Chapter 12

~O~

Yesterday…

Garou limped along the road bruised, bloodied and holding his side. Today he experienced his first defeat although 'defeat' would imply a battle when in reality it was more akin to a curb stomp. In his life he had only ever experienced such a thorough beating once and it was at the hands of his old master which was the expected result. His fight against Watchdog Man on the other hand was not only one-sided but also unexpected and Garou genuinely did not expect such an end result.

With all the hype surrounding the S-Class heroes Garou expected them to challenge him in ways that pushed him physically and mentally with his only options being to either overcome or die. Then his expectations crumbled when Tank Top Master and Metal Bat turned out to be meatheads who only knew how to flail around. They were the ones to set the precedence for his low expectations of the other S-Class. Garou will admit that he went into that fight a bit cocky but in his defense Watchdog Man was literally just some guy in a mascot costume.

How the hell could he take a guy like that seriously!?

And yet it was at the hands of this seemingly gimmicky hero that Garou received a true unexpected challenge as well as a brutal defeat. It wasn't just that the guy was stronger and faster than the other two S-Class heroes he defeated either. It was that he was like a literal animal that was more beast than man. Garou could read Watchdog Man's movements but when it came to adapting and counterattacking against him he fell short and the reason was quite simple.

The old man had only ever taught him how to fight humanoid enemies and in his pursuit of absorbing as many martial arts styles as he could Garou has only ever fought humans up to this point. Yet despite his injuries Garou had a wide smile on his face for today he had made a great discover in his defeat. His fight against Watchdog Man was the kind of encounter he originally expected from the other S-Class heroes and it honestly relieved him that they weren't all just meatheads that only knew how to flail around.

'My martial arts still has room to improve' and will definitely improve with opponents like Watchdog Man to fight against.

Garou understood that this path he set himself on would have him come across all kinds of enemies and he will eventually become everyone's enemy inevitably becoming the ultimate enemy of mankind itself. It was only a matter of time before he met someone whom he cannot defeat as he is now. He would honestly be very disappointed if it turned out to be so easy that his current skills were enough to fulfill his aspirations.

Because he knew this Garou took every opportunity to improve himself through his battles. Most of his opponents have contributed something to his evolution and Watchdog Man was no different.

'I hope you enjoyed beating the crap out of me because the next time we meet things will be different!'

"Hm?"

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of voices. It's been so quiet ever since the monster attack that it was very noticeable to his keen senses.

'Is it more monsters?'

He hugged the wall of a corner and took a peak only for his jaw to drop at who he saw.

'One-Punch Man!?' his eyes squinted because surely it must be a trick of the light or his injuries getting the best of him but it is him he's looked at his photo enough times to confirm it.

The strongest man in the world.

Now that he's confirmed his identity Garou became momentarily stuck on what to do. He was wounded and wasn't in any position to pick a fight let alone with the strongest S-Class hero. And if he learned anything from Watchdog Man it was that not all S-Class heroes are equals. On the other hand he knew an opportunity like this would seldom present itself again. One-Punch Man despite being very popular and well known was something of an enigma. There wasn't much known about him to the point where even the city he's based out of was a mystery. If Garou wanted to find him he wouldn't even know where to look or how to go about getting his attention.

The guy just pops up, kills the monster and disappears like a ghost.

Garou's fist clenched as suddenly his fatigue lessened, a rush of energy revitalized his body causing the pain and soreness to ebb away, adrenaline flushed his system and his instincts sharpened to a razors edge. Thoughts of his disastrous bout with Watchdog Man became a distant memory for Garou as his body continued to buildup in excitement. Losing wasn't an option, he just needed to approach this differently.

'Analyze his pattern of movements then attack fast and relentlessly. Aim for his vitals and don't give him an inch to counterattack.'

Once he conceived this plan he went over it in his head multiple times and made the necessary tweaks before memorizing it then committed himself to seeing it through.

'I can do this!'

Garou nearly sped off after him however for a single moment his eyes glanced at the person next to him and everything stopped.

'Where have I…'

Suddenly a memory plays out in his head one that up until now was mysteriously absent. He remembered it was a few hours after his fight with Tank Top Master he went to entertainment district in City Z. He knocked out a disgusting man talking some shit about being a 'frontline fighter' to score with some women. Then he came across another poser passing himself off as a 'big shot hero' so naturally Garou had to teach him a lesson. He wasn't a fan of heroes but he hated posers pretending to them even more.

Anyway he threw the first punch and it didn't hit, the man disappeared or so it seems at first. The next thing he felt was a presence behind him followed by a sharp pain then darkness. The next day he woke up on a pile of garbage disoriented with a killer headache and no memories of how he ended up there. At least that was the case until now and he distinctly remembered his encounter with an older man with sharp purple eyes and matching hair.

Garou remembered him but at the same time…

'Who is that guy?'

