Saitama's description surprised people even more. What kind of training would it take to kill a monster with a single blow? Some began to wonder what kind of superhuman training Saitama had undergone to gain such power.
Universe: God of War. Ragnarok.
Silence hung in the hut, broken only by the crackling sounds of the fire in the hearth. Atrey was still staring at the spot where, a second ago, Saitama had destroyed the monster with a single blow on the projection.
"That was... incredible," he breathed. Atreus had no doubt about the veracity of what he saw on the screen and could believe that someone like Saitama could exceed his own limits through some unknown form of training. Did that mean Saitama had no limits? Thinking about this, he turned to his father.
"This... Saitama... Father, how strong do you think he is? Could he match the gods in strength?"
Kratos looked thoughtfully at the screen, replaying the blow in his mind. By his standards, this blow was truly beyond the norm. Recalling his past battles, he tried to remember anyone whose blow could disperse clouds. The only one who came to mind was Zeus.
"His strength may be beyond the reach of most gods," he said.
Atreus tilted his head, looking at Saitama. "Judging by his own words, this isn't the first time he's killed monsters with a single blow." He tried to imagine other monsters killed by Saitama. Were they as strong as that purple monster? Asking himself this question, he looked at his father. Atreus had always considered him strong, but even he sometimes had a hard time. Atreus mentally compared his father to Saitama, and suddenly asked him,
"Father, could you have fought him?"
The god of war was silent for exactly one minute, then replied:
"No."
Universe: My little pony.
The ponies stared at the screen in amazement. They tried to comprehend what they had seen. It was a complete shock for them to see another world with their own eyes. A bizarre world with strange creatures. Tall, without hooves, with hands and clothes that ponies had never seen before. A huge number of bulky stone houses with a square shape. Some towered over others like mountains. If the creature in the strange yellow suit that had been shown earlier surprised them, then the world that could be considered its home caused shock.
The screen completely captured their attention. They watched in amazement at what they were seeing. Even when a purple monster appeared, destroying everything around it and instilling fear in its viewers, they couldn't look away. And when the monster was defeated, they breathed a sigh of relief, but that relief quickly turned to bewilderment and no less horror. Some turned green when they saw the remains of the monster.
Of course, they understood that they were being shown another world, where rules and values might differ from those they were familiar with. But what they saw shocked them. The fate of the viceroy of nature seemed too cruel. But even so, somewhere deep down, they partly understood Saitama's actions, and some — even if they didn't want to admit it out loud — were ready to justify them.
In the first few seconds when the monster appeared, the moments when it destroyed cities. Many involuntarily thought, "Could such a monster be stopped if it appeared in their world?" The monster sowed chaos and destruction. And when they saw the monster looming menacingly over a tiny figure — the smallest creature, resembling a cub — the ponies became even more convinced of their dark thoughts.
Rarity, barely recovering from the shock, whispered: "It... it destroyed it with one blow... It didn't even try to stop it any other way..."
Fluttershy pressed her wings to her sides, trembling like an autumn leaf. It was too much for her, such a cruel punishment of the monster without mercy.
Pinkie Pie, always cheerful, looked confused this time.
"But... but he saved everyone, right?" The words slipped from her lips as if she were trying to convince herself.
Twilight couldn't swallow the lump in her throat.
"Couldn't it have been done differently?"
And when the broadcast continued, they showed them another monster, and the ponies could only hope that the crab monster hadn't had time to harm anyone yet, and that people were running away from it only because of its appearance. Only one representative of this race did not run away, and the reason for his fearlessness was his indifference to what was happening. That is, he didn't care whether he suffered or not. How could anyone be so reckless as to disregard their own safety, their own life, after all?
Some ponies began to think with horror that life in that world was not so important after all.
Universe: Generator Rex
Rex stared at the screen, not believing his eyes. He even leaned forward a little, as if trying to see if he had blinked.
"That's it? One strike? No visible tension, no strategy, not even any drama?" Rex muttered, frowning. When they showed him the description, his eyes widened.
Agent Six also read the description.
"It doesn't say anything about his body undergoing any changes. No changes to his body. No merging with machines, no nanites, no mutations. Just a man... who trained. And as a result, became the strongest in his world."
He looked thoughtfully at Saitama. Imagining the hellish training Saitama had subjected himself to in order to gain such power — and judging by what he had seen — enough to kill a monster with a single blow. Agent Six involuntarily compared him to the monsters of his own world.
"So... no special DNA, no 'experiment gone wrong'... Just a stubborn bald guy who trained?" Rex still couldn't digest what he had seen.
Holiday looked at him with a slight smile:
"Frighteningly simple, isn't it?"
Rex didn't answer. Suddenly, Agent Six put his hand on his shoulder.
"Everything points to that. Persistence, discipline, and repetitive training. No technology, no outside interference. If the description is to be believed, he went through hell to become the strongest. And as far as I can tell, it wasn't for fame. You saw his apartment, a simple apartment, without unnecessary luxury. He's more likely to be the type who doesn't seek attention.
Rex sat back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. He thought for a moment.
"So he's not a hero... not a superstar..." he muttered. "Just a guy who didn't give up."
Rex looked down, as if he had seen something more than just a battle for the first time. There was a quiet envy in his voice — and perhaps inspiration:
"And all this... without nanomachines.
Universe; Genshin Impact
Ordinary people looked at Saitama with awe and fear. With a single blow that destroyed a seemingly indestructible monster, the bald hero completely turned their opinion of him upside down in an instant. When his poster was shown, people looked at it... with confusion and bewilderment. Noble houses raised on classical images of warriors saw him as a laughing stock. Teyvat's scientists and researchers felt awe. Intellectual awe at the scale of what they might see. Their world was no longer the center of knowledge. Teyvat was just one of billions of worlds. And so, anticipating seeing an alternate reality, they were slightly disappointed to see a bald guy. Most people found Saitama amusing just to look at.
But then they were horrified when a purple monster appeared. Its power—a power that could destroy buildings, a power whose energy or magic could tear the earth apart with a single movement—was comparable to that of the Archons. For most of the inhabitants of Teyvat, who had grown up believing that only the Archons could do such things, it came as a shock.
"Is this the Archon of their world?" some whispered.
