Heyo, sorry it's been a while. I've been a lot busier this semester than I thought I'd be. But also, this is an insanely long chapter, like way longer than I thought it would be. I thought about breaking it up into two chapters, but then I was like, nah. So anyway, enjoy this 10,000 word chapter, holy shit.
Chapter Twenty Five: I Need a Hero
City Z was a warzone. Scratch that, it was a walking natural disaster. The earth shifted, pulling itself in every which direction, buildings toppled like dominos, rivers seemed to forget how gravity worked. Rogue fires burned at random, igniting and disappearing just as quickly, only existing long enough to char their immediate surroundings. The corpse of the Monster Association jutted into the sky like a spear, an earthen spire painted crimson with the blood of Orochi. The sky was stained black with storm clouds and debris, summoned by the psychic powers beyond imagination. Even now, winds circled the city, fast enough to keep the broken debris aloft without the aid of any psychic powers.
Tatsumaki was aware of all of this and none of this all at once.
Tatsumaki had used more than ten percent of her power exactly twice. Both times were battling dragon level monsters that had already defeated another S-Class. But she had never, never, delved so deep into her power. If she did, she could tear the tectonic plates apart. She could invert the magnetic poles of the earth. She could twist an entire city's landmass and grind it to rubble. And that was exactly what she was doing. And it was more than enough to deal with this upstart psychic who thought she was better than the fucking Tornado of Terror.
Orochi screamed as he died, the cells he had expanded into the city shredded beneath her power. Psykos screamed with him, her pain and fury exploding from her lips in a jagged roar. Tatsumaki couldn't help but smirk. She was going to enjoy what happened next.
Tatsumaki swiped her hand, and a beam of pure plasma, of concentrated psychic power, burst from her hands. It severed Orochi's head from the rest of its body. Tatsumaki squished the rest of the bloody tendrils in the tower, ensuring there was no more power Orochi could absorb. Tatsumaki saw the panicked look on Psykos's face for a split second before it morphed into a mask of rage.
"No! My roots! You have no idea what you've done!" Psykos roared, Orochi's body twisting and morphing into a new form.
"Oh no," Tatsumaki laughed, whipping her hand out to encase Psykos in a bubble of energy. "I know exactly what I'm doing. These rags are pretty wet. I've got to wring them really good."
Tatsumaki admired the geysers of blood spurting up from the ground. Really, it was impressive the amount that was popping up. "You sure amassed a lot of stuff. What a nasty fountain. I'll be sure to shut down the pump real tight."
Tatsumaki bore down on the city with every ounce of her power and twisted. There were no discernable structures left standing. All 500 square miles of the abandoned section of the City Z ghost town were razed completely, brought low before the might of Tatsumaki's psychic power. It looked like the whole place had gone through a meat grinder. Tatsumaki couldn't help but feel satisfied with herself. She had spun the city around her finger like cotton candy and thoroughly annihilated her opponent.
The bubble around Psykos snapping drew her focus back to her enemy. Tatsumaki scowled. She had been too focused on eradicating Orochi that she had forgotten about Psykos for a second. Damnit.
Orochi had morphed into what looked like a fighter jet. But instead of flying to her like she expected, Psykos flew up towards the hurricane they had created. Shit. If she could reach the storm then she could use the chaos to make her escape. Like hell she'd let that happen.
Tatsumaki pointed at Psykos, and an emerald bolt of lightning flashed from the storm above her, striking Orochi's wing. The monster stuttered in the air, but regained balance. Tatsumaki summoned more lightning, but they dissipated against a shield. And just like that, Psykos had disappeared.
"If you think you're getting away from me…" Tatsumaki snarled. "You're dead wrong!"
Tatsumaki thrust out her hands, erecting a barrier around herself, Psykos, and the rest of the heroes she pulled from the Monster Association. It didn't cover the whole city, only about a hundred or so square miles, but Psykos wouldn't be able to escape without a massive attack. There was nowhere for her to run.
"You see this Saitama?" Tatsumaki whispered to no one. "I'm strong. Like you."
Tatsumaki threw her arms up towards the sky, searching for Psykos's psychic presence. But it seemed like Psykos had copied her trick of scattering her presence into decoys. Tatsumaki scowled. What a bitch. Alright then, let's see how durable they were. Tatsumaki twirled her finger, and the storm grew more erratic. Lightning danced in the whirlwind of debris, illuminating certain chunks of rocks or glass. Buildings smashed into one another, smashing each other to bits. Tatsumaki gradually pulled small pieces of metal towards herself. Evidently, one of Psykos's decoys smashed into her barrier, since they all simultaneously started changing directions to avoid it. Tatsumaki couldn't help the manic grin from splitting her face. This bitch was going to die.
Tatsumaki absently flicked her fingers, sending bits of debris at the decoys, trying to find out which was the real deal. She was also preparing her next weapon, a ten foot hardened spear of metal, superheated to 2000 degrees Fahrenheit. They were all moving without much of a pattern now, as Psykos probably tried to concoct some little scheme. Not on her watch. Not this time. Tatsumaki was going to pull her heart up through her throat.
One particularly large piece of rubble slammed into a signature and all the others flickered for a fraction of a second. Tatsumaki whipped her head towards that signature. Her grin returned.
"Found you," Tatsumaki hummed. Suddenly every bit of debris bigger than a centimeter stopped dead in the air, halting instantly. All of Psykos's decoys were destroyed in a moment, and Psykos herself was sent tumbling. Tatsumaki slapped her hands together, and the thousands of tons of material was sent hurtling towards Psykos. She was able to protect herself against Tatsumaki's assault somehow, her aura flaring with maroon light. Tatsumaki had expected this, and had already launched her spear. It rocketed at Psykos at Mach 6. It pierced through Orochi and Psykos's human body, a millimeter above her pelvis over her right leg. Tatsumaki didn't even give her time to scream as she summoned a bolt of lightning, an enormous emerald firebolt that struck the lightning rod stuck right through the body of her opponent.
The sky turned green for a moment, and the resulting crack of thunder was so loud it could be heard from inside the City Z HA branch. Tatsumaki smirked in satisfaction as she watched Psykos fall from the sky. "If you want to get any hits in, now's your chance. I'm going to finish this, once and for all now," Tatsumaki said to Genos. She didn't bother turning towards him, and he didn't bother with a response, simply flying away on his jets. Hmph. Typical. Tatsumaki panted. She was quite literally glowing with power, her psychic energy pouring out of her in waves. She couldn't stand if she wanted to. The force of her output was the only thing keeping her afloat. Blood coated her arms and trickled down her face. The holes on her hands burned, and the crimson liquid wouldn't stop dripping from her fingertips. Her dress was torn to pieces, and she was littered in tiny scratches. She had lost a shoe at some point, and her other shoe had its heel snapped off. Her hair was a frazzled mess, and she was almost spent of psychic energy. Almost anyone else in her situation would let the other heroes finish Psykos off, if she was even still alive. She would be so weak even Amai Mask would be able to beat her. But Tatsumaki wasn't any other hero. She was the fucking Tornado of Terror. And when monsters spoke of her, they spoke in hushed tones for fear she would hear them. And she was going to remind them exactly why they should be afraid of her.