Garou wasn't familiar with every hero but if there exists one able to pull off what that man did against him he should at least be reasonably famous. Ultimately it didn't matter, what mattered was that Watchdog Man was not the first to defeat him nor even the second. The more he reviewed the memory of their encounter the more he picked up on a crucial difference between him and every hero he's fought so far.

'That guy isn't an amateur.'

That disappearing trick was a movement technique and a high level one if he managed to slip past his senses. Garou reached both hands to the side of his temples where he felt the pain before unconsciousness took him. Garou knew enough about anatomy to realize that the strikes targeted the parts of the brain that dealt with memory.

'That explains why I didn't remember anything.'

At least until Watchdog Man hit him so hard that it jogged his memory…and gave him a concussion.

'I underestimated him' Garou realized 'and he capitalized on that.'

The punch Garou threw wasn't his best. It was made to take out a civilian but even then if he proved to be a fighter than Garou should have been able to adjust on the fly. Instead he was taken out like some random thug on the street. It was fast, quick and the man knew exactly what he was doing, even going as far as to erase his memory of him.

This changes everything.

Garou may have been itching for a fight especially after a loss but he wasn't desperate or delusional enough to take on the strongest S-Class hero and an unknown martial arts master.

'Retreating is the only sensible option here' he turned back and took a detour away from the walking pair 'but I swear I'll get you eventually One-Punch Man' his teeth gritted 'and whoever the hell that other guy is.'

~O~

Present…

'This fever isn't going away.'

Garou woke up earlier that morning feeling like shit and he couldn't fathom the reason for it. Whatever it was had to be tied to his fight against Watchdog Man since that was the only time he was physically injured.

'I didn't catch anything from that freak did I?'

It was either him or that sludge monster.

"Ugh."

On his way back to the hideout he took advantage of the evacuation to loot the shops of a commercial district. He stole first aid supplies, food, water and a portable radio. The former three were for obvious reasons but the latter item was a spontaneous grab that he happened upon. He wouldn't have gotten it if not for that fact that during that particular day it felt like there were monsters rampaging about everywhere. Plus there was that whole confrontation with the group of monsters attempting to recruit him into their so-called Monster Association.

"Monster Association" he scoffed at the idea of joining those cowards.

Garou held no sympathy for anyone or anything that would involve kids in a battle. He may be a ruthless bastard and his plan may involve becoming the symbol of fear but he had standards. There was a more pressing issue with the Monster Association than just his personal distaste however. Garou hadn't really kept up with the news since he began his hunt so current events were a bit lost on him. He did remember hearing about increased monster attacks in passing but that was about it. Yesterday practically solidified the attacks as being part of some massive operation and Garou was now certain that those bastards were targeting the heroes specifically.

He was lucky enough to catch Metal Bat when he was tossed his way by the giant centipede and Watchdog Man killed all the monsters that went after him.

"Come to think of it even One-Punch Man and that other guy looked like they were coming from a fight" he mumbled before a thought occurred to him.

'Were any of the other S-Class heroes taken out?'

That was the question on his mind as he set up the small radio with batteries and propped it on the sofa. Turning it to a news station Garou kept an ear open as he drank some water. After listening for almost an hour he was about ready to put his fist through the wall.

"Those. Fuckers!"

Garou felt livid. The worst possible outcome had come to pass. For almost an hour straight he listened as all of the radio stations were reporting on the same thing, the Monster Association. They talked about how they swept in launching a sudden global attack across the entire world resulting in massive collateral damages, hero takedowns, prison breaks and monsterization among others.

What in the hell?

None of them, not one of those stations were talking about him. At this point Garou has almost taken down 100 heroes, he took out Tank Top Master and Metal Bat though the credit for that one was going to that fucking giant centipede for some reason.

"Fuck!"

You know what this means?

It means that all of his efforts up to this point were effectively rendered null and void. He wasn't being reported on by the news so no one knew about it, no one knew about him and so no one cared. Who the hell is going to care about one man's battle against the Hero Association when there's a literal army of organized monsters?

The same monsters that tried to recruit him.

"…"

Shutting off the radio for now Garou stood up. He was still sick but he no longer cared for he had more important things to worry about. This changes everything. Before he thought he was in a marathon with the Hero Association but now he was in a race with the Monster Association. If he wanted to make more of an impact then there was no time to laze about. The Monster Association had retreated for now and was lying low after such a massive attack. Heroes were patrolling the cities looking for remnants of their forces. Garou changed his bandages, downed a bottle of water and put on his shirt before leaving the hideout.

It was time to get back to hunting.

~O~

Up to this point Suiko's concern for her sibling had always been for the fact that he was a shameless, unambitious slacker and womanizer. In the past when their grandfather took them in and started training them it was obvious that her brother held no interest in martial arts. It was unfortunate for him that despite his attitude he was a certified prodigy and one that their grandfather could not let go. She would admit jealousy for him, a man who didn't want to learn but was so good that he eclipsed her genuine efforts with the bare minimum of his own.

