AN: Welcome back! So... Garou's initial fight... I couldn't exactly find a natural point to stop at for a while. I planned on making this chapter the finale for the entire arc, but it ran on so long that I just decided to split it in two. So, here is part one of a double upload! Thank you for reading and for everyone that reviewed! I really appreciate it! Also, I just hit 1k favorites on this story which is also an exciting milestone! Again, I can't thank you guys enough for sticking with me as I struggle my way through this! Please enjoy the double upload as a sign of appreciation!

Disclaimer: I do not own One Punch Man or any of the characters associated with the title. All rights belong to their respective owners.

"And welcome back, or if you're just joining us, this is Kiori Choo with Action News, Channel 9!" A voluptuous news reporter broadcasted from a helicopter as they soared above the forever-altered landscape of City-Z. "Please remain tuned in as we approach the once restricted air space to get a true sense of just how devastating an attack this was. We've recently received the all-clear after getting word that the final monster has been defeated by the new edition of the S-Class who has not yet been properly named. Though, after footage of his miraculous defeat of Elder Centipede has gone viral, many fans have taken it upon themselves to moniker this amazing new addition to the hero association. A few possibilities are Caped-Baldy, StrongHead, Chrome Dome, and, one that seems to be trending the most... One-p-.." her words cut short when she noticed something out the side of her window.

The camera shifted off of her and out the open side door of the chopper.

"Hang on... It... It seems that there is another battle taking place just below us... and... it... It appears to be Flashy Flash, Zombieman, Metal Bat, Child Emperor, and... Atomic Samurai." The footage they captured was a bit grainy from the distance they had to zoom in, but everyone watching could tell what was going on. Enough to know that there were a number of S-Class heroes struggling against a single enemy. "It's... not entirely clear what they are fighting, but... Whatever it is... seems to be giving them a hard time so... If you're in a bunker near City-Z... probably best to stay put for now..."

"Huuurrrraaarrrgggghhh!" Garou roared as he drove his knee into the face of Zombieman. Immediately, he had to jump back to avoid the wild swing from Metal Bat that shattered the ground. And without a second to even catch his footing, he was on the move again, masterfully evading the precise slashes of both Atomic Samurai and Flashy Flash.

'Keh-! Pesky bastards-!'

When he saw an opening, Garou snatched Atomic Samurai by his face and yanked him into the path of Flashy Flash's attack.

The speedy swordsman was quick enough to change directions before any mishaps, but as soon as he did, he lost his footing. It was only for a moment, but in their game of chicken, it was all Garou needed.

He tossed Atomic Samurai right at him, and as expected, Flashy Flash tried to break his fall. Garou came charging in right behind and launched them both with a booming drop kick. Before he could relish in the small victory, he was on the defensive again, this time from Metal Bat who began swinging like a madman. 'I remembered him being faster when we fought before.' Garou deflected one of his amateur swings and delivered a firm palm strike to his chest that sent him skipping back across the field. 'It's not cause he's slowing down... I'm just a lot faster than I was... heh... it's so close now... I can smell it...'

Zombieman hurled a rock at his head hoping to get in close as he tried to dodge, but Garou smacked the diversion aside without so much as flinching. As soon as Zombieman stepped in range, he was met with a flurry of strikes so quick that it almost felt like every strike landed simultaneously.

Garou ended the string with a swooping wheel kick that sent the undead hero whirling through the air. 'I can feel it...' Hearing a click, he looked down at his feet to see three small silver balls rolling toward him, and before he knew it, he was engulfed in a thick cloud of smoke. 'Heh... I can see it...' In a swift and fluid motion, he swerved out the way of a blast of energy that tore through the impenetrable wall of white. Then, another... and another. Soon he was almost waltzing through the cloud, masterfully avoiding each of the firey blasts that seemed to come from all directions.

Children Emperor couldn't say he wasn't impressed as he watched his thermal image from the camera of one of his robotic K-9s firing blasts. 'Dang it! How the heck is he dodging when he can't even see!? This is bad... hopefully Zombieman and Metal Bat can catch him off guard. I gave them those thermal goggles to give us the advantage, but... it's almost like he doesn't need to see... what the heck is he!?'

Garou continued masterfully avoiding the blasts from within the smoke with ease. He could've escaped at any moment, but he was actually a little curious to see what they were gonna try. 'I can almost taste it... what I've been reaching for... for so long... Absolute Evil... and what will the righteous heroes do this time to save the day? Pfft...' Garou planted his feet when the blasts suddenly came to a stop. "... heh," he grunted as he spun around, narrowly ducking the swing of Metal Bat's club. The swing was so powerful it pushed away the smoke, but oddly enough, only for a moment. Garou jabbed him in the knee before roundhouse kicking him in the direction of Zombieman who came swooping in behind him. It wasn't until then did he notice the techy-looking glasses. "Oh... I see!" Garou leaned his head back, narrowly evading a slash at his throat from Flashy Flash.

