"This is…"
Gish's expression changed drastically upon seeing the photos, his shock evident as he turned to his female assistant.
"This is the Z-city outskirts forest. Our drone detected energy fluctuations indicating a battle and automatically went to record the scene."
The assistant produced a small notebook containing her notes.
"Have you ascertained the monsters' strengths?"
Gish pressed.
"Yes. The bear and boar monsters were Wolf-level Upper; the others were Wolf-level Middle. Based on the on-site investigation,"
"The bear and boar monsters were in a rampage state, significantly increasing their strength, possibly reaching Tiger-level Lower."
The assistant took a deep breath, her voice trembling. While only one rank separated Tiger-level and Wolf-level, the difference in strength was immense.
A single Tiger-level monster was a major headache; now, there were two. Even though they were killed, who knew what else might emerge? The Z-city Hero Association was clearly unprepared. Too many Tiger-level monsters would overwhelm them.
"Tiger-level Lower?!"
Gish gasped, shocked that such monsters would appear at this stage. If these Tiger-level monsters attacked the Hero Association, they would be utterly defenseless, forced to surrender.
The best option was to abandon the Z-city branch and leave immediately. But he was reluctant; he'd worked so hard to establish it.
Then, his eyes lit up. Perhaps if they could find the individual who defeated these presumed Tiger-level Lower monsters, the Z-city branch might still be saved!
"Mina, identify the individual responsible! No matter the cost, we must secure this person! They are our only hope for the Z-city branch!"
Gish's voice was filled with urgency.
"Based on the drone footage and on-site investigation, it appears the killer wasn't human."
Mina shook her head, delivering unwelcome news.
"What?!"
Gish stiffened, confused.
"The injuries on the monster corpses suggest something forcefully entered their bodies, destroying their internal organs.
To my knowledge, no human possesses this ability. The most logical explanation is that this wasn't a human versus monster fight, but a conflict between monsters."
Mina, basing her assessment on all gathered evidence, presented her conclusion.
"Impossible! Monsters don't engage in internecine conflict! This is impossible! Expand the search; I want to know everything that happened in the vicinity!"
Despite the evidence, Gish refused to believe it. Something must have been overlooked.
"Yes, sir."
Mina had no choice but to comply. Gish was the head; she was his assistant.
Soon, new photos arrived, revealing a new development.
"Look! I told you! There are several individuals here! The person who fought the monsters might be among them! Investigate immediately!"
Gish pointed to the thermal images, a self-satisfied smile playing on his lips. By comparing these images, they would quickly find the elusive individual.
"Mr. Gish, perhaps you should first examine the identities of these four individuals."
Mina pointed to the accompanying report.
"Hmm?!"
Gish's gaze followed Mina's direction.
Hellish Blizzard!
Asaka Hanako!
Kaito Ren!
And Saitama!
Hellish Blizzard's identity aside, with Tatsumaki only recently showing favor towards the Hero Association, provoking her sister was ill-advised.
Asaka Hanako was even more untouchable; her family's donations accounted for 30% of the Hero Association's funding, and 95% of the Z-city branch.
That left Kaito Ren and Saitama. Their profiles indicated they previously resided in low-income housing, often struggling to make ends meet, joining the Reserve Hero Association primarily for the provided food and lodging.
Gish found it hard to believe such individuals could defeat a Tiger-level Lower monster. However, with no other individuals within a 300-meter radius, the suspects remained these four.
Who was it? One of them, or all four?
Gish was deeply troubled.
"Mr. Gish, in my judgment, Hellish Blizzard is the most likely candidate."
Mina offered her assessment after careful consideration.
"Hmm? Explain."
Gish showed surprise.
"It's simple. Of the four, Asaka Hanako, while possessing some strength, is far from capable of fighting monsters. Kaito Ren and Saitama, based on their profiles, likely provided minimal assistance. Hellish Blizzard is the most likely candidate."
Mina used a process of elimination.
"Hellish Blizzard?!"
Gish was taken aback. After considerable hesitation, he decided to grant Hellish Blizzard official Hero Association membership, assigning her to B-class, rank 168.
This ranking was arguably low for her feat, but given Tatsumaki's influence, ranking her lower would be unwise.
"Is this Hellish Blizzard? We're from the Hero Association. We're here to present your official hero certification. After review, you've been officially recognized as a B-class hero, rank 168."
Kaito Ren and Saitama were enjoying instant ramen when a knock came at the door. Asaka Hanako, curious, answered it, only to be mistaken for Hellish Blizzard.
"I'm not Hellish Blizzard! You've got the wrong person!"
Asaka Hanako quickly denied it.
"Wrong person? But the address on this clearly states Hellish Blizzard…"
The officers checked the address on the paper repeatedly, confirming they hadn't made a mistake.
"Take it back. I don't want it!"
____________________
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