Despite her best efforts and despite Suiryu's lack of effort he became a genuine master of the Void Fist and inherited the dojo.

And what did he choose to do with his skill and new position?

Absolutely nothing.

The first couple of years after their grandfather passed the siblings survived through the inheritance money left behind. Suiko was just starting highschool at that point while Suiryu was a dropout who spent his time slacking off, chasing skirts and pursuing momentary flights of fancy. Naturally Suiko had to be the responsible adult and pick up the slack until one day she did the numbers, found their funds were almost dried up and forced him to look for a job.

Instead of finding a steady paying job he instead entered a martial arts tournament. Not what she expected but the prize money kept them out of the black for months, possibly years if used marginally. Turns out Suiko wouldn't have to worry about that since her brother quite liked his experience in the Super Fight Tournament and went on to enter the next one and the next and so on for a total of seven.

Suiryu really seemed to take a shine to this and at the time Suiko liked the idea of him entering the tournament. It not only gave him something productive to do but also made him actually interested in martial arts. She even caught him training at one point! So Suiko decided to attend one of his tournaments and well that was the first and last time she did so. The whole thing turned out to be such a commercial clown show that she couldn't take anything she witnessed seriously.

Even as a young teenager Suiko could have beaten most of those contestants and her brother pretty much confirmed she could have been a winner if she had taken his place on that particular day. But whatever the money was good, her brother had something semi productive to do and she managed to finish high school without worrying about their finances. Actually with the accumulated winnings they were actually well off at the moment. It allowed Suiko to focus more on mastering the Void Fist

Unfortunately she could not allow herself to be totally immersed in it for Suiko was afflicted with the curse of responsibility and was too cognizant of modern society to isolate herself from the world to train in seclusion like her grandfather and the masters of old. Plus her brother was getting bored with the tournament scene due to a lack of challenge which meant that their unfortunate main source of income may become compromised.

Or so it seemed for in the last tournament her brother didn't participate something interesting happened and one of the contestants piqued his interest enough to enter again. Suiko didn't really care as she had her own worries with mastering the Void Fist and finding a source of income that didn't rely on the whims of her lazy older brother.

Then while she was out training monsters attacked and it caused such a commotion that she was forced to see what the heck was going on. What Suiko found were monsters of all kind causing destruction, attacking civilians and overwhelming the heroes. Naturally Suiko couldn't just stand by and watch all this unfold so she sprung into action assisting the heroes. It was Suiko's first time fighting monsters since the heroes of City H usually dealt with them.

So not only was this her first time fighting monsters but it was also her first time actually seeing heroes in action. Said heroes were Mushroom and Horse-Bone and while they weren't all that strong they were well coordinated and competent in their work. Suiko was actually impressed and she ended up tagging along with them to quell the citywide monster attacks. It was the most fun Suiko has had in a very long time.

Truthfully the young woman hasn't had a lot of instances for practical combat and her brother didn't take their sparring seriously enough to give an accurate critique/analysis of her capabilities. And she didn't really know where to even begin to look for other martial artists to spar against. It left Suiko in something of a rut when it came to her skills as a martial artist. So it felt really good to not only have a means of applying her techniques without fear or worry.

Mushroom and Horse-Bone were in complete awe of her whenever they engaged a monster. It felt good to be validated and Suiko now knew why her brother soaked up the spotlight in those tournaments. Being praised for her hard earned skills felt good, having people thank her for saving them or congratulate her for a job well done made her feel even better and using her martial arts to fight against monsters was simply the best. By the end of it Suiko was thanked profusely by the heroes and the City H branch of the Hero Association and extended an invite to join their ranks.

Suiko didn't really think much of the Hero Association or heroes in general. Not in the condescending way like her brother did but in the vein similar to how a person wouldn't think much of a police officer or celebrity. You see them sometimes and hear about them ever so often but you don't seriously give any thought to the profession unless in certain circumstances. Being extended an invite to join them was definitely one of those circumstances.

To that end questions were asked and Suiko left with a new number in her contacts. She was very interested in the offer especially if this was the type of thing heroes did. Fighting monsters, saving people and getting paid for it. Suiko wasn't very interested in the money but she was interested in not being a deadbeat like her brother and having a steady flow of income made the difference. It just so happens she will earn that money fighting monsters and saving people. So what if she has fun while doing it? There's nothing against enjoying your job. She would be a civil servant!

Needless to say Suiko arrived home with a skip in her step and a smile on her face. In direct contrast her brother arrived home dragging his feet and looking contemplative. It was such a drastic change from his usual self that Suiko postponed telling him about her day to ask what happened to him. Suiryu didn't give her an answer at first choosing instead to take a bath and change his clothes while she made dinner.

The two of them ended up talking during dinner. Suiko shared stories of her day first including her serious consideration for being a hero. Contrary to what she believed Suiryu actually supported her decision but gave a word of caution to her about the monsters she might encounter. He was actually quite adamant and somewhat passionate about the warnings and emphasized on her training rigorously if she accepted. It was so out of character for him and she got her answer as to why when he told her about his day.