He grabbed the speedy swordsman by his leg when he tried to jump away. It was just enough to throw his balance off, and as he floated momentarily before him, Garou pointed all five fingers on his right hand at the hero's chest. With a sinister smile, he delivered the most unreasonably powerful one-inch punch directly through his body, sending him flying. It was a cool move he saw in a kung-fu movie a long time ago. Amazing how devastating it could be in the hands of something like him. The move was so powerful that it completely cleared the area of smoke long enough for Garou to notice the metallic k-9 creatures projecting the endless stream of vapor from their mouths. That whole time he was waiting for those stupid little smoke pellets to clear and it turns out it was these pieces of junk. 'Heh, you wanna play games with me, boy?'

"Crap...!" Child Emperor quietly exclaimed when his K-9 units were discovered. Before he even had time to blink, they were getting destroyed one by one! Every camera he had connected to the bots was dropping too fast for him to even take manual control of one. "no... no-no-no...! What do I do... What do I-.." His words stopped abruptly when the head of one of his bots came rolling over the ridge.

"You see, that's the fun part about being a monster!" Garou growled. "I don't give a damn if you are a kid! You wanna run around and play hero with the big dogs, then that just makes you part of the hunt!"

"Hey," A monotonous voice called out, from nearby. Zombieman sucker punched him before he could defend himself.

Immediately, Garou put another combo on him. Every attack was precise and deadly accurate. He knew it would kill a normal man with the first three hits alone, but this hero wasn't exactly normal.

Zombieman took the painful attack head-on and tried to find something that even resembled an opening he could take. He wasn't necessarily looking to be the one to take him down, but if he could focus Garou's attacks on him, it could give the others an opportunity to land something critical... or at the very least give Child Emperor a few seconds to escape.

Garou ended his flurry with a swinging axe kick that sent the undead hero's face smashing through the ground. Again, he was caught off guard by Flashy Flash, just before he could right himself. The speedy bastard lopped off the tip of one of the horns growing from his head. 'Tch-... alright, you're first!'

Flashy Flash jumped back and parried the clawed hands now swiping at him. As soon as he hit the ground, he took off in a mad sprint to regain his bearings for a second. "... Uh-!" he gasped when he made the shocking revelation that the villain was hot on his tail! 'Oh... so you think you can keep up...? Foolish!'

Garou stopped in his tracks when Flashy Flash suddenly changed directions and zipped off too fast for him to maintain his chase. As soon as he stopped, he was forced to defend another series of strikes from Atomic Samurai. The two swordsmen had very different styles of attack. When it came to Flashy Flash, the number one aspect of his style was the speed at which he could change his angle of attack. Even if he were right in front of you, his actual strike could be aimed at the back of your neck. With Atomic Samurai, it was different. His body couldn't move that fast, but his sword on the other hand. It was almost impossible to dodge an unimpeded frontal assault. Every strike set up the next. As if the point was to dice your opponent rather than slice and hack. Even so, Garou acclimated to the threat without hesitation.

Atomic Samurai couldn't believe his eyes! No matter what he did, he couldn't land a hit! It was like he was fighting the monster's afterimage; forever a step and a half behind! He was far from being at his best given how much energy he lost in his last battle, but still! Who knew the Hero Hunter was this much of a threat!?

Garou finally caught him slipping in his impenetrable string of attacks and delivered a rigid kick to his gut that knocked the hero's air from his body. Now defenseless, he unleashed his own combination that landed flush. With a roundhouse to end it, he sent him tumbling back across the field.

Zombieman watched the villain from a distance as Metal Bat jumped at him, swinging his bat with enough force to tear the ground with each swing. He peeked back to Child Emperor who was working on something with the scraps from his destroyed bots. "How much time you need?"

"A few minutes, maybe?" the kid replied, working like a madman.

"Seems like a pretty tall ask, but..."

"I know... that's why I made you this." Child Emperor threw something his way.

Zombieman caught it and couldn't help but be impressed. "Whoa... took you about two minutes to turn scrap into a gun." He examined the weapon for himself. It was a fully functioning 9-millimeter pistol made entirely out of the scraps from his bots.

"Would've been faster, but I really gotta be picky about material, here. I'm running low on... well, everything." A machine inside his backpack dinged like the timer on a pizza oven sounding off. The young genius pulled something out and tossed it to him. "I only had enough copper for two clips worth, so try not to use em all too quick... I doubt it'll help, but..."

"I'm not sure if it'll kill that bastard, but it'll help me hold his attention." Zombieman twirled the gun around in a flourish to test its weight. 'Geez, it's damn near perfect...' He looked to Child Emperor with a smirk. 'This kid...'

Garou continued decimating Metal Bat with sneaky attacks he was able to slip in as he dodged the rage-filled swings. He was almost fighting mindlessly at this point. 'Hergh...! I would've thought he'd show his face by now... Guess I might have to get a little serious to draw him out!' He caught the bat with his clawed hand with enough force to cause a mini shockwave from the impact. "He'll come...! He'll come when he hears you scream!"

