A few days later, in J-City—
A terrifying monster calling itself the Deep Sea King rose from the ocean depths, leading a horde of aquatic creatures onto the surface.
Among them were the Crab King, Abyssal Salmon, and the Golden Squid—each radiating killing intent, burning with rage at humanity's long history of turning their kin into mere food.
Heroes from the Heroes Association were quickly dispatched to contain the invasion, but the Deep Sea King—classified as a Dragon-level threat—proved far too powerful.
One after another, the heroes fell.
Stinger from A-Class. Lightning Max from A-Class. Even S-Class hero Puri-Puri Prisoner, who had just escaped from prison alongside Speed-o'-Sound Sonic, couldn't stop him.
But everything changed when Saitama, who had recently mastered the ability to fly, arrived at the battlefield.
With a single punch, he obliterated the Deep Sea King completely—leaving not even a trace behind.
He saved every wounded hero, every citizen.
— — —
Meanwhile, far away in another city—
Sweet Mask, the Rank 1 A-Class Hero, watched the footage of the battle on his tablet, his perfect lips curling into a faint smile.
"So that's him… the bald man who's sitting at Rank 2 in A-Class. Not bad."
A single punch, huh?
"If you want to climb to S-Class, you'll have to pass my test first."
Determined, Sweet Mask grabbed his keys, slid into his sports car, and sped off toward J-City.
— — —
In Z-City, inside his home, Zenin Kyūjō was lounging lazily on his sofa, flipping through the television channels without much interest.
But his mind wasn't really on the screen.
He could feel it—the subtle, ominous stirrings coming from deep beneath the city.
The Monster Association was moving.
Yes, their main base was located right below Z-City.
However, Kyūjō wasn't planning to attack them just yet.
It wasn't because he was afraid of breaking the natural flow of the story—but because the timing wasn't right.
The Association was still gathering strength; many important monsters had yet to appear. If he struck too early, those key figures might never surface.
For now, the monsters were still under control. Psykos, the mind guiding the Association through her alter ego Gyoro Gyoro, was still maintaining order, keeping their plans hidden.
Kyūjō's own plan was simple.
He would wait until after defeating Boros, the Dominator of the Universe. Then he would destroy the entire Monster Association from the ground up.
After that, he would focus on meditation—on pushing his Starforce to its absolute peak.
Only then would he challenge the supreme entity of this world—God.
After all, saving this world wasn't his responsibility.
There was already someone for that—Saitama.
Meanwhile, at that very moment, Saitama himself was probably thinking something like:
> "I also want to fight Boros and that God guy… but seriously, Kyūjō, can you stop hogging all the monsters for yourself?"
— — —
J-City
Sweet Mask's sports car stopped at the edge of a massive crowd.
From behind the wheel, he watched the scene ahead—hundreds of cheering civilians surrounding Saitama, their faces filled with awe and admiration.
That man—bald head shining in the sunlight, completely ordinary face, blank expression. From appearance alone, he was everything Sweet Mask despised.
But power… power couldn't be denied.
And the display Saitama had shown was proof enough.
If this man could withstand his true strength, the monstrous force he kept sealed within his human body, then perhaps—just perhaps—he was worthy of S-Class.
— — —
As the crowd began to disperse, Sweet Mask pressed the pedal lightly. The car drifted with flawless precision before coming to a perfect stop right beside Saitama.
The passenger door opened automatically.
"Saitama—the One Punch Man! Get in." Sweet Mask's voice was smooth yet commanding. "This is your S-Class evaluation, personally overseen by me—Sweet Mask, Rank 1 of A-Class."
Saitama blinked, confused.
Then Kyūjō's words from a few days ago echoed in his mind—about Sweet Mask being, in truth, a monster.
Before he could respond—
"AAAAHHH! IT'S SWEET MASK!"
"Where?! Sweet Mask is here?! Look, it's really him!!"
Saitama turned to see the remnants of the crowd erupting into chaos. Fans—especially screaming girls—rushed toward the car, phones out, tears in their eyes.
Sweet Mask sighed.
"Tch. Not again."
Without hesitation, he grabbed Saitama by the arm, yanked him into the car, slammed the door, and floored the accelerator.
The car shot away in a blur of silver.
— — —
Minutes later, the two arrived at the coastal highway overlooking J-City's shoreline—the very place where the Sea Monster invasion had occurred.
Now, the once-chaotic battlefield lay silent, littered with the remains of the slain creatures. Not a single person was in sight.
Both men stepped out of the car.
Sweet Mask didn't waste time. His tone turned cold.
"If you wish to enter S-Class—defeat me."
Before Saitama could even reply, Sweet Mask's fist shot forward like lightning, slamming straight into his chest.
The impact sent Saitama flying across the field, his body bouncing through the sand as a cloud of dust erupted.
Sweet Mask narrowed his eyes.
"He didn't even try to dodge… don't tell me he's already dead?"
He took a cautious step forward—
—and froze.
Through the swirling dust, Saitama emerged, completely unharmed, his expression calm.
"Hey," he said flatly. "You're a monster, aren't you?"
Sweet Mask's breath caught.
How… how did he know?!
His chest tightened with panic.
If his secret was revealed… his life as a hero would be over.
Would he have to go back—to the darkness he thought he'd left behind?
Rage began to boil in his veins. The veins on his face bulged, his perfect features distorting.
His body began to change.
He could no longer control it.
From behind that angelic façade, the beast awakened.
"Kill him… KILL HIM!"
With a monstrous roar, Sweet Mask lunged at Saitama, claws extended—each one sharp enough to slice steel.
But Saitama didn't move.
His body remained perfectly still.
The claws stopped—mere centimeters above his shiny bald head.
Sweet Mask's eyes glowed crimson, his expression twisting in agony.
"GO!!" he screamed. "LEAVE! NOW!!!"
Saitama just smiled faintly.
He raised his fist slowly over his shoulder.
And then—
BOOM.
One punch.
Right to the head.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
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