Charanko, Shunshi, and Genos had arrived at the Super Fight arena. The two martial artists in the group were both dressed in basic white karate gis for the event, with Shunshi's outfit being notably more worn out from a history of hard training.
After walking in, Shunshi managed to sign up for the competition without incident, while Genos purchased a ticket to watch. However, when the front desk attendant asked Charanko what martial arts style he'd be using to compete, he was stumped for some reason.
"What was it? Uh... Water Polo... Carbonated Fist? Yeah, that's it," Charanko said.
Despite the uncertainty of his words, the attendant didn't even bat an eye as she signed Charanko in for the tournament and handed him all of the necessary documents. Afterward, both Shunshi and Charanko were led to separate waiting rooms that were labeled for them.
After only a few minutes of sitting in his room, Shunshi had already begun pacing and muttering to himself, "I haven't competed in a tournament since I was eighteen. And I got my ass kicked back then... Garou was eighteen when he won Super Fight, and he's still that young now... No! Forget about that. You're gonna become impassibly stronger than him in no time...! I wonder if my parents are still gonna come here to watch me compete... After yesterday? No way. Besides, this tournament doesn't matter. Master is gonna win it without question... Maybe I should go wait with him before the fighting starts."
Once he was done talking to himself, Shunshi began heading for his room's door. However, as soon as he opened it up, he saw Lin Lin standing just outside of it, reading the room's label.
"Fist Of The Impenetrable Fire Spirit...? Could be better, but I like it. Guess you passed my challenge," chimed Lin Lin as she saw Shunshi.
Monster Mask perked up at the sight of her, responding, "Oh, thanks. I'm glad you like it. Hey, uh, I was gonna go and wait with my Ma- fellow student. His name's Charanko. Want to meet him?"
Cocking her eye at her boyfriend's odd slip of the tongue, Lin Lin answered, "Uh, sure? Honestly, I just wish they'd start the fights more quickly. I got matched up against that A-Class Hero called Lightning Max. After seeing all the stuff you can do, I'm eager to see how I stack up against another A-Class Hero. Speaking of the fights, who did you get matched up against?"
Suddenly, Shunshi was hit with embarrassment as he answered, "Oh. I haven't looked yet. I've been kinda anxious."
Turning around and grabbing his copy of the brackets out of his waiting room, Shunshi quickly found his name and told her, "Looks like... I'm in a seed match against a guy named Bazuzu. Weird name. Then, if I beat him, I'm up against this Volten guy. You know about either of them?"
Looking genuinely surprised, Lin Lin answered, "Yeah. Bazuzu is infamous for finishing all his fights within ninety seconds. His muscles aren't just for show. He's got real power behind his fists. He's not as strong as you, but he's no pushover either. Now, when it comes to Volten, he's actually won a lot of small-time tournaments. I think his story is that he got hit by lightning or something when he was a kid, and he got electric powers from it. Doesn't make much sense to me. But you can set yourself on fire at will, so what do I know? I think he might actually make a good match for you."
Intrigued, Shunshi replied, "Really? I've never fought anyone with lightning powers. Should be a good learning experience. I got shocked by a light bulb I was changing once when I was a kid. I wonder if it'll be more intense than that... Hey, I just noticed that your fight against Lightning Max is in a seeded match too. You know what's up with that?"
Lin Lin looked a little hesitant to explain this at first but eventually forced herself to say, "You see how that Charanko guy got seeded too? In the world of martial artists, those who decide to become Heroes are seen as taking the lazy way out to glory. So, since this is the first tournament for you and Max, the officials are gonna assume you're really weak until you prove otherwise. See how that Sneck guy isn't in a seeded match? That's because he's been to Super Fight before and done well. But for everyone else in your boat, they give you an extra match and then have you go up against one of the stronger guys in the tournament. It's to discourage you. I'm thinking you might've only gotten your invite because you're getting a lot of fame for being a new A-Class Hero climbing the ranks so fast."
Shunshi was surprised by this initially, and when he remembered who Max was fighting, he yelled, "Wait a second! They think you're weak?! But I thought you're the top female martial artist right now."
Folding her arms, Lin Lin grimaced, "Exactly. I'm the top female martial artist."
When he saw how the tournament staff's viewpoint of her made Lin Lin depressed, determination spread over Shunshi's face as he clenched his fists.
"It doesn't matter what they think! When I met you, you'd managed to hold your own against a group of seven Wolf-Level Threats, even killing three of them by the end of it all. And I've been training with you for a while now. You've gotten so much stronger in that time. You might even be ready to be an A-Class Hero by now!" Proclaimed the young man.
Looking shocked, Lin Lin hesitated for a moment before asking, "Wait, Wolves?! I assumed those lizard freaks had to be Tigers or Demons! Are you serious?!"
Realizing the sensitive situation he was dealing with, Shunshi phrased what he said next as delicately as he could, "Uh... Well, the biggest one might've been strong enough to be called a Tiger... Maybe. But I'm sorry to say, the rest were definitely just Wolves. If it means anything, I think you could've beaten that whole pack if you were as strong then as you are now. I bet you could even take on a Tiger-Level by now. I found out after I joined that that's what's expected of an A-Class Hero."
Looking a bit indignant now, Lin Lin asked another question, "Really? Well, you're in the top 3 of A-Class. What's the toughest monster you've ever beaten?"
Shifting his eyes to the side, Shunshi, not knowing how she'd react, responded, "Um... On my own...? A Demon. It was a weak Demon, though."
A new expression formed on Lin Lin's face after hearing that, one which Shunshi couldn't identify between upset or contemplation.
Trying to take her mind off the subject, Shunshi asked, "Anyways. What do you say we go see Sa- Charanko?"
Confused once more, Lin Lin asked, "Uh, do you just keep forgetting his name or something?"
Taking Lin Lin's hand and quickly stomping down the hallway, Shunshi forced himself to laugh as he answered, "Hahaha! Yep! That's me! Terrible with names!"
As they quickly walked down the hallways, the female martial artist was enjoying her boyfriend holding her hand, but eventually voiced a concern of her's, "Hey, Shunshi. If Volten uses his electricity in his fight, then I think you should use Kie. His lightning is definitely gonna be more dangerous than getting zapped by a broken light bulb. And your Kie will keep you from getting hurt by that, right?"
Monster Mask slowed down when he heard his girlfriend's worries. He felt like an idiot for not realizing sooner that she'd be frightened over him getting hurt during his fights.
In an attempt to put her at ease, Shunshi smirked at her and explained, "Lin, you don't need to worry. I've been crushed, bashed, cut, and smashed more times than I can remember. I even fought this weird slug thing once that fought by giving me a headache with psychic powers. The idea of fighting someone with electricity is honestly more exciting for me than anything. This way, I can learn how to deal with that kind of pain for future battles against monsters with similar powers. But if you're really worried about me getting hurt, if he proves to be tough enough, I promise I'll start using Kie."
At first, Lin Lin blinked in confusion, thinking to herself, Lin? Is that a new nickname or something?
She quickly shook her head of the thought, though, and responded, "Well, if you say so. So long as you don't get too hurt."
The young Hero then gave his companion a heartfelt smile, letting her know, "Thanks for trusting me, Lin." At his gratitude, Lin Lin blushed and smiled back at him.
Almost immediately after their conversation ended, the two reached Charanko's waiting room and saw that the door was open. Walking in, they saw a man in a karate gi with a tall, burly torso but noticeably small legs. His hair was styled in a crew-cut, and his face was extremely scrunched up in an almost comical manner that resembled a person who had eaten sour food.
This man was sitting next to Charanko at the table in his room, who was keeping his face covered with a piece of paper, and telling him, "So after what happened with Wolfman, they won't let guys fake their names or wear disguises. You're already in a bit of a gray zone for lying about your martial arts school's name."
Visibly shaking, Charanko asked, "Oh, really? I guess if someone actually faked their name, then they'd be in pretty big trouble, Sour Face."
Not missing a beat, Sour Face instantly snapped back, "You'd get kicked out of the tournament and probably get turned over to the police."