Before Metal bat could recover, he was suddenly hit in the nose, blurring his vision almost immediately. Then, he was kicked in the knee and soon after, smacked right on the temple! The strikes were coming so fast he couldn't see what was coming next! Before he knew it he was floating weightlessly through the air until his back slid across the barren field. "er-... erggghhh!" he groaned, trying to pick himself up. Before he could even roll over, Garou came flying in, landing on his gut with enough force to crack the ground around them! "URGH-!"

"He saved you last time! So, come on! Call for him, hero!" Garou snatched him by his forehead and slammed his head back into the ground. "Call for help!" Without any indication that he knew it was coming, Garou leaned his body over, narrowly avoiding the slash from Flashy Flash! He rolled right with his momentum and jumped back as soon as he made it to all fours, missing the sword of Atomic Samurai that stabbed into the ground right where he was.

Flashy Flash stood between Garou and the other two as Atomic Samurai yanked Metal Bat by his armpit. "On your feet," he growled.

Garou stood across from them with an animalistic hunch to his stance. He narrowed his gaze at the three with his irritation boiling over. "herrrrgh..." he grumbled to himself. 'They just keep gettin up, huh...? That's not how this game ends... not this time...!' He stood back to his full height and took a few deep breaths.

Suddenly, his entire demeanor changed, causing Atomic Samurai and Flashy Flash to instinctively tighten their grip on their blades. Metal Bat was oblivious, but he was readying his bat regardless.

"Get ready," Flashy Flash stated sharply. "He's not holding back this time..."

"... huhhh?" Metal Bat drawled out.

"That stance," Atomic Samurai said, drawing his focus back to Garou. "It's SilverFangs... He's plannin' on killin' us, this time."

Metal Bat took note of their words, and the gravity of the situation fully sunk in. He tightened his grip on his bat, his steel-like gaze never wavering. It felt like the air itself was starting to suffocate him. 'Oh man... where the hell is Saitama!?'

Fubuki continued climbing up the ridge, following the surprisingly nimble Pig God and Iaian. Every now and then, they couldn't help but take a peek at the spectacular battle happening behind them, but the main focus was their mission. Of course, it would've been a one or two-minute trip if she could just float them up there. Unfortunately, after healing Genos and maintaining her body fortification for so long, she was nearing her limits as well. She couldn't even lift herself off the ground, let alone Pig God who was surprisingly much denser than he seemed at first sight... which says a lot!

Regardless, they had never stopped moving, and they were approaching the top of the ridge, at last! The only thing left to do would be to make it to her sister, grab Saitama, and watch him smash the Hero Hunter to smithereens!

...

...

"I... I don't see anyone," Iaian said, vocalizing their collective thought as they stared out onto the barren field. There was nothing but a massive wet spot, as if it had rained on this patch of earth alone.

"Wha-...!" Fubuki looked all around pacing the top of the ridge in a rising panic. "w-.. Where are they!? They said this ridge, right!? That's what they said!"

"Yeah," Iaian confirmed. "They definitely said this ridge, but... I don't..."

"Could they have taken a wrong turn?" Pig God asked.

'Oops...' Saitama stood at the edge of a street with Tatsumaki on his back. 'I guess I must've taken the wrong turn...' He searched around for any sign of the other heroes with no luck. He had been walking for almost twenty minutes figuring he'd run into someone eventually, but it felt like he was going in circles at times. '... mmm, maybe I'm close. I'll give it another ten minutes before I check where I'm at.' It would only take a little jump to see over the ridge that seemed to surround them at all times. He just didn't want to wake his passenger.

City-Z was definitely out of the question of being revitalized. The landscape itself was drastically altered. Before today, there wasn't a single landmark. Not a mountain, not a noteworthy hill or anything. Now, it's almost as if the entire city is made up of craters, trenches, and ridges. It almost pained him to see until he remembered that he had a new home somewhere in City A... or was it B...? Either way, it had to be better than his old apartment. Both of those cities were known for having more high-class complexes, anyways. 'Maybe they come with a washer and drier... that'd be nice...'

Tatsumaki stirred awake amidst the soft bounce of his walk. Her eyes creaked open ever so slightly, glimpsing the white cape that bunched up on his shoulder. 'urrgghhh... why'd it have to be him...?' She refrained from announcing herself, figuring it'd be best to accept the ride for the time being. There was no way she could walk, and with the way her head was throbbing, flying seemed like a longshot too. As long as he thinks she's asleep, it's not technically accepting his help. 'He's just... always in the way... He didn't save me...' Suddenly, they came to a stop and she shut her eyes quickly, praying he didn't notice her. A few moments of silence passed before he started walking again, but she could feel it when he changed directions. 'Oh no... is this idiot lost?' she wondered. Then, something caught her ear over the sound of the wind. It was... music?

