Bobby and John were deeply immersed in their game of "Shinigamivs" on the computer in their bedroom, thoroughly enjoying themselves.
"Crescent Moon Sky Chong!"
"The lion plays!"
"This time it's my hand pressing lightly."
"Oh yeah, I won!"
Just then, Piot, another roommate, entered the room, sweat pouring down his face. Seeing the two engrossed in their game, he sighed and said, "Stop playing. Teacher Scott is going to test our training results tonight, and you two don't seem to care at all."
John, who was completely absorbed in the game, couldn't stop his excitement. Kaidō added, "Piot, the game is getting more and more refined with the addition of new comic characters. It's really refreshing."
Poppy, also known as the Iceman, chimed in, "Yeah, yeah, what's the rush for tonight? It's just a test."
The two continued to furiously type on their keyboards, completely ignoring Piot's warning. Piot, shaking his head, remarked, "Forget it, I'm not interested in comics."
He returned to his desk and turned on his computer.
Despite the strong academic atmosphere at their school, it wasn't overly strict. Professor Charles mostly took a hands-off approach, allowing students to use computers and phones freely.
Piot browsed Twitter and Facebook, where a trending topic caught his eye: "One Punch Man."
Curious, he clicked on it and found it was an anime adaptation.
Piot wasn't a fan of comics; he found them slow and less engaging compared to anime. He preferred the faster-paced nature of animation.
Initially, he was skeptical. The protagonist was a bald hero, and the villain appeared intimidating, leading Piot to think the hero might be defeated early on.
"I'm just a hero of interest~ˇ"
When Saitama's words echoed from the computer, Bobby John, who was still playing, perked up and asked, "Piot, what do you think of the anime? It's an adaptation of a manga."
"Stop talking nonsense. Watching anime is much faster than reading manga," Piot replied, dismissing the conversation.
Under Piot's puzzled gaze, Saitama defeated the Vaccine Man with ease.
"Why so fast!" Piot exclaimed, taken aback by the unexpected turn of events.
"Haha, Saitama is super strong," John said triumphantly, grinning.
"Saitama… teacher?" Piot asked, puzzled.
"You'll find out as you watch," John answered.
Intrigued, Piot focused on the computer as the theme song, "Playing Fat Times," began to play.
"This anime is really good," Piot admitted, quickly clicking on the next episode. Bobby and John exchanged knowing glances and laughed in unison.
Another one hooked.
Even though Piot enjoyed the anime, he wasn't inclined to start reading the manga.
In the U.S., many share Piot's sentiment. They prefer waiting for anime adaptations rather than buying comics, which they see as a waste of time and money.
Despite his reluctance, Piot became a fan of "One Punch Man" after watching the anime, though he didn't intend to start reading the manga.
With the anticipation of future collaborations, Piot asked, "Are there characters from 'One Punch Man' in this game?"
"Yes, characters like Sonic, Genos, and the new weird Poseidon are included. They're late-stage characters," John explained.
"I heard there are plans to collaborate with Stark Industries to turn it into a large-scale battle game, possibly including a virtual battle mode with comic characters from the magazine," Bobby added.
"Virtual battle might be unrealistic, but a computer game sounds exciting. I'd like to play as Saitama," Piot said eagerly.
The three played until evening, only stopping when the Phantom Cat arrived to remind them it was time.
"It's over, (┯_┯)" Bobby and John groaned, realizing they had neglected their preparation. They walked into the training room with heavy hearts.
Piot, having prepared somewhat, was more composed and relieved he was ready for the test.
The Phantom Cat, puzzled by their dejection, led them inside.
. . . . . . . . .
A week had passed since Xu Mo brought Tony Stark to his studio. Days had been calm, and Xu Mo, aware of the high costs of drawing prizes not tied to comic releases, decided to delay drawing all the prizes until the animation's follow-up.
The anime launched successfully with three episodes, and the response was enthusiastic. Uncle Andy arranged for it to air on TV once the season was complete.
In the meantime, Xu Mo was busy moving into a new house, partially discounted by Tony Stark, located in Manhattan's fringe area.
Xu Mo purchased the house in one go, and Kaneki Ken, who had been staying in a hotel, finally felt relieved to have a permanent home.
"Jinmu, you're learning really fast," Natasha complimented as she leaned over, partially revealing her car lights.
Kaneki Ken, unfazed, focused on the monitor and replied politely, "It's nothing. I just understand it."
Frustrated by repeated failures, Natasha returned to her seat, exasperated.
After two weeks of no leads, Natasha was disheartened. She had infiltrated Andy's office but only found insignificant items and future issue manuscripts, which were not useful.
Natasha began to question her effectiveness as an agent.
That evening, Kaneki Ken walked out of the hotel with a small bag, planning to take a shortcut home through a narrow alley. The street grew darker and more desolate.
As he walked, a deep, menacing voice called out, "Blade? What a sharp and nice name." The voice was accompanied by the strong scent of blood.