Saitama vs. Awakened Garou

What are you supposed to be?

Saitama vs. Awakened Garou is the battle between Saitama and the Hero Hunter Garou, who has become a monster.

Prelude
After defeating Sage Centipede, Garou observes the surroundings and cannot see any S-Class hero. He comes to the conclusion that they have all been taken down and that it is the time for him to reach his ultimate goal, to become "Absolute Evil". However, a sudden anxiety feeling comes across him, much to his concern. As he is wondering what's happened to Evil Ocean Water, to Garou's surprise, Saitama lands behind Garou and asks what he is supposed to be. Although not knowing Saitama's identity, Garou still answers Saitama's question regarding what he is by stating that he is a monster who will cast all of humanity into the depths of despair and become "Absolute Evil". Saitama is confused about whether Garou is evil considering he's helped a helicopter from Sage Centipede. Garou reasons that he needs witnesses to spread fear and to know he is stronger than any hero and monster, stating that "Absolute Evil" correlates with absolute strength. Garou then tells Saitama to leave and quit his hero job, as he will annihilate both the Monster Association and Hero Association. After listening to Garou, Saitama begins to leave without acknowledging Garou as a monster, which prompts Garou to doubt if the hero was following what he said. Saitama, with a frustrated expression, speaks to him that he went out of his way to complain about the noise and somehow his house later got destroyed. Because of that, the hero is extremely upset and says that he would rather blow up the entire planet, making Garou shiver with his words. As Saitama leaves, Garou calls out to him, saying how he will pay should he underestimate "Absolute Evil" and charges at him with a punch. Unfortunately for him, Saitama is faster and with an impulsive punch, knocks Garou back before the latter could land the hit. After being punched, Garou manages to remember Saitama, identifying him as the bald guy he's run into several times before.

