"It all started ten years ago. Back then, my dojo was considered one of the best in the entire world, and it wasn't surprising. This place has been one of the most prestigious schools for centuries, always passed down through my family." Bang's voice carried both pride and regret, his eyes half-closed as if replaying every memory on the back of his eyelids.
Saitama leaned forward slightly. Outwardly, he looked calm and curious. Inwardly, however, he already knew exactly where this story was going—he had seen it all as a fan, before ever reincarnating here. But now, hearing Bang himself tell it, it carried a different weight.
"Everything changed when one day, a boy appeared at my door," Bang continued, his gaze hardening. "No older than ten years old, maybe even younger. He collapsed right at the entrance. I found him unconscious, his body bruised and scratched, clearly having traveled for days without food or rest. Any normal child would have perished long before reaching this place. Yet there he was. That alone told me there was something extraordinary about him."
Saitama swallowed. Garou… he thought, feeling a strange mix of excitement and unease. Hearing this directly from Bang… it's surreal.
"When he woke," Bang said, "I was there. The boy's eyes opened sharp and cold, like an animal backed into a corner but ready to fight at any moment. He asked me my name. I told him. His reply was simple: 'I've come here because I heard you were the strongest. Teach me.'"
Bang paused, and a small smile, more weary than warm, touched his face. "At first, I hesitated. Taking in a child that carried such intensity, such desperation, felt dangerous. But… I was impressed. Too impressed by his sheer determination. So I accepted him."
Saitama leaned more cloaely as the story catched his interest more.
"I began his training," Bang said softly. "And soon I realized… his potential was vast. Greater than any disciple I'd ever taken under my wing. It was not a matter of if he would surpass me, but when. That boy's talent for martial arts was frightening."
Bang's hands tightened into fists, resting on his knees. "But alongside that talent, I saw something else. A darkness… hatred. He never spoke of it, but it lingered in his strikes, his expressions, in the way he glared at his fellow students. A deep resentment of the world. I told myself it was childish anger. That he would outgrow it. That with discipline and guidance, he would change."
He lowered his head. "That… was my greatest mistake."
The dojo fell silent except for the faint rustle of the wind outside.
"Two years ago, while I was away from the dojo, Garou snapped. He went on a rampage. He injured, crippled, and nearly killed many of my best disciples. Students who had trained here for years, people who trusted me to guide them. All of them cut down by one boy I had raised." Bang's voice cracked just slightly, though his discipline held it firm. "And then… when his thirst for violence was spent, he declared to the survivors that he would roam the world, hunting strong opponents until he found one that could defeat him. And he left."
For a moment, Bang's eyes closed. His shoulders sank, his breath heavy. "That day, I lost my best student. And I failed as a master."
Saitama looked at Bang. He could feel the old man's regret, but he also knew—thanks to his old life—that Garou wasn't just some villain. The Hero Hunter… he's complicated, Saitama thought. Bang thinks he lost him, but Garou's story isn't over. He's not just evil. He's something more complex than that, however onthis point of the story, he is still pretty much too weak compared to what he will transform into.
Still, he kept those thoughts to himself. To everyone else, he was just Saitama—an ordinary man with a knack for fighting.
Instead, he nodded slowly. "Sounds like he was a tough kid. And yeah… sounds like he's still out there somewhere."
Bang glanced at him. There was something about Saitama's calm tone that struck the old master as unusual, but he said nothing.
Bang fell silent after finishing his story, his hand resting heavily on the wooden table, eyes fixed on the dark tea within his cup. The room felt heavier than before. For a man like him, speaking of Garou was not just recounting the past—it was admitting a failure.
Saitama leaned back, folding his arms, his brow furrowed as he thought it through. Unlike the usual relaxed demeanor he showed to the others, right now he was focused, even serious.
"So… Garou's basically your biggest mistake," he said finally, his tone careful.
Bang let out a quiet sigh, his face tightening. "A mistake that still roams free. Every day, I wonder if I should have seen the signs earlier, if I should have stopped him when I had the chance. Perhaps then, my disciples would still…" He trailed off, the old man's voice thick with regret.
