Kaito then remembered that his phone had indeed vibrated that morning, but he'd been deeply engrossed in system analysis and hadn't paid it any attention.
He took a deep breath, about to speak—
"Boss! What happened?!"
Mosquito Girl's panicked voice rang out from the kitchen. She burst into the room holding a rolling pin, only to freeze at the sight of the gaping hole in the wall—and Fubuki standing in the middle of it.
The two women locked eyes. It was as if static electricity crackled between them.
Fubuki's smile immediately turned cold. "And this is…?"
Mosquito Girl instinctively shrank behind Kaito but quickly puffed out her chest, trying to sound bold. "I—I'm Boss's maid!"
"Maid?" Fubuki narrowed her eyes, scanning Mosquito Girl from head to toe—her curvaceous figure, her innocent face. Her red lips thinned into a disapproving line.
She turned her gaze to Kaito, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Mr. King~ You've been hiding such a cute little maid in your house, have you?"
Kaito felt a sharp throbbing pain behind his temples.
He rubbed his forehead and decided to get straight to the point. "Fubuki, fix the wall. Mosquito Girl, get back to cooking."
"But Boss…" Mosquito Girl tugged at her apron, looking deeply wronged.
"I'll pay for the repairs!" Fubuki stomped her foot, her full chest swaying slightly with the motion. "But that passage stays!"
Kaito glanced at the two women glaring daggers at each other. In the corner, the two Fubuki Group henchmen were trembling, clearly traumatized.
He sighed, a premonition settling in his gut—his home was no longer going to be peaceful.
In the end, under Kaito's "authority," both sides reached a compromise.
The wall would be repaired—but a proper door would be installed in its place. Fubuki, in turn, agreed to hire a professional construction team and have the work completed by the end of the day.
After she stormed off in a huff, Mosquito Girl cautiously approached.
"Boss… who was that?"
"Hellish Fubuki, B-Class Rank 1," Kaito replied, sinking back into the sofa. "She'll be attending the Association banquet next week as my companion."
Mosquito Girl's fingers twisted around her apron. "Then… then can I go with Boss? I can be an attendant…"
Kaito glanced at her. "Aren't you afraid of being surrounded by heroes?"
Mosquito Girl instantly deflated. Her posture sagged, wings drooping.
Right… She was a Monster. Showing up at a banquet full of heroes would be walking straight into a trap.
Seeing her dejected expression, Kaito uncharacteristically softened. "Wait at home. I'll bring you dessert when I get back."
Mosquito Girl's eyes lit up like stars, a blush blooming across her pale cheeks. "Yes! Boss!"
Happily, she skipped back to the kitchen, humming a tune as she resumed cooking.
Kaito shook his head, his attention returning to the system interface. With a healthy pool of Deterrence Points, it was time to consider his next upgrade path.
Just then, his phone vibrated.
It was an urgent notification from the Hero Association:
Attention all S-Class Heroes!
Signs of a Dragon-level disaster have appeared in Z City. Please proceed immediately to provide support!
Repeat: Dragon-level disaster!
Z City? Dragon-level disaster?
Kaito froze, then quickly recalled—this must be the meteor crisis from the original story.
A massive meteor had inexplicably veered off course and was now hurtling straight toward Z City at terrifying speed.
According to the Association's calculations, the meteor's diameter exceeded 200 meters. The impact would unleash energy equivalent to tens of millions of tons of TNT, enough to flatten all of Z City and its surrounding regions.
"Interesting…" Kaito narrowed his eyes, his fingers gently tapping the table.
If memory served, the S-Class heroes dispatched to handle this would be Genos, Silverfang (Bang), and Metal Knight (Bofoy).
And Metal Knight? He'd show up just to test his latest weapon—he wouldn't even try to stop the meteor.
A glint appeared in Kaito's eyes.
This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Not only could he meet Bang—the martial arts legend—but more importantly…
Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist.
Ever since Kaito discovered the system could boost his attributes through advanced skill acquisition, he had set his sights on Bang's unique technique.
As one of the most powerful martial arts styles in the One Punch Man world, Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist didn't just enhance physical capabilities—it embodied the martial principle of "using softness to overcome hardness."
If he could record it into the system and then boost its proficiency through Deterrence Points…
"Boss?"
Mosquito Girl's worried voice pulled Kaito out of his thoughts.
"Did something happen?"
Kaito stood up, his clothes fluttering though there was no wind.
"There's a Dragon-level disaster in Z City. I need to go there immediately."
He paused when he saw the concern in Mosquito Girl's expression. Uncharacteristically, he added:
"It's a meteor."
"M-Meteor?!"
Mosquito Girl gasped, covering her mouth in horror. Her slender fingers unconsciously twisted the hem of her apron.
"Then, Boss, you…"
"Don't worry."
Kaito's lips curled into a confident smile.
"A disaster of this magnitude can't harm me."
By the time he finished speaking, he was already at the door. But he suddenly stopped, turning back.
"Oh—and tell Fubuki the wall must be fixed today. If she dares take the opportunity to enlarge the 'passage'…"
He didn't finish the sentence, but the unspoken threat hung heavy in the air.
Mosquito Girl nodded quickly, a sly glint flashing in her eyes.
"Yes! Boss!"
Ten minutes later, a helicopter dispatched by the Hero Association was circling above M City.
Kaito gripped the edge of the cabin door with one hand, his black trench coat whipping in the wind.
From this altitude, the city below stretched out like a model—crowds scattered across the streets like ants.
"Mr. King!" the pilot shouted through the headset. "ETA to Z City: one hour! The Association prepared your combat suit!"
Kaito glanced at the seat beside him, where a neatly folded golden armor and red cape lay—the Hero Association's carefully designed battle outfit for "King."
He shook his head.
"No need."
Seriously? There was no way he could use his abilities properly wearing that bulky gear.
Besides...
He looked down at his simple, casual clothes. This was King's real uniform.
The helicopter pierced through the clouds, racing toward Z City.
Kaito closed his eyes, not to sleep, but to rehearse the next phase of his plan.
Bang's dojo was located on the outskirts of Z City. Barging in to seek training would never work.
In the original timeline, Bang had misunderstood King's reputation—assuming he possessed immeasurable power. Out of respect, he hadn't dared instruct him, instead recommending another path entirely.
"I need to build rapport first," Kaito reasoned. "And the meteor crisis is the perfect chance."
If he remembered correctly, Genos would unleash his full-power Incineration Cannon in an attempt to destroy the meteor.
He would fail, of course—but that determination to protect the city had earned Bang's recognition in the original storyline.
If Kaito could assist Genos in his final moment of desperation…
No—even just standing there, calm and unmoving, like Bang himself…
That alone might be enough to earn Bang's friendship.
Kaito smiled slightly at the thought.
Shared danger always forges stronger bonds than flattery ever could.
"Mr. King! We've arrived!"
The pilot's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
Kaito opened his eyes and looked out the window.
What he saw left him speechless.
Above the dusky skyline of Z City, a dazzling point of light blazed—growing larger by the second.
The meteor.
It dragged a long, flaming tail behind it, descending with the majesty of a falling star and the dread of an executioner's blade.
Below, chaos reigned.
Civilians flooded the streets in panic, sirens wailed in all directions, and the city trembled under the weight of impending doom.
Then something else caught Kaito's eye.
As the helicopter descended further, he saw the ground near the outskirts of Z City bulging unnaturally—as if something massive was about to erupt from beneath the earth.
His eyes narrowed.
"Monster Association…"
It seemed that even if the Hero Association failed to stop the meteor… Sykes and her crew would step in to protect their underground lair.
..
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