Battle
Garou recovers from being punched by Saitama and starts fighting him for real. They begin exchanging blows while crossing large distances, reaching far into the sky. Saitama attacks Garou with a punch aimed at his head but Garou manages to dodge it before ax-kicking him into ground, causing a landmass to severely crack. When Saitama stands up on his feet, Garou leaps down towards him with a hand-chop, striking his head directly, causing a forceful impact on the surroundings. However, the hand-chop is not enough to faze the hero, who retaliates with a simple headbutt that shatters Garou's forearm. Despite this, Garou manages to regenerate his forearm quickly and attempts a punch on Saitama, although the Caped Baldy is faster, punching him back first. After being knocked away a considerable distance by Saitama, Garou's body, in response to his anger, undergoes a mutation that increases his size and stature as well as his strength. At this moment, Tareo approaches him and tells him that he is a hero, which annoys Garou, who tries to explain again that he is not at all a hero. Even after what Garou says, the boy still insists that Garou is the greatest hero in his point of view and tells him to stop pretending to be a monster. Saitama slowly comes up to the two of them while commenting on what Garou has done, including hunting heroes, crushing dojos, and now playing monster and making kids cry. As Saitama takes his steps towards the Hero Hunter, Tareo tries to stop him from further fighting the hero, although Garou still punches Saitama hard in the head after being provoked by the Caped Baldy. Garou is surprised that Saitama is unscathed even after taking a punch so hard head-on while Saitama reassures a shocked Tareo that Garou will not be able to hurt him. Garou then tries to kick Saitama but is slapped away by the hero. Saitama asks Tareo if the boy wants him to stop Garou, which Tareo nods. Now that there are only the two of them, Saitama questions why Garou is acting like a monster despite previously having helped heroes. Garou tries to reason that he was merely using them to further his goals. After Saitama lumps Garou's "Absolute Evil" together with world peace, Garou angrily charges at Saitama. He manages to parry a punch from Saitama, hand-chops him in the right side of his face and lands a punch on his head before elbowing him in the stomach, all done very quickly. When Saitama grabs Garou's arm, Garou performs several lock-on moves that he eventually hits Saitama with a hard punch in the hip. Garou proceeds to use his God Slayer Instant Attack, slamming Saitama into ground with a flurry of punches and hand-strikes. However; Saitama soon emerges nearby after digging underground and throws a big rock at Garou while asking the Hero Hunter if he keeps avoiding his punches with martial arts, which Garou confirms while shattering the rock by rotating both his arms. Garou attempts a barrage of attacks on Saitama, but the hero manages to dodge, prompting him to remark that Saitama has amazing reflexes and agility but lacks skill and still has plenty of openings. Claiming to be able to read all of Saitama's moves, Garou declares that the hero will lose due to his lack of technique and being a complete amateur before sending him crashing into several buildings with his God Slayer Ascending Attack. Garou quickly catches up to Saitama and uses his Great Fa Jin, crashing him through the buildings, ultimately pulverizing them and generating dust smoke. Believing he has won, Garou states that Saitama may have incredible tough skin and bones but he cannot train his internal organs, which Garou believes to have been damaged by his attack. However, to his surprise, Saitama emerges completely unharmed. It is then shown that Garou, in destroying the buildings, accidentally saved five Hero Association staff members who have been inside an underground shelter trapped in the rubble. As all of them show their gratitude to him before leaving, Saitama ironically comments on how "Absolute Evil" is good at saving people. Enraged, Garou attacks Saitama again and soon evolves further, taking on a demonic form with a pair of wings and longhorns. While defending against an onslaught from him, Saitama states that Garou has improved a little, which angers the Hero Hunter, who with a punch, knocks him into a soon-to-erupt volcano. Garou immediately charges at Saitama and strikes him with both of his open palms, causing the mountain behind to shatter due to the powerful impact. After the attack, Garou is on his knees and panting while an unharmed Saitama simply punches him away. Recovering his balance, Garou is impressed that Saitama could withstand the attack that destroyed the volcano behind him. In destroying the volcano, Garou has accidentally saved a city from being covered by its lava flow, which catches Saitama's interest who comments that Garou has great hero instincts and reminds him of King. Garou grows two more arms and continues his onslaught on Saitama, showing clear panic trying to defeat the hero. Despite being attacked by the Hero Hunter who is using all of his four arms, Saitama still manages to dodge, and parries a flurry of Garou's punches with only one hand, while also telling him to give up. Afterwards, Garou places two of his hands on Saitama and takes a form that resembles a jet while his remaining two arms emit energy to act as propulsion. Following with a mighty attack called Extreme Fa Jin, Garou pushes Saitama into ground, creating intense seismic waves that pass through Earth's core. The attack is so immensely powerful that it distorts the space around Earth, moves oceanic plates, makes a continent raise up from the other side of the planet, even messing with the magnetic as well as gravitational fields. Despite his efforts, Saitama is still unfazed by Garou's mighty attack and retaliates with his Consecutive Normal Punches. As the two of them return from the Earth's depth, Garou tries to fend off Saitama's flurry of punches but fails. At this moment, Garou recalls the "abominable fist" Sage Centipede has once mentioned and deduces that it is referring to Saitama instead of Garou himself. Saitama proceeds to punch Garou hard in the face, causing him to crash through several mountains and eventually fall to a massive puddle.

As he slowly gets up, Garou is shocked and angered by Saitama's overwhelming power, viewing him as the embodiment of unfairness. Because of this, Garou charges at Saitama with a punch, refusing to lose to him. However, Saitama punches Garou, sending him flying away, destroying Garou's monster form and exposing his true human form buried inside of his monster body. As Garou laments being beaten by such unfairness, he hears a voice calling to him. The voice tells him that there is only one fist that can counter "The Fist that has Turned Against God". Garou then sees a vision of Bang hovering above him and offering Garou his hand.

