It was late at night when he returned to the apartment.
Moonlight streamed through the French windows into the corridor, bathing the floor in a silver glow.
Mosquito Girl was still waiting in the living room, and upon hearing the door open, she immediately sprang from the sofa and ran to the entrance.
"Boss, you're back."
She was still wearing the black and white maid outfit—only the hem of her skirt was stained with a little oil, indicating that she had been diligently practicing her cooking skills today.
Kaito nodded, placed the mechanical box on the coffee table, and sank wearily into the sofa.
He noticed a plate of shortbread, sealed with plastic wrap, with a steaming cup of black tea beside it.
"I... I tried making some pastries," Mosquito Girl explained timidly. "I don't know if they suit Boss's taste..."
Kaito casually picked one up and took a bite. It was crispy on the outside, tender on the inside—cooked to perfection.
He raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"Not bad. You've improved a lot."
Mosquito Girl's pale cheeks immediately flushed, and the corners of her mouth curved up without her realizing it.
Just as she was about to speak, Kaito continued,
"Tomorrow I'm going to Z City to see Saitama. In the morning, help me prepare some shortbread and takoyaki as a souvenir."
"S-Saitama?!"
Mosquito Girl trembled violently. The terrifying image of that bald demon king instantly surfaced in her mind, nearly making her lose her balance.
But she still forced down her fear, raising her trembling hands.
"I-I will try my best to prepare them!"
Kaito looked at her, then after a moment of thought, reached out and gently patted her head.
"As long as you're obedient, I guarantee Saitama won't hurt you."
He paused.
"From now on, when you purchase ingredients, you can also buy blood for your own consumption."
Mosquito Girl suddenly looked up, her eyes wide and round.
She couldn't believe her ears.
The right to purchase freely? And… blood supply?
This was a privilege she hadn't even dared dream of.
"Boss..." Her voice choked. She dropped to one knee, her metallic fingers reverently lifting the corner of Kaito's coat and kissing it gently.
"I swear eternal loyalty to you!"
[Ding! Mosquito Girl has gained 20 Deterrence Points for receiving permission for blood supply and a safety guarantee!]
Kaito withdrew his hand with satisfaction.
A combination of kindness and authority was the way to tame.
It seemed to be working well.
After washing up, he lay in bed and quickly fell into a deep sleep.
In his dream, he saw himself standing at the pinnacle of the world, with countless beauties kneeling at his feet...
The next morning, Kaito was awakened by an enticing aroma.
Mosquito Girl had already prepared a lavish breakfast.
"Boss, this is the souvenir for Mr. Saitama."
She respectfully presented an exquisite food box, neatly arranged with over twenty golden takoyaki and shortbread. Each piece was carefully separated with oil paper to prevent sticking.
Kaito picked one up and tasted it—it was crispy on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside. Even more delicious than last night's.
He glanced at Mosquito Girl again, clearly impressed.
He hadn't expected her skills to improve so quickly.
"Not bad," he commented briefly.
Yet even this small praise made her eyes light up with joy, as if she had just received the greatest of honors.
After enjoying breakfast, Kaito picked up both the mechanical box and the souvenir box, then left the apartment.
The world of One-Punch Man, unlike Earth with its six continents, had only one supercontinent: Pangu—a massive landmass that spanned most of the planet.
However, due to the frequent monster disasters after the onset of the New Era, all remaining humans had gathered into twenty-six mega-cities named after the English alphabet.
Air travel had been abandoned.
Too many flying monsters lurked in the skies, making it far too dangerous.
Instead, the world now relied on maglev trains—faster, safer, and equipped with monster-resistant designs.
Thanks to New Era technology, these maglev trains could travel between cities in just one or two hours. Their reinforced train heads allowed them to plow straight through any monster daring enough to block the tracks.
When Kaito arrived at the M City high-speed rail station and was just about to board the train, a sudden commotion erupted in the nearby plaza.
"Chuu ha ha ha ha! The long-tongued old man who mutated into a reptile because he loved reptiles too much is here!"
"Pretty girls, come and have my babies!"
An extremely ugly Lizard Man, his large tongue flailing, was darting through the plaza, snatching up every beautiful young woman he could see.
His body was covered in dark green scales, towering over two meters tall.
With a casual flick of his thick tail, the Lizard Man sent a vending machine flying, shattering it into a pile of twisted metal and shattered plastic.
Several security guards rushed forward, trying to maintain order.
But they were no match.
The Lizard Man's slimy, oversized tongue shot out, wrapping around them with disgusting ease before flinging them away like rag dolls.
Kaito stood in place, watching the arrogant creature with a strange expression.
Wasn't this Lizard Man supposed to show up only after Saitama defeated Boros?
That's when King and Saitama first met in the original timeline.
So… why is he appearing now?
It seemed the timeline was already beginning to shift.
At that moment, the Lizard Man set his sights on a girl in the crowd.
She looked to be around eighteen or nineteen, dressed in a soft blue sundress. Her long, dark hair shimmered under the lights, and she clutched a book tightly to her chest, frozen in terror.
"Little girl, you're not getting away! Hmmm~ gule gule gule!"
The Lizard Man licked his lips and lashed out his tongue like a whip, aiming directly for her.
The surrounding crowd had long since fled in panic, scattering in all directions.
Only Kaito, hood up and standing silently, remained in place.
"NOOOO!"
The girl ran blindly, her path blocked—until she crashed right into Kaito's arms.
"Gule gule! You bastard—are you trying to stop me?!"
The Lizard Man stomped forward, his stinking breath and saliva flying in all directions.
He loomed close, arrogantly extending his grotesque tongue, waving it just centimeters from Kaito's face.
But Kaito didn't even flinch.
Instead, he calmly looked down at the girl in his arms.
"Are you alright?" he asked, voice low. "Did he hurt you?"
The girl trembled and looked up.
The moment her eyes landed on his face, her pupils widened in recognition.
"Y-You're... King! You're King—the strongest man on Earth!"
In her panic, she had pulled back Kaito's hood, revealing his face—stern, cold, and marked by three unmistakable scars.
That face.
That legendary, terrifying face.
The Lizard Man froze in place, his arrogance evaporating in an instant.
He stared at Kaito as if struck by lightning.
"That face… that's… that's King!!!"
The S-Class Hero.
Rank Seven.
The so-called "Strongest Man on Earth."
Not long ago, this same man had defeated a Tiger-level monster—Mantis—without even lifting a finger, just by exuding his terrifying aura.
The Lizard Man's entire body began to tremble.
His tongue drooped uselessly from his mouth like a dead snake.
He stumbled backward, legs buckling beneath him, and collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud.
[Ding! Wolf-level monster "Long-Tongued Lizard" has gained 80 Deterrence Points due to extreme fear upon recognizing the host's identity!]
Kaito stared coldly at the pathetic creature writhing on the ground, a faint smirk playing at the corner of his lips.
Perfect. A live target to test out my new skill...
"Carbonated Gas Bomb."
He slowly raised his hand.
...go read extra chapters on my patreon, Rene_chan.