"Or... something worse?"
Warriors, swordsmen, treasure hunters, adventurers, and even members of the Ordino Favonius and Mililita... watched, knowing they could do nothing. No weapon, no element, no eye of a god — nothing in their arsenal could stop this creature.
Many felt a helplessness rarely experienced by those who protect others.
And in that silence... he appeared—Saitama.
Like a hero from a fairy tale, he appeared in the light. In his completely new form. Heroic and triumphant. For many who had previously considered his appearance ridiculous, it was like a sobering slap in the face. But then, when Saitama destroyed the monster with a single blow, they bit their tongues in shame.
Monstadt
Venti sat on the edge of the cathedral roof with his lyre, swung his leg, and said with a slight smile.
"One blow... and it's all over." Although it seemed that this victory did not bring him much joy.
He picked up his lyre and played a couple of chords. The Archon of Wind watched as Saitama sank to the ground in disappointment, lamenting that he had once again killed a monster with a single blow.
"A man who gained strength through training and ended up becoming so strong that he lost the taste for victory."
He touched the strings again. But instead of a cheerful melody, he drew out a soft, lingering chord, as if the wind of the frozen evening itself was singing along with him. And this song was about a bald hero.
Li Yue
Zhong Li stood on the cliff above Li Yue Harbor, his arms crossed behind his back. Below him lay the bustling city, and in front of him was a screen. He stood silently for a long time, gazing at the horizon. But in his mind, that moment played over and over again. That same voice, almost indignant and disappointed: "Again with one blow..."
He said aloud, calmly:
"Victory without effort... brings no satisfaction. Not even to the gods."
Tilting his head slightly, he continued, as if talking to himself:
"When there is no struggle, no tension, no doubt — victory becomes a duty. When power becomes commonplace... it loses its meaning." He defeated the monster. But he lost what makes victory sweet — the anticipation, the overcoming, the joy.
A gust of wind lifted wisteria pollen from the ground. It swirled around, as if confirming his thought. Zhong Li closed his eyes and said quietly:
"Power gained through sweat, pain, and endless repetition...
sometimes takes away more than it can give.
Inazuma
Raiden Ei sat on her throne, straight, with perfect posture. Her gaze was fixed on the projection floating in the air in front of her. The hall was silent, broken only by the creaking of armor and the breathing of those standing before her: the Shogunate's military commanders, representatives of the Sangonomia, and the heads of the Kujo and Kamisato clans. The hall was silent, and the first to break it was Kazatsui, one of the senior commanders.
"All for one blow... this man, he..."
"Not an Archon," Ei replied dryly, without taking her eyes off the screen. "But his power raises questions."
Sara frowned.
"He speaks as if he has killed many such monsters with a single blow."
"It's emptiness," Ei concluded. "He is so strong that no one is capable of challenging him. And because of that, he feels no satisfaction."
Yae Miko, standing by the wall, smiled quietly:
"Eternal battles with only one outcome. Sounds familiar, doesn't it?"
Ei ignored the dig. She looked thoughtfully at Saitama.
"His power was not achieved through the Eye of God. Not through the Archon. Not through a ceremony. Only through training. Daily, painstaking, exhausting training." She added with a hint of sadness: "The power that makes you unattainable... can also make you empty."
On the screen.
Three years earlier.
An inscription appeared against the backdrop of electrical wires. Suddenly, a woman's voice was heard, followed by unpleasant laughter. Someone shouted:
"Monster! Run!"
A man and a woman with a child in their arms are shown running away somewhere, and only one young man in an office clerk's suit and briefcase remains standing in place, showing no emotion.
"Opan-ki. Why can't I see your heels?" a voice asked mockingly.
Then they showed the owner of the voice. It was a strange-looking hybrid of a crab and a human. The entire upper part of his body from the waist up was shaped like a crab, with claws instead of hands and bulging eyes. Only his legs were human. He was wearing only white underpants. Noteworthy were the nipples drawn on his chest. The man simply sighed.
"So, the office worm got a job, huh? I ate too many crabs and turned into the great Crab-Man. And you don't dare run away?" He laughed again.
A description appeared next to the crab monster: [Name: Crabmonster. Turned into a monster from eating too many crabs.
Most of the audience looked at the monster with disbelief at his statement. He ate too many crabs and became a monster?! It sounded like a ridiculous joke in itself.
"Tired of living? Is that it?"
The man looked up and replied dryly:
"You're wrong about one thing. I'm not an office worker, I'm unemployed. I'm looking for a job. I'm coming from a job interview that went terribly wrong. But I don't care anymore. I don't even feel like running away from the great Krabrante," he finished indifferently.
The audience was surprised by such an indifferent attitude towards his life. Most considered him crazy. Those who had to fight for their lives found his words annoying and offensive.
Universe: Justice League.
Green Lantern smirked: "He ate too many crabs and became a monster, and now he's unemployed and decided to die because he didn't get the job?" He looked at the screen incredulously. "Now I've seen it all."
"Don't forget that this is a different world. And it probably has its own laws," said Superman, who thought it was just as crazy as the Lantern did.
Wonder Woman looked at Saitama with disappointment: "Life is a gift. It doesn't matter if you've been defeated. We must fight." She sighed and shook her head.
"Why did they decide to show him?" Flash scratched the back of his head. "Shouldn't they have shown us Saitama?"
"This shows events that happened three years ago. Most likely, his..." Batman nodded at the screen, referring to the man in the suit. "...is being shown to us for a reason. Based on the description, I can assume that he is Saitama."
"Why do you think so?" Superman asked in surprise. Until then, he had been watching the screen with disappointment on his face. First, a man who turned into a monster and decided to kill innocent people, and now a man who simply... gave up because of a failed job interview? As if he decided there was no point in trying anymore. Fortunately, Batman's words distracted him from his dark thoughts.
"Because after Saitama's demonstrations of strength, we were shown his description. It clearly states that he gained this power through training," Batman replied.
"Wait, but they don't look anything alike!" Flash glanced suspiciously at the screen and then at Batman. "I'm not denying your outstanding analytical abilities, but damn it, these two: Saitama and this man in the suit simply cannot be the same person. Just look at them, how can there be any resemblance between them?"
