137: Swift Flash

"Hmm, his name is Kizaru. He's my friend."

Fubuki glanced at Kizaru with a hint of grievance. She had worked so hard to get him to show up—but before she could lure him into the Blizzard Group, the Hero Association had snatched him away. She knew the Blizzard Group couldn't compare to the Association, but that didn't make it any less frustrating.

"That's wonderful! Mr. Kizaru, are you interested in joining the Hero Association? Would you and Miss Fubuki be willing to come to our headquarters for a meeting?"

The Association executives were thrilled. Every S-Class hero added immense strength to their ranks. Especially someone like Kizaru—a newcomer with extraordinary power. Though S-Class rankings weren't a perfect measure of strength, higher-ranked heroes were generally stronger. Based on what Kizaru had demonstrated so far, he could easily rank within the top three of S-Class.

"The executives want you to come in. They'll probably invite you to join the Association..."

Fubuki sighed as she hung up the phone, a look of envy on her face. Being personally invited by the executives—that was a privilege reserved for S-Class heroes. She thought back to when she first joined the Association, struggling through the entrance tests. She couldn't help but let out a sigh.

"Alright, let's go see what kind of codename they'll give me."

Kizaru shrugged, indifferent.

As they waited for a helicopter from headquarters, the heroes trapped in the ruins began to emerge. Vaccine Man hadn't gone out of his way to kill them—probably because he never considered them a threat. So aside from a few unlucky ones, most of them only suffered minor to moderate injuries.

"Um… thank you for saving us."

Several injured heroes discussed among themselves before sending Blue Flame, Rank 6 of A-Class, to express their gratitude to Kizaru.

A-Class heroes were just one step below S-Class, but for most of them, that step was an insurmountable chasm. Moreover, most S-Class heroes were arrogant and eccentric. Even someone like Blue Flame, who was highly ranked in A-Class, felt nervous speaking to Kizaru.

"No need to thank me. If it weren't for you all stalling the monster, I might have arrived too late."

Kizaru's voice was calm and warm. Even among the three Marine Admirals, he was the most approachable.

He had no problem chatting casually with new recruits, even throwing an arm around their shoulders. Some old-fashioned Navy officers thought it undermined the dignity of an Admiral. But among the lower ranks—Kizaru was by far the most popular of the three.

"You… you really think that?"

Blue Flame was stunned. Kizaru was unexpectedly easy to talk to.

Like Fubuki, Blue Flame was certain—once Kizaru joined the Hero Association, he'd immediately become S-Class. Most S-Class heroes were haughty and dismissive. It was strange to meet one this… friendly.

"What's wrong? Did I say something strange?"

Kizaru was confused. To the Navy, Admirals were indeed their strongest forces. But no one would ever dismiss the efforts of the lower ranks. Even the ruthless Akainu would help treat wounded soldiers—as long as they didn't break his code.

"N-No, nothing's wrong. I just didn't expect someone like you to acknowledge our efforts…"

Other A-Class and B-Class heroes gradually gathered around. They were used to being treated as sidekicks or even obstacles. Even the "nicer" S-Class heroes carried an air of superiority.

"Let me introduce myself. I'm Blue Flame, A-Class Rank 6."

"A-Class Rank 8, Gatling of Death."

"I'm A-Class Rank 33. Just call me Spring Mustache."

…

It was rare to encounter such a friendly S-Class hero, so the other heroes eagerly gathered around Kizaru, hoping to talk to him.

For A-Class heroes who aspired to grow stronger—even to step into the ranks of S-Class—any insights from an S-Class hero were invaluable. And Kizaru was a powerhouse capable of single-handedly eliminating a Dragon-level threat. Dozens of heroes working together couldn't stop Vaccine Man, yet Kizaru had defeated him in an instant.

The gap between them was even greater than the gap between an ordinary person and an A-Class hero. Seeing that Kizaru was approachable, the A- and B-Class heroes naturally wanted to seek his guidance.

"You want to know how to get stronger? Of course, it's through relentless training!"

Kizaru didn't mind interacting with these heroes, who were full of justice. The fact that they risked their lives to fight monsters to protect civilians would have made them excellent Navy recruits in his own world.

