Akame Ga Kill - Garou

Minutes earlier, Lubbock led his friends to the intruder's location. When they arrived, they were shocked at what they saw.

A man with blood-stained silver hair crouched near the corpse of a boar-like Danger Beast, eating it raw. His body was mostly hidden behind the carcass, but the movement of his head and the sickening crunching sounds made it clear—he was devouring the beast. The sight was unsettling, something they never expected to witness.

Garou, who was tearing into the meat, glanced up at the newcomers. He didn't recognize any of them, but their mismatched and unusual outfits immediately marked them as heroes in his mind. After all, who else would wear armor, a Chinese dress with oversized scissors, or what looked like prostitute clothes with a yellow tail?

He didn't pay them much attention. What could these fools possibly do to him? Even in his injured state, only a few people could put up a fight against him. Besides, he knew all the top heroes, and he highly doubted there was another unknown powerhouse like that baldy out there. He continued eating like a wild beast.

The four assassins watched as he briefly acknowledged them before returning to his meal. Despite their mission to eliminate the intruder, the grotesque scene was too bizarre to ignore.

"That's disgusting! How can you eat it like that?" Leone shouted in disgust, but Garou ignored her.

Seeing no response, Lubbock muttered, "He's not even listening. Let's just finish him and go back."

At those words, Garou shot him a menacing glare and spoke calmly. "So, you're here to hunt me down?" He wasn't surprised—he had expected heroes to come after him. But for a group of nobodies to think they could take him on?

The four assassins tensed at the sound of his voice. Their instincts screamed danger, especially Leone, whose beast-like senses warned her to escape. It was as if her Teigu itself was urging her to run.

"You came here alone, didn't you? Did they really think the four of you could take me down?" Garou said, the air around him growing more sinister by the second.

The assassins grew wary as the atmosphere shifted. Bulat, the armored warrior, took a deep breath. "Who exactly are you?" he asked, hoping to gather information before engaging. Something about this man felt like a wild, untamed beast, ready to slaughter everything in sight.

Garou chuckled. "You don't recognize me?" He examined the group, realizing his appearance had changed significantly since his transformation into a monster and subsequent reversion to human form.

Smirking, he declared, "I'm Garou, the monster!" expecting a reaction.

Instead, they stared at him blankly.

"Uh… never heard of you. Sorry!" the purple-haired girl said.

"Yeah, I don't think anyone has," Leone added dryly.

Garou blinked, processing their words. The fuck? I've been hunting heroes for too long for them not to know my name.

Slightly annoyed, he scoffed. "Get lost. I don't feel like dealing with ignorant fools."

Lubbock frowned. "Don't worry, we'll just collect your head and be on our way."

Garou was done entertaining them. He stood, stepping out from behind the boar carcass while wiping the blood from his mouth. The assassins' eyes widened as they took in his battered body—his chest bare, covered in bruises, wounds, and dried blood. The sight was unsettling. Despite his injuries, he stood tall, unfazed. They wondered if they could even stand with wounds like that, let alone fight.

"You can't blame me for what happens next," Garou said with a sinister smile. "You chose this path. Today, I'll make sure you never forget the name Garou for the rest of your worthless lives."

The air around him shifted once again, something even the wildest beasts couldn't match. With a series of loud cracks, he rolled his shoulders and took his martial stance.

The unsettling sound of his bones snapping into place made the four flinch. Who wouldn't?

"So, who's first? The armored knight? The girl with oversized scissors? The green dwarf? Or the blonde prostitute?" Garou taunted.

Leone twitched in fury. "I'm not a prostitute!"

"Oh? Based on your outfit, most would think otherwise. Why else would you wear something like that?" Garou smirked.

Leone's rage got the better of her. She charged head-on, her fist inches from Garou's face in an instant. Just when she thought she had him, Garou displayed his monstrous reflexes, dodging effortlessly and countering with a side punch that sent her crashing into a tree. She coughed up blood as she hit the ground.

"One down, three to go," Garou said with a wicked grin.

Bulat and the others widened their eyes at how quickly Leone had been taken out. Without hesitation, they attacked in coordination.

Lubbock hurled knives, but Garou deflected them with ease. Sheele followed up, swinging her massive scissors, but Garou intercepted with a kick, sending her weapon skyward and knocking her off balance. He capitalized on the opening, delivering a second kick that sent her flying.

Before he could catch his breath, the armored knight descended from above, spear aimed at his face. With fluid precision, Garou parried the attack and countered with a punch that cracked Bulat's helmet, sending him tumbling.

Lubbock, seeing his comrades fall so quickly, kept his composure. He pulled the wires attached to his knives, tightening them around Garou's legs, intending to sever them. He was shocked when he couldn't tighten them further—Garou's muscles resisted the steel like iron.

Garou cursed inwardly. His injuries were dulling his senses—he should've noticed the wires sooner. Before he could free himself, Bulat and Sheele attacked simultaneously, forcing him into a defensive stance. Despite being immobilized, Garou blocked and countered their blows, his terrifying skill keeping them at bay. Bulat's armor protected him, but Sheele slowed under the weight of her injuries.

Then, to make matters worse, Leone recovered and launched herself at Garou. She leaped, aiming a powerful kick at his head. Garou smirked. Just before impact, he caught her midair and used her as a weapon, swinging her into the other two.

Seeing their teammate used as a projectile forced Bulat and Sheele to halt their attacks. Garou's smirk widened. He threw Leone at Sheele and shoved Bulat aside, giving himself room to move.

Before he could fully free himself, a blinding light from Sheele's weapon momentarily disoriented him. At the same time, he felt something tighten around his right arm—more wires. Annoyed, he was about to rip them apart when a dangerous sensation prickled at his senses. Something was coming—fast.

Realizing too late that Bulat had vanished, Garou barely managed to twist his body. A sharp pain erupted in his chest as a fresh wound opened. Invisible? Garou instantly retaliated, swiping his hand through empty space. A pained grunt and a trail of blood confirmed his hit.

As the light dimmed, the battlefield came into focus. Bulat, now visible again, clutched his bleeding shoulder. Sheele was scratched and bruised, her glasses shattered. Leone lay groaning on the ground, her leg broken. Lubbock, surprisingly unscathed, assessed the situation grimly.

Garou gritted his teeth. If he weren't injured and weakened, these heroes would've been finished long ago.

Just as he was about to free himself, searing pain shot through his body. His wounds chose the worst possible time to flare up. Dropping to one knee, he coughed blood.

Seeing their chance, Lubbock yelled, "Attack him now! He can't move!"

The assassins charged—only for Garou to slam his fist into the ground, shattering it and kicking up a cloud of dust. When the dust settled, Garou was gone.

Leone cursed. "Fuck!"

"Lubbock!" Sheele suddenly screamed.

Lubbock lay on the ground, unconscious—Garou hadn't left without parting gift, knocking him out before disappearing into the night.