My great thanks to TodaBruh, who kindly chose to use some of his free time to be my beta reader!
Z-city, Apartment of Saitama.
Genos waited patiently as Saitama-sensei read through the front page of the website of the Hero Association, before he sighed deeply.
Then his shoulders slumped, a depressed air surrounding him.
"I didn't know." he muttered softly, referring to the fact that, as he wasn't part of the Association, he wouldn't receive any credit or news coverage of his work.
"Professional heroes first appeared three years ago." Genos explained to his master. "When a villain attacked the Tycoon Agoni's grandchild, a passerby offered help. When he heard about it, he devised the Hero Association, and used his personal wealth to establish it, with the help of others like Lucy Miller from Insight Corp."
Saitama-sensei perked up, blinking at him. "Wait, are you registered?" he asked.
"No, I'm not interested." replied Genos. After all, I only ever sought out the mad cyborg…
Saitama-sensei smiled, visible eagerness radiating from him.
"Let's get registered!" he exclaimed. "If you go register with me, I'll make you my student!"
Genos's eyes widened, before he smiled back eagerly. "Let's do it!"
*Knock knock!*
They both blinked, before turning towards the door, frowning in confusion.
"Did you expect someone, Saitama-sensei?" wondered Genos, using his cyborg body to recognize that a very tall person stood outside.
"Not really…" he muttered, standing up, before he froze.
And then Genos blinked as a wide grin spread across his face, and his sensei suddenly looked happier than he had ever seen him.
Even arriving in time for the sale at the supermarket after dealing with the House of Evolution didn't make him smile as brightly.
"Wait! Is that-" exclaimed his master with hope clear in his voice.
Saitama-sensei rushed to the door, opening it before Genos could say anything, revealing the smirking face of a very tall and strong-looking man, Saitama-sensei pausing before smiling brightly at the man.
"Aeon! What are you doing here?" exclaimed Saitama-sensei, before a look appeared on his master's face that Genos had never seen before.
Pure eagerness and anticipation, along with hope and glee.
"Are you here for another spar?" he asked, Genos' eyes widening at both the sheer delight in his master's voice at the thought, and at the words themselves.
Another spar? But that would mean-
"No, I'm afraid not." chuckled the tall man, though Genos noticed a measure of sadness at that, as if he was genuinely disappointed over the fact he was not going to fight his master. "I am actually here for two reasons, the first being to offer you two-" he glanced and nodded at Genos "-a place in the Hero Association."
Genos and his master's eyes widened, and his sensei leaned forward with interest, while Genos began researching the man on the global network through his implants.
If this man was part of the Hero Association, then his name should be publicly available-
Genos froze, as the identity and true nature of the being, who was no mere man or regular hero, currently inside his master's home revealed itself.
"You can do that?" asked Saitama-sensei, and Genos spoke up.
"He can, Sensei, because he's actually one of the most important members of the Association."
Both men turned towards him, and Genos stiffened slightly at the weight of the inhuman eyes falling fully upon him.
"This is Aeon, known by his hero name of The Good Hunter, the strongest God known to humanity, and one of the S-class heroes of the Association." he revealed.
The God smiled at his words.
"Correct, Genos." the God turned towards Saitama-sensei. "We didn't get to talk much about all this stuff the last time we saw each other, since we had…" the god grinned. "Other preoccupations at the time, but I think it's about time to talk about it. Which is why…"
The god took out two envelopes from his coat with the symbol of the Hero Association upon them.
"These are formal invitations into the Hero Association for both you and your… prospective student, shall we say." he smiled at both Saitama-sensei and Genos. "Your work in helping to deal with the House of Evolution and the mad scientist in charge was noticed, and is appreciated by the Association. Combined with several other matters, and my personal support of you joining our little heroic group, and if you agree, getting you both into the S-class from the start will be simple."
"Whoah." muttered Saitama, staring at his envelope. Then he blinked. "Wait, the House of Evolution?"
Genos leaned towards his master. "The mad scientist who sent animal monsters after you, master."
His master's eyes lit up with understanding. "Oh, yeah, the guy that almost made me miss the big sale! Right."
The god smiled at their exchange.
"Let me guess, they were too weak for you to really remember them?" asked the god, showing a clear understanding of Saitama-sensei with those words.
His master smiled sheepishly, but also with a knowing look on his face.
"Well, they were hardly strong enough to make you or me break a sweat, so…"
"I understand." replied the god with visible amusement, but also genuine understanding, which…
Genos turned towards his master, unable to hold back any longer.
"Master, did you two have a spar?"
"That's right!" Saitama-sensei said with clear enthusiasm, which surprised Genos. He might not have been his master's student for long, but Genos had quickly noticed how utterly powerful his master was, even if he apparently didn't know the source of that strength, and for him to actually be so visibly delighted about a fight-
"It ended in a draw!"
Genos froze.
If he had still been fully human, he might have even choked on his own spit in shock.
A draw?!
Saitama-sensei actually fought someone strong enough to push him to-
Genos glanced at the god, who was grinning widely.
"That's right. Damn fight was the greatest battle I ever had. I threw everything at you and vice versa, and still neither of us managed to get the upper hand in the end." The god chuckled, eyes gleaming with anticipation. "But make no mistake, next time, I will win!"
"Hah! In your dreams!" exclaimed Saitama-sensei with pure delight, his face sharp and eyes burning with more life that Genos had yet to see in the man. "I'll be the one to make you taste dirt next time!"
"Promises, promises!" taunted the god, though the joy in his eyes and the warm smile made it clear that it was all in good fun. "Go on, train like hell, like that when I win you'll have no choice but to admit I'm the best!"
"Pff! The best! I distinctly remember punching you in your weird space-like face!" taunted his master, raising a glowed fist with a smirk.
"And it still didn't make you win." smirked the god back, making his master growl.
Genos however was still stuck on the fact that Saitama-sensei actually met someone capable of matching him at full power…
But, when he stopped to think about it, perhaps it made sense. The Good Hunter was the strongest god around, a being of such power that, as far as he knew, and as far as the global network told it, the extent of his full power was still unknown.
