Chapter 17: The Man Behind the Mask

The duo made their camp in Hosu, waiting for a chance to engage the Hero Hunter at apropos. The hotel Toshinori stayed in was in somewhat dire straits ever since the Hero Hunter staked his claim in Hosu, the influx of visitors decreasing to a crawl, but it still held on. Toshinori had more than enough currency to stay in this hotel for months if need be, thanks to Sir Nighteye's efforts.

Izuku, on the other hand, could not stay in Hosu as often as Yagi due to his personal life. The best he could do was to join Yagi after school hours on weekdays, searching for Garou in the late afternoon.

The next day after the one-sided slaughter of the villains, Toshinori and Izuku searched for Garou once more, starting with the usual place. However, another hero was engaging Garou. It was Crimson Riot, rechallenging Garou in retaliation for his record of defeats and humiliations.

For some reason, Garou always gave Crimson Riot special attention even before the truce, picking on him more than the other heroes. Izuku still took note of how Garou always liked turning him into a human pretzel after emasculating him again and again, defaming the courageous hero without an iota of shame.

It was a wonder that Crimson Riot could challenge Garou on his home turf. Garou played with him for a while before turning Crimson Riot into a pretzel again, throwing him at the ambulance to pick up. No one really knew what Garou had against Crimson Riot, but he never stopped picking on the poor hero.

Afterward, they waited for the Hero Hunter to leave the arena during lunchtime. Even the Demon of Hosu had needs that he could not ignore, such as the need for food, drink, and sleep, after all. He was hard to track, so the duo started with the nearby restaurants, looking for locations where he could dine in peace, but lo, they encountered Garou eating at a stall.

Some of Hosu's residents were aware of the Hero Hunter's identity, a fact that surprised the Hero and apprentice. Even some of the shopkeepers were casually speaking Garou's name in private, like the shrimp-headed chef. Not only that, the unmasked hero Ingenium made a surprise visit, asking them what was wrong, yet when Ingenium noticed that Garou was eating alone, he surprised the two by dining with Garou.

How the residents acclimated to Garou's presence outside his Hero Hunter persona surprised the two, adding further credence that Garou was never a villain in the first place compared to the everyday folks.

After Garou left the stall, they made sure to follow him to the best of their ability until they found a way to make the first contact with the Hero Hunter - one that wouldn't entail a reservation with the hospital. The Hero Hunter made his warning clear about his tolerance against spies from the government, and the two were in doing something that would warrant a painful trip to the hospital.

However, when the Hero Hunter made a sharp turn into a shadowy alley, Yagi and Izuku perked their heads upon seeing his entering. The two glanced at each other, one gulping audibly and the other tugging at his collar to cool his nervous sweat.

With palpable hesitation, the two peeked around the corner, widening their eyes upon seeing him gone.

"H-He's gone! U-Um, d-do you think he i-is onto us?" Midoriya almost shouted before he clasped his mouth shut, shaking in his knees.

Toshinori was about to respond, but the voice behind answered first.

"Long time no see, skeleton." A dangerously familiar voice spoke behind them.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Midoriya yelled.

"ADWOEFJERIFHELDJWOEDJIERGNWIJFQEJO!" Toshinori screamed his heart in untranslatable gibberish.

They threw their heads behind to see the unamused eyes of the Demon of Hosu bearing down on them. He somehow got behind them, but neither of the stalkers was surprised by this feat.

"Our second meeting, and you're still rude as ever, huh?" Garou quipped, staring at the Yagi, who was glistening from excess sweat. When Garou's eyes rolled to Izuku, Midoriya flinched when Garou caught him in his scrutinizing gaze. Midoriya felt as if a predator was appraising him head to toe like a domesticated cat before a wolf.

Toshinori quickly shook his composure back with a shake of his head and promptly responded, "I-I'm sorry. Anyways, it has been a while then, Bang."

Incredible awkwardness leaking from his nervous chuckle as sweat still formed like dew.

"Why are you following me?"

