In a narrow alley in Z City, Garou kicked a pebble along the roadside, hands in his pockets, clearly bored. His sharp eyes wandered until they landed on a small boy crouched in the corner, crying.
Garou clicked his tongue and walked over. "Hey, kid. What's with the tears?"
The snot-nosed boy looked up at him, eyes watery as he stared at the silver-haired man. "U-Uncle… do you know Watchman?"
"Watchman?" Garou frowned. "Who's that supposed to be?"
"It's Sol!" the boy said quickly, sniffling. "The news says he's a bad guy… but I don't believe that!"
Garou's gaze sharpened. He crouched down to meet the boy's eyes. "You mean Sol Mirek? Bang's other disciple?"
The boy nodded and pulled out a wrinkled piece of paper. "This is Sol's phone number. He said if I ever saw a weird uncle with two spiky silver hairs, I should call him."
Garou's expression darkened.
"And he said you're his Senior Brother, Damien."
The veins on Garou's forehead twitched. He stared at the name written on the paper.
"That bastard… he really thinks this is funny?"
The boy flinched at his tone. "U-Uncle… do you know Sol?"
Garou snatched the paper, teeth clenched. "Know him? He's my Junior Brother I've never met. Where is he?"
"The news says he's bad," the boy said, wiping his face. "But he's not. Sol wouldn't do that."
Garou stood up abruptly, a dangerous glint flashing in his eyes. "Kid, take me to him."
"I don't know where he is," the boy admitted, glancing around nervously.
Garou ran a hand through his hair in irritation, then noticed a string of numbers on the back of the paper. "What's this?"
"His phone number."
Garou's eyes lit up. He grabbed the boy by the collar. "Kid, lend me your phone."
The boy trembled but quickly handed it over. "W-What are you going to do?"
Garou smirked, already dialing. "I'm calling him, and I'm going to tear him apart."
The line connected.
"Hello?" Sol's voice came through, relaxed.
"Hello your head!" Garou snapped. "Who gave you permission to give me a nickname? And Damien? You want me to come over there and beat you senseless?"
There was a brief pause, then a light laugh.
"Ah, Senior Brother. You finally called."
Sol sounded amused, like he had been expecting this.
Garou's irritation only grew. "Drop the act. Where are you? I'm coming over to properly greet my Junior Brother."
Sol chuckled softly. "No need to rush. I'll send you the address. Just be careful not to get targeted."
A short pause.
"Your Junior Brother is a wanted S-Class criminal now."
Garou scoffed. "Less talking. Send it."
The call ended.
Garou stared at the location on the screen, a grin forming on his face. He handed the phone back and turned to leave.
"Go home, kid. This doesn't concern you."
The boy tugged at his sleeve. "Are you going to find Sol? Can I come too?"
"Get lost," Garou said, shaking him off. "I'm not babysitting."
He walked out of the alley, but footsteps followed behind him.
Garou glanced back, annoyed. The boy trailed a few meters behind, still wiping his tears.
"Tch."
Garou suddenly stopped and turned, making the boy freeze.
"You really won't quit, huh? Fine. When you see your precious Sol get beaten down, don't start crying again."
The boy puffed his cheeks. "Sol won't lose!"
Garou smirked. "We'll see."
They moved forward, Garou leading with long strides while the boy struggled to keep up, occasionally stumbling over loose stones.
Garou shot him another glance. "If you keep following me, I'm dumping you in a trash can."
"But I want to see him," the boy said, voice shaky. "I want to hear the truth."
Garou was about to snap when his instincts flared.
He stopped and looked ahead.
At the entrance of the alley, a man leaned casually against the wall. A black suit sat neatly under a gray trench coat, and a faint smile rested on his lips.
"Yo, Senior Brother," Sol said, raising a hand. "You got here faster than I expected."
Garou's expression twisted instantly. His muscles tensed, fists cracking.
"You bastard!"
He slammed his foot into the ground and shot forward like a bullet.
Sol shifted slightly, dodging with ease. His body moved smoothly, redirecting Garou's punch with a soft application of technique. A light nudge from his elbow disrupted Garou's balance, sending him stumbling a few steps before he recovered.
Sol tilted his head. "That's it?"
His tone carried a teasing edge. "Did Bang forget to teach you properly?"
"Shut up!" Garou roared.
His fighting style shifted instantly, becoming more aggressive. His strikes began to mirror Sol's earlier movements, but twisted with his own instincts, sharper and harder to predict.
Sol's eyes gleamed with interest as he blocked and stepped back. "You pick things up fast."
The alley filled with the sound of rapid exchanges, fists colliding, feet striking the ground. The boy hid behind a trash can, watching with wide eyes.
A sharp impact echoed.
Garou was forced back, his body slamming against the wall. He breathed heavily, sweat forming along his forehead, but his eyes burned brighter.
"Again!"
Sol stopped moving.
He brushed off his clothes casually, like the fight barely mattered. "That was a warm-up."
He glanced at Garou with a slight grin. "How about you come with me somewhere more interesting?"
Garou narrowed his eyes. "What are you planning?"
"The Monster Association invited me," Sol said lightly. "Figured it'd be more fun if you came along."
He looked at Garou with clear amusement.
"You like monsters, right? So, what do you think?"