Suiryu told her about the tournament and how this time around there was some notable persons of interests such as: two pro heroes, a former Super Fight champion like himself named Bakuzan and another man by the name of Tomoro Sazaki. He spoke of how he beat all his opponents with a single kick including the two heroes causing Suiko to roll her eyes because of course he did, how else would he entertain himself in those things?

He spoke of how Tomoro fought defeating two amateurs with simple moves, dominating the former champion with advance moves and brutalizing a straight up psychopath with such viciousness that Suiko cringed at the description. Clearly this man wasn't just another amateur and when it inevitably came to Suiryu's fight against the impossible happened, her brother lost. Suiko was more shocked that her brother would just accept a loss but it wasn't so simple.

Suiryu didn't just lose against Tomoro he literally threw everything he had at the man. All his incidental mastery of the Void Fist was on full display and Tomoro countered all of them with contemptible ease. Tomoro did a complete deconstruction of Suiryu as a fighter and found him wanting. Then by the end Tomoro gave him the win out of pity since he believed someone like Suiryu would benefit more from it than him. It was completely true but Suiko could sympathize with her brother that it must have been humiliating.

A small part of her felt just a bit vindicated that he got a taste of his own medicine but she stamped that part out. Besides the story wasn't over just yet as while he was accepting his trophy and prize the monsters attacked. The Super Fight was targeted specifically by a group of monsters. Why? Because the leader of this group of monsters was Gouketsu the first Super Fight champion who became a monster himself and joined a group called the Monster Association.

What!?

He went on to explain that this Monster Association found a way to turn humans into monsters by eating something called a monster cell. The contestants were given an ultimatum: eat the monster cell and become monsters or die. To her anger and disgust a few of them actually took up the offer and became monsters. Of course Suiryu didn't and went on to destroy the ones who did. Most of them literally went down with a single hit but one of them gave him some trouble. In the end though he was victorious and went on to fight Gouketsu.

And this is where the story took a turn for the worst for her brother.

If Tomoro had countered Suiryu's every move then Gouketsu dominated him. The way how Suiryu described it he was completely and utterly outmatched and there was absolutely nothing he could do about it. Then to make matters worse the only other person who could possible aid him decided to become a monster too. The only reason why Suiryu wasn't dead was because he was saved twice.

The first were by the two pro heroes and the next was by Tomoro who up until that point had mysteriously disappeared. And his first act after appearing was to brutally destroy the monsterized Bakuzan before whisking everyone away from Gouketsu's wrath. After that he used some kind of technique to heal everyone's injuries and went off to confront Gouketsu. Suiryu decided to tag along because he felt indebted to the man to help even if it was against his better judgment.

Suiko didn't know if she would be able to make that decision if she were put in her brother's shoes. Suiryu tried to describe the fight that happened in as much detail as possible but he couldn't. Tomoro and Gouketsu were moving so fast and were at such a higher level in martial arts mastery that Suiryu could not perceive or understand most of what was happening. In the end Tomoro claimed victory and literally erased Gouketsu from existence.

Suiko didn't know if Suiryu was exaggerating or not and she was afraid to ask for further clarification. In any case after his victory Suiryu approached him with a request to be his disciple. He was rejected and instead advised to completely master the Void Fist using any notes and scrolls his grandfather left for him. The same notes and scrolls Suiko knew her brother deliberately ignored out of spite.

Suiko was not oblivious to the relationship Suiryu had with their grandfather and she was genuinely happy that he was now going to look through them. Other than that Tomoro revealed that he has not only fought their grandfather before but he won their fight. Suiko looked how her brother felt at the time after that bomb was dropped.

And why wouldn't she be!?

Suicho was said to be in the same league as Bang from the Flowing Water Rock Smashing Fist in his prime. How could he have beaten him? More importantly if he did then why has Suiko never heard of him before? She exclaimed this and got the answer that she has but her brother was keeping that bit of information to himself. For it turns out that this Tomoro was in fact Shiva the destroyer.

Shiva, the destroyer.

She's heard the stories from her grandfather about how in the distant past a single man succeeded in climbing his way to the top of the martial arts world. How he became the undisputed King of Martial Arts by challenging every single martial arts master of every martial arts style in the world and defeating them. They called him destroyer due to how he systematically destroyed some of his opponents, their styles, their spirit and the entire martial arts hierarchy in a matter of a few short years.

And her brother not only befriended this Legendary Grandmaster but managed to get his contact information and permission to exchange pointers which was a fancy term for sparring and receiving advice from a senior.

"So when are we going to meet him?" Suiko asked excitedly after he recounted his tale

"Uh…" the question caught Suiryu off guard.

They were done with dinner now and had just finished washing the plates when she sprung the question on him.