They were screwed. The moment he asked this question, he strangled their fates with a thread. His perception of their activities matched his skill in combat, his eyes narrowing with growing suspicion more and more each second. One slip and they would join the body pile.

"I-I-I-I-well-"

Toshinori Yagi stammered, his teeth clattering from the stress. The scenario he found himself was similar to when he tried to explain himself to Tsukauchi in his early hero days. However, this time he must explain himself to a man that could end his career in a heartbeat after giving him a one-way ticket to the hospital. Ah, Garou's eyes were narrowing into accusing slits. He really did not want to fight Garou again under these circumstances.

"M-May I have your autograph?!"

Izuku swiftly pulled a notepad from his pocket and presented it to the Demon of Hosu.

Garou was confused. Yagi was shocked, stupid. Izuku had no idea what he was doing.

"Hah?" Garou shifted all of his attention towards Izuku, his brow creased with confoundment warping his features. Looked at the notepad for a moment, his eyes slanting into narrow slits of suspicion.

"You… are taking notes on me?"

Spluttering, Izuku threw his eyes at his notepad, paling upon seeing it was the same one he wrote all of his thoughts and analysis on the Hero Hunter himself. Before Izuku could hide it in his pocket, Garou swiped it from his hands and flipped over the pages as his eyes scrutinized the contents.

"The hell is this?" Garou muttered as his eyes flickered from top to bottom. "'...-physique as lithe as Eraserhead yet bearing the power of All Might. His fists tore through laminar clothes, leather, metal, can slice…' wow." Garou flicked his eyes to the boy that was quivering his legs.

"You've paid quite a lot of your attention on me, haven't you?"

The air shifted, tension stretching the atmosphere taut with foreboding like a wolf staring down a frightened pup. Izuku gulped, teeth chattering like mad as he wrenched a response from the mire of panic.

"I, um, I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-'m a fan of your w-w-w-work! T-The way you f-f-f-fight i-is really good! Awe-inspiring!"

Izuku had no idea where he was pulling his words from since his composure swiftly fled with the wind. His eyes were wide as saucers while his body was vibrating like a strung string.

His legs were quivering, his ankles jellifying, and his knees turning to mush. Not only that, Garou stepped closer to Midoriya, intimidating him as he looked up at Garou looming over him like a wolf appraising his food. It was the first time Izuku felt like prey, and the experience was scarier than his imagination could wring.

"I can see that…" Garou's face was of… concern, his lips pursed into an uncomfortable knot.

"Are you a stalker?"

"Pfffffffff!" Garou's accusation struck Izuku's gut, forcing him into a coughing fit as he hacked his lungs out.

"And you." Garou switched his focus to Toshinori. All of Yagi's muscles tensed when his eyes laid upon him.

"You lead him here, didn't you?"

"Ack!"

Blood from his hemoptysis spilled through his teeth as he coughed violently alongside Midoriya. Their reactions mirrored that of a comedic duo performing the same act for an unamused audience of one.

"I didn't take you as suicidal when we met. Why the hell did you bring him here of all places? You do know who I am, right?"

They could hear the patience bleeding dry and suspicion dripping off his tone.

"Ahaha, G-Bang, I am… well, I wanted to see if the man I met before was anything like the Demon of Hosu. I mean…"

"I don't touch civies," Garou bluntly stated.

"Ah, I-I see…"

Like that, Garou destroyed the conversation and the Yagi's momentum. Ironically, Yagi did see this debacle coming when he decided to spy on the one that severely damaged his right arm and beat up the morale of the Hero Society one-handed, but, despite this foreseeing of events, Yagi could not write a counter to this scenario.

Garou was an unknown, a Hunter as he had portrayed throughout these devastating months. Yagi could barely scratch the surface of his character without taking severe risks to dig in deeper. Yagi knew the dangers behind this choice, but there was no other way without endangering the fragile peace Garou allowed.

"W-Well… ummm… so… how are you today?" Yagi stuttered. Garou did not respond to his weak attempt to strike a conversation.

