The Ultimate Disciple

Astronomers tracking a meteor's path panic when its trajectory shifts and it locks onto Z-City. A mass alert warns of imminent impact. At home, Saitama and Genos compare their standings, with the cyborg climbing several rungs in C-Class while his master holds steady but grows in public fame. When the association calls every available S-Class hero to intercept the threat, only Bang and Genos answer. Bang urges the younger hero to flee with the evacuees, though he himself refuses to abandon the city for reasons tied to his own pride.

Racing toward the projected point of impact, Genos passes civilians who have surrendered to despair, and he resolves to act rather than run, in part because his teacher lives in the target zone. Metal Knight arrives to trial a new weapon but declines any cooperation, and his firepower fails to halt the rock. Genos steps up next, frozen for a moment by fear of failing until Bang steadies him. In the end, none of their attacks matter, because Saitama pulverizes the meteor with a single punch. The debris, however, rains across the city and destroys countless homes.

Afterward, Saitama is stunned to learn Genos vaulted from the low three hundreds all the way to fifth rank. Genos explains the threat-level system that dictates when heroes deploy, and Saitama counters that abandoning the helpless defeats the whole point, words his disciple takes to heart. Out on the ruined streets, a resentful Tanktop Tiger summons his brother Tanktop Black Hole to rile a crowd into blaming Saitama for the damage. Saitama flips the confrontation, declaring under Bang's watchful eye that he plays hero purely because he enjoys it, not for their gratitude, and that their hatred means nothing to him.

A meteor changes course toward Z-City and triggers an evacuation. Bang and Genos respond, Metal Knight's weapon fails, and Saitama destroys the meteor with one punch, though the falling fragments devastate the city. Genos rockets up the S-Class rankings. An angry mob led by the Tanktop brothers turns on Saitama, who shames them with a blunt speech about why he chooses to be a hero.

This installment draws on chapters 21 and 22 and belongs to the Giant Meteor Arc. Metal Knight, listed as Bofoi, gives the end-credits monologue. The adaptation adds material absent from the source, such as the scenes of scientists detecting the meteor, Genos browsing internet forums, and the walk home afterward, and Genos was not even present for this event in the manga. The episode also hides a Parasyte reference and a nod to Dr. Genus.