A soft tune, like something from an old radio or music box. She creaked her eyes open just enough to see where they were going. They were next to a collapsed building of some kind. Maybe an antique shop or a pawn store. The rubble was filled with junk of all kinds. Then, amidst the sound of that gentle music, she heard a muffled mew from somewhere nearby.

Saitama stood in the middle of the debris, looking around curiously until he heard the next cry for help. When he had a good idea, he squat down, careful enough not to drop the girl on his back. There was a pretty sizeable slab of concrete that was lying over a pile of rubble. He cupped the edge with one hand and lifted it with no effort. Immediately, a cat struggled its way out of a crevis it was caught in, looking at him in a panic.

Tatsumaki stared at the orange and white feline with a mild interest in her gaze. She watched it titter its head between them and the hole it just escaped from as if it were planning to crawl back in. That's what she thought at first, until a second head popped out of that hole. This one smaller and all black. It was a kitten that was soon followed by three more kittens. They all eyed the two down suspiciously before jetting off into the jungle of destruction around them.

"Oh... you guys must've been terrified, huh?" Saitama asked as he watched them scurry away, his voice still as bland and disinterested as ever. "Well, guess I'm kinda glad I got lost now..."

'... you idiot...'

"Hm...? Oh, you're awake," he said, nearly making her gasp.

How the hell did he know? That's when her eyes caught sight of the broken mirror leaning up against the last bit of wall left standing.

Saitama dropped the slab of concrete and stood back to his full height, still cupping her legs beneath his arms. "Hey, uh... I think you passed out again, back there..."

She pulled her cheek from his shoulder in an attempt to stretch. Immediately, she was racked with pain that shot through every bone in her body. "ergh-!" she groaned.

"You probably shouldn't move too much, yet. I'm... still looking for a doctor, but uh..."

"You're lost..."

"... uh... yeah..."

"Tch... idiot..."

"Hey, it's not like I can just follow the street signs, anymore," he pointed out, looking around the devastation once again.

"Where's your transponder?"

"I... dropped it, I guess..."

Tatsumaki just scoffed at his words before her head fell back down onto his shoulder. She didn't care anymore, everything was hurting.

"Do you have yours?" he suddenly asked. "I was gonna check, but I didn't think it'd be okay for me to go through your pockets while you were asleep... Wait, do you have pockets on your uniform?"

"I don't have it," she answered flatly.

"Oh... okay then, I guess we just... keep walking..." He only took a few more steps in silence before she said something else.

"Why did you save me...?"

"... hm?" When he glanced at her out the side of his eye, she was staring off into the distance.

"I... I was still fighting... why'd you save me?"

He turned his gaze back to the road and continued walking. "Oh... still on that, huh?"

If she had the energy to express her anger, she would have, but she was so tired that everything she said just sounded like a hollow irritation. "... You shouldn't have intervened."

"Why?"

His question came out so fast that it caught her off guard. "Because... that was my fight..."

"... Ohhh... uh, look if you want the credit for that, I'll totally let you get it," he said, figuring he understood her grievance now. "Is there some kind of bonus you get for claiming your kill, or something?"

"That's not the-..." she stopped herself, sighing away her frustration. "That's not the point... S-Class heroes... heroes should be able to fight their own battle... All heroes... but, S-Class especially..."

"Huh...? You mean... you don't like getting help?"

"You only need help when you're not strong enough to do it yourself... and if that's the case, you shouldn't be in S-Class..."

"That... sounds kinda dumb."

Tatsumaki studied the side of his face, her brow tensing ever so slightly at his words.

"I mean... S-Class is a team, right? So, doesn't it make sense to use teamwork, sometimes?"

She turned her gaze away from him and watched the debris flow by as they walked. 'This idiot...'

"Like, sometimes when me and King play video games, we team up to beat the big boss when they're too strong... And that's just in a videogame, so... when your life's on the line, I don't think it's bad to ask for help."

She didn't reply immediately. Saitama glanced at her to see if she was even still awake. Her gaze was locked somewhere in the middle distance as if she were lost deep in thought.

"... when you're strong... you can't expect help from anyone... because... because someone might not come..."

His eyes lingered on her for a moment as he mulled over her words.

"If you have to be saved, it... means you're not strong..."

He turned back to the road and continued walking for a moment.

Tatsumaki expected him to say something stupid, so his silence left her wondering what he thought of that. Maybe he agreed. As strong as he is, he never needs help.

"Well..." he muttered, drawing her gaze back to the side of his face. "I think you're really strong... but, you were hurt..."

"So...?"

Saitama glanced back one more time. Even now, he could see the pain of her injuries making her grimace every now and then. 'She really is tough, huh...?' He turned back to the road and continued on. "... I didn't wanna lose you."

Her breath hitched in her throat at his words. Her gaze widened as she stared at the side of his face for a moment, but only a moment... Her face was heating up the longer she stared at him. '... he didn't...' She quickly looked away, afraid of what she would look like if he turned back to her.

