Bomb's words fell, declaring the end of this master-disciple battle.
He looked down at the kneeling Garou with complex eyes, his wrinkled face seeming to age ten years in an instant.
However, for Garou, the word "end" was more damaging than Genos's destructive beam.
It's over? No... No!
Garou's eyes widened, bloodshot.
He could feel that Bomb had sealed all his meridians and joints, leaving him with no strength to even lift a finger.
His body was completely subdued, but his will, his mad obsession to become "Absolute Evil," burned fiercely.
"It... won't... end... here..."
A hoarse growl squeezed out from deep within Garou's throat, and his body began to tremble uncontrollably.
The red in his bloodshot right eye rapidly deepened, changing from bright red to a deep crimson.
"Hmm?"
Bomb's expression changed slightly; he felt an even more violent power emerge within Garou.
His sharp eyes also suddenly narrowed, and he exclaimed in a low voice: "Bang, be careful! This guy's body... something's wrong!"
"Crack... crunch!"
A sound of dislocating bones rang out.
Garou's joints, sealed by Bomb, were forcibly twisting and breaking free under the drive of his will!
His kneeling body was slowly standing up, inch by inch, with the sound of bones resetting.
"I told you... I won't... fall!"
Garou's head snapped up, his hair became even more crimson, and his single crimson eye locked onto Bomb.
"Boom!"
A majestic wave of energy, far exceeding anything before, erupted from within Garou, sweeping away all the rubble and dust on the ground.
Bomb and Bang exchanged glances, both seeing the solemnity in each other's eyes.
At this moment, Garou was no longer a mere martial artist; he was rapidly plummeting towards an irreversible abyss.
"An unrepentant disciple!"
Bomb's heartache turned into anger, and he once again took up his stance.
"Since that is the case, this old man can only completely break your limbs and cripple your martial arts today!"
"Then try it!"
Garou roared, his figure disappearing in an instant.
This time, his speed was several times faster than before! Only a blurry crimson afterimage remained in the air.
However, facing this attack, Bomb remained motionless.
His movements were even fewer and more concise than before.
Garou's heavy punch slammed towards his chest, but he merely flicked his wrist, gently resting it on Garou's elbow, and pulled and twisted inward.
Garou was involuntarily sent flying into the empty space beside him, the immense force causing his own body to momentarily stumble.
"Haven't you understood yet, Garou!" Bomb's voice, for the first time, carried a stern rebuke.
"You've abandoned the fundamentals and have gone down an evil path!"
Before his words finished, Bomb took the initiative to attack.
He stepped forward, his body instantly closing in, and a seemingly light palm strike landed on Garou's chest.
Garou only felt a highly penetrating hidden force enter his body, instantly disrupting his internal energy, causing a dull ache in his chest and scattering the power he had just gathered.
"Bang, you're too soft-hearted."
A calm voice sounded; Bomb had arrived at the edge of the battle circle at some point.
He shook his head, a hint of helplessness on his face.
"Against a guy who already has one foot in the grave, one should use swift and decisive methods to directly break his delusions!"
"Oni-chan..." Bomb glanced sideways slightly, a hint of struggle flashing in his eyes.
"Let me do it." Bomb said no more; he knew his younger brother couldn't bring himself to be so ruthless.
His burly figure, like a whirlwind, fiercely cut into the battlefield!
The Whirlwind Iron Cutting Fist emphasized ferocity and dominance, cutting down and eliminating everything!
He held nothing back, his palms opening and closing, bringing forth sharp, tangible currents of air like blades, fully displaying the fierce dominance of the Whirlwind Iron Cutting Fist.
The two brothers had almost no verbal communication, but the tacit understanding cultivated over decades made Bomb understand.
He sighed inwardly, his figure flowing like water, his hands wrapping around Garou's arms, once again firmly controlling him with the force of flowing water.
At the same time, Bomb's figure had appeared behind Garou, his hands crossed, fiercely striking Garou's back!
"Boom—!!!"
With a loud bang, Garou was violently sent flying, plowing a trench tens of meters long in the ground.
He finally crashed into a broken wall, kicking up a cloud of dust.
"It's over." Bomb retracted his hand, his tone flat.
Bomb looked at the dust-filled area, his eyes complex, and ultimately sighed.
However, just then, a slightly frivolous voice came from high above, breaking the brief calm.
"Oh my, what a spectacular performance!"
Bomb and Bomb both looked up, only to see the figure in the ornate bird costume—Phoenix Man—standing motionless on top of a tall building, staring down.
"However," Phoenix Man's tone shifted, his voice from beneath the mask full of temptation, "Garou-kun, are you truly willing to accept defeat like this?"
His voice seemed to carry magic, directly penetrating into the depths of the ruins.
"Monster Association executive..."
Genos immediately went into a state of alert, his cannon aimed at Phoenix Man.
"Don't be nervous, cyborg." Phoenix Man spread his hands.
"I'm just here to welcome our future comrade. After all, a treasure like Garou-kun, if he were to be 'corrected' by you old fogeys, that would be too boring."
Before his words finished, Phoenix Man's figure suddenly leaped from the tall building, but he wasn't heading towards the Bomb brothers, but towards the dust-filled ruins!
"You wish!"
Bomb and Bomb both roared, their figures moving to intercept.
But Phoenix Man let out a triumphant cackle; he had no intention of confronting the two masters directly.
"Come out! Present the grandest welcoming salute to our future executive! Wake up! Elder Centipede!"
"—Rumble rumble rumble!!!"
As his words fell, the entire Z-City ruins, and even the ground for several kilometers around, began to tremble violently!
In the gaze of the Bomb brothers and Genos, the distant ground suddenly arched upwards, and an unimaginably huge head burst out of the earth!
Immediately after, its incredibly massive body, segment by segment, emerged from underground, blotting out the sky.
Monster Association executive, Elder Centipede!
The despairing oppressive feeling it brought instantly enveloped the entire battlefield.
Everyone's attention was drawn to this sudden apocalyptic sight, even if only for a moment.
And that moment was enough for Phoenix Man!
He transformed into a golden flash, precisely landing in the ruins, and grabbed the blood-soaked Garou.
"Let... go..." Garou struggled weakly.
"Let's go, Garou-kun, a whole new world awaits you!"
Phoenix Man carried Garou soaring into the sky, avoiding the Bomb brothers' pursuit route.
"Leave him!"
Bomb's eyes were splitting with rage, but Elder Centipede's massive body had already begun to move, blocking their path.
In the sky, Phoenix Man's triumphant maniacal laughter echoed:
"Too late! Masters of martial arts! Enjoy this grand gift! Elder Centipede, crush them for me!"
"Roar—!!!"
Elder Centipede's giant human-like face let out a roar that shook heaven and earth.