"Wait! Seriously? I'd understand getting kicked out of the tournament, but arrested? That seems a little extreme," interjected Shunshi as he and Lin Lin came in.
Turning away from Charanko to look at these newcomers, relieving Charanko, Sour Face asked, "What the? Who the heck are you?"
Placing his fist to his palm, Shunshi bowed and introduced himself, "Hello there, sir. My name is Shunshi. I'm a new student of Bang-Sensei."
Folding her arms as she took a proud stance, Lin Lin stated, "If you're a respectable martial artist, I don't think I need an introduction."
"Whoa, Lin Lin...?! Wait, a new student? Why aren't you representing the dojo?" Asked Sour Face in genuine confusion.
Giving a look of hesitation towards Charanko, Shunshi explained, "Well, I've only studied there for a few weeks, so I don't think I'm qualified to represent the style. Also, I was actually sent my own invitation after I did an interview explaining that I'm a martial artist... Besides, Charanko's the top disciple there now... Wait, who are you?"
Smirking, he explained, "The name's Sour Face, and I was Master Bang's second-best disciple before Garou went wild. Regardless, even a guy with a few weeks of practice is gonna be better than Charanko here! Don't let him trick you into thinking he's hot stuff just because he's the only other guy there. All he's good for is being the dojo's punching bag."
A look of visceral anger spread over the young Hero's face when he heard this. This expression was unlike anything Lin Lin had ever seen from him before, and it almost frightened her.
"That's not true! Charanko has made a lot of progress, at least since I've been there! He even learned a technique that Bang-Sensei has yet to learn! And he bravely stood his ground against Garou with me! He deserves more than anyone to represent the dojo!" Shunshi roared.
Sour Face was internally frightened by this new guy's barking, but he quickly shook it off and exclaimed back, "Yeah, right. If I were still there, it'd be my praises you'd be singing. I'm gonna win this whole thing like Bang-Sensei did before me. Then I'll spread the teachings of the Sour Face Martial Arts. So you guys shouldn't get all cocky!"
"But you quit. You said before that you wanted to prove you're better than Garou, but that's cheap talk. Charanko and Shunshi actually went out and fought Garou on their own. Unless you can claim something like that, quit acting like you're better than us," Charanko calmly declared from behind his piece of paper.
More angry than arrogant now, Sour Face stood up and stated, "Be ready to eat those words! Super Fight is a one-day tournament. So I'll be clashing with both of you in the ring at some point. Then I'll teach you both what a real fight is...! Hold on a second. Did you say you were sent an invitation after doing an interview? Why were you doing interviews? Who are you, new guy?"
Deciding to put forward some confidence for once in a rare while, Shunshi declared, "My name is Shunshi Kenkyonahi. But I guess most people would know me by my Hero name, Monster Mask, the bronze medal of the A-Class Heroes!"
Man, even Shunshi has a Hero name he can brag about. What kinda bull crap is Caped Baldy?! Charanko thought to himself for some odd reason.
Despite the prideful way Shunshi had spoken, Sour Face eased up at his words and said, "Oh, you're just some Hero trying to get famous by cozying up to Bang-Sensei. And here I was worried for a second."
Clenching his fists, Shunshi seethed out, "Silver Fang-Sensei is a Hero too. In fact, he's the bronze medal of S-Class..."
Shaking his head, Sour Face explained, "Bang-Sensei is an exception. He was already a legend in the martial arts world before he became a Hero. Tch, don't lose too quickly, lazybones."
With his critiques made clear, Sour Face pushed past Shunshi and Lin Lin and slammed the door behind him.
With an angry expression, Lin Lin placed her hand on Shunshi's arm and reassured him, "That guy doesn't know what he's talking about. I know from first-hand experience now that Heroes are strong as Hell."
Pumping his fist into the air, Shunshi replied enthusiastically, "HELL YEAH! We'll show this whole tournament what Heroes are really made of! Right, Se- Charanko-Senpai?"
With a bit of hesitation, Charanko answered, "Uh, yeah. You bet we will... Now that I've, uh, fought alongside one."
Man, Shunshi really is excited about this. Now I feel even worse for doing this.
Looking at the young woman standing next to his fellow student, Charanko asked, "So... Did that dude say your name is Lin Lin? How do you know Shunshi?"
As that conversation at Super Fight unfolded, Garou had returned to the park where he had met the ugly young boy from yesterday.
Garou was sitting on the backrest of the bench, listening as the boy read, "Watchdog Man operates in City-Q. He usually sits atop his own special lookout. The location of his lookout is called Watchdog Plaza and has become a famous meeting spot. Many fans go there to take photographs. Anyone may meet him there, but he refuses autographs."
After hearing all this, Garou internally pondered, "So, he's ranked twelve in S-Class. Does that mean he's not just some furry cosplayer? Guess I'll have to go find out. Maybe another S-Class victory will finally shake this shitty gut feeling I've had since yesterday." A terrible grin formed on Garou's face as those last thoughts passed through his mind.
"Well, looks like my next stop is Watchdog Man," the Hero Hunter chimed.
"What? You're gonna go see him? Cool! Can I come?" The ugly boy asked.
However, before Garou could give an answer, the Hero Association's sirens suddenly started blaring.
This was followed by a female voice announcing, "Warning! Warning! Monsters have appeared in the shopping district of City-S! Threat Level Demon! Metal Bat is on the scene! If you are outside, please head indoors! All citizens should remain indoors until the threat has passed!"
Getting up to walk away, Garou ordered the kid, "Didn't you hear her, brat? Go get indoors." At his words, the ugly child ran off.
With the boy gone, Garou began sprinting in leaps and bounds towards the sight of the disaster using the speed he only obtained yesterday,
As he leaped across rooftops, Garou postulated, Man, it feels amazing to be able to move like this...! If that Monster Mask asshole hadn't been slowing down my hunting, I bet I'd be even faster than this by now! Argh! DAMN HIM!
A few minutes later, the Hero Hunter arrived on the scene, landing on the roof of a conveyor belt sushi restaurant. Looking down, he saw Metal Bat standing next to a fat, unconscious man and an unconscious kid who appeared to be the man's son. In front of Metal Bat was the C-Class Hero Mohican and the B-Class Hero Pineapple. Behind him was a dead centipede monster and a dead plant monster. Also of note was the fact that Metal Bat was already heavily injured, notable by his ripped-off sleeve and blood-covered face.
"An S-Class meal with some small fry side-dishes. What a great hunt," Garou thought aloud. However, just as he was about to jump down and begin his next battle, he felt the Earth shake.
All of a sudden, the street split open, and another centipede monster exploded from the ground, except this one was so large that it could easily have been a quarter the size of the entire city. As if a giant centipede weren't disturbing enough, the creature had a humongous, Human-like face that looked as if it were made of stone above its monstrous eyes and a giant mouth beneath that which was full of razor-sharp teeth.
While the Hero Hunter watched in awe of this monstrosity, he overheard Pineapple shout, "Th- that's the giant insect monster known as Elder Centipede!"
Metal Bat then turned to ask, "You know about this thing?"
"He caused massive damage to another city once and then escaped," explained Pineapple.
"Yeah, he's a Dragon-Level Threat!" Added Mohican.
Grimacing in annoyance, Metal Bat asked, "A Dragon, huh?"
"We should call in more S-Class' for backup and fallback!" Mohican suggested.
Flipping his bat around in his hand, Metal Bat explained, "He's after those two idiots taking a nap. Get them out of here while I fight this thing. Hmm... I've never fought anything this big. Where should I start?"
Suddenly, the human face on Elder Centipede turned to look at the Heroes, deciding to charge its front at them.
Grabbing the boy and his father, the B and C-Class Heroes shouted, "Hurry! It's heading right for us!"
Going almost against the laws of nature, the Human face on the monster's forehead moved its mouth and shouted, "YOU SHALL NOT ESCAPE!"
"You gotta run too, Metal Bat!" The other two Heroes yelled at Metal Bat as they fled.
