Deep within a big forest, there was this peaceful round open space. Giant old trees with thick green moss wrapped around it. The tall branches made this natural green roof above, letting little bits of sunlight peek through onto the soft ground covered in ferns. Birds singing everywhere, the air smelling like fresh dirt after rain.
The kind of place you'd bring a picnic if you were a normal person.
But neither of the two in this place were normal.
Every second, the level of testosterone in the air was spiking upwards.
---------
Garou's POV/
We stayed still for what felt like forever, just looking at each other, assessing and calculating.
Trying to figure out what the other would do.
I slowly sink into my Niko Style stance, and I notice Dai watching me with genuine interest. Like a kid seeing a new toy.
Niko Style: Flame Kata.
I crouch down, ready to launch myself at him. He immediately shifts into his own stance, body angled slightly left, right arm fully extended forward with fingers pointed like a spear, left arm tucked behind his back.
The famous Dynamic Entry stance.
[Picture]
The thought flashes through my mind real quick. But I don't dwell on it because Dai's looking at me with an intensity that's far from his usual goofy self. This guy is serious.
Flash Fire!
[Picture]
*SWOOSH SWOOSH SWOOSH.*
I disappear from my spot, moving really fast, flickering like actual flames and leaving after-images behind me. At this speed, I could blitz any mid-genin and below without breaking a sweat. I move in this circular zigzag pattern, barely touching the ground with my feet.
"Hmm?!" Dai's eyes widen slightly. Surprised by the technique and the sudden speed.
But I don't let him think.
I appear right in front of him and throw a punch straight at his face.
*PAW.*
*PAK.*
I look at my big clenched fist.
Blocked.
His left obviously smaller palm caught it like it was nothing as if the difference in our frames didn't matter. At the same time, my other arm shoots up beside my head just in time to block his punch that came out of nowhere.
He doesn't give me a second to breathe.
"HUUUP!"
He rotates his whole body in a 360, then delivers this circular kick from above aiming for my shoulder.
Flame Kata–
"Huh?!" He realizes it mid-move.
Phantom Pace!
*PUFF.*
I disperse into an after-image, dodging to the right.
Adamantine Kata.
All the muscles in my right hand contract and harden unnaturally. I shoot it forward, throwing a punch at his ribs.
Iron Breaker.
[Picture]
He senses the danger fast, and turns toward the punch, throwing his forearms up to block.
Big mistake!
*BAM!*
"AGHHH!" He grunts, teeth gritting from the sudden pain, and flies back a few meters. He rotates mid-air to stabilize, then lands on his feet, and grinds backwards through the ground from the force which makes dust explode everywhere.
Huff... huff...
He's breathing hard now, sweat running down his face. He pulls up his green sleeve and looks at his forearm, red with a tinge of purple already forming.
I narrow my eyes at that. That punch could've broken a boulder into pieces, but on Dai? It left just a bruise.
I really underestimated his endurance.
He shakes his arm to get rid of the numbness. "I didn't expect that to be so strong!"
I grin wide. "There's more of those up my sleeve."
Combined Arts: Adamantine-Flame Kata: Raging Fire!
I kick off my tai chi slippers real quick, don't need them slowing me down, and crouch down, digging my toes into the ground with enough force to leave marks.
[Picture]
*SWOOSH.*
I leave a small crater where my feet were and appear in front of him instantly. With the momentum of that the flame kata gave me and the hardness of adamantine kata... My right hand shoots out aiming for his head.
He moves sideways, dodging just enough that my fist keeps going and hits the tree behind him.
*BOOM.*
The moment my punch connects with that giant trunk and it fractures instantly as cracks spread like lightning through the wood until the whole tree breaks apart and starts falling.
But I don't wait as I throw another hook with my other hand and he immediately steps back, barely avoiding it.
I keep pushing and don't let him breathe.
Then I front flip and bring my heel down like an axe aimed at his head.
"AHHHH!" I put much force into that kick.
But he jumps back at the last second and my heel hits the ground instead.
*BOOM! CRACK!*
The ground shatters and a huge crater of 10 meters forms as dust explodes everywhere, and making it impossible to see.
"DYNAMIC ENTRY!"
A foot instantly appears out of the dust, inches from my face.
Adamantine Kata: Indestructible.
*PAW KRIIK.*
His kick connects with my hardened head and I move back a little, but I'm still standing without much problem.