Even if they weren't from his world, Kizaru had no problem teaching them how to grow stronger to protect others.

"Just training? But no matter how much we train, there are limits…"

Blue Flame hesitantly voiced his concern, afraid that Kizaru might take it as doubt.

"True, pure training has limits. But do you really think you've reached yours?"

Kizaru understood that in the One Punch Man world, every living being had an internal 'limiter.' Each person had their own upper boundary, and once they hit that ceiling, they couldn't get any stronger. Even those who became monsters merely reset their 'limiter'—the only true exception being Saitama.

However, for most people, the concept of a limiter was meaningless, as they would never reach their own ceiling in a lifetime.

With enough effort, reaching Kizaru or Saitama's level was impossible, but becoming an S-Class hero was still within reach.

The A-Class heroes exchanged glances. Some wanted to admit they had reached their limits, but they were unwilling to accept it.

"Of course not! I can still become stronger!"

A-Class Rank 25, Crescent Eyebrows, declared loudly. He wanted to grow stronger—he never wanted to feel powerless again.

"Kizaru, the helicopter from headquarters is here…"

Fubuki reminded him. This was her first time being invited to Hero Association Headquarters. Normally, a 'lazy' B-Class hero like her wouldn't receive such an honor.

"When I join the Hero Association, anyone who wants to get stronger can come find me."

Kizaru thought for a moment. He decided to leave behind some traces of his presence in this world.

---

At Hero Association Headquarters, when Kizaru and Fubuki stepped off the helicopter, they were greeted by top executives and the entire staff.

If Kizaru hadn't arrived in time, no one believed the headquarters could have withstood the devastation of a Dragon-level threat. Even among recorded Dragon-level disasters, Vaccine Man's destructive power ranked among the most terrifying.

To counter him, the Association had mobilized four S-Class heroes at once—yet none of them had arrived in time.

"Welcome, Mr. Kizaru. Please allow me to express the Hero Association's deepest gratitude for your assistance."

A senior executive, whose face appeared kind and friendly, stepped forward. Given that he was nearly two meters tall, one might wonder if he was chosen for this task simply because of his height—to make the meeting with Kizaru look less absurd.

After all, Kizaru, standing at three meters, was strikingly tall. If the Association's helicopter hadn't been large enough, he might not have fit inside.

But even a two-meter-tall man still looked short next to Kizaru. The difference of several heads between them made for an amusing sight.

"No need for formalities. Personally, I have a positive impression of the Hero Association's efforts to protect civilians."

Kizaru responded leisurely. After decades in the Navy, justice was ingrained in his very being.

As long as the Hero Association didn't become corrupt and abandon its mission to protect the people, he had no problem working with them.

"Oh? Then, Mr. Kizaru, would you be interested in joining the Hero Association? With your strength and achievements, you are more than qualified to become an S-Class hero!"

The executive eagerly extended the offer.

After the Vaccine Man incident, Hero Association Headquarters felt an overwhelming sense of insecurity. They wanted as many S-Class heroes stationed at headquarters as possible.

But S-Class heroes were independent and stubborn. Some, like Watchdog Man, refused to leave their own turf, not even chasing down escaping monsters. Others, like Metal Knight, acted purely according to their own interests—unless it was for testing new weapons, he wouldn't bother fighting monsters.

Otherwise, with his strength, he wouldn't have been overtaken by his former assistant, Child Emperor.

Since they couldn't make S-Class heroes stay at headquarters, their only option was to recruit more of them, hoping they would be available when disaster struck.

Right now, Kizaru was their best candidate. He had traveled from City B to City A in mere minutes. Even Flashy Flash, renowned for his speed, couldn't sprint hundreds of kilometers at such an astonishing pace.

And Kizaru had even brought Fubuki along. Without her slowing him down, who knew how fast he could really go?

"I'll consider it. But you're not going to give me some weird codename, are you?"

Kizaru was just here on vacation, but he didn't mind playing along for fun. After all, the Hero Association's S-Class heroes weren't exactly known for their diligence.

The only thing that worried him was the possibility of receiving a weird hero name.