Tatsumaki rose into the sky and stared at the monster association base. Yes. This would be a marvelous statement. Raising both arms to the sky, the monster association base started rising out of the ground once again. Once the tip had left the ground, she wrung her hands together, twisting the fortress, shredding any monsters that had somehow survived until now. The spire hardened, becoming denser as she twisted it. She poured her power into it until it glowed a viridian green. The jutting tower of the Monster Association had been turned into her jade spear of vengeance. Tatsumaki grinned at the irony.
Tatsumaki glanced down. Apparently, Psykos had survived somehow, and she and Orochi were racing around, desperately trying to escape the onslaught of Demon Cyborg and…Drive Knight? When did he get here? No matter. They were finished.
The top of a building slammed into Psykos from the ground. What!? Was Fubuki here as well? No, Fubuki wasn't nearly strong enough to throw something of that size with that amount of force. Who then? Oh. Tank Top Master. Last she had heard, he was in the hospital. How was he here?
Genos and Drive Knight blasted Psykos, and Tank Top Master threw another building at them. Orochi shot a beam at it, but it was deflected. Atomic Samurai, Puri Puri Prisoner, Darkshine, Bang and his brother erupted from the building. Tatsumaki smirked. This was it for her. The combination of heroes beat Orochi to a bloody pulp, before diving away. Excellent. She was lucky they weren't stupid enough to get in her way.
Tatsumaki snapped her fingers and sent her enormous spear flying at Orochi. It stabbed through him, and down into the earth, but Tatsumaki wasn't finished. Her spear started spinning, drilling through the ground. Orochi was shredded, ground into paste. Finally, Psykos's little experiment was dead. Tatsumaki smirked. That was how a hero acted. Destroying their enemies cleanly and utterly, while saving those too powerless to save themselves. "See that Saitama? I'm a hero too."
She hoped he had seen her. He would surely recognize her now, right? She had proven beyond a shadow of a doubt she was above all these wriggling peons beneath her. She had proven that she was among the best of the best, right up there with Saitama. She had shown him how strong she was. He would accept her now. She did not need to hide behind little pets or tricky little deceptions. She didn't need any fancy gadgets or pretty weapons to eradicate her opponents. She was the weapon. She was the Rank 2 S-Class hero. Not one of the other heroes could compare to her. Only she was worthy to stand with Saitama.
A flicker of golden light caught her eye from the ground. She glanced at it in curiosity. It brightened for a few seconds, before shooting up towards her. Instinctively she reinforced her barrier. It was a good thing she did, as the sphere of light exploded against her shield, sending her tumbling up into the sky.
What the hell was that? Another of Psykos's tricks? No, it couldn't be. It must be another pet of hers. Where?
She didn't have time to ponder as hundreds of these attacks roared into the air. Tatsumaki panted as she flew, speeding across the skyline to keep ahead of these attacks. She was nearing the limit of her psychic power. She had lost a good amount of blood. She didn't have time to deal with any more monsters.
A particularly fast lightsphere slammed into her shield. It exploded in a shower of light. Her head was thrown back. Stars appeared in her vision. Ugh. What the hell was she doing? Losing to a random monster? Fuck that. She was the Tornado of Terror. She had already killed their king and Psykos. She'd be damned if some random weaklings from the dregs of the Monster Association brought her down.
The stars in her eyes finally disappeared and her vision cleared. Why was she ground coming up at her? Her eyes widened.
"Shit!" Tatsumaki thrust her hands up to slow her descent. But despite that she still slammed into the ground with enough force to kick up a small cloud of dust. Tatsumaki rose to her feet shakily. Damn it. This wasn't how a hero was supposed to act. Saitama would've killed that fucker already.
"Get it together Tatsumaki!" Tatsumaki snapped, slapping herself, the pain in her hand not even registering. The hero killed the monster, no matter how many injuries they sustained. That's how the story went. That's what Saitama would do. He would persevere. And so that's what she would do.
Whatever monster awaited her would be dangerous. It had waited until after she defeated Psykos to attack her. It was arrogant, sure in its power to defeat her. At least it had something to back up its confidence. Those attacks it threw at her were strong. And with the quantity it could produce, it made for a dangerous opponent. She had to strike it down quickly.
Tatsumaki rose up off the ground shakily. Tatsumaki snarled, ignoring the tug in the pit of her gut that said she was running on fumes. She was a hero. It didn't matter what happened to her, so long as her foe died. Heroes did not lose. Heroes did not rely on those weaker than themselves. And Tatsumaki was the best of the best. She didn't need anyone to save her.
Just like Saitama.
With a roar, Tatsumaki shot off in the direction the light spheres had come from. She would put this monster down, as she had with countless others. Saitama would finally see that she was worthy to stand beside him against the unending hordes of evil. She had been weak before. Never again.
Some kind of presence drew her attention. It felt more human than monster, but it was none of the S-Class or anyone else that had been on the mission. Its aura had been warped in some strange way she'd never seen before. Could this be the source of the light spheres?
Tatsumaki raced towards it. In the distance she saw a lone man sitting on a small sitting, tiny orbs of light floating around him. He wore tattered clothes and a flimsy cape. He was dirty and unkempt, a scraggly beard and long greasy hair complemented by a paper crown on his head. Tatsumaki snarled, accelerating towards him. He spotted her and pointed his finger at her. Several of the lights rushed towards her, but she rolled out of the way. She grabbed a piece of rebar from the ground and hurled it at his wrist. Maybe it would distract him. She didn't know how his powers worked, maybe he had to point where those attacks of his had to go. If that was the case, it would be a simple matter of controlling his hands. If they were controlled by his mind, that would make things harder.
To her surprise, her piece of rebar went straight through his wrist and flung him from his spot. Tatsumaki blinked, and slowed. This was some kind of trick, right? Maybe he had some sort of regenerative ability? Maybe he was trying to lure her into a trap. She approached cautiously, but as she grew closer, it was apparent this was no trick. The pathetic man writhed on the ground, sobbing while vainly tugging at the piece of metal lodged in his forearm. He didn't even notice her until she peered down at him from the crest where he once sat.