Instead of listening to their advice, the second Elder Centipede had gotten close enough, the S-Class Hero took a swing at its Human face. Just before it could connect, Elder Centipede moved its face aside, causing Metal Bat to hit its insect carapace instead. This swing, while not powerful enough to damage the monster's exterior, did stop the creature dead in its tracks.
As Metal Bat felt his superhuman arms shake with reverberations, Elder Centipede shouted, "MOVE OUT OF MY WAY!" It then hit him with one of its gargantuan pincers with enough force to send him flying off into an apartment complex on the side of the road.
While Elder Centipede continued on its way, Garou had slumped down into a squat, thinking in annoyance, Dammit. Looks like another monster got my prey instead. Well, guess I better go find Watchdog Man after all. As soon as Garou thought this, though, he saw Metal Bat jumping out of the building and onto the monster's back, with his bat's handle clenched between his teeth.
Surprised but excited to see his prey still standing, Garou smiled erratically and jumped onto Elder Centipede's back as well, chasing Metal Bat as he climbed along the insect's exterior. Just when Metal Bat had reached the head of the beast, Garou had caught up to him. It was only then that the Hero had noticed this other madman on the back of the monster.
"Are you bat-shit insane?! I don't know who you are, but I don't need help from a civi to take this guy down! Get outta-."
Before Metal Bat could get out that last word, Garou had closed the gap between them and landed a punch square in his face, causing blood to fly from the Hero's mouth while knocking him into one of Elder Centipede's antennae.
This sensation caused the beast to slow down slightly, confused as to its origins, much to the relief of the two Heroes it was about to catch up with.
This'll make a legendary battleground! Garou thought to himself in near ecstasy. This feeling only grew stronger when Metal Bat sprung back at him, trying to cave his skull in with a bat swing.
However, Garou swiftly dodged the attack, allowing the blow to hit Elder Centipede on its head instead. While still not doing any damage to the creature, the sensation did serve to confuse it further.
"You must be that crazy Hero Hunter bastard who's calling himself a monster! I never thought someone could be this crazy, but I guess that goes to show you what I know. Guess I got two freaks to bash to pieces now." As soon as Metal Bat finished declaring this, Garou rushed back in and thrashed him with a flurry of bone-crushing martial blows.
"You talk too much, jackass!" Shouted Garou as Metal Bat's blood began to coat the top of Elder Centipede's head.
Feeling the blood leak onto his Human face, Elder Centipede asked in fury, "WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!"
"Shut your trap and just keep doing your thing! I'm Hunting Metal Bat up here!" Yelled Garou. The massive monstrosity couldn't see who said that but assumed it was one of its allies who had come to its aid.
"HURRY UP AND FINISH HIM OFF! THEN GET OFF OF ME!" Elder Centipede ordered.
Sure thing, shit stain. He won't be able to take much more after that, thought Garou. Just as he turned back to face Metal Bat, though, the Hero Hunter was stunned when he saw the teenage Hero had come back swinging with his namesake weapon.
Garou found himself forced to use Bang's martial art to deflect the attack, but this did nothing to deter the S-Class, as he just kept swinging wildly without tiring. Regardless, Garou continued to redirect the blows, returning powerful jabs that continued to rip the muscle and shatter the bones of this Hero.
"So what's up?! We just gonna keep going until we've fought to the death!?" The Human Monster landed a powerful palm strike to Metal Bat's face with that question, sending him sliding further back along the centipede's back, as blood erupted from his shredded skin. However, without slowing down, Metal Bat immediately jumped back and took another swing, which Garou leaped out of the way of, clinging onto one of Elder Centipede's antennae in the process.
"To the death? I'm not that nice. I fight till I win!" Metal stated as a cold hard fact, while blood continued to pour out of his body.
Looking at the grievously wounded Hero as he suspended himself on the giant insect's antennae, Garou asked, "Okay, how do you even make sense? You should be a foot in the grave with all the injuries I've given ya."
Tightening his grip on his weapon, Metal Bat proclaimed, "Fuck making sense! This is FIGHTING SPIRIT!"
"Really? Well, let's see how far that gets you!" Garou retorted as he bounced off the antenna and pounced at Metal Bat. However, he found himself having to change his trajectory mid-air when the S-Class counter-attacked faster than he'd expected. When Garou landed behind Metal Bat, he ended up having to duck as the Hero instantly spun around to try and hit him again.
As the Hero Hunter jumped back to get some distance, he pondered, Is he getting faster? As soon as Garou wondered this, Metal Bat closed in and swung at him once more. The Human Monster dodged it easily enough, but the wind force of the attack took the roof off of a nearby building.
He's getting stronger too. Whatever. I'll just have to cripple him!
Garou then hit Metal Bat with a double palm strike to his chest, causing the seventeen-year-old to vomit up a puddle of blood and skid back slightly. However, the Hero quickly regained his composure and tried something else.
Immediately, he began spinning himself, with his bat outstretched, so quickly that he caused a whirlwind to form around his body, all while shouting, "BRUTAL TORNADO!" This tornado then began to spin towards Garou.
However, when Garou saw this, he responded by asking, "Is that all?! What a joke! That's not even a real fighting move!"
Without flinching, Garou stood his ground, using Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist to redirect all the swings. The force of each swing, despite missing their mark, still caused the Hero Hunter to slide along the smooth carapace of Elder Centipede. Regardless, Garou began to throw out some counterattacks that were meant to knock Metal Bat off his feet and out of his attack. However, the Human Monster was rather surprised when his blows didn't have their intended effect, with Metal Bat managing to keep his tornado going despite his new wounds.
What the Hell is going on? I can tell my attacks are still doing damage, but he's not even flinching... Wait. It was then that Garou noticed the skin on his hands was beginning to peel off, and his bones were starting to shake from the force of just deflecting these swings.
As this continued, some of Metal Bat's swings were getting redirected into grazing against Elder Centipede's carapace. Eventually, these brushes from Metal Bat's weapon began to crack apart the pieces of the exoskeleton they were touching. When Garou noticed this, a sense of dread started to fill his mind.
Once sensations of pain started forming on Elder Centipede's back, the monster grew fed up with waiting for its ally to deal with Metal Bat.
Shaking its massive body, the gargantuan creature began to violently tear the city to shreds, billowing out, "CENTIPEDE UNDULATION!" When the monster used this attack, the two warriors on its back realized that they needed to stop fighting for a second and hold onto the cracks Metal Bat had made for the sake of self-preservation.
Cornered by this display of ancient and massive power, Mohican and Pineapple cried out, "Oh no, we're toast...! Wait! What's that in the sky?" Looking up, the two saw one of Metal Knight's robot warriors flying in with a payload of heavy armaments.
Without even a moment of hesitation, the Hero's drone unleashed a payload of missiles, showering Elder Centipede with explosions. Due to Metal Knight not noticing the two people on the insect's back, one of the missiles came flying directly towards Metal Bat and Garou. The Hero Hunter wasn't willing to take a hit from a warhead if he didn't have to, so he released his grip and let himself land elsewhere on the behemoth. However, Metal Bat seemed to simply brace himself for the hit, letting the explosion envelop him.
Despite Elder Centipede roaring in pain, it settled down and recomposed itself enough to focus its attention on the robot bombarding it. At the same time, Garou looked at the spot Metal Bat had stayed in. He saw that a blazing inferno had been ignited on the creature's back by the missile breaking apart the already damaged carapace of the monster.
I guess one Hero took out another for me. That was insane... Ouch! Are my arms fractured...? Hairline ones, but yeah... What would've happened if one of those swings had actually hit me?
While Garou continued to ride on Elder Centipede's back and mused over Metal Bat's potential power, he noticed something that horrified him. Metal Bat, now shirtless and covered head to toe in scorch marks, had jumped from the raging flames and was heading straight for the Human Monster to try and land another of his swings. The speed at which the teenage Hero was moving through the air made it look almost as if he was flying.
"You gotta be fucking kidding me!" Garou yelled.
As Metal Bat got closer to him, the Human Monster's mind was filled with only one word, Death!