Saitama tapped his finger against the table, thinking. "You know," he began slowly, "you've still got a chance to fix it."
Bang glanced at him, one eyebrow raised. "What do you mean?"
Saitama straightened up. "Let me handle Garou. I'll track him down, beat him if I have to, and drag him back here. Then you get to decide what to do with him. You'll have the chance to face the consequences of your own choice—without carrying the weight of wondering forever."
The old martial artist stared at him, eyes narrowing as if gauging his resolve. "That's a dangerous proposition. You have no idea the kind of monster Garou has become. He is not a foe to be taken lightly. Even the strongest heroes have—"
Saitama cut in with a small grin, though his tone remained serious. "You're right, I don't know him like you do. But what I do know is that running away from unfinished business just makes it worse. And besides…" He leaned forward, his eyes sharp. "If I'm going to put my neck out there for you, then I want something in return."
Bang frowned, clearly intrigued. "What could you possibly want from an old man like me?"
"Teach me," Saitama said plainly. "Teach me and Genos your strongest techniques. The kind you don't show just anyone. The ones you've kept secret. I've seen the surface of your style, and I can tell—it's got depth. Real depth. If I'm going to fight someone like Garou, I want to do it the right way. Not just with raw strength, but with the kind of skill only you can pass down."
Bang blinked, surprised by the request. "You… wish to learn Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist? To its true depths?" His voice carried both disbelief and curiosity.
Saitama nodded firmly. "Yeah. But not just for me. Genos too. He's got the drive, and he'll listen. If you agree, I'll bring Garou to you, no matter what it takes."
Silence stretched between them. Bang's aged eyes searched Saitama's face, looking for hesitation, for arrogance, for recklessness. Instead, he found something that caught him off guard—resolve tempered with humility.
Finally, Bang leaned back, stroking his beard. "You are either very foolish… or very earnest."
"Maybe both," Saitama admitted with a shrug. "But you said it yourself, Garou's strong. If he's got the potential to surpass even you, then I can't just charge in swinging like an idiot. If I'm going to face him, I need every edge I can get. And your style—it feels like the kind of thing that could make the difference."
This is a lie of course, I know I could defeat Garou with closed eyes now if I wanted to, but I gotta sold the deal to the old man or I doubt he agrees to teach me the oldest tecniques passed down by his family. Thought Saitama without changing his expression.
Bang closed his eyes, considering. After a long pause, he opened them again, a faint, tired smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Very well. If you are truly willing to take on such a burden, then I will teach you and your disciple everything I know. But…" His gaze hardened. "You must promise me this—if you face Garou and see that there is no chance for him, no way back from the path he walks… you must not hesitate. End it. Mercy is not always a kindness."
Saitama's expression grew grim, but he nodded. "I understand. If he's too far gone, I won't hold back. But I'll try to give him that chance first—because I think that's what you'd want deep down."
Bang's eyes widened slightly at the words, but then he gave a quiet chuckle, shaking his head. "You read me too well, boy. Too well."
"It's just another talent I have old man. It's not much of a science."
That and having deep knowledge about this wordl's lore, that part helps a lot. He thought as he grinned.
------------------------------------------------------------
SPECIAL THANKS FOR firerock laser Dragon_knight240, CasualAce6450, Patrick Ferro, Naruto Uzumaki, Black Dracon, Cain, emahue64, Gavin Jaye, Star Dragon Bahamut, LPumill3, Jalen Waller, Jack Vodir, finnikin finnikin, Guilherme Silva, Jackson Gillenwater, Nigg_216, It'sCaden, Danny Fowkes, Sleepy reader, DaxCodex, jrman2, Mr. Danteror, 4REEEsearch, KristofferXxXxX and Stephen Scott THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
IF YOU WANT RECOGNITION OR UNLOCK UNTIL 10 MORE CHAPTERS, YOU CAN HAVE IT ON MY PATREON!!