Chapter 936: Is He a Hero or a Monster? That's Not for Him to Decide

「We are monsters sent by Giant Eye to monitor you————」

「To prove you're not just some ordinary pervert playing monster house, now, kill that human brat for me. 」

「This is just an ordinary brat anyway. My trial for joining the Monster Association isn't about taking a hero's head, is it? 」

「This is the membership trial Giant Eye gave you, and killing that human brat is the trial of whether you can earn our trust. 」

Slash King said.

「Killing an ordinary human child, what kind of trial is that? 」

「Monsters must have the monster mindset. The so-called monster mindset means extinguishing humanity—kill heroes, kill ordinary people, regardless of age or gender. 」

「Although killing children is Slash King's own malicious taste, if you can't even bring yourself to kill an ordinary human child, then I'll doubt your resolve to be a monster. 」

Bug God's task from Giant Eye was to not let Slash King kill Garou, but the premise of killing was that both sides produce conflict; in this current situation, it naturally wouldn't stop him.

If Garou kills a human child, that proves he's truly their monster side's companion, no mistake; and if Garou refuses to kill the child, Slash King, that perverted monster who enjoys massacring children, might start a conflict with this guy.

The two sides might fight, perfectly completing Giant Eye's task for both of them—bringing Garou a desperate battle—while I only need to slightly stop Slash Master at the end, and not truly kill this guy before my eyes.

「Uncle————」

Snot Crest Worm heard the two great monsters' words, scared and hiding behind Garou, but his gaze toward Garou inevitably carried fear.

「Go, leave this place to me, you hurry back home. 」

「But I, my legs are soft————」

「Stupid Goods, now no hero will come save you; the only one who can save you now is yourself. 」

For some reason, after being scolded by Garou, although the fear in his heart hadn't faded, he could lift his leg.

「It seems you're not ready to become a monster; never mind. To become a true monster, your spirit still needs to undergo a transformation.

Since you won't kill that brat, let me do it. I'll cut his body piece by piece, listening to the brat's dying wails and screams! 」

Slash King charged at the fleeing Snot Crest Worm, but at the speed of an ordinary human child, he couldn't escape a Demon-level monster's pursuit.

「Flowing Water Rock Smashing Fist! 」

But Garou's fist boomed over, repelling Slash King who was preparing to pursue Snot Crest Worm.

「Garou, what are you doing? 」

Bug God came to Slash King's side, dodging Garou's attack, and questioned him.

「I'll take the hero's head, but this brat's life I protect. If you insist on taking his life, then I don't mind finishing off you two before finishing off the heroes.

Anyway, monsters don't have any so-called unity. As a true villain, one should act on whim—do whatever you want. If anyone dares force me to do what I don't want, I'll kill them, whether hero or monster, they all must die. 」

「Then you go die! 」

Standing on the grassy slope, Saitama, whose bald head reflected the sunset light, gradually loosened his fist, while below Garou fought the two great monsters.

「Teacher Bang wasn't wrong; Garou, my junior disciple, is just a somewhat rebellious disciple, but his nature is still kind. 」

Saitama crossed his arms, automatically taking on the identity of Flowing Water Rock Smashing Fist Dojo's senior brother, and did not intervene in the battle below.

Only because he subconsciously felt that a rebellious youth like Garou would only mature after being beaten by society's iron fist.

Monsters are easy to solve, but social beatings that make people grow aren't many, and with him watching here, two monsters solvable with one punch—could they really make waves?

Garou's battle with Slash King and Bug God sent shattered stones flying everywhere, and the fleeing Snot Crest Worm was unexpectedly tripped by the gully Slash King had carved in the ground; originally fleeing on a single breath, this fall directly knocked the courage from his chest.

But this wasn't his fault—the surroundings were like under artillery bombardment, explosions everywhere; not to mention a child like him, even an adult facing this situation would probably have many people react like an ostrich.

「Damn, this kid's strength is actually this strong? 」

Bug God, blasted back by Garou's Exploding Heart Liberation Fist, looked at the cracks in his arm carapace and suddenly understood why Giant Eye valued Garou.

Just a human's posture, and he could handle two Demon-level monsters working together; if he monsterized, wouldn't he ascend to heaven?

No, no, no—even if Garou hasn't monsterized now, for me and Slash King to complete Giant Eye's task and bring him a desperate battle seems a bit difficult.

At that moment, over there, Slash King's double blades slashed wildly, damn it creating afterimages everywhere, but Garou just casually twisted his body to dodge and easily avoided them.

Even, he still had energy to mock: 「What, is this your full power? Your sword-swinging speed is so slow—after all, just a waste who only kills the weak. I bet in the Monster Association, you're also a bottom-of-the-barrel guy————」

「You bastard————」

Slash King flew into a rage, his blade light speeding up.