"I tend to agree with Flash," Diana chimed in. "If we accept that in his world, strength can be gained through training, then in my opinion, to gain strength comparable to that of the gods, one would need to train for at least ten years, if not a lifetime."
"Maybe you're right..." Batman paused for a second, still staring at the screen. His voice was as calm and cold as ever: "But remember: this is a different world. Different laws, different limits of possibility. Perhaps the length of training isn't important here. It's something else.
"At least the only thing left for us to do is just watch." Everyone nodded at Superman's words and turned their gaze back to the screen.
Universe: Blade that Cuts Through Demons
When Saitama came into the light, those who had been dismissive of his appearance just moments before were instantly taken aback. In some unknown way, Saitama looked intimidating, which contrasted sharply with when he was first shown.
Tengen Uzui, who had been making snide remarks about Saitama's appearance, was now silent, squinting, trying to understand how someone with such a tasteless appearance could look so impressive. Mitsuri Kanroji opened her mouth wide, her eyes as wide as saucers, staring at the screen. Even Muichiro Tokito showed a moment of emotion — slight, but still obvious surprise. Only Kagaya Ubuyashiki looked at the screen with a smile.
Okay, Saitama didn't look as funny as he had been portrayed earlier, that was obvious. When they got over their initial surprise, they were shocked by the complete destruction of the monster. The pillars stared at the screen, half in disbelief, half in shock. Now they understood the meaning of the inscription: "Just one punch." And when they finally got over the shock, the pillars read the description of Saitama. Some complained that the description did not clarify the secret of Saitama's power. However, they didn't have long to wonder, as the screen continued to project, and when they were shown the events that took place three years ago, Shinobu suggested that this must reveal Saitama's past. She was not mistaken, but Saitama was very different from his former self. So much so that one could safely say that these were two different people.
"I expected anything but this," Uzui Tengen looked at the screen with disgust. "A pitiful death for such a pitiful man. Why are they even showing him to us?" complained the Pillar of Sound.
Most of the pillars shared his opinion. How could anyone not want to live just because they didn't have a job?
Sanemi stared at Saito with a hateful look.
"A fool who gave up easily." He was extremely annoyed by such indifference to what was happening. If he had the chance, he would have chopped up that crab-like monster and personally punched that fool in the face.
"Maybe he also plays some role in this... story," Tomioka said thoughtfully. "It's not a coincidence that they're showing him." Tomioka's words did not elicit outright approval, but they made many people think.
"Perhaps." Everyone looked at Shinobu, who unexpectedly supported Tomioka's idea. She looked thoughtfully at the screen. "I can only guess, but this... scene shows the path to gaining power. This Observer probably took certain moments into account and made these screens show what is important."
"Ms. Shinobu, please share your thoughts," asked the pillar of fire with his usual energy and smile.
Shinobu nodded.
"As you all saw a few seconds ago, we were shown a demonstration of power, and of course a description popped up, and just a few seconds later, we are shown events that took place three years ago. I assume this was done intentionally," continued the pillar of insects, standing in front of the screen and looking at the other pillars. Her voice sounded calm. "They're not just showing us Saitama. They're also showing us where he came from... what condition he was in... and what exactly led him to this... abnormal power."
Kagaya Ubuyashiki, who had been silently watching the screen until then, spoke up.
"We can't know for sure, the only thing we can do is keep watching."
All the pillars said at once.
"Yes, Ubuyashiki-san."
On the screen.
They showed a place with bloodstains, and then Krabrante's bloodstained pliers.
"What are you going to do?" the man continued.
At his words, Krabrante opened his mouth wide, as if smiling.
"You have dead eyes like me," he pointed at the man with his hand. "I'll let you go." He walked past him.
He walked slowly past, as if he had lost interest. But suddenly he stopped, turned around, and continued, as if he couldn't help himself:
"By the way, I'm also looking for a new victim right now." Red veins stretched from the corners of her eyes to the center, like a network of cracks on glass. The man named Krabrante did not react in any way. "A snotty kid with a double chin. I'll find him and cut him to pieces." He continued walking, laughing cheerfully.
Other worlds.
Ordinary, simple, good-natured people shuddered. Many cursed, some pressed their hands to their mouths, unable to believe what they had heard. Some clenched their fists and stared at the screen with anger. Kill a child?! Some cursed him, some particularly devout prayed that nothing would happen to the child and that someone would stop this monster. Only the immortals and long-lived looked at the screen with contempt.
The Universe: The Avengers
When the first frames were shown, they didn't see anything special until the monster calling himself Vaccine Man appeared. When Tony Stark first saw the two defeated heroes, he grimly criticized them, saying, "And these are the heroes of that world?" Steve Rogers replied that not all people can possess enormous strength. To which Tony simply snorted. It was unpleasant that they couldn't help, but suddenly Saitama appeared, dispelling the gloomy atmosphere.
"Good luck, man," Clint said when he appeared.
"Not bad, baldy," Tony Stark commented with a hint of surprise, raising his eyebrow slightly. "Although the costume still leaves something to be desired. Who sews these leotards for him?"
Then the Avengers mentally prepared themselves for the brutal scene of the girl's murder, which Saitama fortunately managed to save her from. Thor began to cheer in support of Saitama.
"Show that freak!" He raised his hammer in support of Saitama.
However, he suddenly fell silent when the bald hero destroyed the monster with a single blow. Many faces reflected surprise. The monster, which they might not have been able to defeat even with the whole team, was defeated in a second with a single blow. Not with a tense, powerful blow, but with a simple one. Many began to theorize about his strength. When the description was shown, it caused skepticism and attempts at interpretation. Of course, they couldn't digest it, even though it was another world and there must be its own rules, it didn't negate the absurdity of such a way of gaining power. The Avengers began to speculate and build theories, paying almost no attention to the screen. And then, when they decided to continue watching, the impression was, to put it mildly, bad.
"If I were there, there wouldn't be a wet spot left on that crab thing," Thor said angrily, clenching his hammer.
