"Finally, the red boy faces me." My towering opponent snarled, words sharp and animalistic.
Now right in front of him, I could see the difference in our sizes. He must have been at least double my weight!
His hair was buzzed short, and his muscles bulged like a bodybuilder. I assumed he was on some sort of performance enhancement drug because such a body couldn't be achieved even through hard work.
In a few moments, that man was going to come barreling towards me to kill me.
Somehow, I would have to get him first.
My eyes drifted to a piece of glass on the floor nearby. It was jagged enough to use as a weapon.
On earth, I had had a few fights myself. Boxing had been a childhood sport of mine. But I was smart enough to know that my hands weren't enough to close such a difference in size.
I had to listen to the words of the man from before. I had to use a weapon.
"Are you ready gents?" A voice came from above. I didn't dare look at the speaker, as my eyes were solely trained on the man in front of me.
I've already died once. I refuse to let it happen again.
My opponent lowered his stance, arms and legs wide like a bear.
A dark silence hung in the air between us for a few moments, as we glared at each other with ferocity.
...
"BEGIN!"
As soon as the words came, I dashed to the side with speed, heading towards the shard of glass.
Due to my size, I assumed I would be much faster than my opponent. But to my surprise, he arrived faster than I expected.
I managed to grip my hand around the glass, but at the same time, a large force barged into me. It was like a boulder, and it didn't struggle to send me flying off of my feet and crashing into the wall of the pit.
A sharp pain shot through me as I hit it. I wouldn't have been surprised if my arm broke.
Cheers came from the gang members above, quickly drawing me from my daze of pain.
"Shittt, is that it? Is it over that quickly?"
"Are you dumb? Didn't you see him grab the shard? The kids smaller, but he's smart"
"Can you believe that Giants a rookie, though? Look at the size of him. He'll make a good brute if he awakens his Fury"
I quickly pushed myself to my feet and watched as the giant approached me, his feet stomped on the ground beneath us with heavy thuds.
His face twisted into a smile, despite seeing the shard of glass in my hand. Blood dripped from my palm from when I had gripped too hard and cut myself.
"You think such a tiny thing will help you?" The man said as he flexed his bicep. The muscles rippled with strength, displaying to the cheering crowd just how terrifying he was. "I'll be surprised if the puny thing can even penetrate my skin."
Ignoring his words, I slowly began to circle around the pit. My opponent remained standing at the centre, watching me with a smile.
I was waiting for the perfect moment to strike. An opening in his defence.
But I swiftly realized that there wasn't any. The man wasn't just a tank, but he was a capable one as well.
I would need to create an opening of my own.
And so, I dashed forward.
My opponent let out a grizzled laugh, as though he had been waiting for that moment for years.
As I got into range, the man swung wide. It was a heavy hook aimed at my head. If it hit, my neck would've snapped from the force.
Luckily, my height made it easy for me to duck underneath it. I felt the wind pass over me, which even by itself was disorientating.
Then, I slashed forward with my shard of glass and heard a ripping sound as it tore through fabric and skin.
Blood sprayed onto me as I watched the man's jeans tear and a wound appear on his leg.
But it wasn't enough.
With his other fist, he sent another strike barreling towards my head. I managed to raise my arm in time, but the force still sent pain through my head, as I staggered to the side.
It took no time for a bruise to form on my forearm.
Taking a large leap backwards, I left the man's range.
The giant looked down at his leg and tapped his finger against the wound. Then, with snarled teeth, he lifted the finger to his mouth and tasted his own blood.
I didn't know if it was for show, or if he was a true maniac, but the crowd cheered regardless.
"He's sick! The fuckers crazy!"
"The red kids good too. He Managed to get a slash-off. He should've put it in his neck, though, now he's angered him."
As I blocked out the sounds of the chatter going on above me, I suddenly felt a strange change happening in the air around me.
At first, I looked around to see if everyone else was experiencing it too, but I swiftly realised that they weren't.
It was only me.
The pressure was invigorating. It felt as though the air was fuelling me. The stronger it got, the stronger I began to feel.
I looked down at my hand, which was where the pressure had gathered most intensely.
To my surprise, the shard of glass in my hands was no longer transparent.
It had begun to glow.
The once clear shard now had a red sheen to it and seemed to be radiating some sort of ethereal energy.
As the change took place around me, I felt a strange new understanding fill my mind.
—— FURY AWAKENED ——
[Fury Class: Fighter]
Born from raw instinct and the will to survive. Specialises in close-quarters combat where fists, blades, and rage do the talking.
[Sub-Class: Slasher]
A savage offshoot of the Fighter path. Masters of edged weapons, fighting with precision, bloodlust, and the elegance of brutality.
[Fury Tier: I]
Initiate Tier – the first step into the world of fury. Abilities are unstable, raw, and unrefined… but deadly.
[Core Skill Unlocked]
— Touch of Blood I —
Imbues a held blade with a blood-red aura. Any strike causes the target to bleed continuously until the weapon leaves the user's grip. The bleeding does not clot until the user drops the weapon.
——
I did not need to read the words to understand them. It was as though I had simply been filled with the necessary information.
I felt like a new man, and yet I couldn't believe what was happening.
"No way! The kids awakened."
"Looks like he's a Slasher. It might be over for the big guy."
"It depends on what skill he's unlocked. Who knows if it will be enough to help him against such a giant man."
I stood there and relished in the noise of the crowd.
Awakened my fury? What does that mean? Is this world really one of magic?
I looked down at the shard of glass in my hand again. The red energy oozing from it was gruesome and bloodthirsty. It was as though it begged for a target.
"Fancy." My opponent said from the centre of the pit. "But magic isn't enough to beat me."
For some reason, the giant looked much less menacing than before.
An uncontrollable smile tugged at my lips.
"Eh," I said with a shrug of my shoulders, as the red energy began to coalesce around my body. "We'll see about that."