Author's Note
Greetings, all my dear readers. Thanks very much for all your supports.
Firstly… Change of rating. It's because… The battles drain more blood.
And like usual, let me answer some dear Guest Reviewers…
1. Shadow Stalker
Indeed. Tsukiyama is really unlucky. :-D
2. Frekazoid
You're right. He's just a mindless degenerate.
3. (Garou in Monster Musume universe.)
Sorry. Though this idea is interesting, I don't have the ability to make this one.
4. (Let Suiryu do something with Rize.)
Yup. The champion deserves the premium product of Washuu clan.
5. (Some plots like "Research and Smoothies.")
Fortunately my spirit has come back, so I can stick back with my original idea. But anyway, thank you very much for the idea. I appreciate your help. ;-)
6. (For my dear Senor who gave a very long and comprehensive review.)
Uhmm… I'm so sorry. Every time I translated your review, I cannot piece the meaning correctly. If I'm not mistaken, you give me some calculation about powers and abilities of heroes from OPM universe. It's very sad that I cannot speak Spanish. But anyway, gracias.
And thank you so much for all your support, my dear readers. I appreciate all your ideas and comments for this story.
I do not own One Punch Man.
I do not own Tokyo Ghoul.
One Punch Man belongs to ONE.
Tokyo Ghoul belongs to Sui Ishida.
| A Picnic to V14 |
Days went by. The former Hero Hunter had been enjoying half of his first semester in the academy without much problem. Thanks to Amon's advice, Garou could slowly cope with his friends who idolized him. At least, he was not stressed anymore by their antics. Admiration and flattering had become rained on him every time he showed his ability as a prodigy in learning every major. He only shrugged in response without any intention to dis them. Yet, his casual response only made them respected him even more as his popularity rose in the academy.
The Bureau Director also knew about that. He always monitored the ultra rare seed who was under the care of his organization. The martial artist was indeed a very rare sample, found accidentally. The recent display of ability convinced Yoshitoki that Garou was a perfect successor for Kishou Arima. An ultimate weapon if CCG ever wanted to wage an open war against the flesh-eaters. The golden-eyed man would become a perfect solution to end the source of current headache, Aogiri Tree.
However, before that, the Bureau Director needed to follow the procedure. He had the ace investigator to put the martial artist into a usual test for new recruit. Route V14 or the 24th ward was the place where the event took place. The ward in reality was a tunnel network under 20th ward, famous as a hiding spot for man-eaters. Many young investigators who were in training or assigned in missions over there never made it back. That was why senior investigators should assist the juniors. They took big responsibility to keep the investigator in training from danger while showing them how to deal with it.
In the case of the silver-haired man, the condition would be different. Yoshitoki put Arima as a leash for the former Hero Hunter.
The night had come. The golden-eyed man at this occasion ventured to Nerima, accompanied by a certain hulk. Donned in Blizzard-Bunch-like attire, they took a subway from 5th ward to reach their destination. On their way, they didn't talk much. Actually, Garou wanted to thank Amon for his advice. But he found that the tall investigator was not really in mood. He looked a little bit gloomy that night.
The martial artist didn't really know why, but lately after he started to enjoy his life in the academy, he felt a weird change in himself. He grew some kind of attachment towards people. He felt his sympathy towards other grew as well. And it made him wanted to know what people feel. A slight feeling of guilt welled up when he remembered about his past in his old world. His hero hunting was his unforgettable dark past. He ruminated about it as the train sped towards Nerima station.
When they arrived at the station, instead of going out to the upper-ground, Amon led him to a hidden passage near the subway track. The passage brought them to an underground staircase. The former Hero Hunter was surprised by the sight. The dim light, humid air, temperature, and the circumstance, all of them was so reminiscent of Monster Association hideout in Z City.
Their silent journey was over when they reached the entrance of a tunnel network. In front of its metal fence, they saw some investigators who had arrived. There were Yukinori Shinohara, Kousuke Houji, Take Hirako, and… Juuzou Suzuya. The were also another five investigators Garou hadn't ever met. As the hulk and the demon came toward them, some of them gave a warm greeting.
"Oh, Amon," greeted Shinohara as he waved his hand. "Garou-kun."
