A brief silence settled over the conference room. Sitch's proposal landed like a heavy weight, sending tension through the room. The S-Class heroes exchanged glances, each reacting differently.
"Recruit those demons?" Atomic Samurai broke the silence first. He scoffed, the toothpick in his mouth shifting as he spoke. "Is the Association so desperate that it has to rely on non-human creatures?"
"That's not the right way to frame it," Child Emperor adjusted his glasses, his tone steady. "Based on recorded data, Muzan and his demons have performed well during multiple disaster events. There have been no civilian casualties linked to them. Their involvement has reduced the workload on heroes."
Superalloy Darkshine crossed his arms, thinking it over. "Even so, their origins are unclear. That Muzan gives off an unsettling presence."
"Dangerous?" Tatsumaki floated in midair, her green hair swaying slightly. She let out a sharp scoff. "Who here isn't dangerous? What matters is what they're doing now. At least they're not causing chaos like a certain idiot." Her eyes drifted toward Sol's frozen image on the screen.
Metal Bat grinned, resting his bat over his shoulder. "I think they're fine. They look weird, sure, but they get the job done. During the Boros incident, they even helped evacuate civilians."
Tanktop Master nodded firmly. "I agree. If they're willing to fight for humanity, there's no reason to reject them."
At that moment, the conference room door slid open.
Genos stepped in with composed movements, his golden mechanical eyes scanning the room. He bowed slightly. "Apologies for being late."
Saitama followed behind him, yawning as he scratched his bald head. "Oh, everyone's already here." He walked over to an empty seat and dropped into it casually. "Carry on, don't mind me."
Sitch's expression sharpened briefly at Genos' arrival before returning to normal. "Genos, you've just been promoted to S-Class. This meeting is important for understanding the current situation."
Genos nodded, though his gaze shifted toward Sol's image on the screen. His mechanical fingers tightened slightly.
"Regarding the proposal involving Muzan and his demons," Drive Knight's mechanical voice echoed, "an observation period with strict limitations is necessary. Their abilities resemble those of monsters. We should proceed cautiously."
Zombieman exhaled a stream of smoke. "Let them start by assisting lower-ranked heroes. Build trust over time. Right now, our main issue is…" He pointed toward the screen.
The focus returned to Sol, and the tension deepened.
Bang slowly opened his eyes. "Sol's power exceeds anything we've seen before. But more importantly, it's his intentions." His calm gaze moved across the room. "He had the chance to cause massive casualties at the stadium, yet no one was harmed."
"Or maybe he's just insane," Atomic Samurai snapped. "Next time we meet him, we might be the ones he cuts down."
In a dim corner, Garou leaned silently against the wall, a faint smirk on his face beneath his silver hair. Across from him, Speed-o'-Sound Sonic stood with arms crossed, his gaze sharp and focused.
Sitch exhaled. "We'll proceed with a vote regarding Muzan and his group. As for Sol, we will establish a joint response plan. No one is to engage him alone. Stall him and call for backup immediately."
Genos spoke up suddenly. "Mr. Sol wouldn't harm others without reason. The stadium incident proves that." His voice was firm.
Saitama nodded lazily. "Yeah, Sol might be reckless, but he's not a bad guy."
"Then why did he join the Monster Association?" Atomic Samurai shot back, his frustration still lingering from having his sword broken so effortlessly.
"Joining them doesn't automatically make him evil," Metal Bat replied, slamming his bat lightly against the floor. "Maybe he has his own reasons. He didn't try to kill anyone at the stadium."
"Restraint doesn't equal goodwill," Flash said coldly. "It could be part of a larger plan. Someone with his level of power can't be judged normally."
Drive Knight's optics flickered. "Logically, his actions are contradictory. He betrayed the Association, aligned himself with monsters, yet held back in combat. There must be motives we don't understand yet."
"Maybe he's trying to change the Association in his own way," Tanktop Master said. "I believe in his character."
Darkshine nodded slowly. "If he truly intended harm, the stadium wouldn't have been left untouched."
Tatsumaki cut through the discussion, irritation clear in her voice. "Why are we still arguing? That idiot doesn't think things through, but he would never go around killing innocent people. I know that better than any of you."
Sitch rubbed his temples, clearly exhausted. "Enough. We need solutions, not arguments."
Meanwhile, Saitama sat there, looking completely uninterested as the debate dragged on. He let out a quiet yawn, then suddenly paused as if remembering something.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out an old flip phone, casually pressing the buttons.
"...What are you doing?" Sitch asked, confused.
"Calling Sol," Saitama replied without looking up. "Wouldn't it be faster to just ask him?"
The room went completely silent.
Every hero stared at him.
"You… have Sol's contact?" Tatsumaki's voice wavered slightly, her face turning red almost instantly.
She didn't even have it.
Saitama held the phone to his ear like it was the most normal thing in the world. "Yeah. We go grocery shopping together sometimes when there are discounts."
Ignoring the stunned expressions around him, Saitama pressed the final button and placed the phone on speaker.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
The dialing tone echoed clearly in the silent room. No one moved. Even Atomic Samurai stopped scowling, his attention fixed on the phone.
"Hmm… no answer?" Saitama muttered, scratching his head before hitting redial.
This time, the tone rang twice.
Then the call connected.
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