"Trust me, Thor, we would all be delighted if you did," Tony said, taking a sip of his expensive drink and making notes on his laptop. Specifically, about the killed Vaccine Man. Even if the chance of such a monster appearing in their world was negligible, it still existed, so it was not worth dismissing such a possibility. He guessed that Nick Fury, with his paranoid preparation for all threats, even unlikely ones, would not sit around kicking his feet and eating popcorn.
SHIELD Headquarters
Director Nick Fury's private office. Located on one of the secure levels of S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, it is a hidden room, completely shielded from outside interference, with no windows and dim lighting. Spacious but without frills: a massive metal table, a leather chair, several built-in panels on which information is projected in real time.
Fury sat motionless, staring at the projection on the screen, which had just shown the scene with the crab monster. Even he, being paranoid, considered the possibility of turning into a monster due to overeating to be ridiculously silly, but even so, he instructed the agents to check the food for foreign substances. As before, he ordered scientists to analyze particularly polluted areas of the planet in order to identify a potential link between extreme mutation and environmental degradation.
He rubbed his nose wearily. The panic among the population caused by the sudden appearance of the screens forced all world leaders to convene emergency meetings. Some were online, others via encrypted communication lines. The first hours after the screens appeared were akin to an apocalypse: mass gatherings of people, broadcast interruptions, power grid failures, and even the threat of nuclear protocols being launched in some countries.
As head of S.H.I.E.L.D., Nick Fury did not have the luxury of panicking. He became the link between governments, the Pentagon, the European Commission, the UN, and other structures, maintaining a precarious balance between truth and hysteria.
He had to reassure leaders, convincing them that S.H.I.E.L.D. had "the situation under control," that "an investigation was underway," and that "what was happening was most likely an illusory projection of some highly advanced AI or extraterrestrial technology." He promised protection, information sharing, and most importantly, time.
But the screens defied analysis, and scientists could only throw up their hands in helplessness, which was perhaps the most alarming thing of all. No known equipment, spectrum analysis, attempts to create interference, shielding, or even physical impact on the screens yielded the slightest result. They did not emit energy, but they worked. They did not cast shadows, but they projected sound and images. They were not part of the surrounding space, but they ignored all laws of physics.
And when they deigned to explain the purpose of these screens, the people gradually calmed down. All that remained was to watch what the god on the screen said. However, Fury could not completely calm down. He knew that until they revealed the true purpose of these screens, his agents, as well as all world powers, needed to keep the situation under control. He was already prepared for the next steps.
The Universe: A Tale of the End of the World.
Unlike the other gods, who looked at the screen with disgust, Zeus looked at the screen with... sadness. When the total destruction of Vaccinamen was shown, Zeus could feel the power emanating from Saitama even through the screen. His overwhelming aura simply could not fail to arouse Zeus's enthusiasm. He loved battle more than anything else in the world, his warrior nature longed to fight Saitama, his very essence burned with the desire to test his strength. However, despite this, Zeus's eyes showed not just a thirst for battle, but something deeper — respect. He couldn't help but acknowledge Saitama's power, even though he was a man from another world. It was something much greater than just physical strength.
He even understood Saitama's indignation: what good is strength if you don't feel passion? A test that forced you to fight with all your might, and even more. The emotions of battle that filled the soul — that was where Zeus saw the true essence of strength. He could fight endlessly, searching for someone who could challenge him, and in Saitama, he saw a possible rival who would make him feel every ounce of tension in his body.
"I would like to meet him in battle," Zeus said quietly, even though everyone in the hall was silent. His voice was soft, but his words pierced the ears of every god. Even those who were usually full of contempt for mortals could not help but notice the passion with which Zeus uttered these words.
That's why he was disappointed when they didn't show Saito. Zeus now stared at the screen without a shred of interest.
Poseidon stared contemptuously at the screen, leaning on the armrest of his throne, decorated with shells and corals, made of the purest obsidian. His gloomy gaze literally pierced the projection, where a crab-like monster named Crabrante had recently threatened to kill a child, and a man in a business suit who had lost his job made no effort to escape.
"Mortals..." he hissed with cold contempt. "They are so weak-willed that they are willing to die just because they lost their jobs. They are only fit for the deep sea.
Around him, streams of water pulsed silently, as if reacting to their master's anger. Nearby stood sea spirits, even they holding their breath, not daring to interrupt their lord's thoughts.
His opinion was shared by, if not all, then most of the gods. Mortals are pathetic creatures, not even worthy of a drop of attention from the gods, but the screen literally hovered in front of his face, forcing him to look at mortals, only from another world. However, when the monster appeared, the gods began to enjoy its destruction. But their enjoyment quickly turned to shock when the monster was destroyed with a single blow. Many began to think that Saitama was the god of that world, but the description boldly refuted this theory. Many gods began to be outraged that a bald monkey dared to possess power similar to that of the gods. They simply could not believe that some mortal had achieved such power solely through training.
However, not everyone on Olympus shared the anger and contempt of the higher gods. Deep in the hall, among the columns decorated with carvings of heroic deeds and mythical battles, stood Brünnhilde, a Valkyrie, watching what was happening with a barely suppressed smile. Her eyes sparkled with triumph, and the corners of her lips trembled with suppressed laughter. She did not share the fury of the Olympians. On the contrary, she enjoyed it.
"Enraged, arrogant fools," she whispered under her breath, "now you know what it feels like when a mortal breaks your mold. And that's just the thought that such a contemptibly simple mortal could defeat a monster that would have wreaked havoc and death in their world.
"And this is only the beginning," Brungilda shook her head slightly. "If such a person exists, and if his power is not the will of the gods, but the fruit of his own will... Then everything we have been taught collapses. And glory to the universe for that."
For her, Saita became a symbol. Not a messianic or divine symbol, but a human one. He was a walking insult to the entire Olympian hierarchy. He did not pray or seek help from higher powers. He simply trained — and became someone who could destroy the very concept of "limits."
Another Valkyrie stood next to her — Geir. There was no mockery in her eyes, but there was interest, almost scientific. Like Brünnhilde, she did not take her eyes off the screen, but unlike her friend, she did not smile — she analyzed.
"His energy... is unstable," Geir said quietly, leaning toward Brungilda. "It's as if it's enclosed in a shell that's too simple. He shouldn't have survived with such power. His body... should have been incinerated."
