Collision, then another collision.
Completely full of openings.
The paths to the countless weak points visible through the flurry of attacks are crystal clear.
I could disable him right now.
I could bring him down at any moment.
But.
Instead of dodging every attack, we clash limbs and force the fight to exist.
Instead of aiming for vital points, we target the obvious spots—his abdomen, his solar plexus, places like that.
By compressing my strength as much as possible and minimizing all my output, I narrow the gap in power.
But I do not compress my speed.
Because I want to keep that gaze, carrying such noble spirit, in my sight for as long as possible.
Bang!!
KWAANG!
TUKWAAAAAANG!!!
Yes.
We both know it.
The gap between a top-tier demon-level monster and the lowest-end A-Class hero cannot be bridged.
We both know it.
The outcome of this fight can only tilt one way.
And so both sides know this too.
This is not a fight, but a proof.
Only.
No one knows.
They only feel it unconsciously.
That this is a proof of conviction and will.
Of the full strength of one human being.
And of one monster’s respect for a hero.
That this is a stage for all of that.
Sssshhh…!
Swaaaash!
Pow!!
KWAANG!!!
Fists fly back and forth, scattering each other’s feelings into the air.
Snack’s fist slams into my cheek, and my fist strikes his cheek as well.
It does little damage to me, but Snack’s cheek is crushed just a little.
But.
That sharp look in his eyes never faded, not even a little.
Like a blazing sun, like soft moonlight shining through the dark.
His body, already piled with damage, staggers—but that gaze remains firm.
Steadfast.
And dazzlingly noble.
He drives out a straight punch, carrying the spirit and conviction of a hero.
I answer with a backhand strike.
Our snakes collide.
Snack’s snake comes charging in like a single massive python, heavy and forceful.
My snake rushes in like a deadly viper, precise and fast.
A python strikes my abdomen.
A viper pierces his shoulder.
We tangle.
His knee kicks up toward my jaw, and at the same time my elbow slams into his solar plexus, pushing us both away from each other.
Both sides are forced back, hesitate for a moment, then charge again.
Snack’s right arm snakes in, twisting and curling.
I let it slide past, winding my arm around it, then throw a straight punch at the empty front.
Then his legs and body spin rapidly, deflecting my punch while moving around to my rear.
I draw my tail tight and whip it down at him like a lash.
He leaps from the spot, evading the tail, and sends a side kick toward the back of my neck.
Using [Snake Bite Fist], I let the kick slide away with my neck alone, without using my arms or legs.
Then I turn my head, bare my sharp teeth, and thrust my head toward his right arm.
His left hand plants on my head as a stepping stone and springs upward.
He spins in midair, then drops and drives a leg down at me.
I make a low leap backward to avoid him, and the moment his heel touches the ground, I kick off and rush in.
KWAANG!
KWA-KWAANG!!
I let his kick slide off my knee, and I let his incoming straight punch slide away with my hand.
He leaps high, spins, and unleashes two consecutive roundhouse kicks.
I block one.
And then.
I do not catch or deflect the second roundhouse kick.
I grab his leg with both hands and spin my body around and around.
Accelerating until the wind stings a little, I whirl and hurl Snack to the ground.
But with excellent breakfall technique, he bends like a snake and minimizes the damage, springing back up.
The distance between us widens.
And then.
“...Haa, haa, haa...”
“.................”
Snack brushes off the dust and pants hard.
He takes a step, staggers, and nearly falls, but regains his balance.
As if to say he can still stand.
But now it was certain.
As expected.
This is the limit.
His skill has risen several times over since the last time we met.
Right now, he could probably take down a high-end wolf-level monster without much trouble.
No.
At this point, he might even be able to handle a low-end demon-level monster.
That much he has grown.
How much blood and sweat must he have shed to get here?
“...Good work, hero. I’ll offer you... my sincere respect.”
“......Ha, haha. Just as I thought...”
Dragging his barely responsive body forward, he walks toward me.
His steps are slow and unsteady, the kind that should collapse at any moment.
But.
Those eyes.
“I... couldn’t even draw out your true strength...”
Still so straight.
“But... because of that, I was certain...”
Too noble.
“You’re a monster...”
Thud.
“.................”
What was he trying to say?
I support Snack as he starts to crumple and seat him on one of the still-intact spectator seats.
Well.
Maybe I’ll hear it again someday.
Whether it would have been an insult about me, or something else entirely, I’d only know then.
So not now.
At the last moment, I think the relief and trust that appeared on his face came from his certainty that I would no longer lay a hand on Suiryu.
And as he thought, I have no intention of touching Suiryu any further.
I saw that dazed expression.
He seems to have dragged himself away by his legs somewhere in the middle, but I have no intention of chasing him.
If his feelings have changed, that is enough.
I do not think he’ll suddenly decide to become a hero for real.
I only hope he stops insulting the heroes who sacrifice themselves for the people.
That would be enough.
“...Well. I guess I ended up ruining the tournament.”
I got everything I was aiming for... but I feel bad for Saitama.
Setting aside the prize money being gone, the tournament itself is wrecked, so this is... well.
...Nothing to be done.
I’ll apologize later.
For some reason, I have a feeling I’ll see him again before too long.
I move my legs and take a step forward.
There’s nothing left to hesitate over now.
I should head straight for Z City.
And just as I was about to leave the arena—
TUKWAAAAAAANG!!!!
The moment before I did, something came flying in at terrifying speed, smashing through the arena wall and slamming into the opposite wall.
The thing rolling weakly to the floor was... human.
No. More precisely.
It was Suiryu, now even more of a wreck than before.
My mind goes blank.
Why?
How?
He wasn’t running away...
Thud.