And Saitama-sensei was the strongest hero he had ever met. Each time he had seen his master release a fraction of his might, it felt like a god was moving.
Was he…?
"Saitama-sensei." Genos spoke up, making his master and the god turned towards him. "Are you… a god?"
His master blinked in shock at the question, but more interestingly Aeon merely smirked with a knowing look on his face.
"He isn't." the god replied, drawing his and his master's gaze back at him.
"You are certain?" questioned Genos.
"I am." calmly replied Aeon. However, a moment later his voice echoed in his mind. 'But you are closer to the truth than you might think.'
"Of course I'm not a god, Genos. I'm human, just like y- err… I mean, I'm human." exclaimed his master, before trailing off awkwardly at the end.
Genos glanced at his master, then looked back at the god. "I understand." he said, giving a meaningful look at the god, who ever so slightly nodded back.
"In any case, if you are interested in joining the Association, I feel like the perfect way to introduce you to the world is through a friendly spar on prepared ground. The Association is always ready to welcome new talents, and having a quick mock fight between you two would be an excellent way to start the day by showcasing the power that heroes can reach to all the people trying out the Hero Association entrance exam. You won't have to worry about the exam itself though, my support and the end of the House of Evolution serve as sufficient proof of your skill… that, and Saitama's personal history with Agoni certainly helps." chuckled the god.
Genos blinked, then turned towards his master. "You know the Tycoon Agoni, master?" he said with surprise.
"Errr, no? I certainly don't remember that name…" he muttered.
Aeon nodded. "That's because you never met him. But three years ago, you actually saved his grandson from that monster crab guy."
Saitama blinked, then hit the open palm of his left hand with his right fist. "Oh, right, the big-chinned brat!" he blinked again, before his eyes went wide. "Wait, are you saying that-"
"That you are the cause of the Hero Association? Yes, Saitama, that's exactly what I'm saying." the god said with amusement, while both Genos and his master reeled in shock at the revelation. "Honestly, Agoni has been keeping tabs on you for a while, but since you never sought to join, and you were visibly growing stronger by training on your own, well, those in the know decided to take a wait-and-see approach… Until now." he finished with a grin while waving at the envelopes.
Genos stared at his master with wide eyes. Even if he hadn't wanted to join the Association before, he still knew of it and its power and influence over the world. To think his master unknowingly brought it into existence through his actions…
"A perfect example of how a simple act of courage and kindness can change the world for the better, no?" mused Aeon with a grin.
Genos stared at him.
And then he quickly pulled out his notebook and began writing frantically.
This meeting was giving him wondrous insight into his master, and he wanted to make sure that none of it was wasted and forgotten!
Saitama-sensei glanced at him, then at Aeon. "By the way, how did you know Genos' name? Or that he was my student?" he asked, and Genos froze, noticing the fact that yes, Aeon shouldn't have known-
"God." the man said smugly, before snorting. "I can't look into your future, Saitama, but I can do so for the rest of the world. That includes Genos." he grimaced. "Well, up to a point, now that you two will be spending a lot of time together."
"Does that mean that even your power can't work on Master Saitama?" questioned Genos, with some surprise- if even the strongest God could not use his power around his master… True, it made sense if they fought to a draw, but still!
"Nope." confirmed the god with surprising amusement. "He's literally too strong-willed for me to do anything. As far as my powers are concerned, he's like a black hole. Trying to do anything to him is a pain in the ass." he smirked. "Not that I'm admitting defeat, it'll just take me time to find a way to win!"
"Hah!" exclaimed his master, visibly preening at being strong enough to stone-wall even a god's powers.
And for good reasons, Genos could admit. His master seemed to truly be one-of-a-kind.
"Did you meet anyone capable of replicating what Saitama achieved?" he wondered, his master perking up in curiosity at the question.
However, the god merely shook his head. "No. He's unique, and so far I've literally seen nothing like this before."
Genos nodded. That was as expected, but it was good to confirm it.
Then Genos paused.
"Wait, if Master Saitama wasn't as strong as he is, would you be able to give him his hair back?"
Saitama-sensei froze at those words, standing so still he might as well have turned to stone.
Aeon smiled with both amusement and some apology towards the bald man. "That's right. Ironically, if your master wasn't as strong, I could have done it… but as it is, I just can't. His power rejects my own."
Saitama-sensei stared blankly ahead, before falling to his knees in despair.
"Nooooooooooooooooooooo!" he screamed.
"Bwahahahaha!"
Aeon threw his head back and roared in laughter, while Genos began to frantically try to reassure his master that other solutions surely existed.
To his shame, he failed, and his master spent some time visibly depressed.
Then Aeon casually asked how Saitama-sensei's training was going, since he had gone back to it himself in anticipation of their rematch, and Genos sighed in relief when all traces of depression instantly fled his master, his eyes almost spitting fire out of sheer passion as he loudly proclaimed that he had gone back to training himself every day like he used to do before he grew too strong to keep bothering.
It took little time for the two of them to start going back and forth on who would defeat who, but Genos couldn't help but smile at the sight.
His master was showing more passion and life than ever before, and the smile on his face refused to disappear even as he kept bantering with his… friend?
Genos couldn't help but awed at that fact. Somehow, his master had easily gained the respect, and perhaps the friendship of the strongest god known to Humanity like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Truly, Saitama-sensei was amazing, and Genos would learn a lot by being his student.
Oh, he couldn't wait to tell Doctor Kuseno all about this day!
-
It was some time later, as the hour grew late and Genos decided to go home to the Doctor, that Aeon decided to say his goodbye as well.
As they left however, once they were at a certain distance from his master's home, the god spoke up.
"You asked me whether Saitama was a god or not."
"I did. You said that he was not… and yet…" Genos trailed off curiously.
The god stayed silent, then sighed.
"If you truly want to know, I can tell you what your Master did to be able to match even me. But-" twin eyes of pure light and darkness fell upon him, and suddenly Genos understood why the being by his side was said to be the strongest existence in the universe.