He's not done though.
"STRONG STRONG KICK!"
He rotates in the air and two more kicks hit me, one to the face, one to the arm.
*THWACK THWACK.*
"AGHHH!" I grimace and flip sideways, putting distance between us.
I inhale deep as I try to calm down. Dai's back in his stance, his breathing uneven and sweat pouring down his face, but mine is steady.
Even though Adamantine Kata gives me an advantage against sharp objects and powerful blows, it only strengthens the surface muscles, not every inch. It's like an inferior version of Tekkai from One Piece. And it doesn't do shit for my bones. A hard enough impact still hurts.
Even though I don't care about the pain, I care about how my body moves after such blows.
"Master Garou." Dai's voice cuts through. "I will become serious from now on. Are you ready?"
I grin as I think about what's coming. I just nod and go back to my stance.
----------
Dai POV/
Huff... huff...
I breathe hard with sweat running down my face. Master Garou is showing so much YOUTH and trying so hard. I have to show him that my YOUTH burns just as bright!
"Master Garou, I will become serious from now on. Are you ready?" I ask because I am a a little concerned, but he just nods confidently with that innocent smile of his.
He really is a good young lad.
I feel warmth in my chest as he approved. He really wants to see my YOUTH!
Okay, let's not make him wait.
"EIGHT INNER GATES: FIRST GATE-GATE OF OPENING!"
I shout and chakra bursts out of me as I forcibly break through my current limits.
*VROOM.*
"HERE I COME!"
*SWOOSH.*
--------------
Garou POV/
The air gets heavy suddenly as dust and debris fly away like something pushed them. I look at Dai and he's surrounded by this bluish chakra flowing wildly around him.
So this is the Eight Inner Gates.
I grin widely.
I know my speed and power are more than his at base level. But with that first gate opened now? I can feel it, his prowess is now equal to mine.
Maybe a little above.
Psycho Mode!
I concentrate as I activate my innate skill. Blood circulation speeds up and my focus locks onto him. Everything around me gets blurry except Dai's figure.
"HERE I COME!"
He crouches and-
*SWOOSH.*
He's in front of me and I can barely track his movements much to my surprise.
Adamantine Kata: Indestructible.
*PAW PAW PAW.*
Three punches to my torso and I block all of them, but pain shoots through my arms.
I don't care.
I counter immediately with a circular side kick aimed at his head, Taekwondo style.
*PAW.*
It hits the back of his hand instead damn!
He grabs my forearm and throws a front kick at my stomach but I jump up and dodge it before latching on his arm...
Water Kata: Bind of Pisces!
[Picture]
Using his grip on my arm, I swing my legs up and pin that arm against his head and I grab his wrist and pull it back hard.
Now he is immobilized.
"AGHHH!" He grunts as he struggled to move with his arm a little away from breaking.
Taste some Dagestan wrestling bitch!
Then-
"SECOND GATE: GATE OF HEALING!"
*BOOM! CRASH! THUD THUD THUD.*
"AGHHHH!!"
I go flying like a ragdoll from the sudden chakra burst. I crash through the ground multiple times until-"HUUP!"-I twist mid-air and balance myself, touching down and backflipping to kill the momentum.
I stop and look at Dai who has a green-tinged chakra that surrounds him now. He is becoming Broly little by little.
I am NOT his opponent right now.
Not like this.
My eyes narrow as I ready myself to bring out some of my own tricks.
"This is gonna get dangerous." Dai's voice is strained. "Do you still want to continue, Master Garou?"
I see the concern in his eyes which made me smirk as this scary-looking dude is a softie inside. He doesn't like hurting people.
"Dai, you're underestimating me. Give it your all, or are you disrespecting me and my... Youth?"
"NEVER! I WOULD NEVER DARE TO!" Tears and snot start to run down his face.
This dude is so sentimental about Youth it's almost funny.
"I have to say the same to you, Dai." I shift into a stance. "Be careful."
He looks confused. "What do you mean by that?"
I don't answer and his face changes when he sees mine with sweat running down and eyes focused.
Combined Arts: Void Boxing x Niko Style- Flash Fire!
[Picture]
[Void Boxing: A perfect boxing style, a punch that cuts, a heart that beats slower than a turtle, a mind as sharp as a cheetah. A boxing style created by a boxing instructor called K who taught the style to the martial prodigy Yu that utilized the style to near perfection. With this style, you wouldn't need swords to cut, your fists are the best of swords.]
