Z-City Central Apartments – 8:50 AM
Saitama, Genos, and King exited their building, stretching as they stepped onto the busy street. A warm morning breeze greeted them. In the distance, construction equipment buzzed and clanked — recovery from past monster attacks.
Saitama rubbed his eyes. "Alright, boys. Shower curtain, goggles, and maybe a new rice cooker. Oh, and let's get more controllers..."
Genos walked beside him, hands folded behind his back. "I've located several stores at the mall down the block. I can optimize our route."
King trailed behind, muttering, "I still don't get how a curtain got sliced by a sword in the shower…"
Just as they rounded the corner, a sleek all-black limousine tore into view and screeched to a halt beside them. The doors opened with a hiss of dramatic flair.
Out floated a small, green-haired woman, her aura crackling like static. She hovered above the ground, arms crossed and glaring.
"You. Where is Damian — the one you call Sky God?" she demanded, scanning them like a bounty hunter. "I was told he lives here. With you—" she pointed at Genos, "—and you—" she looked at Saitama with immediate distaste, "—and…"
She paused, eyes landing on King.
Her expression faltered.
"Uhhh… King?"
Her body tensed involuntarily. She couldn't explain it — but staring at King sent a primal signal of do not provoke. Were the rumors about him true?
"I-I didn't mean to, umm…" She regained her composure. "What are you doing here?"
King stepped forward calmly, arms at his side like a monk. "Damian's a friend. And we all like to hang out and play tournaments together. You just missed him."
Genos stepped up, voice cool but protective. "What business do you have with Damian, Miss Tatsumaki? You don't seem here to visit."
Tatsumaki eyed Genos, unimpressed. She could crush him in seconds. But King… he made her hesitate. She looked away.
"I just need to talk to him."
Then — buzz buzz buzz — all four of their phones lit up.
[Hero Association Ranking Update: Sky God promoted to Rank 2]
King smiled. "Hey, that's amazing! You guys see this?!"
Genos raised his phone to her face. "Is this why you're here? Rank envy?"
Tatsumaki scoffed. "No! Of course not. Actually…" Her mind scrambled. "Damian's trying to date my sister, so I'm here to… have a conversation with him."
Saitama raised an eyebrow. "Hmmmm… sounds like someone's jealous."
"Jealous?!"
"Maybe you wanna see Damian's giant sword," he teased with a mischievous grin.
Tatsumaki blushed furiously, momentarily picturing it before snapping, "WHAT—?!"
King cleared his throat. "Saitama… how do you know that?"
Genos deadpanned, "Master accidentally walked in on Damian in the shower yesterday."
King slapped his palm. "So he cut the shower curtain with his sword? Wait… are we talking about his johnson or a real sword?"
Genos answered plainly, "He cut it with an actual sword…"
"Actually both," Saitama giggled like a little kid.
Tatsumaki blinked, spiraling.
"Wait… You call him master?"
"Yes," Genos replied. "He is my master. And Damian's."
Tatsumaki looked like her brain was short-circuiting.
"You mean… Sky God — Rank 2 — bows to Caped Baldy, a C-rank?! What the hell is going on here?! Is this a joke?!"
Saitama shrugged. "It's One Punch Man or Cloud God, plus you're the one flipping out."
Her temper finally exploded — a wave of green psychic force blasted forward — but Saitama stepped in front of King and Genos, arms still crossed.
The wave… dissipated on contact.
Tatsumaki froze.
"…What the hell did you just do?!" she whispered.
Saitama yawned. "Nothing special. Just stood here."
Genos stepped forward again. "As I said… Master Saitama is stronger than both Damian and myself. His strength is unmatched."
Saitama smiled slightly, proud of his disciple.
Tatsumaki was speechless...
"Fine. I won't destroy the apartment… yet," she muttered. "When is Damian coming back?"
Saitama smirked. "Why don't you ask your sister?"
Tatsumaki glared, biting her lip in frustration. Then King, trying to de-escalate, said, "Probably in the afternoon. He's conducting… experiments. Could be hours."
"We're heading to the mall," Genos added politely. "You're welcome to wait… elsewhere."
Tatsumaki hovered, indecisive… then sighed.
"…Fine. I'll come with you to pass the time."
Saitama chuckled. "So now you're following us? Are you a stalker now?"
Genos nodded. "Textbook behavior."
"I AM NOT!" Tatsumaki barked, red in the face. "We're going the same way — that's all!"
The trio shrugged, continuing toward the mall — now a party of four.
Z-City Central Mall loomed ahead — a multi-level shopping complex rebuilt in the aftermath of a major monster attack two years prior. Its sleek facade of steel and glass gleamed under the morning sun, while holographic banners advertised everything from capsule blenders to Hero-themed phone cases.
Saitama stretched his arms overhead as they approached. "Alright, team. Mission objectives: new shower curtain, flight goggles, controllers, and groceries."
Genos nodded like a soldier receiving orders. "Understood, Master."