He screamed and pointed at her with his free hand. Light spheres manifested into existence, but before they could launch themselves at her, Tatsumaki pulled a second piece of rebar from beneath the rubble and speared through his other wrist. The man screamed and the light spheres disappeared. He collapsed back to the ground, yowling like a kicked puppy.
Tatsumaki pulled her lips back in disgust. "Are these the foes you would have me face, Psykos!? Are these the weaklings you call your allies!? They are weak, just as you were! And I thought you would prove a challenge for me! Did you forget who I am? I'm the Tornado of Terror! And I will not lose to your legion of failures!"
With an angry snarl, Tatsumaki whipped her head around. Spotting two large wooden beams, and pulled them over to herself. She nailed the two together in an impression of a cross.
Tatsumaki turned back to her "opponent". He was still sniveling, unable to even look at her through his tears. She sneered at him, and lifted him up by the rebar in his wrists. He screamed again, his tendons tearing as he was dragged into the air. She flicked her wrist, and half the rebar outside his body coiled around his forearms. She heated the metal, cauterizing his wound and searing the metal to his body. He thrashed wildly, wailing and howling in pain. She ignored him, and thrust the other half of the rebar through the wooden beams. There he dangled, strung up on the wood. She smiled in satisfaction, ignoring the black spots that danced in front of her eyes. She should've just killed him and moved on, but something about him being so weak really pissed her off. She had expected a fight when she found him, not some sniveling coward, defeated after a single, non-lethal attack. It was pathetic. It was beneath her.
The man had finally stopped crying, either too exhausted from all his whimpering or the heat from the rebar destroying all the nerve endings. Now he just panted heavily, his crown stooped low on his face.
"What were you supposed to be," Tatsumaki taunted, as she pulled herself to full height. She didn't like how her breaths were almost as heavy as his. She was the fucking Tornado of Terror, and she would kill as many monsters as she needed.
"I…I am Chosen," the man choked out. "I…was promised…to see the world born anew. It was…my divine right."
Tatsumaki sneered. "Divine right. Pathetic. I see no gods that would dare challenge me. You were too weak to survive on your own, so you cling to some savior to protect you. There are no gods here. No one is coming to save you. Divine right is nothing in the face of natural selection."
Tatsumaki stalked towards him, ignoring how her legs trembled as she walked. His gaze never met hers, his eyes staring blankly at the ground. Tatsumaki reached him, staring up at the crucified man before her. She placed a hand on his leg and channeled her psychic power through his body, her eyes closed in concentration. He didn't react for a minute. His heavy breathing was cut off by a grunt of discomfort. His body shifted, trying to move despite being tied to a cross. But it was no use. He screamed in agony, trying to kick out at her, but she forced his legs back. His eyes bubbled as the heat increased, one particularly large bubble bursting in a spray of white goop. Slowly, the white goo that used to be his eyes slid down his face. She let go of him, staggering away from the now blinded man, her own vision swaying uncertainly. It took her a moment to regain her balance, but she stood tall once again. She huffed, and turned away to find the other S-Class and see what feeble accomplishments they made. But a glint of something caused her to pause. A sadistic grin split her face, and she pulled the object towards her. With a wave of her hand, the paper crown atop the man's head fell off. She lifted barbed wire she had found and wrapped it around his head.
"Your crown of thorns," Tatsumaki mocked. Satisfied, she gathered her power and floated away from the man with "divine right". Divine right to be an ass, maybe. It was nothing compared to her own power. She didn't need any god to grant her power. She was strong on her own. Saitama would see that. She was like him. She was better than the rest of the worthless trash that squabbled in the dirt. She was strong.
Tatsumaki flew over the rubble. She could feel lifeforms in front of her, but she couldn't tell if they were humans or monsters. Usually she could tell the difference pretty easily. Most monsters were radically different from humans biologically, and had far less complex emotions. They must be strong monsters, Tatsumaki rationalized. Good opponents then. Let them die.
Was that Atomic Samurai? It was. He was fighting hundreds of little black monsters. Wait–one big monster? Ah, one of those splitting, multiplying, shapeshifting monsters. And there was Darkshine. And Demon Cyborg? What were they all doing, fighting the same monster? How pathetic. Couldn't they do anything right?
Tatsumaki rose into the air as she approached, dive-bombing the monsters between Atomic Samurai and Darkshine. She slammed into the ground, sending a psychic blast into the ground that cleared away all the monsters around her. "What the hell are you morons doing? Don't you realize this is just one monster? What is taking you all so long?"
"Oi! This isn't just any monster. This is a tough bastard, so why don't you quit your bragging and fight!" Atomic Samurai snapped at her.
"Fight? If I recall correctly, I'm the one who killed the Monster King! And you just sat there, until you sucker punched him and I finished him off! So don't talk to me about fighting!" Tatsumaki yelled back.
"This opponent does not seem to have a weakness, like that other monster you faced at the alien invasion," Darkshine spoke up. "No matter. Our superior muscles will burn right through them!"
Tatsumaki wanted to roll her eyes, but at least Darkshine was actually killing them. His punches exploded through the little black monsters. It reminded Tatsumaki of how Saitama's punches would rip through monsters. Except if Saitama were here now, this multiplying monster would be mush.
"Where the hell is Saitama!?" Tatsumaki screamed.
"Haven't seen him," Atomic Samurai grunted, whirling back to avoid a massive fist. "Last I heard, he and Flash were chasing after Zombieman."
"I know that idiot! Why aren't they here now!?" Tatsumaki screamed.
"It was your psychic bubbles that pulled us all to the surface, we should be asking you that," Atomic Samurai snapped. Tatsumaki was going to retort, but he did bring up a good point. She had tracked all of the communicators and used them to bring the S-Class to the surface. As long as Saitama had a communicator he should be here. So where the hell was he?
Saitama was the paragon of heroes. He was the epitome of heroism. When shit hit the fan, he was there to clean up the mess. When a monster reared its head, he was there to punch it into oblivion. When someone was in danger, he was there to save her.
So where the hell was he?
He was the one living being stronger than her. She was the only one worthy to stand beside him, maybe not as an equal, but as a comrade, a compatriot. Someone who might not be able to keep up with him, but was never far behind. She would march into the darkest depths of hell, because if they thought she was a challenge, they stood no chance against Him.
So where the hell was he?
Saitama was a god among men. The hero of heroes. Someone who would always save the day. Saitama was a comforting presence. If he was there, nothing could hurt her. His words gave her strength, his smile gave her hope, his fists inspired awe in her. Saitama could defeat any villain, kill any monster, punish every wrongdoer. He was strong enough to protect her. He was always there to save her.
So where the hell was he?
"Tatsumaki!"