Houji and Hirako smiled at the two as they came. The Doujima wielder then bowed, followed by the martial artist. Garou actually wasn't the kind of person who liked formality. Yet, because he was under the care of an organization which took him, he should follow their rule. At first, it felt weird. As of now, he got accustomed. Amon's mentoring and the lessons from the academy at last had some effect on Silver Fang's former top disciple.
Following the friendly investigator, the thin boy greeted Amon and Garou. His childish grin was the form of kindness he could offer for the hulk and the demon.
"Oh, hey… It's the giant boy and the old man!" Juuzou waved his hand. "You also come! This is great!"
"… Suzuya-san," The giant replied coldly as he went to see Shinohara and his friends.
"Suzuya…" said the martial artist as he hunched to see the boy closer while he smirked. "Or, should I call you… Juuzou-chan."
Garou wanted to mock the boy. The the golden-eyed man thought that the additional '-chan' would make most people annoyed. Or worse, they would get angry like most tsundere does. Yet, the boy's response was totally unexpected. Hearing the '-chan' addition, Juuzou smiled widely and spontaneously hugged Garou. For the former Hero Hunter, it was unbelievable and shocking. He didn't know that his action only spoiled the boy. Garou could not see it as a nice outcome since he never got such form of affection. And it became awkward when the investigators stared at them.
"Oi, oi, oi… What are you doing?!" Garou thrashed around to loosen Jozou's tight hug. "Let me go… you! Hey…"
"Hahaha… Wee… This is so fun!" The hair-clipped boy didn't loose his arms while the man turned around frantically as he tried to grab Juuzou.
Some of the investigators chuckled in response upon seeing the scene. Somewhat, Amon was also amused by that.
"Wow, I don't know that Juuzou can stick with him easily," said Shinohara as he looked at Amon.
"Hmm. I think so," replied Amon plainly. "I didn't expect that."
"Well, I hope that we can go out to eat udon together again," commented Houji as Hirako nodded in agreement. "I want to see him break the second record."
Amon could only looked at Houji with blank expression as he remembered the night when Garou started his debut as a devourer and ghoul-slayer in Tokyo. It was the first time Amon saw a monster in human form, other than ghoul.
Garou grabbed the boy and locked him around his left arm. He brought Juuzou in a fashion of carrying a rolled carpet. Yet, Juuzou seemed to become happier with such treatment.
"Oh, Garou-kun. I'm sorry. Please, bear with Juuzou." Shinohara put an apologetic smile as he rubbed the back of his head.
"I think it's better that way. You look like a father, Garou-kun." Investigator Houji's remark made the golden-eyed man cringed in embarrassment.
"Or… A very kind brother." Hirako's statement made some investigators chuckled.
The martial artist sighed as he let loose his arm. But the boy seemed to keep clingy toward him. Juuzou still leaned his head on Garou's arm when he landed on the floor. As the golden-eyed man fixed his suit jacket after the skirmish, an attractive female investigator came to see him. She seemed to be around late forties.
"Ara, ara… So, you are Garou-kun?" The lady asked as she gave her hand while smiling to the martial artist. "You're quite popular among special investigators. I heard a lot about you from Shinohara-san and Kuroiwa-san."
"Garou-kun, this is investigator Kiyoko Aura." Shinohara introduced the woman as she nodded. "She's my mentor, back in the academy."
"Oh. Nice to meet you," said the martial artist as he took her hand. "I'm Kotsuhiko Garou."
When he took her hand and looked at the smiling lady, he got stiff all of sudden. The lady's face bore too much resemblance to his homeroom teacher when he was still in second grade of elementary school, not really long before his ordeal with Tacchan. The way she smiled bore too much resemblance with the good teacher. At that time, he thought that school was a pleasant place to study. A long lost thought which had reemerged recently.
"I'm looking forward to our cooperation, Garou-kun."
"Uh-um." The silver-haired man nodded as he smiled awkwardly while his mind was still occupied by the sweet memories of his early years at school.
However, not all investigator was as friendly as Shinohara and Aura. There was one investigator who wasn't pleased by the warm welcome given to Garou.
"Amon," called a bespectacled investigator with round glasses and spiky white hair in rather curt manner. "Why do you bring rookie to this place?"
