Bab 14: Chapter 14: Aftermath
Seven more days flew by, a week of suspense after the media declared that the hero team had concluded in Hosu.
The hearts of the masses were taut with unease, a mix of concerned anticipation and excitement pounding their chests at gradually deafening beats. The organizer of the strike team was set to announce the result of their efforts at noon.
Most hoped that with Endeavour, Garou would finally fall under the hands of justice once and for all. Some, however, feared that they shared the fates of their forerunners, heroes that joined the growing mountain of bodies under Garou's feet.
Workers and students in their schools even cleared their schedule for the announcement, waiting for Sir Nighteye to appear on stage behind the screens.
In the Underdark of society, almost all of the villains waited with eagerness, some hoping for the Hero Hunter's demise while others wished the heroes' downfall. The Hunter Amongst Villains was a neutral force of nature, a beast that ravaged anyone in its sight, be they good or evil. The Hunter had amassed much hatred from the villain side as well.
Before the media on live television, behind the pulpit atop the podium, the bespectacled salaryman walked onto the stage.
Sir Nighteye was a lean but muscular man. His features were sharp and elongated. His dark green hair smoothed down and parted to his left while reflecting the ceiling light with luster with three yellow streaks towards the front, two on his right, and one on his left. The yellow color of his eyebrows matched that of the rims of his triangular glasses and the strikingly bright irises of his stern-locked eyes.
Overall, his mien imposed a picture of authority, eyes seemingly locked into a permanent glare as his lips froze into an eternal frown.
The former sidekick of All Might adjusted his glasses behind the screen with gentle hands before one of the reporters fired the first question.
"[Sir Nighteye! What happened to the strike team?! Did they succeed in apprehending Garou?!]"
"[Is Japan's Number One menace finally detained?!]"
"[How did it go?!]"
The questions crashed into Sir Nighteye like an overdue tidal wave of which microphones shot forth from the waters like beasts of the bottomless sea.
Even in spite of his apprehension, Sir Nighteye inhaled a deep breath before answering.
"[To all the good people that are watching, I thank you for sparing the time for this announcement - from the children watching from their schools to the hard-working adults in their offices.]" Sir Nighteye started his announcement with etiquette, to soften the viewers' anxiety around Japan.
The noise dimmed to a dead silence, where only snaps of cameras clicked in the background.
"[I understand why we are here - the spark that lead to our being here. To all the people in Japan, be they good men or villains, I apologize for what my answer will arouse.]"
The pause returned, but this time with tension so thick one could peel it like the skin of an orange. Everyone in the room held their breath, waiting for the climax of his announcement.
However, Sir Nighteye's revelation only sunk their hearts once it left his lips.
"[We have failed to detain Garou despite our meticulous efforts. We have severely underestimated Garou's power and his origins. For all the heroes that fell under Garou's hand, I apologize for our failure.]"
Sir Nighteye stunned the audience into silence. Not a single reporter could gather the strength to move forward and speak. Be it the ones assigned to aggressively strip Sir Nighteye bare of all his armor or those pressing him for answers to support their respective media stations.
The situation was more prominent as the citizens watched with horror. Endeavour was one of the members. If the team had failed, then Garou had proven himself stronger than even Japan's strongest hero, also when backed up by a squad of other professional heroes.
"[I understand you all have questions, but not even I have all the answers you seek. However, I will tell the summary of what transpired when we encountered Garou. Please withhold your questions until I finish.]"
This time, Sir Nighteye sucked in his breath to steel his composure.
Looking back, he could still remember the static on the films; the blank grey that always appeared whenever he tried to predict Garou's actions through the other heroes.
All his Foresight provided were blanks in the future. He couldn't detect anything related to Garou ever since he entered the case. No matter the number of his attempts, Sir Nighteye failed to see any visions past a specific point in time. It was as if Garou held the future in his clutches.
He was fear made manifest, an embodiment of oppression where resistance meant suffering.
In the end, Sir Nighteye must endure and move forward. If the future did not provide the answers he sought, he would forge his outcomes as he resumed his announcement.
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Laidback on his cushioned couch, his right elbow supporting his cheek above the knuckle, and with one leg over the other under the dim light, All For One stared at the screen with his eyes.
Indeed, his eyes. The cells from that specimen had proven more powerful than he thought, repairing the damage that not even the current generation of Quirks could administer. He forgot what it meant to see after years of relying on his Quirks, spying through the lens of the thermal world and the echoes of existence.
In the end, nothing could defeat the power of sight.
Soon, the rest of his organs will return to their former glory, but it will take months for the process to finish. It would not matter, however, as he had all the time in the world in the end. And All Might could never receive the same boon as All For One returned to his prime and destroy all he held dear.
The surprises of the unknown never ceased, even more so when Kurogiri managed to summon more objects from the far realms.