Merely staring into those twin pools of pure cosmic power made him feel insignificant, a mere ant stared at by the full might of all reality, the barest fluctuation in the power of the being ensuring he would be burned out body, mind and soul instantly with no hope of putting up any struggle.
And yet, his master had fought this being. Met him in battle and fought him to a draw, of all things.
Genos trembled under that gaze, but refused to break. He was not his master, but he was his student, and he could at least do that much.
A flicker of approval seemingly coursed through reality at his thoughts, the slight distortions brought by that feeling enough to make Genos' knees buckle under him as he desperately struggled to remain standing, even as he felt as if millions of years went passing by with every second he spent under that cosmic gaze-
And then the God looked away, satisfied, and Genos gasped and shuddered as the weight of a divinity's gaze finally went away.
"But," he continued more kindly, "you should keep this to yourself. Perhaps one day you can share what I'm about to tell you, but the world is too chaotic for this right now."
Genos nodded. Master Saitama's secrets were not his to share, but he would keep them with his life if need be.
The god sighed, then nodded in recognition of his determination.
"Saitama is not a god, but he became an existence remarkably similar to my own through nothing but his own willpower and the nature of his personal dream." declared the God, before explaining more in detail what he had managed to see while fighting his master.
The revelation that an evil god existed came as a nasty surprise, though the fact that he was weaker than both Aeon and Saitama-sensei relaxed him, as did the fact that he was currently sealed.
The nature of Limiters, the Dream nature of Existence, and what Saitama-sensei truly achieved, however unknowingly, left him silent for a long moment, considering the sheer weight of the revelations.
It put so many things into perspective, up to and including the true source of monsters being the evil God, but in the end…
"Thank you for telling me all of this." he said earnestly. "I'm glad to have my questions answered… but ultimately, I don't think it changes anything for me."
The god by his side raised an intrigued eyebrow. "Oh?"
Genos smiled. "What Saitama-sensei did might not be replicable for me, but if anything it only confirms what I already knew: he is an amazing man, and a true hero. Being his student will teach me much, and while I might never become his equal like you are, I am certain that one day, I will prove myself worthy of standing by his side. And that is all that matters."
The god stayed silent for a moment, then he started laughing loudly, a warm, delighted laugh that spoke of surprise and joy.
When he finished, he grinned at him, eyes dancing with approval.
"If you keep thinking like this, one day, you very well might. You are young, Genos, but that just means you will learn quickly all that Saitama can teach you. And while he might not be fully able to teach you how to grow stronger… Mark my words, when I say he can teach you how to be a true hero." the God spoke, sounding slightly wistful for a moment, before he looked back at Genos with a warm grin. "Well, all that aside, I need to go. It was a pleasure to meet you, Genos, and I look forward to seeing all that you can do as a professional Hero."
"It was a pleasure as well. I look forward to our next meeting." Genos said earnestly, meaning every word. Not only has he learnt a great deal about his master today, but he could learn a lot from the god powerful enough to match his master.
Though that made him wonder…
"One last question, if I may?" he politely asked.
"Hmm? What is it?" asked the god.
"How strong is master Saitama, really?" he inquired.
For a moment, the god stared at him with cosmic eyes that felt like they were looking straight into his very soul.
Then he smiled.
"I started getting serious once Saitama punched me in the face hard enough to create a new Big Bang."
Genos froze, staring in numb shock at the god before him.
The god's smile grew.
"We very quickly escalated to multiverse-buster punches after that. Then, well… We really went all out."
Genos kept staring.
The god laughed warmly, patted him on the shoulder, and grinned, while his eyes gleamed with power enough to shake the foundation of all Reality.
"Trust me kid, I meant it when I said your master is a one-of-a-kind... Anyway, have a good day. And sweet dreams tonight." he chuckled in amusement, before turning away and disappearing.
Genos kept staring.
Then, slowly, he made his way to Dr Kuseno.
And that night, as he slept, he dreamt of two beings standing in the realm beyond universes, one a bald man with red gloves grinning in glee as his punches shook Reality, and a God looking like a humanoid representation of the Cosmos itself laughing in delight as he witnessed human potential made manifest.
Both fighting ceaselessly, not out of hate, not out of fear, but out of mutual joy and respect, both eager to stand as the greatest being to ever exist, and yet both equally delighted by the other's ability to keep up with them and push them to ever greater heights.
On that day, Man and Divinity found themselves equal.
And they swore that forevermore this fact would remain, as they both ran towards Eternity with smiles on their faces.
-
"-and that concludes the report on recent monster activity." declared Sitch. "Now, I have one last matter to bring up today: the fact that two new S-Class heroes will rejoin the Hero Association."
"Really? Two at once?" asked Fubuki, visibly surprised.
Which was fair. It was rare for more than one S-Class hero to join our group.
As it was, a quick look around the room showed that there were more faces present in this S-class hero meeting than in canon by this time.
Fubuki was one of the obvious ones, as her training with me and her desire to grow stronger had finally earned her a spot among us.
Tatsumaki had been very proud of her sister when the announcement had been made. And she had been… very enthusiastic in rewarding me for my part in helping bring this about.
Ah, now that has been a very enjoyable night… and morning.
The second new face was Sweet Mask, who was quite different from how he was in canon. Without the weight of being a monster to corrupt him, he was more than happy to join the S-Class heroes.
It was actually quite something to see how different he was, since the man's inner kindness, in canon kept in check by his monstrous nature, was now free to express itself. As a result, he was one of the kindest members of the S-Class.
No Blast though, he was still busy with "God."
And of course, there was also Oedon, the Summer Twin, myself… And Sherry, who recently joined up.
Between the greater numbers of S-Class heroes, their greater strength compared to canon and all the changes to human society brought by me, Lucy and Oedon, Humanity was doing much better than in canon.
And now, we were about to get Saitama and his student to join up.
Speaking of which…
"That's correct." smiled Sitch. "Though one of them is a bit of a unique case."
He used the holographic display to show pictures of Both Saitama and Genos in their hero outfits, pointing up at the bald man.