"Investigator Chuu Hachikawa. I got an order to do so." The hulk gave his answer nonchalantly.
"Hmm. And you, new kid. Route V14 is not for you! You don't bring any quinque?" Hachikawa warned Garou harshly as he glared with contempt. "You're dead!"
Hachikawa's flaring made other investigators scowled in response. Houji even glared dagger at the spiky who hid his mouth behind his high-collared white jacket. Seeing the bad change of situation, Shinohara tried to lessen the tension.
"Oi, Hachi-san," begged Shinohara. "Please, calm down. CCG has given permission for him to join us. And he's quite talented too."
"Talented?" The spiky scoffed while squinting his eyes. "How many of our friends got killed in this dungeon, Shinohara-san? And they were among the most talented! New recruit won't stand a chance! And without quinque? He's a ghoul's dinner after he pass that damn gate!"
Enough is enough for the former Hero Hunter. To be called untalented just because he was still new and didn't bring quinque was a total insult for Garou. His pride as Bang's former top disciple who nearly put an end to Hero Association would not let such infuriating statement went unpunished. At least he should show who was the boss.
The martial artist's face darkened. The investigators could feel the change of atmosphere as they put worried face. Even Juuzou who stood beside Garou fidgeted although he didn't knew what was really going on. When the martial artist gazed at Hachikawa, the said spiky was taken aback. The piercing golden eyes shot their owner's anger towards the investigator who dissed the former Hero Hunter. His killing intent burned the humid air around them to the degree that investigator Aura hyperventilated. Shinohara gulped as he stood rigid on his place while Houji and Amon sweated bullets.
In the midst of such nerve-wrecking situation, suddenly the martial artist felt some familiar presence who came toward them. Since he didn't want to cause any trouble, he ended his stunt with a deep breath and long sigh. At least, that was enough as first warning. The rest of the investigators also sighed. It made the new guests missed the event.
"Old man… What was that just now?" asked Juuzou curiously since the boy didn't know that Garou was so furious.
The martial artist only shrugged his shoulders as he looked at the scrawny boy. He then looked back to see who were coming. He wasn't surprised at all since he had noticed who they were: Kishou Arima and his two guards. As their steps got closer, the investigators recomposed themselves.
"Good evening," greeted the ace calmly as he walked toward the investigators. "Sorry. We're late."
"Investigator Arima." Take Hirako bowed, followed by other investigators. "You come five minutes earlier."
As Garou bowed, the ace investigator also bowed in response. Arima then noticed some hint of uneasiness was still carved on the investigators' faces. He knew that something was not right.
"Did something happen?" inquired Arima.
"Oh. N-nothing happened. Every thing's okay." Shinohara lied as he and Aura smiled sheepishly while other investigators glanced at each other.
"I see," replied the white-haired investigator.
Arima was still suspicious. Yet, since he thought that it was not a big problem, he didn't inquire it any further. Perhaps it was just a normal heated debate. Besides, there was Shinohara – a reliable person who could always solve such thing. When he eyed the investigators, there was one person whom he believed as the provoker. 'Chuu Hachikawa,' thought Arima as he eyed the figure who looked a little bit terrified by something. 'As I thought. His abrasive comment always brings trouble.'
Meanwhile, Arima's two attendants who stood behind him were waiting for his order. They wore white hooded jacket over their formal suit like their leader and carried a trunk. The first was Koori Ui, a man in mid-twenties with bowl-head cut. Garou nearly mistaken him for a woman due of his face and delicate feature. The other was Hairu Ihei, a pink-haired girl with heavy lidded eyes. The martial artist didn't know who they were, but he was sure that the girl with the sleepy expression was so familiar to him. Familiar in a way that he often felt her presence, especially when he was around the academy.
Before they entered the metal gate, Arima briefed the investigators. While the golden-eyed man was hearing the instructions, Juuzou was still sticking around the martial artist. He was not bothered though, but he saw Shinohara looked a little bit worried. As the martial artist directed his vision towards the surroundings, he saw Ihei kept staring at him. His suspicion that she was his stalker grew. Having a bunch of classmates who adored him like a nobleman was enough. Having a stalker was the worst. He needed to ask her later to confirm his suspicion.
