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OPM: Heroics Start with Dual Kamui 23
🕑 Added 2025-07-06 12:35:35 +0000 UTCChapter 23: Genjutsu
Shinji had acted on impulse, but to his surprise, he had actually managed to take control of Vaccine Man using genjutsu.
[Alert! In the “One Punch Man” world, the host can use genjutsu to control any opponent they’ve previously defeated. The controlled target retains their own consciousness but must absolutely obey the host. Currently, the host can control up to three targets at once through genjutsu, but this limit can be increased later.]
Just as he was still processing what had happened, the system provided a clear explanation.
So that’s how it works...
Shinji gave a small nod in understanding.
Vaccine Man wasn’t just any enemy; he was a Dragon-level monster, and among them, he was considered one of the more powerful threats. Gaining control over him was nothing short of a massive gain. Not only had Shinji secured a high-tier subordinate, but he had also earned a solid chunk of reward points in the process.
Honestly, if Vaccine Man hadn’t been caught off guard by the Flying Thunder God and dual Kamui combo, Shinji wouldn’t have taken him down so easily.
According to the original lore, Vaccine Man was seen as the strongest monster before Boros ever entered the picture. His energy sphere attacks were more destructive than the Homeless Emperor’s, his body was significantly tougher, and he had multiple transformation stages that elevated his threat level even further.
In every aspect, Vaccine Man was a clear upgrade over Homeless Emperor. It made sense, then, that after Vaccine Man was eliminated by Saitama in one punch, the so-called “god” had to resort to choosing a weaker substitute.
Anyway, moments later, Vaccine Man began to regain awareness. But it didn’t seem to realize that it had fallen under genjutsu. Instinctively, it tried to gather energy to launch an orb at Shinji, only to find that no matter how hard it concentrated, nothing happened.
“???”
The confusion on its face was unmistakable.
Shinji immediately understood what was happening. Since Vaccine Man was now bound to absolute obedience, he physically couldn’t initiate an attack on his new master. The system had clearly implemented a specialized version of genjutsu in this world. The target retained its consciousness and personality but was forced to follow Shinji’s commands no matter what.
He actually preferred it that way. Shinji never liked puppets with no mind of their own. A subordinate who could think, act, and strategize, while still obeying, was far more valuable.
“Stop wasting energy. You can’t hurt me anymore. I’ll come find you later,” Shinji said calmly.
With that, he left the Kamui dimension, leaving Vaccine Man floating alone in that pitch-black space, blinking in utter confusion.
“You’re back? Where’d you disappear to just now?”
Saitama’s voice greeted him the moment he reappeared. The caped bald hero looked genuinely curious, as if Shinji had just taken a stroll and popped back in.
“Just took care of a little side business. What’s going on here?” Shinji asked, glancing around.
That’s when he noticed the growing crowd. A large group of heroes and reporters had surrounded them. Cameras flashed. Microphones pointed. The news teams were already live, broadcasting the scene across multiple channels.
“They showed up while you were gone. They keep saying I was the one who defeated the monster. But you’re the one who did it.” Saitama looked genuinely helpless, scratching his head as the crowd buzzed around him.
“Saitama, you’re far too modest. Among everyone here, you’re the only S-Class hero. Who else could have defeated a Dragon-level threat if not you?”
“Exactly. You were the only one present, and the monster’s corpse is right at your feet.”
“They say this was a Dragon-level disaster. Saitama-san, would you allow us to interview you for your thoughts?”
“...”
Is… Is Saitama getting the KING treatment?
The reporters weren’t listening to a single thing he said. It wasn’t entirely their fault either. The timing had been unfortunate. Right after Shinji entered the Kamui dimension to subdue Vaccine Man, this group of heroes and reporters arrived. From their point of view, Saitama was standing next to the fallen monster, with no other combatants in sight. The assumption was natural.
“I already told you, the one who beat the monster was him!” Saitama pointed directly at Shinji, trying once again to clear up the misunderstanding.
“Isn’t he that B-Class hero, Kamui? That doesn’t sound right. I mean, this was a Dragon-level monster.”
“No wonder he was classified directly as an S-Class hero. He took down a Dragon-level threat like it was nothing.”