Toshinori hoped that his words held some sway to Garou's mood. Testing the Hero Hunter's temperament with his own body was not something he wished to confront.

"If you want to talk, there are better places than in an alleyway. And following someone behind their backs is the fastest one-way ticket to the hospital," Garou rolled his eyes.

Yagi agreed with that. Frankly, he had no idea what else to do. This was his first time spying on others, this 'other' being the most dangerous man in Japan.

Garou looked at Izuku for a moment, his eyes throwing a piercing gaze, as he suddenly crouched and resumed scrutinizing Izuku up close. His face was so close to Izuku that he felt his breath refusing to leave his lungs as sweat poured out twice as fast as ever.

"This is the kid you talked about before?" Garou asked. "He looks so… dumb."

Izuku awkwardly laughed, unsure how to respond to his bluntly hurtful opinion.

"W-Well, um, sorry if you think so. But I-I believe that-"

"Shut it. We all know that this is not the case." Garou cut him off, verbally slicing the taut string holding their composure together with foreboding.

Izuku and Toshinori froze in their place, gulping their growing nervousness. More sweat trickled their skin as fear gripped their hearts. Izuku frantically prayed behind his panicking exterior while Yagi looked like he was ready to collapse from the tension on his trembling feet.

Garou's eyes locked into them as if he saw through their facade, glaring at the bitter truth hidden behind strained faces.

"So, what do you think?"

""...hm?"" Their eyes went white with confusion.

"Hm? Just 'hm?' Is that all you got for the Hero Hunter? The Hunter Amongst Villains? You came all this way to see me, skeleton, yet you don't have anything you want to say? Is it that hard to find the words on how you feel about the man you met months ago being behind the drop of heroes and villains? Really?"

Garou spread his arms apart, displaying himself before the two as they slowly understood his message.

""Ah…""

They felt embarrassed now. They were so overwhelmed by their fear that they could barely keep up with the conversation.

"Well… I'm somewhat surprised. When I first came to Hosu, I was kind of shocked that so many people know who you are…"

"You're wondering why I'm not reported or something, right?"

'No one wants mass panic.' Toshinori grimly answered in his head, reminded of his defeat at the man's hands.

"Um," Izuku shakily raised his hands. "M-May I have my notepad back?"

Garou looked at the thing in his hand, finding that he was still holding onto it.

"Hmmm… why should I?" Garou asked. "You're taking notes on me, so why should I let you have it?"

Izuku gulped, "B-Because… I-I want to know how to… be strong like you."

Izuku watched as Garou pulled back, his eyes shifting from what seemed like condescending scrutiny to newfound curiosity.

"Hoh?" Garou showed some interest. "You a Quirkless?"

Izuku furtively threw a glance at Toshinori, wanting his guidance. This situation seemed apropos for an opportune moment to form a connection with the Hero Hunter himself, but the answer to this question was… tricky. Toshinori gave Izuku a nod, giving him the green light to speak the truth.

"Y-Yes. I'm Quirkless." Izuku answered with a firmer tone, nodding as he looked up at the enemy of herokind.

The reason why this answer complicated their situation was because of Toshinori's Quirk, One For All. If Garou found out that he had a Quirk during UA's initiation ceremony, he might this a severe breach of trust, one that might lead to critical consequences on their side.

"Really? Don't tell me you plan to be a Hero while I'm still around? You do know that you cannot be a match for me, Quirk, or no Quirk, right?" Garou slapped Izuku's dream with bitter reality.

'Of course, I know.' Izuku could not imagine himself defeating the same man that defeated his idol. Even if he managed to graduate, it would take years for him to achieve his ideal, years that Garou could use however he pleases. Worst-case scenario, Garou might become even stronger throughout those years.

"Y-yes," Izuku staunchly affirmed, fortifying his heart as he stood unfaltering under the Hero Hunter's gaze. "I know that being a hero these days is considered a… dangerous profession. But even if you are out there, I will be a hero."