"Come on, it's not like you're not going to ask him to teach you stuff" Suiko rolled her eyes.

"I know that but-"

"Then obviously you're going to invite him over or go to his place"

"I think you're jumping to conclu-"

"And when you do you're going to introduce your cute younger sister to him."

Suiryu was giving her deadpan look "you just want to meet him don't you?"

"Nooo, why would I ever want to meet a Grandmaster straight out of legend who managed to beat grandpa and all the old grandmasters and is offering to lend us his sage-like wisdom in the pursuit of complete mastery of our Void Fist martial arts?"

"When you put it like that-"

"I mean it's not like I've been stuck studying in school, paying the bills and generally being a responsible adult while my slacker brother has been off lazing and womanizing about to focus much on my martial arts and whenever I spar with my unambitious brother he doesn't take it seriously enough for me to gauge if I'm getting stronger or not."

"…I'll uh, call him tomorrow and introduce you."

"Thank you~"

Present…

That was yesterday and as Suiryu made the call Suiko was there looming over his shoulder to ensure that he didn't mess it up. This would be her chance to meet a legendary grandmaster and finally, finally have some real guidance in her life. Oh sure fighting a bunch of monsters and getting praised by the heroes, civilians and the Hero Association felt good but as her brother demonstrated there were still stronger and more terrifying things out there. And just to be clear Suiko is looking for a second opinion on her skills and who better to give it than a man once called the 'King of the martial arts world?'

The phone hung up and Suiko looked to her brother whose expression was contemplative "soo~ what did he say?"

"He says that we're welcome to visit later in the evening. Apparently he's moving out of his old apartment and is throwing a party."

Suiko blinked at that bit of news and her head cocked to the side "he lives in an apartment?"

"Not anymore I guess."

He sounded confused and rightfully so.

"Huh, I thought old guys like him would live in some kind of dojo out in the woods or something."

At that her brother started seeming to realize something "about that…" he trailed off.

"What?"

"He actually doesn't look that old."

"Well I mean if he's been practicing martial arts then he should be in great shape."

"No I mean Tomoro doesn't look old at all. He looks like he's in his late twenties."

Suiko's brows furrowed in confusion "that doesn't make sense."

"I know."

"So what he's pretending to be Shiva?"

"Not unless Gouketsu was in on it" Suiryu countered.

"Maybe he just looks like him. He could be one of Shiva's relatives, like a grandson."

Suiryu seemed to ponder this for a while before shaking his head "I guess it doesn't matter."

"What do you mean it doesn't matter? This guy could be a fraud!"

"Well even if he's pretending to be Shiva, his martial arts skills are the real deal" and the look in Suiryu's eyes meant he believed it wholesale.

Suiko didn't like it, the idea that someone would pretend to be a legendary figure and for what?

Her thoughts were interrupted by Suiryu ruffling her head "hey!"

Suiryu grinned down at her "we'll find out the truth in a few hours anyway."

She swatted his hand away with a scowl "fine whatever."

"Great, I gotta go."

"What, why?"

"I left my trophy and winnings from the tournament back in City B, I'm gonna go get it."

"Ugh, I don't know why they don't just wire the money, seems a lot faster...and safer."

Suiryu shrugged "eh, I like having actual cash to spend plus anyone dumb enough to try and rob a martial arts champion deserves what's coming to them and if the winner isn't strong enough to protect their winnings then they deserve to get robbed."

"Wow" Suiko deadpanned.

"What? It's the truth."

Shaking her Suiko began walking off with a waved of her hand "whatever you say bro I'm going out."

"Where are you going?"

Giving him a cheeky grin she replied "out on patrol."

"You're really serious about this hero thing aren't you?"

"Of course I am!"

And then she was gone.

~O~

Death Gatling was a man on a mission. The crisis that befell the Hero Association and humanity as a whole has appeared in the form of the Monster Association. He like many other heroes had fought off the sudden attack as best they could but in the end they were found wanting. At least the heroes who were below the S-Class were. Just thinking about that accursed class had the A-Class hero growl in anger. The humiliation of yesterday's encounter still stung like an untreated wound.

Against that giant octopus Death Gatling had risked his life hidding himself nearby in the rubble of its rampage to assess the monster's weakness and create a plan of attack. To that end he even called in reinforcements in the form of five additional A-Class heroes. With them gathered he outlined its weakness which was just his general observation and before the assembled A-Class heroes could even begin their assault Flashy Flash strode in and proceeded to run roughshod over their operation.

The S-Class hero insulted Death Gatling by calling his strength 'half assed,' ignored Smile Man's attempt at having them cooperate as fellow heroes and proceeded to make things worse by slashing out the octopus' eyes. Flashy Flash claimed that there was no need to 'analyze' that the eyes would be a weak spot since it would be for anyone.

But that wasn't the plan.