Tatsumaki whipped a barrier up to deflect a massive punch from the amalgamation of black monsters. Her barrier buckled, but held. With her other fist, she summoned her psychic energy and punched forward, shooting a blast of psychic energy at the monster. It blasted a hole through the amalgamation, but a group of more of the little monsters exploded out of it. She waved her hand at them, knocking them away. Tatsumaki couldn't fly anymore, she was too exhausted. Her legs were starting to wobble. One eye stayed closed because of the blood dripping into it. She couldn't maintain the whole body barrier she almost always had wrapped around her. And yet she fought on. She would be here when Saitama came to rescue her. She would show him that she was strong, that she had defeated all these foes that had come to put her down. He would be proud of her.
So Tatsumaki fought on, praying to Saitama that he would come soon.
"Ah ha ha! Look at these puny heroes! Black Sperm, how come you haven't finished them off yet!?" Another voice cried. Tatsumaki spared a look at the new foe and nearly gagged. It was one of the most hideous creatures she had ever seen. Its face was smashed like a triangle, the wisps of graying hair on his head greasy. He was sporting a belly that spilled out of his tarnished clothes and fat fingers. His eyes, smushed too close together, raged lunacy.
"Hey! I haven't seen you kill any heroes yet, so why don't you quit your bragging!" One of the Black Sperm clones shouted back.
"Shuddup! You haven't been all that successful either, you washed out condom!" the hideous monster replied.
"The fuck did you call me!? I'll show you for looking down on me," the Black Sperm clone snapped.
Annoyed with the exchange, Tatsumaki decided to get an attack in on the new opponent while he was distracted. Tatsumaki noticed a large chunk of building nearby. Tatsumaki grabbed it with her mind and flung it at the ugly monster. It steamrolled right through the monster, knocking it from its spot atop a mound of rock.
"Ha! Serves you right, jackass!" the Black Sperm clone laughed. Tatsumaki pointed at that particular clone and twisted it into extinction. A few thousand little clones jumped together to form a giant form, almost forty feet tall. It slammed a fist down at her, and Tatsumaki was forced to launch herself out of the way. She rolled along the rubble, using a psychic blast beneath her to shoot her straight up to avoid another fist. She met the figure at eye level, his face contorted in rage. Tatsumaki just smirked, bringing her hands up and chopping down, using a psychic blade to cleave the giant in half. Tatsumaki landed as the two halves started to fall and pulled her fist up, erecting two spires of stone that pierced the two halves in the back. Tatsumaki smirked, blood dribbling down her chin as the giant fell apart. Even at less than five percent of her full strength, these monsters were nothing more than nuisances to her.
Something slammed into her unprotected spine, launching her past the spires she built, skipping across the rubble and ripping her flesh open before she slammed into the side of a crumbled wall, her head smashing against the side. Tatsumaki coughed, red blood dripping from her lips. She tried to open her one good eye, but everything was blurry. She tried to raise her hand but she couldn't. She couldn't feel her body.
She saw a figure approaching. Saitama? She hoped. No, whoever this was, they were no hero. Tatsumaki tried to lift her arms to defend herself, but her body wouldn't respond to her. The last thing she saw before the world faded to black was a towering figure sauntering closer.
Saitama would come for her. Saitama would save her. He was always there when she needed him.
So where the hell was he?
"The fuck is this?" Garou muttered to himself as he watched a younger version of himself get bullied by the shade of Tacchan. "Some kinda dream?"
Garou crossed his arms, looking on as Tacchan put his foot on kid Garou's face. Tears were running down Kid Garou's face, his eyes wide with humiliation. Garou just grunted. "Get used to it, kid."
Garou sneered at Tacchan. What a fucking loser. He had a posse of children he could boss around and he thought he ran the world. He didn't know if he hated him or the kids who followed him like lost fucking sheep more. They didn't share half a brain cell between the lot of them. Spineless weaklings, all of them. All it took was one kid with the balls to kick another kid down, and they were willing to kiss his toes. No wonder they were so enamored with the fucking heroes.
"But Crab Devil was just trying to protect his home! The ocean was being polluted and no one was cleaning it up! He fought the human army and Justiceman too. Maybe if he was just a little stronger, he could've saved the ocean."
"Don't count on it, kid," Garou grumbled. "That's not how the story goes. The 'good guys' win, and everyone's worse off for it. No matter how hard we try, they'll never listen to us monsters. Because to them, that's all we are."
"Are you seriously sticking up for Crab Devil?" Tacchan sneered. "Why don't you play the monster for a little bit. Here I come!" Tacchan hit the ground with an oomph. "Hey? Why'd you move? Stupid. Grab him, guys."
"H-hey! Stop that!"
Garou sighed, looking away from his younger self. Heroes were loved. They got books written about them, they got action figures and were put on the covers of magazines. They were cheered everywhere they went. They went out and killed monsters indiscriminately, disregarding how much damage they did. Anyone could be a hero, as long as you were pretty, popular, likable, held the correct opinions and liked beating the shit out of people weaker than you. It's always a tragedy when a hero dies, regardless of how many people they've hurt, but when a monster dies no one mourns.
Suddenly he was in the old man's dojo, a slightly older version of himself sparring with the old man himself.
"I can perceive the hesitation in your fists."
"Tch, who the hell are you to lecture me, old man?" Garou snapped.
"First train your heart…"
What was that even supposed to mean?
"...then follow the voice of your heart."
Garou's eyes snapped open. He was awake.
The first thing he saw was a monster lumbering over Bang. Garou lunged, kicking through the stomach of the monster. He knew it was dead before he touched the ground. Garou bounded towards the commotion he saw. In an instant he was on them. Garou punched the silver monster high into the sky. A monster made of water shot a beam of super concentrated water at him. Garou deflected the next dozen, jumping at the monster, using the Roaring Aura Sky Ripping Fist to punch through it. Garou leapt back and obliterated it, separating the water as best he could. Garou flew through the air, somersaulting to right himself before landing softly on dry rock. The monsters were nowhere to be seen.
Garou blinked. How the hell had he gotten outside? The last thing he remembered…Darkshine. Then the ground started collapsing around him. All consuming darkness. A pressure constricting his body. A pressure in his mind.
And now he was here. Where was here, exactly? Well, based on the amount of rubble and hero bodies scattered, defeated around the place, he guessed he was still in City Z. What the hell had happened while he was asleep.
An black orb, resembling a black hole appeared in front of him. Two things tumbled out, a short, pink, one eyed monster, and a human. Blonde hair, ninja outfit, it was the S Class hero Flashy Flash. What the hell?
Flashy Flash didn't give him a moment to consider his abrupt appearance. Flash raced at him and swung his leg in a powerful kick at Garou's head. Garou dodged the kick, planting his dominant foot behind him to face the hero.
