apple for him. He explains that by observing how someone wields a sword to slice an object, he can gain insight into their life experiences.

Aftermath[]

Atomic Samurai hands King the apple and one of his katanas, closely observing him alongside his three disciples. King settles into a seiza position with the apple in front of him. He readies the katana in its sheath, striking a dramatic pose that he holds for over two minutes before simply putting the sword down, standing up, and walking away in silence. Atomic Samurai and his disciples watch as King departs. As he leaves, King reflects that maintaining the pose had pushed his arms to their limits, preventing him from even unsheathing the sword. Meanwhile, the three disciples express their confusion, asking Atomic Samurai why King left without taking any action. Filled with fear, Atomic Samurai mistakenly concludes that King must have sliced the apple so swiftly that they couldn't perceive it. He claims that King has achieved a supernatural feat, "slicing the blade through gaps between the cells," suggesting that the apple is unaware it has been cut. He compares King’s technique to that of Nichirin, adding that in King’s case, even the blade itself has not realized it was drawn.

Afterward, filled with shame, Atomic Samurai announces that he will restart his training from the beginning. He asks his disciples if they still wish to follow him, knowing they may face numerous challenges ahead. They respond enthusiastically, affirming their commitment.

Reference[]

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