"[We have strong evidence that Garou is Quirkless.]"
But in the end, surprises lurk in every corner, even in the dull country of Japan.
"What?"
Straightening his back and leaning forward slightly out of surprise, All For One gave Sir Nighteye his undivided interest.
The man that built a mountain from the bodies of his victims held no special powers? The ageless thief thought the Hunter Amongst Villains held an extraordinary power like his, a miracle that raised him above the rest of the world.
However…
"[To explain the core cause of our members' failure, our plan involved Eraserhead as the crucial key to our victory. However, despite his infamous ability to nullify Quirks, we have uncovered a horrifying truth from their encounter - that he had no Quirk whatsoever.]"
It appeared that exceptions do exist even in this world.
"How is it possible?"
Not even the ageless villain could understand. He recorded the evolution of humankind in his memory ever since Quirks first burst into existence. From years of civil wars to the first Hero, All For One experienced much through his years, but never did he encounter a Quirkless man with such physical prowess.
All For One assumed either Garou's Quirk had mutated to the point where not even Eraserhead's Erasure could nullify or… he wasn't human in the first place.
He watched as the reporters fired question after question at the salaryman, from questioning his evidence leading to his conclusion to whether he was lying. All For One doubted that even Sir Nighteye of all heroes would be foolish enough to deceive the masses with such a bold claim blatantly.
"[We had retrieved some of Garou's hair from his previous Hunts to confirm Garou's origins through a DNA inspection. We have found no traces of any Mutant-type Quirks in his genes, but we did confirm that he is human… which resulted in our conclusion.]" Sir Nighteye explained his reasoning.
This time, All For One was suspicious. His years of experience guided his conclusion that Garou could not be human. Reaching such a level of power without a Quirk was impossible, as All For One observed the world from the shadow for centuries, but his mind was still open to the possibility.
"[Then what will happen to the Heroes now that he has defeated Endeavour?! Is there any word from All Might?!]"
All For One had a suspicion on All Might. There was no such thing as an All Might that never took action against such rampaging evil, in any shape or form. However, the fact that Garou continued hunting undeterred despite All Might's presence, All For One concluded the impossible.
His sources even managed to confirm it at the very least through the trails and circumstance.
"[...there's no need. At the climax of our battle, to our shock, the Police Force managed to…]"
It was very subtle and brief, but All For One could detect his stoic mien quivering.
"[...convince Garou into a ceasefire.]"
His revelation rendered most of Japan into a pause, including the greatest villain of Japan.
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"Eh?"
Within the homes of the masses, many uttered that one phrase while the rare few were frozen in stunned silence, sharing unanimous confusion.
Bakugou picked his ears clean with his pinky, unsure if he heard it right.
"[Indeed. Through circumstances which I will not divulge, the Police Force managed to save the heroes and bargain with the Hero Hunter to forge a ceasefire for now. The Hero Hunter had agreed to halt his hunting of heroes in exchange for… privileges. For example, all forms of law enforcement, Hero, Police, Military, or Government, will not take any action against the hero hunter as long as he abides by the laws to an acceptable extent, including his hunting heroes most importantly.]"
Bakugou could not understand the crap that had just entered his ears.
The Police Force actually did something? How the hell did they manage to coerce the guy that obliterated all the heroes thrown at him, Endeavour included? That should not be possible. The police should be rotting under the body pile, not hailed with a heroes' welcome.
However, above all the unbelievable shit he heard in his life, the announcement that Garou was Quirkless was the worst.
Like hell Garou's Quirkless. There's no such thing as a Quirkless Villain with such a high kill count. If there was a Quirkless that could score as many kills as the stars in the sky, they should've popped up years ago before he was born.
On his couch, Izuku couldn't believe it when he heard from All Might, but to hear it from the announcer live erased his remaining denial.
"[As for the details of how they managed to coerce the ceasefire from Garou, we decided not to release it to the public. After all, we are only withholding such sensitive information to keep the Hero Hunter from breaking his end of the deal, so I advise against any questions related to the topic. He promised to hunt not only heroes, but also the Police Force, officials, and those of the government should we break our oaths, thus if any Reporter still wished to inquire, know you are endangering the lives of others, and yourselves.]"
Izuku saw the reporters from the screen withdrawing their microphones upon hearing the consequences of offending the Hero Hunter. He could understand as All Might nearly join the mountain of bodies growing underneath Garou's feet. A few of them gulped out of nervousness like they were swallowing their questions with great effort.
"[U-Um, why are you so sure Garou would break his status quo to target the media should you reveal what happened on that day?]" One reporter, however, was dumb enough to ask.
"[Because the heroes were there and saying it aloud is more than enough to earn his ire. I am not exaggerating. He will force you to retire if you take another step down this road. Unless you want to test your luck, that is?]"
