Tokyo, on the corner of a bustling shopping street, stood a small general store.
Ding-ling-ling-ling-ling~~~~~~
The quiet of the lazy afternoon was broken by the abrupt ringing of a shop bell.
"Mmm…"
From within the otherwise empty store came a muffled, half-asleep mumble. Nearly a full minute passed before a languid hand slowly rose and reached for the counter, its fingers brushing against a pencil.
The very next second, the pencil shot forward with a sudden burst of unseen force, streaking across the counter faster than the eye could follow, and buried itself straight into the alarm clock on the far end. Silence returned once more.
Five minutes later, accompanied by a series of weary yawns, a white-haired boy finally sat up.
"Knew I shouldn't have set the alarm… another one down the drain."
He muttered while glancing toward the counter, then grabbed a half-eaten bar of chocolate, biting off another piece.
"Mm… still can't shake off this groggy mood. Years have passed, and I'm still the same."
Finishing the chocolate, he shuffled to the bathroom to wash up.
In the mirror, a handsome face stared back—but marred by an air of tired indifference that wasted his good looks. He gave a wry smile and grumbled at his own reflection.
"At least I'm not some dead-eyed silver-haired uncle. Though… counting both lives together, maybe I am close to that age."
The boy was a transmigrator. As for how exactly he'd crossed over? Well, it had been just a simple whoosh—and suddenly he'd become a newborn. An orphan, at that, taken in by an orphanage.
At four, he was adopted by an elderly couple, who named him Reno.
That couple had once had a son and daughter-in-law, both professional heroes. But while taking down a criminal gang, they were killed in action.
Yes—professional heroes. This was a world filled with power… and heroes.
Before his transmigration, Reno had also been an orphan. Raised in an orphanage until he could get into university, he supported himself through part-time jobs. Like many boys his age, he'd been into anime and games.
So when he first arrived in this world and learned its basics, his first thought had been: Wait, did I just land in that "One Punch Man" world?
For a long time he'd lived in fear. But after he thoroughly confirmed that there were no bald men in capes, nor alien invaders blowing up cities, his heart finally settled.
Sure, villains popped up now and then, but professional heroes handled them swiftly.
Compared to the apocalyptic monsters from anime—creatures that leveled cities and left craters like nuclear strikes—these criminals were tame.
At least they were still human.
As for Reno himself, after leaving the orphanage, he'd tried to live a normal life. But three years ago, when he was twelve, the elderly couple passed away one after another, leaving him only a modest inheritance… and this general store.
Now at fifteen, Reno was nearing the end of middle school, standing at the crossroad of choosing a high school.
"So it's finally that time, huh…"
He muttered as he emerged from the bathroom and slumped onto the recliner behind the counter, staring blankly at the ceiling.
In this world, the vast majority of people were born with extraordinary abilities known as Quirks. Some even altered their physical appearance—like the Thing from Marvel's Fantastic Four, their entire body resembling a hulking mass of stone.
Naturally, Reno had awakened his own Quirk. The very ability he'd just used—the pencil that pierced through the alarm clock.
After analyzing it with his trusty "cheat," he'd given it a name: Vector Manipulation.
A name that left him utterly dumbfounded.
When he first heard it in his head, he couldn't help but wonder if some spiky-haired delinquent was going to show up and deck him with a "Friendship Breaker Punch."
Thankfully, while this world had countless hero academies and research institutions, there was no such thing as Academy City.
Over time, he let go of his worries. After all, he wasn't Accelerator—he just happened to have a similar power.
Through constant training, Reno had raised his Vector Manipulation to about Level 3. Nowhere near the original's level, of course, but enough that—combined with his other hidden cards—he was confident in protecting himself.
Glancing at the clock, Reno cut off his reminiscing, opened the store door, and stepped into the shopping street before locking it behind him.
"Skipped a whole day of work yesterday. Tomorrow I really should set my path straight. U.A. High School… I wonder if that's the right choice. If Grandpa and Grandma were still alive, they'd surely smile and support me on the surface, while worrying about me behind my back."
With that thought, Reno headed toward the supermarket. His store didn't stock vegetables or meat, so he had to buy them himself.
Fortunately, living alone for years had honed his cooking skills to a respectable level.
After a sweep through the supermarket, he came out with bags full of meat and vegetables. On a whim, he also picked up a 300-pound hand gripper from the nearby sports shop. Carrying groceries in one hand and squeezing the gripper with the other, he began the walk home.
But as mentioned earlier—because Quirks existed in this world, crime was far more dangerous than in his old one.
Up ahead, an explosion rocked the street. Flames burst skyward, and panicked screams filled the air. Reno came to a slow halt.
"Again? This city's cursed, I swear."
He tossed the gripper back into the bag and scratched his head.
"Mm… based on past experience, pros should be here within three minutes. Let's just watch for now."
After all, while most people had Quirks, only a small fraction had the strength, training, or drive to become heroes. Ordinary folks still lived ordinary lives.
Sure enough, by the time Reno drew closer, three professional heroes had already arrived.
And when he saw the culprit, his brows furrowed.
A grotesque, humanoid slime monster loomed before them, its body quivering like gelatin. Trapped within its ooze was a light-brown-haired boy, struggling in vain.
"What a disgusting guy. And he's got a hostage too? Still… those three should be able to handle him."
But the very next moment, Reno watched as the strength-type hero struck the monster with full force—only for the blow to sink uselessly into its soft body. The slime absorbed the impact, then lashed out with a tentacle, swatting the hero away.
"Tch. Guess I'd better step in. Looks like the hostage's about my age… probably another middle schooler."
He muttered as he moved forward, prepared to pull the boy out. Against this kind of opponent, Reno's ability gave him no fear.
But before he could act, the hostage boy screamed, unleashing his own Quirk in a fiery explosion.
It did absolutely nothing.
"Brave kid… but his power's a poor match-up."
Shaking his head, Reno slipped past the crowd until he reached the fallen strength-type hero. He handed his grocery bag to him.
"Could you hold this for a second?"
"Hey! Who are you? Civilians aren't allowed here!"
"Me?" Reno flashed a grin. "Just a passing good Samaritan."
In that instant, a gust of wind swirled around him
and he vanished from sight, reappearing right in front of the slime villain.
Raising his hand, he pressed it against the creature's body.
BOOM!