Through media networks and other channels, it was easy to confirm the current timeline in the One-Punch Man World. Simply put, at this time, a certain bald trainee had not yet debuted. The conflict between the Hero and Monster factions was already brewing. It was foreseeable that future Monster incidents in major cities would become more frequent, and the intensity of disasters would gradually escalate.
Kaito Joestar subconsciously pressed down on his cap brim. "Oh dear, this is really troublesome."
Boom—
Amidst a loud bang, Kaito snapped back to reality. His brows slightly furrowed. Thick black smoke billowed from the street ahead to his left, and faint screams and shouts of commotion could be heard.
"That's... Senmu Commercial Street!" He twisted the throttle. The scooter let out a roar inconsistent with its appearance, accelerating towards the location of the explosion.
Five minutes later, the scooter skidded to a halt by the roadside. Kaito dismounted. Before him were raging flames and thick, smoke-filled skies everywhere. The office buildings on both sides of the street were heavily smoke-stained. Burning vehicles and broken tree branches formed a barrier of death, along with the high-temperature flames, completely sealing off any hope of escape for the people.
Except for those trapped in the pedestrian street, the nearby pedestrians had already fled. Kaito nodded, saving him the trouble of clearing the area. He untied his tie and tossed it into the trunk along with his police cap and jacket. Kaito rolled up his sleeves and stretched his neck. He strode towards the fire.
Click!
Behind him, a reporter who had just arrived instinctively raised his hand to snap a photo, freezing the scene of him walking against the flow of people onto film. The reporter didn't even see that the moment Kaito was swallowed by the flames, a layer of brilliant blue light ignited on the outside of his body. The almost tangible mental flame acted like a barrier, isolating him from the surrounding flames and thick smoke.
Affected by the rules of the One-Punch Man World, the Stand User's mental power changed, evolving into a psychic Superpower similar to Tatsumaki, capable of directly influencing reality. With a month and a half of training in telekinesis, plus a daily Destiny Draw, Kaito's combat power was now formidable.
"Help!"
"Someone save me!!"
"Ah! Ah… no!! Ah, I'm dead!"
"Monster-sama, please don't kill me! Uh, ah…"
Inside the pedestrian street. Crack, bang, crack… By the shattered plate glass window, a neon sign, broken in two, struggled to emit a final spark before dying completely. The air was filled with the metallic scent of blood.
Following the cries for help, Kaito's brow furrowed slightly. His gaze grew sharper. Bodies everywhere. All kinds of human corpses. Humans had become prey, hunted down by unknown predators.
Suddenly, a pet shop on the street exploded, sending rebar and debris flying to smash through the plate glass window of the clothing store opposite, filling the air with smoke and dust.
Thump, thump, thump… Heavy, slow footsteps sounded. A reptilian, greenish-black, five-toed claw emerged from the smoke, a foot over fifty centimeters long, stepping onto the cracked pavement and causing a heart-stopping tremor.
As the smoke gradually cleared, a towering Monster over three meters tall revealed its true form: thick, keratinized skin, two sturdy hind legs for bipedal walking, and a tail as thick as a bucket swinging behind it, plowing a deep drag mark into the concrete road.
"I am the Lizard Monster, mutated because I look too much like a lizard! Hiss, hiss, hiss, hiss—" The Lizard Monster bared its teeth and laughed maniacally. Its forked tongue dangled from its massive mouth, viscous, foul-smelling green saliva dripping to the ground, corroding smoking pits into the pavement.
"Foolish humans, you will pay the price for ever mocking me—Ah!!!"
Bang—
A pistol bullet, carrying far more kinetic energy than usual, accurately drilled into the giant lizard's left eye socket. It penetrated the keratinized eyelid that could defend against ordinary firearms, and churned the lens inside into a pulp.
Roar—
The one-eyed Lizard Monster roared furiously: "Who! Who!! Who dares to ambush me!!!"
Bang, bang, bang, bang—
A volley of gunshots answered the Lizard Monster. If a Superpower user were present, they would see each bullet wrapped in a layer of azure energy flame, doubling the pistol bullet's power.
Thud, thud, thud, thud—The facial scales, with defensive capabilities comparable to armor plating, were as brittle as A4 paper before the telekinetic bullets, breaking open into over a dozen bloody holes.
However, due to its size, the Lizard Monster merely cried out twice. Its facial wounds were already continuously wriggling to push out the bullet heads, suffering minimal damage.
Even the blown-out eye was actively regenerating, and it seemed only a matter of time before a completely new eye grew back. This was the vitality of a Monster.
"This regeneration is troublesome." Muttering to himself, Kaito put away his empty-clipped sidearm and stepped out of the shadows, planting his feet firmly to face the ferocious, dinosaur-sized Monster.
The reptilian vertical pupils instantly focused, locking onto the seemingly undefended human figure. The Lizard Monster spun abruptly. Its massive tail whipped out a blur as it snapped a decorative lamppost, its grotesque head revealing a human-like sneer.
"You dare to show yourself!"
Boom, boom, boom!!
Bricks exploded and scattered. In just three steps, this cold-blooded reptilian hunter crossed thirty meters, opening its gaping maw to bite down. The Lizard Monster's mind had already pictured the delightful scene of this damned human being bitten in half and struggling painfully on the ground.
Facing the sharp teeth and foul stench rushing towards him, Kaito suddenly looked up, a cold smile pulling at the corner of his mouth.
Spider Time Activate—
Za Warudo!
The world froze at this moment, with only the Lizard Monster's amber single eye reflecting a fist wrapped in blue flame, gradually growing larger.
Ora—
Ora ora ora ora ora!
Ora ora ora ora ora!!
Time flow returned to normal.
Without even reacting, the Lizard Monster had eaten countless iron fists. Its monstrous lizard head, which had been terrifyingly grotesque moments before, was completely deformed. Its swollen eye and twisted mouth formed a large, comical sight.
"Whew—"
After the "Ora" barrage, the massive Lizard Monster was knocked over by a heavy, full-body swing. The police officer who threw the punch exhaled a mouthful of turbid air and snapped his fingers.
Snap!
Stand ability activated!
A plain N Card instantly materialized, glowing brightly as Kaito flicked it into the air. The next second, a heavy shadow, obscuring the sky, descended from above!
On the ground, the Lizard Monster's barely open single eye suddenly constricted, as if it had seen the most terrifying thing in the world! A yellow-painted heavy road roller, appearing out of nowhere, materialized above its head, transforming into a charging steel beast under the combined propulsion of Mother Earth and azure flames.
Finisher—
ROADA ROLLER DA!
"Oh my god! No—"
Bang!
The heavy, solid roller at the front of the vehicle slammed down without any fancy moves, instantly crushing the Lizard Monster's spine, ribcage, and most of its body!