Road to Heroism
A blue lizard monster was darting, dodging, and weaving through the crowds of people before disappearing into the narrow alleyways. Damn him, just how persistent is he? Frustrated, the monster mentally cursed, feeling the stolen DVDs and manga in his jacket shifting as he hurriedly ducked into an alley, only to find himself faced with a dead end.
"There you are, did you really think you can run?" the monster spun around to face the voice. A young man with spiky black hair and sharp facial features, dressed in a blue track jacket and matching pants, stood at the entrance.
"So persistent! just who the hell are you?" the monster asked while pointing at the man. "I'm just a guy who's a hero for fun. For stealing from that store, I'm gonna kick your ass," Saitama retorted, before charging towards the monster with speed, who could only gasp in surprise.
Consecutive Normal Punches
The monster was pummeled with a barrage of punches followed by a devastating uppercut to the jaw. With a loud cry of "Guuuuuuaaaaah!" blood gushed from its nose and mouth as it was sent flying a few feet into the air, only to crash back down to the ground, knocked out cold.
Saitama went to check on the monster's condition. "see, that's what happens when you steal...." As he glanced at the manga's, especially the covers, he felt his cheeks flush deep red.
"I-is that hentai?!" he sputtered out.
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"Saito! Thank goodness you're alive. Did you see him?" the woman asked quickly, her face filled with fear and panic.
"No, I didn't. Listen, I got us a spare battery Just stick close to me and we'll be safe," Saito reassured as he quickly grabbed his wife's hand and guided them to their car. Suddenly, a muscular man in a hockey mask appeared in front of them.
The woman screamed as the killer lifted the axe and brought it down on Saito's head, splitting it in two. She was frozen in terror at the sight of her husband's lifeless body, the sound effects intensifying for added drama.
The screen faded to black as the sound of a woman's scream filled the room, the credits beginning to roll. "Are you kidding me? How the hell did they get killed by the slowest slasher in existence?" he asked no one in particular . With a yawn, he added, "Whatever, it 's late. I should get some sleep." He turned off the TV and laid down on his futon, only for the doorbell to ring.
Huh? Who could it be at this hour? Opening the door, he found an elderly person waiting. "Do you have my rent?" she asked, hands on her hips, tapping her foot. Rent? "I'm sorry, I don't know you, grandma. If you need help, there's a homeless shelter in that direction," he pointed behind her, only to get whacked on the head.
"You're the one who's about to be homeless, I'm your landlord! You haven't paid rent for three months. You have until tomorrow to bring me my 1000000¥ or you're out!" she shouted before leaving, leaving Saitama dumbfounded. A million yen! That's like everything I have! He groaned and decided to deal with it tomorrow. Too tired for this. He went back to sleep.
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"Hey Mr. Draper! It's good to see you ," Saitama greeted as he entered the tailor store. "Oh, it's you, Saitama-kun. Do you need something fixed?" the tailor inquired. "No, I just wanted to check in on you. How's business been lately?" Saitama asked as he took a seat.
"Unfortunately, business has been slow. In fact, I'm shutting down the store today," the tailor responded with a heavy heart, surprising Saitama. "Why?" he questioned with concern. The thought of losing his favorite tailor's shop was disheartening to him.
"Things have been rough lately with all the monster attacks. Just like I said before Business has slowed down a lot here," the tailor explained, taking a sip of his coffee. "I had to take a loan from a loan shark just to afford rent and ended up spending everything on the interest alone." He let out a sad sigh
Today, they came and took the lease paper of my store. That's why I have to close," he revealed. Saitama gritted his teeth at the injustice. Loan sharks, they just roll into town and ruin everything for everyone. He stood up from his seat. "Mr. Draper, tell me where those loan sharks are. I'll get your lease back," he declared, his eyes sharp.
"No, Saitama-kun, you can't! They're dangerous. I know you're a hero, but risking your life like that is not worth it. You could get hurt," the tailor warned, causing Saitama to pause.
