Swish—
An arrow forged from special materials shot forward with power rivaling a sniper round.
Garou's pupils contracted sharply. His head tilted just enough for the arrow to skim past.
"Hey, hey," Garou sneered. "Aren't you supposed to be one hundred percent accurate? Looks like you missed."
"That's not certain," Hawkeye replied coldly.
The arrow that had seemingly missed began to ricochet in midair at subtle angles.
Without losing momentum, it rebounded—its new target Garou's occiput.
"Hm?"
Sensing danger from behind, Garou frowned and tilted his head again.
The arrow still grazed his cheek, carving a faint red line across his face.
"Not bad," Garou said, touching the mark. "I've heard of ricochet shots—but ricochet arrows? That's new."
"If you know what's good for you," Hawkeye warned, "surrender now. Once we deal with the Deep Sea Race, you're next."
Garou snorted. "The stronger the hero, the better the prey."
"Garou," Hawkeye said grimly, "that last shot missed your brain by luck. The next one won't."
"Luck?" Garou laughed. "If you can't bring me down in one hit, that's your failure."
He pointed straight at Hawkeye. "Your tricks—I've already seen through all of them."
"Oh? I've got plenty of arrows left."
A chill ran up Hawkeye's spine as Garou's malice intensified. He drew three arrows at once.
"Try this—Triple-Star Barrage."
Three arrows launched simultaneously, their trajectories colliding and rebounding in midair.
The attack paths became chaotic, sealing off every possible blind spot.
This was Hawkeye's signature technique.
Unless the target was completely impervious, it guaranteed penetration.
And Garou's body—though powerful—had not yet reached that level. His strength came from martial arts, not raw invulnerability.
Swish—swish—swish—
Garou's eyes tracked every ricochet.
With minimal, precise movements, he dodged them all.
The final arrow—impossible to evade—was caught mid-flight as Garou seized it by the shaft, forcibly stopping it dead.
"…This guy," Hawkeye thought, cold sweat sliding down his temple, "is terrifying."
If long-range attacks failed, close combat was suicide.
Even with elite hand-to-hand skills, Hawkeye stood no chance against Garou's Flowing Water Crushing Rock Fist.
"You're done," Garou said casually, tossing the arrow aside.
"My eyes have adapted. Your moves are transparent now."
"As for that amateur close-combat technique—don't embarrass yourself."
Buzz—
Captain America's vibranium shield whirled through the air toward Garou.
In that instant, Garou's hands flowed like water. He struck the shield's edge, neutralizing its momentum and knocking it flying.
Captain America and Black Widow immediately sensed the anomaly and disengaged from their battles, rushing over.
Garou—their strongest martial artist—had turned on Hawkeye.
"Captain America. Black Widow."
Garou cracked his neck, grinning. "Perfect. I'll hunt all three of you at once."
"Garou, why are you attacking Hawkeye?" Captain America began.
Boom—
Garou didn't bother listening.
Like a coiled predator, he lunged forward.
A killing punch aimed straight at Captain America's head.
If not for Captain America's lightning-fast reaction—raising the vibranium shield—the blow would have been fatal.
Even so, the surging force transmitted through the shield nearly tore it from his grip.
"Tch. Tough," Garou muttered.
"Captain," Black Widow warned sharply, brandishing her electric batons, "this man radiates pure malice. We can't let him escape."
"I can feel it," Captain America replied grimly. "So it was all an act."
"Capturing or killing him won't be easy," Black Widow said.
"Close combat against a martial artist is the worst option."
"We don't have a choice," Hawkeye said heavily.
"My arrows are completely figured out."
Previous Monsters relied purely on physical stats—rampaging like the Hulk.
Garou was different.
He wielded advanced martial arts, specifically designed to dismantle human combat techniques.
"This is bad," Black Widow said. "The Deep Sea front can't be held by three people alone."
"Full power," Captain America ordered. "End Garou fast."
"I'll provide ranged support," Hawkeye added. "Though it might not work anymore."
The three openly discussed tactics—right in front of Garou.
That attitude infuriated him.
"You three," Garou growled, his malice spiking violently, pushing him closer to true monstrosity,
"what are you whispering about?"
"I never said this was my full power."
A savage grin spread across his face.
"I'm only using half my strength."
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