"Oh?" Garou squinted his eyes. "You got balls, kid. Don't tell me? Are you going to be the one to beat me?"

Garou sounded almost mocking. He waved the notepad in front of Izuku as if belittling his drive, his dream.

Izuku clenched his fists, triggered by Garou's dare.

"Yes! I will defeat you!" Izuku declared with all of his spirit.

Garou's lips curled into a wicked smirk as he chuckled, "Hah! Not bad, your courage is stout at least. Though this is the first time I met a kid your age."

Izuku smiled back, relaxing his muscles upon feeling the tension falling. However, his smile stiffened when he realized that he openly declared that he would defeat the Hero Hunter in his face.

'Ah.'

His pores started to sweat droplets of his regret en masse as Garou's wicked smile grew wider after witnessing his growing fear.

"Well, color me impressed. Of all people, a kid with guts managed to say something to the Hunter Amongst Villains. I hope you're proud of yourself. Did you prepare the grave beforehand?"

"A-A-A-A-Ah, u-u-u-u-um," Izuku stuttered his response with rising trembling.

"Do you even know how to take me down? If you aren't lying to my face, then you probably have no chance even if you have a hundred years of prep time. What kind of battle plan do you have against me? Hmmm?"

His face masked by wicked intent, Garou squatted until his eyes leveled with Izuku's. It was almost as if he was feasting on Izuku's fear with great pleasure, a cruel sadism preying on the poor boy's nerves.

"I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I h-h-h-have a-a g-g-g-good i-idea." Izuku was a stammering wreck before the hero hunter, teeth chattering, and bones shaking with his muscles.

"And that is? No, don't bother telling me, not like your idea would hold weight. I've fought the best of the heroes and villains here, and none of them could hold a candle to me. Your training regimen will be nothing more than a joke," Garou scoffed with condescending, effectively dispiriting.

Toshinori decided to intervene and coughed into his hands before Garou decided to entertain some… thoughts aimed at their health.

"Ack, ahem. B-Bang, my boy, I think you are taking your derisions a bit too far. The boy aspires to become a hero, so why not let him strive for it?"

"Because they suck?" Garou turned to Toshinori with a raised brow.

"I… well…" Toshinori had no words to defend his fellow heroes, the second greatest of whom lay in the hospital, recuperating.

"Wait…" Garou narrowed his eyes at Toshinori. "Don't tell me, are you his trainer?"

"Ack!" Toshinori spat coughing blood again, doubling over with his blood painting his shoes. Garou's perception was too sharp for his health, and if Toshinori kept staying around Garou, he might die from blood loss alone.

"Oh my god, you're too honest for your own good." Garou looked as if he wasn't sure if he should laugh at Toshinori or pity him.

"Ack, ack, hack… perhaps." Yagi had no words to defend himself.

"Tell me, how're you training the twerp?" Garou asked, pointing at Izuku with the boy's notepad.

Toshinori looked away, unsure of how to portray his plan. After all, he wasn't a teacher in spirit, for he failed to inherit the wisdom of training legacies from his master or the predecessor when she was still alive.

"Um… I'm… having him clean up… Dagoba Beach as part of his training, if that is what you're wondering," Toshinori sheepishly divulged, his cheeks blushing red from shame.

He could not imagine what kind of training Garou endured to be as he is today, but he could imagine that it could not be compared to his.

"Ohhh? That place with a large section closed off because of the trash?" Garou whistled. "Can he even pull out a large truck out? If he isn't carrying the trash from beach to junkyard on foot, I won't be impressed."

''Eh?''

Toshinori and Izuku stared at the Hero Hunter, their jaws agape and baffled. No matter the angle of perspective, that amount of work would ask of Izuku's death by the end of it, and the two could imagine dying from overwork in the street under a noon sun.

Now Toshinori and Izuku understood the Hero Hunter's standards, and they were higher than the peak of hero society, past the clouds, and perhaps beyond. The labor he demanded was beyond Toshinori's intentions for Izuku, probably breaking his back and more.

