One Punch Man: "The hell!! Did I transmigrate as King?"

·Chapter 6: Buying a mechanical prosthesis and meeting Saitama6 JulShareHP Mall, M City's Commercial Landmark

The HP Mall—M City's commercial colossus.

This behemoth of a shopping center spanned over 100,000 square meters. It was practically a self-contained city. A seven-story circular structure towered from the ground, its glass curtain walls gleaming coldly under the sun.

As the largest comprehensive mall across several surrounding towns, it had everything: luxury brands, groceries, tech gear, daily essentials. Even a fresh food supermarket.

But the real crowd-puller? Saturday sales.

"Today's Special! Fresh beef short ribs—half price!"

"Buy one, get one free on eggs!"

"Last day for points redemption! Every ¥5,000 spent gets you a raffle ticket!""Home appliance clearance sale! Miss it today, wait another year!"

The loudspeaker howled promotional slogans nonstop as swarms of shoppers surged through the aisles like migrating schools of fish.

Kaito tugged his hat lower, slipping through the chaos like a practiced urban ninja. He'd changed specifically for this outing—dark grey hoodie, black cargo pants, baseball cap pulled low over his face. A textbook case of blending in with the weekend crowd.

Only the three faint scars that sometimes peeked out from beneath his cap hinted at his real identity—"The Strongest Man on Earth."

"Excuse me! Coming through!"

A housewife rammed a cart stacked with discount toilet paper straight through the tide of shoppers, nearly clipping Kaito. He sidestepped effortlessly, barely sparing her a glance.

His eyes were locked on the crowd, scanning for someone.

"According to the timeline, Saitama should've already met Genos. They should've wrapped up the House of Evolution incident by now."

If he could spot them here—shopping or just idling—it would confirm the story was still on track. Maybe even allow him to—

Noise.

A commotion snapped him back to the present.

In front of the home appliance section, a crowd had gathered. A sales rep in a shiny, ill-fitting suit was passionately pitching something from the center.

"Latest robot vacuum cleaner! Original price ¥99,999—today only ¥19,999! Miss this chance and you'll cry tomorrow!"

Kaito shook his head and sped up. He had other priorities today.

He wasn't here for vacuums or egg discounts.

He needed mechanical prosthetics.

Ever since picking up Mosquito Girl and realizing she could generate deterrence points just by being afraid of Saitama, he had begun developing a bold plan.

But...

Execution was another story.

She couldn't walk, couldn't feed herself, couldn't do anything. And he, Kaito—just like the original King—was a world-class shut-in. Taking care of himself was already borderline heroic. Caring for a monster?

Yeah, no.

Hire a nanny? Sure, he had the money—S-Class Hero, Rank 7, came with a sweet paycheck.

But who on Earth would sign up to babysit a winged, blood-drained demon with a face that could stop traffic and a past that could fill horror movies?

At best, they'd faint. At worst, they'd call the police.

"She needs to move on her own. Period."

Luckily, the One Punch Man world had weirdly selective tech progression. Civilians lived like it was the early 2000s...But in niche industries?

Sky-high black tech.

Especially in the field of cybernetic limbs.

The "Future Tech" zone on the mall's fifth floor was M City's crown jewel of innovation.

As the automatic doors whooshed open, cold air mixed with the sterile scent of metal and plastic.

Inside, glowing gadgets and prototypes lined the showroom: robotic butlers, holographic projectors, smart home systems...

Kaito made a beeline for the corner labeled "Medical Assistive Devices."

"Hello, sir! How can I assist you?"

A saleswoman in a sleek navy-blue uniform skirt approached with practiced grace. Mid-twenties. Shoulder-length chestnut curls. A faint vanilla perfume.

Her name tag read: Misaki Sato.

"Shopping for a family member?" she asked, smiling professionally. "We have various models, from basic—"

She paused mid-pitch.

Kaito had lifted his head briefly—and she saw the scars. Her pupils constricted. The recognition was instant.

"You... You're..."

Kaito tensed.

He considered denying it. Drawing attention was the last thing he wanted. But before he could respond—

Misaki blinked. And just like that, her expression reset. The surprise faded behind polished composure.

Professionalism: Activated.

