One Punch Man: Heroics Start with Dual Kamui Chapter 7 7: C-Class Number Two

With a swift horizontal slash, Shinji severed the Stag Beetle Man's legs. He had imdiately pinpointed the monster's weak spot, the legs, since they were the only parts of its body that hadn't undergone transformation. Compared to the rest of the insect-hardened shell, those remaining human limbs were clearly much more fragile.

"The fuc…?"

The monster only realized sothing was wrong when his body suddenly dropped and a piercing pain surged through his upper thighs.

"What?! My legs!" the Stag Beetle Man wailed in agony.

[Ding! Host has defeated the Tiger-level monster 'Stag Beetle Man.' Reward: 10 points!]

[Ding! First-ti defeat of a Tiger-level monster. Bonus reward: 10 points!]

With just one strike, the system had already declared victory. Without his legs, the monster was no longer capable of moving effectively and had completely lost his combat ability. With the points secured and the threat neutralized, Shinji had achieved what he ca for. He casually flicked the blood off his blade.

The blond-haired young man, still seated on the ground, stared at him in speechless amazent. After a mont, he snapped out of his daze and quickly asked, "You're a professional hero, right?"

"Yeah, just an ordinary rookie," Shinji replied calmly. "You were a little reckless earlier, but your courage is impressive. Just try to be more cautious next ti, buddy."

"Yes! I'll be more careful," the young man nodded earnestly.

Shinji then contacted the Hero Association and requested a cleanup team to handle the monster. The blond youth looked hesitant, clearly struggling with sothing inside. Once Shinji finished the call, the young man finally spoke.

"I... I want to beco a hero too. But soone like ... I probably don't have what it takes, right?"

"What are you talking about? You just stood up and protected others without hesitation. That alone already makes you a hero." Shinji smiled, didn't forget his heroic speech. "Even if others see you as a delinquent, that doesn't an you're not capable of becoming a hero."

He had already figured out the source of the guy's insecurity. That bright blond hair said enough. Hearing those words, the young man's eyes lit up. A renewed spark appeared within them.

"I get it now. I'll do my best!"

It was clear he had found his motivation again.

Not long after, the Hero Association's response unit arrived and took the Stag Beetle Man away.

---

Later on, the Z-City branch of the Hero Association reviewed Shinji's mission report and updated his official contribution record. His rank on the hero registry rose once more. This ti, he had handled a Tiger-level threat, which carried far more weight than the earlier Wolf-level incident.

According to the Association's standards, a Wolf-level monster was about the sa threat as three C-class heroes or a single B-class hero, while a Tiger-level one was equivalent to five B-class heroes or even one A-class hero. Since Shinji had defeated a Tiger-level monster alone, in terms of pure combat strength, he was already qualified for the A-class.

But rankings weren't determined by power alone, they were still heavily influenced by total contributions. So...

Shinji's new ranking was set at C-Class, Rank 2.

"So that ans... if I can challenge and defeat the top of C-Class, I'll be promoted to B-Class..."

As he glanced at the updated hero registry on the Hero Association's official website, a faint sense of satisfaction settled over him. The Association's promotion system was rigid in structure, C-Class heroes had to first reach the top of their class before qualifying for advancent. But promotion wasn't automatic. Once a hero reached number one in C-Class, they could choose to either move up to B-Class or remain where they were.

This led to a few strange dynamics.

For example, the strongest heroes in B-Class were sotis stronger than many A-Class heroes. Fubuki and Sweet Mask were perfect illustrations of that imbalance. Fubuki, holding the number one spot in B-Class, clearly surpassed the combat ability of most A-Class heroes, while Amai Mask, sitting at the top of A-Class, was undeniably stronger than a number of S-Class heroes.

This created a dilemma for ambitious B and A-Class heroes, they could only advance by defeating Fubuki or Amai Mask, which was easier said than done. Failure ant being stuck indefinitely, and that could be deeply frustrating.

Now that Shinji had risen to C-Class Rank 2, he was eligible to challenge the top-ranking hero. Moving up the ranks quickly was in his best interest, especially since every promotion triggered the system's reward feature. Without a second thought, he headed to the Hero Association's branch office and filed a formal challenge against the current number one in C-Class.

"Shinji, you're still a rookie without an official hero alias. Are you sure you want to challenge C-Class Number One, Mun Rider?"

The confirmation ca from a dark-skinned young woman acting as the review officer.

"I'm sure," Shinji said with a nod.

Although his opponent was Mun Rider, he knew this was a necessary step if he wanted to enter B-Class.

"Understood. We'll contact Mun Rider now. Please wait in the lounge."

Not long after, Mun Rider arrived at full speed, having pedaled across the city the mont he heard about the challenge. His strength might have been limited, but his stamina was remarkable. Even after sprinting there by bike, he wasn't even winded.

"Shinji! I heard you've climbed up to Rank 2 and want to challenge for a B-Class promotion," Mun Rider called out as he walked in, easily spotting him.

"That's right," Shinji responded calmly.

"Then let's do it! I'm ready. Just knock down whenever you like."

At that point, Mun Rider actually looked eager to be defeated.

Ever since he had beco the top of C-Class, every hero aiming to rise into B-Class had to go through him. He had long accepted this role. He knew his own limitations and had no desire to obstruct anyone's advancent.

Unlike Fubuki and Amai Mask, who each had their own private motivations, Mun Rider stayed at the top of C-Class because he genuinely believed he wasn't qualified to join B-Class.

Fubuki and Amai Mask, on the other hand, held their ranks for different reasons. Amai Mask in particular had taken it upon himself to guard the entrance to S-Class, where the dangers escalated dramatically. He didn't want heroes who weren't ready to face those deadly threats to suffer aningless deaths. He also had strict standards for who was morally worthy to join the S-Class, believing that people with questionable character had no place among the elite.

"Alright," Shinji said quietly, deciding that he'd take it easy on Mun Rider.

---

Following the review officer's instructions, Shinji and Mun Rider made their way to a large training arena reserved for hero sparring sessions. The officer would serve as their referee.

"Both participants ready? Then let the match begin."

As soon as the words were spoken, Mun Rider charged forward on his bike. Though he was aware he couldn't win, he still approached the match with full seriousness. For him, it was about dignity and spirit.

However, in Shinji's Sharingan-enhanced vision, Mun Rider's high-speed dash looked slow and predictable. With effortless precision, he dodged and flipped him off the bicycle.

Mun Rider was thrown into the air and crashed to the ground, landing on his back. Without hesitation, he raised a white flag in surrender.

[Alert! The host has defeated the C-Class hero "Mun Rider." Reward: 3 points!]