"Okay. About the team." Arima explained as he glanced at his watch. "We'll make two teams. The first team will be led by investigator Shinohara. Investigator Aura will be the vice leader. And I will lead the second one. As of the members, investigator Shinohara will go with the his main squad and investigator Aura's squad. But investigator Hirako, Juuzou Suzuya and Kotsuhiko Garou will join my team. Please, follow the instruction and we'll meet at the rendezvous point in two hours. Is there any question?"
"No, Sir," repiled the investigators in unison.
"Very well. Before we proceed, please check your equipment and quinque."
As the investigators checked their gears, some of them muttered their views toward Arima's plan. They didn't really disagree with the ace but his decision to bring new recruit was weird. Meanwhile, Shinohara and Houji were smiling as they checked their radios. The smiling men made Aura curious.
"Hey, Shinohara-san…" whispered Aura. "Are you sure about this plan?"
"Don't worry," replied the friendly investigator as he gave an assuring smile. "Have you heard Iwa-cho's story about him?"
"Uh-um. He's… scary." Aura remarked as she pondered about how Garou dealt with Hachikawa. "But, I'm not sure."
"You were scared at first. Later, you'll see how awesome and dependable he is, Sensei. He's young man, filled with surprise. If you still have doubt, just look at those sharp golden eyes and bulging veins on his hands." Shinohara teased his mentor as he snickered. "If you were 30 years younger, I bet you'll chase him. Or, even you'll fight Arima's squad member over there just to win him."
Aura blushed as she pouted in response. "Grr… Shin-san! That's not funny!"
As the investigators finished the checking, Arima passed a printed map for Shinohara and Aura. They held their own quinque box and prepared to enter the gate of the fence. Hirako, Garou and Juuzou then followed Arima as the other investigators grouped with Shinohara and Aura.
"Okay. All set," Shinohara said after he handed the map to Houji.
"Very well. Let's proceed." Arima said as he led the group toward the gate.
The bowl-head then gave Arima some keys to open the padlocks on the gate. Gate, fence, chains, and the padlocks were made with tungsten and reinforced with kakuhou extract to guarantee its durability. The fact that the gate and the fence remained intact was a proof that ghouls never passed this path. When the white-haired investigator tried to open the last padlock, it didn't budge. Some investigators then helped Arima to open it but failed.
"Should we break it?" asked Houji as he inspected the padlock.
"Well. Can't be helped," replied Arima. "Besides, we bring some replacements."
Before the investigators took action any further, Garou came towards the gate. Without saying anything, he grabbed the malfunctioned padlock and clenched it in his fist. As he opened his palm, the the padlock crumbled into crisp. The investigators hung their jaws while blinking in disbelief. Juuzou then squatted to take some pieces and looked at the martial artist curiously.
"Old man… How did you do it?" asked the boy.
"Martial arts." Garou replied while smirking smugly as he flicked Juuzou's forehead.
"Ouch…" Juuzou winced as he put his hands on his forehead, followed by a grin.
Shinohara's smile grew bigger. He glanced at Aura who was still perplexed by Garou's feat.
"See. That's just a small bit of his ability," said Shinohara. "Right, Amon?"
"Hmm. He can pull out more than that." Amon who was not really surprised by Garou's ability replied his senior with inexpressive face. "We'll see later."
"Eh? But, I still cannot believe that," replied Aura.
"And he's still 18." Hirako deadpanned.
"Eeh!? Seriously!?" Aura's eyes widened in shock as Shinohara and Houji smirked.
When the other investigators were still trying to digest what had just happened, the martial artist was busied by the boy. Juuzou suddenly rubbed his head against the Garou's arm which was very warm. The martial artist gave up in return as he sighed. Yet it seemed that the boy was not enough with that. He then leaped onto Garou's back.
"Give me a piggyback ride, old man!"
"I'm not your father!" scolded the martial artist as he grabbed Juuzou's ankle, pulled him and hung him upside down with one of his hand.
"Wee…! Can you throw me up to the ceiling!? Hahaha…"
The martial artist facepalmed as Shinohara, Hirako and Houji laughed at him. As he looked at them, he found a change of mood in Amon who smiled at him. 'He's amused?' thought Garou. 'Hmm, that's good?'