Jumping away in fear just as Metal Bat closed in, he only just escaped getting hit dead-on, with Metal Bat instead hitting Elder Centipede once more. This time, the destructive force was so great that it shattered an entire section of the giant's carapace, sending pieces of its huge shell flying across the city. Desperate to escape Metal Bat, Garou landed on the back of one of these pieces and let it carry him the distance of entire city blocks away.
Recognizing that this giant monstrosity had begun to get actually injured, Pineapple and Mohican cheered, "Do it, Metal Knight! Blow that thing to pieces!"
Instantly, Metal Knight's drone landed in front of them, telling them, "What are you doing? A weapon testing zone is no place to just stand about. Get the civilians out of here."
Looking genuinely embarrassed, they apologized, "Oh. Sorry about that."
As the two lower-ranked Heroes ran off, Metal Bat took another swing at a different section of Elder Centipede, destroying more of its carapace.
"Did the centipede stop following us?" Asked Pineapple after getting a good distance from the scene of the battle alongside Mohican and the civilians they were carrying. By now, the Heroes had set these two down in some softer-looking debris.
"Yeah. It looks like Metal Knight is gonna tear it to pieces. I'd say we're in the clear. Do you think Metal Bat is still back there, though?" Responded Mohican.
The second after Mohican asked this, a person-sized Phoenix, a Human-sized bipedal jellyfish made of sludge, and a bipedal Rhino in a wrestling speedo crashed down in front of the two low-ranked Heroes.
Bubbles oozed from where the jellyfish creature's mouth would be, causing the following noise, "Not so fast, Heroes. Drop the executive, or else we'll... Actually, we're gonna kill you regardless."
As he turned his body to shield the sleeping child from these creatures, Pineapple yelled, "Three more monsters?! Where do these things keep coming from?!"
Opening its mouth, words began to fly out from the Phoenix's throat, "I heard it was just Metal Bat fighting Elder Centipede, but it looks like Metal Knight has joined the battle as well. Gyro Gyro said that he saw the Hero Hunter had tried to help fight off Metal Bat, but he seems to be gone now. Sludge Jellyfish, help me find him. Rhino Wrestler can handle these two."
Gurgling in frustration, Sludge Jellyfish bubbled back, "Errgh, fine. Let him have all the fun." At that, the bizarre Phoenix flew off and the Jellyfish melted into the rubble in the ground.
Stepping in front of the civilians in their care, Mohican put up his fists, and Pineapple took out some kind of homemade fruit-grenade.
Seeing that the Heroes were ready to take a stand, Rhino Wrestler clenched its fists and smiled excitedly, exclaiming, "Alright! Don't be a letdown, runts."
As that desperate struggle began, Metal Bat smashed off another section of Elder Centipede's carapace and was about to follow that attack up by hitting one of the insect monster's exposed areas. However, just before he could hit it, Elder Centipede used another Centipede Undulation to shake Metal Bat off its back, even as it continued to get pelted by Metal Knight's armaments.
Once it had knocked off the teenager, it focused its attention on Metal Knight's Drone and began to charge at it. However, before the monster could get far, it felt a horrible pain around the area it had knocked Metal Bat from. In that area, Metal Bat had charged back in and taken half of one of its legs off with a monumental swing from his unbreaking bat.
While this chaos continued, Garou had landed a good distance away. Realizing he'd picked a fight that he couldn't win until he could get stronger, Garou jumped down from the skyscraper he landed on and started walking down the street.
But before he could go far, the odd Phoenix's voice yelled out to him, "Hold, Hero Hunter!"
Stopping in place, Garou looked up and saw the Phoenix in question flying down to him. Simultaneously, coming out of a sewer drain at Garou's feet was Sludge Jellyfish.
Looking at the monsters that were surrounding him, Garou asked aloud, "Two on one, huh?"
As it landed, the Phoenix explained, "We are not your enemies. I am Phoenix Man, and this is Sludge Jellyfish. We saw that you tried to help Elder Centipede, but things are taking a turn for the worse now that Metal Knight has joined the fight too. We represent a group that might interest you."
Suddenly, a Human hand extended from Phoenix Man's feathered chest, holding a purple card with a cartoonish monster face on it that read Monster Association.
Taking the card with his bloodied hand and looking at it, Garou asked, "Monster Association?"
Bobbing its head, Phoenix Man responded, "Yes. We can take you to our hideout. But we have to hurry. Things with Elder Centipede are getting out of hand."
Immediately, Garou shredded the card and replied, "Not interested. I've got more hunting to do in City-Q, so get lost."
Shocked, Sludge Jellyfish burbled, "You asshole! Don't rip it up!"
As a response to the monster's yelling, Garou backhanded the sludge creature into a building, splattering it across a wall.
However, Sludge Jellyfish quickly resembled itself and burped out, "Bastard!"
Cocking an eyebrow, Garou asked in disgust, "Still alive?"
Letting out a menacing laugh, Phoenix Man spread its wings to begin to fly as it proclaimed, "I'll pretend I didn't see that. We will meet again soon. At least as long as you continue on the path of hunting Heroes."
Slurping back into the sewer, Sludge Jellyfish declared, "I'll get you back for that! Just you wait!"
"Monster Association...? Disgusting," Garou grumbled as he trudged away in frustration.
Back at the fight with Rhino Wrestler, Pineapple and Mohican had exhausted themselves trying to hurt the monster. Unfortunately, however, it was left unharmed by all of their combined efforts.
Snorting in frustration, Rhino Wrestler suddenly started explaining, "Hmmm... Wanna know how I'd grade your moves? Pine Grenade: 3 Points. Concentrated Pine-Acid Juice: 1 Point. Pine Cannon: 7 Points. Mohi-Cutter: 2 Points. Mohi-Punch: 0 Points... And that's on a scale of zero to one hundred! Is that all you Pro-Heroes got? You're so weak that it isn't even funny! They said you Heroes are supposed to have superhuman strength, so I vowed I'd kill you all with my own pure brute strength. But I overestimated you a lot! A thousand of you couldn't stop me!"
At that same time as Rhino Wrestler finished talking, Metal Knight hit an exposed section of Elder Centipede with another missile, causing it to shout in pain once again.
When he heard this, Mohican decided to work up some more courage and shout back, "You sure about that!? Cause there's a couple of Heroes over there who're so tough that a thousand of you couldn't beat one of them!"
Deepening its scowl, Rhino Wrestler snorted with even greater anger.
Suddenly, Phoenix Man flew in overhead Rhino Wrestler, yelling to it, "Rhino Wrestler! Things aren't looking good for Elder Centipede! This isn't the day of the final battle. Finish them off and take the boy. We only need one of them for our plan!"
Hearing this, Pineapple shouted, "What!? No! Leave him alone!"
Running at the monster, Mohican yelled, "Metal Bat trusted us! We'll stop you if it kills us!"
Charging forward, smashing through the two Heroes and sending them into rubble, Rhino Wrestler yelled back, "That's the idea!"
Turning up to look at Phoenix Man, Rhino Wrestler excitedly asked, "What'ya think of that, Phoenix Man?! Whattaya think my Threat Level is?"
Flying off, Phoenix Man responded, "I don't know. Just grab the kid."
As Elder Centipede was covered in flames and got a couple more of its legs taken off by Metal Bat, Phoenix Man yelled to it, "Elder Centipede! We're done here! You need to get out of there and get back to base so you can molt!"
Realizing the danger it was in, Elder Centipede grimaced in frustration. Suddenly, it jumped into the air, putting Phoenix Man in its mouth, and then quickly went back to the ground and did the same for Rhino Wrestler, leveling dozens of buildings in the process. Immediately afterward, Elder Centipede hurriedly retreated towards the hole it came out of when it first arrived on the scene.
Seeing that the Dragon Level monster was trying to get away, Metal Knight proclaimed, "Trying to escape? Not if I can help it!" The Drone then flew at Elder Centipede's body and clung to its side, producing many small suction cups to aid it in the process.
When Metal Bat saw that the Dragon was fleeing, he roared out, "AAAAARRRRRGGHHGGGRRRAAAAAA!" And leaped through the air at its body to get one last swing in. The power behind his last bat swing was so great that it shattered yet another section of the carapace, sent two of the legs flying off, and lifted every part of the body behind it into the air. Unfortunately, Elder Centipede was still able to rally enough of its strength to scuddle back underground before Metal Bat could continue his assault.
