The street was deserted. Not a soul in sight.
This was the "Ghost Town" of City Z—an abandoned wasteland where the only residents were monsters or those with enough power to ignore them.
Aside from Sweet Mask and Genos—two men whose strength actually backed up their arrogance—no one dared to live here.
"Follow me down this alley," Sweet Mask said, his voice silk-smooth.
He snapped his fingers, a cold, elegant smile playing on his lips. "I'll make sure no one can find enough of you to identify the remains."
"Oh? You're finally done lecturing? Good. I'm all ears," Kai replied with a carefree grin.
The area felt like a rooftop after closing time—silent and expectant.
Had there been an audience, they would have seen Sweet Mask frozen in place, his predatory grace suddenly halted by an overwhelming pressure.
In a flash of blue, the God of Thunder moved.
"Hmph. Don't bother running—just die!"
Sweet Mask let out a sharp cry and lunged forward. His movement kicked up a massive shockwave, the concrete cracking beneath his boots.
He was terrifyingly fast. Even in a world of "extreme individuals," Sweet Mask's close-range acceleration was top-tier.
But Kai wasn't just fast. Kai was lightning itself.
Snap—
A streak of azure light tore through the air.
Genos's high-precision optical sensors whirred, but even they detected no trace of biological movement.
The target had simply vanished.
Where did he go?
Nearby, Speed-o'-Sound Sonic watched with his signature "dead-fish" eyes, though a rare flicker of genuine shock crossed his face.
Sound travels at 340 meters per second—a speed long since surpassed by the elites of this world.
But this?
This was the speed of light.
Hundreds of thousands of kilometers per second. Ten million times faster than anything the human nervous system could process.
It wasn't just speed; it was the ultimate kinetic force.
A strike delivered at the speed of light is a strike beyond the limits of the S-Class.
BANG!
Lightning flared, followed by a thunderclap that shook the surrounding skyscrapers.
Sweet Mask's eyes went blank as he spat out a mouthful of blood. His body folded like a ragdoll, collapsing powerlessly into the rubble.
The fight had lasted exactly 0.01 seconds.
Faster than a blink—the quickest defeat in the history of the Hero Association.
If Sweet Mask was the "fastest hero" in the public eye, then this encounter with Kai was a cosmic mismatch.
"Tch. Still breathing? I'll give you credit for durability, at the very least," Kai muttered.
A small smile tugged at his mouth as he looked down at the fallen idol.
In the One Piece world, he'd fought opponents who could predict his movements with Haki or match his speed with their own fruits.
But here?
In the One Punch Man world, the rules were different. Without specialized prediction or supernatural reflexes, no one could touch him.
Technique—whether it was "Flowing Water Rock Smashing Fist" or any other martial art—became irrelevant when the user was physically invisible to the naked eye.
He shook his head, slightly disappointed.
After sizing up his prone opponent, Kai began to gather a fresh surge of electricity, intending to put Sweet Mask down for good.
Just then, a lazy, deadpan voice cut through the ozone.
"Hey. That's probably enough. He looks pretty pitiful already. One hit is plenty—no need to go overboard."
Kai froze.
He glanced sideways. Standing there was a bald man in a cheap yellow jumpsuit, carrying a grocery bag as if he were just out for a stroll.
Saitama
The strongest being in the world walked into the tension as if he owned the place.
Genos stood nearby, his mechanical joints clicking as he took a defensive stance.
Unlike his master, the cyborg was tense, his internal processors struggling to calculate the power level of the man standing over Sweet Mask.
Sweet Mask, meanwhile, groaned and forced himself up.
His face was twisted in a disgusted sneer, electricity still arcing across his scorched skin. He was a monster of ego; even when broken, his obsession with "perfection" and "justice" kept him upright."
The air grew heavy again. Sweet Mask raised his fists, flames of anger flickering in his eyes. A total brawl seemed inevitable.
Then—
Ring-ring! Ring-ring!
A bright, upbeat ringtone shattered the murderous atmosphere.
Kai blinked and pulled out his phone. "Oh? Haruko? You're off work? The overtime shift is done?"
His face transformed instantly. The "God of Thunder" persona vanished, replaced by the look of a hungry college student.
"Wait, did you say Wagyu beef and giant prawns? You're starting the hot pot now? I'm on my way!"
The killing intent evaporated into thin air.
Kai hung up, his mouth practically watering.
"Change of plans," Kai said, giving Saitama and Genos a wide, genuine grin.
"We're having hot pot tonight. You guys should come along. There's plenty of food."
Saitama's eyes lit up at the mention of "Wagyu," his own stomach letting out a low growl.
Genos looked between the two, his brain nearly short-circuiting as he tried to reconcile the god-tier threat level with the sudden invitation to dinner.
Finally,
he simply nodded, his eyes going a bit cross-eyed from the sheer absurdity of it all.