Post-Battle Tonkotsu Aroma

The hustle and bustle of Heaven's Arena was left far behind.

A warm yellow lantern hung over the ramen shop at the end of the alley, its glass door veiled in a thin layer of condensation. A rich aroma of tonkotsu broth wafted over from a distance. The moment Saitama pushed open the door, the bell chimed, and a wave of heat mixed with fragrance rushed toward him, instantly driving away the very last traces of the battle lingering on him.

"Boss! Two extra-large tonkotsu ramens! Extra chashu! Extra soft-boiled eggs!" Familiar with the routine, Saitama found a window seat and sat down, draping his jacket with its torn opening over the back of the chair, his eyes sparkling as he stared toward the kitchen.

"Coming right up!"

Genos sat across from him, his fingers sliding swiftly across his control panel to archive the final data from Gang's battle. He looked up at Saitama and said earnestly, "Sensei, the energy output of your Serious Punch earlier exceeded the measurement upper limit of my instruments. I've already applied for the Association's high-precision detection equipment, so we'll definitely be able to record it completely next time."

"Oh, whatever." Saitama slumped over the table, pressing his nose close to the air and sniffing hard. "When is the ramen going to be ready? I fought for so long, Gang, my stomach is completely empty."

As soon as Gang finished speaking, the boss walked over carrying two bowls larger than his face. The milky-white rich broth bubbled away, topped with a thick layer of fat-and-lean chashu and flanked by two runny soft-boiled eggs, sprinkled with emerald-green chopped scallions and white sesame seeds. The aroma instantly filled the entire small shop.

Saitama's eyes went straight, and he picked up his chopsticks and dug right in.

"Slurp—"