Garou saw the boy was childishly stubborn. Reluctantly, he let it slid as he placed the boy onto his back. The boy then resided comfortably on his back. Arima who had recovered from his awe-stricken state then cleared his throat.
"Thanks for the assistance, Garou-kun," said Arima while Garou nodded in response. "Now, proceed with care."
As they entered the gate with their respective group, Shinohara walked not really far from Juuzou and Garou. The senior investigator then talked to the boy and the martial artist as they headed toward a dim-lit junction. At least he wanted to give some advice for the hair-clipped boy and the demon before their parties took different path.
"Hey, Juuzou. Don't trouble Garou-oji-san, okay." The leader of the first group said as he smirked while patting the boy's back.
"Okay, Shinohara-san." The boy replied and yawned as his carrier's eye twitched.
"Just kidding, Garou-kun." Shinohara chuckled as he rubbed the martial artist's shoulder. "Thanks very much for accompanying Juuzou. Please be safe. Good luck."
"Well, thanks. I'll do my best," replied the golden-eyed man as his annoyed look turned back to normal.
"See you at the rendezvous point, Garou-kun," said Houji.
"Uh-um."
"Don't disappoint me." Came Amon's voice from behind Shinohara.
Garou turned his head to see the giant and gave him a thumbs up. "And don't let your stress eats you."
Amon let out a little gasp. He didn't know that Garou had such concern about him. It made him glad. The martial artist finally had changed. The hulk also raised his thumb to reply the golden-eyed man as he smiled.
Shinohara's team took a left turn while Arima's went straight. Before their teams went further, investigator Aura waved her hand as she faced Garou.
"Good luck, Garou-kun!"
"Eh?" was the only thing that came out from martial artist's mouth.
Aura's action gained various reactions from the investigators. Most of them snickered, some others grimaced, while Shinohara snorted. Arima only fixed his glasses as he made a mental note about the martial artist while Hirako smiled. Meanwhile, Ui hung his jaw slightly as Ihei gritted her teeth.
When he regained his composure from his bafflement towards Aura's action, Garou decided to send his last warning as Hachikawa passed him. His punishment for Hachikawa was still not enough.
"Investigator Hachikawa. Remember. I'll make you eat your words!" The martial artist sneered as he walked behind Arima.
Garou's words not only made his target froze. Shinohara's teammates shuddered by the threatening tone as they continued their pace.
Some minutes had passed as they traversed deeper into the tunnel network. They had reached the part which appeared to be some sort of sewer. As they traveled near the water, Arima's team hadn't found any sign of ghoul activity. Garou walked besides Hirako while Juuzou had fallen asleep on his back. The silver-haired man shook his head. Meanwhile, Arima and his subordinates were talking about some ways to counter an ambush. Hirako then opened a conversation with the golden-eyed man who kept silent after he parted with the senior investigators.
"Garou-kun," called Hirako as he tapped the martial artist's shoulder.
"Hmm… What?"
"Thanks for the help."
"Do you mean the padlock?" Garou raised his brows. "Don't mention it. Compared to your bokken, it was nothing."
"Oh, haha… Well… Speaking of bokken, how do you think about the kendo club?" inquired Hirako.
"Nothing special," replied the martial artist plainly. "These weeks, we're having some spars."
"I see." Hirako nodded. "Did you enjoy it?"
"Not really."
"Hmm…" Hirako hummed as he glanced at Arima. "Cadets didn't stand a chance against you, huh? Did you use your technique during the fight?"
"Of course not." Garou replied as his sight wondered towards the darkness in front of their team. "I only use what I've learned about kendo. If I use my technique, the fight would be absolutely boring."
Hearing new revelation about Garou, the ace investigator made further mental note about him. Based on what he concluded from Ihei's research, the martial artist was a simple man who liked to to learn. And he seemed to be a person who liked challenging fight as well. The test in this dungeon perhaps might give him one.
"Hmm. That's good, I think." Was the only response Hirako could give to Garou.
Arima then stopped near a light source, followed by the rest of the team. It made his teammates puzzled as they readied themselves in anticipation, except Garou who was still carrying sleeping Juuzou.
