"So this is the fun thing you were talking about, Mr. Bang? I think I'll pass. What I'm after is absolute destructive power, not some self-defense technique," Genos said flatly, making his disinterest clear.
"What?!" Charanko jumped to his feet the moment he heard Genos refer to Master Bang's Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist as nothing more than self-defense. "You brat, how dare you look down on it? I'm Master Bang's top disciple, Charanko. Let me show you what it's about!"
Without hesitation, Charanko challenged Genos on the spot. But Genos didn't budge. From his perspective, this entire visit had already wasted his teacher's time. He didn't mind wasting his own, but letting someone else squander even a moment of Shinji's time was out of the question.
Just as Genos was about to make a move, Shinji stepped forward and lightly placed a hand on his shoulder. "Let me handle this."
"...Master?" Genos turned toward him, surprised. He hadn't expected Shinji to personally get involved. At most, he figured his teacher would give a brief demonstration. With Shinji's overwhelming power, even a careless flick might cripple someone.
"You're Master Bang's top disciple, right?" Shinji asked, looking straight at Charanko.
"That's right! You look down on Master Bang's Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist too?" Charanko responded defensively, his tone sharp and accusatory.
"Charanko, don't be reckless." Bang immediately tried to defuse the situation. He knew full well that Charanko wasn't even close to being a match for either of them. This was going to end in nothing but humiliation.
But Charanko wouldn't listen. "Today, I'll defend Master Bang's honor!"
"Then come," Shinji said calmly, assuming the exact same stance Bang had used earlier to demonstrate the Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist.
Bang's eyes widened the instant Shinji moved. He could immediately recognize the posture and technique. The form was perfect. This wasn't a crude imitation; it was the real thing, executed with flawless precision.
Charanko, meanwhile, hadn't even truly learned the technique. Despite years of training at the dojo, even Garou hadn't mastered its essence until after he'd been expelled. Garou's frightening potential came from his ability to evolve through real combat. Losing to Bang once had taught him more than years of ordinary practice.
Charanko, in contrast, only knew the surface-level basics he had picked up during his time at the dojo.
And so, unsurprisingly, he was blown away in an instant.
Shinji struck with a single move. Charanko's body flipped several times through the air before finally crashing to a stop. Thankfully, people in the One Punch Man world, especially heroes, were built to survive these kinds of hits. Even a rough defeat rarely caused serious harm, and most injuries healed rapidly.
[Alert! Host has defeated Bang's top disciple, Charanko. Reward: 6 Skill Points!]
Despite his title, Charanko's actual strength was no more than mid-to-low B-Class, barely equivalent to an average Wolf-level monster.
"Shinji, just now...!" Bang's voice rang out, filled with visible excitement. What Shinji had just displayed wasn't just similar, it was the exact same Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist Bang had casually demonstrated moments ago.
And he had mastered it after seeing it only once.
As the true master of Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist, Bang had taken the art to its absolute peak. That's why he could immediately judge the level of control Shinji had just demonstrated.
Though the movements were still slightly raw, the fact that Shinji could use the Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist in actual combat, executing it with such precision and stability, was nothing short of astonishing. If the technique had been too smooth, Bang might've suspected prior practice. But it was the slight roughness in Shinji's execution that confirmed this had been his very first attempt.
Bang was certain that Shinji hadn't trained in the technique before. More importantly, Bang himself was the only person who had ever mastered and taught this martial art. He'd never passed it along outside his dojo, which left only one conclusion:
Shinji had watched him perform the Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist once and, through sheer insight, managed to replicate and wield it in real combat.
Bang was shaken. This young man's perception and comprehension were terrifying beyond reason.
"Thank you. This really is a powerful and practical martial art." Shinji gave Bang a respectful nod.
"!"
Genos, realizing what he'd just witnessed, finally put the pieces together. His teacher had used the same technique Bang had demonstrated earlier.
"Master! That move... was it the self-defense technique from before?"
"It's not a self-defense technique," Bang corrected him immediately. "It's called Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist."
Then he turned to Genos with a sigh. "By the way, you call Shinji your teacher, right?"
Genos nodded.
"He truly deserves that title. Of all the people I've seen in my life, no one, absolutely no one, has more talent in martial arts than he does. Not even me." Bang said.
"...What do you mean?" Genos asked.
"You underestimated Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist," Bang said quietly. "The fact that he mastered it after seeing it once makes him a once-in-a-millennium martial arts genius."
Bang folded his hands behind his back. With his slightly hunched frame and calm demeanor, he looked out at the courtyard and continued slowly, "If he were even remotely interested in my dojo, I'd pass it on to him this very day and retire without hesitation."
Watching Shinji replicate a technique he'd spent decades refining made Bang suddenly feel the weight of his years. This world belonged to the next generation now.
"..."
Genos stood silently. Only now did he begin to understand the true value of Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist.
Bang was the third-ranked S-Class hero, after all. If even he offered such praise, then Shinji's technique must have been on an unbelievable level.
Still, Genos wasn't too shocked. He had long known how terrifying his teacher's abilities were.
"Shinji, would you be willing to take over my dojo?"
Though Bang already knew the answer, he couldn't help but ask.
"Sorry, I'll have to refuse," Shinji said without hesitation.
Picking up a martial art like Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist had only been a casual act for him. Taking over an entire dojo came with responsibilities and burdens he didn't care for. He simply didn't have time for that.
"I figured," Bang said, nodding with a small smile.
"By the way, didn't you use to have a lot of disciples? Why is it just Charanko here now?" Shinji asked, pretending not to know.
[Alert! Event triggered: "Legend of the Lone Wolf." Reward: 50 points!]