After defeating the monster, Saitama, or at least our protagonist who was now Saitama, had a question.
What do I do now?
The bald hero thought suspiciously as green blood continued to drip from the corpse, or rather, the remains of the monster.
I mean, as far as I know, in the original series, the reason why no one or almost no one knew Saitama was because he always left the scene of the fight very quickly and there was no one to take credit for defeating the monster of the week.
The hero thought silently, in a slightly slumped posture with his head tilted to one side.
In fact, if you think about it, taking credit for defeating a monster is more valuable than defeating it itself. I mean, King became an S-class hero that way, yet I always found it curious that the organization believed that story and didn't bother to give him any of the physical tests necessary to be a hero, even if only to be sure.
He shook his head vigorously, discarding the thought.
What am I thinking? It was a parody manga of superhero stories, so I'm probably overthinking it, but still...
However, the screeching sound of tires interrupted his thoughts. Saitama turned his head toward the noise and saw a strange, black armored truck speeding down the ruined street. It bore an unfamiliar eagle-shaped logo on its sides, and the vehicle itself looked like it was made from reinforced alloy—thick enough to withstand gunfire… or something worse.
The truck came to a sudden stop right in front of him, tires grinding to a halt.
Okay… this is weird.
He watched as, the moment it stopped, the rear doors burst open. From inside, several armed men jumped out—dressed in matching black tactical uniforms, kevlar vests, and helmets. They looked like a SWAT unit… but each of them had a symbol stitched into the right arm of their uniforms: an eagle in mid-flight.
They didn't approach Saitama. Instead, they spread out across the rubble-strewn area, lifting pieces of debris and scanning them with strange devices that looked like infrared detectors.
Saitama, meanwhile, couldn't focus on anything but one detail.
Hmm… that eagle symbol… it's the same as the one on the truck… and it looks so familiar. Where have I seen it before?
A final figure stepped down from the truck, and he was clearly different from the others.
He had hazel eyes and neatly styled hair parted in the middle, flicked outward with a subtle flair, along with a refined undercut. He wore a perfectly fitted black business suit and a green tie. But what stood out most to Saitama were his silver, round-framed glasses.
The man looked directly at him with a calculating expression, then began walking calmly in his direction. He stopped just in front of him and spoke in a smooth, professional tone.
"Good morning. My name is Jinzuren. I'm here on behalf of the Hero Association. Are you the individual responsible for defeating the monster that attacked A-City?"
Of course!! The Hero Association! That's where I've seen that eagle before. Man, how could I forget something like that? Hahaha… I'm such an idiot.
Wait a second—he's that guy with the glasses that appears occasionally in the anime! He even witnessed Saitama's entrance exam!
"Yes, that was me. I'm Saitama. Nice to meet you. I saw the explosions and rushed over—took care of the monster myself." He extended his hand, which Jinzuren shook without hesitation.
"Pleasure to meet you, Saitama. On behalf of the Association, allow me to thank you for eliminating such a dangerous threat."
Jinzuren's expression softened into something more cordial and respectful. He even bowed slightly toward Saitama.
"No need for all the formality," Saitama replied, scratching the back of his head. "There was a monster, and I took it down. That's what heroes do, right?"
"Indeed. However…" Jinzuren straightened his glasses. "The threat you neutralized was officially classified as Dragon-level by the Association. That requires formal verification of the situation. Once that's done, I'll need your registered hero name and rank."
That's strange, Jinzuren thought as he studied Saitama's face. Normally this wouldn't be necessary… but I don't recall ever seeing this man in the Association database. And I never forget a face.
Ah, right, Saitama thought. He doesn't recognize me because I'm not even part of the Association yet. Makes sense he's suspicious.
"Sure thing. The monster's remains are over there," Saitama said, stepping aside so Jinzuren could see the carnage.
The moment Jinzuren laid eyes on the remains, his eyes went wide.
What the hell… when he said he took it down, I thought he was exaggerating. But… wow. If it weren't for the splattered chunks of purple meat and green blood, I wouldn't even know that was once a living thing.
Still, something gnawed at him.
But looking at this guy… he doesn't seem that strong. Bald. Plain-looking. Generic face. Could this really be his doing? Or did someone else defeat the monster before he showed up? Maybe a high-ranking hero like King or Tatsumaki passed through and didn't report it, and now this nobody wants the credit to boost his reputation.
But Jinzuren wasn't one to jump to conclusions.
There was a way to know for sure.
He pulled a small device from his pocket—similar to a drone controller. After a few seconds, a quadcopter drone descended from above. It had four cameras mounted on each corner and a central omnidirectional lens.
"This, Mr. Saitama, is one of the surveillance drones recently deployed by the Hero Association. They're used to monitor various cities to improve response times and dispatching accuracy… but they also serve another purpose. They record everything."
He tapped on his phone and connected the feed to the drone via Bluetooth.
"I'm about to play back the recording from this drone, which was stationed near the site of the attack. Before I do, I'll give you one opportunity to clarify your version of the events. If what we see doesn't match what you told us, be advised—fraud within the Association is not taken lightly. Punishments range from a two-year suspension to permanent expulsion and loss of all benefits."
This motherfucker really thinks I'm lying?! Ohhh, I cannot WAIT for this idiot to see how I turned the Monster into paste.
"No clarification needed, sir," Saitama said with a shrug, arms crossed.
Jinzuren raised an eyebrow, murmured a quiet "Hmph," and pressed play and watched.
The screen showed a high-angle view of the destruction. Then, Vaccine Man appeared—towering, monstrous, blasting buildings apart. The girl's cries echoed faintly as she crouched on the street.
Then the punch happened and Jinzuren's jaw fell open.
In a fraction of a second, the drone captured Saitama stepping in, grabbing the girl just as Vaccine Man's claw descended. And then—the punch.
