Pain.
Excruciating pain that went deep into his bones.
After an unknown amount of time, a hand suddenly twitched in the pile of construction debris, and immediately after, Garou's body began to tremble violently.
The first sense he recovered was hearing, catching the mournful wail of the wind blowing through the ruins.
Then came his sense of smell, picking up the pungent odor of rust mixed with dust.
He abruptly opened his eyes, and what greeted him was a fractured concrete slab.
"Cough… cough, cough!" He coughed violently, each spasm pulling at his chest, bringing with it a tearing pain.
What happened?
Memories flashed through his mind like fragments.
Watchdog Man… hunting… fighting… then… he remembered!
He had discovered the S-Class Hero Mr. KING and the newly promoted S-Class Hero, Caped Baldy!
He had launched a perfect sneak attack!
And then?
Then… a blank.
His memory cut off abruptly the moment he was about to strike the bald man.
"I… I was defeated?"
Garou struggled, propping himself up with trembling arms.
He checked his injuries; apart from the intense pain all over his body and a ringing in his head, there seemed to be… no fatal wounds.
This was even more humiliating than being severely injured!
It meant the opponent hadn't taken him seriously at all!
It wasn't a battle at all; it was like a person casually swatting a mosquito, not even bothering to glance at the corpse.
Who?
Who did it?
Was it that Caped Baldy?
Impossible.
Having witnessed the strength of several S-Class Heroes, especially Tanktop Master, whom he had easily defeated, he absolutely did not believe that a bald man in a ridiculous bodysuit could possess such power.
A hero's strength could be discerned from their aura and stance; that bald man… was too ordinary, as ordinary as a passerby.
Then, there was only one answer.
Was it Mr. KING? It must have been him! The legendary The Strongest Man on Earth!
Garou's mind raced with deductions.
The moment he launched his attack, that man, Mr. KING, who had remained silent, counterattacked at a speed beyond his sensory limits!
His eyes, his nerves, couldn't even catch his movements!
Too terrifying… Was this the strength of Mr. KING?
A twisted expression, a mix of anger and… excitement, appeared on Garou's face.
Powerful!
This was the absolute strength he sought!
As for that "Caped Baldy"… having witnessed the strength of several S-Class Heroes, especially Tanktop Master, he did not believe this bald man was very strong.
"Mr. KING…"
He squeezed out the name through gritted teeth, the flame in his eyes reigniting, burning even brighter than before.
"And that bald guy… you two just wait for me… I will… find you again, and then, I will hunt you down completely!"
He leaned on a broken wall, shakily stood up, and, dragging his heavily injured body, disappeared into the deep shadows of the ruins.
What he didn't notice was that A-Class Rank 8 – Death Gatling – had already spotted him.
— — — — — —
"Ding-dong~"
The convenience store's automatic door slid open, and warm, bright lights shone on the two.
Compared to the ruins from before, this place was practically paradise.
Shelves were filled with a dazzling array of goods, the air was fragrant, and the clerk behind the counter was yawning boredly.
"Oh, oh! It's a new flavor of potato chips!"
Saitama's attention was instantly drawn to the colorful bags on the shelf.
He rushed over like a child, picked up a bag of "Hell Spicy" and a bag of "Sea Salt Wasabi," and fell into a difficult choice.
"Mr. KING, which one do you think tastes better?" He held up the two bags of chips and turned to ask Lin Mo.
Lin Mo glanced at the two flavors, which sounded exciting just from their names, and smiled, shaking his head: "You decide, I'm fine with either."
"Then let's buy both! Tonight, we'll battle until dawn!"
Saitama grandly embraced both bags of chips and casually grabbed a large bottle of cola.
Just then, the drowsy clerk's gaze swept over.
When he clearly saw Lin Mo's face, his eyes instantly widened, and his drowsiness vanished.
"You… you are… S-Class Mr. KING?!" The clerk's voice trembled slightly from excitement.
Immediately after, his gaze fell upon the bald man in the ridiculous yellow bodysuit next to Lin Mo, and he gasped again, stammering:
"And, and… you are the recently promoted 'Caped Baldy' Mr.? Oh my goodness! Two S-Class Heroes actually came to our store together!"
This sudden double surprise made the young clerk's face flush with excitement, almost causing him to faint on the spot.
He never dreamed that he would ever see two S-Class Heroes at the same time in his life, one of whom was the legendary The Strongest Man on Earth!
Lin Mo felt helpless inside, but on the surface, he maintained his calm and composed demeanor, nodding slightly.
Saitama, on the other hand, paused, pointing to himself with a hint of surprise: "Oh? You know me?"
"Of course, I know you!"
The clerk nodded frantically like a pecking chick, fumbling to pull out paper and a pen from under the counter, his eyes filled with adoration for his idols.
"I'm a super fan of the Hero Association! I remember every S-Class Hero clearly!"
"Mr. KING, Mr. Caped Baldy, c-could you give me an autograph? My son is your super fan! Uh… he's a super fan of both of you!"
He originally wanted to say his son was a fan of Mr. KING, but felt it would be impolite to say so in front of another S-Class Hero, so he quickly corrected himself.
"Of course."
Lin Mo took the paper and pen and signed the name "KING" with bold strokes, the handwriting filled with a sense of gravitas, just like his moniker.
Saitama also took another piece of paper, thought for a moment, and wrote the five characters "Caped Baldy" in a very simple script.
After signing, he even looked at it himself, muttering:
"Hmm… this hero name still feels so dumb when written out… Next time, I should discuss it with the Hero Association people and change it to something cooler…"
The clerk carefully put away the two autographs as if they were priceless treasures.
His gaze towards Mr. KING was pure adoration, while his gaze towards Saitama held a touch of curiosity and encouragement.
"Mr. KING, Mr. Caped Baldy," he said solemnly, "that 'Hero Hunter' has been causing a lot of trouble recently, even several A-Class Heroes have fallen, so you must be careful when you're out!"
"Especially Mr. Caped Baldy, you're new, he might target you!"
These words were filled with the sincere concern of a citizen for heroes, but to Lin Mo's ears, they sounded a bit odd.
He glanced at Saitama, who was placing the chips and cola on the counter beside him, and thought to himself:
"The hunter you're talking about was just knocked out by this 'newcomer' like a roadside stray fifteen minutes ago."
"Yes, we will be careful." Lin Mo nodded in response.
"That will be 750 yen." The clerk stated the price.
Saitama fumbled in his pocket, his expression instantly freezing.
His hero costume didn't have pockets, he had forgotten his wallet… Seeing this, Lin Mo naturally pulled out his wallet from his pocket and handed over a bill: "Let's pay together."
"Ah, thanks, Mr. KING. My treat next time." Saitama scratched his bald head, a little embarrassed.
"No problem."
The two left the convenience store, carrying bags full of snacks, and returned to the chilly street.
The clerk watched their receding figures, still immersed in excitement.
"Mr. KING is indeed as the legends say, with a powerful and steady aura, even taking such good care of the newcomer – truly a senior hero's demeanor!"
"With him around, that new S-Class Hero will surely grow quickly!"
He completely imagined a harmonious and powerful scene of "the strongest hero mentoring a promising junior."
He felt an unparalleled honor at being able to witness this moment.