"Actually, I think I should bring him here to do that… could test his back." Garou muttered as he tapped his chin in thought.

"Hm?" Toshinori felt his ears perking.

"You know what? I've an idea. When do you usually go train your little Twerp at that beach?"

"Um, M-Mr. Gar- I mean, Bang,… m-my name is Izuku…"

"Your name is Twerp. And it'll be as long as I like it."

Izuku could only stand there helplessly like a babe to an adult, now with another tag bearing the label 'Twerp' dangling alongside Bakugou's 'Deku.' All chances to negotiate with the Hero Hunter on changing his name. Besides, when Izuku imagined the Hero Hunter, he expected a Hero-Villain-slaying monster in human skin that paralleled his feats… instead he found a normal man with a penchant for mischief.

He seemed far more amiable than Izuku imagined, and that made him wonder how such a man had fallen into the role of Japan's number one public enemy. Izuku was sure such a man would befit the role of a hero more than a Villain… or whatever he was now. Garou did not spare any effort in teaching the public his role, one he crafted from the blood of the victims for them to see.

"Ahahaha, w-well, I see you have a sense of humor…" Toshinori did find his humor humanizing somewhat. "As for when, usually somewhere around three in the afternoon. Why do you ask?"

"Simple. I want to compare our skills as fellow masters. Long story short, I've got an apprentice."

"Oh, an apprentice? That's…"

A long pause descended upon the trio, two of which losing all of their colors, whiter than the world around them. Izuku and Toshinori quickly scrubbed their ears clean with their pinky fingers concurrently, and they shook their heads to shake their mind straight.

"Yeah, my disciple. I'm training one."

Garou spoke as if it was apparent.

""...""

That one word finally sank in.

""EHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH?!""

"Yep. Anyways, that reminds me, I have to go pick him up. See you tomorrow at three, chumps. Tell anyone about this, and I'll obliterate you two. So so long." Without warning, Garou waved the two his goodbyes, leaving the two dumbfounded spies alone by the entrance of the alleyways as his figure shrank down the streets.

"...huh?" Izuku had no words for the revelation that struck its nail into his brain.

"...he has an apprentice?" Toshinori shared Izuku's bafflement in equal measure.

"...he has an apprentice." Izuku couldn't believe the implication of this.

The real question was, what did he look like? The blow he dealt widened the cracks of the fractured image they had of him. The Demon of Hosu being a teacher… it was like seeing a wolf frolicking with rabbits. Not only was information could pose a threat to the Hero Hunter if it fell into the wrong hands, but it was also a double-edged sword, capable of rousing him to resume his hunts with tenfold the fervor - a crusade that neither side of the scale could afford.

As for his apprentice, Toshinori imagined a more devilish version of Garou, worse, one with a Quirk. Against all the odds, Izuku imagined an evil version of All Might, one with a wicked smile plastered over All Might's iconic version.

"...All… Toshinori… what should we do?" Izuku asked, their mission descending into chaos already from their first encounter. Izuku looked at his empty hands where his notepad once laid, now in the hands of the Hero Hunter to read as he pleased.

"..."

Toshinori had absolutely no idea.

All they could do now was to follow the flow of today's events. Returning to the matter of Garou's secret disciple, Toshinori gulped down the vestige of blood remaining in his mouth, bracing himself for the meeting of the second Hero Hunter in the making.

Although he could not suppress his curiosity, what kind of soul would interest Garou to take on as his disciple?

---------

"Hello!"

At the littered sands of Dagoba Beach, with the afternoon sun shining at its brightest overhead, Izuku and Toshinori stared at the tiny boy sitting on Garou's shoulders, the boy waving his hands at them with his silver cowlick wagging like a puppy's tail.