The eyes were just meant to be a starting point and a proper plan would be made as they attacked it to get a proper assessment of its strength, figure out patterns and exploit a debilitating weakness that would put it down. The monster was huge, got bigger the more concrete it consumed and had many tentacles with which to attack with. And the S-Class hero's plan was to cut out its eyes, of course the thing would go berserk and start flailing around wildly.

And that flailing resulted in even more collateral damage while also putting everyone present in mortal danger. Luckily (or not) they were all saved by the arrival of the Tornado of Terror which Death Gatling is half sure was incidental since her idea of saving them is to yoink the giant monster in the air then literally squeeze it into a ball and unceremoniously drop it. So now they were forced to dodge hundreds of gallons of blood raining down on them as well as the balled up corpse of a giant octopus.

All of that could be tolerated to a certain point but then owing to her infamous attitude the Tornado of Terror started running her mouth. She criticized them for 'lurking around' as if they weren't fighting that monster, got into a pissing contest with Flashy Flash that could have potentially escalated to disastrous effect, called everyone useless then left with Flashy Flash following suit. They just left without even sparing any of their fellow heroes a second glance.

In that moment he thought the A-Class heroes had lost their relevancy but that wasn't quite right. The A-Class heroes weren't even factors to begin with and nothing demonstrates this more than the following day. The Monster Association had done a lot more than just launch a global attack, they went out of their way to undermine the Hero Association and the heroes themselves.

Death Gatling wasn't the easiest person to get along with due to his fearsome looks and the persona he crafted around it. This may come as a surprise but the A-Class hero actually believed in the spirit of heroism and he absolutely hated what the Hero Association has done with it. He especially abhors the way how they treat the heroes themselves. The ranking system only encourages infighting, sabotage and other underhanded tactics of heroes against each other.

Their salary was determined by their popularity which in itself is something that each individual hero has to build up himself with the minimum amount of assistance given by the Hero Association. Meanwhile the S-Class is given all the better treatments: a higher and fixed salary rate, free publicity via the Hero Association's PR management team, training facilities, etc.

It wouldn't have been that bad until you consider how conceited the S-Class are to their fellow heroes: arrogant, dismissive, standoffish, indifferent and uncooperative. Death Gatling hasn't met most of the S-Class in person but from his experience they are like an elitist group of individuals who look down on everyone else and simply don't care for anything but their own self interest. You will never hear about an S-Class patrolling the streets, helping the common people, doing interviews or meeting fans.

Yet the public adores them and the moment any one of them is mentioned every other hero becomes an afterthought.

It's sickening.

He tried to fight it at first and was very vocal about it but it never took. After seeing his protest getting nowhere and the reaction of his fellow heroes being mostly disinterest Death Gatling kept his peace. After that he kept to himself and worked alone mostly because his weapon of choice was a mini-gun with live rounds. It wasn't the kind of weapon one used in a team yet he did make comrades along the way. The heroes he helped and those whom share his opinions on how the Hero Association operates he befriended.

As the 8th ranked A-Class hero Death Gatling held a kind of seniority amongst the heroes, specifically the A-Class. He was among the first to join the Hero Association after its inception so he has seen a great many of the heroes back then grow. He has also many whose career or life came to an end but sometimes that's just how it goes. The point is that Death Gatling being the man who advocates for cooperation is able to call upon some of these heroes just as they could call upon him.

This is important for Death Gatling learned that the monsters didn't just attack wildly and there were many instances where the encounters spoke of some type of strategy employed by the monsters. For example Lightning Genji the 17th ranked A-Class hero in City D got taken out by a pair of Tiger level monsters who were immune to his electric attacks which constitute the main source of most of the hero's weapons and attacks. Then there was Heavy Kong the A-Class hero in charge of City W who was defeated by a monster calling itself Marshal Gorilla.

He'd also heard word that Blizzard of Hell fended off a Demon level monster that had mind control powers. He had his qualms with that woman but he knew for a fact that she was very protective of her people. Having them brainwashed and turned against her is one of the only surefire ways of getting an advantage over her in a straight up fight.

Clearly whoever was leading the Monster Association was employing strategies against individual heroes specifically of the A-Class so their members could gain advantage. Death Gatling had taken note of his observation and sent the message through the Hero Association's communication pipeline encouraging the heroes to stay in groups for protection. The feedback was positive and Death Gatling himself partnered up with fellow A-Class hero Stinger.

Stinger was young, enthusiastic and hotheaded but at the same time he knew his limits and was cooperative without being needed to be enticed. He was also a strong fighter owing to the fact that he was able to climb to the 10th rank in the A-Class after only six months of joining the Hero Association. Death Gatling was a bit surprised by how honest and earnest the kid was since most new heroes who gain his sort of popularity tend to have a huge ego.

In any case the morning patrol proceeded with only a few hiccups with the general public. A lot of people weren't satisfied with how the heroes handled things the day before. Stinger, the poor guy, tried to placate them but whatever he said only made things worse and in the end Death Gatling was forced to shoot in the air to spook the growing the mob. Stinger didn't approve but it was either harmless fire into the air or fending off an angry mob.

