"Seems like some weirdo's taken an interest in me. I think his name was... Sonic the Speed-o'-Sound? Or maybe... Panic the Joint-Breaker?"
While sitting at the dinner table with Saitama, Shinji listened with mild amusement as the bald hero recounted his recent mission involving the Bald Gang called Paradisers.
"You probably mean Speed-o'-Sound Sonic? Though honestly, both names sound ridiculous..." Shinji said, unable to resist a jab.
He wasn't wrong. "Sonic" already meant "speed of sound," so naming someone "Speed-o'-Sound Sonic" was like calling him "Sonic the Sonic." It was almost offensively redundant. And it wasn't an isolated case either, since there was "Flashy Flash," "Windy Wind," "Flamy Flame." All the same kind of absurdity. Apparently, every ninja from that particular village was cursed with tautological nonsense for names.
"He told me to wait for him. Said he'd come back and defeat me with some ultimate ninja technique," Saitama muttered as he picked at his rice. "Honestly, I think he might be trouble."
Shinji waved it off. "Don't worry, dude. You're more than strong enough to handle that."
Saitama grunted. "Whatever. I'll just pretend that guy never existed."
With that, he went back to his manga as if none of it really mattered.
…
[Alert! Host has reached the 'Monster Association.' Reward: 5 points!]
[Alert! Host has entered Psykos's secret hideout. Reward: 10 points!]
Since he had promised to visit Psykos every day, Shinji made a stop at her underground lair whenever he had time.
"I was worried you might've forgotten about me. But you came after all, Vice President Shinji."
Her voice brightened the moment she saw him materialize.
"I don't like breaking promises," Shinji said with a small, reassuring smile.
"That's the Shinji I remember..." Psykos exhaled softly, as if the air itself carried memory.
"Can you tell me more about our past?" Shinji asked, eyes locked on hers.
He was genuinely curious. Maybe if there was even a grain of truth in her story, it would come through in conversation.
"Of course. Come sit next to me."
Psykos patted the spot beside her on the couch, her gesture light but inviting.
The problem? It was a compact, two-person sofa. And Psykos, lounging comfortably with all the confidence of a queen, was already occupying most of the space. When Shinji sat down, he had to shift sideways just to fit.
Psykos didn't seem to notice, or maybe she just didn't care. Without warning, she casually uncrossed her legs and rested them across Shinji's lap.
"…"
Shinji opened his mouth as if to say something, then promptly shut it again.
"Now that I think about it," Psykos began, voice turning warm and nostalgic, "the first time we met... I think it was you who approached me."
Her eyes softened as the memory took hold.
"Back then, I had just left the Esper Research Society. The former president and I had split, and I was completely adrift. I didn't know what to do or where to go. But then you appeared. Out of nowhere, you walked up to me and said we should start a Monster Research Society together."
"I approached you first?" Shinji echoed, eyebrows raised. "I… didn't say anything weird, did I?"
He looked half-skeptical, half-nervous, as if trying to mentally brace for some awkward memory that might not even exist.
He didn't think of himself as the kind of guy who went around randomly flirting with girls, no matter how attractive they were. At most, he'd take a glance and move on.
"Nope~," Psykos replied with a faint smile. "You didn't say anything strange. You were genuinely interested in monsters, and for the first time, I felt like someone actually understood me. And I was right."
"No one else even tried to understand you?"
Shinji kept his voice careful, trying to draw out more details without pushing too hard. He already knew that Psykos's ideology was something no normal person would accept. But her story might reveal more about the source of her madness, and that mysterious "God."
Back when she was still a student, Psykos had beliefs eerily close to Vaccine Man's. She saw humanity as a disease, parasites devouring the Earth, and she dreamed of a mass extinction event to "cleanse" the world.
Everything about that mindset echoed the influence of that so-called "God." There was no concrete proof, but the pieces were all too neat. Vaccine Man's energy orb powers were practically identical to those of the Homeless Emperor. Their views, their rhetoric, even their connection to nature's revenge, all pointed back to the same source.
"Yes," Psykos said softly. "Even before I created the Monster Research Society, not a single person in the Esper Research Society understood me. Not even the one I admired the most, President Fubuki..."
The moment she said that name, her expression changed. Her features twisted into something tight and bitter, pain and hatred swirling behind her eyes.
"She didn't just fail to understand me. She sealed my psychic powers."
Shinji's eyes narrowed slightly. That matched what he remembered.
Back in their student days, Fubuki had pulled one hell of a stunt. Just as Psykos was about to surpass her in psychic strength, Fubuki took matters into her own hands. She lured Psykos under a cherry blossom tree and kissed her, stealing her first kiss while planting a psychic seal in that exact moment.
That wasn't a metaphor. It was an actual psychic seal buried in the kiss itself.
So not only did Fubuki strip her of her powers, but she humiliated her in the process. No wonder Psykos's hatred ran so deep.
And as if that wasn't enough, Fubuki's reasoning back then had been utterly warped. She'd rejected Psykos's plan to wipe out humanity because, in her mind, there was no point in ruling if there were no weaklings left to dominate. Her obsession with hierarchy and superiority made her cling to the idea that crushing others was the entire point of strength.
Compared to her student self, today's Fubuki might seem cold and manipulative, but back then, she had been genuinely ruthless.
"At the time, I had just awakened the Third Eye," Psykos continued, her tone simmering. "Even with my old psychic powers sealed, I kept growing stronger. But I'll never forget what that woman did to me. Never."
The more respect she'd once had for Fubuki, the more that betrayal had festered.
Her former mentor had become her jailer. Her idol had turned into her worst enemy.
"You mentioned someone named Fubuki… I think I've met her," Shinji said offhandedly, testing her reaction.
"Really?"
Psykos's eyes lit up with alertness, then her expression shifted to something more thoughtful. "Not surprising. I know she's the top-ranked B-Class hero now."
She paused.
Then her eyes narrowed, and her voice turned sharp. "That woman… has she done anything to you?"
There was real concern in her gaze. It wasn't just suspicion; she was genuinely worried.
Shinji played it down, keeping his voice neutral. "Yeah. She came to my place with a bunch of people and tried to suppress me."
Psykos froze. Her expression darkened in an instant.
"I knew it… that woman…!"
Her voice dropped to a dangerous whisper.
"Vice President Shinji, you need to stay far away from her. That woman is poison."