"Especially not for some dumb rule like that," he continued. "I kinda understand what you're saying, but... It's not always like that. It doesn't really matter how strong you are. We all need help sometimes, and besides... you saved me..."

She furrowed her brow at his confusing words. 'I... I saved him...?' It was then, she vaguely recalled shoving him out the way of that silver freaks attack... Why did she do that?

"Heeeeyyyy!" A familiar voice shouted from behind them. Saitama turned around to see Fubuki, Pig God, and Iaian rushing toward them.

"Oh," he said. "... It's your sister."

"f-Fubuki...? p-... put me down," she said in a panicked tone as she started to wiggle against his grip.

"Huh? Are you sure? You're still-.."

"Let me go! I'm fine!"

Against his better judgment, he loosened up and let her wiggle her way to the ground. Almost immediately, she gripped onto his cape before her leg gave out. "Ergh-!" she groaned at the pain.

Saitama was as confused as could be, but he didn't speak on it.

"Tatsumaki!" Fubuki called out between her heaving breaths as they finally caught up to them.

"Fubuki...?" She refused to step out from behind Saitama. Her little sister didn't need to see her like this. "Didn't I tell you to go home? Why are you still out here?"

"Whatever!" she shouted, hunching over to catch her breath. "I came to help you...! Are you okay, or not!?"

"I'm fine! Just go already! There could still be monsters out here and you'll just get in the way!"

"Uh, actually, there is one more left!" Iaian shouted, readjusting his grip on the broken Cyborg on his back. "It's... Hero Hunter...! Garou!"

"Garou?" Saitama repeated. 'That ninja monster guy...?'

"Saitama! They need you, now!" Pig God said.

"Oh... yeah sure, but uh... is Genos-.."

"He's fine," Iaian replied. "Child Emperor patched his core and Fubuki fortified his organic parts."

"Oh... alright then." He tried to take a step before a tug on his cape stopped him. "o-Oh, uh... your sister can't walk." He felt her little fist punch at his back.

"Tatsumaki," Fubuki said, stepping toward them. "Just let me help you!"

"I don't need your help! You heard him! There's still another monster!"

"You can't fight, right now! You're hurt!"

"I said I'm fine! Just get outta here, already!"

"Hey!" Iaian shouted, cutting the two short. "I don't think we have time for this! Please, Mr. Saitama! My master and the other heroes! They're all in danger! I-... I can't explain it, but... that monster... he's like nothing I've ever seen before!"

"He's right," Pig God butt in. "He defeated Bang and Bomb single-handedly. The others weren't in great shape. I don't know how long they'll hold out."

"See!?" Fubuki shouted at Saitama's chest. They were clearly just talking through him at this point. "There's no time for this! Saitama has to go and you can't walk! So, stop being stubborn, and let me help you...! They could die-!"

"Alright, already!" Tatsumaki shouted. "I... I get it! Just... go, you idiot!"

Saitama stepped over a bit, just enough to uncover her. She still had a grip on his cape, but she wasn't tugging at it. It was just to hold her steady.

Tatsumaki couldn't even bear to look her sister in the eye, right now. How embarrassing is this? She looked at her hand clutching at the white cape. As slowly as possible, she uncurled her fingers trying to put a good enough amount of pressure on her injured leg to at least stand. When she thought she had it, she let go, and immediately nearly fell on her face. A gasp escaped her lips when she was suddenly engulfed in the arms of her little sister.

"Oh geez..." Fubuki whispered. "... thank you... thank you..."

Tatsumaki was nearly lulled by the warmth of the embrace before there was a sudden rush of relief. That pain that was traveling through her body was soothed completely. She couldn't feel the ache in her leg or the throbbing in her head. She gathered her feet beneath her again and stood up with a little grunt of effort.

She looked down at her body with a perplexed look in her eyes. "... what'd you just do?"

Fubuki clutched her hands to her chest, a little worried about what she would say to belittle her this time. "It's... my body fortification... I've gotten kinda good at it..."

There was a mix of emotions that crossed her face and Fubuki held her breath, afraid of what she had to say. Tatsumaki looked down at her feet and gently pushed off of the ground. She couldn't fly too high, but she could hover now to keep the weight off her legs. She looked at her little sister who returned her gaze with a hint of fear. Tatsumaki sighed. "... Thank you... Fubuki..."

Fubuki released the breath she was holding with relief flooding through her. 'She...' Even as she tried to compose herself, her eyes were brimming with tears. She sniffled and give her sister a stern nod.

Tatsumaki struggled a smile out. Truth be told, it was scary to see her grow. No matter how far she's come, anytime she looked in those big eyes of hers, she saw the same little girl too afraid to fight back when they were little. The same little girl who's always relied on everyone around her when things get tough. '... you're still not ready, but... you're getting closer...' Their sisterly moment melted away eventually, and Tatsumaki again became aware of their audience. Specifically, Saitama who was staring at her with a small smile on his face. "w-WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU LOOKING AT!? GO ALREADY!"