"Please follow me, Mr. King. We've just received a batch of the latest model prosthetics—I think they'll be perfect for your needs."

Miss Sato led Kaito into a semi-enclosed showroom and unlocked a tall glass display case with a practiced flick of the wrist.

"These are all military-grade models developed by Dr. Bofoy."

Her tone returned to a cool, confident professionalism.

"Waterproof, shockproof, capable of supporting 200 kilograms of weight. Joint articulation is almost identical to human biomechanics…"

Kaito's eyes scanned the rows of gleaming carbon fiber and alloy limbs.

The mechanical creations shimmered coldly under the white lights. From fingers to knees to ankles—every piece was a testament to precision engineering. Ruthlessly efficient. Unnervingly beautiful.

"Any models with... remote control functions?" he asked.

Miss Sato's eyes lit up. "Ah! You mean neural-linked? We actually have an experimental line that fits the bill perfectly."

She practically glided across the floor, guiding Kaito to a standalone display in the center of the showroom.

"This is our flagship prosthetic series. It uses nanoscale bionic tech and has a 92% neural integration rate. Performance is nearly indistinguishable from real limbs."

On the pedestal sat a complete set of silver-gray cybernetic limbs.

Delicate, articulated fingers flexed slowly under the lights. The joints, supported by compact hydraulics, allowed for both power and fine motor control. A marvel of biomechanics.

"Most importantly…" she added, pressing a button on the base of the stand.

The limbs froze mid-motion, locking in place.

"It comes with a remote override system. Guardians can disable or enable prosthetic function in real time—through this wristband."

She held up a sleek black band and slid it onto her arm.

"Red button—lock."She demonstrated. The limbs stiffened, lifeless.

"Green button—restore."

The limbs reactivated, flexing again.

"The band is encrypted with biometric locking," she added. "Only registered users can access the control functions."

Kaito narrowed his eyes. This was exactly what he needed.

A way to make Mosquito Girl mobile again—but only when he allowed it.

Independence with a leash.

"Show me the full specs," he said.

Miss Sato handed him a brochure with a slight tremble in her fingers.

"Each limb is priced at 2 million yen," she said, watching him carefully. "A full set is discounted to 7 million."

She offered a practiced smile, slightly tinged with nerves. "Since it's Saturday, you'll also receive a 100,000-yen points voucher and lifetime free maintenance... if you buy now."

It was a staggering sum for an ordinary shopper. But for an S-Class Hero with King's ranking and salary?

Pocket change.

"I'll take the full set," Kaito said without hesitation.

When the POS machine spat out the receipt, Miss Sato's hands were visibly trembling.

That single transaction had just secured her a six-figure commission.

She handed over a sleek, titanium-colored case containing the prosthetics with reverent care.

"Mr. King, would you like me to introduce you to any of our other premium lines?" she asked, voice slightly breathless. "Or... maybe I could show you around the mall?"

Her cheeks flushed, the offer more than professional.

Kaito shook his head. "No need. Thank you."

He turned and walked away, completely missing the disappointment in her expression.

Next stop: Fresh Food Section – First Floor

The meat displays glowed under fluorescent lights. Rows of perfectly marbled beef, vacuum-packed steaks, and neatly organized cuts sat under temperature-controlled glass.

Price tags varied wildly—especially for the premium wagyu.

Kaito selected a few pieces of A5-grade ribeye, then paused at the end of the cooler.

There it is.

A block of dark red matter sat in a separate tray.

"Pack that blood block as well," he said to the butcher.

The man gave him a curious glance, but said nothing. Years of retail had taught him not to ask questions best left unasked.

"Would you like it sliced?"

"No. Whole block is fine."

Carrying several heavy bags, Kaito made his way toward the vegetable section.

It was packed.

Housewives darted around like tactical units, grabbing up discounted produce with military precision.

Then—He froze.

Amid the bustle, a bald head gleamed under the ceiling lights. It reflected light like polished marble.

A slightly stained yellow jumpsuit. White cape. That classic dead-eyed stare that said, "I'm so over this."

Saitama.

And right beside him—A young blonde cyborg with intense eyes and a notebook in hand, nodding as if Saitama were delivering a lecture on nuclear fusion.

Genos.

The timeline was right on track.

And the pieces were starting to fall into place.