Despite these monsters having fled from the battle, other members of this Monster Association were only beginning to rampage throughout the world's cities.
In City-W, the A-Class Hero, Heavy Kong, was struggling to fight a monster called Martial Gorilla. This thing was a combat knife-wielding, cigar-smoking gorilla in military attire.
Heavy Kong was getting cheered on by the civilians around him but was only getting covered in more cuts as the fight went on. This was especially concerning, as he had made a call for backup over fifteen minutes ago. But as he continued to bleed, the Hero realized in despair that backup wasn't coming.
In City-D, Lightning Genji was head-on charging against a giant catfish with a battery symbol on its body, as well as Human arms and legs on its sides. This creature was named Electric Catfish Man, a Tiger-Level Threat.
As the two collided, Genji attempted to hit the monster with his stun batons, but the electricity in them did nothing to the creature. In retaliation, Electric Catfish Man attempted to send Lightning Genji flying with a headbutt, but the Hero spun around the blow on his skates and hit the monster with another backhanded bash from his batons before having his skates go in reverse to gain some distance.
Standing next to Electric Catfish Man was a creature that looked like a life-size figure of a geisha, with lightning bolt accessories in its hair, and drumsticks in its hands. On its back was a large metal ring with shime-daiko drums. This creature was known as Maikoplasma, another Tiger-Level Threat. As these two monsters stood together, one could easily tell that their connecting theme was electricity from all the lightning sparking off of them.
Realizing the poor situation he was in, Lightning Genji thought aloud, "My stun gear isn't gonna be as effective on you two. This is a bad match-up for me."
Laughing into the hand that held its drumsticks, Maikoplasma taunted, "Lightning Genji, you should consider yourself lucky. The other cities are having it much worse."
Instead of letting that get to him, Lightning Genji charged back in, hitting the catfish with a flurry of his baton swings while proclaiming, "I said it'd be less effective! I didn't say I was gonna lose!"
Fortunately for the monster, it had its beefy arms up during the entire assault, shielding it from any real damage.
However, Genji's attacks just wouldn't stop coming, and Electric Catfish eventually yelled at the Hero, "Argh! That's starting to hurt, you damn Human!" The monster then took a swing at the motorized Hero, but Lightning Genji actually managed to duck beneath the fist and strike Electric Catfish Man across its face with both of his batons at once, causing it to bleed a bit from its mouth.
Lightning Genji then tried to use his skates to back away once more. Unfortunately, Maikoplasma managed to trip him up by hitting one of its drums and sending a jolt of lightning at one of Genji's feet. This destroyed one of his skates and knocked him over. After quickly getting back to his feet, Genji saw that he was down a set of wheels and began examining his other foot, which still had its skate. The two monsters began to chuckle at the awkward position the Hero found himself in but were both stunned silent when Lightning used one of his batons to smash the other set of wheels off on his own.
"Ever since I met that Monster Mask rookie, I've been taking hits from Demons and working my ass off to get stronger with him! I'm not just my gear anymore! If you think that all there is to this Genji is Lightning, then you've got another thing coming! Now bring it on! I'll beat you two with my own brute strength and skill!" Exclaimed the determined Hero as electricity exploded from his batons.
Even though his speech was somewhat long-winded, the two monsters couldn't deny that there was an air of menace to Lightning Genji now that they hadn't felt up until this point.
Reacting to the Hero's challenge, Electric Catfish Man seemed to run away by digging a hole into the street. At the same time, Maikoplasma began to bang its drums more fiercely, sending a volley of electricity at Lightning Genji. Shockingly, he met this head-on by running forwards and dodging each blast before it could hit him. This surprised Maikoplasma, but its worries didn't last long, as Electric Catfish exploded from the ground beneath Genji with an uppercut that connected right into the Hero's jaw.
Turning back to look at Maikoplasma, Catfish gloated, "All that hot air added up to nothing after all. Looks like Gyoro Gyoro was right. All we need is the right match-ups to beat the higher-ranked Heroes."
Maikoplasma began to giggle at its partner's words, but suddenly stopped when it saw the Hero had gotten back up. It tried to warn its comrade of this but was too late, as Lightning Genji landed another double baton strike on the Electric Catfish. This time the attack hit the fish creature in its side, centered squarely on its arm, and packed enough of a punch to cause a crunching noise and send it rolling towards Maikoplasma's feet.
In response, Maikoplasma sent another bolt of electricity at Genji, hitting his chest as he was still somewhat dazed, and knocking him onto his back.
Maikoplasma then chuckled nervously, voicing its hope, "Looks like that second wind of his didn't last too long. Right, Electric Catfish Man?" However, when it turned to see its ally's arm slump lifelessly, that false bravado vanished quickly.
"I, uh... I think he actually broke my arm with that one," said Electric Catfish Man.
He's tougher than we thought he'd be. But at least he's down for good this ti- Where did he go!? Maikoplasma thought to itself as it noticed Lightning Genji was no longer lying on the ground.
When the shadow of a short man appeared above it, Maikoplasma realized that Genji had quickly gotten up, jumped at it, and was now coming down to land an attack. Before the monster could beat one of its drums in retaliation, Lightning Genji, with smoke billowing from his chest, bashed the creature's hand, knocking away the drumsticks and breaking its appendage.
That electricity show a second ago wasn't just to look cool. I drained my battery so that it would absorb as much of the punch as possible from you freaks' attacks.
Electric Catfish Man tried to hit Genji with another punch as soon as he had struck Maiko Plasma, but the Hero quickly counter-attacked by turning around and smashing the fish creature with a double baton bash across its face once more. The force of the Hero's attack was great enough that he very nearly broke the monster's jaw as it crashed to the ground.
In the next instance, he spun back to Maikoplasma and began pummeling it with a baton flurry attack. As blood began to fly, Genji finished the assault off with one last swing to the face that turned Maikoplasma's head enough to break its neck.
With the first monster lying dead on the ground, Genji went over and put his foot on the heavily injured Catfish before mercilessly beating the beast until it stopped moving. Now, with both his opponents down, the diminutive Hero began to pant heavily before letting out a roar of victory.
"Aaaagh! I said I've been taking hits from Demons! What part of that made you disgusting freaks think you had what it took to bring me down...!? Aaagh!" The exhausted Hero yelled at the dead monsters.
Having to take off his mask to catch his breath, Lightning Genji thought through his pain, Well, it wasn't the prettiest fight I've had, but I won, and the neighborhood is safe... Whattaya think of that, guys? Think I might even get a boost in rank for this? At that last internal question, images of his friends, Stinger and Monster Mask, entered Genji's mind.
The electrified Hero's internal celebration couldn't last long, though, as Lightning Genji saw a massive explosion go off in the distance.
At this sight, he muttered in shock, "What the Hell is going on...? That geisha thing did say the other cities were having it worse... I need to get my suit fixed up and head back out to see if I can do anything about this... Guh. I'm gonna be in so much pain once the adrenaline wears off." With those last words, Lightning Genji began to jog back to his workshop.
As hundreds of other powerful monsters began pouring into the cities of Humanity, those who were within the Super Fight arena to either watch or participate were blissfully ignorant of the invasion. Lin Lin and Shunshi had left Charanko to his own devices, with the former of the two heading back to her own waiting room.
Meanwhile, Shunshi began to search for another participant who'd gotten his attention that day, the Hero named Lightning Max. He was quickly able to find Max's waiting room and softly knocked on the door. After only having to wait a few seconds, the Hero in question answered the knocking.
Not recognizing the taller man standing outside of his room, Max asked, "Yes? Who're you?"
Bowing the same way he did with Sour Face, Shunshi introduced himself, "Hello, sir. My name is Shunshi. I'm another participant. I think you might know me better by my Hero name, Monster Mask."
An annoyed expression formed on Max's face at this introduction, as he thought vehemently, This guy is the newbie who's been getting all the special treatment?
Speaking up, Lightning Max asked, "What do you want? Looking to start trouble before the matches begin?"
