Twenty-seven years had passed since Caspian’s birth and he hadn’t achieved a sihing.

  The only retionship he ever had was long distance, which, like everything else in his life, traveled down the road to nowhere.

  However, no matter how bad things got, he wao live more than anyone else. The hope of a happy life kept him moving forward.

  What a shame he had decided to take a walk on this sunny afternoon.

  Or maybe he’d made the smartest decision of his entire life.

  Regardless, a pair of headlights were the st thing Caspian saw as he stepped outside his apartment building.

  ¤ ¤ ¤

  “You’re a fast one, who are you?”

  A familiar voice echoed from behind the dazed Caspian.

  The st thing he remembered was the screeg of tires before the darkness ed him.

  As his vision came into focus, he noticed a young girl lying on her side on the ground. Raising up his head, he took in the rge amounts of rubble as though a powerful earthquake ripped through this pce.

  He stood, the st of burning debris hitting him like a wave. He quickly raised the back of his hand to his rying to block out the smell.

  His thoughts started swirling wheiced the pair loves that went up nearly his entire forearm.

  “Answer me.”

  The familiar voice spoke again.

  Caspian snapped out of his stupor and turo face the speaker, excitement fshing across his face.

  “Picc—Vae Man!”

  Wait… I uand him! Thank my lucky stars I ended up in a dubbed world.

  Vae Man’s eyes widened. “How do you know my name? Who are you?”

  Caspian forced a ral expression and crossed his arms.

  “Just a guy who’s a hero for fun.”

  “You’re kidding? What kind of half-assed backstory is that?” Vae Man turoward Caspian. “Mine’s far superior. I was formed from the pollution man wrought upon the Earth.”

  Vae Man smmed his right arm into his chest. “I am the cure! The Earth is a single living anism. You filthy humans are nothing but a disease causing bacteria eating away at Her precious lifeforce. In order to wipeout humanity and the evil civilization built on Her surface. The Earth and Her infinite wisdom has given birth to me!”

  Caspian’s gaze followed upward as Vae Man’s form expanded.

  “You say you do this for fun. For fun! How dare you front Mother Earth’s apostle for such a mindless reason!”

  Did the camera or Saitama spin here in the anime? Screw it! I’m doing a 360°!

  Caspiae never having fought in his previous life, moved with fwless trol, spinning to deliver a precise punch.

  “Yet, what be expected from a humahhh—”

  Simir to what Caspian remembered, Vae Man exploded upon being casually punched.

  “You o speak slower,” said Caspian as he watched steam rise from his fist with i.

  With the immi nuisa of the way, Caspian finally had a moment to ponder his current situation.

  “How is this even possible? I’m Saitama, but how could something like this happen to him? He’s One Punch Man...”

  Caspian shook his reflective head. “I have no way of knowing.”

  Before him, the partially ruined city preseself after his punch blew away the clouds and smoke.

  “If I’m remembering correctly, I’m in A-City right now, so how am I supposed to get to Z-City?”

  Ahy and pleasant aroma like one would smell from a forest after rainfall turned Caspian’s attention to his feet.

  “Hah.”

  He couldn’t help but chuckle at the green pool of Vae Man’s blood that had almost reached where he was standing.

  “Maybe he was the cure.”

  ch

  The sound of someone walking through the city’s rubble sounded off in the distance.

  “Could it be?”

  Caspian looked around for a pce to hide and decided on a colpsed building nearby.

  Arriving behind the building in an instant, he couldn’t help take in deep breath as he reeled in shock. He felt as though his body had a mind of its own as it listeo his and.

  He peeked back to the location he had been standing and grew worried. “Go away you damn afterimage!”

  Caspian had moved so fast that his afterimage still hadn’t disappeared. If that individual arrived right now, it could mess up everything.

  Thankfully, at the same moment, a gust of wind blew in from behind Caspian—his afterimage vanished.

  ch

  The source of the footsteps came into Caspian’s view. A figure in a hooded sweatshirt, the hood pulled snug over their head and a red backpack slung over their shoulders.

  They looked around fearfully. “W-was that a ghost? I swear I saw someoanding there.”

  Distracted by the fear of a ghost, they failed to notice the rge puddle of green blood at their feet and stepped straight into it. Predictably, they lost their bance, slipped, and fell backward, hitting the hard ground with a thud before losing sciousness.

  Caspian csped his hands. “Thank you afterimage.”

  Stepping out from behind the colpsed building, he walked toward the fallen individual until he could look down and clearly make out their appearance.

  “It’s really you. ‘The Heroes’ Hero.’” murmured Caspian with a smile on his face.

  Kneeling dow his hands on his shoulders and shook him. “King! Wake up!”

  King, upon seeing Caspian kneeling beside him furrowed his brow and asked, “W-who are you? What happened?”

  Caspian stood up with his hands still on King’s shoulder and casually lifted him up to a standing position.

  The King Engine rumbled softly as King observed the unusual strength of the strange bald man before him.

  “I’m a huge fan of yours, King. You’re a genuine hero,” Caspian said, his tone brimming with admiration. “You saved A-City by vanquishing a Dragon-level threat with ease.” He gestured toward a nearby patch of ground. “And you even rescued this young girl from Vae Man’s clutches.”

  King’s mouth hung wide open as he listeo Caspian’s praise.

  “I—”

  Caspian waved his hand dismissively before King could respond. “o be humble. Hey, you tell me how to get to Z-City from here? I’m a bit lost.”

  King nodded in silend pointed off into the distance.

  “Just straight that way, right? No random turns.”

  King nodded again.

  “Haha, thanks man. It was great to meet you. Don’t worry, we’ll run into each ain. Oh! I almost fot. Tell that little girl’s parents that they o move out of A-City. It’s for their wellbeing.”

  After saying his piece, he gave the stunned King a wave goodbye and ran off toward Z-City.

  When Caspian had traveled a distance away, near a scorched crater where one of Vae Man’s energy bsts struck, he heard King mumble to himself.

  “Why does this keep happening to me?”