Right now, the more Shinji thought about it, the more disturbing everything beca. What had started as a simple attempt to understand what had happened between him and Psykos had now spiraled into confusion. The deeper he dug, the less sense things made.
Forcing himself to stay calm, Shinji began to sort through the pieces carefully.
If the Shinji that Psykos had t all those years ago was truly him, and if he hadn't yet obtained the Rinnegan at that ti, still needing to earn enough points to exchange for it through the system shop, then that ant only one thing: he was destined to acquire the Rinnegan in the future.
Which also ant sothing else entirely.
As the pieces connected, realization struck. The version of himself that Psykos described in her diary wasn't soone else. It was his future self. His eyes widened at the thought. Could it be that the Psykos from the past had sohow t the him from the future?
It was an audacious theory, but it was the most plausible explanation he had. And regardless of whether the "Shinji" ntioned in the diary really was his future incarnation, the details in Psykos' entries added credibility to her claims. Her behavior, her gaze, her attitude toward him, and the passion in her writing —none of it felt fake. Every word only served to shake him deeper.
But the most unsettling part was her description of the gray-purple eyes with concentric rings.
Even if this were so intricate fabrication or a long con, even if Psykos had been deceiving him all along, there was simply no way she, as soone born into this world, could have imagined sothing as specific as the Rinnegan. That ocular power didn't belong in the world of One Punch Man. If she hadn't seen it herself, she couldn't have described it with such detail and accuracy.
Driven by the need for clarity, Shinji continued reading the diary, hoping the answers would be buried deeper inside.
[That strange intelligence… no, that strange man suggested I start a Monster Research Club. I'd actually considered that before, but this school requires at least two mbers to form a club. Now that he's agreed to join, I can finally make it happen.]
[…]
[The Monster Research Club is officially established. I'm the president, and Shinji is the vice president. From this day on, I will sever all ties with Fubuki. If anyone tries to stop my plan, even if it's forr Club President Fubuki herself, I won't hesitate.]
[…]
[So ti has passed since the club was founded. It's still just Vice President Shinji and . But that's fine. No one else understands like he does, and I've stopped expecting anyone else to.]
[…]
[You're the only one who gets … Vice President Shinji, you'll stay with until the very end, won't you? Together, we'll bring about a new age, an age ruled by monsters!]
[…]
Shinji didn't know how many pages he had turned by this point. But then, abruptly, he spotted a section with handwriting he recognized instantly. It was unmistakable; those were his own words.
He could tell right away that the handwriting was definitely his. It was ssier than usual, like soone whose hand had grown unfamiliar with writing after a long break. That small imperfection only strengthened the theory solidifying in his heart.
[You disappeared? Why? Vice President Shinji, where did you go?! Didn't you promise to witness the arrival of the new era with ?! Where did you go? Did soone take you away? No matter how many years it takes, I will find you!!]
The diary ended there. The next page was blank. So were the ones after that.
"You've finished reading, haven't you? Did anything co back to you?"
Psykos's voice cut in, urgent and expectant.
"Mm…"
Shinji gave a quiet reply, trying to stay composed. "The handwriting in the diary… it's really mine."
"Then do you believe now?"
She looked at him with eyes filled with hope.
"Yes."
Shinji smiled. "Even if I don't have those mories yet, I can at least be sure of one thing now. What we had was real."
He had a strong suspicion that his future self had sohow t the Psykos of the past, only to disappear without warning. Why their paths had crossed back then, and what had caused his sudden vanishing, those answers still eluded him. But the mystery only pushed him to dig deeper, to uncover the full truth.
"Good. Then everything's settled~."
Psykos bead, her smile glowing with warmth.
Seeing that expression, Shinji felt a strange sense of awe. In the original series, he had never seen Psykos smile like this. And yet, in just these past two days, she had shown that sa smile more than once.
If this really was all just a grand illusion she had crafted to fool him, then maybe he didn't deserve the title of transmigrator, because whatever power she used to fake it was more ridiculous than his own system.
"Even though I'm willing to believe you, I still don't have those mories. So I can't give up being a hero…"
He finally spoke the words weighing on his heart.
"That's okay. I understand, just like you once understood ."
Her voice was gentle now, soft and sincere. "As long as you're still here, that's enough. I believe you'll rember it all soday. I'll do everything I can to help bring those mories back. But for now, go ahead. Do whatever you want to do."
She stepped back and added, "Just one small request: I hope you'll co visit often."
"I've waited far too long for the day you'd return…"
Her eyes shimred, calm and tender.
"…Alright. I promise."
Shinji nodded without hesitation.
"Do you have anything else to take care of today? If not…, would you stay and keep company?"
Psykos asked softly, almost shyly.
"…"
Shinji froze in place, caught off guard.
Was she... asking him to spend the night?
Shinji glanced at his phone. It was nearly 6 p.m., though he had no signal this far underground. "I should probably go get so dinner. Or... how about we have dinner together?" He redirected the invitation, offering it to her instead.
"That sounds good~! I've been wanting to see Vice President Shinji's ho anyway."
Psykos nodded with a cheerful smile.
Only then did she finally move her legs off his lap. Then, without hesitation, she reached out and gently took his hand. "Let's go."
Her motion was smooth, effortless, and completely natural, like this wasn't her first ti reaching for his hand.
Her soft, cool fingers curled around his, and Shinji felt his heart tremble slightly. It might have seed absurd, but this was the first ti in his life he had truly held hands with a girl, aside from family or certain "unofficial" encounters best left unntioned.
[Alert! First ti holding hands with Psykos. Reward: 20 points!]
"…Mm."
Shinji pushed aside the distraction and responded to her grip with a gentle squeeze. With a thought, he activated Flying Thunder God and teleported them both back to his ho.
The mont they appeared, they were greeted by an unexpected scene: Saitama, Genos, and Fubuki were all gathered in his living room.
Saitama was clearly there for a free al. Genos, as usual, had co for training. Fubuki was calmly munching on so cookies with a cup of tea beside her.
But the instant Psykos and Fubuki locked eyes, both won froze.
Ti itself seed to halt.
The temperature in the room dropped, and an oppressive stillness filled the space, as if the very air had turned to ice.
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