"Tsk tsk, attacking me while I'm distracted? That's not very heroic of you, Flashy Flash," Garou mocked.
"Are you the only survivor of the Monster Association?" Flashy Flash asked, his voice cold. "It appears you have made a mess of things up here. Are you the Monster King, Orochi?"
"That old sack of worms? Hardly. No, I'm not with these pathetic weaklings in their stupid 'monster association'. I'm Garou. I'm gonna rise to Disaster Level God and clean this world up. Remember the fucking name," Garou roared.
"Just as I had thought."
Garou felt a series of powerful blows strike him before he could defend himself. While they didn't do much damage, they hurt like hell. "Allow me to pass through for a moment."
"Although you have monsterized this much, you still lack the strength of character to join the side of the monster. How pathetic. We should've disposed of you from the very start," the silver monster from earlier snarled.
"So, there was another one of you creatures lurking about somewhere," Flashy Flash said, brushing himself off. "Thanks for saving me the trouble of coming to look for you. I'll kill you both now."
"Tch, you want a fight? Bring it losers. Absolute evil is unbiased. Heroes, monsters, you all die tonight. When there's no one left to challenge me I'll become the ultimate symbol of fear, Disaster Level God. Come get some."
As the hero Flashy Flash and the monster Platinum Sperm collided, Flashy Flash's kick blocked by Platinum Sperm's forearm and Platinum Sperm's fist sailing past Flashy Flash's head, Garou lept high into the air. Garou slammed into the ground with as much force as he could muster, launching hundreds of bits of rubble into the sky. Flashy Flash was the first to take advantage of the new terrain, bounding higher to get a superior angle. Garou was hot in pursuit, and he could feel Platinum Sperm charging after him.
The three of them darted back and forth between debris faster than any human should be able to move. In just a few seconds, Garou covered more distance than a race car could travel in an hour. Garou battled with Flashy Flash, the hero putting the pressure on with every attack. He jabbed at Garou's throat, launched spinning kicks intended to cleave his skull, punched at Garou's diaphragm, his attacks relentless and precise. Flashy Flash was an assassin, trained to kill.
But Garou had been trained to fight.
Garou deflected Flash's jabs, countered his kicks, and blocked his attacks. While Flashy Flash was undoubtedly skilled in the art of offense, his defense was painfully lacking. He relied too heavily on his speed to win him any battle, and that's what would cost him this fight. He was used to winning his battles with a single attack. He was not prepared for drawn out battles against opponents with superior abilities.
Garou had been punching up his whole life. Man did it feel good to give it back to the self righteous assholes who wouldn't hesitate to punch down on him.
Flashy Flash lunged at him, and Garou deflected his desperate kick. A silver appendage wrapped around Flash's throat, and tossed him away. Garou lunged at Platinum Sperm, striking him with an open palm that sent him flying through the debris. Platinum Sperm snarled at him, whipping the appendage on his head out at him. Garou grabbed it as he jumped towards the monster, spinning Platinum Sperm around and throwing him at a large rock. Platinum Sperm landed against it with an oomph before Garou landed on him with a punch to the face that shattered the rock and sent the monster flying.
Garou instinctively dodged, the tips of Flashy Flash's fingers just barely brushing against the side of his head. There was a pressure on his back as Flashy Flash landed on his spine, and pushed off him. Garou was sent tumbling, but he came back an instant later. Flashy Flash whirled in the air, his heel aimed at Garou's skull. Garou deflected his erratic kick and lashed out with a punch. Flashy Flash managed to catch it on his forearm, but couldn't block Garou's kick to the side of his ribs. Flashy Flash went flying, his trajectory redirected when Platinum Sperm punched him.
"Garou!" Platinum Sperm shouted. "Flashy Flash is weakened due to losing his main weapon. The smart play would be to concentrate our joint attacks on him and finish him off. Then we can move on to our one on one battle. Whaddya say?"
"Ganging up on him, eh?" Garou said. "Got it."
Garou landed a powerful blow to the side of Platinum Sperm's head. "Like I'd ever take orders from you, you fucking halfwitted henchman!"
Platinum Sperm howled at him, as Flashy Flash pounced on him, landing powerful blows to his face again and again. Platinum Sperm defended himself, using the appendage on his head to create defensive rings in front of his body. Garou followed the pair, jumping from rock to rock as hero and monster clashed ahead of him.
Garou could feel it. It was almost in his grasp. The ultimate technique he had been searching for. Not the Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist or the Whirlwind Iron Cutting Fist. Not the Exploding Heart Release Fist or the Tiger Fanf True Fist. Not the Purgatory Abyss Fist, the Lake Breaking Ice River Fist, or the Fool's Path Mountain Range Fist. Not the Ultimate Fist of the Yatagarasu. Not the Pressure point Killer Fist. Not the Poisonous Ogre Fist. Not the Lone Fist of Prosperity. Every battle he has fought has brought him closer to this. He'd absorbed all these into his own perfect technique. The perfect combination of offense and defense, of precision and power. The culmination of all his years as a martial artist. And since it was this technique that would elevate him to the Disaster Level "God" he would call it the Monster Calamity God Fist.
No, wait.
Monster Calamity God Slayer Fist.
In order to dominate this world as "Absolute Evil" and beat down humanity into an abyss of despair, something as unreliable as God must be defeated as well.
Garou caught up the two of them and unleashed the power of his fist. In an instant, hero and monster were thrown back. Nothing could compare to his strength now. He would defeat them all.
Platinum Sperm launched Flashy Flash towards him, and Garou lept to engage him. Flashy Flash lashed out with a kick, but Garou redirected his foot harmlessly into the air. Garou went to punch him, but Platinum Sperm came out of nowhere and kicked him in the face, pulling him away from Garou. Once again, Garou was stuck playing catchup. He was getting tired of these games.
"Hahaha! Look at you, so full of openings!" Platinum Sperm mocked Flashy Flash. "Is there something wrong with your spirit? Has your will to fight abandoned you? You heroes are all the same! Just like Darkshine, when someone outclasses you in your specialty, you abandon your principles and put all your effort into protecting your own pride! After all, that's what being a hero's all about, right? A being who wants to help the weak does not exist!"
Platinum Sperm landed a devastating blow to Flashy Flash's ribs and sent him hurtling to the ground. Flashy Flash landed with an explosion of dust, and did not rise. Garou launched himself at Platinum Sperm, landing on him with a knee to his chest. "Now it's just you and me."