Vaccine Man's body exploded in the air like a fleshy grenade. Entrails, organs, bone—all launched in different directions. The drone's camera shook from the shockwave. Smoke flooded the scene.
Jinzuren's hands trembled slightly as he paused the video.
He… wasn't lying. There was no other hero. He saved the girl. He killed a Dragon-level threat with one punch. One. Punch.
He swallowed hard and looked up at the calm, expressionless man in front of him.
"Mister Saitama… I apologize," he said, bowing again—lower this time. "It seems I was… gravely mistaken. You were telling the truth. I've never seen anything like this."
"It's fine. Happens a lot," Saitama replied casually. "People don't usually believe it the first time." He said referencing the original Saitama's luck.
Jinzuren adjusted his glasses, now slightly fogged from the stress sweat.
Just who the hell is this man…?
Jinzuren took a moment to compose himself, tapping a few commands into his tablet while the drone hovered silently overhead, still recording.
"Incredible…" he muttered under his breath. "The force, the precision, the scale of destruction… and no casualties aside from the monster." He looked back at Saitama, almost like he was trying to see through him.
Then he straightened up and returned to his professional tone.
"Very well. I'll be reporting this to headquarters immediately. The Association will calculate your bonus and compensation based on the threat level, collateral analysis, and successful civilian protection." He flipped open a secondary menu on his screen.
"To complete the report, I'll need your registered hero name and current rank within the Association."
Saitama blinked.
Ok here it goes…time to feign dementia.
Then scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"Uh… yeah. About that… I don't actually have a rank."
Jinzuren paused. "You're unranked?"
"No, I mean I'm not in the Association."
Jinzuren froze.
"…Excuse me?"
"Yeah, this is kind of my first time interacting with you guys. I didn't even know the Hero Association existed until you pulled up in that truck."
There was a silence.
The wind blew softly through the ruined street. The drone beeped once as it adjusted its altitude.
Jinzuren just stared.
His mind raced to process what he had just heard.
He's not… he's not even registered? This guy—this absolute monster slayer, this one-punch miracle—isn't even part of the Association?! How the hell does someone this powerful go completely unnoticed? He's not even a freelance? Not even in the registry?!
He adjusted his glasses again, partly to cover his stunned expression.
"Wait. You're telling me you've never been tested? Never submitted an application? You're not even a candidate?"
Saitama shrugged.
"Nope. I just do this for fun. Figured if I saw someone in trouble, I should help." He answered imitating how the real Saitama would response, the reason behind this was simple, he couldn't tell the truth so it was less job to say this than inventing an excuse.
He's serious… This guy took down a Dragon-level threat and saved a civilian in perfect form, and he's not even on the payroll?
Jinzuren slowly closed his tablet.
"Saitama… I sincerely apologize for my earlier doubts. I misjudged you. Severely."
He bowed again—this time almost at a full ninety degrees.
"This is a major oversight on our part. A hero of your caliber should not be operating outside the system. You have no idea how valuable your skills are. The Association will want to bring you in immediately."
Saitama just stared, blank-faced.
Just a few seconds ago, he was doubting me and now he is practically beggin for me to join, huh, I don't know how to react to that, I never had anyone begging me for anything in my other life.
"Do I have to do interviews or paperwork or something?"
"…Yes. But I can personally oversee your application to expedite the process."
"Th-that would be great actually," said Saitama, trying to feign calm, though his voice cracked just slightly.
Okay, relax. Deep breath. You're Saitama. Bored. Uninterested. OP and dead inside. Channel that.
Don't start grinning like a nerd because the Hero Association just offered to fast-track you.
Jinzuren gave a small nod, tapping his tablet again and sending a ping to the truck. One of the uniformed officers approached and handed over a folded clipboard with several printed forms clipped to it.
"This is the basic candidate packet. If you decide to register, fill it out and bring it to our testing facility in Z-City. I'll notify them to prepare in advance. After what I've seen today, there's no doubt you'll pass… if not break the machines outright."
Saitama took the clipboard with a neutral expression, though inside he was screaming.
HOLY CRAP, IT'S REALLY HAPPENING, I'M GOING TO BE A HERO!!
He blinked a few times to keep himself from freaking out.
"Right, yeah. I'll take a look at it. No promises, though."
"Of course," Jinzuren replied, misunderstanding his reluctance as stoic humility. "We won't pressure you. But I'll be submitting a full report and requesting immediate classification pending formal testing. With your abilities, you could potentially skip several tiers and enter directly into A or even S-Class.
"…Sure."
I don't even know what class I want to be in. S-Class is cool, yeah—but man, I'd rather not have psychos like Tatsumaki yelling at me or that freak of Sweet Mask trying to block me from entering S-Class.
He felt sweat forming on the back of his neck.
Gotta play it cool. Just ride the script. No fangirl squeals. No quoting the anime. No screaming about how cool the Hero Association HQ is gonna be.
Jinzuren stepped back and gestured to the others to start preparing the drone for departure. He gave one last glance at Saitama.
"If you need anything, contact us directly. We'll ensure your case is prioritized. Thank you again—for everything."
"No big deal."
The suited agent nodded once more before turning and walking back to the truck, the tactical team regrouping around him. Within moments, the armored vehicle was rumbling away, leaving behind a dust cloud and silence.
Saitama looked down at the clipboard.
Then let out a long breath.
"Holy crap that was intense."
He looked around to make sure no one was watching, then sat down on a broken chunk of sidewalk and buried his face in his hands.
Okay. Okay. That was smooth. I didn't mess up. He totally bought it. I was basically doing a bad Saitama impression and it still worked. I really need to practice that dead-eyed stare better.
He peeked at the form again and smiled.
Guess I'm really doing this, huh?