Besides they had bigger things to worry about than public perception. Garou the Hero Hunter was on the move and he had started the morning by taking out several heroes including Butterfly DX and Peach Terry. That gave them a general location if nothing else since the two A-Class heroes were paired together.

But while the pair was traveling to where the attack took place they got another update. Garou ambushed a pair of B-Class heroes Wild Horn and Pink Hornet then later on the A-Class hero Great Philosopher was reported to have been defeated as well. Great Philosopher was a hero in City Y which meant that they would have to double back the way they came to continue the chase. Or not for Great Philosopher managed to figure out that the Hero Hunter was heading in the direction of City H.

A warning was then issued to the local heroes Mushroom and Horse-Bone. Meanwhile Death Gatling knew that they couldn't continue with this chase otherwise they'll just tire themselves out.

"What do you have in mind?" Stinger questioned.

"We need to find out where he's hiding and ambush him when he least expects it."

Turn the hunter into the hunted but that was easier said than done.

~O~

When Garou set out on his hunt this morning he had three goals he wanted to accomplish. First he wanted to reaffirm his resolve seeing this hunt through no matter what state his body was in, second he needed to show up the Monster Association he found himself competing against, and third Garou just wanted to make himself feel better after a shitty morning. It just so happens that the only way he can do this was by beating up heroes.

To his credit things started off great in that despite his weakened state he was able to power through and defeated a pair of A-Class heroes with relative ease. The same went for a pair of B-Class heroes. It seems that the attack the previous day made the heroes a lot more cautious as he found most them traveling in pairs. That was good as it meant more heroes to cross off the list. Coincidentally he was almost at the 100 mark for heroes hunted.

Things took a sour turn however when he fought against a hero by the name of Great Philosopher. The fight itself wasn't anything much but he was informed by the A-Class hero that the Hero Association had actually put out something of a bounty on him. They gave out his description, a brief history, a list of his crimes from two days prior and bumped his threat level to S-Rank. Basically the Hero Association made him a priority target for their heroes.

Of course Garou didn't know this because the freaking Monster Association attacked the very same day the information was released and he was now no longer a priority. And to add insult to injury Great Philosopher and by extension the Hero Association assumed that he was part of the Monster Association.

Why would he think this?

Because Garou took on the name of 'monster' while hunting heroes specifically and it became known that the Monster Association was both hunting heroes and turning humans into monsters as well. His theory was that Garou was doing this as a way to join the Monster Association and become a 'real' monster.

Now contrary to his looks Garou wasn't a person quick to anger but that right there, that royally pissed. Him. Off. He could tolerate being upstaged, he could live with his brief moment of irrelevancy and he can even ignore the constant stream of news updates and gossip about the Monster Association but what he will not stand for was the trivialization of his mission. The idea that people thought he was doing all this just so he can join some monster's only club sickened him to his very core.

If this became the prevailing theory then that meant Garou will have to dispel this notion by setting his sights on the Monster Association as well. Garou wasn't on anyone's side, Absolute Evil made no distinction and he will carve that message into the very core of both the Hero Association and Monster Association by the time everything was said and done. But first he needed to take care of the heroes in City H. According to the news they were some of the few heroes who managed to repel the monster invasion which speaks highly of their strength.

'Here's hoping they put up a decent fight.'

~O~

Suiko's visit to the City H branch of the Hero Association revealed that she couldn't register as a hero. There were a bunch of reasons for this but generally they all fall under two umbrellas. First and most obvious was the whole ongoing debacle with the Monster Association the details of which Suiko has become intimately familiar with considering it was being blasted through every news feed. The second and less known reason was due to the superhero registry undergoing a review and until that was done new heroes cannot officially sign up with the Hero Association.

Said review was also being spearheaded by Solaria Nova who was currently being held hostage by the Monster Association so really the Monster Association was again responsible for everything wrong in her life right now. At least she wasn't the only one who thought it sucked she couldn't officially sign up with the Hero Association because of this and so a compromise was made. Since the Hero Association was currently understaffed and with the threat of the Monster Association looming over them they were able to put into practice a not often used protocol.

Suiko was made an 'official deputy' enabling her actions to be taken with some amount of legitimacy in the eyes of the Hero Association. It also helped that said action will be taken into consideration once she signed up with them. This does include yesterday's events which will contribute to her rank placement in whatever class she ends up in. The only caveat of her new position is that she won't be paid fully (if any at all) for her services and she will need a registered hero to oversee her activities.

This was why she was currently on patrol with Mushroom and Horse-Bone. Things weren't going as how she hoped they would. There were no monsters to be seen which was both good and bad. Good because the city was still recovering from the attacks yesterday and couldn't afford more collateral from additional attacks and bad because Suiko was itching for a fight and was thus far gone unfulfilled. Compounding her downward spiraling mood was the fact that the only trouble they encountered was with the civilian population.

