"Did they really just fly out of Earth...? Can they even come back?"
In the ruins of Z-City's abandoned district, Fubuki stared up at the blue sky with concern.
Given her power level, she hadn't actually seen Zuke punch Saitama into space—Tatsumaki was the one who told her the two had left the planet. But for someone like Fubuki, the idea of two people physically flying out of Earth and returning was beyond comprehension.
"That guy will definitely make it back. Don't worry."
Tatsumaki's expression was irritable. She had no doubts about Zuke's ability to return—if he dared to leave Earth, he obviously had a way back.
What really annoyed her was that Saitama, a B-Class hero, had only coughed up a little blood after taking that hit. Did that mean he was stronger than her? Tatsumaki was certain she would've been turned into paste if she took that punch.
And now, Zuke's earlier claim that Saitama was stronger than her... turned out to be true.
Meanwhile, Genos stood rigid, his eyes locked on the sky. He wasn't worried about whether Saitama could survive in space—his faith in his teacher was absolute. But replaying the scene in his mind, he had seen Saitama's reaction when Zuke punched him...
His teacher had actually been hurt.
In Genos' memory, this was the first time he'd ever seen Saitama injured. The thought unsettled him.
But soon, they wouldn't need to worry about Zuke or Saitama anymore—because they were back.
BOOM!
A black shadow plummeted from the sky, crashing directly into the same spot where the two had left Earth. The impact carved out a massive crater, spiderweb cracks spreading outward, destabilizing the already crumbling buildings nearby.
Thankfully, this was an abandoned district—otherwise, the collateral damage would've left countless people homeless.
"Whoa—!"
Fubuki stumbled from the sudden tremor, but Tatsumaki quickly steadied her with telekinesis. Tatsumaki herself was floating (partly because sitting hurt too much), so the ground shattering beneath her didn't matter.
She glared at the dust-choked crater, annoyed by the obstructed view, and waved a hand. A whirlwind scattered the debris, revealing the fallen figure—
Saitama.
But the calm, unshakable hero from before was gone.
Now, he looked miserable.
His left arm was completely severed, blood still oozing from the stump. His nose and mouth were smeared with crimson, clear signs of a brutal beating. Most tellingly, his eyes were glazed over, staring blankly at the sky as if still processing the sheer one-sidedness of that fight.
"TEACHER!"
Genos shouted in alarm, rushing forward to pull Saitama out of the crater.
And just as he did—
Zuke landed.
Unlike Saitama's violent re-entry, Zuke touched down gracefully. He glanced at Saitama and nodded, satisfied.
"Good. The trajectory was spot-on."
He'd aimed Saitama's flight path toward Tatsumaki and Fubuki's energy signatures. No deviations.
"YOU—!"
Genos' mechanical fists clenched, his systems flaring with rage. Seeing Saitama in this state—missing an arm—while Zuke acted so casually made his core burn with fury.
But before he could attack—
"Stop, Genos. Don't."
Saitama's remaining hand slapped Genos' arm down.
"You can't beat him. And... he did warn me this might happen."
Despite how often Saitama acted annoyed by his self-proclaimed disciple, he did care. (In the manga's revised edition, Saitama had even gone into a rage when Genos was killed by Garou, his power surging mid-fight.)
Now, knowing Zuke's strength surpassed his own, Saitama wasn't about to let Genos throw his life away.
"Besides... he said he'd heal me."
Saitama looked at Zuke, recalling his earlier promise.
"Yep."
Zuke grinned, then pointed at Saitama's severed arm.
In an instant, the limb regenerated.
Good as new.
This was Majin Buu's healing ability—a power beyond just physical regeneration. In Dragon Ball, Buu had restored a blind boy's vision and even revived a near-dead dog.
After absorbing Buu, Zuke had inherited this skill. Fixing Saitama's arm? Child's play.
Honestly, if not for testing Saitama's exponential growth potential, Zuke wouldn't have even bothered fighting him.
(Not that the "fight" lasted more than a few minutes. It was a stomp from start to finish.)
---
"So... you're just killing time until tomorrow's meeting with the Hero Association bigwigs, huh?"
Back in Saitama's apartment, the bald hero casually dropped beef rolls (courtesy of Tatsumaki's wallet) into a bubbling hot pot.
Despite the earlier beating—and losing an arm—he seemed completely unfazed. If anything, his eyes gleamed with excitement, like he was itching for a rematch.
"Pretty much."
Zuke shrugged. He didn't actually dislike Saitama, and there was no need to leave lasting damage.
This world still needed Saitama. Every now and then, a monster appeared that only he could handle.
"Hey! Quit treating me like your damn servant!"
Tatsumaki, watching Zuke casually eat her beef while chatting, finally snapped.
Her pride as an S-Class hero couldn't take this disrespect.
"Yeah, yeah. Good job."
Zuke patted her head like she was a fussy child.
"YOU—!"
Predictably, this made Tatsumaki even angrier. She smacked his hand away, fuming.
But after a few seconds of internal struggle, she gritted her teeth and yelled:
"If you can heal people, then HEAL ME ALREADY!"
That's right. The moment she saw Zuke fix Saitama's arm, it clicked.
This bastard had healing powers—but left her butt untreated!
He'd done it on purpose!
Meanwhile, Fubuki silently observed their dynamic, her mind racing with calculations.
To be continued…
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