Now that there were only two players to this game of theirs, Garou and Platinum Sperm were never separated for long. They traded blows, fists and feet flashing in fantastic fashion. Garou redirected Platinum Sperm's blow, using the outside of his hand to push against his elbow. Garou's hand snaked up his arm and grabbed Platinum Sperm by the throat. Garou slammed him down into the rock then tossed him up. Garou pushed off the rock and somersaulted so he was facing the ground. Garou dropkicked Platinum Sperm as gravity was pulling him down. Garou landed on a piece of debris and bounded after Platinum Sperm. The appendage on his head whipped out and wrapped around Garou's wrist and pulled him towards Platinum Sperm, spinning him around. Garou used the momentum to plant a kick to the side of Platinum Sperm's head. Platinum Sperm howled, the fury in his eyes unmistakable. The fury soon turned to fear as Garou approached with his fist cocked back. He tried to use the same defensive rings he had used against Flashy Flash, but Garou punched straight through his defense, punching him in the face and rocketing the two of them towards the ground. Platinum Sperm managed to kick him away just before they hit the ground, but the two of them still landed with enough force to make craters. Platinum Sperm rose with a ferocious roar, shouting "GAROOOUUU!"
Garou was having none of it. Garou split through Platinum Sperm, the cracks in his shell ripping open with specks of light. His body exploded into light, showering the entire battlefield with droplets of light particles.
Garou roared, baring his teeth in a triumphant roar. After all this time, he had won. Disaster Level "God" had arrived.
Consciousness splashed over Tatsumaki like cold water. Even still it was impossible to move. Her body felt like lead, her muscles strained beyond belief. Her psychic reserves were empty, down to the last drop. She doubted she could bend a spoon if she tried.
Tiredly, cautiously, she pried an eye open. The world was blurry, but there was something in the air. Particles of light drifted aloft like fireflies. Was she still in City Z? What had happened?
Tatsumaki.
Tatsumaki inhaled sharply. "Saitama?"
Saitama's frame loomed over her, the particles casting a shadow over his face. The yellow of his suit beckoned to her, calling her home.
You were so close to destroying your enemies. If you had but a little more power, you could have wiped out the enemy all by yourself.
Tatsumaki smiled. "O-of co-ourse."
You are strong Tatsumaki. I know you can still fight. Rise, and together, the two of us will defeat all of your opponents. Take my hand, and let us strike our enemies down together, as equals.
"When the time comes, you can't rely on anyone else to save you."
Saitama's words rang loud in her ears.
"Who the hell are you?" Tatsumaki demanded. The light dissipated, and Tatsumaki caught sight of the creature's face, a mass of veins and spots.
Tch. Foolish girl. You will fall like all the rest.
The being disappeared, rippling away like a mirage in the desert. Tatsumaki managed a weak smile to herself as darkness took her again.
"Oh! I'm up," Saitama said as he finally broke through the surface of the earth. He had been swimming through rock for like, ten minutes now. It had been so boring. He was half-tempted to just punch everything above him into orbit, but that definitely would've broken his stuff. But there had been a few big rumblings going on, so his TV might have already been knocked over. "Eh? What the hell happened here?"
Everything around him had been flattened. There were no buildings as far as he could see. "Oi! My fucking house!"
"M-m-master?" A robotic voice called.
"Genos!" Saitama called, spotting his loyal cyborg lying in the rubble. "Are you ok?"
"I will live," Genos replied. "Although, I do not think I will be of much assistance."
"Ah that's ok. The hell happened to you?" Saitama asked.
"After Miss Tatsumaki defeated Psykos, who was using Orochi as a power source, the other executives made themselves known. I was engaged in combat with a particularly nasty monster," Genos told him.
"Ah. Did you get'em?" Saitama asked.
"No. Master, when I was defeated, down to my last breaths, I could not bring myself to self destruct in order to fight the enemy. If I am not willing to give everything I have to destroy my enemies, can I truly say that I have gotten stronger?" Genos asked, his eyes downcast.
"Genos," Saitama replied, placing his hand on his core. "The first time we met, you were ready to sacrifice your life because you had nothing to lose. The fact that you can't do that any more doesn't mean you're weaker. I think it means you've found something worth fighting for."
"Master," Genos replied. His mouth seemed to move, but no words came out.
"Mr. Saitama!" Another voice cried.
"Yo! King!" Saitama yelled.
King jogged up to him, panting as he rested his hands on Saitama's shoulders. "You're here! I knew it! I knew you'd be here to save the day! I was so scared, I was sure I was going to die. But I did the best I could, and you came through!" King seemed to notice Genos for the first time and instantly straightened up. "Ahem! Aha, I just meant I'm glad you made it just in time to join the fun! Aha, yeah. Anyways, you should've been here when Miss Tatsumaki was battling Psykos. Truly, it was a sight to behold. And Genos was super heroic, saving her while fighting that ugly black monster. Real admirable stuff there."
"Nice job! Where is the pipsqueak anyways?" Saitama asked, looking around.
"She's over here. Thought it was best to keep her out of sight, in case there are any monsters roaming around," King said. King led him over to a mess of red, green and black.
"Oh Tats, what did they do to you?" Saitama mumbled, picking her up gently. He carried her bridal style, her head unconsciously falling into his chest. "We should get the injured to a hospital."
"It's still too dangerous for any rescue helicopters to fly in. And we don't know where Pig God, Amai Mask, Tanktop Master, Zombieman, Bang, Bomb, or Superalloy Darkshine are," King told him.
"I can take a couple people at a time, run em to safety and come back," Saitama said.
"I do not think that would be wise, Master. There are still variables that have yet to be accounted for," Genos said.
"Like what?" Saitama asked.
"That, for one," Genos said, nodding behind him. Saitama turned around, and saw a ginormous bubble of water rising up from the ocean, two spherical eyes bulging from the depths.
"Point taken," Saitama replied, turning back to Genos. "Still, I shouldn't leave you all here. As you said, it's still dangerous."
"Monsters like those provide more of a danger to more people than just us. Once the battlefield has been secured, we can focus on evacuation," Genos said.
"But what if something happens?" Saitama argued.
"None of our injuries are life threatening. If all else fails, King will protect us," Genos said sternly.
"But—"
"Saitama," King interrupted. "Go be a hero."
Saitama sighed. "Fine. But I am so going back to that resort after this. I could seriously use a spa day."
King cracked a smile. "Fair enough."
Saitama smiled, and set Tatsumaki down gently, taking off his cape and rolling it up and placing it under her head as a pillow. "Stay safe."
Saitama turned and ran towards the ocean, and the giant, malevolent eyes staring back at him.
Garou stood triumphant on the field of battle. All of the hurdles in his way were finally behind him. The heroes lay scattered and defeated around him. The monsters were dead, their corpses strewn about on this desolate plain. Now all he had to do was destroy the Hero Association once and for all, and show the world the new face of fear. Garou took a moment to breathe, and smiled up at the sun. At last, his goals could finally be realized.
