One Punch Man: Heroics Start with Dual Kamui

Chapter 186: Battlefield of Love

With the fall of the second meteor, silence swept across the world.

Most of the Dragon-level cadres were already hanging on by a thread. Homeless Emperor, in particular, died instantly. His body was simply too fragile to withstand the impact, and Shinji didn't feel even a hint of regret.

In truth, Homeless Emperor's role overlapped with Vaccine Man, and he was weaker in every sense than Vaccine Man as well.

The largest one, Elder Centipede, had absorbed at least half of the meteor's force. His massive body was mangled beyond recognition, yet he still clung stubbornly to life.

The rest of the cadres were not dead either. Take Evil Natural Water for example: even Saitama's punch hadn't killed him outright. He only perished after Pig God devoured his core. Being water-based, meteors posed little threat to him in the first place.

Overgrown Rover, on the other hand, had only lost his strength and shrunk back into a smaller form. Black Sperm had been hurled away by the shockwave, the whole scene unintentionally comical.

...

Shinji's eyes swept across the battlefield before finally settling on Black Sperm.

"You sure you have no objections? If I'm not mistaken, you're the strongest among these cadres, aren't you?" His voice was calm, deliberate, as he questioned Black Sperm.

The response came instantly. Black Sperm scurried over with a shamelessly sycophantic gait, forcing a wide grin onto his face.

"No, no, no, boss! Look at me, I'm just a harmless little monkey. Do I really look like the strongest one here?"

If groveling like a circus act could spare his life, he would gladly juggle sticks and dance for Shinji's amusement.

"..."

Shinji let the matter drop. At the very least, Black Sperm was being obedient, for now.

...

From that moment on, no one else in the Monster Association dared to raise objections. Every monster had no choice but to bow their heads and submit to the rules Shinji had imposed.

Shinji was already preparing his next step: gradually introducing the Monster Association into the public eye. Though the name sounded like the Hero Association's natural enemy, the reality was that the two sides could fulfill entirely different roles.

The Hero Association could continue focusing on eliminating monsters already wreaking havoc and hunting down wanted criminals. Meanwhile, the Monster Association could manage powerful monsters who hadn't committed crimes yet, and give weaker ones a chance at survival.

Whether the Hero Association would agree to such an arrangement was another matter. Shinji could already anticipate their reaction. Even if most professional heroes didn't object to the Monster Association's presence, the executives at the top would almost certainly see it as a threat. Their financial interests were on the line. The sudden rise of a parallel organization meant fewer donations and investments flowing into the Hero Association.

That, however, was a problem for later.

Shinji wasn't worried. Even if the Hero Association eventually declared the Monster Association an enemy, Saitama was not the type to blindly follow orders. He had his own judgment, and Shinji trusted that.

…

Today.

Due to a string of circumstances no one could have predicted, Tatsumaki, Fubuki, and Psykos were all gathered in Shinji's living room.

Shinji himself sat uncomfortably wedged between Tatsumaki and Psykos.

"So, what exactly is going on here?" Tatsumaki crossed her legs, eyes fixed on him, demanding an explanation.

By this point, she was practically living with him. Unless she was away handling official business, she spent her time lounging at his place. Fubuki and Psykos, however, had arrived without warning, and in an instant, the whole situation had turned into this unbearable standoff.

"I should be the one asking, what is going on here?" Psykos' voice turned cold as her gaze locked onto Tatsumaki. She had seen plenty of photos of her before, so recognition came immediately.

And for many reasons, hostility rose in her chest the moment she saw Tatsumaki face-to-face. Back when she had been with the Society for Supernatural Research, Fubuki's older sister was already regarded as her greatest rival. Later, Tatsumaki became the deadliest enemy of the Monster Association. But most unbearable of all was seeing Tatsumaki in pajamas, comfortably lounging inside Shinji's home.

"..."

On the side, Fubuki sat frozen, unsure of how to step in. Her expression turned uneasy. To her left was her sister, to her right her former classmate, someone she still felt a lingering sense of guilt toward. Having them both together here could only mean trouble, and the knot in her chest tightened with a sense of dread.

Noticing the sharp hostility in Psykos' stare, Tatsumaki seemed to piece things together. Without hesitation, she declared bluntly, "I'm Shinji's girlfriend."

One line was all it took to make her stance perfectly clear.

Psykos frowned. "Shinji and I are childhood friends. That connection goes much deeper than yours."

"Childhood friends? So what? You never even started dating him." Tatsumaki's tone was firm, unwavering.

Psykos, however, pressed harder. "Dating? That's just a label..."

She rose suddenly, turned toward Shinji, and pressed her lips against his. A faint blush colored her cheeks, though it wasn't from shyness but defiance.

"What?!"

Tatsumaki's expression twisted in shock. She herself hadn't even gone that far with Shinji yet.

As Psykos pulled back, she turned her eyes toward Tatsumaki with the faintest trace of triumph. "Doesn't this count as far more real than some title of 'dating'?"

"You...!" Tatsumaki's face burned red with fluster. "That's nothing I can't do myself!"

Her psychic power surged, forcing Psykos away from Shinji before she quickly sat herself on his lap. For the first time, Psykos felt Tatsumaki's intense psychic energy up close, and she realized this wasn't even her full strength.

Despite that, Tatsumaki herself was the more hesitant one. Psykos had already crossed that line, already leaned in that close. For Tatsumaki, the thought of her first kiss carried a weight that made her hesitate.

"Shinji... you'd better close your eyes..."

Her face flushed crimson as she whispered the words.

"..."

Seeing no other way to defuse the tension, Shinji went along with her request. He closed his eyes as Tatsumaki asked.

Only then did she manage to push back her shyness, if only a little. Even so, her kiss was barely a brush, the lightest touch, before she pulled away almost instantly.

[Alert! Host has completed "Kiss" with Tatsumaki. Reward: 50 points!]

Despite pulling back, Tatsumaki didn't move from Shinji's lap. She stayed right where she was, her posture and expression making it clear she was staking her claim over him in front of Psykos.

Crossing her arms with a huff, she declared, "See? Whatever you can do, I can do too!"

Psykos, however, only smiled faintly. Her tone carried calm amusement. "What a sneaky little cat."

"Hah? Did you just call me a sneaky cat? Look who's talking!" Tatsumaki shot back instantly, unwilling to give an inch.

"...or dear."

Meanwhile, Fubuki sat stiff and silent on the sidelines. Her back was straight, her hands placed properly in her lap, but inside, she was in full-blown panic.

What on earth was she supposed to do in this situation...?!