Chapter 20 — Commanding a Starship
Inside the massive interstellar vessel that once belonged to the Dominator of the Universe, Lord Boros, the atmosphere had grown strangely calm.
Tatsumaki stood there in silence, staring down at her own body with visible confusion. Slowly, she raised one trembling hand, brushing her fingers across the spots where she had been gravely wounded moments ago.
What… what is this?
All of her injuries were gone. Not even a scar remained.
If not for the shredded fabric of her outfit—still torn and stained with blood—she might have thought that everything she had just endured had been nothing more than a hallucination.
Her eyes finally shifted toward Zenin Kyūjō, who stood confidently a few meters away. Despite her usual tsundere attitude, Tatsumaki hesitated for a moment before giving him a small, reluctant nod of acknowledgment.
Then, her gaze moved toward Amai Mask, whose monstrous transformation still lingered. Her tone turned sharp.
"Amai Mask… I never imagined you were a monster. But why—why would someone like you fight to protect humans?"
Before Amai Mask could answer, Zenin Kyūjō stepped forward, his voice calm and measured.
"Tatsumaki, let me explain that."
He briefly recounted everything—the cause of Amai Mask's mutation, his internal struggle, and the choices he made afterward.
As she listened, even Tatsumaki's sharp eyes softened slightly. She frowned, then exhaled, half in frustration, half in reluctant acceptance.
Compared to the humans who had long since abandoned their own humanity, this "monster" seemed far more human than most.
She understood that better than anyone.
When she was just a child, she had been captured by a secret Esper Research Organization. If not for Blast, the S-Class Rank 1 hero who destroyed the facility and saved her, she would have died screaming in the dark.
The memory left a faint tremor in her chest.
— — —
Once the key officers aboard the ship were defeated, Zenin Kyūjō forbade anyone from slaughtering the remaining crew.
He gathered them all into a single chamber instead.
Because really—what kind of idiot kills everyone on a functioning spaceship?
If all the aliens died, who would pilot the ship for him later?
Through a combination of intimidation and persuasion, Zenin Kyūjō made every last one of them kneel.
For the more troublesome leaders, he used an illusion-based sealing technique, implanting mental seals that subtly altered their subconscious obedience.
The rest—those who had lost all will to resist—could only submit. After all, the corpse of their former leader, the Dominator of the Universe himself, still floated lifelessly in the void outside.
Once the body of Boros was retrieved, Kyūjō ordered the ship to remain anchored in orbit. He then carried Genos, Amai Mask, and Tatsumaki back to Earth.
Their speed was astonishing. Within minutes, they descended once again over the peaceful skyline of Z-City.
Meanwhile, Saitama was still wandering the city streets, searching hopelessly for the "50% Discount Supermarket" Kyūjō had mentioned earlier.
— — —
"You're back?! So it's true—there were aliens?!"
Fubuki bombarded them with questions the instant they arrived, words spilling out like an unstoppable waterfall.
But her rapid-fire curiosity died the moment she caught sight of her sister.
The lower edge of Tatsumaki's dress was torn, with faint traces of blood on her legs.
Fubuki froze, then darted forward in alarm. "Nee-san! You're hurt! Don't tell me even you were injured by those aliens—!"
Tatsumaki's face flushed crimson. She immediately crossed her arms, forcing herself to act as if nothing was wrong.
"W-what are you saying? I'm fine! There's no way those weaklings could ever hurt me! I'm Tatsumaki, Rank 2 S-Class Hero, remember?! Look—perfectly fine!"
Zenin Kyūjō only smiled and shrugged, choosing not to interrupt the brief sisterly moment. Quietly, he turned to Genos and Amai Mask.
"Genos, contact Dr. Kuseno later. The alien ship is ours now. If he's interested, I'll take him up there myself so he can study the technology firsthand."
"Yes, Sensei!" Genos replied instantly. "I'm certain Dr. Kuseno will be fascinated by technology that advanced!"
Kyūjō nodded approvingly, then pulled out his phone to call another scientist—Dr. Genus from the House of Evolution.
Unsurprisingly, Genus's voice trembled with excitement when Kyūjō described Boros's physiology.
After all, for a researcher obsessed with life and evolution, this was an irresistible opportunity. If he could extract and integrate Boros's DNA with his own genetic research, what kind of being could he create?
Kyūjō cut him off before the man's imagination ran wild.
"That's enough, Genus. Don't rush. Sort out your equipment and data first. In a few days, I'll send a smaller craft down to pick you up. Prepare everything by then."
And with that, he ended the call.
— — —
Here in the One Punch Man world, Zenin Kyūjō felt no real sense of danger.
How could he, when Saitama existed?
Even if a godlike being appeared, the bald man would just punch it into oblivion. There was no need for Kyūjō to take things too seriously here.
Instead, he found himself drawn to a new curiosity—something to challenge his immortal boredom.
Science.
The scientists of this world were truly remarkable.
Dr. Genus had created advanced biological modifications and even achieved functional immortality—an achievement that would earn endless Nobel Prizes anywhere else.
Then there was Dr. Kuseno, whose robotics genius brought Genos to life, and Metal Knight, an S-Class hero with unmatched mastery of AI and mechanized warfare.
Perhaps, Kyūjō thought, he could learn something here.
— — —
Later that evening, as the sun set behind Z-City's skyline, Saitama finally returned home. His posture was slouched, and his face looked utterly lifeless.
Dragging his feet, he pushed open the door to Kyūjō's residence.
Even Zenin Kyūjō—who usually enjoyed teasing him—felt a bit guilty seeing him like this.
"Saitama… about earlier, I—"
Before he could finish, Saitama interrupted with a weary sigh.
"Kyūjō… I couldn't find that 50% discount supermarket you mentioned. I even tried calling you, but the system said your number was out of range."
His eyes were hollow. "Tell me, Kyūjō… that supermarket… it was real, right? It wasn't just a dream?"
Kyūjō froze for a second, forcing a cough to hide his unease.
"Ah—yeah, maybe my phone glitched or something. I was home all day! You can ask them." He gestured toward Genos and the others.
Thinking quickly, he added with a soft smile, "But maybe I misremembered. I think the sale actually lasts a full week. How about I go with you tomorrow, Saitama?"
Saitama's face lit up instantly.
"Seriously?! Alright! Let's go!"
His sudden burst of joy was almost childlike, pure and unguarded.
And just like that, the Strongest Hero of Earth forgot all about the supermarket that had never existed—
while Zenin Kyūjō simply smiled faintly, his eyes glinting with quiet amusement at the little comedy of it all.
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