The crowd, once gathered together, dispersed instantly.
This strange sight left Garou momentarily stunned.
"What is this? Superpowers?"
"It's just a simple repulsion spell," Yami replied casually. "To be honest, I don't really want to fight you right now. But since you're so eager to get beaten, I might as well help Bang teach his rebellious disciple a lesson."
Yami shook his head, a slight smile on his face.
However, that calm demeanor, paired with his condescending words, immediately caused Garou's expression to harden, his face contorting with rage.
"I don't need anyone to judge my actions! Now take this!" Garou growled.
With lightning speed, he launched himself at Yami.
True to his name, Garou moved like a ghost, his entire body disappearing in an instant. In the blink of an eye, his hands—sharpened like blades—sliced toward Yami's face with incredible speed.
But Yami merely raised a single finger, effortlessly blocking the attack. His body didn't move an inch.
The only thing disturbed was the faint flutter of his clothes in the wind caused by the strike.
"How... how is this possible?" Garou gasped, disbelief flashing across his face.
After leaving Bang's dojo, he had wandered across cities, challenging various martial arts schools and single-handedly defeating entire dojos. He had even recently won the championship at the official martial arts tournament.
Garou had started to believe that he was strong enough—strong enough to challenge heroes, grow through battle, and eventually stand in front of Bang to defeat him.
He had the perfect plan to shatter his inner demons and rise to the pinnacle of strength.
But now, all of that seemed like a delusion. The man standing before him had blocked his carefully honed techniques with nothing more than a single finger.
"Are you kidding me?!" Garou shouted in frustration.
"You're so loud. Are you really Bang's student?" Yami asked coolly.
"I told you already—you're too weak," he continued. "So weak that it's not even interesting."
"You used to be Bang's disciple, right? Where's your Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist?"
"You think you can defeat me with such crude techniques? It's laughable! Your martial arts are embarrassingly amateurish."
"Shut up!" Garou roared, Yami's taunts cutting deep.
Fury surged through him, and his attacks became even more violent. Like a savage wolf, he bit at Yami with reckless abandon, each strike merciless, fueled by a desire to kill.
In terms of sheer ferocity, Garou was certainly impressive.
However, Yami remained unimpressed. Despite Garou's tenacity, Yami found his strength lacking.
Too inexperienced!
At his current level, Garou wouldn't last a second against Bang, even if Bang held back.
"Faster, faster! Come on! Are you hungry or what?" Yami taunted, his single finger effortlessly deflecting every attack.
He left afterimages in the air, blocking every move Garou made with ease, while wearing an amused expression. It was as if Yami was toying with him, staying entirely on the defensive without counterattacking.
But this only deepened Garou's humiliation.
"You bastard! There's a limit to playing with people! Show me your real strength!" he demanded, fury coursing through him.
His anger burned so hot that it seemed to ignite his body. Quite literally.
"Ahhh!" Garou screamed as flames suddenly appeared on his body, burning fiercely.
Before he could even register the pain, Yami struck him in the chest, sending him flying backward. His body skidded across the ground, leaving a deep trench.
"Sorry, but you're not worthy of my full strength," Yami said calmly, lowering his leg. "What kind of adult gets serious with a child?"
Humiliation. Utter humiliation!
Garou swore he had never felt such disgrace in his entire life—not even when he was a child playing pretend games. But now, the man before him had completely shattered his pride.
Yet, despite his anger and shame, he couldn't deny Yami's strength.
Even with just a single finger, Yami had made him feel completely powerless.
It was as if he were back in Bang's dojo, facing his master all over again.
'You bastard! I'll kill you!' Garou thought furiously, forcing himself to stand up from the rubble.
His body was scorched, his black tights torn, and his once-white hair singed and blackened. Blood trickled from a wound on his forehead, only to evaporate instantly in the heat of the flames.
"If you could do that, I'd be thrilled," Yami remarked, noticing Garou's struggles.
"Looking at your sorry state, let me help you along your journey," Yami said, his figure vanishing in an instant, appearing before Garou in the blink of an eye.
Garou reflexively lashed out, but Yami flicked his hand, redirecting the attack effortlessly.
That familiar sensation made Garou's eyes widen in recognition.
"That's right," Yami said. "It's exactly what you're thinking."
"As I said, I'll teach you a lesson for Bang. Now, enjoy it!"
"I'm really looking forward to seeing how you'll transform from this. So... Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist."
A familiar martial arts technique surged toward Garou.
There was no time to dodge. All Garou could do was watch helplessly as the attacks came crashing down.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The sound of fists colliding with flesh reverberated, accompanied by the crack of bone.
Compared to Bang's version of the technique, Yami's was overwhelming. The force hit like crashing waves, and Garou became nothing more than a punching bag, his body struck from every angle.
The relentless blows lifted him into the air, rendering him completely helpless.
All onlookers could see was Garou's body being battered mid-air, changing shape with each hit.
"How brutal..." Artemis whispered from a distance, covering her eyes in disbelief at the sight.