"o-Oh, right," he muttered, blinking his daze away. "Uh... Which way was it?"

"It's that way!" Iaian informed him, pointing off into the distance. "Please, Mr. Saitama! You have to help them!"

"Yeah, okay," he said as he started walking. "See you guys later, then. Please take care of Genos."

"y-Yes sir!" Iaian called out. As soon as he did, Saitama took off in a dead sprint with a sonic boom kicking up a cloud of dust! "... whoa..."

Garou stared up at the sky from his back. 'Shit... I'm gettin' sick of waiting... Don't tell me he left...' Suddenly, he flipped back into a back handspring, narrowly avoiding the beam of energy that blasted the spot he once laid. As soon as he got his footing, he leaped again to avoid another. 'This kid's a pain in the ass,' he thought as he tracked the origin of the blasts to the flying mechanical suit of armor made of scrap.

Child Emperor maintained a good distance from his target, picking and choosing his shots carefully so he wouldn't hit the others. This suit just got him into the battle as a viable threat, but truth be told, he had long since run out of ideas on how to actually take this guy down. At this point, they were just holding out for support. Well... full transparency, they were just holding out for Saitama, and for some reason, so was Garou.

He made it clear that he wanted them to call for him. Every time he put one of them in a precarious position, he demanded they beg for help. They'd been lucky enough to save each other, but things were getting increasingly difficult now that Flashy Flash was out of commission. They wouldn't give in to his demands, regardless of how much sense it made. 'We're all S-Class heroes... We can't panic... We can't give into his demands...' his gaze traveled up to the news chopper hovering around the battlefield. 'Especially not with everyone watching... We have to survive... We have to WIN!'

"KID!" Zombieman shouted, drawing his focus back to the battle a split second too late.

Garou snatched his leg from the air and swung him around for a moment. Before he could slam him, he was suddenly being pelted in the face by bullets. Nothing effective, but it annoyed him enough to loosen his grip.

Child Emperor sputtered through the air for a moment, trying to regain a sense of balance somehow. Eventually, he righted himself and retreated to a safer distance.

Garou watched him with a grimace. Before he could give chase, another bullet hit just beneath his eye. Again, no effect, but it did make him flinch. His eyes locked onto Zombieman who was rushing toward him, loading another clip. Garou suddenly charged in a zigzag pattern, avoiding the incoming shots with ease.

Zombieman could see his every move, but his arms couldn't move fast enough to line up a shot! With no other option, he just fired off round after round, hoping to catch him slipping! The only bullet that had a chance was his very last shot that was fired when the villain was ten feet away, but Garou snatched it in his palm as he slid to a halt.

"Teh-! Come ooon! Really?"

"guuurgh-!" Before Zombieman could even blink, Garou's clawed hand tore through his chest like a spear!

"You jackasses are really the best of the best!? Heh-... heh-heh! How pathetic!"

Zombieman suddenly snatched him by his horns and delivered a brutal headbutt that clearly hurt himself more than it did Garou!

"Heh-! Try harder, hero!" He reared back and delivered his own headbutt that snapped Zombieman's neck!

"HRAAAAAARRRGGGHHHH!"

Garou turned around just in time to catch the swing from Metal Bat that shattered the ground around them from the force of the blow! He held the silver club in a death grip as he swung his other arm to flick the undead hero away. With his now bloodied palm, he reached out and snatched Metal Bat by his face, slamming him into the ground. "Fuck, you're annoying," he muttered. Before he had time to pound away at him, another blast from the kid in the mechanical suit forced him back.

He stood at a distance and watched Metal Bat struggle his way back to his feet. 'Heh... can't do much with that kid covering for them, huh...?' Suddenly, he looked down at his feet when he felt a rumble rising up from deep beneath him. "pfft... really?" He jumped away, just as the area around him was hacked to pieces!

Atomic Samurai emerged from the pit with rage in his eyes. 'Damn it! He saw me coming!' He wasn't ready to relent in his surprise attack just yet. He quickly found his footing and jumped at his airborne opponent.

Garou saw him coming and evaded each of the man's slashes with relative ease. 'Even in mid-air, these bastards can't touch me...! How's it feel, heroes!?' He found his opening and snatched Atomic Samurai's wrist, just before the ethereal-looking sword pierced his chest. The two hit the ground, rolling and tumbling over each other, and with his impressive flexibility, Garou somehow managed to twist his body around until he had him in an arm bar when they came to a stop! "How's it feel to be on the other side!?"

"HERRRRGGGGHHH!" Atomic Samurai groaned painfully when the bastard jerked his body, noticeably breaking his arm.

"Heh-! Heh-heh!" Garou threw the limp appendage off of himself and watched his blade clatter to the ground. Before he could roll over, his eyes caught the glint of that annoying bat-wielder, falling from the sky with another death blow loaded up. Thinking quickly, he crunched forward and grabbed Atomic Samurai's body. When he rolled back, he launched the broken Samurai directly into the attacking hero's path. They collided with a grunt, giving him more than enough time to roll back to his feet. For a moment, he stood there and watched the two writhe in pain. '... Hm... Alright then, now for that little shit...'