King muttered under his breath, "I still say we just patch the curtain…"
From behind them, Tatsumaki floated along, arms crossed. "You're actually buying goggles just to ride a cloud? And why do you all keep saying you can ride a cloud?!"
Saitama turned to her, dead serious. "Yeah. The wind's annoying at high altitudes. I don't like when it hits my eyes. Makes me sneeze."
Genos chimed in, "Master is sensitive to dust particles."
King added with a grim nod, "And none of us want to end up in front of Saitama when he sneezes... we'd all die."
Tatsumaki scoffed, then muttered to herself, "I have no idea what is even going on anymore. A floating cloud they ride on… and now apparently Caped Baldy could kill someone with a sneeze. Are they still messing with me?!"
Just as they stepped through the sliding glass doors of the mall, Saitama froze in place and spun around dramatically.
"Wait! We don't have room in the fridge for groceries."
Genos blinked. "Correct. The current appliance capacity has been exceeded by seventeen percent."
Saitama scratched his chin. "How much would a new freezer cost?"
"I can check," Genos replied, already typing into his internal HUD.
Tatsumaki floated beside them, her expression flat. "You know… I could just buy a fridge. And a freezer. And… a new place, honestly."
Saitama turned to her, eyes lighting up like a child who had just been promised a new game console. "Seriously?! You'd do that?!"
King looked visibly concerned. "I'm not sure this is a good idea…"
Genos blinked. "She's offering financial contributions to household improvements. That would be greatly beneficial to our training and recovery."
Saitama slid up beside Tatsumaki, grinning. "Tell you what. If you buy the fridge, I'll let you come over and wait for Damian."
Tatsumaki's eye twitched.
Saitama's grin widened. "And if you get the freezer, kitchen stuff, and shower gear… we'll let you join us for dinner."
He gave her a friendly pat on the shoulder.
Her aura flared in annoyance, crackling slightly — but she didn't explode.
Instead, after a long breath through her nose, she exhaled and muttered:
"…Fine. Deal."
King and Genos visibly flinched.
"Did… did she just agree?" King whispered.
"Affirmative," Genos confirmed. "Though it may be a trap."
King glanced upward. "Rao, if you can hear me… help us if she loses her temper."
But Saitama, oblivious as ever, marched forward confidently. "Alright! Shopping time!"
Without hesitation, he grabbed Tatsumaki's hand and pulled her toward the escalators.
Genos and King watched in stunned silence.
"Master…" Genos said in awe, "Not only does Damian claim your superiority… but you're the only person I've seen tame the green-haired psyker."
King rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "He might actually be a god…"
They followed behind slowly, whispering to each other in reverent tones.
Back in the sky...
Damian's body trembled.
He was drenched in sweat. Muscles stiff. Blood sluggish. Thoughts frayed and slow like a fading signal. A faint violet glow pulsed beneath his skin as his cells fought a silent, brutal war — Kryptonite decay on one side, solar restoration on the other.
Even blinking was a task.
"Alpha…" he rasped, voice barely more than breath, "update…"
[Time Elapsed: Approximately 4 hours — Projected pain index: 87%. Neural latency increasing. Cortisol spike recorded.]
Damian groaned.
"This is the worst pain I've felt… in two lifetimes…"
A cough racked his chest, ribs rattling like cracked glass. He tilted his head, eyes locking onto the green crystal beside him. Its glow was malevolent, steady, patient.
His fingers twitched.
"I'm gonna overcome this… I have to."
Alpha updated Damian:"Evolutionary update: Cellular degradation has decreased by 1%, and solar absorption has increased by 1%. Current absorption rate under Kryptonite exposure is now operating at 11% of full capacity."
Damian grunted with triumph, "Yes, progress..."
Every moment had led here — to this test of will, of biology, of destiny.
Another wave of pain hit — harsher, deeper. His nerves lit up like wire in a furnace.
But then — the sun.
Golden. Blazing. Eternal.
Its warmth touched his face, whispering that he wasn't alone.
He stared at it like a lifeline — not a god, not a symbol, but an ally. It had given him power. It had kept him alive. And it would carry him through this.
"I survived Krypton…" he breathed, eyes glowing crimson. "I survived the System… I've survived in a world full of monsters…"
He clenched his fists, his jaw tight, his breath steadying.
"I won't just survive this."
He sat upright slowly, trembling, barely held together by will alone. But in his eyes — fire.
"I'll conquer this. Kryptonite, Red Suns, magic, tech, monsters, multiverses — I'll overcome them all."
Then, louder — his voice cracking into the silence of the stratosphere:
"I won't just be strong…"
The wind stilled. The clouds paused. The Nimbus pulsed beneath him.
"I'll be the strongest being in every universe."
The sun flared behind him — brighter, warmer — as if responding to his vow.
And in that moment, as agony laced his every cell and cosmic energy churned beneath his skin, Damian Blood — the Sky God — endured.
Not with ease. Not without pain. But with purpose.
With resolve.
With hope.
To Be Continued...
A/N: Thank you for reading my story. Any reviews would help a lot! More chapters are coming soon! Cheers!