Sunlight streamed through the partially opened blinds of Saitama's Z-City apartment. The room smelled faintly of leftover pizza, scorched metal, and the quiet hum of Genos's malfunctioning servos.
Damian stood near the window, stretching his arms as he looked over the quiet skyline of the city. His body still ached from yesterday's sparring match with Saitama, but his Kryptonian cells had already repaired the damage. His suit, too—torn and scorched from the battle—was now fully restored.
As he moved, the sleek surface of his black nanite combat suit shimmered, morphing seamlessly into casual wear—black joggers, a dark long-sleeve shirt with a subtle red sun emblem on the chest, and comfortable shoes. The adaptive fabric shifted and reconfigured with a subtle ripple of energy.
The regeneration process had taken the entire night, quietly fueled by Damian's bio-electric aura. He hadn't even realized this feature existed until he woke up to a message from his suit's onboard AI. The carbon-based vibranium nanites that made up his suit had fully restored the damage sustained in yesterday's battle.
While not made of true vibranium, the suit's specialized Vibranium-Carbon alloy construction mimicked its properties with near-perfect efficiency—boasting approximately 97% of vibranium's legendary durability and kinetic absorption capabilities.
The nanites repaired the suit by replacing any damaged or destabilized carbonite structures. This was done by drawing energy directly from Damian's bio-field and sourcing additional carbon atoms from the surrounding air. Since atmospheric carbon only makes up about 0.04% of the air at any given time, the restoration process wasn't instantaneous. It typically required about eight hours to fully repair the suit—making overnight recovery possible, but not immediate.
Genos, who had been collecting soda cans and empty boxes, blinked at the transformation. "Wait… your suit just turned into clothes? And it's fully repaired already? Didn't it get disintegrated yesterday?"
Damian tightened the cuffs of his sleeves. "Yeah. Carbon-vibranium nanites. They feed off my bio-energy and rebuild while I rest."
Saitama sat up on his futon, his blanket still wrapped around him. "Man… I gotta get me one of those. Where did you get that? Could you get me a version with slippers?
Before Damian could answer, King, standing near the mess of soda cans and controllers, looked around. "Uh… anyone seen my controller?"
Genos, annoyed and still sparking at the shoulder, held up a shattered hunk of plastic. One thumbstick was dangling by a thread, and the casing looked like it had been cracked open with a hammer. "Is this yours?"
King sighed. "Yeah… that's the one."
Damian chuckled. "Sorry, man. After you passed out, Saitama lost five games in a row, then rage-quit."
Saitama rubbed his head. "Not my fault. That last match was rigged. I blame lag!!"
King glanced at the broken controller and shook his head. But instead of frustration, he smiled. Remembering everything he had learned and witnessed since yesterday. "Well, I had a great time. Thanks for letting me hang out. Next time, I'll bring snacks… and a six-pack of controllers."
"We'll hold you to that," Damian said, offering a fist bump.
King returned it, and made his way toward the door. "Text me when you guys want to run that next tournament."
"Later!" the trio echoed.
A Few Minutes Later…
Outside the apartment, the morning sun was bright but mild. Z-City bustled with its usual controlled chaos—delivery drones zipped by, and civilians went about their day in a surprisingly chill mood considering how often monsters attacked.
Genos stood at the curb, wearing a long coat to hide his busted armor. His right arm sparked faintly.
"I'll be heading to Dr. Kuseno for repairs… and perhaps upgrades," he said.
"Cool," Damian replied. "We're hitting the mall, then the desert for more training. Meet up later?"
"Sounds good," Genos said with a nod. Then, glancing at the two of them, added dryly, "Try not to cause any seismic events."
Saitama waved dismissively. "We'll only destroy small hills this time."
Damian interjected, "Uhhh, I don't even think there's a hill or mountain left... So kind of don't need to worry, Genos..."
Genos chuckled as he looked at his cybernetics... and with that, Genos activated his boosters and blasted into the sky, trailing smoke.
Z-City Mall. 9:12 AM
The mall was alive with noise—kids yelling, crowds chatting, holographic ads dancing above storefronts.
