"Teacher, you're finally back…"
Saitama's voice trembled with emotion, his eyes misty as he stood frozen in disbelief.
Fenric smiled gently, placing a reassuring hand on his disciple's shoulder.
"It's been three years, Saitama," he said softly. "You've grown much stronger."
"Hai! It's all thanks to your guidance, Teacher!"
Standing before Fenric, Saitama's usual blank expression was gone — replaced by a bright, youthful energy that reminded Fenric of the eager boy he once was.
So he still has that spark, Fenric thought warmly. Good.
"Well done," Fenric said with pride. "You didn't let your teacher down."
Saitama's face broke into a wide, boyish grin. Praise from his teacher meant more to him than anything else in the world.
"Teacher," he said sincerely, "I really missed you."
Fenric chuckled. "Don't worry. This time, I'll be staying for a while."
"Really?!" Saitama's joy was instant and pure. "That's great!"
Just then, a familiar mechanical voice spoke from inside the villa.
"Welcome back, Brother."
It was Skynet, stepping into view with a bright smile.
When she noticed Saitama, her eyes lit up.
"Saitama! You're still here!"
"Ah—Miss Skynet!" Saitama greeted happily. "It's been a while!"
Skynet bounded over cheerfully, her curiosity immediately piqued as she poked at Saitama's shiny scalp.
"Hey, Saitama, what happened to your hair?"
Fenric couldn't help but laugh quietly at the sight.
Saitama sighed in embarrassment. "I don't know, Miss Skynet. Ever since I got stronger, all my hair started falling out. Before I knew it… I was bald."
Fenric clapped a hand on his shoulder, his tone light.
"It doesn't matter, Saitama. A true man's strength isn't in his hair — it's in his heart and his fists."
Saitama straightened up instantly. "Teacher is right!"
To him, Fenric's words were absolute truth — a golden law.
After all, every bit of his power had come from his teacher's guidance.
And hadn't his teacher once said: When your hair falls out, it means you've truly become strong?
"..."
Suddenly, Skynet's expression turned serious.
"There's a mechanical lifeform rapidly approaching the villa," she warned.
Fenric had already noticed. Through his sharp perception, he could see exactly who it was.
"Relax," he said calmly. "It's not an enemy."
Within seconds, a figure streaked through the sky and descended toward them, landing with a loud metallic thud.
"Teacher!!"
It was Genos — the cyborg hero.
Saitama waved awkwardly. "Ah, Teacher, this is… my student."
Fenric smiled knowingly but said nothing.
Genos quickly approached, scanning the area before asking politely, "Teacher, are these your guests?"
Saitama nodded. "Yes. This is my teacher — Mundo."
The respect in his voice was palpable.
"If you count it that way," Saitama added with a grin, "that makes him your master, too."
Genos's glowing eyes widened.
The strongest human… the number one S-Class hero… the legendary Mundo!
He had heard Saitama mention his mysterious teacher before, but to see the man himself — the same being who destroyed the Elder Centipede with a single punch — was like meeting a living myth.
Genos immediately bowed deeply. "Master! It is an honor to finally meet you!"
Fenric nodded slightly, his calm gaze both commanding and kind.
Genos's circuits hummed as he thought, If my teacher is this strong, then just how powerful must his teacher be?
The thought alone made his systems tremble.
Saitama then gestured toward the young woman beside Fenric. "And this is Teacher's sister — Miss Skynet."
At once, Genos's analytical sensors scanned her form. His eyes flickered in astonishment.
"An artificial intelligence… fully integrated mechanical lifeform? Such advanced composition—I've never seen anything like it!"
Saitama blinked in confusion. "Uh… what?"
Skynet only smiled. "You're quite interesting," she said, circling him curiously before turning to Fenric with sparkling eyes. "Brother, his tech is fascinating! I've never seen such a hybrid design before. Can I study him?"
Fenric sighed, a vein twitching on his forehead.
"Skynet, don't cause trouble."
But Genos didn't mind at all. In fact, his tone was serious and respectful.
"I don't mind, Miss Skynet — as long as the Master is willing to teach me how to become stronger!"
Fenric's mouth twitched.
This kid really takes after Saitama.
Saitama scratched his head, looking flustered. "Ah, that's… difficult to explain."
In truth, he'd never told Genos the "secret" of his strength.
Because to him, that secret wasn't truly his to share. It was his teacher's gift — and without Fenric's permission, he would never pass it on.
Fenric, on the other hand, simply felt awkward.
If he really follows the same routine as Saitama, he'll just tear himself apart—Wait, no, he's a cyborg so even if he follows the same routine, without Saitama's MC template, it's useless.
Saitama quickly changed the subject. "Anyway, Genos, why are you here today?"
Genos straightened. "I came to inform you, Teacher — the fifty-fifth Hero Evaluation Test will begin tomorrow."
…
While the three conversed, far beyond their world, countless SamsarasPlayers— reincarnators from different worlds — stared at their screens in shock.
They had just accessed the official Hero Association database.
And there it was.
S-Class Hero Rankings:
Mundo
Blast
The Samsaras erupted into confusion.
"What the hell? Wasn't Blast supposed to be number one?!"
"Who's this Mundo guy? Did the records change?"
"Wait, look at his titles — 'The Strongest Human,' 'The Man Closest to God,' 'The First S-Class Hero'... Are you telling me this is the guy we have to challenge for our third mission?!"
"No way… he's too strong!"
"Search him up! I found old footage — three years ago, he destroyed the Elder Centipede with a single punch!"
"Wait a second… that transformation — I recognize it! That's Shura! The same Shura who defeated Adam!!"
"What?! Shura is Mundo?! You're kidding me!"
"My god… he didn't just time-travel — he dominated another world's timeline!"
"Are you telling me our mission is to fight him? That's suicide!"
"Even Adam couldn't beat him… we don't stand a chance!"
Across multiple realms, Samsaras stared at their screens in disbelief.
Their third mission had just been updated — and it was the same name that had shaken entire worlds before.
Target:
Mundo (Fenric) — The Strongest Human.