"I forget something," uttered Arima as he turned around to face Garou and Hirako. "And it's very important."
"And that is…?" asked Ui as he eyed his leader while expecting something really bad.
"I haven't introduced you to Garou-kun." Arima replied dryly.
Ui dropped his jaw. "Chief, I thought you lost something!"
"Uhm… Right." Ihei remarked as she smiled awkwardly. "But, that's not funny, Chief."
"That prank always works whenever we come to this place," replied Arima as his glasses gleamed. "Well. Garou-kun, besides Take Hirako, these are my subordinates."
Ui gulped while Ihei stiffened. They had just realized that they hadn't introduced themselves to the mysterious man their leader was trying to seek knowledge about. As seconds passed, they felt the man's stare with unconventional hairstyle drained their mental. Juuzou's faint snore and Hirako's stoic face only worsen their situation. At this point, only their very thin courage and Arima's assuring smile which could drive them into action.
"I see. Kotsuhiko Garou. Nice to meet you." The martial artist bowed slightly.
Garou's response somewhat eased the bowl-head investigator. Yet his nervousness could be seen clearly as cold sweats dripped on his forehead.
"Koori Ui." The bowl-head smiled as he made a handshake with the demon. "Nice to meet you too."
The golden-eyed man was wierded out when his hands met Ui's. 'Damn! He's catching cold but why he joins us?' mused the martial artist as looked at Ui's eyes. 'No… He's not sick. He must be scared by something. But what?'
Ihei's turn came and she nervously gave her hand. It made the golden-eyed man narrowed his eyes. When Garou took her hand, she staggered while her tongue felt like being locked. She hardly uttered a word.
"What's wrong?" asked the martial artist.
"H-h-hi…" greeted Ihei nervously as her face turned red. "I'm…"
"Yes?" Garou frowned as he still held her hand which felt abnormally warm.
The fact that Ihei was so nervous only made Garou's suspicion became stronger. The martial artist could hear her raising heartbeat. Her flickering eyes and reddening cheeks only convinced Garou that she was the stalker. Or worst… a pervert.
Hirako only glanced at Ui who was wierded out. Meanwhile, the bespectacled investigator could only put a solemn face as he looked at the unfolding event of the meeting between his trusted subordinate and the subject of his research. 'Please forgive me, Ihei. It's for the sake of CCG.' Arima could only apologize in his thought.
"…I-Ihei. Hai-ru Ihei."
Suddenly, the martial artist yanked Ihei to his side. His free hand moved into blur to counter some objects which flew toward the party. Arima raised his trunk to shield him from the objects. They had just realized that they were shot with RC-cell shards. The investigators then pressed the button on their trunks to unleash their quinque while Garou put down Juuzou to wake him up. The martial artist thought that it would be better to stick with the team. That was why he needed Juuzou's weapon.
"Umm, t-thanks, Garou-san." The pink-haired girl muttered as she readied Yukimura 1/3.
Garou didn't respond her as he was trying to wake Juuzou. For a moment, Hirako and Ui were surprised by Garou's reflex.
"Oi, Juuzou… Wakey, wakey…" The golden-eyed man shook the boy.
"Oagh, old man…" The hair-clipped boy yawned. "It's very nice…"
"Wake up!" scolded Garou. "Do you bring your knives? Give me one! Quick!"
"Mkay." Juuzou unbuttoned his shirt to reveal a dozen of Scorpion knives, stashed behind it. "Just take it."
"What the…? Tsk!" The martial artist clicked his tongue as he took a Scorpion. "Don't you have any better place to keep those things?"
"Mehehe… I think that's the best place," replied Juuzou as he rubbed his eyes.
The rest of the team readied themselves to engage the attacker. Arima and his subordinates formed a battle formation. They didn't know what their enemy had planned. Waiting for them and retaliate was better than rushing towards them, given the circumstances.
"Everyone, stay sharp!" commanded Arima as he held his rapier, Narukami.
Garou threw the Scorpion in his hand at the direction of the attacker which was covered by darkness. Arima and his team didn't notice Garou's action. Then, they heard a loud scream.
"Follow me!" said Arima as he ran toward the source of the scream.