"But it didn't burn up," replied Brungilda. "Do you understand, Geir? His power doesn't come from the blood of the gods, rituals, or gifts. It comes from determination. This Saitama must be incredibly determined to have continued training so relentlessly."
Geir nodded, but her eyes were tense.
"That's what annoys them," continued Brungilda, nodding toward the Olympians. "Not divine power. But the fact that he is human and became who he is without them."
Geir nodded tensely, watching Saitama scream in frustration.
But then, when the broadcast continued and instead of waiting for more of Saitama's exploits, they decided to show this... which brought back the inflated egos of the gods, which infuriated the Valkyrie. Brunhilda bit her nail in irritation. She tried to calm herself, telling herself that this fragment with the crab monster and the unemployed man was also important. She thought that they were unlikely to show something random. That perhaps there was something deeper in this strange, humiliating scene. However, even with her composure, her inner anger was growing. Geir looked at her tensely, not even daring to try to calm her down, too afraid.
Meanwhile, Adam and Eve, sitting in the shade of an ancient tree in their corner of the universe, watched the screen.
"Why?" Eve said quietly. She looked at the man with sadness and her characteristic concern, and looked at the once-human with disappointment. The pain of what was happening on the screen weighed heavily on her. She felt the same way when they showed the purple monster destroying the city and most likely killing a large number of victims. Then her soul trembled with fear for those she had created, and now — with helplessness.
"Why did you give up?" she whispered again, now addressing the man on the screen. "You're still breathing... which means you can change something."
Adam stood silently beside her, his eyes reflecting the same anxiety. He saw not just a man, but the very collapse of will that was painfully familiar to him. It was not weakness of the body, but weakness of spirit, and that was always the most frightening.
He squeezed his wife's shoulder in support, continuing to stare at the screen. There was nothing else to do but keep watching. Adam could only hope that nothing would happen to the child mentioned. At the same time, he was worried about his wife. He didn't even want to imagine Eve's reaction to the murder of a child.
Universe: RWBY
When the monster was destroyed, the dining hall fell into a deathly silence. Most of the students sat with their mouths agape. Several students rubbed their eyes and looked at the screen again. Once they had digested what they had seen, the students began to talk among themselves.
"I didn't expect that..." Blake whispered, still staring at the screen. Her voice was almost inaudible, but in the dead silence of the cafeteria, it sounded like a ringing blow.
Next to her, Weiss mechanically lifted her cup of tea, but couldn't bring it to her lips—her hands were shaking.
"That's... impossible. Just one hit?" she muttered, shaking her head. "Even Yang couldn't take down a monster like that with one hit."
"I would have tried," Yang muttered, unable to hide her slight shock, but also her admiration. She narrowed her eyes, as if trying to understand how a human could have done such a thing. "But I admit it would have been... too much. Even for me."
Ruby was silent, her hands clenched tightly on her knees. Her silver eyes reflected the flashes of the projection on the screen, where Saitama complained that he had once again defeated a monster with a single blow, as if he had not just wiped out a creature that could have destroyed them all.
"He didn't use a weapon, or a clone, or even dust," she finally said. "Just a punch. And... he didn't even look tense, which is unusual." Ruby suddenly remembered that they were being shown another world. "He's a man from another world. Maybe they have different laws of nature... different limits. Maybe in their reality, something like that is possible."
Her words made the others think. Still confused, Weiss interjected her doubts:
"Even in another world, there must be some limitations. He's not a god." Her voice trembled with irritation.
Even despite the vivid demonstration and the description that seemed to shed some light on the origin of his power, it all seemed insufficiently convincing to Weiss. To Weiss, it sounded too... absurd. Too illogical. Too wrong. She grew up knowing that everything — from power to strength — had a price, a basis, a structure. The world had to be orderly. There were causes and effects, rules and restrictions. You don't become incredibly strong just like that. You don't become the strongest being after running and doing push-ups, no matter how hellish they were.
"He broke the limit," she read the description on Pyre's screen. "So says the description. What if... he had a limit, like the rest of us, but he crossed it? Maybe in his world, a human isn't what we're used to thinking of as a human.
"It's a different world," Blake summed up. "But it seems that now we're not just looking at a hero who destroys everyone with a single blow. Rather, we're looking at possibilities. At what could be... if you stop believing in limits."
When the broadcast continued, showing the events that took place three years ago, they hoped to see what kind of training Saitama did to gain such power. Even the skeptical Weiss leaned forward slightly so as not to miss anything important.
However, they were disappointed when, instead of the events they considered "important," they were shown an unemployed man and Crabante. After his explanation about turning into a monster by eating crabs, most of the students silently pushed their bowls and spoons away. One red-haired Valkyrie stared indecisively at her plate full of pancakes for exactly one minute.
The principal's office.
Ozpin sat in his office, high up in the tower of Beacon Academy. In front of him, as everywhere else in the world, a screen hovered. He silently watched the scene that had just ended.
Glinda stood nearby, in the shadow of a bookcase, watching the screen with her usual restraint. Her face was calm, but her hands were clenched behind her back — a sign of tension that she rarely allowed herself. Ozpin summoned her immediately after the screens appeared. As always, she arrived without a word.
He had already given the necessary orders. All Beacon Academy employees were strictly instructed to maintain order at all costs. Do not allow panic. Keep the students in line — gently but firmly. They must not lose their heads because they themselves cannot understand.
He had already been in contact with General Ironwood. The conversation was brief but tense. Unusual screens appeared almost simultaneously in all four kingdoms, disrupting the usual order and causing a wave of panic—from high-ranking military officials to ordinary citizens. The general suspected that Salem was involved, but Ozpin dismissed his thoughts. Something told the director that she would not be able to pull off something like this. James' voice was restrained, but Ozpin could hear the tension in it, even despite his usual mask of cold self-control.
Panic had not yet broken out openly, but something much worse was brewing beneath the surface—fear of the unknown. And yet... if not for one "but"—everything could have been much worse. If the screens, despite their incomprehensible origin, did not emit a subtle, barely perceptible wave of calm. It was not felt with the mind, but rather with intuition. It was as if something or someone was deliberately muffling the fear so that humanity would not succumb to panic. If the screens did not carry this strange, pacifying energy... chaos would already have begun in the world.