Afterwards, Saitama ominously notes that something is coming, and sees Garou leap down from behind to face him again. Saitama exclaims that Garou's changed costumes again, while Garou, having received powers from "God", replies that the only way to counter "The Fist that has Turned Against God" is "The Fist of God". Now appearing as a void of stars and galaxies, Garou takes a fighting stance with his new form called Awakened Garou: Cosmic Fear Mode, readying for another round against the "invincible" hero. He demonstrates by digging his fingers in the ground with one hand and unleashes a new attack called the Serious Table Flip before flipping massive amounts of the moon's ground thousands of meters up in the air taking Garou with it. The attack utterly decimates the entirety of Io all while Garou aimlessly and helplessly hurdles high into the air amongst the innumerable amount of debris. Suddenly, Saitama dashes around Garou with incredible speed, creating afterimages in the process before he directs his afterimages and himself towards Garou simultaneously with another killer move called Omnidirectional Serious Punch. Garou instantly avoids the attack by jumping in a portal, only to see much to his horror that Saitama is directly below him within the portal and punches him with a Serious Punch. Garou ricochets off of the slabs from the attack only for Saitama to punch him away just as he is about to hit another slab. Saitama dashes around Garou back and forth with immeasurable speed all while punching him across the entirety of the demolished surface of Io creating a geometric structure of light from the intensity of his attacks. Garou then furiously repels Saitama's flurry of attacks with Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist and lands on a large slab of debris. Garou attempts to regain his composure while needing to find a way to get above the rocks. He creates a portal only to have his head smashed into another slab of rock. Stunned, Garou realizes that Saitama's attack had completely warped his sense of direction, like a caged insect being played with by a child. Before he could react he is suddenly attacked by another Serious Punch from Saitama. Garou is aghast by Saitama's endless strength but remains steadfast and declares that he will just have to continuously copy his power until he achieves victory all while he enters Mode: Saitama before he and the Caped Baldy both punch each other in the face.

The battle continues as Garou throws a punch through a hyperspace portal that reaches Saitama on the other end, only for Saitama to quickly retaliate with a punch of his own that, through one of Garou's portals, reaches Garou's face on the other end as well. Instantly as he is sent hurtling backwards from Saitama's punch, he creates another portal behind him that redirects him behind Saitama and uses his momentum to unleash an axe kick unto Saitama's head while the latter simultaneously counters with a punch to Garou's gut. The punch sends Garou back into the portal with the Hero Hunter then opening another portal and swiping at Saitama only to miss as Saitama jumps upwards. He lands onto a large slab of debris, leaps downward with immense force that destroys the slab, and follows with a mighty karate chop unto Garou's neck that generates great devastation around them. Garou realizes that Saitama is also mimicking his moves with Saitama then taunting Garou's previous declaration of copying and surpassing him as it was the whole point of this battle. Their fight escalates as they move and dash about the decimated Io in an exchange of vicious blows. Garou is bewildered at the fact that despite countering him with just as much power, Saitama simply hits harder with the next blows. As he performs a powerful gut punch to Saitama, the latter counters with an uppercut that sends Garou flying in the air. It is shown that Saitama's growth in power and strength continuously rises at an exponential rate with Garou struggling to keep up with him, leading him to realize at this rate he could die from one of Saitama's punches. Saitama's strength soars due to an upsurge of emotion with Garou now completely behind as the Hero Hunter dashes around with incredible speed preparing for an attack. Saitama, meanwhile, only realizes that his costume was completely blown off and that it was getting cold. An enraged Garou attempts to throw a punch at Saitama but the hero casually grabs it without even looking. Due to the cold, Saitama was about to sneeze which forces Garou to instinctively evade as Saitama unleashes a Serious Sneeze that not only parts a large portion of Io's debris but also utterly annihilates and clears an enormous gas of Jupiter's atmosphere and weather system. The display of power leaves Garou in extreme shock all while they rocket away from Io and Jupiter from the force of Saitama's sneeze. As they soar through space, Garou notices the Sun, and by using his enhanced vision and perception, he is able to make out a clear vision of the Earth and Moon which allows him to teleport there properly. Beforehand, he throws a Nuclear Fission punch at Saitama's face, giving him the opportunity to escape and finally return to Earth via a portal. Garou celebrates his return and presumed victory only to discover, to his horror, that Saitama was right behind him who compliments his ability to teleport to different locations. Bewildered, Garou questions Saitama on how he managed to return to as well, which Saitama replies by saying the coldness of space gave him a stomach ache and while he was initially holding it in, Garou's last attack surprised him and made him jettison himself through Garou's portal using his flatulence. Saitama then punches Garou in the face as the two rocket down towards Earth. As they crash land, Saitama's punch shatters Mode: Saitama with Garou's human face appearing instead, battered and bruised.