His team followed suit. When they reached the source of voice, they were stunned by the sight of a ghoul who was jerking on the floor. The bespectacled investigator slashed the flesh-eater before it could recover. Upon closer inspection on the dead body, the team found a Scorpion knife lodged into the forehead, piercing through the plastic mask worn by the ghoul.
"A… Scorpion?" asked Ui as he squinted his eyes.
Hirako and Ihei who knew the owner of the quinque glanced at Juuzou.
"Not me," replied the boy as he grinned while pointing at Garou. "Old man did that."
The said silver-haired old man didn't give any response as he walked towards the dead ghoul. He crouched and pulled the hilt of the knife casually. Ui and Hirako were taken aback as Ihei gasped.
"Sorry, I still need this. Besides–"
The martial artist's sentence was interrupted by a blue bikaku kagune shot towards him from the other side of the sewer. He moved slightly to evade the sneak-attack, grabbed the kagune and threw the Scorpion on his other hand towards the bikaku user.
"… They're coming this way." The scream of the bikaku user followed as Garou finished his words.
The blue kagune soon disappeared as the user fell down. The investigators put their guard up as they heard more steps. The light around the place was enough for them to see how many ghouls who were coming. There were ten masked flesh-eaters who surrounded Arima's team. The investigators formed their formation as the ghouls readied their kagune. Juuzou was behind the formation as he took his knifes while Garou stood in front of Arima, facing the ghouls.
"Garou-kun, can you take the ghouls over there?" asked the ace as he pointed towards the other side of the sewer.
The former Hero Hunter only nodded as he glanced at his targets. He looked at two ukaku and two koukaku users who also looked at him with their gleaming kakugan behind their masks. Without hesitation, he lunged from the team to fight the ghouls. And for a moment, the investigators were surprised again due to their leader's order and Garou's casual response.
As the golden-eyed man leaped to the other bank, a koukaku and a rinkaku users in front of the team made their move. Arima and Hirako shared a nod. When the two ghouls ran to strike, Arima dashed and passed them to kill a bikaku user behind the two with a single slash to the neck. The attacking ghouls who got distracted by Arima's attack were wide open, leaving them vulnerable spot for Hirako and Ui to strike. Hirako used his Nagomi 1/3 to slash the koukaku user while Ui stabbed the rinkaku ghoul with his Taruhi. But the attacks could not stop the ghouls as they still stood despite their wounds. The two ghouls retreated as their companion gave a covering fire of RC shards. The investigators jumped back in response.
The problem was the ukaku user who hurled RC-cell shards. The RC-cell shots would close any opening for the investigators to finish the koukaku and rinkaku duo.
"Ui… Can you reach the shooter?" asked Hirako as he looked at the flying ukaku user.
"Okay. Watch my back!"
Juuzou who always acted independently ran around the ghouls while throwing his knifes at them. Some of them hit their marks while the others got deflected by kagune. The ghouls in return tried to attack Juuzou, but the boy was quick enough to dodge the kagune lashed by the rinkaku user and RC-cell shards barrage. Despite the small damage from Scorpion, the boy's action was enough to distract the ghouls. Ui took that chance to lash out Taruhi's blade in its whip form which managed to cut down the ukaku user.
The moment their shooter eliminated, the two ghouls regenerated and attempted another attack towards the investigators. Ihei came forward to parry the rinkaku user's whipping kagune while Juuzou fought the koukau user with Scorpion on each hand. The ghouls got overwhelmed by the attacks from four people as they left much opening for Hirako and Ihei to give finishing blows. The rinkaku user fell as Yukimura 1/3 pierced the body while the other got decapitated with Nagomi 1/3.
Hirako and the team came to see Arima afterward. The ace had just killed two ghouls. One was slashed, the other got electrocuted as some small sparks were still jumping from the body. Narukami proved to be a versatile weapon with its rapier and electric gun forms. In total, the team had killed six. Arima took the three. But before Hirako could catch up with Arima, he looked back to see his team stopped on their tracks. When he glanced at Arima, he saw his leader gazed at the other side of the watercourse. He looked at what the ace and his team were looking at. Hirako's eyes widened. The martial artist was facing four flesh-eaters alone.
"What the…" uttered Ui as he eyed the fight.
"Ga-Garou-san…" Ihei stammered.