Garou arriving was surprising enough for the two, but him coming with a boy riding his shoulders without fear stunned them to gaping silence. Neither even knew that Garou would give shoulder rides, nearly breaking their image of him into pieces. Toshinori expected to encounter surprises, but he did not expect this much. The sheer amount Garou had would kill him with a heart attack if this continued.

"Umm… hello." Izuku waved back his hand at the kid.

"G-Bang, um, may I know who this is?" Toshinori pointed at the kid.

"Who do you think?" Garou uttered as if it was obvious judging by his impatient tone.

If they remembered Garou's words, only disbelief would follow as they stared at the smiling kid on Garou's shoulders.

"I… don't see your apprentice anywhere. Is he coming in later?" Toshinori guessed.

"Not later. He's already here."

The more Garou answered the more the two refused to believe their eyes. No, no, there was no way. The two looked around the beach just in case, hoping to see anyone else that came with him.

"Hello! My name is Ghin! I am Aniki's disciple!" The boy that named himself Ghin declared, pumping both his arms up adorably.

Their eyes grew bloodshot as all strength in their jaws left them.

""Huh?"" Confusion gripped them in a chokehold, refusing to let them go, and it seemed to amuse the two arrivals.

"What? He's calling me big brother for reasons. Besides, you got a problem with him?" Garou asked with a quirked brow.

Yes, yes, they do. All of their expectations became sands of broken glass, while questions drowned their minds to the point of rupturing.

"I am his number one disciple!" The boy declared with pride.

There was no way that the child could be his disciple.

"...why is he… so young?" Izuku was the first to utter but failed to find the right words to express his concerns.

"Long story. The Shrimp can take care of himself very well now because of me."

"The world will one day fear me!" Ghin shouted with glee.

The kid looked more adorable than scary now. His cheerful smile wasn't exactly helping him. The two heroes were stunned into silence, still parsing the fact that Garou's disciple was a child, as they felt their mocking laughs bounce off their ears almost incessantly.

"How did you… come across him?" Toshinori shakily pointed his finger at the child on Garou's shoulder.

"I met him when I came here, long story short. It's complicated."

"But…"

"None of your business," Garou warned.

Izuku and Toshinori had so many questions on the circumstances that lead to Garou taking a child under his wing, but one thing was for certain.

The man behind the Hero Hunter shattered the vestiges of their expectations just when they thought the man could not surprise them anymore. He was a completely different person when he wasn't out hunting heroes and terrorizing villains.

The man was so normal - well, in his own way - that one wouldn't expect him to be the Hero Hunter. Izuku had finally understood why Toshinori insisted that learning about Garou is so crucial.

"I… understand."

"N-Nice to meet you, um…" Izuku grabbed the words to deliver a late greeting to Ghin. The situation grew so awkward they didn't know how to properly converse.

"Nice to meet you, too... wow, your face looks stupider than Aniki said."

The first conversation was a tongue-lashing already, his words whipping Izuku's self-esteem.

"Ugh, please don't say that." Izuku had a hunch that Ghin would be just as difficult to deal with as Garou.

"I don't like you."

Toshinori took heed of Ghin's blunt words, the influence of Garou clearly seen on him. Toshinori took a deep breath and gathered his thoughts. He decided to ask about the boy.

"Young… Ghin. May I call you that?"

"You may, Twigs."

Toshinori could not retort to that. Ghin was like the spitting image of Garou, only with years sliced off Garou's age.

"Haha, my name is Toshinori Yagi and this is Midoriya Izuku. As you can see, I was a brief acquaintance of Mr. Bang in his… wilder months."

"Oh yeah, I enjoyed it. Aniki told me a lot about his hunts, especially how he kicked All Might's butt here."

"Ack!" Toshinori doubled over, hacking blood from his lips again.

"Oh, right… shouldn't have said that." Ghin smiled playfully, snickering under his breath.

Izuku choked a lump in his throat when he heard that, reminded of his idol's downfall and Garou's might.

"Ahahaha! Yeah, I beat him. Shame that he has a hole in his gut. I wanted to see how well the bag of muscles is in his prime. If I see him again with that broken gut, I will skewer him."