Aftermath
Finally defeated, Garou asks why Saitama won't kill him. Saitama responds that it is because he is a hero and that in addition it was also Tareo's final request to stop him without killing him. Garou pauses when he hears "final request" and when he looks over to the side he sees Tareo's body who succumbed to the radiation emitted from Garou. Garou screams in utter despair as he quickly attempts to run away upon realizing that he was too close to Tareo because of his radiation but stumbles and falls to the ground. Seeing Tareo's dead body as well as the desolate landscape made Garou sorrowfully realize that he is indeed that "ominous future". Saitama only wonders why Garou has been acting so strange ever since he first appeared in his Cosmic Fear Mode to which he then asks if someone truly did make him the way he is now. Garou only solemnly replies that if that was the case it was because his spirit was weak. Garou continues to despair as he sees that if he cannot beat Saitama then he can never truly be "Absolute Evil". Even so, Garou would have been satisfied if Saitama killed him the way he envisions all heroes kill their villains and that way his legacy of being true evil would linger onward. Moreover, he only meant to save the likes of Tareo with his ideals but Saitama says that Garou only clung to Tareo for support. Garou was prepared to angrily retort upon seeing Saitama still holding onto Genos's core that even he with all his power needs something that would help him hold on and keep fighting. When Saitama asks Garou what he will do now, Garou somberly asks Saitama for a favor. The favor involves Garou wanting Saitama to copy his martial arts technique believing that Saitama will be able to use it to its fullest potential. Garou will pass on his most powerful martial arts technique which he has not performed even with "God's" power at his disposal.

Saitama agrees and Garou prepares the ultimate technique to transfer to Saitama while knowing that he would be the only one to master the power of "God". Suddenly, "God" silences Garou and begins to siphon his power and life which consequently makes Garou's body break down into salt. As Garou fully imparts the cosmic rays within him into Saitama, Garou's final words to the Caped Baldy is that he is the only one who can truly defeat the impending "ominous future" before he fully perishes as Garou's body crumbles into salt. Saitama travels backwards in time, seeing all the instances of their battle and amazed by Garou's technique. When he spots the moment when Garou declares himself as that "ominous future" to the heroes of the Hero Association, Saitama punches through it. When Garou looks up and prepares to say thank you, he is suddenly rocked by a powerful punch from Saitama who had returned to the present. The punch itself was abnormally powered up during the battle on Io with Garou, who did not utilize a large portion of Saitama's power at the time. Garou is sent flying and crashing into the ground and off the heap, cracking his face. Garou, shocked at what just happened, then begins to lose his divine power as it escapes from the exposed portion of his face.

Trivia

 * In the original webcomic, after Garou transformed into a monster, Black Sperm referred to him as Awakened Garou (覚醒したガロウ, Kakusei-shita Garō). This term was eventually introduced in the manga after "God" bestowed powers upon Garou, with the Hero Hunter then referring to himself as Awakened Garou: Cosmic Fear Mode (覚醒ガロウ: 宇宙的コズミック 恐怖フィアー モード, Kakusei Garō: Kozumikku Fiā Mōdo).

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