Chapter 234 : Memories of Blacklight
It was a bright, sunny afternoon.
Since the hot spring trip, after Mr. KING had given him some pointers, Darkshine submitted an application for a long leave to the Hero Association, temporarily suspending all his hero activities.
"Go find the true meaning of being a hero, go find the purpose of your own battles."
Mr. KING's words constantly echoed in his mind.
Thus, he took off his signature briefs, put on the most ordinary T-shirt and shorts, and concealed his proud physique with loose clothing.
It had been a long time since he walked the city streets like a normal person.
Without his hero status, without the cheers of the populace.
He began to observe the world he had always protected through a completely new pair of eyes.
He saw hurried office workers, students laughing and playing, and vendors rushing about for a living... This ordinary daily life was so fresh, yet so distant, to him.
However, the confusion in his heart did not diminish because of this.
What exactly was the true meaning of being a hero? What was the purpose of his battles?
Was it merely to show off his perfect physique and achieve an "undefeated" record?
This question, like a dense fog, constantly shrouded his heart.
Until that day, on the edge of the uninhabited zone in Z-City, he accidentally witnessed a battle.
One side of the fight was a humanoid Monster that looked like a praying mantis.
The aura emanating from it was not strong, at least not to him.
A Monster of this level, for the former him, probably wouldn't even count as a warm-up and could be finished with a single punch.
The other side was a man wearing a cycling suit, helmet, and goggles.
C-Class Rank 1, "Mumen Rider".
"As long as I am still here, I will never allow you to hurt a single civilian!"
Mumen Rider took a fighting stance, his voice quiet but incredibly resolute.
Darkshine frowned slightly from the shadows.
He knew Mumen Rider, the man who lingered in C-Class, whose strength was completely disproportionate to his sense of justice.
In the eyes of the former Darkshine, this kind of behavior was almost foolish, a meaningless sacrifice, and a display of a weakling overestimating himself.
The battle erupted instantly.
Sure enough, it was a one-sided beating with no suspense.
Mumen Rider charged towards the Monster, only to be easily struck by its scythe, sending him crashing heavily into a wall.
"Pfft—"
Mumen Rider spat out a mouthful of blood, but without the slightest hesitation, he immediately struggled to climb back up from the ground.
"What a death-seeking idiot!" The Mantis Monster sneered, approaching him step by step.
"Trash like you dares to challenge me? Just die obediently!"
The Monster swung its scythe again. This time, Mumen Rider barely managed to dodge the vital points, but his shoulder was still sliced open, leaving a wound deep enough to see bone.
Once, twice, thrice... Mumen Rider was knocked down again and again, and again and again, covered in scars, he shakily rose back to his feet.
His uniform was already tattered, and the wounds on his body were shocking to behold.
Darkshine watched silently from afar. He couldn't understand.
With this level of power disparity, any struggle was meaningless. Why persist?
This was no longer bravery; it was pure recklessness and idiocy.
"I... I won't... let you pass..."
Mumen Rider stood up again. His legs were trembling slightly; clearly, he had sustained serious injuries.
Yet he still spread his arms, showing no sign of retreat.
"As long as I'm standing here, don't even think about harming the citizens!"
"You're asking for death!"
The Mantis Monster completely lost its patience. It rushed forward violently, its sharp mantis blade arms turning into afterimages as they slashed fiercely towards Mumen Rider's chest!
Darkshine's pupils contracted slightly, and he was about to instinctively intervene and save him.
However, the scene that followed made him stop.
Facing this deadly strike, Mumen Rider did not dodge.
He took a deep breath, planted his feet firmly on the ground, and gathered all the strength in his body into his right fist!
[KING Style Mysteries · Martial Arts]!
Boom!!!
The fist and the blade arm collided solidly.
A visible wave of air spread out.
Mumen Rider was once again sent flying backward by the immense force.
This time, he slammed into a ruined wall, creating spiderweb-like cracks in the masonry.
His goggles also fell to the ground during the impact, shattering into several pieces.
However, the Mantis Monster was not unscathed.
Its blade arm was actually jolted high up, and a faint crack even appeared on it!
"What?!" The Mantis Monster stared at its arm in disbelief.
"Cough... cough cough..."
Mumen Rider struggled, and once again, climbed out of the rubble.
Without the obstruction of the goggles, his eyes were fully exposed to Darkshine's view for the first time.
It was those eyes!
Darkshine's heart suddenly pounded!
What kind of eyes were those!
In them, there was pain, there was exhaustion, but there was absolutely no fear or retreat!
All that remained was an extreme, burning persistence, like a flame!
An unwavering conviction to protect others, even if it meant being utterly crushed!
How similar were these eyes to the eyes of Garou, who was currently before him!
No, they were also different.
In Garou's eyes, there was the persistence of "battle"—the desire to defeat the strong.
But in Mumen Rider's eyes, there was the persistence of protection—the desire to shield the weak!
"I... I can still fight..."
Mumen Rider's voice was intermittent, yet incredibly firm.
Darkshine was shocked to find that Mumen Rider, having stood up once more, possessed an aura that was actually stronger than before!
Although faint, that increase in strength was real!
"Damn it! If you fall down, just die obediently!"
The Mantis Monster was completely enraged by Mumen Rider's unyielding, indomitable will. It roared madly and charged forward again.
The ensuing battle, in Darkshine's view, was nothing short of a miracle.
Mumen Rider was knocked down again and again.
Kicked away, trampled, sliced... His body was already covered in wounds, and blood stained the ground red.
But every time, when everyone thought he was finished, he would shakily stand up again.
Moreover, every time he stood up, his strength, his speed, and his punches would be slightly stronger than the last time!
From being completely unable to fight back at the very beginning, to barely managing to block later on, and then finally starting to counterattack!
The essence of [KING Style Mysteries · Martial Arts] was displayed by him in a tragic yet glorious manner at this moment!
Finally, after standing up for the countless time, facing the Monster's exhausted and flawed sweep.
A bright light burst forth from Mumen Rider's eyes!
He seized this fleeting opportunity!
"Justice Crash!!!"
Accompanied by a roar, he poured the last shred of strength from his already over-limit body, along with his inextinguishable will to protect, into this single punch!
Boom!!!
This punch struck the Mantis Monster squarely in the chest.
"Crack... Snap..."
The Monster's hard carapace was instantly covered in spiderweb-like cracks.
Immediately afterward, the terrifying force completely penetrated the Mantis Monster.
Its body, starting from the point of contact with the fist, completely shattered in all directions!
After enduring countless knockdowns, this final blow completely annihilated the Monster!
The battle was over.
Silence returned to the alley.
Mumen Rider looked at the fallen Monster, his tense body finally relaxing. Unable to support himself any longer, his legs gave out and he collapsed onto the ground, breathing heavily.
At this moment, the distant citizens recovered from their shock and erupted in fervent cheers and applause.
"That's great! We're saved!"
"Mr. Mumen Rider! Thank you! You are the true hero!"
Several children who had been crying in fear, led by their parents, timidly stepped forward and bowed deeply to thank him.
Looking at the genuine expressions of gratitude and relieved smiles on the faces of the people, and looking at Mumen Rider's face, covered in injuries yet showing a look of gratification because he had protected everyone.
In that instant, it was as if a thunderclap had exploded in Darkshine's mind.
A single word was branded deep into his soul—[Protection].
The true meaning of being a hero is [Protection].
—
PS: This was the same battle that Ghost Dragon had previously witnessed.
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