Ozpin leaned back in his chair, folding his fingers in front of his face. He had encountered inexplicable phenomena before, but this... This was different. The screen emitted neither an aura nor traces of magic. It simply existed, beyond all understanding. And when someone who called himself the Observer addressed everyone at once — or perhaps each person individually — his voice was calm, almost emotionless.
Screens, he said, are nothing more than windows. Windows into other worlds. He even demonstrated this by showing a series of short fragments: cities that no one knew; people whose abilities were beyond comprehension; battles, technology, and creatures that defied description. All of this flashed by and disappeared — like dreams shared by a foreign mind.
And the first thing they showed was a poster with a picture of a bald man in a ridiculous heroic outfit and the inscription "Just one blow." He looked so ridiculous that Ozpin involuntarily raised an eyebrow, and the corner of Glinda's lips twitched — barely noticeable, but enough to betray her inner bewilderment. It seemed as if the screen had started with a joke. But soon, the joke was followed by footage. The world they saw looked familiar: megacities, technology, ordinary people, simple urban idyll... soon destroyed by the appearance of a purple monster. Ozpin noticed Glinda nervously clenching her hand. It seemed that nothing could stop the monster, then Saitama entered the scene, dispelling the gloomy atmosphere. The director glanced at the surveillance cameras, where students were shouting in support of Saitama, which made him smile slightly. When the monster was about to kill the girl, Ozpin didn't even notice how he exhaled, and Glinda lowered her tense shoulders. Then something happened that no one expected. The monster, which had become even more monstrous, was defeated with just one blow.
Ozpin stood motionless for a whole minute, his eyes fixed on the screen. The mug with the hot drink froze in his hand, just a few inches from his lips, forgotten. It was difficult to express in words the amazement he felt.
Absurd strength — almost comical in its essence — was the result, as the brief description said, of grueling training taken to the extreme. An ordinary man who broke the limits of humanity. It sounded ridiculous... but what he saw spoke for itself.
Ozpin even caught himself thinking that something like this could be used in training. An example of how determination — even if it seems foolish at first glance — can give rise to strength. But now was not the time. Too much remained unclear. He put the idea aside until the broadcast ended.
Then the screen changed. The new clip took them back in time, three years ago. A man surrounded by apathy. But what struck Ozpin the most was the complete silence of what was happening. A man who turned into a monster after eating crabs. And the serene phlegmaticness with which the man perceived what was happening. Where another would have been frightened, he remained completely indifferent to his life.
Ozpin involuntarily remembered Atlas. According to statistics, it had a high mortality rate among fauns due to unemployment. Ironwood, of course, tried to deal with the problem — he increased security, reformed the employment service, initiated integration programs... but all this was a fight against the consequences, not the cause. Eliminating the root cause — public indifference — was much more difficult.
The monster on the screen smiled and walked past. And then, for some unknown reason, he decided to tell the man about his plans to kill the child. When Krabrante was first shown, Ozpin noticed the absurdly drawn nipples on the shell and assumed that it was somehow related to a child's prank. He told Glinda this in response to her silent question.
"He's going to kill the child... because he drew him... nipples?"
Ozpin was silent for a few seconds. Then he said quietly, looking at the screen:
"And yet, in a way, it's the most human thing we've seen."
Glinda glanced at him, raising an eyebrow incredulously.
"Are you saying that attacking a child is 'human'?
Ozpin shook his head and said slowly:
"I mean that at its core, it's resentment. A wounded ego. Pride. A desire for revenge. What a person is capable of, even over something trivial... especially if they've been harboring resentment. It's frightening not because a monster did it, but because it could happen to anyone."
He squinted slightly as he looked at the screen, as if searching for a reflection in it.
"Killing a child... for drawing nipples on him. It sounds crazy. But aren't there plenty of people in our world who take revenge for even smaller offenses? A word. A glance. A mocking smile. People can be even more destructive than Grimm.
Glinda was silent. The silence between them was tense.
"Do you think the students will ask such questions?" she finally asked.
"I think so," Ozpin replied calmly. "Some of them will laugh. Some will be shocked. And some will think about it. And if even one of them asks, 'Why did this monster do such a thing?', then this lesson will not have been in vain." Ozpin looked at her. "We can't control what these windows show. But we can help young minds understand what they've seen."
Glinda sighed.
"Then it looks like we'll have more work to do."
Ozpin smiled, wearily but warmly:
"As always."
On the screen.
The broadcast continued. The same man was shown walking peacefully about his business. Suddenly, something caught his attention, he looked back, and the frame showed a child with an absurdly huge double chin. He also looked at the man.
The frame showed them both.
"What are you staring at?" he asked, rolling the ball with his foot.
The man's face showed shock. "A brat with a double chin! He'll find me and tear me to pieces!" he thought tensely. Then he asked:
"Hey kid, did you mess with the crab monster?"
The boy thought for a moment, as if remembering something.
"Well, while he was sleeping, I drew nipples on him," he replied.
Hearing this, the pale-faced man thought, "It's definitely him! He doesn't even realize what he's gotten himself into. What should I do? I have time." While he was thinking, his gaze was fixed on the child. "Damn, he's kind of creepy. And it's none of my business. Should I just leave?"
While he was thinking, the boy lost interest in him and started playing with a ball, but the first time he hit himself in the chin. Although it didn't really bother him.
The man smiled weakly. "Who cares?" Thinking about it, he moved on.
This caused quite a stir among the human spectators. Other races looked on with contempt at what was happening on the screen. As if they needed more proof of how inferior humans were. The demons, however, were delighted to watch.
As soon as the man left, the familiar white shorts appeared on the screen, followed by Krabrante's face. He smiled predatorily.
"Found him," he said.
The boy only had time to glance at him when the claw lunged at the boy, ready to crush him like an insect. Fortunately, the man caught the child and moved out of the way of the blow. The mutant's claw crashed into the ground with a bang, leaving a crack and a crater in the asphalt. Pieces of concrete flew in all directions.
When the man saved the child, he only had time to think, "What am I doing!"
Krabrante looked at them in bewilderment. The man shouted at the child:
"He's after you, kid, get out of here!" The crab monster approached them. "Don't worry about me, let's go!"
