One Punch Man: Heroics Start with Dual Kamui

"…Yeah, I figured," Shinji said, clearly at a loss for words.

"You're already at the finish line, right? I'll just take the subway home," Saitama replied over the phone. He knew that if he kept trying to fly back himself, he'd probably end up in the wrong city again, maybe even farther than before. As much as he hated spending money, at least the subway fare was cheap.

"No need for that. Just describe what kind of buildings are around you. I'll come find you," Shinji offered. He understood Saitama's financial situation wasn't ideal and wanted to help him avoid spending money unnecessarily.

"Ah, thanks man. That'd help a lot."

Saitama looked down from the rooftop and began describing his surroundings. "There's a tall tower nearby… and a big river next to it. I think I've seen that tower before, but I forgot where it was exactly."

Shinji immediately understood. "…I know where you are. Hang tight, I'll be there in a second."

The moment he ended the call, he activated Flying Thunder God and instantly appeared in front of Saitama.

"Whoa! That was fast!" Saitama exclaimed, blinking in surprise. Of course, Shinji had marked that tower the day before with a seal. Since Flying Thunder God was a space-time ninjutsu, the teleportation happened in an instant.

"Wanna check out the finish line? Or should we just head home?" Shinji asked.

"Let's take a look at the finish line. It feels like I'd be leaving something unfinished if I didn't," Saitama replied.

"Got it."

This time, Shinji didn't teleport. He used Body Flicker Technique instead, zipping through the air at incredible speed. Saitama floated behind at a more relaxed pace, careful not to take any wrong turns again after getting lost earlier.

Before long, they landed on the rooftop of the Hoshino Grand Hotel, their original destination. From the top, they could see a wide, peaceful view — mountains and rivers stretching into the horizon like a serene landscape painting.

"You got here before me. You win," Saitama said calmly. He didn't seem to care much about winning or losing. In fact, he looked... a little content? Maybe for someone undefeated for so long, losing once brought a strangely refreshing feeling.

But before Saitama could settle into that feeling, Shinji shook his head. "That doesn't count. You only lost because you got lost, not because you were slower."

Saitama had already accepted the outcome, but Shinji wasn't willing to accept the win. A hollow victory meant nothing to him. (Of course, if the system tried to take back those 100 reward points, he'd shut up instantly...)

"Losing is losing. It's no big deal," Saitama said casually.

Before Shinji could say anything else, Saitama added, "You really are strong, huh? So why are you only a B-Class hero? Are A-Class and S-Class heroes even stronger than you?"

 He genuinely didn't understand the Hero Association's power rankings. From what he had seen, Shinji already seemed incredibly capable, so it made no sense that someone like him wouldn't be ranked higher.

"…Maybe," Shinji replied vaguely. "There are definitely some powerful people in the Hero Association. But stronger than you? I doubt it." Of course, he couldn't speak from the perspective of an all-knowing reader or he would've just flat-out said, "No one's stronger than you, period."

"I see. Well, I guess I'll find out for myself soon," Saitama said, His tone is calm, with a subtle hint of something curiosity. There was no arrogance or smugness in his voice. He simply sounded intrigued, genuinely wondering if anyone out there could finally give him a fight worth getting serious about.

Naturally, Saitama wasn't the type to chase after battles. He was the laid-back kind. If a powerful opponent appeared, great. If not, then sitting at home reading manga or watching TV was just as fine.

"Heading back now, right? In that case… let's go again. That last round didn't feel satisfying."

Suddenly, Saitama's tone shifted. His face changed into that overly serious art style — sharp shadows, piercing eyes, total focus.

Boom!

Shinji's heart skipped a beat. Saitama was about to get serious. And Shinji? He was already down to one-third of his stamina from the last round of training. Still, this could be an opportunity. Breaking through limits usually came under high-stress, high-pressure, and sometimes downright reckless conditions.

"Alright. Let's go," Shinji said with a nod, showing no hesitation.

They launched forward together, retracing the route they'd taken earlier. This time, Shinji wasn't throwing kunai to mark spots. He was collecting every last one while still sprinting at top speed. His breath grew heavier, limbs trembling as fatigue dragged him down. With only a third of his energy left, his body inched closer to collapse with each passing moment.

Sweat poured down his face and soaked through his clothes. His vision blurred. His chest burned. And yet, he clenched his teeth, gritted through the pain, and kept going. He refused to stop. No matter how bad it hurt, he was determined to complete the full route from start to finish.

He wasn't sure how long he'd been running when it finally happened. The agony was peaking, every nerve firing like crazy, when suddenly — something broke. Or rather, something shattered inside him. His body felt lighter all at once, like a heavy restraint had been lifted off his shoulders.

[Alert! Host has broken through physical limits. Reward: +35 Constitution, +2 Hashirama Cells!]

[Constitution: 110]

[Hashirama Cells: 4]

That explained the sudden lightness surging through his body. Invigorated and pulsing with new strength, Shinji completed the entire route and finally landed back on the rooftop of his apartment.

But once again… there was no sign of Saitama.

'You've got to be kidding me. Don't tell me… he got lost again?'

Right then, Shinji's phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen.

Caller: Saitama.

Yep — confirmed.

"Please don't tell me…"

"Sorry, Shinji. I think I got lost again…"

Saitama sounded confused and slightly sheepish. He had no idea where he'd ended up this time. Only one option left: call for help.

"I'll come get you. Same as last time. So tell me what kind of buildings are around you."

Shinji wasn't even surprised anymore. At this point, Saitama being a walking GPS failure had practically become part of his routine. Compared to him, Shinji was the complete opposite.

With his Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, his memory functioned like a high-speed database. Every building, landmark, and street he had ever seen was stored perfectly in his mind. As long as Saitama could describe just one distinctive feature, Shinji could pinpoint his location immediately.

Same scene, different day.

Shinji picked Saitama up and brought him back to the rooftop again. And just like before — because Saitama had gotten lost — Shinji technically won their rematch. But this time, the system didn't reward him for the victory. Apparently, that achievement was a one-time deal, just like how he only got a reward the first time he joined the Hero Association. If there weren't any limits, Shinji could've just dragged Saitama into daily speed trials to farm points nonstop. With Saitama's terrible sense of direction, it would have been easy wins forever.

"Saitama, would you mind if I left a seal on you? That way, I can find you instantly next time."

After all this, Shinji figured it was finally time to tag Saitama with a Flying Thunder God marker. He still asked politely out of respect.

"Sure. It would be easy." Saitama answered without hesitation. He didn't even blink. Not the slightest trace of suspicion, no worry about being exploited. Just pure, unbothered confidence.

Shinji blinked in surprise at how fast he agreed. Then again, it wasn't hard to understand. Saitama was unbeatable. What did he need to be cautious about?

Shinji placed his hand on Saitama's back and applied the Flying Thunder God seal. A faint Kamui-style pattern pulsed through his shirt, barely visible but subtle enough that no one would notice unless they were deliberately looking for it.

"All set. Next time you get lost, just give me a call."

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