Chapter 9: Chapter 9: Ninja Sonic the Lonely Testicle
"A game?" Saitama's eyes lit up. Although his gaming skills were as sparse as his hair, that never dampened his enthusiasm.
"Alright! Let me show you my diligently practiced Hadouken!"
The next hour was nothing short of a gaming nightmare for him.
The giant screen in the living room flickered with dazzling lights, while the top-tier sound system boomed with intense fighting effects—and Saitama's continuous cries of frustration.
"Ah! My Ryu! Why can't I unleash my Hadouken?!"
"That's cheating! You're cheating! How can your character fire continuous waves?!"
"Wait! I'm not ready yet... KO?!!!"
"No!! My winning streak!!"
Kaito sat cross-legged on the floor, his fingers dancing effortlessly over the game controller.
In this moment, he was the tyrant king of digital combat.
One round. Two rounds. Three rounds...
Under Kaito's storm-like offensive, Saitama's character was like a leaf caught in a gale—KO'd over and over with zero chance to retaliate.
Saitama went from pumped up and confident, to sweaty and stressed, and finally to lying flat on the floor, eyes hollow like his soul had been sucked out.
"Impossible!" he cried, dropping his controller. "I clearly pressed the block button!"
Nearby, Genos was diligently taking notes.
"Teacher, based on my analysis, Mr. Kaito's hand speed is 3.7 times yours, and his reaction speed—"
"Shut up!" Saitama shouted, snatching the controller again. "One more round!"
Kaito's lips curved into a faint smile.
Inheriting King's legendary gaming reputation and adding in his own esports background from his previous life, crushing noobs like this was just... too easy.
This time, he purposely let Saitama win a round.
The bald hero celebrated like a child, instantly forgetting the string of crushing defeats. He was hooked.
Kaito wasn't like the original King who gave Saitama no chance at all. He knew the secret to long-term fun: toy with the opponent, crush them, let them win occasionally, and repeat. The loop was beautiful.
"It's getting late," Kaito said, glancing at the clock. He reached under the TV cabinet and pulled out a brand-new handheld console. "Here. Practice more when you go back."
Saitama stared at the device in his hands, then looked at Kaito's totally sincere smile.
He scoffed and stuffed the console into his tracksuit.
"Next time... I definitely won't let you win so easily."
An empty threat if there ever was one.
Genos, as courteous as ever, bowed slightly. "Thank you, Mr. Kaito, for your hospitality and... gaming guidance."
"See you tomorrow morning at nine, downstairs at the Hero Association's F City branch." Kaito gave a nod as he saw them out.
Tomorrow was the Hero Entrance Test at the F City branch—each branch had different test schedules, and Saitama was finally getting registered.
As soon as the door closed behind them, silence filled the apartment.
Kaito's smile faded. He turned and walked toward the guest room.
He pushed the door open.
Mosquito Girl was curled up in the farthest corner of the bed, trembling.
She'd clearly heard everything—especially Saitama's unmistakable voice—and her crimson eyes now shimmered with raw terror.
"Did... did he leave?" she whispered, her voice barely audible, like a mosquito's buzz.
Kaito approached the bedside and stared down at her, deliberately making his tone cold.
"He's gone. Good thing you kept quiet. Remember, your life was temporarily spared—at the cost of one premium Wagyu hotpot and a favor owed."
The threat was loud and clear.
Mosquito Girl shuddered violently.
[Ding! Mosquito Girl has gained +50 Intimidation Points due to residual fear of Saitama and the host's continuous deterrence!]
Kaito leaned in closer, his shadow looming over her as he added coldly:
"Your life is mine to give. And if you step out of this apartment while I'm gone tomorrow..."
He left the sentence hanging.
But the ominous hum of the Emperor Engine said everything he didn't.
Mosquito Girl flinched as if slapped, her voice breaking:
"Yes... yes, Kaito-sama! I wouldn't dare! Absolutely not!"
[Ding! Mosquito Girl has gained +30 Intimidation Points due to associative fear!]
Kaito glanced at the system prompt and nodded, satisfied.
Even a mosquito's leg counts as meat—intimidation points added up over time.
He stretched, returned to his room, and collapsed onto the bed.
Pulling up his system interface, he muttered:
[Intimidation Points: 400]
"Taking Saitama to register tomorrow... I'll definitely run into other heroes and monsters. That means..."
His eyes sparkled.
"Another great harvest of points."
With thoughts of tomorrow's potential gains floating in his mind, Kaito drifted off to sleep.
The next morning.
Kaito stretched, yawned, and rolled out of bed.