But the next moment, he was blown away by Garou.

「Slash King, don't rush; I found this guy's weakness. 」

Bug God stopped Slash King, who still wanted to charge up, and said.

「Hoh, I have a weakness? How would I not know? 」

Garou smirked with a crooked mouth, arrogance blazing.

「Hehe, your weakness isn't in you, but in him. 」

Bug God coldly laughed, raising his hand to point at Snot Crest Worm beside Garou.

「You're joking, do you think I'd care about this brat? 」

Hearing this, Garou looked contemptuous.

「I saw very clearly just now—you were originally toying with Slash King, but after approaching that brat in the battle circle, you suddenly changed your toying attitude and instead blasted Slash King away. Your reason for doing this is only one: you want to protect that brat. 」

「I just don't want to lose face, after all—I just said I'd protect this brat's life, but if it involves my own life and death, I wouldn't care at all about this unrelated brat. 」

「Then let's try it. Slash King, don't mind Garou; attack that brat on the ground with me. 」

「You dare?! 」

「See if I dare—Stinger Shot! 」

Bug God grew many spikes on his body and directly fired them toward Snot Crest Worm.

「Flowing Water Rock Smashing Fist! 」

Garou instead flashed to Snot Crest Worm's front and used his fist technique to knock the incoming stingers away one by one.

But because Slash King flanked from behind and swung his blade at Snot Crest Worm on the ground behind him, Garou had to turn back to stop him.

Although Slash King was blown away, Garou also picked up the Snot Worm from the ground and rolled away, but his back inevitably took several of Bug God's Stinger shots.

Seeing this scene, the two Demon-level monsters made eye contact, and both revealed ferocious grins.

"What, didn't you say that since it involves your own life and death, you wouldn't care about this stinking brat's life or death?"

"Then why now, did you come take our attacks on your own initiative?"

Garou's strength is stronger than the two Demon-level peak monsters, but after his weakness was found, in order to protect the Snot Worm from harm, he was instead beaten by the two monsters with no power to fight back.

"Less nonsense————"

With one kick, Bug God stomped the still tough-mouthed Garou into the ground.

"Uncle, Uncle!"

The Snot Worm, who had been flung away, saw this scene and shouted with a crying tone.

"Hey, I'll let you watch with your own eyes right now, how I vivisect this brat."

Slash King said in a sharp, thin voice, and walked toward the Snot Worm.

"Damn it, you dead pervert trash, if you have any skill come at me, what does bullying a stinking brat count as?!"

"Slash King, that brat still has some use, don't forget Giant Eye's orders."

Bug God spoke up to stop him.

"What use does he have?"

"Since Garou cares about this brat, we'll tie this brat up and bring him back later, treat him as bait to lure Garou back to the Association."

"Tch, got it."

Slash King was a bit displeased, but hindered by Giant Eye's instructions, he still walked back.

"However, Giant Eye told us to find a chance to give this kid a desperate-situation experience, but right now he's just being stepped on under our feet, that shouldn't count as a desperate situation, right?"

"Leaving him one breath is fine."

"Understood, I'll watch my measure, I'll just chop him until only one breath remains."

Slash King raised his right arm, and just as his blade edge was preparing to fall toward Garou on the ground————

"Hey, what do you want to do to my junior disciple?"

Saitama finally intervened, speaking out to interrupt Slash King's action.

Bug God and Slash King were both startled, hurriedly looked toward the voice, and saw a bald youth wearing flip-flops and a floral shirt outfit, who had appeared at the side at some unknown time.

And from Saitama's body, whether it was Bug God or Slash King, neither felt any sense of danger; Saitama was just like an ordinary common person.

"Can't kill the brat, can't kill Garou, then me killing a brain-problem ordinary person, that should be fine, right?"

Slash King asked.

"As you wish."

Bug God shrugged his shoulders and answered.

"Idiot, daring to come over like this, run away quickly————"

Garou only felt Saitama looked somewhat familiar, but couldn't recall who this person was; he subconsciously wanted to grab Slash King's ankle, but his outstretched hand was stepped on by Bug God with one foot.

Hearing these words, Saitama only felt this rebellious junior disciple on the ground looked more and more pleasing to the eye, while Slash King raised his dual blades and charged to his front.

"Haha, watch me chop this baldy into minced meat pieces!"

Amidst Slash King's excited shouts, Saitama's voice rang out somewhat unperturbed.

"Flowing Water Rock Smashing Fist."

Crack, Slash King's blade broke, and his head, at the instant it was struck by Saitama's fist, burst and exploded on the spot, like a watermelon smashed to pieces.