The public was none too happy with the Hero Association and since they couldn't voice their displeasure to the organization they decided it was better to take it out on the heroes. There were a lot of angry glares and grumbles as the trio patrolled. A few of the braver ones were more vocal with the criticisms and some idiot even thought it good to throw something at them. Mushroom and Horse-Bone being the veteran heroes acted very professional in how they ignored and placated them.

Suiko being a novice was less than receptive to the whole ordeal. She didn't blow her top as she was too well trained to lose her cool from crude criticisms by people who had no idea what they were talking about but she was highly critical of the public's reaction. She was especially incensed at their treatment of the people who beat the monsters and saved the city (and them) from total destruction.

How ungrateful of them.

The people were the least of her concerns however as after being confronted by and escaping a rowdier group of civilians Suiko sensed they were being followed. After alerting the two heroes they decided to relocate to somewhere away from the civilians. After a moment of privacy the trio was confronted by a lone individual. He was a tall young man with long silver hair done up in two prongs, yellow eyes and overall sharp features.

'A martial artist?' it was obvious from what she could see of his muscle definition and movements.

What was also obvious to Suiko was the predatory look in his eyes and overall aura. As he approached the man's attention were squarely on the two heroes whom had taken up positions in front of her.

"You two the B-Class hero Mushroom and the C-Class hero Horse-Bone?"

'This guy' Suiko's hands clench into fists 'is strong.'

The movement did not go unnoticed and for a moment Suiko had the man's attention. He seemed to regard her with interest before said interest was taken by the two heroes.

Specifically it was Horse-Bone who exclaimed "I know you! You're the Hero Hunter!"

'Hero Hunter?'

Whoever he is it's enough to scare the two heroes who were fighting a losing battle against a horde of monsters with brave faces.

"You already know who I am" the man mumbled and cracked his knuckles "then you already know what comes next."

Feeling like a bystander Suiko decided to involve herself here "hey, who is this guy?"

Mushroom gritted his teeth "just some punk kid going around calling himself a monster and beating up heroes."

"Some 'punk kid' eh?" the man, Garou, mocked "you know, Tank Top Master thought the same thing too" that got the two heroes to stiffen but it was his next words that him sweating "then I beat him black and blue. I did the same thing with Metal Bat yesterday too."

"M-metal Bat?" Horse-Bone whispered.

Mushroom was in a similar state of disbelief "no way."

Suiko knew who those two were especially, Metal Bat he sometimes would handle a few threats in City H every once in a while. She saw the guy a few times and if she were being honest he looked like a school delinquent, talked and acted like one too. But that didn't take away from the fact that Suiko knew he was strong just from the time she's seen him. Enough to give her brother trouble but that was some time ago and Suiko had caught up to her brother from way back then.

She's been catching up for a while now actually now that she was out of school. And now was the perfect time to test out how far she'd gotten.

"Let me handle this" Suiko spoke as she stepped past the two heroes.

"Suiko, no-" Horse-Bone tried to interject.

Suiko silenced him right then and there "it's clear you two aren't confident about fighting this guy so leave him to me."

"But-" Mushroom attempted only to be similarly cut off.

"Hey" she looked over her shoulder and gave a bright smile at the shorter hero "I got this."

The hero looked between her and the man before nodding hesitantly "fine, but I'm calling for reinforcements."

He attempted to leave, key word being attempted.

"You two aren't going anywhere!"

In an instant he lunged after the retreating heroes however he soon found himself intercepted by a flying kick. Her foot was caught however Suiko was undeterred and in one smooth motion twisted while lashing out with her other foot to strike at him. Of course he raised his other hand to block thinking that with her momentum arrested she wouldn't be putting much strength into her strike. He only realized his mistake a second before her hit landed.

Void Crane Stepping Kick!

*Boom*

Suiko saw the shocked look on the man's face as clear as day before he was blasted away and couldn't help but smirk a bit.

"They never expect the second one to be stronger than the first."

'Thanks grandpa.'

The man managed to right himself after a few feet and raised his arm up. Suiko could see the imprint of her foot in the dark material of his long sleeves and even if she couldn't see it she knew there was a bruise underneath.

"Never heard of a hero like you before" he commented no putting his full attention to her an ignoring the other heroes retreating from the scene "who the heck are you?"

"Technically I'm not a hero yet" she answered but was basically stalling for time "the name's Suiko Mr. Hero Hunter."

"Tch, look lady I'm only interested in beating heroes" his eyes sharpened "so stay out of my way."

Suiko suppressed the shiver she felt running down her spine and instead let it fuel her excitement "well too bad 'cause the only way you're getting to them is by going through me."

Shaking his hands out Garou went into an eerily familiar stance "suit yourself but just so you know, I'm not afraid to hit a woman."

"That's okay" Suiko settled into her own stance "neither am I."

There was a beat of silence before at an unheard signal both martial artists lunged at each other.

~To Be Continued~