Shocked, Shunshi stood up straight and waved his hands, explaining frantically, "What?! No, no, no! I was curious if you'd show me one of your kicks, sir."
Stepping back to begin taking up a fighting stance, Max glared more fiercely and accused Shunshi, "So you do want to start a fight!"
Throwing his hands down, Shunshi pleaded, "Lightning Max, sir. I don't want to fight you. I just want your help with something!"
Lowering his fists a bit, Max asked, "My help? You asked to see one of my kicks. What are you getting at?"
Clearly embarrassed, Shunshi tried to explain himself one last time, "I have a friend I've been training with for a little while now. I just wanted to get an idea of what another A-Class Hero can do because I want to try and convince her to join the Hero Association. So, I want to see how she stacks up to one of A-Class' best."
Sizing Shunshi up, Max felt confident that he could take him in a fight based on his casual stance, so he relented, "Okay. Come in, and I'll give you a quick demonstration. Don't blame me if you get hurt, though."
Perking up, Shunshi cheered, "Of course! Thank you, sir!"
How long is he gonna keep up that nice guy act? Thought Max in annoyance as Shunshi walked past him.
Once Shunshi had stretched his arms out and taken up a defensive stance, he smiled excitedly and told the other Hero, "Alright. Come at me with whatever you want whenever you're ready, sir. I'm ready."
Furrowing his brow, Max asked, "You think so...? Flying Backward Roundhouse Kick!"
Sending his attack spinning at Shunshi's head, Max expected to knock the newbie out cold. Instead, Monster Mask moved faster than Lightning Max thought was possible, as he snaked one palm onto Max's calf and the other onto his thigh. With the next motion, Shunshi planted Max butt-first onto the ground. It wasn't so hard that it would hurt him for the rest of the day, but his rear end was going to be in pain for the next few minutes at least.
After helping an utterly shocked Lightning Max back up to his feet, Shunshi smiled with earnest gratitude and told him, "Thank you, sir. She's still not on the same level as you, but I can see her getting there very soon. She's probably ready for B-Class, at least." Shunshi then bowed once more and finished saying, "I appreciate your help, sir. Good luck in the tournament. I'll be leaving you alone now."
As Monster Mask opened the door and began stepping out of the room, Lightning Max yelled at him, "Hold on! You're higher ranked than me, and apparently, you're a lot stronger, too. Why do you keep calling me, sir? Are you making fun of me?!"
Those questions hit Shunshi hard, as it hadn't dawned on the young man how upset his display of strength would've made someone else.
Pausing for a while to think of what would be appropriate to say, Shunshi eventually explained his honest feelings, "I've always looked up to Heroes. I think they deserve a lot of respect. It doesn't matter what rank you are to me... And with all the lives you've saved, how could I do anything but look up to you, Lightning Max, sir?"
Once the realization hit Max that this odd individual had been completely honest with him the entire time, a sense of shock, followed by a feeling of regret, hit the lower-ranked Hero right where it hurt. With that, Shunshi bowed in shame one more time and left the room.
He was actually trying to be nice to me? Max asked himself internally
As Monster Mask walked down the hall to think about whether or not he'd just done something wrong, a voice over the arena's speaker system announced, "All fighters, please report to the arena. The opening ceremony is about to begin."
Meanwhile, out in the stands of Super Fight's open-roof arena, all of the audience had gathered and was ready to watch the carnage of Super Fight. Amongst the audience was the Demon Cyborg, there to show his support for his Master and, to a lesser degree, his junior.
Genos had found a seat in the bleachers and was sitting calmly when a female voice asked him, "Are you the Demon Cyborg? Genos, right?"
Turning to the bleachers' stairs, Genos looked to see who was speaking to him and saw a pretty, young woman in her early twenties. She had familiar black hair and blue eyes and stood almost as tall as the Demon Cyborg himself. She was dressed in a white T-shirt and black bike shorts while also carrying a white bag that had a red medical cross on it.
"That is correct. I do not have anything to give you an autograph with. And I would like to focus on the tournament. I have a vested interest in two of the participants," Genos explained dismissively.
"Wow, pull it back there, Mister Charmer. Sheesh, Shunshi wasn't kidding about the aggression," The woman playfully retorted.
Growing alert at that comment, Genos turned to her and asked in alarm, "What!? How is it that you know my junior?! Who are you?"
In a calming tone, this woman placed her hand on the S-Class' shoulder and told him, "Relax, metal man. My name's Ishisu. I'm Shunshi's older sister, and he's told me a lot about you and your guys' Sensei." Before saying another word, and without waiting for an invitation, Ishisu slid around Genos and took the seat next to him. "I'm normally busy with hospital work. But I took some time off so I could come here to surprise my baby brother after the Super Fight ends. After I noticed you, I figured we could sit together to root for him.".
Confused, Genos asked, "How did you know what I look like?"
Blinking in disbelief, Ishisu asked in return, "Are... Are you serious? You're a famous S-Class Hero, you're very visibly a cyborg, and you don't wear a mask or anything. How would someone not recognize who you are?"
Feeling a bit humbled by that response, Genos replied, "I suppose that does make sense. So... I assume you are the sister that protected Shunshi during his first year of high school."
Relaxing a bit more into her seat, Ishisu comically flexed her arm and answered, "Yep, that's me. But now look at all this! He's competing in Super Fight as an A-Class Hero...! Speaking of protecting him, there's something I wanted to talk to you about."
Assuming he understood what she was going to say, Genos explained, "Sensei and I have been making sure that Shunshi does not die. You do not need to worry."
Smiling, Ishisu responded cheerfully, "That's great to hear...! But it's not what I meant. I was referring to when you told Shunshi that he's annoying, and you wished he'd leave."
Shocked that she knew of this, Genos did his best to stay calm as he replied, "Oh, that. What would you like to discuss about it?"
Looking a bit more put out, Ishisu asked, "Well, it made him very upset, but he just sort of stopped talking about it eventually. I assume you apologized to him, right?"
His shock growing, the Demon Cyborg was unsure of how to respond to being talked to in such a brazen manner.
Recognizing what the expression on the metal Hero's face must mean, Ishisu went on, "Well, you need to make sure you do that at some point. It's what friends are supposed to do."
Looking at his lap, Genos explained, "I am unsure if I would consider us friends."
Chuckling, Ishisu responded quickly, "You could've fooled me. With how highly he talks about you, I thought he might've been gay. But he told me he got a girlfriend recently, so I guess that's off the table for the moment. Eh, regardless, you should still apologize. What you said was pretty rude."
"I... suppose you are right," Genos lamented.
"Good, now on to more fun topics. You've been training with Shunshi for the past month or so. Has he actually gotten any stronger? How do you think he's gonna do in the tournament?" Ishisu's expression and tone suddenly switched to pure cheerfulness as she asked these questions.
Failing to keep up with the eccentricities of Shunshi's sister, Genos found himself stammering, "I, uh, um... I have not... I have not directly trained with him on more than a few occasions. Since I am a cyborg, I do not physically train. The training that I do focuses mostly on improving my frame of mind and understanding of how to obtain power... The last time I saw him fight, he had improved greatly from when we had first met. I have made progress myself, and I am still easily more powerful than him, but he has gained more power during our training than I have."
"Uh... Wow, you sure are long-winded, just like my bro. No wonder he gets along with you so well. Well, don't worry. Everybody improves at their own pace," Ishisu reassured.
Looking at the martial arts arena intensely, Genos explained further, "I was hoping that this would be a good opportunity for me to emulate Shunshi's growth in power."
Tilting her head, Ishisu asked, "What's that mean?"
Cupping his hands together, Genos explained, "A while ago, Shunshi recommended that I learn martial arts to complement my super strength and speed. When he had told us that he was sent an invitation to compete in Super Fight, I decided that it would make an excellent opportunity for me to record the abilities of numerous martial artists and have any compatible techniques incorporated into my muscle memory protocols."
Frowning at that, Ishisu asked, "Isn't that a little like cheating?"