"If heroes were to run from the first sign trouble, then who will stay and fight back?" he asked rhetorically, causing the tailor's eyes to widen. "Don't worry about me, I've dealt with worse. Just tell me where I can find those loan sharks and I'll bring it back."
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"Go along this shopping district, and you'll see a sign that says "danger ahead ." Turn left at the junction where you saw that sign. Keep walking along, and you will see a supermarket. At the end of a narrow street along the supermarket is where you will find a two-story apartment building.That 's where you'll find them, the "Nya Nya loans." Draper's voice played back in his head as he stared at the aforementioned building.
Huh? That's literally where I live. You're telling me a loan shark organization is set up here, and I didn't know about it? Fucking bullshit, man. He sighed as he knocked on the door of unit 101.
The old lady from last night opened the door, "Are you here to pay rent?" After realizing no one was there, she grumbled underneath her breath about kids and ding- dong-dashing before shutting the door. Saitama came out from his hiding spot behind a pillar, sweat dripping down his face. Holy shit,that was close.
"Nya Nya loans, you said?" The man from unit 102 asked. "I'm not sure which unit they're in, but you're in the right building," he replied before shutting the door. "Uh, thanks?" Saitama turned around, only for the door to open again. "Look, I'm not sure who you're looking for, but be careful. Not everyone here is as polite as me."
The man stepped out, revealing a bald head with a long, unkempt beard. A white teddy bear in his arms while wearing a pink nightgown and panties. "I see.... thanks for the warning ," Saitama said slowly, with a forced smile. Definitely a weirdo.
Saitama knocked on the door of unit 103 and waited. Two men with unique bowl haircuts appeared before him. One of them asked, "Who are you?" "I'm Saitama. I'm looking for the Nya Nya loans. Do you know which unit they are in?" The two men exchanged glances and shook their heads. "No, why do you ask? Do you have some business with them?" they inquired.
"Yes. I'm a hero, and I've come here to bust their operation" Saitama declared. "huh, best of luck then" The men nodded understandingly and closed the door, only for it to swing wide open again as both men rushed out.
"Shit! Did you say hero?" they exclaimed in panic. "This is bad, Big bro. I think he knows about us counterfeiting!" Wait, what? The older brother clenched his teeth in anger. "Bastard, so you've come here to take us down, up right? Trying to cash in on our bounties!" he shouted angrily.
"Did you say bounties?" Saitama blinked before a feral grin spread across his face. "I like the sound of that," he replied. Both men gasped in shock. " See No doubt about it. I can see it in his smile! He's here to catch us," one of them exclaimed. "Is that so? Well, we won't let you get away with this!" Both men jumped at Saitama, screaming battle cries.
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A man with a blue Rocker-style hair strolled along, carrying a bag and a drink in hand. As he turned towards the building, he was taken aback to see Saitama dragging two injured men up the stairs. This is bad, I gotta warn the boss. He quickly reached for his phone to inform his boss. Panic set in as he witnessed Saitama emerge from a unit with yet another injured person.
"Have you brought the caramel cappuccino I requested?" The voice on the phone impatiently asked. The underling whispered quietly, "Boss, this is not good. Someone has beaten up a group of our men and is taking them away." "What? is he with the police?" the boss asked, his tone filled with venom in his tone. "I'm not sure, I just got here," the thug replied. There was a moment of silence on the line. "He's here." The boss hung up, sending the thug into panic mode.
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"Was it you? The dangerous man who has beaten up my men?" asked the man with light brown, combed-back hair, short facial hair, and a dark purple suit, leisurely sitting on his chair.
"Yes, and I assume you're the boss of the Nya Nya loans," Saitama stepped forward. "Listen here, I have zero tolerance for the likes of you. You guys have took the lease papers that belong to a good friend of mine. Give them back, and I won't rough you up as badly as your men." Saitama threatened.
The boss clenched his hands on the armchair. "Heheheh, do you even know why I do what I do? You see I have this... impulse in my heart. An impulse that calls me to destroy whatever I can, to ruin as many lives as I can." He stood up and faced Saitama. "You come in here, you ruin my operation, beat up my men, only to come here and tell me this?" he roared at the last sentence.