“..............”
...Ah.
I see.
So that’s it.
Right.
I roughly understand what happened.
Thud.
Thud.
“So you’re the famous monster hunter.”
A giant about seven meters tall walks toward me, making the ground tremble.
He fixes me with four eyes, carrying a heavy, oppressive aura.
I understood at a glance.
This is dragon-level.
Both the atmosphere he gives off and the pressure he carries are on a completely different level from the demon-level monsters I’ve been eating lately.
Unlike ordinary monsters, I can feel a cold rationality in his presence.
“Hmm... it seems the tournament participants all ran away. So the first objective has failed. Was this your doing?”
“...I did make sure they ran, yes.”
I had occasionally directed the aftereffects of my attacks toward the participants so they would flee as well.
There was no benefit to staying, and besides, I had heard there were monsters roaming outside.
More than anything, I didn’t want them charging at me.
At that moment, I was clearly consumed by anger.
I might have made a mistake while responding and handled them too harshly, like I did with Suiryu, so I couldn’t help but make that judgment.
“Tch. A shame, but... it doesn’t matter. The martial arts world is already out of date anyway. One guy I ran into earlier was a pretty big catch, but the rest probably only made it to low-end demon level at best.”
“...Sounds like you’re saying you’re turning humans into monsters.”
“Hm? You’ve already figured that much out? You’re quite sharp.”
So that’s a yes.
There really is a way to forcibly turn humans into monsters.
Once I reached that conclusion, the guy reached inside his clothes and pulled something out.
A grotesque red lump of flesh, twitching and throbbing like a heart.
“Monster cells. If you eat them, your body mutates and you become a monster.”
“So you were planning to feed these to martial artists and quickly create powerful monsters...”
“Correct.”
But.
Why would that be necessary?
I turn my thoughts over quickly.
Why would they need to create powerful monsters so fast?
I focus on that and work it out.
Usually, something like that means... ah.
“...So. What are ‘you people’?”
“...........That alone is enough to make you valuable.”
Wow, how kind.
This is the first time I’ve been praised for being sharp.
I sneer inwardly and analyze his attitude.
The way he absentmindedly scratches his head makes it seem like I’m right.
So. What is it?
“Right... the [Monster Association]. It’s a powerful organization made up of an overwhelming number of monsters, centered around monsters of tremendous strength.”
“Monster Association...”
...I feel like I’ve heard that somewhere before.
Definitely...
Yes, I’ve heard rumors about it before.
Something about a group of strong elite monsters gathering together and plotting something... that kind of rumor.
Back when I was a wolf-level monster, I definitely heard it in passing while farming monsters in the mountains of N City.
So that rumor was true after all.
“Well, why don’t you join the Monster Association too? At your level, you’ve got a name and achievements, and you’ve got the skill to match. We can treat you as an executive.”
“...Treat me as an executive? What—”
“There probably won’t be anyone objecting. Most of them already recognize you. What do you say?”
...
........
They recognize me?
...
........
...........
Humans hate me.
Heroes try to kill me.
Even if I protect humans and affirm the existence called heroes, I am not recognized.
That has always been the case.
It is the case now.
And it will probably always be the case.
But those guys... recognize me?
Maybe it means I no longer need to endure contemptuous stares.
Maybe it means I no longer need to be hated.
If so...
“Of course I’m refusing.”
...and all that.
My convictions do not waver.
I’ve given up on humanity, naturally, but my vow not to become a monster is still valid.
Recognition? From monsters? I’d rather become the enemy of the world.
And in the first place.
Even if no one recognizes me, that’s fine.
Even if monsters brand me an enemy, and humans harden me into a target for disposal.
Even if that hurts and leaves a bitter taste.
I will affirm what I want to affirm.
That is my will.
“Well. Figured as much. Then... don’t die!”
Sssshhhhhh!!!
With speed that doesn’t suit his massive frame, a gigantic fist comes crashing down from the sky.
A single blow carrying overwhelming force and power.
The restrained killing intent packed into it.
Its skill and power are on a completely different level from the demon-level monsters.
So the clothes he was wearing weren’t just decoration... a martial artist, then?
At a glance, he’s top-class.
He’s overwhelmingly superior to anyone who was in the tournament hall.
By skill alone, he outclasses Suiryu.
Yes. He really is dragon-level.
But.
That is not a reason for me not to fight.
“...I noticed your hostility from the very beginning.”
Thanks to that, it was obvious he was fully prepared to fight.
I also expected an attack to come any second.
So.
I’ll go too.
In an instant, I activate psychic power and wrap it around my entire body.
Then I coat my tightly clenched fist with high-density force.
And I send out a smooth, razor-sharp straight punch of my own.
[Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist]
Psychokinetic Crushing Fist
KWA-KWA-KWA-KWA-KWA-KWA-KWA-KWAANG!!!!
At a single point, the two fists collide.
The high-density shockwave created by neither side giving way at all sweeps through my entire body.
The aftereffects of the forces packed with hostility and killing intent toward each other rage everywhere.
And then it explodes violently, spreading across the ground and into the air.
KUKWAKWAKWAKWAKWA!!!
KUGUGUGUGUGU...
KWAAAAAAAANG!!!!
With fierce pressure, everything around us is swept away and shredded to pieces.
A torrent of force that would tear apart most humans or monsters surges invisibly.
The outer wall of the arena tears apart like paper, the floor splits, and the whole place trembles as if an earthquake has struck.
But it doesn’t stop there—it shoots up into the sky.
Among the white, it punches a single blue hole through it.
At the same time, we are both pushed back from each other, and the distance opens for a moment.
But only for a moment.
Then we rush in again, and the true battle between the two monsters begins.
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