Bhung The Glutton

The massive figure charged towards them, swinging a metal bat with startling speed. Saliva dripped from his lolling tongue as he bore down on the group.

Emrys dropped his supplies, unsheathing his katana in one fluid motion. The blade met the incoming bat with a resounding clang.

The sheer force drove Emrys back, his boots skidding across the ground. He gritted his teeth, maintaining his stance. "Face me!" he shouted, trying to draw the attacker's attention.

"Corsair, get the others to Athena's Hall!" Aeron commanded, tossing their gear to Corsair. "Hector and I will back up Emrys. Go!"

As Corsair led the group away, Aeron and Hector flanked the hulking assailant. The brute roared, swinging the bat in a wide arc. They ducked low, narrowly avoiding the strike.

Hector landed three rapid blows to the attacker's midsection, but they seemed to have no effect. Aeron thrust forward with his own blade, only for it to be effortlessly deflected.

They retreated to Emrys' position, breathing heavily. Aeron's mind raced. He left himself open after that parry. Why didn't he capitalize?

Emrys stared at his trembling arms, the clash still reverberating through his bones. Any thoughts of an easy victory evaporated.

"How do you plan to defend against that thing, Hec?" Aeron asked, frustration evident in his voice.

Hector shrugged. "With my hands. Swords are a drag."

"Good luck with that," Aeron muttered.

The attacker's tongue slithered back into his mouth. "You're not even worth eating. Time to dispose of you pests."

Emrys tightened his grip on the katana. "Can you restrain his arms? We need to end this quickly. A prolonged fight isn't in our favor."

Aeron and Hector nodded grimly. "Let's do it."

They charged forward, Aeron scooping up a handful of ash from the ground. As they closed in, he flung it into their opponent's face.

"My eyes!" the brute bellowed, momentarily blinded.

Seizing the opportunity, Aeron and Hector grappled with the massive arms. They managed to topple the giant, pinning him to the ground. Aeron drove his blade through the right hand, while Hector applied a joint lock to the left.

Emrys leapt, katana poised to strike the final blow.

With a roar of fury, the behemoth flung off his attackers. The metal bat, still clutched in his left hand, arced through the air towards the airborne Emrys.

Time seemed to slow as the weapon connected with a sickening crunch. Emrys' body went limp, falling to the ground in a spray of crimson.

"E-Emrys!" Hector and Aeron cried out in horror.

The attacker stood motionless, his posture frozen mid-swing. A look of realization spread across his face. "Home run?" he muttered. "I... I did it! A real home run!"

He began to dance, singing off-key about his triumph.

Aeron and Hector knelt, paralyzed by despair and the stark realization of their powerlessness.

The celebration halted abruptly. The giant loomed over Emrys' still form, pointing the bloodied bat. "You weren't so bad," he grinned widely.

His gaze snapped to the remaining duo, eyes alight with malice. They scrambled backward, hearts pounding in terror.

"How about you two step up to the plate next?" he leered, advancing slowly. "Let me hit another home run."

As he wound up for another devastating swing, a blur of motion streaked past. Claw marks appeared on the brute's neck and back, eliciting a howl of pain.

"Who did that?!" he bellowed, twisting to inspect the wounds.

From the shadows of a nearby alley, a new figure emerged. Standing six feet tall with unkempt black hair, he cut an imposing silhouette in his white dress shirt and black slacks.

"So you're the infamous Bhung the Glutton," the newcomer drawled. "As much as I hate to admit it, you are quite the catch."

The 18-year-old Wolf-bat had entered the fray.

The scene continued to unfold:

"Who the hell is this stick?" Bhung bellowed, still trying to reach his wounded back.

Wolf-bat scoffed, pulling out a comb to smooth back his hair. "Stick? How vulgar. If I'm a stick, you're a spherical meat sack."

"I know you just called me fat! I'm not fat!" Bhung pointed his bat menacingly.

"Deafness must be among your many defects," Wolf-bat retorted coolly. "Round would be more accurate. If you were merely fat, you wouldn't be this agile."

As Bhung danced around, whining about his itching back, Hector urgently whispered to Aeron, "We need to move! Emrys needs help!"

Snapping out of their paralysis, they carefully lifted their fallen comrade. Aeron quickly retrieved the fallen katanas before they retreated in the direction Corsair had led the others.

Wolf-bat's laughter echoed in the alley. "I'm rarely in such a talkative mood with my opponents. But I'm afraid playtime is over." He flexed his fingers, showcasing his high-tech claws.

Money is everything, Wolf-bat mused, his eyes gleaming with resolve.

Bhung kept on moving around violently trying to reach his back.

Klause isn't the only one that can strike deals with the outworld law executives. In fact, anyone can—with enough money, confidence, and information. Three of which I have. So I struck my own deal.

For every person I defeat and hand over to the law executives, I'm going to be offered an amount of money according to the notoriety of the person. The money I used as a bargain wasn't a problem to get. I have my ways.

Money is everything here, and I'm sure it's like that outside as well. Only a fool doesn't know this. Without money, there's no real progress. That's why I'd gather up as much money as possible and see what the outside world has to offer.

Wolf-bat's eyes glowed with determination as he gazed at Bhung, who was still fidgeting.

Taking down Bhung will net me over two million Kounties. With that, I can upgrade my gear and increase my overall stats. From here, I'll level up at godspeed until I can finally leave this prison.

Bhung suddenly stopped his frantic movements, sighing in relief as he finally scratched his back. His eyes narrowed as he locked gazes with Wolf-bat.

"What the hell are you looking at?!" Bhung roared. "I'll eat you for dinner!" He charged forward, gripping his bat with both hands.

Wolf-bat mirrored the move, and their battle began in earnest.

…

Two Hours Later.

The fires had died out, leaving only wisps of smoke. Blood stains had dried on the ground, and flickering fluorescent lights cast an eerie glow over the aftermath.

Klause and his faction arrived at Dionysus Hall, their faces a mix of surprise and confusion at the devastation before them.

After a moment of stunned silence, Klause's expression hardened. He turned on his heel and began walking back the way they had come.

"What happened? What should we do?" his followers murmured amongst themselves.

Without breaking stride or looking back, Klause replied flatly,

"Nothing. We were simply too late."