The Everlasting Awakened Fury 2

The crowd's cheers turned into murmurs of disbelief as Krieg Drameus—or what was left of him—towered over Ubel. His new form was grotesque and monstrous, a nightmarish amalgamation of limbs and sheer size. Four arms and four legs moved in perfect coordination, his now massive frame radiating raw power. Krieg roared, his voice a thunderclap that shook the arena.

"Great," Ubel muttered to himself, flipping his sword in his hand. "Now he's a literal walking mountain."

Krieg charged, his fists slamming down toward Ubel with devastating force. Ubel rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the impact as the ground beneath Krieg's fists cracked and cratered. Dust and debris clouded the air, but Ubel didn't slow down. He darted forward, his blade striking Krieg's massive legs in rapid succession. Each slash left glowing embers in its wake, small orbs of fire materializing in the air around Krieg.

"You're quick," Krieg growled, swiping at Ubel with one of his enormous arms. Ubel leapt back just in time, landing gracefully on the balls of his feet. "But you're just delaying the inevitable."

Ubel smirked, sidestepping another massive swing. "Big talk from someone who hasn't landed a single hit yet," he quipped, his tone light but his focus razor-sharp. Krieg's attacks were relentless, but they lacked precision. Ubel could see the openings, the patterns. He just needed to bide his time.

With every strike Ubel landed, more fire orbs appeared around Krieg, forming a dangerous constellation. Krieg, consumed by his rage, didn't seem to notice. He lunged forward again, his fists tearing through the air with deafening speed. Ubel narrowly evaded, using the momentum to leap onto Krieg's massive arm and dash up toward his shoulder. Krieg roared in frustration, swiping at Ubel like a fly.

"You're a stubborn one," Ubel taunted, vaulting off Krieg's shoulder and landing a few feet away. With a flick of his wrist, he pointed his sword toward the hovering fire orbs. "But stubbornness won't save you. Second Art: Hellfire Zone."

The orbs detonated in unison, a symphony of explosions engulfing Krieg in a fiery inferno. The heat was intense, even from a distance, and the shockwave rippled through the arena. The crowd erupted in a mix of awe and terror as the smoke cleared, revealing the devastation. Half of Krieg's body was gone, reduced to smoldering ash. For a moment, the arena was silent, save for the crackle of flames.

But then, Krieg moved.

Ubel's eyes narrowed as he watched Krieg's body begin to regenerate. His massive frame knit itself back together at an alarming speed, muscle and bone re-forming as if nothing had happened. But something else caught Ubel's attention. Krieg's heart—visible through the exposed section of his chest—was vibrating rapidly, almost frantically.

"Well, that's interesting," Ubel mused, a sly grin spreading across his face. "Looks like I found your weak spot." He twirled his sword, pointing it toward Krieg. "Guess this won't take as long as I thought."

Krieg's mind, however, was elsewhere. Flashes of his past flooded his vision, unbidden and cruel. He remembered the village children's taunts, their faces twisted in fear and disgust. "Freak," they'd called him, their words cutting deeper than any blade. Born with extraordinary physical abilities, Krieg had always been different. Stronger. Faster. But different wasn't celebrated in his village. It was feared.

His parents had been no better. To them, Krieg was a stain on their honor, a reminder of their failure. They'd sold him without hesitation, handing him over to a fight club owner who saw Krieg's potential as a weapon. And so, Krieg's childhood had been spent in the pits, fighting opponents twice his size, his body pushed to its limits day after day. His "parent" had ensured his compliance with injections, substances that heightened his abilities but tore away at his humanity.

The pain, the anger, the loneliness—it all came rushing back now, a tidal wave of emotion that threatened to drown him. Krieg's fists clenched, his entire body trembling with barely contained rage.

Ubel watched Krieg closely, noticing the shift in his demeanor. He stepped forward, his sword glinting in the firelight. "I've got you figured out," he said, his voice carrying across the arena. "Your ability isn't just brute strength. It's emotion manifestation. The angrier you get, the bigger and tougher you become. But the happier you are?" Ubel smirked. "You're weak. Vulnerable."

Krieg's eyes burned with fury, his lips curling into a snarl. "You don't know anything about me!" he roared, charging forward with renewed ferocity. The arena floor cracked beneath his steps as he lunged at Ubel, all four arms swinging in a coordinated assault.

Ubel leapt backward, narrowly avoiding the barrage of blows. "Touched a nerve, did I?" he quipped, though his mind was racing. He couldn't rely on Krieg's anger to weaken him. If anything, it was making him stronger. Ubel needed a new strategy—and fast.

Krieg's attacks grew more frenzied, each strike carrying the weight of his trauma and pain. Ubel dodged and weaved, his smaller frame giving him an advantage in speed. But Krieg was relentless, his movements becoming harder to predict. Ubel felt the air shift as one of Krieg's massive fists grazed his side, the force sending him sprawling.

"Not so cocky now, are you?" Krieg taunted, his voice a deep rumble.

Ubel pushed himself to his feet, wincing. "Cocky? Me? Never," he replied, though his tone lacked its usual bravado. He needed to think, to adapt. Krieg's strength was overwhelming, but it wasn't unbeatable.

Ubel's eyes flicked to Krieg's heart, still vibrating with unnatural speed. That was the key. If he could disrupt it, even for a moment, he might have a chance. But getting close enough would be risky.

Krieg charged again, his four legs propelling him forward with terrifying speed. Ubel waited until the last second, then rolled to the side, his sword igniting with flames. As Krieg's fist slammed into the ground, Ubel dashed toward him, using the flames to propel himself upward. He aimed for Krieg's chest, his blade poised to strike.

But Krieg anticipated the move. One of his massive arms swung up, catching Ubel mid-air and slamming him into the ground. The impact knocked the wind out of him, and for a moment, everything went blurry.

"You're predictable," Krieg growled, looming over Ubel. "And weak."

Ubel coughed, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. "Weak?" he echoed, a grin spreading across his face despite the pain. "You're the one who's scared."