Hero For Lust

"These are your eighteen contestants. Let Super Fight 22 begin!"

Genos sat quietly, waiting to watch history unfold. Why had his master chosen that disguise and title? He didn't know, and he didn't care. Anything was better than that outfit from before.

Seated to his left was a woman wearing a similar outfit to the one in question. If only he weren't such a principled person, he could take responsibility and end her life; just to stop her from following him around like some stray dog.

But his master praised her earlier today. That praise hadn't left Genos' thoughts. It lingered, subtle and persistent, pushing him to re-evaluate. Had he misjudged her?

"All right! It's time for our first match — Bazuzu vs. Lin Lin!"

Genos' eyes snapped to the ring the moment he heard Lin Lin's name; his master's future sister-in-law.

The next ninety seconds were definitive. Lin Lin's 'Palm Bell Fist' was not for show. Each strike landed with precision and force, and Bazuzu crumpled under the assault.

Next came Charanko, former disciple of the 'Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist,' facing off against Zakos, practitioner of the 'Head First Rushing Style.'

The result—

Interrupted. Monster emergency sirens wailed through C-City, shrill and unmistakable.

Then, just as suddenly, they stopped.

¤ ¤ ¤

Garou moved through the streets of C-City. Rumors had reached him. Key targets he'd long been waiting to hunt were stationed at the Super Fight tournament. Finding an opening wouldn't take long.

His last encounter with Watchdog Man ended in a decisive loss. The raw, animalistic style had thrown him completely off rhythm. But the fight hadn't been worthless. He came out stronger, sharper. His body had adapted. His instincts, too.

As he passed a row of shuttered shops, a slim woman with long black hair tied in a high topknot brushed by him with deliberate force, her shoulder slamming into his.

"Watch where you're going, lady." He didn't look back.

"'Wind Blade Kick!'"

A heartbeat later, a sharp strike launched him across the street. The move came too fast. But this wasn't the first time someone blindsided him. Garou twisted midair and landed cleanly.

On the opposing side of the street, the woman stood calmly, one hand resting on the hilt of her blade.

Garou's lips curled.

Her voice carried a slight depth, but everything about her screamed violence. He'd run across a violent woman before. And this time would be different. He would be the one on top!

¤ ¤ ¤

I don't mind baiting Garou, Bomb thought, but is he really going to show up?

He cast a glance sideways at his younger brother. Tch. He's definitely in one of his moods…

"Your disciple Charanko is putting on quite an impressive show."

"Former disciple," Bang corrected, eyes hard.

"Right. Still, any idea who that other Charanko is? He looks exactly like your student."

"I don't understand what that man is doing here," Bang said after a pause. "His actions remain… difficult to explain."

Bomb raised an eyebrow, but didn't press further. Before he could share his own theories, or point out how Charanko had just flung Zakos clean out of the ring, the monster alert blared through the stadium; brief, but unmistakable.

The crowd stirred while the brothers exchanged a glance.

"He took the bait."

¤ ¤ ¤

Sonic arrived in C-City to settle things with Caspian. Who did that man think he was? Inviting him to the Super Fight just to show off, as if a flashy performance would convince him to join this 'Carbonated Alliance.'

His scowl deepened.

Caught in his own thoughts, Sonic didn't notice the man ahead until they collided. The impact jolted him back to the present.

"Watch where you're going, lady," the man grunted.

That's it!

Sonic vanished in a flicker of motion and reappeared mid-kick, aiming straight for the mangy fool's head. But instead of crumpling, the man braced and landed on his feet, skidding but unharmed.

"Who are you?"

The pinkish-red-haired stranger didn't answer. He lunged forward, fist cocked, intent on striking.

Too slow.

Sonic weaved around the blow and countered. But the man didn't fall. He came back harder, faster. Every exchange pushed their fight farther across the city, blow after blow echoing off rooftops and concrete walls.

Nevertheless, the stranger stood.

Each time Sonic knocked him back, the man rose again; quicker, sharper, stronger than before. The strange part wasn't just the improvement. It was the transformation. His stance tightened. His speed increased. His clothing morphing.

Why are his clothes changing?

Sonic twisted to avoid a fist that carved the air beside him.

The blitzed toward him.

Sonic prepared to counter — until something faster than even his own eyes blitzed past him. A second blur collided with the red-haired brawler and sent him flying through a row of storefronts.

He turned, tense and ready.

An older man stood where the attack had come from. Calm. Slightly hunched. Arms clasped behind his back. He radiated a quiet, crushing pressure. Like a storm held just beneath the surface.

Who is this old geezer? No… that's not the important part. He read my movements. He intercepted me mid-attack. That means…

Sonic's eyes narrowed. I'll put him down too and the other old man that arrived with him.

The old man didn't look his way. He only stared across the ruined street at the figure rising from the rubble.

"It's been a long time, Garou."

¤ ¤ ¤

Caspian waited for his next match, eyes closed in stillness.

He tapped into 'Sense' — or rather, 'Omni Sense,' as he'd renamed it after that first time with Yuta. Now it reached in all directions, effortlessly expanding beyond the arena, through the city, and across the solar system. He couldn't help but wonder how far it would develop.

Sonic, you came. A match-up I hadn't anticipated.

Now he'd get the chance to watch Bang and Bomb fight, all the while keeping track of the Super Fight contestants through 'Omni Sense.'

Whether he'd choose to win or lose the tournament; that was a decision he hadn't made yet.