Shaking his head, Genos told her, "My body's reflexes are preprogrammed. I am incapable of studying the martial arts any other way, no matter how much effort I would put forth into such an endeavor."
A mortified look appeared on Ishisu's face when she heard this, only saying, "I'm sorry."
Shaking his head once again, Genos calmly explained, "You do not need to apologize. My original body was damaged beyond repair, but I could have survived with much more minimal cybernetics. I obtained my current body of my own volition in order to pursue justice. I have no regrets."
Halting the conversation in its tracks, a heart-pounding anthem suddenly began playing over the stadium's speakers, signaling that the tournament was about to begin.
Turning back to look at Ishisu, Genos told her, "I suggest we pay attention. The fighters are about to come out."
Smiling once more, Ishisu replied, "Yeah. I'm ready to see my little brother kick some butt."
The arena was surrounded by thousands of cheering fans as the music played, and the pompadoured announcer proclaimed charismatically to them all through his microphone, "Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the twenty-second Super Fight! We have an amazing roster of incredibly powerful martial artists for you all today! And here they come!"
As the martial artists walked out and approached the arena in a line, the Announcer introduced them one by one.
"You know our first contender as Lightning Max! He's A-Class's nineteenth-ranked Hero! This is his first time participating! Be prepared for the thunderous kicks of his Hyper Max Karate!"
Raising his fist into the air as he pushed his frustrated and doubt-filled thoughts from his mind, Max declared, "I'm aiming to win this whole thing."
"Our next participant stands at the top of the world of female martial artists! Here for her second appearance, the wielder of the Ringing Palm Bell Fist, Lin Lin!"
Placing her fists on her hips, Lin Lin grinned confidently and commented, "I'm looking forward to the start of this."
"This next bad boy has made a reputation for himself by crushing dojos with the Harsh Path Style! How will Harsh Path Benpatsu fare during his first time participating!?" This Benpatsu individual was a lean-built man in a black karate gi. He had a small black mustache and black hair that was tied into a high braid.
Folding his arms confidently, Benpatsu chuckled out, "I'll crush this whole thing."
"The bottom-ranking A-Class Hero, Biting Snake Fist Sneck, is a beloved veteran here at his sixth appearance! With his slithering techniques, he regularly finishes in the top four!"
As Sneck, dressed in a snake-themed karate gi, walked up next to Benpatsu, he thought in annoyance, Was the bottom-ranked thing really necessary?
"With his supercharged lightning martial art of Thunder Thunder Fist, Volten, The Fist Of Thunder is now making his fourth appearance at Super Fight!" Volten was dressed in an olive green, collared outfit with golden decorative buttons. As a lightning bolt crackled from his shoulder to his waist, Volten stood there in silent arrogance. He had slicked back, long black hair, dark eyes, and sunken cheeks.
"The punk who always wins his fights in ninety seconds is the next one on the ring! Will his destructive fists take him to the top in his third appearance?! Presenting Bazuzu of the Nuclear Explosive Fist!" Bazuzu was a very muscular man with noticeably bulbous lips and a large mohawk. He was dressed with black wristbands and a tan-colored single-strap top.
Flexing his biceps to the audience, Bazuzu proclaimed to them, "I'm way stronger this time around! I'm gonna win this time for sure!"
"Next up, we have our third newcomer! The third highest ranked Hero in A-Class despite being a rookie and wielder of the Fist Of The Impenetrable Fire Spirit! We have Monster Mask Shunshi making his first public appearance without his trademark helmet!" All of the other fighters had been met with thunderous applause and cheers from the audience already. However, when Shunshi was introduced, the people in the audience seemed to nearly lose it.
Within the audience, Genos was gently clapping, while Ishisu was into the cheer even more than the rest of the crowd.
Surprised, Shunshi thought in appreciative confusion, Have I really gotten that popular? Huh, that's nice... Wait, is this really the first time I've been seen by a crowd without my helmet...? I coulda' sworn I'd taken off in interviews before.
Deciding to bow to the audience, Shunshi introduced himself, "Hello, everyone. It's a pleasure to be here!" His typical polite and humble behavior seemed to win the crowd over to his side even more, as even greater cheers roared out.
The Announcer would go on to introduce the following martial artists: Gatlin of the Multi-Hit Style, a young man in a boxing jacket, was here on his fourth appearance. Hamukichi, master of The Sunflower Dojo's Gentle Self Defense, a huge, scarred, and muscular, yet friendly-looking man, was here on his first appearance. Dave of the Giant Style Crushing, an even huger and morbidly obese man, was here on his third appearance. Rosie of the Psycho-Analysis Martial Arts, an intelligent-looking and sharply dressed man, was here on his first appearance. Choze of the Fist Of The Pure Blood Master Race, a disturbing but strong-looking man in a red sweater, was here on his first appearance. Mentai of the Spice Fist, a young man with exploding red hair and a black fuzzy costume, was here for the sixth time. Jakumen of the Giga Pro Wrestling Style, a huge man with mostly shaved blond hair, was here for the first time. Sour Face was the next to be introduced after that. Zakos of the Head First Rushing Style was a man with slicked-back, long blond hair, sunglasses, and a fancy-looking traditional Chinese martial arts outfit. He was here for his seventh appearance and even made a show of intending to propose to his girlfriend.
After everyone else, Charanko was one of the last to be introduced.
"Here for his first appearance is Charanko of the Water Polo Carbonated Fist! He says this is his first time and to please not hit him on his head! Is he even here to fight? He had the ticket needed to enter, so we let him in!" The Announcer explained. Even though he had just been introduced, Charanko simply stood there emotionlessly with his belt tied in a butterfly knot.
As he received a mixed reception of boos and cheers, he wondered, Why am I getting booed already?
While Charanko pondered this, Genos stood up and clapped vigorously.
Tilting her head at this, Ishisu asked, "You, uh, know the guy?"
Not missing a beat, Genos replied, "He is a personal friend of myself and Shunshi. He is highly capable in combat. In fact, I think he is the most likely participant to win this tournament."
Pausing for a moment, Ishisu was at first surprised but eventually grew analytical of this info.
Once Genos had sat back down, Ishisu leaned over and whispered a question into his artificial ear, "That's your guys' teacher in disguise, isn't it?"
The Demon Cyborg looked alarmed at first, but she patted him on his shoulder and quietly reassured him, "Don't worry. You guys are Pro Heroes. I'm sure there's a good reason for this. I won't say anything. Besides, he's on the opposite side of the brackets. Shunshi'll get to meet him in the finals. He might even surpass your master when he meets him there."
Genos calmed down at Ishisu's words, though he was still somewhat wary. Her comment about Shunshi beating Saitama did manage to leave the blond cyborg with just enough amusement to stay calm, though.
As the two of them finished their discussion, the Announcer introduced the last two competitors.
"And now... The two-time champ, who many say is the greatest fighter in Super Fight history, here for his third appearance! The way he tramples the competition is a gruesome sight to behold! Despite having killed some of his opponents, he claims to have never gone all out! The man, the demon, Bakuzan of the Dark Hell Assassination Fist!" Bakuzan was a muscular man with spiky black hair and unkempt sideburns. He had a bushy uni-brow and a small goatee. In regards to his attire, he wore a standard karate gi that had its sleeves torn off.
With a bored expression, Bakuzan thought aloud, "It's imperative that I win this Super Fight."
The Announcer then gave the final introduction, "And now, the man who won four consecutive championships as a boy, before skipping the last seven tournaments, Void Fist Suiryu!" Suiryu was a tall, young man with black hair tied into a long ponytail and blue eyes. He was dressed in a navy blue Chinese-style martial arts uniform with white linings and star-shaped buttons.
Raising his fist to the crowd, Suiryu exclaimed, "I'm here to have fun. Let's do it, everyone!"
Once Bakuzan and Suiryu walked on stage, the crowd completely lost their minds. Even the applause that Shunshi received paled in comparison to the maddening cheers that these last two fighters got.
The Announcer then continued, "He spent the last three years relaxing without training seriously, but now he's back for the prize money! Could his lackadaisical nature be the secret to his strength? It's likely that his opponent in the finals will be the mighty Bakuzan!"
