"Hero Hunt" ヒーロー狩り, Hiro Kari━

"What's the matter? Can't you stand up?"

Completely shocked at the scene right in front of me, I just stood there frozen and confused at what was happening.

"Charanko, what have you...been doing the last six months?"

My gaze snapped to Bang that was standing in the middle of the dojo while talking to his other disciple that was laying on the floor now.

"As my pupil, you must give your all." His gaze was somehow dark...and emotionless. "You haven't learned anything...and you lack talent. Both of you."

I swallowed and clenched my fist in anger, walking over to Charanko that was beaten up and could barely move. As soon as I was next to him, my eyes turned back to Bang. Staring furiously at him, grinding my teeth after his next words.

"I'm casting you out. Never come here again."

"Bang is acting strangely?"

We were at the place of the two heroes that visited the dojo a few days ago. After I took care of Charankos injuries, he told me that we should head to Saitama and Genos for information on why our former Sensei decided to be like the way he is right now.

And since I still was too upset, Charanko did the talking.

With Saitama and Genos, who lived here, there were two other heroes. One I recognized as King, the strongest man on earth- probably would have been super excited to meet him but the situation was... unfortunate. Besides King, there was a woman with short black hair and a simple black dress that hugged her curves very nicely.

If we wouldn't be in this situation, then I would probably have envied this woman for her beauty. But not now. I really wasn't in the mood.

"Did something happen? Why are you injured?" Genos chimed in again and scrutinized Charankos appearance.

"He beat me up while sparring."

I took a brief look at my friend to my side with a frown. My thoughts wandered back to what occurred in the dojo with Bang. A light scoff left my lips when I looked back to the floor, causing Genos' eyes to lock onto me for a short moment.

"He's usually so kind, but…" Charanko paused in his sentence, not getting an idea why Bangs behavior was so odd. "Something's going on! You hang out with him, so I thought you might know."

While listening to the conversation, I stared out of the window, not at something particular since my mind wandered off the whole time. But as soon as I heard Genos answer, my head whipped back in his direction.

"I do not know. But I have a feeling...that Garou the Human Monster is involved."

"Garou?!" Charanko and I gasped in unison.

My attention was now completely directed at the conversation at the mention of Bangs former disciple.

The thought that I probably saw this boy everyday at the dojo before the incident, without knowing the beast that resides inside him, sends shivers down my spine.

My body was tense and my heart started to beat faster. Excitement flowed through my veins at the sound of his name, cutting my breath short.

The Human Monster?...

I swallowed thickly at the nickname.

Charanko in the meantime was utterly shocked at the news and beads of sweat rolled down on his face. "He went wild at the dojo...and- and master Bang cast him out! How is he involved?!" His voice went frantic and higher.

"You are Bangs pupils...but he did not tell you?" Genos continued calmly, being the complete opposite to us.

"Didn't tell us what?" I replied sharply, now even more enraged than before.

Unbothered from my sudden attitude, Genos continued. "Hero Association Headquarters has issued a warrant...and Bang volunteered to capture him."

"Hold up- how is he a monster?? I thought he was human?!" I furrowed my eyebrows, looking at Charanko who had the same question on his mind.

Genos' expression seemed even more serious than usual. "There was an incident at Headquarters...but the association has kept it quiet. If the conflict grows, it could harm civilians...so Bang may be trying to keep you uninvolved." His eyes shortly darted to me after his last sentence.

Since his face was rather blank of any emotions, I couldn't really read his expression...but that he especially looked at me? It left a weird feeling inside my gut and my eyes narrowed at Genos gaze. Like he was suspicious of me.

Maybe I was thinking too much about it. Don't sweat it Selene.

"Really?..."

Charankos face was drained of any color and he looked somehow guilty. His teeth clenched together. A look of terror and distress.

I sighed when I saw him like that and massaged my temples. He really makes himself responsible for that, huh?

"Master Saitama, what do you think about Bangs actions?" Genos now questioned the bald man beside him.

He just looked carelessly to the floor, waiting with his answer while he probably was thinking. Suddenly his face grew serious when his gaze snapped up, making me raise my eyebrows in curiosity.

"One thing...does puzzle me."

Charanko and I both leaned slightly forward, awaiting his next words with wide eyes.

"Who are you?" He deadpanned, back to his usual self.

We blinked at him with dumbfounded expressions, making me sigh in frustration. "Wow.."

"Master…" Genos leaned over to Saitama and raised a hand to his mouth so he could whisper it to Saitama- well, just that we still could hear him.

"They are Bangs' current pupils. This weakling's name is Charanko and this bratty teenager's name is Selene. We've met them before."