------------
Dai POV/
I look at Master Garou in this new stance, nothing like I've seen from Konoha ninjas or anyone else. No, even the previous stance wasn't something I am familiar with at all.
"I have to say the same to you, Dai-san. Be careful."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
He doesn't answer and his face goes completely emotionless for a moment, and suddenly, I felt goosebumps all over my body as weat drips down.
I don't feel good about this.
*SWOOSH PAWWW.*
"AGHHH WHAT THE–?!"
He appeared front of me like a ghost. I raise my forearms at the last second to block his punch but it hurt like hell. It hurt way more than before.
"Take this! STRONG FIST!" I counter-punch toward his head.
He tilts right and dodges easily, then punches my stomach without me being able to react fast enough.
*PAWW*
"AHHHH!" I double over on his fist and air got knocked out of my lungs without mercy.
The force sends me flying backward.
But at the last sexomd, I twist mid-air, backflip, and land on my feet.
My stomach is screaming in pain as I tasted the stomach acid on my tongue.
His speed and power exploded when he got into that new stance. What's happening?! Even without chakra, he's matching my Second Gate?!
Then let's see how far your body can go Master Garou.
"THIRD GATE: GATE OF LIFE!"
Another burst of chakra goes off as the gate on my spinal cord opens.
--------------
Garou POV/
Dai's skin turns pinkish-red as his pupils disappear and his hair stands on end with veins bulge everywhere.
He crouches into a running stance.
*SWOOSH.*
And he is gone.
"Shit!" I throw my forearms up in front of my face, looking through the gap trying to locate him–
*SWOOSH THWACK!*
I got kicked right in the head from the side then I go flying and hit a tree trunk.
*CRASH BREAK!*
The trunk explodes and I hit the ground loose with my vision getting blurry as my brain got rattled. Seconds away from blacking out.
I grit my teeth and force myself up groggily, my head spinning and seeing double.
Spit.
I spit out a broken tooth as blood drips from my mouth. I shake my head hard and forcing my focus back onto Dai.
He's watching me and nodding in approval as I got my bearings back.
Then–
*SWOOSH SWOOSH. SWOOSH SWOOSH SWOOSH SWOOSH.*
He started running circles around me with speeds so fast it's creating a small tornado and dispersing all the dust and debris.
Oh no.
I cover myself with my arms and crouch down so he had less surface area to hit.
Adamantine Kata: Indestructible.
*SWOOSH.*
He's in front of me with speeds too fast to react.
*THWACK CRACK.*
"AGHHH!" He kicks my forearms and bones crack as pain shoots through. I stumble back, but he doesn't let up.
*PAW PAW PAW. THWACK THWACK.*
He rained down punches and kicks everywhere and I'm just trying to defend with Adamantine Kata, but it's only reducing the damage, not stopping it.
*CRACK. CRACK.*
More of my bones start breaking and fracturing.
Okay, enough!
First Form: Carnage!
*BUM BRR DRR.*
My muscles swell instantly, veins pop out like they're about to explode. The world slows down even more until I can see a vague shadow moving fast now.
Dai doesn't react to my transformation and is now in front of me.
Combined Arts: Void Boxing x Niko Style- GOD'S FIST.
[Picture]
"AGHHHHHH!!" I put everything into one punch.
*PAWWW BOOM CRASHH!*
It connects with his cheek and he instantly flies backward like a cannonball, hits a tree far away and breaks it with dust and branches explode everywhere.
Huff... huff... huff...
I breathe hard and look around at the clearing. It's destroyed.
Crater, broken branches, and footprints everywhere. Nothing like the peaceful place I first walked into.
*Step Step Step*
I heard footstepsand I look up.
Dai emerges from the dust bloodied and bruised with blood dripping from his mouth. His chakra pulses, dispersing the dust around him.
He stands there for a moment, bangs hiding his eyes.
Then–
"FOURTH GATE: GATE OF PAIN! AGHHHHHH!!"
His aura intensifies once more with much more power and his skin turns even redder.
Oh hell no!!
Is he trying to kill me?! He looks PISSED!
I back away slowly, sweating bullets, my grin wider but more nervous.
"Hey, Dai!" I test the waters.