The ground shifted beneath him. Garou stumbled, a scowl replacing his smile. "Oh for fuck's sake."
An enormous centipede, even bigger than the one in S City erupted from the ground. Its mandibles gripped the bottom of the Monster Association base, crunching through it as it rose from the earth.
"Insolent, worthless humans! Hear me! I am Sage Centipede! We have been sent to destroy the abominable fist that turned against God! By the incarnation of our father, the earth! And the incarnation of our mother, the ocean! Suffer our divine retribution and annihilation!"
"Oi! How bout you fuck off, you gigantic fuckwit!" Garou roared, jumping up at the face of the centipede. He punched it in the face a few times, leaping off the creature's mandibles for maximum power. It shrieked in pain, it's antennae thrashing wildly. "You idiot! My Fist would instill fear into God himself! A mere servant of his is nothing to me!"
As Garou fell through the air, observing his enemy, he spotted the escape helicopter gaining altitude. In one of the windows, he saw Tareo. That's a relief. At least he's safe.
Unfortunately, his gaze drew the centipede's attention. "Oh ho ho, so this flea is important to you?"
"Oi! Shut up and fight me, you ant!" Garou shouted.
"Ha ha hA! Fool! If you move even an inch, my sister there will shoot it out of the sky with her Great Oceanic Cannon!" The centipede laughed. Garou grit his teeth. Dammit, why'd there have to be two of them? "Now hold still and DIE! GREAT CENTIPEDE MILITARY MARCH!"
Garou braced himself for the impending attack. The enormous insect rushed past him, hundreds upon hundreds of fists twice the size of his body slamming into him, each with the force to obliterate a city block. Yet Garou held firm, rooting himself to where he stood. Suddenly, the bombardment ceased and he was blasted by an enormous stream of water flying at hypersonic speeds. Garou was thrown back, blasted by hundreds of thousands of gallons of water. Garou rose from the hole he found himself in, sputtering.
"HA! That is what happens to those that would oppose the servants of God!" The centipede laughed. Garou shook his head, water dripping from the crevices of his new skin. Garou scowled. If only that water monster wasn't here, he could fight this thing without having to worry about Tareo.
FWOOOOM!
A noise like an atom bomb reached his ears. Garou's eyes shot towards the source of the sound. The ocean had been split in half, and the water monster was gone, its eyes shredded. Garou couldn't help but gape at the display of power. That had to be King. No one else could possibly output that much raw power. Garou scowled. Looks like there were still some obstacles to overcome. But first…
Garou hopped up and sprinted towards the centipede, who was charging away from him. "Oi! Just where the hell do you think you're going, you ugly bastard!"
Then Garou noticed its target. The rescue helicopter with Tareo was rapidly getting closer. "Shit!" Garou couldn't let this thing reach them.
Something moved up ahead. Garou scowled as he scanned the new enemy, their dust cloud obscuring his vision. Was it another monster? For it to be bold enough to try and fight this Sage Centipede fool, it'd have to be another cadre. Garou didn't have time to deal with that. The new opponent jumped up, landing on the centipede's face. "Dragon Thrashing!"
That voice…no way.
Sage Centipede thrashed, sending the newcomer flying. They slammed into the ground up ahead, rising just a second later.
"Metal Bat!?" Garou cried. So it was him! What the hell was he doing here? Hadn't he put this fool in the hospital?
"Hey wait, you're…" Metal Bat started, trailing off as the recognition set in. "The Hero Hunter! You jackass! Trying to pick off the heroes after we saved the day, huh!? Or are you just trying to get in my way again!? Get over here!"
"I don't have time for this!" Garou shouted, ducking under Metal Bat's swings and sprinting after Sage Centipede.
"Well you better make time, cause I'm gonna kick your ass!" Metal Bat yelled. "Zenko isn't here to save you this time!"
"Maybe you should go hide behind her again!" Garou yelled back. "That's all you're good for!"
"I'M GONNA KILL YOU!" Metal Bat screamed.
Garou just smirked. This idiot was too easy to rile up.
"Annoying fly! Die!" Sage Centipede roared, flicking one of its antenna-things at a news helicopter that had flown to close. Metal Bat jumped off Sage Centipede's head, deflecting the antenna with his bat. But those idiots were still in danger. Garou jumped past Metal Bat, landing on new helicopter.
"You idiots! Get the hell out of here! KYAAA!" Garou screamed into the windshield of the helicopter. Garou kicked the news helicopter away, giving it the velocity it needed to get it away from the battle. The momentum sent him flying back towards Sage Centipede's head. Garou landed a dozen blows on its face, jumping around the things head and hitting it wherever he could. As its head was knocked away, he rained blows down on it's body, sending it further from the helicopter and Tareo.
His last blow sent him back to the ground, and he happened to land back to back with his least favorite S Class hero, Metal Bat. "What the hell's up with you? Even though you're a monster, you saved that helicopter and are attacking that damn insect. You're smarter than when you were human."
"Shut up," Garou snapped. "I'm only doing this so that the world knows how much it should fear the great Garou. But there's no time to waste on pointless chatter. The centipede's targeting the rescue helicopter. Those brats you rescued are aboard. We need to buy time for them to get away. Not that I expect much from you, but maybe you can provide decent bait…"
"Oi!" Metal Bat yelled, kicking the back of Garou's head. "Who the hell do you think you are bossing me around!? I don't give a shit if you're a good guy, there's no way I'm teaming up with a guy who tried to beat the shit out of me! And besides, you're the reason I couldn't kill the last damn centipede! So I'm gonna kill this thing by myself, you jackass!"
"HUUHHH!? You seriously think that you can fight this thing when I kicked your ass as a human!? The fact that you're more focussed on your selfish whims than on saving those kids is exactly what's wrong with heroes like you! What kind of hero even are you!?"
"ARE YOU IDIOTS DONE YAPPING YET!?" Sage Centipede yelled, bearing down on them.
"SHUDDUP!" Garou and Metal Bat yelled in tandem, smashing the giant monster under the chin. The monster recoiled, and Garou and Metal Bat launched into action. Garou launched a variety of blows, punches that sunk deep into flesh and bone and kicks that sent shockwaves through his carapace. But no matter what he did, it seemed that the monster would regenerate nigh instantaneously.
"Oi! Meathead! You better start pulling your weight! Are you even hurting this fucking thing!?" Garou shouted at Metal Bat.
"Shut up! You want to bash your brains in!?" Metal Bat screamed.
"We're going to have to destroy this thing from head to tail at the same time, or else this thing won't stay down for long," Garou told Metal Bat as they continued their assault.
