One Punch Man: "The hell!! Did I transmigrate as King?"

Because he had drunk alcohol the day before, Kaito slept soundly until late morning.

Sunlight streamed through a gap in the curtains onto his face. He stretched lazily, his bones crackling softly.

"It seems that after my physique improved, even hangovers recover much faster," Kaito muttered to himself, feeling the surging power within. He was satisfied.

Yesterday, he had drunk quite a lot of wheat juice. After returning to his bedroom, he had practically passed out the moment his head hit the pillow.

Pushing open the bedroom door, an inviting aroma immediately wafted into his nostrils.

In the living room, Mosquito Girl, dressed in a black-and-white maid outfit, was carefully flipping takoyaki in a frying pan. Her slender metal fingers skillfully wielded a bamboo skewer, and her pale profile looked surprisingly soft in the morning light.

"Boss! You're awake!"

Hearing movement, Mosquito Girl turned around in surprise, her maid outfit swaying slightly with the sudden motion. She nervously wiped her hands on her apron.

"I—I made takoyaki with the ingredients in the fridge. I don't know if it suits your taste..."

Kaito raised an eyebrow, amused by how completely this once-violent being had embraced the maid persona.

Her previously savage, blood-red eyes now shimmered with nervous anticipation—like a puppy waiting for its master's approval.

"Since you're offering..." Kaito yawned deliberately, watching her wring the edge of her apron with anxiety. "I'll reluctantly give it a try."

He sat down grandly at the dining table. Mosquito Girl quickly scurried over with a plate of golden-crisp takoyaki.

The surface glistened with oil, dancing bonito flakes, and seaweed bits. The aroma was mouthwatering.

Kaito speared one with a bamboo skewer and took a bite.

The outside was crispy, the inside chewy, the octopus pieces tender and juicy. The sauce balanced sweet and savory perfectly.

He glanced at Mosquito Girl with some surprise—he hadn't expected her to have actual culinary skills.

"The taste is... passable," Kaito said coolly, feigning indifference. "But you still need to work harder."

Mosquito Girl's eyes lit up instantly, and a faint blush rose on her cheeks.

"Yes! Boss! I'll definitely work even harder!"

She turned around cheerfully and brought over another large plate of takoyaki—this time with a cold beer on the side.

[Ding! Mosquito Girl has developed a strong sense of recognition and dependency from the host's 'passing' evaluation. Deterrence Points +5!]

Kaito continued the meal—somewhere between breakfast and lunch—watching Mosquito Girl bustle around. Her figure, paired with the soft maid outfit, was quite the sight. Pleasing to the eye, no doubt.

Just then, Mosquito Girl returned, struggling a bit as she carried a metal box from the entrance.

It wasn't large, but its sharp edges and cold, industrial design stood out. There were no visible markings.

"Boss, this..."

She placed it at Kaito's feet. "I found it at the apartment door this morning. There's a note—it seems to be for you."

Kaito took the note and recognized the neat yet childish handwriting immediately.

"Mr. King,

As per your request, I worked through the night to complete this prototype! Though it's just a basic model, it already supports remote control and combat functions. Please test it and send feedback—I'll improve the final version based on the data!

—Child Emperor"

"This kid's really efficient," Kaito murmured, popping the last takoyaki into his mouth.

He pressed a hidden button on the box, just as the note instructed.

With a click, a high-tech control handle rose from the box.

The moment Kaito gripped it, the box began to shift and transform—metal components writhing and unfolding like a living organism. In seconds, it reconfigured into a half-human-sized mechanical hound.

"Woof!"

The synthetic growl was laced with menace. Crimson electronic eyes flickered with dangerous light.

The hound fluidly performed complex maneuvers—pouncing, rolling, leaping. Beneath its armored plates, miniature missile launchers were faintly visible.

Kaito expertly guided it through a series of tactical movements before reverting it back into box form.

He picked up the box one-handed, testing its weight.

Heavy for most people—but barely noticeable for someone of his enhanced physique.

"Guess I'll start carrying this little guy around," Kaito nodded in satisfaction.

Another layer of safety—secured.

He set the box aside, walked to his wallet, pulled out a wad of crisp banknotes, and handed them casually to Mosquito Girl, who had been watching the mechanical display in awestruck silence.

"Take these," Kaito said, his voice calm once more. "The restriction on you leaving the apartment is lifted."

Mosquito Girl looked up, her crimson eyes flooding with disbelief and joy—tinged with confusion.

Freedom? Even if it was limited freedom?

"From now on, you'll be responsible for groceries, supplies, and so on."

He added coldly, "Tell me if you run low on money. But remember—your life depends on my mood. Don't even think about doing anything stupid."

"Yes! Boss! Thank you, Boss! I promise I won't disappoint you!"

Mosquito Girl trembled slightly as she accepted the money, clutching it tightly—like it was a ticket to a new life.

The immense surprise—and the subtle weight of being entrusted with a duty—left Mosquito Girl overwhelmed. Her eyes shimmered as if tears might spill at any second.

The right to purchase things freely.

It wasn't just the lifting of a confinement order—it felt like... trust?

Or perhaps something deeper. A softer leash? A more intimate form of bondage?

She couldn't tell. But the surge of emotion coursing through her chest—excitement, gratitude, fear—was undeniable.

[Ding! Mosquito Girl has generated a strong sense of belonging and gratitude (mixed with fear) due to gaining limited freedom and purchasing rights. Deterrence Points +10!]

Kaito didn't look at her again.

He simply turned away and picked up the tote bag containing the folded-up mechanical hound. With his other hand, he grabbed the briefcase Chiba Reina had forgotten yesterday.

"I'm heading to the Association headquarters this afternoon. I'll be back before dinner."A City – AfternoonSunlight gleamed off steel and glass. Towering above the city center was the Hero Association Headquarters—a shimmering skyscraper of futuristic design.

Its walls, a mosaic of mirrored glass, caught and scattered sunlight like a beacon of authority and precision.

Inside the massive lobby, bustling with heroes and staff, Kaito stepped in silently.

And then—chaos.

A familiar blur of motion surged through the crowd: Chiba Reina, arms overloaded with documents, her chestnut ponytail bouncing behind her like a metronome set to panic.

She was clearly late. Again.

Her curves swayed dramatically with each hurried step, and her already-strained white blouse looked dangerously close to a wardrobe malfunction.

"Ah!"

With a startled yelp, she slammed squarely into Kaito's chest.

The impact sent papers flying like startled pigeons. Reina stumbled back a step, bowing repeatedly without even registering who she'd hit.

"I'm so sorry! I wasn't looking—!"

She looked up.

And froze.

Her face flushed from her collarbone to her ears in record time.

"K-King-sama?!"

Kaito nonchalantly caught the final document fluttering down with one hand.

His gaze shifted for the briefest moment—to her chest, which rose and fell with nervous breaths.

The blouse's top button, already at critical strain levels, finally surrendered with a soft but decisive pop.

Time slowed.

The button twirled through the air like a snowflake caught in a breeze before clattering to the floor.

Reina stared down at her newly exposed neckline in stunned silence... then up at Kaito, lips parting slightly in a small, shocked "O."