*Step.*
He steps forward.
"Youth?" I said.
Saying youth will calm him down for sure.
*Step Step.*
"Guess not." I crack my neck as I get ready for round 2.
*Step Step Step.*
He keeps walking closer, much stronger right now, I have to up my game too if I don't wanna get humiliated.
Second Form: Spiral!
My disheveled hair turns red and wild and my eyes fills with blood vessels, sclera going red, pupil shining yellow, and my body start to show monstrous hints and tattoos.
I look at Dai and he stood there looking at me in confusion. Probably shocked by the transformation for a moment before coming out of it.
Then he bends his legs and disappears then reappears in front of me and punches my face.
PAWWW. BLURGHH.
My face caves in but–
Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist!
[Picture]
I redirect all the force of his punch, hands flowing like water, and counter with a powerful hook using his own momentum.
*BOOM AGHHH DRIP DRIP.*
It hits his face and caves it in just like mine.
Then I flow back into stance, arm trailing this blue ocean color, grinning like a maniac. Excited and angry.
He is so much easier to react to after going spiral.
Combined Arts: Water Stream × Shigan: Piercing Fang!
[Picture]
Using the unpredictable fluidity of Water Stream, I appear in front of Dai instantly which makes him panic groggily at the sudden and fluid transition as he tries hard to get away but my previous punch disoriented him.
Can't let him get away. If he does, then he will win by using his speed as he won't get caught by surprise again. And my limit in this form is running out fast.
Three finger strikes and three weak points.
Right thigh. Right shoulder. Right arm.
*PIERCE PIERCE PIERCE.*
Then my senses scream.
I look left only to see a raging foot is coming toward my face in slow motion.
*THWACK.*
"ARGHH!!"
*CRASHHH.*
I fly through the air, hit some trees, breaking them apart, a dust cloud forms, and with a big explosion I embed myself in the trunk of another tree like a bug.
Everything felt blurry with my head spinning and I felt like vomiting with blood coming down my face, and my body sustaining many bruises and injuries.
I'm about to lose consciousness when–
DING...
[Assimilation: 17% > 20%]
I grin without meaning to.
Information floods my brain, experiences, techniques, and a whole new martial art merging into my being.
"Hahaha!" I laugh weakly as the dust clears.
Dai's there bloodied and breathing hard. Holding his shoulder where I pierced him. Blood pours from three finger-sized holes in his body.
We're both messed up with clothes shredded, and bodies bruised and bloody.
I stand up slowly and groggily, arms loose at my sides while breathing hard for a few seconds.
Then I crouch down on all fours.
Let's go at it one last time.
Watchdog Man Style!
[Picture]
*SWOOOOOOSH.*
*SWOOSH SWOOSH SWOOSH SWOOSH SWOOSH SWOOSH SWOOSH SWOOSH!*
My speed explodes immediately, way faster than before. I use the trees to create momentum as I jump around them extremely fast, and then... I appear above Dai from the sky, front flip into a kick aimed at his shoulder.
Dai, with his body injured and his Inner Gate flickering, looked at the spectacle grimly as he tried his best to move his body.
At the last second before the kick hits, Dai with all the speed he could muster, dodges right... a follicle away from getting hit.
My kick hits the ground instead.
*BOOOOOOOOOM CRASH!!*
A twenty-meter crater forms instantly.
And at that moment, the shockwaves shakes Dai and I take advantage and launch at him without pause as I still used the Watchdog Man footwork.
Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist!
I punch his stomach fat and hard and he flies back until his back hits a tree... just like I planned.
Then my fists start to flow with water-like movements and then I I start bombarding him with flowing punches everywhere.
[Picture]
*PAWWW PAW PAW PAW BOOM PAW PAW CRACK CRACK.*
I hit every inch of his body and every punch with full power.
The tree behind him cracks then breaks and splinters.
I gather everything left in me into one final punch.
*BOOOOM BREAK CRACK!*
The tree explodes and Dai disappears under the branches and debris.
His chakra cuts off.
Huff... huff... huff...
Finally, my transformation unravels as I stumble and...
*THUD.*
I hit the ground going unconscious.
The End.
(A/N: Being unconscious is Garou's speciality even in OPM canon. He became unconscious after every other fight, then he adapted to it and his body started fighting even while unconscious. Sooooo, get used to it cuz you will see him sleeping here and there.)