"But..." However, instead of running away, the boy pointed at the ball. "What about the ball?"
"The ball?!"
Krabrante crushes the ball with his foot, and it bursts.
"What's going on, buddy? Are you seriously going to save the kid?"
The man answered the question with a question.
"Are you seriously going to kill him for a childish prank? Think about it.
Krabrante just smiled broadly.
"I've already chopped up a few people." He pointed to his face. "No one laughs at my appearance."
A gray frame was shown with corpses of people on the street, and a color frame of Krabrante stepping forward.
Universe: Harry Potter
While the screen broadcast events from another world. At the instruction of Director Dumbledore, in connection with the sudden appearance of mysterious screens, an emergency decision was made: to suspend classes and postpone all lessons indefinitely — until the teaching staff could figure out the nature of what was happening. It was decided not to attempt to remove the screens, at least until an official conclusion was reached.
Meanwhile, as if by agreement, the screens flickered simultaneously and switched to a new broadcast. The first thing that appeared before the audience was a bright, almost comical poster: it showed a bald man in a tight-fitting yellow suit with a white raincoat, and beneath it was the inscription — "Just one blow!"
Silence fell over the hall, which was broken a second later by restrained laughter coming from somewhere near Puffenduy's students. Then others joined in, at first hesitantly, then louder, with smirks and whispers. One of the younger students even gasped through his laughter:
"Is this a joke? Is he really a hero? In his pajamas?"
"Maybe he's a Muggle jester?" suggested one of the older students.
Even those who remained serious found it difficult to contain their skepticism. A hero without a sword, without armor, without a menacing appearance — bald, wearing gloves and boots, with an expression of serene boredom on his face. Everything about him seemed deliberately unheroic.
However, when the picture changed and the screen began to show scenes from the world itself, the excitement in the hall gave way to alert attention. It was a completely different world — a city with smooth towers of glass and metal, roads on which strange horseless machines glided.
For those who grew up among Muggles, it looked like a more advanced version of the familiar — technology had advanced, but there was nothing magical about it. Just screens, advertisements, transportation.
But for purebloods and those who had spent their entire lives in the world of magic, it was a real shock. A murmur of conversation rippled through the hall.
However, it lasted only a second before the monster appeared. With his... magic, he brought destruction and chaos. Even the teachers froze. The audience even stopped paying attention to the wonders of technology, such as the tables with buttons or the box that, like a screen, broadcast the man in the helmet. And then the inscription appeared: "Let justice begin."
Saitama dramatically waved his cloak and stepped into the light. One Muggle-born aloud compared him to a comic book hero, and his words aroused the interest of the pure-bloods and half-bloods. For they had never had anything called a comic book.
Then, among the ruined buildings, they showed a girl crying and calling for her parents. When the monster began to approach her, many turned away from their screens, unable to watch a child being killed. However, this did not happen. Saitama saved her, causing joy and admiration, but also confusion with the words, "Heroics are for Mayus."
However, Saitama's words angered the monster, causing its body to grow larger and more terrifying, but that became irrelevant when Saitama destroyed the monster with a single blow. It was so powerful that it could be felt even through the screen. The final blow was Saitama's exclamation that he had once again killed his opponent with a single blow.
"Without a wand..." said the Gryffindor student.
"One... blow?" whispered the girl from Ravenclaw in surprise.
While everyone was busy watching the screen, Dumbledore sent a letter to the Ministry of Magic describing the situation, hoping for quick help and, possibly, the intervention of the Department of Mysteries. However, time passed, and the screens remained — as if carved out of reality itself. No spell, no curse, no magical artifact could affect them. They did not emit a magical pulse, and most importantly, there was not the slightest trace of magic coming from them. For a world built on the enchanting fabric of magic, this was not just strange — it was frighteningly alien.
The teachers tried to remain calm. They watched over their students, trying to prevent panic or foolish actions, especially among the upperclassmen, whose curiosity often turned into recklessness. Even Peeves seemed to sense that this was no time for mischief: he hovered silently under the ceiling, his eyes flashing, but did not interfere.
And then, after several hours of tense waiting, the Ministry got in touch. The owl that delivered the reply was covered in dust and had clearly flown non-stop. Dumbledore carefully removed the message from its claw and, without saying a word, invited several of his most trusted teachers — Minerva McGonagall, Severus Snape, and Filius Flitwick — into his office.
Closing the door behind him and casting a spell of absolute silence, he unrolled the scroll. His face remained calm but attentive, like a chess player before his final move. The words, written in hurried and clearly agitated handwriting, read:
"We report that such screens have appeared not only at Hogwarts. They have been spotted in London, Durmstrang, Ilvermorny, and a number of Muggle cities. The Ministry has information that the screens have appeared in places where magic is impossible. Muggles can see them. They are not an illusion, not magic, not a curse. Their nature is unknown. An international council is being organized. Please maintain order and refrain from taking radical action. Await further instructions."
"Muggles can see them too..." whispered Professor McGonagall, clasping her fingers together as if in prayer. "That's impossible. It violates the very understanding of the boundary between worlds."
Flitwick cleared his throat gently and, leaning on the edge of his chair, spoke quietly:
"By the way... Someone who calls himself the Observer, and who appears to be the creator of these screens, has already contacted us. He claims that these devices are nothing more than windows designed solely to show other worlds. No interference, no influence — just viewing.
He paused, adjusting his robe.
"This was backed up by numerous fragments, scenes from other realities... Worlds so different from ours, different in their logic, structure, and customs. I think when he said 'you,' he wasn't just talking to wizards. He meant everyone — Muggles too. Our whole world... maybe even more than just ours.
This news threw most of the teachers off balance, but we must give credit to their composure. While the teachers discussed what was happening, the screen continued to show events unfolding somewhere "in another world." This time, the scene was accompanied by eerie screams and nasty, resonant laughter, causing a wave of anxiety to sweep through the hall.
An alley appeared on the screen. There it was — that crab-like monster, Crabrante. Huge, wearing white shorts, with an unnatural torso. He told how he once ate too many crabs... and turned into a monster.