Still half-asleep, he shuffled to the bathroom, splashed cold water on his face, and brushed his teeth.
He then wandered into the living room and turned on the TV.
The serious voice of a news anchor immediately filled the room:
"Breaking news! A terrorist organization calling itself the Paradisers is currently causing disturbances in F City. Eyewitnesses report all members are bald, wear identical uniforms, and are using heavy machinery in destructive activities..."
Kaito, mid-way through drying his hair, froze.
F City?
That was where he was supposed to meet Saitama today.
His brows furrowed as he racked his brain.
He remembered something—
This was part of the original plot.
The Paradisers...Weren't they dealt with by that one-balled ninja, Sonic?
Kaito frowned. He couldn't quite recall the exact details of the event. The One Punch Man plotline had a habit of being both absurd and forgettable at times.
"Forget it. With Saitama there, nothing should go wrong," he muttered, turning off the TV.
He walked over to his wardrobe and pulled out a beautifully packaged box from the bottom shelf.
It was a limited edition maid outfit, a ridiculous reward the game company had mailed to King after he'd cleared every achievement in a particular dating sim.
Kaito chuckled, shaking his head."Didn't expect this to actually come in handy."
He placed the box on the bed, then headed to the kitchen.
Opening the fridge, he grabbed a few ripe tomatoes and expertly tossed them into the juicer.The machine whirred to life, and bright red juice trickled into a tall glass.He carried the juice and the maid outfit box to the guest room door and gave it a light knock.
"It's me."
There was an immediate clatter of metal from inside—Mosquito Girl scrambling into alertness.
Kaito pushed the door open.
She was trying to stand up from the bed, clearly startled.
"Good... good morning, Kaito-sama," she said meekly, her voice barely louder than her namesake insect.
Kaito handed her the glass."Drink it."
Mosquito Girl hesitated for only a moment, then drank the tomato juice in one go, frowning as she did.
[Ding! Mosquito Girl has gained +5 Intimidation Points due to fear and obedience!]
Kaito nodded in satisfaction and placed the box down on the bed.
"Put this on."
Mosquito Girl blinked in confusion, then opened the box.Her eyes widened. A deep blush spread across her pale cheeks.
"This... this is?"
"From today onward," Kaito said flatly, "you're the maid of this apartment."
She looked up at him, stunned."But... I've never—"
"If you don't know, learn." His tone was colder now. "And from now on, address me as Boss."
Mosquito Girl's entire body trembled. Her mechanical fingers fidgeted nervously.
"Yes... Boss."
[Ding! Mosquito Girl has gained +10 Intimidation Points due to the humiliation caused by the change in identity!]
Kaito gave her a final glance before heading out the door.She was awkwardly tugging at the maid uniform, struggling to fit her cold mechanical limbs into the frilly, ill-matched outfit.
Her pale, vampiric skin, crimson eyes, and cyborg enhancements clashed bizarrely with the traditional black-and-white maid aesthetic—creating a disturbing, almost surreal, beauty.
The streets of F City were unusually quiet. The Paradisers' rampage had clearly thinned out the foot traffic.
Kaito walked calmly, hands in his pockets, making his way toward the Hero Association branch.
Suddenly—
BOOM!
A deep rumble echoed from the city center.
Kaito looked up just in time to see a massive chunk of concrete hurtling through the air.It sailed in a perfect arc and smashed directly into a familiar golden structure perched atop a skyscraper.
"...Was that a golden poop statue?"
He squinted.Yes. That ridiculous sculpture was unmistakable.
"Zeniru's HQ. Looks like he's already crossed paths with the Paradisers."
Kaito changed direction and made his way toward Central Park.
He wasn't worried about Saitama showing up at their agreed meeting spot.The bald hero was likely already chasing the Paradisers, preventing them from blowing up any more of the city—or worse, hurting his nonexistent reputation.
Central Park was wrecked.
Uprooted trees, cracked pavement, overturned benches... the whole area looked like it had hosted a kaiju battle.
Kaito stepped onto the fractured walkway, scanning the area.
That's when he saw him.
A black blur darted into the sky—a young man in a skin-tight black tracksuit, mid-leap, descending fast.
And standing casually below, obliviously picking at his ear—
"Saitama!"
Kaito's shout hadn't even finished before the descending figure came crashing down—
—and landed crotch-first on Saitama's perfectly timed, instinctual uppercut.
There was a muffled crack, followed by a very audible yelp.
The ninja folded in half mid-air, his limbs twitching as he collapsed to the ground, motionless, face-first.
Kaito winced.
"Yep. Definitely Sonic."
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