Garou laughed as Toshinori looked away as Izuku forced awkward laughs with guilt and anxiety boiled in his gut, cold sweat pouring out while their nerves lost a few fibers from learning how close they were into joining the heroes in the hospital.

"Hey, Twerp. You an All Might fan?" Garou called out.

Izuku snapped out of his thoughts as he looked at Garou, trying to forget that one misstep would lead to a painful game over. "O-Oh. Yes, indefinitely!"

"Huh, you're painfully honest, kid. You knew that he had a hole in his gut?" Garou asked.

"N-No, I didn't…" Izuku prepared himself for this in case they asked.

"Well, bad news, he's a cripple. You guys might need another Number One Hero, but I don't see any hope in Number Two, and he is more pathetic than a crippled All Might. The old man's bound for retirement, and I've sped his time up for quite a bit."

Toshinori stifled another cough as blood spilled through his teeth behind Izuku.

"Anyways, enough about that cripple. Skeleton, show me how you work your kid."

Garou's eyes threw at Izuku with piercing criticism, his judgemental gaze pressing down on Izuku's smaller form. The apprentice of the number one hero looked at Garou and then at the junk surrounding them before shifting to Toshinori. The Number One Hero in disguise turned to Garou and then Izuku.

"Um… M-Midoriya, you may… start."

Toshinori wasn't sure how to properly phrase the commencing. Never did Toshinori order Izuku to train as he only watched Izuku resume the training of his own volition. Toshinori never took the spartan commander role of a trainer; he preferred himself as a… passive motivator. That and the awkward atmosphere added from Garou did not help calm their nerves.

Izuku silently nodded as he frigidly tiptoed towards one of the discarded appliances, a broken refrigerator… twice his size, teeth and stomach promptly clenched, as he pushed the machine across the sands with all his might at the pace of a snail.

"...what?" Garou uttered.

"Eh? He's not carrying it?" Ghin added as he watched Izuku's struggle with judgemental eyes.

Izuku's endeavors did not impress the two at all, and it frightened Izuku. Toshinori apologized to Izuku in his mind. He could sense that Izuku's training would grow harsher the moment Garou decided to arrive here.

"Ahaha, um, sorry if this does not live up to your… expectation. This is merely a work in progress, so-"

"Why aren't you forcing him to carry that thing on his back?" Garou bluntly interrupted.

His message caused Izuku to stop, turning to Garou with a face of growing despair. Toshinori froze stiff; sudden worry struck his mien with the image of Izuku resting on the bed in the hospital hitting his head.

"U-Um, I am sure that won't be healthy for Midoriya's spine." Toshinori suggested.

"Hah! How long were you training Twerp?" Garou queried.

"Ummm, a few... months?" Toshinori revealed.

"Are you trying to get him expelled on the first entry test?" Garou bluntly accused with a quirked brow. "As far as I know, this kind of training is begging for him to fail. The hell are you thinking?"

'That I'm preparing him to handle my Quirk.' Toshinori thought in his head.

There was no way Toshinori would admit that to Garou. The secrets

"I…"

"That's it." Garou walked over to Izuku without another word and grabbed the edge of Izuku's fridge.

"You. Carry this." Lifting the junk with one hand above Izuku, Garou dropped it.

"Ugh!"

And Garou watched it crush Izuku under its weight. He was now buried, the junk atop of him being his faux gravestone.

"Midoriyaaaa!" Toshinori panicked as he ran to him, seeing only Izuku's hand sticking out the dirt.

"H-Help…" Izuku squeaked underneath his tomb of junk. Toshinori wanted to lift it, but in front of him…

"Ahahahahaha!"

This served as fuel for laughter for Ghin, the boy's laughter throwing oil into Toshinori's consciousness. As for Toshinori, he could only grimace while desperately praying for Garou to spare him.

"Your kid is weak. Did your brain suffer from blood loss as well when you're training this wimp?" Garou spoke upfront.

