✔ The Hunters | Garou

TWENTY EIGHTH HUNT

YOU'RE NOT A MONSTER

"Help me. Remind me why I'm here."

- Kim Addonizio

It was so hard to breathe. Everything hurts.

"Saitama!" I heard grandpa, who by now had regained consciousness and was with me and uncle, called out to someone approaching far away.

That's a familiar name. I think I heard grandpa mention that he was at Saitama's house along with other heroes. Oh right, he was the one who K.O-ed that Elder Centipede.

"Hey, woah, you two look horrible." I heard another unfamiliar voice as it came closer to us, "And that's your daughter, is it, Bang?"

"She is. Her name is Tenrou. I told you about her before." answered grandpa.

I managed to open my eyes to see in front of me a bald man in a yellow suit, red gloves and boots, and a white cape. He was holding the limbless Demon Cyborg under his arm.

"My niece is in an even worse condition," said uncle; I heard his voice towards me.

"Oh no, Infernogun!" I heard another voice calling, huffing and puffing. It was King, and he was carrying an unconscious Tatsumaki in his arms. "You look awful!" he exclaimed.

"Hey, King." I managed to smile, "I'm fine."

"Fine?" said Saitama as he placed Demon Cyborg aside on the ground, "You look like you've been run over by a bus."

I chuckled and then winced painfully from my broken ribs stabbing my insides.

"Woah there, don't move so much." Saitama knelt down, "We're gathering the other injured heroes together so we can get them to safety. We should get going."

Through my squinted eyes, I looked at Saitama. He met my eyes, giving me a questioning look.

"Hey, grandpa told me that you're really strong," I said through heavy breaths, "And that your punches can kill monsters. Is that true?"

"Master Saitama is the strongest man alive! He has never lost a single battle!" Demon Cyborg testified with exuberance.

"I-I can vouch for the same." affirmed King.

I looked at Saitama, waiting for his answer. He said, "I guess so, yeah."

"I wanted to stop Garou-"

"Hey, if you're gonna start telling me your life story, then please condense it into twenty words or less." he interrupted.

"Yes, Master is a busy man, and besides, we have emergencies all over the place as we speak." affirmed the cyborg.

I huffed, "Anyway, I wanted to stop Garou, but I wasn't able to. I'm not strong enough, I don't think I ever was strong enough and I'm ashamed of how pathetic I am." I sighed.

"Tenrou-" Grandpa tried to interrupt, but I managed to raise my hand to stop him.

"Grandpa," I said pleadingly, "I had to do this." Then turning back to Saitama, I said, feeling my eyes well up with tears which I failed to hold back, "Please stop Garou. He's actually really hurt from what he has gone through in the past; that's why he acts like this. I tried to talk things out with him but he's unreasonable," I sobbed, "Please stop him but don't kill him."