【Nani, you motherfucker, Slash King is just gone like that?!】

Watching Slash King's headless corpse fall, Bug God was shocked beyond measure, and his strength being about the same as Slash King's, this also meant that this baldy before him who looked plain and unremarkable, if he wanted to kill him, would probably also be a one-punch matter.

【Run~】

This thought sprouting in his heart, his back wings trembled, only emitting a humming sound, and Bug God's body instantly flew far away.

"Phew, safe."

Just when Bug God thought he had smoothly escaped, a voice came from behind him.

"Just now you bullied my junior disciple together with someone else, and you want to just leave directly like this, did you ask for my opinion?"

Saitama didn't know when he had chased up, appearing behind him.

"Watch my Spikes Defense————"

Bug God immediately stopped flight, curled his whole body into a ball, and also sprouted dense spikes.

"How about it, do you dare hit, if you dare hit, my spikes will directly pierce through your————"

"Bang~"

The cement ground was smashed into a several-meter-deep crater, Bug God's body split into five pieces and scattered in all directions.

This death method, died even more miserably than Slash King's head explosion.

And Saitama who fell down afterward, only had some smoke rising from his fist, not even a single scratch.

"It's S-Class Rank 4, Head-Exploding Hero Saitama!"

Saitama walked back, and heard the Snot Worm address him as such.

Through the Hero Almanac Manual's latest issue's promotion, his perverted head-exploding maniac reputation finally had a good change.

Although there are still the two words 'head-exploding', at least the back changed from maniac to hero, a faint smile hung on Saitama's face.

"Bad, Uncle, you self-proclaim as a monster, Head-Exploding Hero is a perverted head-exploding maniac, loves exploding monsters' heads, him walking over now, definitely wants to blow up your head————"

Only, the Snot Worm's following words, however, made the smile on Saitama's face stiffen.

Garou struggled to climb up, vigilantly watching Saitama walking over this way.

"Head-Exploding Hero, Uncle is a good person, please don't blow up his head————"

Snot Crest Worms's body trembled slightly, but he still spread his arms wide in a star shape, shielding Garou behind himself.

"Come on, am I really that scary?

Besides, he's not a monster, so how could I possibly blow his head off?"

Saitama was a bit speechless.

"You're also that old man Bang's disciple?"

Garou asked, even though the other party's Flowing Water Rock Smashing Fist was as amateurish as someone who had just entered the door.

"That's right, I'm your Senior Brother, Saitama."

"Like hell I'm your Senior Brother, I was expelled from the sect long ago."

"Well, that old man Bang has a sharp tongue but a soft heart, don't take that kind of talk seriously."

"You're here to capture me?"

"Originally, yes."

"Originally? Then what about now?"

"I plan to persuade you."

"Persuade me what?"

Saitama approached, squatted down, reached out and patted Garou's shoulder, and said earnestly: "Garou Junior Brother, it's normal for young people to have some rebellious spirit, but it's still best to try not to cause trouble for others."

"Like hell I'm rebellious, I'm not rebellious!"

Garou directly slapped away Saitama's hand resting on his shoulder.

"No, you are rebellious."

Saitama didn't really mind his hand being slapped away, and continued to say seriously and affirmatively.

"Where the hell am I rebellious?"

Garou demanded.

"You act as the Hero Hunter, and even publicly joke that you want to become a monster."

Saitama pointed out his rebellious points.

"I'm not fucking joking, I really want to become a monster!"

Garou let out a low growl at Saitama.

"But your actions completely don't match a monster, right?"

"I attacked a lot of heroes————"

"But you just protected this child."

"That wasn't to protect him————"

Garou forced an explanation.

"Perhaps————"

Saitama didn't refute, just pointed at Snot Crest Worms and said.

"But you ask this kid, in his eyes, are you a hero, or a monster?"

"Uncle, you're a good person, in my eyes you're a hero."

Snot Crest Worms said.

"Sorry, last time I ran away because I was too scared————"

Immediately after, he apologized to Garou as well.

"Heard that? In this kid's eyes, you're a hero."

Garou opened his mouth, wanting to refute, but didn't know how to start.

"It's getting late, I should head home too."

Saitama looked at the sunset about to fall at the sky horizon, stood up and prepared to leave.

"Right, Teacher Bang found out he misunderstood you last time, feels a bit guilty toward you, said when you return to the dojo he'll personally apologize and admit fault.

Hmm, although that old man calls you Reverse Disciple with his mouth, I can feel he still cares a lot about you, this former Senior Brother who left the dojo————"

Saitama paused his steps, after saying this, only then put both hands in his pockets and left.

Garou watched Saitama's departing back, then looked at Snot Crest Worms beside him who was a bit worried about his situation, all kinds of feelings welled up in his heart, he couldn't say what his current mood was exactly, just, felt, not too bad————

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