As Suiryu continued to work the crowd, Bakuzan stared daggers at the younger martial artist while thinking, So that's Suiryu? If I were to kill him, then I'd be the top martial artist in the world.
At the same time, Shunshi was looking at Suiryu as well, pondering, They're hyping the guy up, but he hasn't trained seriously for the same three years that Sensei and I have spent working ourselves to death...? Hmm, I should still probably be cautious. He did win four other Super Fights... Speaking of which, Sensei is gonna win every fight he's in, so the side of the brackets he's on may as well be forfeit. So, the guys on my side of the brackets are gonna be the only real part of this tournament. If I make it to the semi-finals, then it may as well be the real finals of this Super Fight... Hehehe, I gotta admit, I'm actually kind of excited to show Sensei the results of all the training he and Master Bang have given me so far.
I can feel those guys staring me down. Are they gonna be my top competition this time? Shame. I wanted to fight the winner from last time. Somebody really strong. Suiryu thought to himself with a condescending sigh through his nostrils.
After all the fighters had been introduced and had time to present themselves to the crowd, the Announcer proclaimed, "Without further adieu, let's get the twenty-second Super Fight underway!"
As the Super Fight got started, the monsters continued to rampage throughout the world outside.
Garou had bandaged up his arms and had made his way to Watchdog Plaza. He'd quickly found the Hero in question sitting on his shrine. Just as he got ready to begin his next hunt, though, a hoard of powerful monsters came rampaging in and began attacking the S-Class.
Damn it all! More monsters are getting in my way...! I should sit and watch this time. Don't want a repeat of what happened with Metal Bat. With that thought, the Hero Hunter stood back with the crowd of civilians and watched as the fight raged on.
Back at the arena, Shunshi, Lin Lin, Saitama, Sour Face, and Zakos were all standing around talking before the start of the first seeded match between Lin Lin and Lightning Max.
During this time, Sour Face had revealed a nicer side to himself by helping Saitama properly tie his belt, earning a smirk from Shunshi.
Zakos, however, showed the opposite nature, having spent the conversation bad-mouthing Fist Of Flowing Water Crushing Rock, Bang, and Heroes in general. He'd spent the whole discussion focusing on Saitama, so Shunshi forced himself to hold his temper at bay and not interfere, lest he let the secret slip.
It was only after Lin Lin asked aloud, "Hey. This guy keeps mocking your master, your school, and your job! Grow a spine and say something."
The stern expression that the young Hero had been wearing throughout the conversation vanished for a quick moment. It wasn't often that Lin Lin's more aggressive side was aimed at him, and it had taken him off guard.
Looking at Monster Mask and speaking with a bit of hesitant bravado, Zakos asked, "Y- yeah. What's the follower of the coward's path have to say?"
Knowing he had no excuses left not to speak up, Monster Mask furrowed his brow at Zakos. For a brief second, one of Shunshi's eyes lit up with white flames as he glared daggers, stunning both his target and Sour Face.
Letting out a frustrated sigh, Shunshi vented out his point of view in a cold tone, "Heroes are the type of people you can bad mouth as much as you want, but they'll save you when you're in danger regardless. Be it crooks, disasters, or even monsters that can tear apart a city, they'll be there. I'd imagine for a guy like you, who's all talk, you'd appreciate people like that for when that big mouth of yours gets you into a world of trouble that you can't weasel your way out of. Just remember that, Zakos. The path of the coward involves facing all those things on a regular, if not daily, basis."
That's more like it. That scary look of his is pretty impressive. Lin Lin thought to herself with a satisfied smile.
Both Zakos and Sour Face were left short of breath by Shunshi's speech until the latter asked Saitama, "Uh... What about you, Charanko? Don't you have anything to say?"
Having paid little attention to this conversation up until this point, Saitama replied, "Oh, right. This concerns me. Well, I didn't come here to talk. I came here to experience martial arts. Like what Shunshi was getting at, a guy as weak-looking as him shouldn't go around bad-mouthing people."
Smirking, Sour Face cheered on the students of his former dojo, "Hehehe! Yeah, that's telling him, you two."
Shaking with anger, Zakos snapped back, "Whatever! I'll crush you to dust in our match!" He then stomped away.
After Zakos had left, Lin Lin commented, "Well, that was fun, but if you boys excuse me, I have a match to get to... Hey, Shunshi?"
Turning to look at her, the Hero in question asked back, "What's up, Lin?"
"Max is an A-Class Hero like you. Do you have an idea of how I'll do against him?".
Shunshi gave her an unsure look for a moment before asking, "Do you want me to be completely honest?"
Putting her fists to her hips, she replied, "Well, duh. That's why I asked."
Smirking, before shifting back to a more serious look, Shunshi answered, "Sorry. Just had to make sure... So, in all honesty, you've gotten a lot stronger in the time we've spent training together. Unfortunately, I think Lightning Max is still a level above you. If you gave it everything you've got, you'd get a few good shots in, but I can't see you winning this time."
A little bit of life drained from Lin Lin's face when she heard her boyfriend's opinion, prompting her to ask, "Are... Are you sure there isn't something I could do?"
As bluntly as his previous statement, Shunshi explained, "Outside of trying to kill him with your Vibrating Palm technique, which I suggest you don't do, there's only one thing that comes to mind. If you knew how to use Kie, the fight could go either way, honestly." When Shunshi said that, Lin Lin looked even more defeated.
Seeing this, Shunshi quickly tried to add some words of comfort, "Hey, Lin. Don't get disheartened. You shouldn't be feeling down about the possibility of losing. I've gotten my ass kicked by monsters more times than I can count. But that never got me down. I always thought about how I'd get stronger than the guys I've lost to and use the experience to improve my training in whatever I was lacking against that opponent. Even if you lose today, you'll be stronger than Lightning Max in no time! And I'll be there alongside you to help make sure of it."
With those last words, Shunshi took Lin Lin's hands into his own and looked her directly in her eyes. After a second or two, this did begin to comfort her as she gazed lovingly back at him.
Nudging Saitama, Sour Face asked him, "Uh, Charanko? Do you know what the new guy is talking about with this Kie stuff?"
With little emotion, Saitama explained, "Huh? Oh, it's something he does where he sets himself on fire and throws exploding balls of light at monsters. Some kind of spiritual mombo jumbo, I think. It's real flashy stuff. I guess he's been trying to teach this girl how to do that too."
Flinching, Sour Face asked fearfully, "You mean he can just do something like that with just his spirit alone?!"
"Yep. Kinda neat. The fire stuff makes him look kinda badass, so I thought about asking him to teach me how he does it, but I don't really need to get any stronger," Saitama responded.
Chuckling, Sour Face nervously retorted, "You don't need to get any stronger?! You're the runt of the litter in the dojo! You need all the strength you can get. I'd recommend you go through with asking him for pointers."
Saitama's expression grew slightly nervous at that remark, thinking to himself, Oh, crap. I'm somebody else right now.
Doing his best to put on a tough-guy face as he sweated, Saitama bluffed, "Uh, maybe I should after all. But don't you remember what Shunshi said earlier? I've already gotten a lot stronger."
A somewhat surprised look formed on Sour Face when the punching bag spoke with such bravado. However, he quickly smirked and shook his head, giving his junior one more piece of advice, "Don't let the big shot talking you up swell your head, Charanko."
Looking away in annoyance, Saitama replied, "Yeah, okay."
"Alright! I'm gonna use this fight as a springboard to become invincible one day! Just watch, world!" Lin Lin yelled powerfully and suddenly.
Pumping his fists into the air, Shunshi cheered her on, "Yeah! That's the spirit!"
With her vigor restored, Lin Lin ran off for her match.
As she left, Saitama looked at the happy expression on Shunshi's face and thought, Man... Makes me nostalgic for when I could still feel that excited.
With that, the first match of the twenty-second Super Fight was about to get underway.
I'd like to thank everyone who voted on what side of the brackets Shunshi should start on. The engagement really means a lot to me, and I hope everyone knows that.
The pronunciation of Shunshi's last name is Ken-Key-Yo-Na-Hi.