Before Saitama could respond, the boss hugged both of his sides while laughing. "Annoying... SO ANNOYING," he roared as purple light materialized around him, shocking Saitama. His glasses shattered, and his clothes tore with his body evolving.
"GYUUGYUYUYUYUUUUU" A pink anthropomorphic fish, donning a BDSM outfit, stood in its place, brandishing a whip. "Only a few chosen ones like me have the privilege to take the next step on the path of evolution and transform into monsters! Gyuah hah hah!" The monster exclaimed, bursting into maniacal laughter.
Monster: Fish of Darkness.
Threat level: ?
What the hell? Like, what in the actual fuck just happened right now? And why did he transform while wearing this ? What is up with weirdos living here? Saitama mentally cried.
"Are you too scared to speak?" The monster inquired as he observed the disturbed expression on Saitama's face. "I'm curious to hear what your screams sound like," he chuckled before lashing out with his whip, narrowly missing Saitama who dodged at the last minute.
He's fast. "Scared? Oh please, as if I'll be scared of a pervert like you ," he cockily remarked, infuriating the monster. "Pervert?! Don't fuck with me-gyuh," he roared as he unleashed a powerful whip, shattering the table behind Saitama into two." I'm a badass villain, a monster. Not a pervert!" the monster yelled. He then released a flurry of whips while laughing at Saitama, who managed to evade some but not all. Fish of Darkness opened its mouth and spat eggs at him, a few hitting their mark.
Saitama dropped to his knees, his clothes torn and bruises forming. Damn, that's the strongest monster I've fought so far. While Saitama hadn't faced many monsters, none had been as powerful as the one before him. "You know.. You're not as weak as I thought you were," He said between breaths.
"Of course I'm strong, I don't have an A-class bounty for nothing," the monster retorted. "A-class bounty," Saitama silently rose from his kneeling position, head down before suddenly lunging towards him.
Consecutive Normal Punches
"huh? GYAAAAAAAH"
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A-class bounty my ass, he only had a C-class one. Saitama let out a frustrated sigh as he found himself sitting beneath a lamppost, surrounded by boxes containing his personal belongings. I can't believe that old hag kicked me out.
Upon witnessing the police arresting some of her other tenants, Saitama explained that those individuals were actually criminals involved in a loan shark group and other nefarious crimes, but she didn't seem to care. She informed him that she was well aware of their situation and could have easily called the police herself if she had wanted to.
"At least I got some money out of it," he said as he pulled out the envelope and stared at it. The money he received was double what he had in his bank account. Oh yeah, I should give Draper his lease back ."
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Draper noticed the paper was back in Saitama's hands. "I see you got it back, Saitama-kun." He poured him a drink. "Of course, I told you I 'll bring the lease back, Mr. Draper." The tailor chuckled. "No need for 'mister,' we're friends now aren't we." Saitama smiled back. "I want to thank you for protecting my store, but I 'm still closing it." Saitama spat out the drink shock.
"It's time for me to retire; I'm an old man," Draper said, removing his wig, surprising Saitama. "Oh well, it can't be helped ," he replied sadly. "I know it won't change much ,
but," The tailor pulled out a box and opened it, revealing a costume. "You don't have to wear it if you don't want to. But, I want you to have this," he held out the costume to Saitama, who took it.
"Is that a hero costume?" So that's where the OG got his costume from, makes sense now. "Yes, I have completed the most satisfying work of mine. Now that I think about it, I guess I was looking for a reason to retire." He gazed at the costume ."It's my masterpiece, Saitama-kun. Your words earlier have struck me deep in my heart, so please accept it."
Saitama grinned as he looked at the costume. "I really like it, Draper-kun, but could you do me a favor?" he pointed to the cape. "Can you change the color to red instead of white? I think it would be even cooler." Draper nodded in agreement. "Absolutely."
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(A/N)
2500 words. That took a long time to write. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. My midterms are close to ending, so I should be able to post more chapters regularly.
I have also decided to do a minor tweak to Saitama's hero costume. If you guys don't like it, I can change it back to the original.