The dumb reporter slowly retreated, his eyes looking away as he shuddered on his feet. Izuku could tell that he was afraid that he might become Garou's first media victim.
"[But you did not answer about All Might! What about Japan's Number One Hero? Wouldn't he stop Garou?]" Another reporter, a female with long, brown hair tied into a bun sprouted next.
"[Yes, about that…]" Sir Nighteye paused in front of live television. Izuku wondered how he would skirt around this thorny question. It was not precisely a simple obstacle to avoid as the Number One Hero was one of Garou's victims… well, pseudo-victims. All Might did not join the pile, after all.
"[Before the manhunt began, All Might engaged Garou in battle during the week prior.]" Sir Nighteye informed.
"Eh?" Izuku was like a fish staring blankly at the glass. Did All Might really fight him? Or was it another bluff to stave off the reporters? Actually, what would Garou do if Sir Nighteye slipped?
"[However, our Number One Hero could not defeat Garou. The match ended in a draw which leads to both combatants leaving with severe injuries.]" Sir Nighteye explained cleverly.
"Ohhhh…" Izuku smiled, finding his words clever. Sir Nighteye had found the middle ground, a way to stave off Garou while dodging a bullet regarding All Might.
"[What? He…]"
All of Japan fell into silence, unable to understand what Sir Nighteye revealed. The Hero Hunter proved to be as strong as the Symbol of Peace? That was something not everyone could expect.
"[...All Might… can't beat him?]" The reporters were at a loss for words. Not even they could understand the depth of their situation.
"[Indeed. All Might is still recovering as we speak, but he would leave tomorrow. As for Garou, we do not know, but I wouldn't advise any Hero to hunt him down from this point. We cannot save you if you offer yourselves to the wolf in his den. The Police Force or the Government will not aid any hero that dares challenge Garou from now on. The consequences of this pact have been made clear by Garou himself.]"
Many adults were silent, many more youths speechless. In a way, All Might's inaction against Garou did sow seeds of suspicion within their hearts. Albeit what blossomed from these seeds grew outside their expectations.
Within his era, All Might imprinted a strong impression into the hearts of the people. To them, All Might did not only symbolize peace, but also victory against the forces of evil. But that symbol was losing its radiance. They could see the cracks forming in the symbol, the first fissure widening.
The Hero Hunter. The Human Monster. The Hunter Amongst Villains. The man that left a trail of despair through the victims he chewed in his wake. His legacy was fear, and his history shrouded like shadows, Garou quickly became the Symbol of Fear for Heroes and Villains alike. To the forces of light and dark, Garou was Death. He was the reaper that claims something more precious to him than souls.
He reaped their worlds and tore them apart, their faiths and conceptions of truth and tore them asunder, leaving only spiritless remains like discarded shells. The populace did believe that All Might could stand against Garou, but after hearing his failure... their hope rattled for the first time.
Fear had wormed its way through.
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On the couch with the two individuals that stood above him in the 'hierarchy,' Garou could feel the stare burning rays into his head from his right. He wanted to tell Ghin to stop staring at him as if he had done something wrong. It felt weird and awkward, a mixture of feelings that coalesced into sweat-inducing guilt that was gnawing his insides.
'Stop staring at me as if I've done something wrong.'
Jiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii~
The boy refused to stop staring at him with those accursed, stoic eyes. It felt like the boy was trying to shoot laser beams to bore a hole into his defenses and boil his swelling guilt past the boiling point. Worse, the landlady didn't even notice that she was looking at the very man responsible for sending the heroes to the hospital in bandages and shame - or that the culprit was sitting on her couch right in her living room as she started commenting on the announcement.
"Well, I am not sure if this is a prank or a poorly written script of a story with great potential. What could the Police Force do to coerce even the Hero Hunter out of all people to concede?" She spoke with a mix of casual and professional vocabulary.
'You're the damn reason.' Garou mentally rebuked. She was the sole reason why he had to retreat to make space for breathing room. As much as he hates to admit, he was on the defensive in this playing field.
For once in his life, Garou had to solve a problem without the need for excessive violence. However, it didn't mean Garou was inept. No matter the Quirk, Garou was confident that his skill and experience alone could defeat it. Even if the nation's entire military swarmed him, Garou would still emerge the victor with callous ease.
Garou had confidence, and he found a way of dealing with Quirks in general. After all, Garou had studied the concept and mechanics of Quirks in-depth, through direct combat with Heroes and Villains, the digital sea of the internet, library, and other sources to compare the power with those back in his world.
Apparently, not all Quirks were safe for the user, and there were some limitations to its applications. Garou always wondered what the differences between Quirks, ESPER powers, and particular special abilities from powerful monsters. So far, Garou could only conclude that it was a strange combination of the two, the result being a monster version of Esper power.