"This is Saitama. We intend to give him the Hero name of One Punch Man. And he's someone a select group of people, me included, have been keeping watch over for 3 years now, waiting for the right time to bring him in the Hero Association."
"And what's so special about the baldy?" asked Tatsumaki.
"Two things." I spoke up, causing the various heroes to blink and look at me in surprise, not expecting me to be involved in this. "The first, is that you are looking at the man who saved Agoni's grandson three years ago, which directly led to the creation of the Hero Association."
Metal Bat whistled, and I could see the other heroes perk up. After all, that made Saitama the direct origin point of the modern world of heroes and monsters.
"Damn, yeah I can understand why he'd be someone you'd all keep an eye on. But why wait so long to bring him in?"
"Because of the second matter of importance concerning Saitama." declared Sitch. "Bluntly speaking? You're looking at the strongest human in the entire world."
There was a deep silence at those words. The S-class wasn't made up of weakling. Especially after the years I spent training them up. So to hear anyone say something so boldly…
"I really hope that you've got some damn good proof to back up that claim, Sitch." coldly said Metal Bat, who straightened in his seat to glare at the man.
The rest of the heroes weren't much better. Tatsumaki looked like she was seriously considering sending Sitch flying into a few walls, Atomic Samurai had a tight grip on his sword, and Flashy Flash had a tightly clenched jaw.
However, I noticed that Sweet Mask was staring at me with dawning understanding and recognition, and I subtly nodded at him.
Yes, the man I told him about years ago was finally here.
"Calm down." Rumbled King, sending a look at the other heroes. "Let's hear what he has to say first before anything else."
The more tense heroes settled down, if with some grumbling.
Still, if King was asking for peace, the others weren't going to say anything.
I smirked. It really was nice to see King coming into his own in truth.
Speaking of the man, he turned to stare at me. "You know something."
"I challenged Saitama to a spar." I nodded, which got all eyes on me.
After all, everybody here knew quite well how much of a terror I was in a spar.
"And?" asked Tatsumaki.
I smirked. "It ended in a draw."
There were a lot of sharp intake of breath, wide-eyed shock and gasps of surprise at those words.
All the ones who didn't already know jerked in their seats, staring at me like I just started to speak gibberish.
"I'm sorry, it what?!" exclaimed Tatsumaki, actually standing up, so shocked she was.
"A draw?!" shouted her sister, visibly no less shocked.
"That's even possible?" asked Atomic Samurai, the ever-present splinter of wood in his mouth he liked to chew on outright falling down on the meeting table.
"Incredible…" muttered Silver Fang, the man staring at the picture of Saitama with deep interest.
He wasn't alone, as I caught Sweet Mask doing the same, an intense look on his face.
"A draw." confirmed Oedon at my side. "I had to use more power than ever before in order to contain the battle and ensure there would be no collateral damage." She smiled. "It was the most impressive battle I have ever seen. My husband held nothing back, and yet in the end neither side managed to gain the upper hand, until eventually they decided to put an end to the fight as victory would visibly not be achieved by either side that day."
"That's correct." I confirmed, smiling at the memory of it. "On that day, a hero managed to match even me in battle."
I laughed, a bright grin on my face. "Stars, but did we give everything we had to that fight… but in the end, neither of us managed to overpower the others. Most of my attacks did nothing to him, and the opposite was true. We were both too perfectly matched. Even if he was completely human, without anything else to fight with than his fists, every single one of his blows were just…" I shook my head.
I smiled at the shocked-looking heroes. "Consider that a perfect source of motivation. I told you all that, one day, you might just get to my level. Well, someone actually did. So why not you, too?"
The heroes fell silent, staring either at me or the picture of Saitama in numb shock, though there were also a lot of thoughtful looks.
After years of trying and failing to achieve anything against me, being told that some unknown guy managed to fight me to a draw must be quite the surprise.
Well, good. It'll motivate them to train harder. That was always a good thing.
"He doesn't look very old." mused Silver Fang, though I understood his point. With today's tech, no one looked old anymore, not even him.
"He isn't." confirmed Sitch. "He's 25."
"25…" muttered Atomic Samurai. "When did he start training?"
"22." I answered.
They all looked at me with wide, stunned eyes. "He grew strong enough to match you in 3 years? What the hell kind of training did he do?!" exclaimed Atomic Samurai.
"It wasn't the training, well, not really." I mused. "It's his willpower. I won't give you the details, but he basically unknowingly broke reality through sheer force of will. As a result, he has no limits… literally."
"How does that even work?" wondered Silver Fang.
I snorted. "It shouldn't. By all logic, he should have crippled himself. But instead, he just…" I shook my head. "He forced a miracle into existence, would be the best way to put it. And that miracle turned him into someone capable of matching even me."
"Can it be repeated?" questioned Flashy Flash.
I looked at him in the eye. "I don't know."
Everyone blinked. "You don't know?" asked Child Emperor. "But aren't you-"
"I don't know." I repeated with a grin. "Honestly, conventional logic says that it's impossible for anyone else to do something similar. But then again, I previously thought that doing what he did was impossible in the first place."
I laughed. How long has it been since I didn't know something? Besides anything to do with the Eldritch Mythos, a long time.
It was good to see that even I could still learn new things.
Especially when they came in good news.
"I genuinely don't know! All I do know is that someone pulled it off. And I'm damn curious if anyone else might one day do the same, or something similar." I replied, while giving meaningful looks around the room.
After all, if anyone would try to replicate that feat, it would be the S-Class heroes.
To be honest, I really didn't think they could pull it off. What Saitama did was so impossible that even my True Self boggled at the fact that it was done at all.
But that it was near-impossible didn't matter. What mattered was that someone succeeded.
And as is deserving of any true Hero, his story can serve as inspiration for everybody else.
And I could see it in the eyes of those around me. They believed, now. Believed that I could be reached. That the impossible could be repeated.
Someone more unsure of themselves might be fearful of that fact.
I merely grinned.
As the saying goes… Challenge accepted.
-
"Aeon."
"King." I nodded at the man, after he sought me out once the meeting was over.
"You know why I'm here." he said, staring at me with visible hope in his eyes.
I smiled. "I know, yes. And you're right. Saitama is the one who saved you- he just used to have hair before. Here, this might help you."
I waved a hand, creating an illusion of Saitama as he used to look like when he saved King.
King stiffened at the sight, his eyes losing focus slightly as he lost himself in memories, before I waved again, the man changing, gaining his yellow suit and bald head… though I kept the bloody face.
King's eyes widened, the man actually taking a step back, his right hand going over the scars on his face, trembling fingers touching the scarred skin.
"It's really him…" he muttered, his eyes getting wet with tears at the thought of finally being able to thank the man who used to regularly save his life before he grew strong enough to fight his own battles.
I smiled, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Yes, it's him. Do you want me to introduce you?"
King froze, anxiety rising as he faced a challenge capable of bringing even his newly hardened heart fear: facing the man he owed so much to.
Then, I smiled proudly as he took a deep breath, exhaled deeply, and managed to jerk an agreeing nod.
"I- yes. Please, I…" he swallowed, looking away. "I need to thank him." he whispered.
"I understand. Come on, then. If you've got the time, I can lead you there."
He nodded, took a deep breath, and squared his shoulders.
"Come on, King." he muttered softly to himself, though I heard his words all the same. "You've been waiting for this moment for years, don't get cold feet now!"
I smiled, then opened a portal, going through it, followed by King, as we stood before Saitama's apartment.
We made our way to the door, King's jaw clenched as his King Engine began beating harder at every step.
Then I knocked at the door, and waited.
This time, only Saitama was present, so I smiled when he opened the door.
"Hey, Saitama!" I said brightly, the bald hero smiling warmly back at me, before I took King and dragged him closer.
"I brought someone who needs to talk with you about something."
Saitama blinked and glanced curiously at King, who froze under the gaze of the hero.
Then he visibly gathered his courage, and spoke softly.
"I'm… I'm King. And you probably don't remember me, but I…" he swallowed, eyes wet. "I owe you my life. Several times, and I… I… wanted to say thank you." he broke down crying, and Saitama blinked before smiling.
"Hey, hey, it's fine!" With surprising gentleness, Saitama took him by the shoulders and led the crying man inside. "Come on, I've got some tea, you like tea? Aeon gave me some he got from somewhere, and it's delicious! Come on, sit down, I'll give you a cup."
I smiled, entered the apartment and closed the door behind me.
I also needed to talk to Saitama and Genos about the upcoming entree exams and the sparring match between the two at the start of that day, but for now, there was something more important to do: giving Saitama a new friend, and finally letting King convey the gratitude he felt towards him for saving his life so often, and for taking credit that wasn't his to claim.
I took the cup of tea Saitama gave me with a smile, before sitting down with him before King.
The whole story didn't take long to come out: How a younger Saitama saved him from a monster, how King kept finding himself in deadly situations where Saitama kept killing the monsters, and he ended up taking the credit for it all.
King poured his heart out over everything he went through, visibly relieved to finally get that off his chest. Saitama listened attentively, an unusually patient and focused look on his face, for once more than willing to sit down and listen to someone's backstory if it helped them out.
That was why Saitama wasn't just a battle-junkie, but someone who could be a true hero: he cared. If someone needed help, or just someone to talk to, even Saitama's infamous low tolerance for long-winded speeches would take a backseat to simply helping someone.
And as King finally finished revealing everything while occasionally drinking his tea (which was damn good, considering I made it as a gift to Saitama), the bald hero didn't hold a shred of judgment in his eyes as he stared at the blonde man sitting in his home.
"I see." he muttered. "But you're still a hero, right?"
King blinked. "Well, yes, Aeon trained me, so I'm pretty strong nowadays, but-"
"No but!" Saitama interrupted firmly. "No matter what you think, the people see you as a great hero. A S-class hero! And you've worked hard to make that view come true, right?"
"Well, yes-" King stammered, but Saitama kept going.
"Then there's nothing to apologize for. I didn't become a hero because I wanted fame and recognition! So I don't care who gets credit for what. What matters is that people are kept safe. You want to make it up to me? Then just become the strongest hero you can be."
I leaned toward Saitama with a slight grin on my face, my next words hidden by magic from King. "Didn't you say to Genos that you not having fans was a major problem-"
Saitama threw me a look, and I pulled back, snickering.
"You… You really don't care?" whispered King, looking at Saitama with some shock.
I could understand why. A hero not desiring recognition for killing monsters? You'd be hard-pressed from finding anyone like that in the Association.
"I keep telling you." Saitama replied with a frown.
"Well, if you want, Saitama, King could give you pointers for video games?" I spoke up.
Both men turned to look at me, and I grinned. "King is perhaps the best gamer in the world, did you know that?"
Saitama perked up, looking at King with interest. "Really?"
"Oh yes. World-class Gamer, without a doubt!" I managed to say with a straight face.
The best part was, it was true. King really was DAMN good at video games.
But by the look on his face, we both knew I was poking fun at him at the same time I was helping them both.
Now that was the best kind of prank. Not only do I get to help two friends, but I get to have my fun at their expenses at the same time.
Perfection.
"Well, sure then! We'll see how good a world-class Gamer really is." Saitama declared with a sharp smirk, and I chuckled at the fact that I definitely roused his competitive spirit.
Though in this case, even Saitama might be in for a very hard time. Especially if he was just as bad at video games as he was in the manga timeline.
Oh well. It'll do him some good to be challenged, both in and out of the battlefield.
King opened his mouth, visibly hesitated, unsure what to say, before he smiled at Saitama, his expression softening. "Of course."
I grinned, relaxing in my seat.
Now King can move forward in peace without being chained by his past, and Saitama got a new friend, and a gamer buddy who not only will regularly kick his ass and keep him on his toes, but give him wise advice when he needs it.
All in a day's work for a benevolent god.
-
"So, if I understand well, me and master Saitama will have a spar as a way to start off the day of recruitment for the Hero Association, and at the end of the fight Mr Agoni will reveal that Saitama-sensei is the one who saved his grandson?" asked Genos.
I nodded at him and Saitama. "That's the plan. We start with the exhibition fight, make the announcement about Saitama, and then let the would-be heroes show off their worth to try and join the Association. The whole thing will happen in a location away from any city, since, well-" I glanced at Saitama. "-it would be wise to ensure there is little collateral damage while also letting you show off."
Genos nodded, but Saitama frowned. "I'm not sure how to feel about essentially being paraded like a prized animal for the sake of getting famous…"
"Saitama…" I sighed and nodded at him. "Look, I get it. You didn't become a hero for fame, and I respect that. But, if I may, I think you could learn a thing or two about being a better hero along the way."
"How so?" questioned Saitama, frown deepening in confusion.
"Saitama, you're the strongest hero, of that there is no doubt." I acknowledged. "But if you think about it, you are still far from the best hero you could be. To be a hero is about more than raw power, it's about being a symbol. A symbol of hope. Your very existence should grant hope for the future to the people. Your arrival should ensure that all those nearby instantly believe that victory is all but assured, that evil cannot triumph. You have power, Saitama, but so far, without a reputation, without your own legend, without people knowing you and having faith in you, you will barely be able to change the world for the better."
Genos was already writing at full speed in a notebook, and Saitama was blinking at me, lips pursed as he thought over my world.
"Power alone does not make a hero." I continued. "You need to be more than just powerful. You need to be able to inspire others. You need to be able to give confidence, hope, optimism to those without. You need to prove that you have what it takes to both protect and guide people towards a better tomorrow."
I leaned forward, wanting to make sure he fully remembered my words.
"You have power, Saitama. Victory against any monster will come easily for you. So capitalize on that. Show the world that victory is not merely possible, but inevitable. That, if they follow your path, they too can achieve great things."
My gaze flickered towards Genos meaningfully for a second, before going back to Saitama.
"Tell me, what do you believe in, Saitama? If someone was to ask you how they could become like you, what is the secret of your success, what would it be?" I asked.
Saitama visibly thought about it, before shrugging. "Hard work and training, I guess? Humans are strong because they can change themselves. If others want to become strong, then they should do like I did: Train like hell, train until you reach your limits and then until you break them. That's the only way to grow strong."
I smiled. "Then there you go. If people ask what you believe in, praise hard work and dedicated training. You don't have to think too hard about all of this, Saitama. Just answer questions with what you genuinely believe in, and everything will work out."
"You really think it's that simple?" he asked.
"I doubt anyone will become like you, Saitama." I replied truthfully. "But that doesn't matter. It's not about becoming the strongest. It's about people becoming the best they can be. And it's about showing them that, if others, like yourself, can do it… then why not them, as well?"
Saitama fell silent, before nodding. "Alright. I guess I can give it a try."
I glanced towards Genos, who smiled at me. "Don't worry, I'll do my best to ensure everyone sees the power of Saitama-sensei."
"It's not just about him, Genos." I said firmly. "It's about you as well. This fight will be a good opportunity to show to the world who you are and what you can do. Just because you don't have Saitama's raw power doesn't mean you can't prove yourself as well that day."
"He's right." agreed Saitama, smiling at his student, and instantly gaining the young man's attention. "If this is really as big an event as Aeon makes it out to be, then you'll have the eyes of the whole world upon you. As I said before, you're still young, but this is a perfect opportunity to get your name out there."
"Thank you, Master Saitama, but to be honest I am more eager to learn from you than to receive the admiration of people who will barely even know me and still sing my praises, just because I am strong." calmly replied Genos.
"You truly don't care about getting fans?" exclaimed Saitama, with visible surprise.
"I do not. The opinion of others matters little, not as long as I have your respect, Master." firmly replied Genos.
I smiled at the two, rather amused by the way Sataima was obviously unsure how to reply to those words.
Poor guy. Having someone look up to him was an entirely new thing to experience for him, and he was visibly still trying to find out how to handle it.
Still, it'll be good for him… For them both. Both student and master would learn from one another, and become better people and heroes out of it, in the end.
And who knows, maybe one day Saitama will have more students? Quite a few of the S-Class ended up with their own following, after all.
And Saitama had his own way of gathering people around him.
"Well, all of that aside, I was wondering if I could introduce you to someone, Saitama." I spoke up, gathering their attention.
"Like with King?" wondered the bald hero.
"You've met King, master?" asked Genos, surprised.
Saitama shrugged. "Aeon brought him here, turns out we met in the past."
"Really? What happened?" Genos inquired curiously.
"Let's just say that King owed Saitama quite a bit, and he wanted to thank him, now that he knew where he lived." I declared, not wanting the whole backstory of King to come out.
Genos glanced at Saitama and me curiously, but when Saitama merely smiled and began talking about how King had accepted to teach him more about video games, Genos focused more on the new friendly bond between the two than what happened in the past.
Once he was satisfied, I brought the conversation back on track.
"In any case, the one I actually wanted you to meet was my daughter, Sherry." I revealed, making both men's eyes widen.
"I thought you told me that she was busy in another world?" asked Saitama.
"She was, but she recently managed to finish all her work there, so she was free to come to this world and join the Association." I explained. "But more importantly, she learnt about our spar, and was curious to meet someone capable of fighting even me to a standstill."
"Well… I guess that's fine?" he said hesitantly, before shrugging. "Does she want an autograph, or something?"
I laughed. "She might, actually. But mostly, she just wants to meet a hero strong enough to give me a good fight. It's very rare for her to meet someone stronger than she is, much less as strong as me."
"Well, okay then." Saitama nodded.
"Thank you." I said gratefully. "Now, if there's nothing else, I need to go back to the Association. There's a lot of work I need to get back to."
"Thank you for all the help you gave me and my master, Aeon." gratefully declared Genos.
I waved him off. "It's nothing that you haven't earned."
That, and it worked to my benefit, in the end.
Both for my plans for this world, and the obvious prestige of supporting heroes like Genos and Saitama.
And hey, I helped two good men out. That alone was an important factor to remember.
It was good to do good for the sake of it, sometimes.
