"It's not over yet."
"Cross Fang Dragon Slayer Fist!"
With a mindset that as long as he wasn't killed, he'd keep fighting until his last breath, Yami's assault grew fiercer. He seamlessly merged two different martial arts techniques into one, showcasing a profound mastery that left no doubt about his strength.
At this point, Garou was like a candle in the wind, barely holding on, vulnerable to Yami's every move.
Boom!!!
Finally, he collapsed onto the ground. The entire commercial street was in ruins from the devastating attack, though miraculously, only the street itself was destroyed. The surrounding shops, even their glass windows, remained perfectly intact.
Yami's control over his strength was near flawless.
"Next time, kid, I hope you'll bring me a real challenge."
These were the last words Garou heard before slipping into unconsciousness. His vision blurred and then faded completely.
Despite Garou teetering on the brink of death, Yami didn't leave right away. Instead, he used healing magic and poured a basic potion over him, treating some of his internal and external injuries—but not completely.
Yami's intention wasn't to fully heal him, but merely to prevent him from dying.
As for leaving behind lingering wounds? That was hardly a concern.
"I've made sure not to interfere too much with your evolution. Let's hope it pays off. I'm looking forward to the day when you can face monsters with your full power."
"Artemis, thanks for waiting. Let's go."
Having finished his task, Yami called out to Goddess Artemis.
The peaceful afternoon they'd been enjoying had been shattered, and now that the entire commercial street was destroyed, there was no point in sticking around.
In that case, it was better to leave.
"Alright, let's go," Artemis replied.
"I'm sorry our stroll got interrupted by all of this. Let's move on to the next city," Yami suggested.
"It's okay, Yami," Artemis said, smiling beautifully.
The Moon Goddess wasn't troubled by the incident. She was quite generous, especially around Yami.
Besides, there were plenty of other commercial streets they could visit.
However, Artemis couldn't help but be curious about Yami's behavior during the fight.
"Yami, you didn't use your full strength just now, did you?" she asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. "And you didn't seem to want to defeat that man, more like you were teaching him. Are you optimistic about him?"
Yami didn't hesitate to answer.
"I do see a lot of potential in him. He's extremely talented, has a strong learning ability, and an incredible adaptability."
"That's why I wanted to see if I could speed up his evolution."
"Since Garou specializes in martial arts, I showed him Bang's Whirlwind Iron Cutting Fist and Cross Fang Dragon Slayer Fist."
"Luckily, he's already started to evolve!"
"Next time we meet, that guy is bound to surprise me. His growth rate will astonish even you, Artemis."
Yami's words piqued Artemis's interest.
"Well, now I'm really looking forward to it!"
"It's rare for you to hold someone in such high regard, Yami. I hope the next time we see him, he'll truly bring us a surprise."
"Don't worry, Artemis. I won't let you down."
Knowing Garou's potential, Yami was confident.
This kind of fighter, who pushes himself to the brink of death, gets seriously injured, and then evolves after recovery, is incredibly rare.
Perhaps only the Saiyans from another world could compare.
Yami realized his own strength wasn't enough yet. He needed to keep growing stronger.
——
The battle with Garou caused little collateral damage. Thanks to Yami's magic that evacuated civilians, only the street itself was destroyed, and the economic loss was minimal.
Despite this, the Heroes Association took the situation seriously. They sent A-Class heroes to investigate, but no clues were found.
By the time the heroes arrived, the severely injured Garou had already woken up, dragging his battered body away from the scene.
As a result, the Heroes Association gathered no useful information. In the end, they chalked it up to a monster attack and moved on.
Heroes continued to patrol the area for a while, but no further incidents occurred.
Over time, the Association relaxed its efforts, and the chaos caused by Yami and Garou quietly faded from public memory.
However, the impact of Yami's actions was far from forgotten.
In City A, inside the Heroes Association building, Sitch was hunched over his desk, his iconic suit slightly disheveled. His messy hair and dark circles under his eyes made him look exhausted.
With furrowed brows, his face reflected his frustration.
"Almost all of the S-Class heroes have been defeated, except for King."
"While their lives aren't in danger, they're all seriously injured. None of them will be combat-ready anytime soon."
"Tatsumaki is almost fully recovered, though."
"Honestly, Mr. Yami is way out of line!"
Staring at the report in front of him, Sitch was overwhelmed.
He knew Yami was aiming to challenge the strongest heroes, but the result was devastating. Almost every S-Class hero had been taken down, and they'd need time to recover.
This left the Heroes Association dangerously short-staffed. If a large-scale disaster—especially one above the demon level—struck, the consequences would be catastrophic.
A-Class heroes wouldn't be able to handle a ghost-level threat on their own!
To make matters worse, higher-ups at the Heroes Association were pressuring Sitch to act. They wanted him to gather the S-Class heroes once they recovered and launch a coordinated attack to either defeat or kill Yami.
Some even suggested recalling Blast, the top-ranked hero, to take Yami down.
But Sitch knew better.
He had seen Yami's strength firsthand, and a direct confrontation could lead to disastrous consequences.
Even if they could win, countless cities would be destroyed in the process. It was impossible to predict how many S-Class heroes would survive such a conflict.
"This has really put me in a tough spot!"
Sitch ran his hands through his hair, nearly pulling it out in frustration.