Nightmare Mode (Dragon Ball Z Gamer SI)

Garou (83.2)

Game

Thoughts

"Talking"

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One Minute Earlier

As Gray's Kokuyo streamed downward, slamming into the surface of Monas and sending a massive explosion of light streaming in every direction, Garou simply looked over, unfazed. The 'Ultimate Monster' and 'Hero Hunter' had long accepted what the outcome of this battle would be.

We'll all die.

It wasn't that Garou was at peace with his death, or that he yearned for it. No, he wanted to live just as strongly as anyone else, and dying in the vacuum of space wasn't something he was looking forward to. In his mind, he knew that he should've left - that, upon seeing how out of his league both Boros and Gray were, he should've run for the hills. He should've followed the action of Gray's squad and the rest of the heroes, and left the bald man and the insane Saiyan to fight until they died.

But I didn't.

It wasn't because Garou was stupid or reckless. He knew that joining in the fight would only ensure his death, and he'd die along with the other battle-hungry maniacs on Monas. As he had watched the fight taking place, 'insane' had been the only way he could describe them.

Saitama, who fought an opponent who could never die, endlessly. Throwing punch after punch, tanking hit after hit, and fighting even as he barely made a dent in the planet.

Boros, who died as he fought. Struggling endlessly in a pointless battle, where his own body was slowly betraying him. An alien thief who was fighting a fruitless battle, and who had condemned himself to death just by stepping onto the battlefield.

And, finally, the Saiyan who had started it all. Gray, who had the most talent Garou had ever seen. A Saiyan who had picked up on his fighting style through just a few spars, and soon reached, and then nearly surpassed, Garou himself. A Saiyan whose growth rate surpassed even his own.

And, a Saiyan who just never seemed to go down. A Saiyan who had been humiliated, discarded as he wasn't even worth killing, and then had come back with a fiery vengeance. A Saiyan who could've simply destroyed Monas and not entertained battling Boros, but fought for the sole reason of enjoyment. A Saiyan who was willing to risk not only his life, but the lives of all his friends and loved ones for a simple fight. A Saiyan whose battle-hungry nature was unmatched - surpassing the eagerness of most Saiyans, and even of the King of Saiyans himself.

But, as Garou stared at the insanity taking place around him, he didn't run. He couldn't even bring himself to look down upon the maniacs.

Because I'm one of them.

When Garou had set out to become the Ultimate Monster, he had known that he would die. No matter how much he despised the structure of Harro, where heroes killed monsters without a care and were celebrated for it, he knew he couldn't change it. He couldn't be the monster that won - because the monster never won.

But we came close.

Garou didn't share any camaraderie or love for either Orochi nor Boros, but he had lunged into the fight to assist them anyway. He had given a poor excuse, simply saying that he'd rather die fighting than die running, but it had been nothing more than an excuse. In reality, there was a feeling deep inside of him. Something he had wanted for his entire life - ever since he was forced to be the monster by his friends on the playground, and beaten while they cheered. Ever since he had discovered that the heroes always won.