-
A day after the visit of the God who had become a friend of Genos' master, someone knocked at the door of his master's apartment.
Genos' eyes narrowed at that, as he did not feel anyone approach the door… and yet, he could now feel a presence, a woman if he wasn't wrong, on the other side.
"I'll open." he said to his master, who was relaxing after a day of training.
Saitama-sensei gave him a thumbs-up, not looking away from his manga, and Genos wasted no time going to the door and partially opening it, blinking once at the sight of the smiling young-looking blonde woman with blue eyes on the other side.
Wait, blue or red? For some reason, it was hard to tell…
"Hello there. You're Genos, right? My dad told me that this is where I could find you and your master." She extended her hand, an eager look in her eyes. "I'm Sherry. Sherry Muradasilova."
He shook her hand, his eyes widening as he understood who he was staring at. "You're the Good Hunter's daughter, correct?"
"That's right." she said proudly.
Genos smiled, opening the door wider while turning to look towards his master. "Saitama-sensei! Aeon's daughter is here!"
"Wait, really? Give me a sec."
His master got up, putting down his manga to go stand by his side, looking curiously at the young-looking blonde woman, who stared back with equal amount of curiosity, if not more.
"So, you're his daughter? Can you turn into a weird space-person too?" he asked.
Sherry's lips twitched in amusement. "I'm afraid not. That stuff is reserved only for dad, especially since I'm still human myself… mostly."
She shook Master's Saitama's hand, a slight hint of a smirk appearing for a second before she blinked and winced, shaking her hand rapidly.
"Ow. That's a strong grip you got there." she mused, his master smiling sheepishly.
"Sorry! I just felt you squeezing, and-"
"It's fine." she waved it off. "No harm done, and I heal very quickly anyway. Besides, it was my fault. I wanted to see how strong you were, I should have known better if you could go toe-to-toe with dad."
She smiled wryly. "I'm still rather shocked about that, you know? It's the first time someone who isn't mom managed to match him in anything, and you're…" she waved. "Human. Completely human, at that."
"To be fair, it was a surprise for me as well that anyone could keep up. Ever since I grew too strong, I had come to believe that I became genuinely too strong." replied Saitama-sensei.
"And then you and my dad met." Sherry nodded. "Well, it's good to see that even dad can still be pleasantly surprised, sometimes. He does seem… happy, these days."
"I know the feeling." mused Saitama-sensei, a slight smirk on his face.
"I take it that you're looking forward to a rematch just as much as dad is, huh?" Sherry remarked, smirking back.
Saitama-sensei gained a sharp look on his face. "Absolutely."
Sherry stared, then shook her head with a smile. "I never thought I'd meet someone so eager to get into a fight with my dad… But then, nothing about any of this is standard."
"Saitama-sensei, we should invite her inside if she's going to stay." pointed out Genos.
"Oh, right!" his master exclaimed, before stepping back, wordlessly inviting the woman inside. "Come on in."
"Thank you." replied Sherry with a bright smile, before they all sat around Master Saitama's apartment.
Sherry glanced at the place with curiosity. "You know, dad did tell me that you lived in a small home, but I didn't think it'd be quite so small. Have you ever thought of living elsewhere? It's rather ironic for the strongest human in existence to live in such a humble place."
"I take it you are used to a far greater home as the child of gods?" asked Genos. He was a bit annoyed at the way the question could be considered a criticism of his master, but at the same time, Genos didn't disagree with the overall thought.
His master should have a far bigger home, and not need to worry about bills. He was a hero strong enough to match the strongest god; he deserved better.
Thankfully, the impressive salary of being a S-Class hero ought to help his master's financial situation immensely.
"Somewhat, though not as much as you might think." answered Sherry. "I am not the biological daughter of my current parents, and while my birth parents were pretty well-off, they had little interest for grand displays of wealth."
Sherry fell silent, eyes going unfocused as a complex mix of emotions passed through her eyes as she lost herself in old memories, before she shook her head.
"After my current parents took me in, I certainly experienced a life worthy of the daughter of two of the most rich and influential people in my world, but at the same time my parents really didn't care too much about that kind of thing. For dad, wealth is a tool to achieve his goals, nothing more. And mom… Well, at best, she finds the idea of wealth by human standards vaguely adorable, in the sense that it means very little to beings who can create anything with a snap of their fingers. And that's without even getting into the personal wealth of my parents as gods, which is…"
She fell silent.
"Well, my dad has a literal pool of molten gold he can swim into, for no other reason than he wanted to do a Scrooge Mcduck."
Both men stared.
"... Aeon has a literal pool of molten gold he can swim into?" asked Saitama-sensei, sounding rather stunned.
Sherry nodded. "It's… a very big pool, too." Her eyes lost focus. "Very, very big pool…" she muttered.
"If it became known, there might be many who would argue such wealth should be used to help people, instead." pointed out Genos.
Shery nodded. "I said something similar, once. His reply was that he couldn't, because that would crash the entire's world economy instantly if he threw so much gold and money into it."
Both men fell silent again.
The sheer wealth implied was…
And that was just for a literal pool!
"... Couldn't he try to invest that wealth slowly throughout the world?" asked Genos.
She gave him a look. "That would imply that he wasn't already investing into the world's economy. Which he is. Constantly. Trust me, you'd be rather shocked to know just how much my dad owns of the global economy through direct or indirect means, at this point…"
Genos blinked slowly. "Ah."
Well. What could he add to that?
Shery smiled wryly. "The constant destruction going on in this world actually helps him, because someone needs to rebuild everything that is destroyed, and my dad easily has the money to just… buy everything. Constantly. And even if it's destroyed again, it doesn't matter, because he can take the cost as a rounding error for his total wealth. As he once put it, once you're wealthy enough, money becomes a strategic resource rather than a means of survival."
"So, wait… does that mean Aeon effectively took over the world?" Saitama-sensei asked, blinking.
Genos opened his mouth, then closed it. If what Sherry was implying was correct, then-
The woman winked. "Shh, that's a secret."
They stared, yet again.