Take Caped Baldy, for example—that was just bad luck. But even among the S-Class heroes, while some names like Silver Fang and Drive Knight sounded decent, others—Pig God, Tanktop Master, Demon Cyborg, Puri-Puri Prisoner, Metal Bat—were downright ridiculous.

After being a Navy Admiral for so long, Kizaru had a bit of an image to maintain.

If the Association gave him a name like "Tall Justice" or "Cloaked Beanpole," even he couldn't guarantee he wouldn't resort to silencing a few people.

"Of course not! As for your hero name… how about 'Swift Flash'?"

One of the executives chuckled awkwardly. He secretly decided to issue a gag order—no way could they let this hero, who clearly cared about his name, find out that their first suggestion had been "Cloaked Justice."

"It's… acceptable, I guess. Will I be ranked last among the S-Class?"

Kizaru clicked his tongue. "Swift Flash" wasn't exactly inspiring, but it fit his demonstrated abilities well enough.

"Of course not! While we will allocate some merit to the heroes who initially held off Vaccine Man, single-handedly eliminating a Dragon-level threat is more than enough to place you at S-Class Rank 9."

The executive quickly reassured him.

By now, they were starting to get a sense of this new S-Class hero's personality.

The previously silent Association staff began whispering among themselves. It had been a long time since a hero was directly promoted to S-Class, and even longer since anyone jumped straight into the top ten.

The most extreme case, Metal Bat, had climbed from C-Class Rank 223 all the way up.

Kizaru skipping C, B, and A-Class entirely was an absolute anomaly.

To recruit him, the Hero Association had bent over backward, even breaking its usual procedures.

"Not bad. Alright, I'll join."

Kizaru was satisfied with his ranking. Hero ranks were based on achievements, not just raw strength—otherwise, Child Emperor wouldn't be ranked above Metal Knight.

Landing at Rank 9 showed the Association wasn't downplaying his contributions. If he wanted to climb higher, all he had to do was take down more monsters, which wasn't exactly difficult for him.

"Fantastic! Welcome to the Hero Association! We'll add your hero title and ranking to the official announcements as soon as possible!"

The executive beamed. Every additional S-Class hero strengthened the Association's power.

And this time, they had recruited an immensely powerful speedster.

If they could convince Kizaru to station himself in City A—or better yet, at Headquarters—it would vastly improve their security.

"Hold on!"

Before the executive could extend that invitation, Fubuki, who had been silent until now, suddenly interrupted.

"Uh… Miss Fubuki, do you have an issue?"

The executive's smile twitched. If any other B-Class hero had interrupted him, they'd soon learn what regret felt like.

But Fubuki was an exception. Not only was her sister the Rank 2 S-Class hero, but she also had some unclear connection to this new Rank 9 S-Class hero.

On top of that, Fubuki herself wasn't easy to handle.

She might be just B-Class Rank 1, but if she hadn't repeatedly refused promotions, she'd be a high-ranking A-Class hero by now.

Even the "playgroup" that her sister, Tatsumaki, dismissed—the Fubuki Group—had gradually become a significant force.

Individually, B-Class heroes weren't that strong or influential. But when thirty of them banded together under a well-connected leader like Fubuki, even the Association's executives couldn't ignore their presence.

"Kizaru was discovered by the Fubuki Group. According to the Hero Association's rules, recruiting new heroes comes with a reward, right?"

Fubuki wasn't about to let the Association off easy.

Running the Fubuki Group wasn't cheap, and the membership fees her subordinates paid barely covered expenses.

If she didn't squeeze some extra funds from the Association, how was she supposed to afford luxury cars, designer handbags, and high-end heels?

"Of course. So, as usual, should we credit the reward to the Fubuki Group?"

The executive let out a small sigh of relief.

Fubuki was referring to an early Hero Association policy. Back then, there weren't many heroes, and most weren't interested in joining.

To expand quickly, the Association had introduced a recruitment incentive: anyone who brought in a new hero who passed the entrance test would receive a bonus.

After the Association became well-known, most heroes joined voluntarily, and the policy was largely forgotten.

But now that Fubuki had brought it up, they couldn't just ignore it.

Besides, even though the reward for recruiting an S-Class hero was significant, it was a drop in the bucket for the Association.

°°°

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