In the past, Genos might have quickly activated his thrusters to retreat, creating distance and bombarding the area with firepower.
But now, he chose a different approach.
Just as Garou's hand-blade, carrying a tearing gust of wind, was about to touch his neck, Genos moved.
Without a large-scale dodge, he simply turned his body slightly, raising his left arm upwards at an incredible angle, his elbow precisely meeting Garou's wrist.
"Clang—!"
A loud clang echoed through the silent ruins!
Garou felt as if he had struck a super-alloy, and a recoil force far exceeding his expectations suddenly came from the point of contact, numbing his entire arm.
"What!?"
The disdain in his eyes was instantly replaced by shock.
He was confident that this strike was enough to cut through steel bars.
However, the opponent's block seemed so effortless, without even a slight tremor in his body's balance!
That master-like composure, handling heavy things as if light, should never appear on a Cyborg who relies on parts for combat!
Genos didn't give him time to think.
The moment he blocked, his right hand's five fingers were already spread, and in his palm, scorching energy gathered at an unprecedented speed.
"Incineration Cannon!"
Boom!
A compressed energy beam shot out from his palm!
This beam was more solid and swifter than any previous Incineration Cannon!
Garou's combat instincts were pushed to their limit at this moment, and he forcefully twisted his body in a flash.
The light spear grazed his chest, tearing through an abandoned building behind him, leaving a circular hole.
The scorching heatwave violently struck Garou, sending him flying.
He performed a graceful flip in the air, shedding most of the impact, and landed steadily on a concrete slab ten meters away.
"Hoo... hoo..."
Garou panted heavily, the burning pain in his chest reminding him of the danger he had just faced.
He looked down at his scorched Martial Artist uniform and the reddened skin beneath, his gaze completely changed.
"Interesting... your movements aren't like a Cyborg."
Garou licked his lips, which were somewhat dry from the high temperature, and said in a hoarse voice.
His sharp eyes were fixed on Genos, trying to find a weakness in that metal body.
"More like... a true Martial Artist. Your block, the timing of your counterattack... and it seems like you've added something else to your attacks."
"This is the King Style Secret Art."
Genos slowly lowered his arms, the core light in his chest subtly changing from its original blue to a scorching orange.
More powerful and immense energy began to surge within him.
"King?"
Garou repeated the name, a hint of apprehension flashing in his eyes.
The being hailed by the world as The Strongest Man on Earth, the one who could make Monsters shiver just by the heartbeat of his Emperor Engine.
Not long ago, he had been utterly defeated in front of that man, falling unconscious without even seeing how he made his move.
"So that's it, is it the influence of that man...?"
Garou murmured to himself, then grinned, his smile becoming wilder.
"Good! Excellent! This is what makes the hunt worthwhile! Demon Cyborg, let me see what you've learned from that Monster!"
Garou's stance lowered again; this time, all his muscles tensed.
That fierce aura surged, almost turning into visible wind pressure, stirring up the broken stones on the ground!
"Again!"
Garou's speed was faster, and his strength was fiercer than before!
His hands turned into countless afterimages, attacking Genos like a storm.
Every strike was incredibly tricky and vicious, aimed directly at Genos's joints and core vital points.
Facing this tidal wave of attacks, Genos remained unusually calm.
His feet seemed rooted to the ground, and his arms danced, forming an impenetrable defense.
However, this time Genos no longer passively defended but guided Garou's attacks.
He used the armor on the outside of his arms to deflect Garou's punches at a minimal angle, causing imperceptible flaws in his subsequent combos.
At the same time, his knee auxiliary thrusters and sole nozzles made fine adjustments, making his body appear motionless while constantly dissipating impact.
"Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!"
Dense metallic clashing sounds merged into one, sparks flying!
The more Garou fought, the more alarmed he became.
The Cyborg in front of him seemed to have transformed into an unshakeable martial arts master.
None of his attacks could truly harm him!
"Damn it... isn't he a Cyborg? Why is his fighting style so strange...?"
He even had an illusion that he wasn't facing a Cyborg, but a martial arts master skilled in defense!
"Impossible!"
Garou roared, his offensive changing again!
He abandoned his combos, gathering all his strength into one punch, the force of which even formed a small vortex.
"Break for me! Tin can!"
Facing this all-out strike, Genos chose not to confront it head-on.
Just a split second before that terrifyingly powerful punch was about to hit, the thrusters on Genos's back and legs instantly erupted with brilliant blue light without any warning!
He moved horizontally backward several meters along the ground in a completely anti-physical manner, as fast as a lightning bolt.
Garou's heavy punch missed.
The immense force slammed into the ground without reservation.
Boom—!
With a loud bang, the ground within a radius of several meters collapsed as if struck by a meteorite, forming a huge crater!
A violent shockwave spread out, sending all the surrounding trees flying!
And Genos had already silently appeared beside Garou, who was in a state of great rigidity from his missed all-out attack.
Dazzling golden light began to emanate from the seams of his entire armor.
The surrounding temperature rose sharply, and the air hummed with a scorching vibration.
"It's over, Garou!"
Genos's voice rang out coldly.
"Super Spiral Incineration Cannon!"
He brought his arms together in front of his chest, palms aimed at Garou, who couldn't dodge in time.
This time, what shot out was no longer a light spear, but his full-power, no-holds-barred attack in his normal state!
A golden pillar of fire, over two meters in diameter, as if to illuminate the entire sky, roared and surged forth!
"This is bad..."
Garou turned his head, and in his defiant eyes, the huge golden light pillar, getting closer and closer and filling his entire vision, was clearly reflected.
"My body... can't react..."
The golden pillar of light swallowed Garou's figure in an instant, and with an unmatched might, it illuminated the night sky of the entire city.