Climbing to the top of a barren hillside, the wind hit harder than it ever did in the city.
Overlooking the distant skyline fading into the edge of the forest, Jason raised his hand and drew a violet card from thin air.
Heart of the Tempest. Equipped.
…
"Hm?"
Deep within a mountain dojo, a silver-haired old man paused mid-sip. His ears twitched slightly.
In the same instant he set down his teacup, his seemingly frail figure vanished.
When he reappeared, he was already standing atop a nearby peak, shading his eyes as he gazed into the distance.
At the edge of the sky, dark storm clouds had gathered without warning, swallowing the once-clear blue. Winds howled. Thunder roared. Pillars of lightning descended again and again, striking a lone hill as if the heavens themselves were raging.
The old man stroked his chin, eyes narrowing thoughtfully.
"That storm… something about it feels off."
…
City Z.
A black-haired young man slowed to a stop, breathing heavily as he wiped the sweat from his face. His attention was drawn to the strange phenomenon in the sky.
"Strange… is it going to rain again? Guess I'll head back for the last five kilometers…"
Panting, he turned and began jogging back toward the city, each step heavier than the last.
…
Beneath the storm clouds.
The moment the card was equipped, Jason felt every charge in his body erupt into chaos.
His eyes turned a glowing silver-white as violent currents of electricity surged through him, completely engulfing his tall frame.
Lightning burst outward without restraint.
…
Two days later.
A new week began.
Jason showed up at the station early in the morning as if nothing had happened. He submitted last week's monster incident report, chatted briefly with a few colleagues, then hopped on his small motorcycle and began his daily patrol.
No one noticed the faint arcs of electricity occasionally flickering at the tips of his hair before vanishing into the air.
With monster incidents becoming more frequent, police resources in City Z were stretched thin. As an outstanding rookie, Jason had already been granted permission to patrol alone.
Leaving the station, he bit into a pineapple bun he had picked up on the way. A cup of hot milk floated beside him, wrapped in telekinetic force.
A surprisingly relaxed workday.
Due to overlapping responsibilities and a lack of top-tier combat power, the role of the police had gradually been overshadowed by the Hero Association. In many cases, they were left handling cleanup after the fact.
Jason had no intention of changing that reality.
In fact, he was considering picking up a side job.
If monsters needed to be dealt with anyway, why not get paid twice?
The police dispatch system was still useful. Being part of it meant he could track monster activity in real time.
As long as he responded quickly enough, there would be no competition…
Pfft!
Mid-thought, Jason suddenly sprayed out a mouthful of milk.
Not far ahead, a young man in a blue and white tracksuit staggered forward, drenched in sweat. His chest heaved like a broken bellows, each breath ragged and strained.
Jason instinctively imagined that head without its thick black hair.
In the next moment, the image overlapped perfectly with a certain dead-eyed bald man.
No doubt about it.
That was him.
Speak of competition, and here it comes.
Jason let out a quiet sigh, an odd sense of urgency rising in his chest.
At this rate, even his job as a police officer might not stay secure.
Huff… huff… huff…
Having just barely completed another exhausting run, Saitama bent over, hands on his knees, gasping like he was about to cough up his lungs.
He looked like he might collapse at any second.
Jason parked his bike by the roadside near a small park and tossed his empty breakfast bag into a trash bin.
Inside the park, Saitama had just made it over and was now surrounded by a group of curious kids as he struggled through his squats, his face twisted in pain.
No, this was not training.
This was torture.
If nothing unexpected happened, he still had one hundred push-ups and one hundred sit-ups left.
For Saitama, whose eyes were already bloodshot, it might as well have been impossible.
Jason watched quietly for a moment.
Then his radio crackled to life.
A report came in. A bag snatcher was fleeing three blocks away.
Jason glanced at the map and activated his telekinesis.
Azure energy flared around him. His body lifted effortlessly, breaking free from gravity as he rose into the sky.
For someone with psychic powers, flying felt perfectly natural.
From above, he scanned the streets below. Enhanced by Spider Sense, his vision quickly locked onto the suspect, who had ducked into an alley and was checking his stolen loot.
Target found.
The rest was simple.
Jason dove.
Accelerating downward, he condensed his telekinetic power into a dense gravitational field and slammed it down.
Hero landing.
"Wha…"
The thief had just looked up when the invisible force crushed down on him. He did not even have time to scream before passing out instantly.
Jason landed, cuffed the man's hands behind his back, and dragged him to a nearby police box.
Less than two minutes.
Case closed.
…
Back at the park.
"97…"
"…98!"
Saitama continued his push-ups, each one painfully slow.
Lower down.
Wait.
Push up.
Repeat.
"…100!"
"Haa… haa…"
Even so, he completed every single rep.
Silently, Jason offered a moment of respect for the monsters of the future.
Rest in peace.
Run while you still can.
"Officer, do you need something?"
After finishing his training, Saitama, barely standing, noticed the tall young officer approaching and spoke up.
"Here. Have a drink."
"Huh?"
Before he could react, an ice-cold bottle of orange soda was already in his hand.
His body, desperate for hydration, made the decision for him.
"Thanks. That really helps!"
"No problem."
Jason opened one for himself.
"I was just passing by. Saw how hard you're training. That's some serious determination."
Saitama blinked, then glanced at the half-full bottle in his hand. It was his favorite flavor.
"Thanks, officer!"
"You're welcome." Jason gave his shoulder a light pat and raised his bottle. "Keep it up."
"I will."
Watching him leave, Saitama finished the rest of the drink.
"That officer… he's a really good guy."