Child Emperor maintained his distance, but his heart stopped when the monster's gaze locked onto him. 'Oh no... it's just me, now...! o-Okay, I can do this... I can do this, I just can't let him get close!'

The very second that thought crossed his mind, Garou made his move. He darted into the pit left behind by Atomic Samurai's surprise attack! 'What the hell!?' Child Emperor panicked. Where would he pop up!? He couldn't track him, so his best bet was to fly higher! "climb-Climb-CLIMB!" The moment he took off for the clouds, he couldn't believe his eyes. The monster was already behind him! He had already tunneled his way out from his blind spot, and he was shooting toward him like a crazed missile! There wasn't any time to escape!

Garou lunged at his airborne prey like a wild creature on the hunt! The second he caught him, he went to work, ripping the metal to pieces and yanking the wires he could get his hands on!

Child Emperor fired his blasts in all directions in absolute panic! He was doing everything he possibly could to get the villain off, but it was useless! He was caught! When his thrusters finally flickered out, and they were both falling, he was suddenly snatched by his foot. The world around him became a blur as he was whipped through the air until he was thrown to the ground below! Adding insult to injury, Garou landed right on top of him with both of his feet planted on the chest of his mech suit!

"ergh-!" Child Emperor groaned from beneath his helmet.

"Heh... Did that hurt, kid?" he asked. Suddenly, his claws dug into the top of the helmet, and he ripped the face off, revealing the horrified face of the youth inside. "I bet you regret playing hero, now, huh?" Garou took his feet off his chest, and with one hand, he pinned the kid's face down. With the other, he ripped the chest plate free, further exposing the child within. "Now, why don't you go ahead and call for help? Make it easy on yourself."

Child Emperor stared into the monstrous face of the Hero Hunter with nothing short of terror. 'He's... he's gonna...'

"Come ooon," Garou growled with a hint of amusement in his tone. "Just do it. What choice do you have?"

Smack!

Child Emperor's breath hitched in his throat when Garou was suddenly hit in the head with a piece of rubble that shattered on impact. It didn't even budge him, but the audacity of whoever it was...

Garou's animalistic gaze spun around to see Metal Bat, barely standing, tossing another stone up in the air before beaming it right at him. "Grosse... I hate heroes like him the most..." He stood up and walked toward him without sparing another glance at Child Emperor. "The 'never give up' type," he mocked. "Tch, what a joke..."

Metal Bat was hardly even conscious anymore. He swayed and stumbled on his feet, but he refused to fall. He tossed another stone in the air and loaded up his perfect form swing, but before he got the attack off, Garou was already in his face. The monster grabbed his bat, mid-swing without any effort at all. Before he could make any move to defend himself, he was suddenly rocked by a vicious three-hit combo that dropped him to the ground.

Child Emperor sat helplessly within his destroyed suit of armor. Thirteen strategies, and not one of them could even scratch this monster! 'What the hell are we supposed to do now...?' That was the only thing that floated through his exhausted mind. There were no new plans of attack. He didn't think about if Flashy Flash and Atomic Samurai were still alive or not, or how long it was gonna take Zombieman to heal. He didn't even wonder if Metal Bat were still alive... even as he actively watched Garou completely clobber him before his very eyes.

The monster had the hotheaded teen straddled and was raining down the most rage-fueled haymakers imaginable. Metal Bat didn't seem conscious anymore. His head just snapped in whichever direction it was hit toward.

Garou didn't stop. He wasn't going to, this time. Not until he got what he wanted, and what he wanted wasn't anything from the teen he was currently demolishing. He laid in a few more good hits before his gaze snapped to the child in the robot. He looked Child Emperor right in the eye. "Well...!?" Smack! "How bout it, superhero!?" Smack-smack! "You ready to scream...!?" SMACK! "... Call him!"

"eeeeeerrrrrgggh-!" Metal bat groaned out, his head slowly rocking.

Child Emperor looked at his colleague with a mix of frustration and panic. 'm-... Metal Bat...'

SMACK-SMACK! Again, Garou punished him with no remorse. "Huuuuuh-! All that talk about justice and shit!? And you're all just gonna watch me kill this douchebag!?" SMACK! "Come on-! You're all alive for a reason! I need you to scream, but... if I have to take it a step further..." His demeanor noticeably shifted when he looked back to the blood teen beneath him. He opened his hand and stared at his palm for a moment. It wasn't the hand of a human being... not anymore... 'This is what I've been fighting for, anyways... right...? I'm... I'm a monster...' His eyes shifted back to Metal Bat. 'And this time... a monster's gonna win!'

"h-... HEEEEELP!" Child Emperor suddenly shouted.

Garous was a half second away from driving his clawed hand into the bastard's chest when his gaze snapped back to the kid. "Heh... yeah, that's it!"