"Go for it, old man!" The hair-clipped boy pumped his hand as he looked at the martial artist with gleaming eyes.
Garou who heard Juuzou's echoing voice glanced, only to find the investigators were gawking at him. From the start, the martial artist wanted to prolong the fight because he wanted to test the average strength of kagune and the durability of the users. From the four ghouls he was fighting, he found many differences in their respective natural weapons. The koukaku users had harder kagune compared to the ukakus. Yet koukaku kagune was not flexible and slowed down the user. Meanwhile, ukaku gave advantages for speed and long range attack but it exhausted its user too much. 'Too many limitations. Too many drawbacks,' mused Garou as he smirked while avoiding a slash from his blind spot. 'Too bad. They don't know the wonder of martial arts.'
Like his usual fights, the attacks from the ghouls were evaded effortlessly. It only left an impression for the investigators that Garou was toying the ghouls. The stares from Arima's team reminded him that there were still much area to cover. Playtime was over.
"Hate me all you want!" The martial artist taunted as he sidestepped a koukaku strike and shard barrage.
"Y-you–" One of the ghoul muttered under his ragged breath.
Before the ghoul could finish his words, the former Hero Hunter rushed towards the ghouls in a speed their eyes could not register. As Garou landed some meters away, the three fell onto the floor, reduced into a pile of chopped meat. The investigators dropped their jaws. Even Juuzou's mouth and Arima's were agape upon seeing such insanely bizarre power. What kind of ability which allowed the user to shred ghouls into pieces? Only God knows what it was.
The last ghoul froze when he saw his comrades were minced by an unknown being in human form. If he should describe a devil, perhaps the thing before him was the real embodiment of such abomination. And it was his first as well as his last time to see the devil as its punch tore apart his body completely.
The investigators once again were shocked to see another display of Garou's ability. A person who could blow a ghoul with a single punch was totally surreal. It was something beyond their imagination.
Blood pooled in front of the former Hero Hunter as he ended the carnage. He jumped back to the other side and reunited with the team. The investigators were still staring at him in disbelief. Their faces showed a mix of fear and astonishment. Yet, he didn't care. He just wanted to do what he likes. That's the way Garou is after his arrival to this new world. Some people asked him for help to eradicate some monsters, and he took the job to repay their kindness.
"Shall we go?" asked the golden-eyed man casually like there was nothing.
"Uhm… Right. Let's go." The ace replied as he fixed his glasses.
Arima led the way. The more he thought about Garou's ability, the more he got confused. His hypothesis that the man was a martial artist still could not answer his question. As far as he knew, there was no martial art technique which allowed the user to kill ghouls that easy. Some ultimate techniques of kung-fu or taichi probably might do that, but that was still nearly impossible since it would need years to master. Unless, either Garou was a supernatural being or a super prodigy. Arima believed the latter.
The team continued their way to the meeting point. The bespectacled investigator could only hear steps and chats of his teammates as his mind was still trying to logic the phenomenon. He tilted his head to see Hirako and Juuzou walked beside Garou while Ui and Ihei were behind them.
"Old man, that was so cool," flattered the boy. "How did you do that?"
"Didn't I tell you," replied Garou as he grabbed Juuzou's shoulder lightly. "It's martial art."
"But it was still… I don't get it, Garou-kun." Hirako uttered his confusion as he looked at the martial artist. "How can you do that thing? And, what was that?"
Bang's disciple sighed. "Hirako-san, I don't think you'll believe it if I explain it to you. But I've said the answer to Juuzou."
"I see… Martial art? Well, if you say so," replied the stoic-faced investigator.
"Don't take it seriously. One day you'll see how it works." The martial artist smiled as he looked at Arima's back.
Arima didn't miss the conversation while keeping his pace. He was thinking about what had just been said by Garou. Perhaps one day he could know the secret behind such ability. But, when? He also could not answer that.
Meanwhile, Ui and Ihei were silent. Their minds were totally blown by the very man who was walking in front of them. Surely, that was just an opening performance from the former Hero Hunter for that night.
Author's Note
Eighth chapter. But the carnage and horror the investigators would see hasn't over yet.
I hope you enjoy my story. Thanks very much for reading.
See you in the next story. ;-)