An awkward silence fell over the hall. Someone giggled, someone snorted, but even the skeptics watched without looking away. No one believed that crabs alone could cause such a transformation — and yet several students quietly put down their spoons of stewed salmon and exchanged glances. Some of the gourmets suddenly remembered how crab dishes were praised in the school kitchen.
"This is nonsense," whispered one of the students, but without conviction. "Right?"
Meanwhile, attention shifted to another character — the man Krabblante was about to kill. Judging by his simple clothes, he was an ordinary townsman: neither a warrior, nor a defender, nor a wizard. Most likely a muggle. His face expressed complete indifference, his gaze was dull and tired, as if he had long since stopped fighting life.
"What's wrong with him?" one of the students whispered in confusion.
His voice was quiet, muffled, almost mechanical: "But I don't care about anything anymore. I don't even feel like running away from the great Krabrante."
The words were spoken without fear, without despair — without anything. Only emptiness. Such a careless attitude toward his own fate seemed absurd, even provocative. Some students cowered in their chairs, as if expecting the monster to tear him apart right there and then. Everything was leading up to that.
But it didn't happen.
Krabrante... spared him. He just walked away, leaving the man alive. This unexpected outcome caused a murmur of tense whispers throughout the hall. And yet, even though the murders were not shown directly, the previous scenes were enough to make many of the younger students feel uncomfortable. Large bloodstains on the walls, claws, people screaming — the screen did not spare the audience. It was real violence, albeit in another world, but shown to them, here and now.
Some students turned pale when Krabrante said he intended to kill the child. Some clutched the hem of their robes, while others looked mechanically at the teachers for support.
The scene changed. The screen flashed, and the scene shifted to another street. The man, the same Muggle whom the crab-like monster had spared earlier, was now walking somewhere. Suddenly, something caught his attention, and the audience was shown the boy. A small, thin boy in a simple T-shirt with a pronounced—no, just screaming—chin. It was impossible not to recognize him: even without words, it was clear who he was. The chin, which evoked both laughter and sympathy from the audience, became a distinctive feature in itself—like a crest on a school robe.
For the first time, the man showed an emotion other than apathy. They could clearly see his tense face. And then something strange happened: the man's thoughts began to be voiced on the screen, as if the Observer himself had decided that everyone should hear them. And when he decided to just leave, many showered him with insults, indignant that he could just leave a child to die like that. There was a commotion in the hall. Even knowing that this was only a fragment of someone else's world, many could not contain their emotions.
"He's going to abandon him?!" someone in the front row exclaimed.
"Coward!" shouted another.
However, everything fell silent when the monster appeared. Everyone gasped when he smiled, some closed their eyes, unable to watch the child being killed. And then — a sudden turn of events. A collective sigh of relief swept through the hall when the man, the same Muggle with the empty gaze, ran into the frame at the last second. He grabbed the child and, without hesitation, rushed to the side, pulling him away from the monster's claws. Even more surprising was that the man cared more about the child than himself.
"He's after you, kid, get out of here!" he shouted in the frame, his voice breaking. "Don't worry about me, just go!"
These words shocked many. Even those who had condemned his inaction a minute ago now looked at what was happening with incomprehension — and respect. Not a wizard. Not a hero. Just a man. And he did what some of those who possessed magic could not.
Even among the teachers, there were nods of approval. Someone said openly,
"That's it... true courage."
But in the next second... everything was interrupted by a sharp facepalm throughout the hall.
Instead of saving himself, the boy was thinking about the ball.
"...What?" Professor McGonagall gasped, not believing her ears.
"Oh, Merlin's beard..." muttered one of the upperclassmen, burying his face in his hands.
"He could have died, and he's thinking about the ball?!" one of the upperclassmen exploded. "What's wrong with him?!"
Someone seriously began to look for signs of the curse of stupidity on the child. Especially when you remember that he drew nipples on the monster. Even some jokers found it reckless, bordering on stupidity. And Dumbledore — even he bowed his head and rubbed his nose with his fingers, looking as if for the first time in a long time he was at a loss for words.
"Of course," Flitwick muttered with indescribable sarcasm. "When your life is hanging by a thread, the only thing that really matters is a child's toy."
"A ball," Snape repeated with such contempt, raising his eyebrow so sharply that the air in the room grew colder.
"That's not stupidity. That's a clinical diagnosis," came the voice of Madam Pince.
Several students openly gasped in unison.
"What's wrong with this kid? Doesn't he understand that he almost died?!" Hermione exclaimed, clearly shocked by the absurdity of the situation. Her new friends, Ron and Harry, silently supported her.
While they were indignant, the monster destroyed the ball, asking why the man was saving the child. The man, in turn, asked if he was seriously going to kill the child for a childish prank. Many agreed with the man that if a child did something stupid, you could just complain to his parents. That's what most people would do.
Then Krabrante began to say that no one dared to insult him. This was clearly demonstrated by the corpses of people lying on the street. Fortunately, the moment was shown in dark gray, and the students endured it. Dumbledore involuntarily remembered people like him.
"I've met people like that," he finally said. "Not necessarily with claws or armor. But with wounded pride that fuels their cruelty. When pride is combined with power... sometimes the result is more terrifying than any dark creature."
Some teachers began to wonder why no one had stopped the monster. Allowing it to roam the streets unhindered. They must have law enforcement, like Aurors or Muggle police. Why was it walking around freely, as if the whole city was in a stupor? As if no one even tried to stop it. This question seemed to both alarm and puzzle the teachers.
"Where were the local authorities?" Professor Sprout asked aloud, frowning. "Don't they have anyone who monitors security?"
"They must have some kind of structure," replied Professor Flitwick, rubbing his chin. "Whether they're wizards or not, they should have intervened..."
"Either they were afraid, or..." Snape began, but stopped short as he looked at the next frame, which showed Crabbe strutting down the street as if on a catwalk. "Or they're already dead," he finished coldly.
"Perhaps this will be one of the main lessons for the students," Dumbledore added, without taking his eyes off the screen. "That power without control is a path to the abyss. It doesn't matter if you're a wizard or not."
Some teachers nodded, while others wondered how many "Krabblants" were hiding even in their own world. Those who wear the mask of civility until they feel a threat to their ego. The screen continued broadcasting, and the attention of students and teachers once again focused on watching.