Although the compounded result ended with something that border lined science and childish nonsense, Esper power made some sense at the very least, Garou realized. It is like the physical alteration of the world around the person with their mind. How it was done, Garou did not know in detail, but at least the concept made some sense after he studied Tatsumaki in detail back home.
Here? Garou had absolutely no clue how their powers function other than rampant mutation. All he knew was that there was a 'hardware' and a 'power source' in each Quirk user. The hardware was the very molecular structure of the individual's DNA while the power source was the enigmatic biofuel that powered those Quirks.
The science was still underdeveloped hitherto, but Garou detected a slight difference between the phenomena induced by a Quirk and those naturally caused. There was energy behind it that Garou could manipulate to an extent, though it was limited to deflect, redirect, or resist, not negate like with Eraserhead's Quirk. Garou could not do anything else since he could only touch the essence of certain Quirk-caused phenomena like flames or energy blasts. However, if Another Quirk could annul quirks without fail, then Quirks could be defeated. Mainly, to parry and redirect the power of Quirks through his own power.
For example, there was a hero that could shoot lightning that he generated from afar. Then he met a Villain that could store and redirect the electricity from the surrounding area. The villain was weaker than that of the hero, but Garou did notice a slight difference.
The first was not naturally made, something forced into existence through means he did not know, making it somewhat corrupted to a minor degree. In short, it did not feel like natural lightning. Garou could still will it out of existence as if he was rejecting the lightning's very existence and the Quirk is weak enough. And that hero's Quirk wasn't very strong in comparison.
The second, however, felt unadulterated, pure. Although Garou could still nullify it with an overwhelming will and power, in the end, he could still feel the purity of the electricity as it took him marginally more effort, very slight - though the contrast was still there. It made Garou wonder, if abilities of Quirks were to induce certain phenomena that should be impossible artificially, then how did it work without outright killing the user somewhat? What was it that kept it from harming the possessor?
Something was keeping the Quirks from outright harming the user, well most of them. The same safety mechanism did not exist or was flawed in other Quirk users, making them… somewhat defective or near-Quirkless. The randomness did have a downside after all. Garou wanted to know if he could exploit this truth by developing a technique that could resist any form of Quirk power on this Earth.
Still, there was one problem with achieving this skill… he must either face a Quirk user that could push him to his limits or face many Quirks in the long run. There are no alternatives otherwise. Garou may be a genius, but he was no miracle worker. This field was too alien and strange for his common sense to digest, potentially costing him years to pioneer and perfect.
"...maybe they threatened Garou's things."
Pulled back into reality by Ghin's smarm, Garou threw his glare in his direction, seeing his sheepish smirk.
'Why you little!' Garou gnashed his teeth before swiftly hiding his frustration from his face when Tsukihana turned to him.
"Ghin, don't say silly things. We all know that Garou isn't like that… unless they found his diary." Tsukihana giggled at the last part.
Garou only grew angrier - his teeth grinding like two rows of ablading whetstone. It only served to make Ghin giggle more as his smile grew wider at sight, and it infuriated Garou like feeding oil to a growing flame.
"[Excuse me, but please allow me to verify your statement. Sir Nighteye, if what I heard is accurate, then… the Hero Hunter has declared Hosu as his territory? Has the government agreed to his demands as well?]" Another reporter asked to clarify the summary of Sir Nighteye's astonishing announcement.
"[As much as it pains me to confess on live television, your worries are founded true. In the face of Garou's overwhelming might, not even Japan's Prime Minister could reject or furtively skirt around Garou's demands, for Garou's claws had sunk into the hearts of our government as well. We are warned that Garou will set his sights on the governing members of Japan should they cross the line Garou carved into the boundary with the shards of our pride.]"
Silence flooded the screen as nary another dared to follow up on the subject. Typically, it was the media's duty to delve further, to reach for the pearly beneath the oyster before them. But not this time. They realized that they had crossed the borders into a new era, a page of history unfolding with no tools to guide their hands through the journey.
At least that was what Garou believed. When he wanted to end the era of heroes, he expected powers that could level cities, move mountains with each punch - mighty foes capable of breaking his bones and knocking him down again and again.
But all it took in this world was piling bodies of heroes, beat up a crippled luminary of this era, and terrorize the streets for almost four months. It was so horrible that he even missed the old geezer after one month of interminable hunts.
'...maybe it is time I find a way back home.' Garou didn't know how he managed to get here in the first place. Wait, he nearly forgot about doing so because the world he was in is so strange that it took his full attention… that and it was oversaturated with heroes.
While he was fond of the home the boy shared, Garou still needed to track down the source of his coming here one way or another - and whether the path home was still open or barred to him.
The question is, where can he start?
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone