One Punch Man: Heroics Start with Dual Kamui

"Ah, Shinji, you're back. Good thing you made it before six."

Saitama greeted him in his usual laid-back tone, wearing that simple, blank expression. If Shinji had taken any longer, Saitama had already planned to head home and cook for himself.

"Master, didn't you say you were heading somewhere dangerous to train? Why'd you come back with a woman?"

Genos looked visibly confused when he saw the woman standing beside Shinji, especially since they were still holding hands.

Before leaving for Psykos's underground hideout, Shinji had come up with a random excuse to stop Genos from tagging along. After some firm insistence and repeated warnings, Genos reluctantly agreed to stay behind. Now, however, Shinji couldn't spare any attention for their questions or the strange looks. His focus was entirely on Fubuki, who sat quietly in the living room.

The moment he saw her, warning bells started ringing in his head.

And right on cue, everything exploded.

"President Fubuki?!"

"You're… Vice President Psykos?!"

The two women sprang to their feet at once, both stunned into blurting out their old titles from the Esper Research Society. Their reactions were almost reflexive, as if muscle memory had dragged the words from their mouths.

Psykos was the first to recognize Fubuki. Fubuki, on the other hand, was momentarily confused. The woman in front of her looked familiar, but not quite. That moment of hesitation passed quickly as recognition dawned; this was Psykos. The very same Psykos she hadn't seen in five years. Her sudden reappearance was shocking enough, but appearing alongside Shinji?

That was something Fubuki hadn't been prepared for.

The changes in Psykos's appearance made the shock even greater. Compared to her days as a student, she was almost unrecognizable. Back then, she had a decent figure and pretty features, but her lack of fashion sense and those large black-rimmed glasses gave her a stiff, bookish vibe. In anime, characters like her were always the ones who turned into knockouts the moment they ditched the glasses.

And now, that trope had come to life.

Her hair was styled in elegant waves, the strange eyeball hairpiece was gone, and her figure had matured into something even more eye-catching. The elegance of a refined and confident woman had replaced the awkwardness of her youth.

No wonder Fubuki hadn't recognized her right away.

Unlike Fubuki, Psykos had known that Shinji had already met her former president. She'd done her research and kept tabs on Fubuki's activity in the Hero Association. So, despite the shock, Psykos recovered faster and reacted accordingly.

As soon as she identified Fubuki, Psykos let her psychic power erupt. A heavy wave of pressure rolled through the room, her intent clear. She meant to dominate Fubuki and force her to back down.

Saitama and Genos, meanwhile, remained seated and utterly unaffected. Neither showed any reaction. Saitama calmly took another sip of his tea with a neutral expression, as if watching a mild disagreement between neighbors. Genos, unable to drink tea, held his cup politely and observed the situation without comment.

That left Shinji alone in the crossfire.

"Hold on, girls! Don't start something in someone else's house."

He stepped forward quickly, inserting himself between the two women. His voice was firm, but not forceful.

To everyone's surprise, Psykos actually listened. She slowly lowered the hand she'd raised, and the oppressive aura around her faded like mist under sunlight.

Only then did Fubuki fully snap out of her daze, narrowing her eyes at Psykos with clear wariness.

"Psykos... I never expected to see you here."

Her voice was low and serious, laced with tension. After years of silence between them, coming face to face again stirred a storm of conflicting emotions behind her calm exterior.

"This is Shinji's home... and now you want to get in my way again? President Fubuki."

There was no mistaking the bitterness in Psykos's voice.

"…What are you even talking about?"

Fubuki narrowed her eyes, clearly taken aback by the accusation.

"You've set your sights on Shinji, haven't you? Just like back then, when I was on the verge of surpassing you, you panicked and sealed away my powers. And now, you're planning to ruin Shinji too, using the same underhanded tactics."

Psykos's voice turned cold as steel, her eyes sharp and demanding.

"No, no, I would never do something like that to Shinji…"

Fubuki waved her hands in protest, her expression flustered and slightly awkward.

"Then why are you here?"

Psykos refused to let the matter drop.

"I just came to hang out…"

Fubuki tried to keep her tone light, but even she knew it didn't sound convincing.

"You expect me to believe that at this point?" Psykos narrowed her eyes, her disbelief plain.

"But it's true…"

Fubuki's usual poise was slipping. Standing in front of Psykos, she couldn't summon her typical confidence.

"President Fubuki... let me give you a warning." Psykos's voice dropped an octave, cold and deliberate. "Shinji is mine. If you dare touch him, I won't let it slide. And while I'm at it, I'll settle the old debts between us too."

The threat was clear, and she didn't bother softening it.

"…"

Fubuki stood frozen for a moment, the implication finally sinking in. Now she understood what Psykos had meant earlier by getting in her way.

This wasn't about past grudges alone, it was about Shinji.

As the realization dawned, Fubuki's gaze turned cold to match. "The one interfering here is you, former Vice President Psykos… the so-called 'Third Eye.'"

She met Psykos's venomous stare with her own, steady and sharp.

"Yes, I'm selfish. I always have been. That's why, back then, I saw you, someone clawing her way from the bottom, as a threat. And I sealed your powers."

She didn't flinch as she admitted it.

"But because of that, I won't give him up. Not him."

Her voice was resolute. She had drawn her line in the sand.

"So you really do intend to get in my way…" Psykos's glare sharpened, her gaze laced with venom.

The temperature in the room plummeted. The tension was so thick it felt like a single spark could set off an all-out psychic brawl.

"…Is it just me, or is this whole thing starting to sound like a love boner triangle?"

Saitama finally broke the silence, his tone casual as he let out a helpless sigh.

"Clearly, they're fighting over Master. This only further proves Master's overwhelming aura."

Genos, without missing a beat, pulled out a notebook and began jotting things down. The speed of his writing made it clear he considered Shinji's romantic troubles a valuable case study, perhaps even a combat scenario in its own right.

"Seems like being too popular has its downsides." Saitama nodded with mock seriousness as he took another sip of tea.

Compared to the calm, almost bored atmosphere on their side of the room, Shinji stood in the middle of a brewing storm, caught between two powerful espers ready to unleash hell. From his perspective, it was more like a horror movie than a romantic subplot.

"I'm not the same person I was back in school," Psykos said, her voice icy and sharp. "And this is Shinji's home. I won't make a move here... but if we were anywhere else, I wouldn't hesitate to destroy you. I mean literally reduce you to atoms."

Then she looked straight at Shinji, gaze unwavering. "I want him to choose. Will it be you... or me?"

"…"

Fubuki felt a chill crawl up her spine, an ominous premonition sinking in her gut. But she met Psykos's stare without flinching. "Fine. Let's do it your way."

The moment those words left her lips, both women turned their attention toward Shinji.

He felt like the floor had vanished beneath him. But even though he was annoyed by being put into this awkward, impossible situation, the truth was… the decision wasn't that difficult to make. Because one of them had supported him without hesitation, showered him with genuine trust and affection.

The other had walked in with suspicion and hostility, throwing accusations like knives.