Garou vs. Metal Bat

— Metal Bat to Garou.

Garou vs. Metal Bat
Information
Arc	Monster Raid Arc
Event	Waganma's Kidnapping
Location	S-City
Outcome	Interrupted by Zenko; Garou leaves to fight Watchdog Man
Combatants
Garou
Metal Bat
Abilities and Techniques
Garou Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist
Metal Bat Metal Bat Savage Tornado Fighting Spirit
Duration
Manga	Chapter 57, 58
Anime	Episode 17
Fight Chronology
Previous	Metal Bat vs. Elder Centipede
Next	Bofoi vs. Elder Centipede

Garou vs. Metal Bat was the battle between the hero hunter Garou and the S-Class hero Metal Bat.

Prelude

Garou starting the fight

Metal Bat is hurled towards Garou by Elder Centipede's Giant Centipede Tidal Wave. Garou assumes that Metal Bat is dead, disappointed that he wasted his time searching for the hero for nothing. However, much to Garou's shock, Metal Bat promptly walks past him to resume his duel with Elder Centipede. Garou is elated to see the S-Class hero isn't dead and declares his intention to defeat Metal Bat, who at first ignored him, assuming he was an average citizen.

Battle

Garou punches Metal Bat to the ground

Garou then attacks, but Metal Bat raises his guard and repels him, marking the beginning of the battle. Metal Bat realizes that he's faced with the hero hunter Garou, the same individual who defeated the S-Class hero Tanktop Master. Metal Bat then angrily threatens the hero hunter by saying if he pissed him off, he'd break his skull. Garou strikes Metal Bat with his left fist, blowing Metal Bat back several meters. Garou notes that Metal Bat has already been worn out from his previous battles, resulting in his sluggish movements. In anger, Metal Bat jumps and attempts to slam Garou with his bat, but Garou dodges and punches the hero across the face. He follows up with an elbow strike that nearly sends Metal Bat to the ground, but he manages to stop his fall by planting his bat into the ground.

Garou dodges Metal Bat madly swinging

Garou believes the battle is over due to the hero's severe bleeding and fractured bones, but is slightly surprised he's still standing, wondering if this was Metal Bat's willpower showing itself. Metal Bat then swings his bat horizontally, but Garou jumps up and strikes Metal Bat with a right sidekick. However, Metal Bat is unfazed and engages in a succession of swings. Garou realizes his movements are getting faster. Next, with a loud yell, Metal Bat slams his bat downward; Garou manages to evade the blow, but the force of his strike manages to not only destroy the ground, but a building in front of the hero as well. The hero hunter uses his Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist technique and strikes Metal Bat with a multitude of blows. Metal Bat barges through his attacks and tries to attack Garou again, but the hero hunter jumps back onto a fence.

Metal Bat becoming stronger with his Fighting Spirit

He concludes that it wasn't his imagination: as Metal Bat continues fighting and sustaining more damage, he doesn't succumb to his wounds, but instead becomes even more powerful. Garou asks Metal Bat how he's able to remain conscious after such horrific injuries, to which Metal Bat gives the simple response that his fighting spirit was keeping him going. Garou's eyebrows lift up in curiosity at the concept. Deciding to have some fun with Metal Bat, the martial artist plants his feet down on the ground and throws a manhole cover at Metal Bat, but Metal Bat deflects it with his bat right back at Garou. Garou dodges the manhole cover and pummels Metal Bat with a lethal barrage of blows. In a coy tone, Metal Bat suggests they play some "air hockey", and he tackles Garou, as well as throwing the manhole cover back at Garou.

Garou throws a manhole cover and Metal Bat deflects it

The hero hunter barely manages to catch the manhole cover, and Metal Bat tells him not to get full of himself, calling him a brat (ironically, Metal Bat is younger than Garou). Garou deviously smiles and yet again pummels Metal Bat with his Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist. While defending from Garou's blows, Metal Bat confidently states that he wouldn't allow someone making threats and hunting heroes escape, to which Garou returns the courtesy and says he will beat his willpower out of him. Metal Bat swings his bat down, but Garou catches the bat and slaps him across the face. What ensues next is a rapid succession of bat swings, all of which Garou is able to expertly dodge.

Garou countering Metal Bat's Savage Tornado

Determined not to let Garou get the best of him, the 17-year old unleashes one of his killer moves: Savage Tornado. The hero begins to gain rapid speed and momentum, yet Garou mocks the move's basic spinning, confident that he could repel every blow. Garou does exactly this, perfectly intercepting all of the bat swings, and with a circular motion of his hands, guts Metal Bat in the chest, making the hero cough up blood and sending him flying back. This time, Metal Bat does not get back up, making Garou conclude he was the victor. As he looks at Metal Bat's motionless body, he notes that both Metal Bat and Tanktop Master were hot-headed idiots who had no answer against anti-human martial arts, and that it might be easier than he thought to crush the Hero Association by himself. His gloating is interrupted when he notices his hands violently shaking, as the strength and speed of Metal Bat's special move was exceptional, and goes on to say if he hit Garou even once, it could've ended ugly for him.

Metal Bat stops and the shockwave from the attack makes a crater

Just as the battle appears to be over, however, Metal Bat instantly gets up and prepares to swing his bat at Garou while he was unprepared. Yet just before the bat makes contact with Garou's head, a voice calls out to Metal Bat. That voice is revealed to be coming from Zenko, Metal Bat's little sister. She asks Metal Bat what he's doing and who he's with, and Metal Bat shouts for her to get away. Garou hits Metal Bat across the face with his left fist, sending him back to the ground. The hero hunter derides Metal Bat for wasting his best opportunity, saying that the single hit could have completely changed the battle, but now there were no more chances for him. As Garou prepares to land the finishing blow, Zenko interferes and defends her big brother. Zenko explains to Garou that Metal Bat promised her he'd never fight in front of her, declaring that the battle was over. Garou is silent at first, but responds by insisting such rules were nonsense; alas, Zenko is undeterred, and still declares the battle is over.

Zenko interrupting the fight

The hero hunter stares for a few moments, and says that he remembered his next target is Watchdog Man, so he doesn't have time to deal with a moron as such. Metal Bat gets back up and reminds Garou he was the one who wanted trouble first, and Garou nonchalantly waves his hand in the air, walking away and telling Metal Bat he got lucky.

Aftermath

Zenko knocking Metal Bat unconscious

After Garou leaves, Metal Bat remembers about Elder Centipede and wants to continue fighting him, and walks off to resume his fight. Zenko tries pulling him back due to his severe wounds and then lightly slaps him on the head; this minor, powerless slap is strong enough to cause the hero to collapse from his wounds and his petered fighting spirit.

Later on, when the unconscious Metal Bat and the defenseless Zenko were targeted by Sludge Jellyfish, Garou attacks the Tiger-level monster, allowing Metal Bat to be collected by an ambulance.

Trivia

• Murata has stated that if Metal Bat's attack had made contact, Garou could have died.
• In the initial version of the fight, Metal Bat ricochets the manhole cover and pushes Garou in its path. ONE removed this as it was too clever a tactic for Metal Bat's fighting style.