"How many S Class heroes would we need to pull that off?" Metal Bat cried.
Garou scowled. "Fine then. If you're not able to keep up, I'll do this myself."
With that, Garou sprinted off, leaving Metal Bat behind. The centipede was gaining on the rescue helicopter. It seemed like something was wrong with it. Bullets whizzed out from the open hatch of the helicopter, but they just bounced off the centipede's hard shell. One of the antennae of the centipede whipped out and ensnared the helicopter, stopping it dead in the air. The other came up a second later, wrapping around the helicopter, denting the metal.
Garou skidded to a stop. Sage Centipede laughed, a terrible, grating sound. "HAHAHA! Are you fleas finally done jumping around? Well then have a taste of my CENTIPEDE GRAND MARCH!"
Hundreds upon hundreds of fists slammed into Garou, pummeling him into the ground. Garou coughed, rising to his feet, but something grabbed him. One of Sage Centipede's feet–hand things. Garou struggled against the enormous grip, pushing against fingers that were three times his size. As he struggled, Sage Centipede raised him to head level. "Foolish pest, thinking you could challenge a Servant of God. Die!"
As Sage Centipede closed in on him, intending to slice him in half, a series of bullets hit the monster in the face, causing it to lean its head upward, making his mandibles miss Garou's head by inches. Reinvigorated by the near miss, Garou pushed his way out of the insect's grasp as Sage Centipede snapped at him again. Garou attacked the monster's face and mandibles with ruthless abandon, but the effects of his attacks were only temporary. Eventually Garou gave up on attacking his face and launched himself up to the helicopter, attacking the antenna, trying to free the helicopter from the monster's grasp. Sage Centipede roared, and Garou's heart dropped. Tareo.
"OUTTA THE WAY!"
Metal Bat came flying out of nowhere, spinning head over foot, with his bat outstretched, every rotation building the momentum of his bat. When he smashed into the monster's antennae, he cleaved right through them. Garou wasted no time, hopping off the severed antenna and grabbing the rescue helicopter.
"Garou!" Metal Bat shouted, pointing his bat. "There's a huge ass net 500 meters ahead!"
Garou spotted it, and hurled the rescue helicopter towards it. Garou watched as the net caught the helicopter, and it was safely, if roughly, dropped to the ground.
"How can you be stronger after I hit you so hard?" Sage Centipede growled.
"HA! That's something you monsters will never understand. A man's at his strongest when he has someone to protect. Besides, your fists ain't nothing. You can beat me up as much as you like, all you'll do is pump me up with FIGHTING SPIRIT!" Metal Bat roared.
"Heh," Garou chuckled. "You haven't changed a bit."
Metal Bat and Garou landed side by side, the monster bearing down in front of them.
"We've gotta make sure this thing doesn't get past us! So sit back and let me handle it," Metal Bat shouted.
"And let you steal my kill? Like hell I will," Garou snarled.
"Pathetic! Individually, you are both nothing compared to me! No damage you've done has left a mark! Do you really think a team up of your individual weakness can stop all 6666 of my legs, working together!? I'll show you runts what power really is!" Sage Centipede roared.
Sage Centipede started spinning, and Garou almost scoffed. Maybe Metal Bat and this thing shared a brain cell. Spinning was not a good trick.
As Garou's blows hit Sage Centipede from one side, Metal Bat's blows would hit him from the opposite. Their combined blows penetrated deeper than either had on their own, and Sage Centipede's spinning only added to his damage. His body was twisted and mangled, but if Garou didn't act quickly, it wouldn't stay that way. A massive fist swang his way, but Garou was already taking off. Garou punched a hole straight through Sage Centipede. Garou burst through his backside, and with him he brought Sage Centipede's regeneration core.
"Heh, you think you're sneaky, huh? Thought I wouldn't notice this little thing releasing energy whenever you regenerated? Well it's mine now. And if you want it," Garou snarled, pulling his hands back as Sage Centipede bore down on him. "GO GET IT!"
Garou threw Sage Centipede's regeneration core as high into the sky as he could. Sage Centipede climbed up after it, towering into the sky, forgetting about Garou entirely. A fatal mistake. Garou climbed up Sage Centipede's spine, jumping off spike after spike, getting nearer to its head. The remains of his antennae wrapped around his own regeneration core, but by then, it was too late. Garou had climbed too high, jumping off Sage Centipede's back and landing on the underside of the regeneration core. Garou stared down at the monster, his legs coiling in anticipation for this final kill. Unbidden, a memory came to mind.
"Breaking tiles?" Garou scowled.
"Yes, of course," Bang said, a twinkle in his eye. "Doesn't the new guy want to show us what he's capable of?"
"Not so fast," a large man said, rolling up his sleeve. "First, the senior disciple needs to set an example. Watch how it's done, new guy."
The man hit the tiles and cried out in pain. Bang just chuckled. "Those are made of ceramic, so try not to injure yourself…is what I was going to say."
"There's no way anyone could break those!" the large man said, clutching his wounded hand.
Garou just smirked and set up as many tiles as Bang had left for him. With a single blow, he reduced the entire stock to pieces. Garou smirked at Bang triumphantly.
"Oho, very impressive," Bang smiled back. "There's just one left."
As Garou launched himself off of the regeneration core, the unnatural organ exploding above him, Garou knew that this what it. Garou's hand hit the top of the centipede's head and split right through it. Garou flew through the centipede's body, blood and viscera erupting on either side of him. This is what he had been searching for. His fist cleaved the monster in two, destroying every rotten cell in his body. This guy said he was divine retribution? Nah.
This was a blessing.
Garou slammed into the ground, the giant centipede having been entirely cut in half by his fist. He jumped up, somersaulting midair to land on a bit of rock jutting out of the water. This was the epitome of martial arts. The culmination of all the blood, all the sweat, all the tears. Finally. The Monster Calamity God Slayer Fist had reached its full potential.
"You see, old man? I broke 'em all this time," Garou said.
Garou looked around, contemplating what to do next. All of the heroes had been defeated, and since they hadn't showed up to stop him, they probably wouldn't be showing up any time soon. All of the monsters from the Monster Association were dead. Now, there was nothing left to challenge Garou. Nothing left for him to fear. But, even as he thought that, something was bothering him. It felt like something was…off. It felt like he was missing something. Something huge. But what? As Garou stood there, watching the distant waves break against the corpse of Sage Centipede, a thought occurred to him.
Oh yeah, what happened to that sea monster?
FWUM.
A splash erupted not twenty feet from Garou. He whirled around to see a figure raise their head through droplets of water. Sunlight glistened off a gleaming bald head as Saitama looked at him and sighed.
"Tsk, tsk, Garou. What have you become?" The strange bald hero scolded.