"... Wasn't Lucy Miller the one in charge of Insight Corp.?" questioned Genos. "Shouldn't she be the wealthiest one?"
Sherry raised an eyebrow. "And who do you think gave her the money for the creation of Insight Corp.? Not that Lucy isn't incredibly wealthy as well, mind you, but originally, it's my parents who financed it all, they just gave control of things to Lucy because she was both loyal and competent, letting them focus on projects they were more personally interested in."
"So… They're the power behind the throne?" asked Genos.
Sherry chuckled. "Well, they are a lot more open about it in this world, but yes, in mine, Lucy was officially the face of things for a long time. Even nowadays, many people still assume that Lucy might be the one in charge. In truth, she's actually very much taking overall orders from my parents."
She shrugged. "Not that they do that often, Lucy is more than capable of getting the job done on her own without any real supervision from my parents, but effectively, yes, the real power is in my parents' hands."
"And what are their goals, really?" questioned Genos.
She grinned. "In this world? The successful protection of Humanity from all threats seeking its destruction or subjugation, the continuous march of progress of Mankind towards a space-faring civilization working towards galactic, and eventually supra-galactic colonization, with double focus on achieving post-scarcity status, and much more besides."
Genos and Saitama blinked.
"Hmm, I'm sorry, what?" asked Saitama, blinking.
Genos leaned towards him. "Protecting humanity from monsters, getting humans to live on other worlds across the galaxy and beyond, and effectively solving world hunger to the point that getting food would no longer require money, or so little as to barely make a difference."
Saitama sent him a wide-eyed look, before staring sharply at Sherry.
"Your parents want to ensure that no one would need to pay for food?" he exclaimed. "They can do that?! When?! If food no longer cost money, I could eat…" he began mumbling to himself, muttering about the various types of foods he didn't have the money to buy often or at all.
"It wouldn't be anytime soon, I'm afraid." she said apologetically, though also vaguely amused. "Still, it can be done eventually, and with rejuv-nat being a thing in this world too, everyone might just live long enough to see it happen."
"Solving world hunger…" muttered Genos, feeling rather awed at the very thought. If it was anyone else, he'd doubt that it could be done, but if someone like Aeon tried… Yes, he could see it happening.
It also explained why the gods are so interested in the Hero Association. They needed a group capable of protecting humanity for long enough that human society got to the point that its various ills could be solved.
Or, well, needed wasn't the right word. It just happened that the Hero Association was the perfect tool to give them what they wanted while making use of humanity's own spontaneous work to secure its future.
Genos idly wondered what different plan the gods would have come up with if Saitama-sensei's actions hadn't given them the perfect tool for the job of protecting humanity already.
"I guess Aeon really knew what he was speaking about when he said that I had yet to become the best hero I could be, huh?" mused Saitama, staring at one of his clenched fist thoughtfully.
Genos blinked.
"Master Saitama?"
Saitama-sensei glanced at him. "Just… thinking, Genos. I've spent the last three years killing monsters and taking down secret organizations, but nothing I did really changed anything. Meanwhile, Aeon helped create a Hero Association, supported the entire global economy, and is fully planning out to one day solve world hunger."
Saitama-sensei frowned. "For all my power, I guess I really did slack off on trying to become a better hero."
"Master…" muttered Genos, saddened to see his master being so hard on himself, but at the same time not quite sure what to say to cheer him up.
"But you can still do better. That's what matters, right? And it's hardly like you haven't accomplished great things already!"
Both men blinked and turned to Sherry, who was leaning towards Saitama-sensei, a warm smile on her face.
"Think about it! Every monster you killed, every evil organization you took down, those all helped protect the world! How many lives have you saved? Thousands? Tens of thousands? More? That matters, Saitama! And look how powerful you've become! You managed the impossible, and became the equal of my dad! A god! You, by your mere existence, ensure that no matter what humanity will be able to win in the end against any evil!" she said passionately.
She put a hand on his arm, smiling warmly.
"So maybe you didn't help the global economy. So maybe you can't solve world hunger! So what? You can protect those who can! Give hope to those who can indeed change the world for the better that their actions matter, because you are here to safeguard the world's future! These people can do their work with the assurance that no monsters will destroy their life's work thanks to you! You don't have to change the world to help it, Saitama. Sometimes, it's by ensuring the world doesn't change for the worse that one can ensure it gets to one day change for the better, instead!"
Both men fell silent, staring wide-eyed at the woman smiling brightly, blood red eyes warm and almost glowing with true passion.
Finally Saitama-sensei chuckled, and smiled back, his other hand coming to rest over hers. "Alright then. In that case, I better make sure I keep training hard, if I want to remain a hero capable of protecting the world."
"I'm sure that you'll do great. After all, you've already done the impossible. Everything after that should be easier, no?" grinned Sherry.
Genos glanced between the two, currently staring at each other with grins on their faces, before smiling warmly.
It seems things truly were looking up for his master.
And he was honored he would get to see his master's journey into being officially recognized as the greatest hero of Humanity from his side.
For the time being however…
He quickly opened his notebook.
He needed to write down this entire exchange so that he would never forget the wisdom he had just heard!
Praise Saitama-sensei, for not only was he wise, he surrounded himself with wise people as well!
-
A.N: Alright! Here is the next chapter in which we continue the One Punch Man Arc!
Genos is now part of the story, and in the difference of canon get a much better understanding of what is going on with Saitama and his god-like power pretty much from the start.
Also, more changes, as there are more S-Class heroes, and Saitama is fully recognized as the badass that he is from the start.
And King finally gets to meet Saitama! A somewhat emotional meeting, but it's pretty clear in the manga/anime that King has a lot he wanted to reveal to Saitama, and even in a timeline where he learnt to fight his own battle, that has not changed.
Saitama, being Saitama, naturally ended up befriending him.
And we get Sherry meeting Saitama and Genos! Along with her giving some pep talk to our hero. Spending so much time around Aeon does have side-effects, such as knowing how to encourage others.
Still, with all that being said, I hope you all enjoyed this update! Next time, we continue OPM, and we finally get to see Saitama show off a little in front of the crowds…