“He’s last place in the rankings right now, but with strength like that, he should definitely be in the top ten.”
“...”
None of the gathered heroes believed a single word of Saitama’s explanation. Yup, Saitama had taken the position of KING.
It just didn’t compute. Nobody had witnessed Shinji fight the monster. No one had seen the incredible speed, the teleportation, the Kamui dimension, or the genjutsu. So to them, the idea that a B-Class hero had taken down a Dragon-level threat in less than a minute was completely absurd.
Letting out a sigh, Shinji silently opened a portal and tossed Vaccine Man’s head from the Kamui dimension into the middle of the crowd.
With a sickening thud, a massive, mutated head hit the pavement and rolled a few feet before stopping. Its grotesque features and glowing eyes sent immediate shockwaves through the crowd.
“I-It’s still alive?!”
“Wait, does that mean Saitama didn’t defeat it? What’s going on?!”
“It moved! It just moved! Aaaaahhh, !!”
Panic erupted. Reporters screamed. A few heroes nearly collapsed, and more than one person looked seconds away from fainting. Vaccine Man’s head, twisted into its enraged mutation form, was a terrifying sight. Everyone there had just witnessed the destruction it had caused minutes earlier, so the idea that even a part of it was still alive triggered pure chaos.
And then the head twitched. Its remaining energy pulsed. It attempted to open its mouth and charge an orb.
“Stay.”
Shinji’s voice was sharp, calm, and commanding.
Vaccine Man froze instantly, paralyzed by a single word. Bound by the absolute obedience of the genjutsu, it had no choice but to comply.
The entire crowd was stunned into silence. A Dragon-level monster, completely and utterly submissive... to a B-Class hero?
Without further comment, Shinji waved his hand and absorbed the head back into the Kamui dimension, sealing it away once again. Then he turned to Saitama.
“Come on, let’s go home.”
The two of them turned and left the crowd behind.
All around them, expressions were frozen, reporters speechless, heroes wide-eyed, cameras forgotten in trembling hands. No one knew what to say.
Saitama gave a casual nod, clearly unbothered. He had no intention of staying for interviews. He never cared about glory, and he wasn’t about to start now.
…
Soon after, they returned home.
Saitama dropped onto the couch and sat in silence for a few moments.
“This really isn’t what I imagined being a hero would be like…” he muttered, still unsettled.
The reactions from the reporters and other heroes echoed in his mind. Why had everyone so easily dismissed the possibility that Shinji could have defeated the Dragon-level monster just because of his lower rank? Why did heroism have to be buried under so much hierarchy and assumption?
He didn’t have an answer. But one thing was clear, this wasn’t the dream he once pictured.
Still, things had already progressed to this point. It wasn’t as though he could just walk away from the Hero Association now.
Shinji gave a knowing smile but didn’t say anything. He understood Saitama’s discomfort all too well. The Hero Association was a structure riddled with inefficiencies. Its obsession with rigid systems, arbitrary rankings, and self-serving politics clashed with people like Saitama, who saw heroism not as a job or status, but as a personal calling, something done simply because it felt right.
But that was the reality of human society. The system wasn’t entirely without merit. It had its use, after all. The real rot didn’t stem from the structure itself, but from the powerful individuals exploiting it for their own agendas, using the system as cover.
Eventually, Saitama stopped brooding and resumed playing video games, his earlier frustration melting away under the familiar comfort of button mashing and digital battles.
...
Meanwhile, Shinji returned to his Kamui dimension.
Inside, he found Vaccine Man, still just a severed head, already undergoing regeneration.
“I was thinking about retrieving your body and bringing it here... but it looks like that won’t be necessary,” Shinji said casually as he observed the slow growth of flesh reconnecting below the neck.
Startled by Shinji’s sudden appearance, Vaccine Man flinched. He had already managed to regenerate one muscular arm, which he now used to awkwardly rotate his head to face Shinji.
“What did you do to me?! Why can’t I attack you?!” His deep voice rumbled with barely contained rage, the veins in his forehead throbbing from frustration.
“I know you’re frustrated, but calm down,” Shinji replied with a faint, amused smile. “Right now, you’re basically my slave. And really, have you ever heard of a slave hurting their master?”