Damian and Saitama strolled through the second floor. Damian walked with calm confidence, while Saitama drifted from shop to shop, eyeing discount signs like they were rare treasure chests.
"Ooh! Look, Damian! Four tank tops for 500 yen!" Saitama said, rushing to a clearance rack.
Damian grinned. "You go enjoy the sales. I'll grab us breakfast. Meet you at the food court."
"Get me something with eggs!" Saitama shouted over his shoulder, already flipping through shirts with ridiculous anime puns on them.
Damian nodded and turned toward the burrito stand.
His phone buzzed. It was Fubuki.
Fubuki: Still recovering from yesterday's chaos?
Damian: I'm good. Hope your sister isn't giving you trouble 😏
Fubuki: She's annoyed, but she backed off. Also... don't tell her I said this, but she thinks you're hot too. 😳 lol
Damian: Really now? That's good to know. Maybe I can tease her a bit, lol. You free this weekend?
Fubuki: Lol! Please don't!
Ya, I'm free, What's the plan?
Damian: Movie and dinner. Your pick. I'm paying.
Fubuki: Well, if you insist. Deal. 😘
Damian smirked at the screen, then stepped up to the food counter.
"One mega burrito combo and one small egg wrap for the bald guy in yellow," he said, handing over his Hero Association credits.
As he stepped out of line with their food in hand, his eyes locked on a familiar figure approaching another food stall nearby. Tall, fit, and unmistakable with the red bamboo spear slung across his back—it was Stinger, A-Class Rank 11 Hero.
Damian approached, offering a hand."Stinger, right?"
The spear-wielding hero turned, surprised for a split second before recognition set in. "Whoa! Sky God himself. Damian Blood, right? Man, I've been meaning to thank you for stopping that meteor. That was Dragon-level. You saved a hell of a lot of lives."
Damian smiled warmly. "Appreciate it. And I've seen your work. Your takedown of the Mutant Monster last month? Pretty clean."
Stinger scratched his nose, modest. "Heh, not on your level, but I try."
"So where are you stationed today?" Damian asked casually, trying not to make it sound like he already knew the answer.
"J-City," Stinger replied. "Just got my patrol schedule this morning. Probably nothing big, but I'll be on standby in case something pops off."
That was all Damian needed to hear.
His smile faltered for the briefest of seconds as a flurry of thoughts spun in his mind.
"J-City. Just like in the anime. This is it… the Sea Folk invasion. And Stinger—he's going to be the first to fall. He fights like hell… but he's going to die if I don't step in."
Damian then focused his attention to his system...
[Main Mission Quest: Stop 2 Dragon-Level or Higher Disasters – 50% Complete]
"If I interfere too soon, the threat might not escalate past Demon level. But if I let things play out—wait for Sea King to fully arrive, wait for him to demolish the city's defenses and some S Class heroes—it'll escalate. The Association will classify it as Dragon-level."
He looked at Stinger again—earnest, eager, a hero with something to prove.
Stinger noticed the pause. "You good?"
Damian's expression shifted back into a smile, cool and collected. "Yeah, just thinking about how boring J-City's been lately. Maybe you'll get lucky and catch something interesting."
Stinger grinned. "Heh, I hope not, honestly. I'd rather it be boring."
"You won't be saying that in a few hours," Damian thought silently.
He turned slightly, glancing toward the bright atrium of the mall, civilians wandering peacefully, unaware of what was coming.
"If I want this mission to count… I'll need to let it hit critical mass. But I'll be there. I'll make sure no one dies after I show up."
He looked to his system once more, then closing the interface.
"Sorry, Stinger. I can't intervene until it's big enough to matter."
Damian nodded one last time, giving Stinger a respectful nod and parting handshake. "Stay safe out there."
"You too, Sky God."
Damian walked away, heart heavy, mind focused.
Z-City Desert – 11:27 AM
After finishing their breakfast burritos, Damian and Saitama lifted off from the mall and headed toward the open desert just beyond Z-City's outskirts. The wind rushed past Damian's face as he checked his phone mid-flight.
