One Punch Man: Heroics Start with Dual Kamui

When the crowd witnessed the massive Susanoo cleave the meteor cleanly in half, their breathing stopped all at once. In the next instant, to their disbelief, both halves of the meteor completely disappeared into thin air.

"What the... what just happened? Why did the meteor vanish like that?"

"It looked like that giant absorbed the fragments after slicing them? That's unbelievable..."

"So we're actually safe now? A hero really saved us? But who was that guy? I've never seen a hero like him before!"

"..."

A beat later, as people gradually snapped out of their stupor, expressions of stunned realization spread through the crowd.

"Master... he really pulled it off...!"

At that same moment, with almost all of his core energy exhausted, Genos collapsed to his knees, his body unresponsive. Using the last bit of strength he could muster, he slowly tilted his head upward and saw his teacher still floating in the sky. A quiet exhale of relief slipped from his lips.

"It just disappeared?" Bang stood rooted to the ground, eyes wide with astonishment.

Bofoi, on the other hand, didn't say a word. He simply turned his robot away and silently left the battlefield.

Realizing the plan had failed, Elder Centipede recalled the warning it had received from Gyoro Gyoro: avoid being dragged into a prolonged engagement at all costs. Without hesitation, it drilled into the earth and retreated underground.

Even more than that, the immense blue giant hovering above was setting off a primal danger instinct.

Bang and Genos were already completely drained, unable to chase it even if they wanted to.

Soon after, Shinji descended and retracted his Susanoo. He landed softly and calmly beside Genos. "You did well, Genos."

He had clearly seen Genos burn through his core's energy in a desperate attempt to stop Elder Centipede from interfering.

Even though, in truth, Elder Centipede never had the speed to reach him in time.

"It's nothing. As long as the meteor was dealt with, that's what counts."

Genos's core still retained just enough power to keep him operational. Even if it had completely run out, it wouldn't have killed him. It would have just shut him down temporarily until he could recharge.

Meanwhile, a bald man in a hero costume and cape walked onto the street.

Looking up at the now-clear sky and the surrounding survivors cheering in celebration, he gave a faint sigh.

"Guess I was late again. As long as it's taken care of, I suppose it's fine." Saitama spoke to himself in a low, casual tone. "Heh."

After all, he rarely arrived in time to join battles directly, since he usually traveled to monster scenes on foot.

...

In the aftermath of the event, Shinji's hero ranking underwent a major shift.

Since countless people had personally witnessed him intercept and eliminate the meteor, and because Genos, Bang, and Bofoi were all busy holding off Elder Centipede, the Hero Association had no alternative but to credit the key contribution to Shinji.

Not only had this been an unprecedented Dragon-level threat, but resolving it brought enormous recognition to the Association itself, along with a surge of funding, attention, and public trust.

As a result, Shinji was immediately promoted from A-Class Rank 5 to S-Class Rank 5.

Genos, Bang, and Bofoi also received recognition for holding back the Dragon-level threat, Elder Centipede.

Originally, Genos had been ranked 18th among the S-Class heroes. After Shinji's promotion to Rank 5, Genos was temporarily pushed down to Rank 19. However, due to his notable contribution during the Elder Centipede incident, his rank was restored back to 18th.

Bang and Bofoi, on the other hand, already occupied high positions in the S-Class, so there wasn't much room for them to rise any higher. In fact, Bofoi's rank actually slipped slightly, he dropped from Rank 7 to Rank 8 due to Shinji's sudden leap.

Naturally, Shinji's rapid ascent caught the attention of the A-Class Rank 1 hero, Sweet Mask.

Shinji's power was beyond question, he had destroyed a meteor in front of countless witnesses, and his contribution was more than enough to justify his place in the S-Class. But Sweet Mask wasn't solely concerned with strength. To him, character was just as vital.

A hero who lacked virtue didn't deserve the honor of being in the S-Class.

Still, now that Shinji had been officially admitted into the S-Class, Sweet Mask had no authority to block him. He simply made a mental note, driven by habit rather than duty.

[Alert! Host has been promoted to S-Class Hero. Reward acquired: 100 points + Outer Gedo Statue!]

[Note: After entering the top 5 of S-Class, the host will continue to receive point rewards for every rank advancement!]

The Outer Gedo Statue...?

Shinji was taken aback for a moment.

Wasn't the Outer Gedo Statue something that only those with the Rinnegan could summon?

Apparently, the system had modified the rules again.

[Alert! This is a system-exclusive reward. All rights reserved by the system. The host can control the Outer Gedo Statue without the Rinnegan. There are also no time limits on its summoning.]

The system's response came immediately, just as Shinji had expected. Another customized, optimized version crafted specifically for him.

That was definitely a positive outcome.

In the One Punch Man world, the original Outer Gedo Statue would've been of limited use with its restrictions. Although its offensive capabilities were modest, it made up for that with overwhelming vitality and near-indestructibility.

At that moment, Shinji returned once again to Psykos's hidden base.

"How did it go? Elder Centipede told me you stopped the meteor." Psykos asked him with visible concern.

"I've been promoted to S-Class Rank 5. Thanks, Psykos." Shinji offered his thanks with sincerity.

Even if he didn't support Psykos's plan to exterminate humanity, Shinji couldn't deny that he was genuinely moved by her efforts.

If she hadn't deployed Elder Centipede, his rise to S-Class Rank 5 wouldn't have gone so smoothly. In fact, there was a real possibility he might not have been promoted at all.

Without an extraordinary, high-profile accomplishment, breaking into the S-Class would have been extremely difficult. Just look at Atomic Samurai's disciples. Despite their strength, they remained stuck between A-Class Ranks 2 and 4. Sweet Mask constantly blocked their advancement, and unlike them, Shinji had no powerful mentor or political backing to lean on.

"S-Class Rank 5, huh? I suppose that's a decent starting point."

Though Psykos still believed Shinji was worthy of becoming S-Class Rank 1, this was unquestionably better than being trapped at A-Class Rank 5.

"And don't thank me," Psykos said with a soft smile. "With the kind of connection we share, there's no need for that."

She smiled more warmly. "Although I still wish you'd take your rightful place as king of the Monster Association, we'll hold off on that until your memories return."