"HEEEEELP!" The kid was an absolute wreck. "HELP ME, PLEEEASE...! s-... SAITAMA!"

"... so that's his name..."

"SAITAMA! WE'RE HEEERE! Sai-... s-... Saitama... please..." His cries faded out when he ran out of breath... or possibly hope.

Garou looked around as if he expected the man to just fall out of the sky. '... Come on... come on-! Where is he...!?'

"heh-... heh-heh-heh..."

His gaze shifted back to the broken teen beneath him when he started chuckling. "... what the hell are you laughing at?"

Metal Bat's chuckles slowly faded out and he spat the blood from his mouth so he could talk. "... he's gonna kill you..."

It was then that Garou felt the rumble of the ground. Something was happening... Something was coming... His gaze shifted back to Child Emperor who was slowly realizing that as well. The moment the kid noticed him, he was almost imbued with an extra boost of adrenaline.

"s-.. SAITAMA! WE'RE HERE!" he shouted, pure desperation in his tone. "WE'RE OVER HEEEEERE!"

Garou's gaze swung back to Metal Bat who was chuckling again. The rumbling was growing louder and louder, and the kid was still screaming for help! It was like his senses were being overloaded! '... What is this...'

"SAITAMAAAAA!"

"Heh-heh-heh!" Metal Bat couldn't help himself. He was getting giddy, knowing that this bastard was only moments from his death!

"SAITAMA! PLEASE, HELP!"

The ground was literally quaking at this point! Garou stepped back, and he had to steady himself from the trembling! 'Here it comes...!'

BOOM!

"RRRRAAAAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHH!" Suddenly, the ridge they were watching blew apart, and from the smoke emerged another massive centipede monster that was charging straight for them! It tore across the battlefield like a swerving bullet train!

"What the hell!?" Garou yelled as he watched it approach! Was it coming from him, or the heroes!? He jumped out of its path to see if it would change directions.

It did not. The creature scurried toward the downed Metal Bat who watched it helplessly from his spot on the ground. He couldn't move a single muscle anymore. '... another one...? Man... this might actually be it for me...'

Child Emperor watched the scene in pure terror! '... w-... what the heck...!? That's not... that's not Elder Centipede...!' His gaze shifted from the monster's roaring face to the downed Metal Bat who was laid out right in its path. '... w-.. what do I do...?' His heart was racing faster than it ever had before! He couldn't breathe he was so terrified! This creature turned up at the absolute worst possible moment! '... Metal Bat...! Get up...! Please, get up!'

The delinquent teen stayed right where he was. He didn't even have the energy to be afraid anymore. His gaze shifted up to the news chopper flying overhead. '... well... I ain't goin' out like some pansy... this ugly freak wants a piece-a me...?' He slowly and painfully rolled back to his feet one last time, collecting his bat along the way. "... I ain't runnin'... Come on-!" he growled, gripping his club with both hands.

"RRRRAAAAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHH!" the creature roared again as it charged straight for him!

Child Emperor couldn't believe his eyes! 'w-... why is he just standing there...!? Run...! You IDIOT! RUN!'

"COME ON!" Metal Bat shouted, readjusting his shaking grip! "You think I'm afraid of you!? I ain't afraid of shit! COME ON!" He suddenly charged forward, even against such insurmountable odds! With every step he took, he saw her face... 'Zenko... I know you'd kick my ass if you were here, right now...' A part of him hoped she wasn't watching, but knowing her, she was locked in... probably planning some way to get here herself. 'I... I know I promised to get home... but... this is it for me... I'm sorry...' He jumped toward the monster's roaring face with a warcry of his own! "RRRRRRAAAAAAAGGGGHHHH- Urgh!" Suddenly, he was tackled out of the way by Zombieman!

The two tumbled back to the ground as the creature continued charging by! "What the hell are you doing?" Zombieman grumbled. "You got a death wish or somethin'?"

Metal Bat ignored him as he sat up and watched the massive monster scurry along! It... wasn't coming for him? '... where the fuck is it going?'

"RRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAARRRRRGGGGHHHHHH!" Suddenly, the monster snapped to a halt as if it were suddenly pinned down by the tail! Then, before their very eyes, it began sliding back... Even though its many legs were charging forward, its body was moving back! The creature roared another earth-quaking roar as its head turned up toward the sky!

Metal Bat, Zombieman, and Child Emperor followed its gaze. The first thing that came into view was the news chopper still hovering high above... the next thing was their saving grace himself...

Saitama came flying in with his fist cocked and his expression as plain as ever. The monster fired a blast of energy his way that he somehow managed to twist his body to avoid! And before they could really process what happened, he plowed through its head with a single punch, splattering its brains across the battlefield!

"... Hurgh," the bald hero groaned as he stood in the devastation of his attack. "I hope that was the last one... I'm kinda hungry..."

"s-... Saitama!" Child Emperor yelled.

"... Hm...?"