Chapter 232 : Blacklight and Garou
Inside a room deep within the Monster Association.
A startled cry broke the silence.
"Human Monster... Garou?!"
The name spilled from Superalloy Darkshine's lips, carrying undisguised shock.
He never imagined he would encounter the man who had caused such a bloody storm within the entire Hero Association, especially not here, in this manner.
Superalloy Darkshine's feelings toward Garou were complex.
On one hand, Garou's record was alarming; even fellow S-Class Hero Tanktop Master and Metal Bat had been defeated by him.
As an S-Class Hero, he should naturally view this man —who had openly declared war on the entire Hero Association under the banner of "Hero Hunting" —as Public Enemy Number One.
But on the other hand, the voice of one man echoed in his mind —Mr. KING.
He had heard a different assessment of Garou from the man hailed as The Strongest Man on Earth.
Mr. KING had once said that although Garou had defeated countless heroes using ruthless methods, he had never truly killed anyone.
Every one of his attacks precisely avoided vital points.
He seemed more like a fanatical Martial Artist, trying to prove something in an extreme and misguided way.
This was fundamentally different from Monsters who existed purely for destruction and slaughter.
Superalloy Darkshine stood rooted to the spot, his brow tightly furrowed.
How should he deal with him?
Should he take advantage of Garou's critical injuries and unconscious state, subdue him immediately, and bring him back to the Hero Association headquarters for the higher-ups to decide his fate?
This was undoubtedly the most efficient and straightforward course of action, and the one most aligned with the duties of an S-Class Hero.
But... looking at Garou lying in a pool of blood, his breath shallow, seemingly moments from death, a flicker of hesitation rose in Superalloy Darkshine's heart.
He recalled Mr. KING's words, and the belief in "protection" that he had only recently come to understand.
A hero's duty is to protect.
The object of protection is humanity.
And the Garou before him was also human, a guy who had temporarily gone astray.
He was not an irredeemable demon.
"I should give him some basic treatment first."
After a brief moment of hesitation, Superalloy Darkshine quickly made his decision.
He could not stand by and let him die.
As for what to do with him afterward, that could wait until he regained consciousness.
He bent down, his enormous hand cautiously reaching toward Garou's shoulder, attempting to check his injuries first.
However, just as his fingertips were about to touch Garou's skin.
"Ugh..."
A painful groan escaped Garou's throat.
His tightly shut eyes suddenly opened a sliver.
What kind of eyes were those?
Even critically injured and disoriented, the gaze that shone through those eyes was still the untamed, ferocious glare of a wild beast.
"Ergh..."
Garou's body trembled violently.
He seemed to try and sit up, but the movement pulled at the wounds across his entire body, making him gasp in pain.
"That bastard, he really is a Monster," he cursed softly, his voice hoarse and weak.
"I almost got killed..."
His memory was still stuck on the brutal battle with Monster King Orochi.
In that fight, he had fought with everything he had, even pushing himself to the brink of death, allowing his martial arts to break through once more.
But in the end, under the absolute power of the Monster King, he was hit squarely by a heavy blow and completely lost consciousness.
He thought he was dead for sure.
He didn't expect to wake up.
A fierce wave of pain surged into his brain, gradually clearing his hazy consciousness.
Then, he sensed it.
A person was standing in front of him.
A man radiating immense power, his body as indestructible as a steel fortress.
That powerful oppressive feeling was enough to put him on high alert, even when he was in his peak state.
Garou laboriously lifted his head, his scattered vision slowly focusing.
What entered his view was a dark face, a body of muscle that still shone even in the dim light, and the unique aura belonging to an S-Class Hero.
"Heh..."
A weak yet incredibly arrogant smile spread across Garou's lips.
"S-Class Hero, Superalloy Darkshine."
Although his voice was hoarse, it betrayed no weakness or fear; instead, it was filled with the excitement of a hunter spotting valuable prey.
Garou's brain processed the information in an instant.
He didn't know why he hadn't been killed, why he was here, or why an S-Class Hero would appear deep inside this Monster lair.
But none of that mattered.
One thing, he knew clearly.
This was prey, and top-tier prey that had delivered himself right to Garou!
He licked his cracked lips, where his own blood still lingered.
"Perfect timing."
"Hey, you..."
Seeing him awake, Superalloy Darkshine was about to say something, perhaps words like, "Your injuries are severe, don't move recklessly."
But Garou clearly wasn't going to give him the chance.
Fighting was Garou's instinct!
The moment he saw a hero, his body's reaction was faster than his brain's!
"ROAR!!!"
Accompanied by a savage roar, Garou's heavily scarred body seemed to instantly be injected with limitless power!
He abruptly leaped up from the ground, ignoring the agonizing cries of his overworked bones and muscles, and aimed a palm strike straight for Superalloy Darkshine's face!
Fast! Too fast!
Garou's movements were nothing like those of a critically injured, dying man!
The ruthlessness and determination radiating from his core allowed him to unleash strength that surpassed his physical limits!
Superalloy Darkshine's pupils contracted, but his reaction was equally swift.
As a top S-Class Hero, he had been tempered by countless battles.
Facing this sudden attack, he showed no panic, merely raising his arms instinctively to cross them in front of his face.
Bang!!!
A dull, massive thud sounded.
Garou's claw-like hand struck solidly against Superalloy Darkshine's arm, which was harder than steel.
"Screeech—"
A grating friction sound rang out, but Garou's nails failed to leave even a scratch on Superalloy Darkshine's gleaming skin.
Superalloy Darkshine remained completely still.
Failing to land the blow, Garou immediately used the momentum to backflip, swiftly putting several meters of distance between them.
He bent his knees slightly, adopting the martial arts stance he was famous for, his eyes locked firmly onto Superalloy Darkshine.
Superalloy Darkshine lowered his arms, looking at Garou, who was now in a fighting posture and radiating astonishing fighting spirit, his frown deepening further.
He tried to keep his tone calm as he advised, "Your injuries are very severe.
Although I don't know your relationship with the Monster Association, it would be best if you didn't move recklessly..."
"Tch!" Garou spat out a mouthful of bloody foam, rudely interrupting Superalloy Darkshine.
"Stop lecturing me! In my eyes, you so-called S-Class Heroes are nothing but hypocrites!"
Superalloy Darkshine wanted to say more, trying to explain the complexity of the situation, or at least make him understand that fighting now was not a wise choice.
He could sense that while the power within Garou was astonishing, his condition was extremely unstable, like a flickering candle in the wind.
His newly established belief told him he should avoid this pointless fight.
However, Garou completely denied him that opportunity.
"Stop babbling!"
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