Time: 11:27 am.
"Okay... the invasion should start soon," Damian thought, glancing at the time and then toward the cloudless blue sky. "If the pattern holds, it'll escalate fast. As long as I let it play out long enough for the Association to classify it as Dragon-level, I can complete my mission."
[Main Mission Quest: Stop 2 Dragon Level or Higher Disasters: Progress: 50% Complete]
"I'll just hang back and wait until the alert goes out. Then I'll swoop in and handle business."
He glanced sideways at Saitama flying beside him, arms tucked lazily behind his head.
Thinking about how this episode ends... Saitama One Punching the Sea King...
"Well, I'll just need to make sure he's delayed, or at least I have to get there first..."
They landed in a wide open stretch of wasteland. The sun beat down on scorched earth where broken ridges and cratered ground still remained from their last sparring session.
Saitama stretched his arms casually. "So… where's Genos? Can you call him? I forgot my phone."
Damian chuckled. "Yeah, figured. I'll check in with him."
"Hmmmm, no phone? I guess that will make things easier for me..."
He tapped his Association phone and dialed Genos.
Soldering noises and mechanical clanking filled the background. "This is Genos," the cyborg said, his voice slightly garbled.
In the distance, Damian could faintly hear another voice—Dr. Kuseno.
"Oh, is that the Sky God?" Kuseno asked. "Tell him we'd love to study his nanite-based suit sometime!"
Genos muttered back, "I'll ask him later, Doctor."
Damian grinned. "Sound like you're busy, Genos."
"Yeah," Genos replied, his tone strained. "Repairs are taking longer than expected. The doctor's upgrading my joint capacitors and fire output systems. I should be done in about an hour. You two go ahead and train without me."
"Oh, nice!" Damian replied. "Sounds like you'll be punching mountain-sized holes soon."
"I hope so!" Genos said with a bit of excitement.
"Oh, by the way," Damian added, "Saitama forgot his phone, so call me if you need anything or want to reach him."
"Understood. I'll reach out if needed," Genos said.
They exchanged quick goodbyes and the line cut off.
Damian turned to Saitama. "Genos said he'll meet us after his upgrades are done."
Saitama nodded. "Cool. Guess it's just us for now."
With that, the bald hero casually stood, brushing dust from his pants with zero urgency.
"Alright then," Saitama said, "let's train. You can take my punches, and you're pretty fast… but you're still sloppy."
Damian chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "You're not wrong. When you get serious, your movements are something else. Precise. Perfect.
"So, what's the plan?" he asked, rolling his shoulders.
"Simple," Saitama replied. "We work on your accuracy and speed. Your power's decent—but what's the point if you can't land a hit?"
"Oof. That hit harder than a punch," Damian thought. "I thought I was pretty fast. I mean, I almost hit 20% the speed of light yesterday… but compared to him? Light speed's probably his warm-up."
"Alright," Damian said reluctantly. "You're right."
Saitama gave a lazy smile, brushing nonexistent dust from his gloves. "So here's what we'll do—"
He clapped once.
"You attack. I dodge. That's it."
Damian blinked. "Wait… huh?"
"You throw punches," Saitama said, already stepping into a relaxed stance. "I dodge. You keep trying until you can land one. Eventually, you'll be fast and accurate enough to land one blow, maybe."
Damian stared at him, then smiled. "You know what… at least this way, I won't be eating another Serious Punch today..."
He cracked his neck and powered up—light blue bio-electricity dancing across his body as he floated into the air.
Internally, Damian thought,
"Let's hope I get strong enough to land even one punch before I fight Sea King…"
He looked at his mission log again:
[Main Mission: Stop 2 Dragon-Level or Higher Disasters – 50% Complete]
"I'm on track to completing my third mission. Now I just need to make it count."
He glanced at Saitama, who yawned while bouncing on his toes like this was just another walk in the park.
Damian's Bio-electric aura surged.
He exhaled slowly, muttering to himself...
"Time to train with the One-Punch Man and get some lottery tickets!"
To be continued...