Wow, really sweet.

third-person pov━
later that night

The full moon was shining bright upon the dark shadows of the night. His silver light illuminated the figure of the young boy that was walking along the street. But he stopped as soon as he came across someone on a bike with a weird looking hero outfit. His body was in a black suit with brown armor covering his torso and shoulders. In addition to the bicycle, he wears a green helmet and dark shaded goggles.

"You must be a hero...so it's huntin' time!" Garou exclaimed, receiving a questioning look from the bicycle hero.

"I am Mumen Rider. What's this about hunting?" The man asked innocently, not aware of the beast that was directly in front of him. The hero hunter himself was just a teenager with an unbelievably huge blood thirst for getting stronger and Mumen Rider had absolutely no idea.

He definitely knew of the hero hunter and the recent attacks on multiple heroes that were found completely beaten up, but hadn't a clue how he looked like and how he was.

Garou felt almost sorry for the clueless man. Well, almost. The young boy didn't feel any mercy for his prey, the only use of the low heroes was to exploit them and get stronger until he worked his way up to the top.

A smirk adorned the young boy's lips when he looked down at his hand and straightened his somehow elegantly slender fingers with a dark expression. Underlined by the shadows that loomed over his eyes while the back of his head gets illuminated by the bright light of the moon.

"Help me become a true monster." The smirk widened to a malicious grin that showed his white teeth. 'The more heroes I defeat...the more monstrous I grow!'  he thought in visible, growing excitement.

But a new voice chimed in behind Garou, followed by other figures that suddenly emerged through the bushes and trees that demarcated the lightened streets from the rather dark pathway they were.

"We found you!"

Garou froze at the sudden sound of another voice approaching, causing him to furrow his eyebrows when looking over his shoulder so he could see who dared to interrupt at such a unlucky timing. "Huh?..."

Now standing in his sight, Garou could identify one of them he had recently beaten up and some of the injuries from then were still present. He couldn't remember the name of the bulky man, but could easily tell that they were all little followers of the S Class Hero Tank-Top Master by the tank tops they all were wearing. And there were...five? Ten of them?

Garou couldn't really care less and didn't hesitate when he turned around to face the man in the front that had a band aid on the bridge of his nose. He already aimed when the guy started to talk. "We owe you...for the other day!-"

With a swift punch directly in the middle of his face, his healed nose was broken once again and the band aid fell off when the man tumbled back on the ground with a pained groan. He even lost a few teeth from this single punch of Garou. The other people from the group let out shocked and angry gasps as a reaction. "You want payback, Tank-Top Vegetarian? I spared your life, and now you wanna throw it away?"

'Tank-Top Vegetarian! That was his name...I could remember by the crack of his nose' Already back to the excitement that causes his muscles to bulge up, Garou flexed his fingers and got in a position that showed he was ready for them to come at him. 'They all ganged up on me huh...cowards' but this wasn't a disadvantage for Garou, he was sure enough of himself that he could take on all of them at once. Even if he would lose at the end, it wouldn't be a defeat for Garou. It would be an accomplishment of getting even stronger than before and learn of the things he did wrong to do them better next time. So whatever this outcome would be...it would only benefit the uncontrollable teenager.

"I'll kill your musclehead buddies too! Die!" And right after Garou was ready to lash out at the group of men that were slightly trembling in fear, a hard punch collided with the side of the teenager and caused him to slide over the ground with the force of the impact. He groaned from the sudden pain that spread over his body from the brutal strength and looked over to the direction with a baffled expression.

"You hurt my follower."

It was no other than Tank-Top Master himself, the Class S Hero, here to serve justice for what the young boy did to his followers.

Garous' shock quickly left his body by the sight of an S hero, straightening his back again with an excited laugh. "Class S?! HYA HA HA!" The corners of his lips lifted up to a huge grin with wide open eyes, letting him appear insane from just the sheer adrenaline he felt. "I've caught a big one! Yahoo! Now I'm pumped!"

The young boy never felt so lucky and didn't think that the night would start like this. Sure, he already was in a good mood when all the followers appeared to gain more out of his strength, but now with the S Class Hero in addition? Absolute bliss, the beast inside of him was jumping in joy.

So when the fight really started between Garou and Tank-Top Master, it really looked bad for the teenager, but it was a huge surprise for the hero himself and the others that the boy still could stand after the damage he took from the attacks. Garou even had the nerve to grin at them with blood flowing out of his nose and mouth.

'Did I hold myself back because he is human?' Tank-Top Master thought.

━'Wait...is he really even human?'