Toshinori rapped his fingers furtively against each other as blood started to pool in his lungs.

"Wait, don't speak, I have a better idea. Shrimp, show him how it's done," Garou ordered.

"Yes, Aniki!" Ghin nodded as he dropped down from Garou's shoulder and ran towards a broken refrigerator. He squatted, slid his fingers under the rotting fridge, and, to Toshinori's surprise, lifted the refrigerator with some effort overhead.

Feeling the sudden lightness, Izuku, groaning, looked up to see him lifting the flaking appliance, two hands holding up the overshadowing object over his head.

Like Toshinori, Izuku hung his jaw slightly at the sight of Ghin holding something more than four times his diminutive size while he couldn't.

"I… my, I must say I did not expect this." Toshinori uttered as Ghin stood there with a triumphant smile.

"Hah. If you're surprised by this, you're going to die of blood loss when I show you everything," Garou laughed.

"Oh? For example?" Toshinori asked as he helped Izuku to his feet, the latter staring at Ghin with equal surprise.

"The boy has no Quirk. I trained him to where he is today, and it isn't easy."

"Behold the power of a Quirkless boy!" Ghin declared. It grew even more absurd when the boy started walking with heavy steps, moving at a faster pace than Izuku himself.

Izuku and Toshinori blinked as they saw Ghin smiling back at them. Their jaws slowly slacked as if their control of it slowly bled. They knew that Garou was an abnormal case, a villain of unnatural might capable of toppling the strongest of heroes even under the baleful gaze of Eraserhead amongst their ranks. Garou declared himself Quirkless, a claim that held a lot of opposition from those with mired in the world of Quirks.

Izuku looked at Ghin's feet, the toes on the boy's sandals. He saw no extra joints in any of his toes, a physical indication of the Quirkless as his doctor stated.

"No way…" The secret behind Garou's power applied to others? Here? How? And a kid many years younger than him had achieved something most adults couldn't.

If the people learned that those without a Quirk could obtain the same level of power as Garou, how much would this knowledge shake the world? What form of changes would this revelation bring, the chaos it would wreak?

"Alright Shrimp, help him clean up this beach. From now on, you have a junior beside you," Garou pointed at Izuku.

Both followers of justice did not catch that word.

"Hm?" Izuku blinked. "Junior?"

"Yeah. You're the junior," Garou smiled back, his smile wicked and promising nothing but bad omens.

"Eh?" Toshinori did not understand what was happening.

"W-what are you saying? I-I don't-"

"Your training is disgraceful." Garou sneered. "I refuse to allow it. This kind of training would only work out in a few years, but if I remember, you want to level him up enough to enter a school fit for Quirk supremacists? I don't think so."

Izuku and Toshinori did not believe UA to be Quirk supremacists, as Garou depicted them. Actually, that sounded racist now that they thought about it.

"From now on, I'm taking over this Twerp's training. I'm going to grind him into dust until he can't live without feeling like his guts are on fire every day and night. I'm going to show the world that one doesn't need Quirks to be a hero."

The mention of Garou training Izuku did not do well for Toshinori's waning health as his jaw dropped again at Garou's forceful takeover of Izuku's tutelage.

"EH?! B-But why?!" Toshinori yelled flabbergasted.

Why would Garou take an interest in Izuku this soon? This was their first meeting, and Toshinori was sure that Garou wasn't the kind of person that would take apprentices on the fly.

"'Cause it looks fun."

However, once more, Garou shattered the Symbol of Peace's image of him.

"Hah?! Fun?!"

His answer did not compute as well.

"I want to see how an overgrown brat would fare in the hell I've in mind." Garou's smile started to darken, corrupted with sinister intent. It looked more like the smile of a devil than one of a mischievous imp.

"Huh?" Izuku could sense the malice behind his smile as a dark chill wormed into his spine, and his senses were correct.

From that day forth, Garou had invaded their personal lives and delivered his promise in mincing Izuku through the meat grinder he called 'training.'