FIGHT

Riser followed Tiamat with Yubellena deeper into the rocky valley. The once lush, enchanted forest had now given way to a more barren, hostile terrain. Jagged cliffs surrounded them as the sound of predators echoed throughout the area. As they walked, they spotted a hippogriff standing over the lifeless body of a small wyvern. The hippogriff ripped into the wyvern's neck, tearing flesh with ferocity, and began eating.

Tiamat's voice broke the silence. "Here we are—the troublemakers playground, or known as predators."

They continued through the valley, seeing more deadly creatures—predators of various species. The intelligent ones, sensing Tiamat's immense presence, wisely kept their distance, lurking in the shadows.

Yubellena glanced at Tiamat and spoke with her usual boldness, "Lady Tiamat, how about giving us some space so we can explore on our own?"

Tiamat's eyes gleamed with amusement, though her tone was sharp. "Quite rude to ask someone to leave their own home, don't you think?"

Yubellena didn't back down. "At this rate, none of these creatures will dare approach us, let alone form a contract. You're their master, and your presence intimidates them."

Tiamat chuckled, folding her arms. "Don't blame me, dear.. Your master simply doesn't seem that attractive to them—why would they risk offending me for someone of lesser worth?"

Riser, recognizing the truth behind her words, nodded. "You're right. In their minds, the fear of you far outweighs any desire to contract with me."

Tiamat smiled, clearly enjoying the exchange. "Tactful and self-aware, young Riser. Impressive."

Riser offered a respectful nod. "Thank you for the praise, Lady Tiamat."

As they continued their trek, Riser suddenly stopped, his gaze locking onto a dark figure in the distance. A hulking, black humanoid creature was crouched over the now lifeless body of the hippogriff they had seen earlier, tearing into it with savage force. Its massive form and muscular build immediately reminded Riser of something from another world. This... it looks like a Nomu from My Hero Academia, he thought.

Tiamat noticed his attention. "Are you intrigued, Riser?"

Riser remained focused on the creature, watching its feral movements. The large black humanoid was grotesque, standing nearly 7'5" tall with a muscular body covered in scars. Its brain was exposed on the top of its head, while its eyes were situated unnervingly around it. A beak-like mouth filled with sharp teeth only added to its monstrous appearance.

As the creature noticed them, it let out a deep growl and began sprinting toward them with terrifying speed. Before it could get too close, Tiamat flicked her wrist, erecting a barrier that stopped the creature cold. The Nomu slammed into the invisible wall, clawing at it in a futile attempt to break through.

"Oh, look at this rude thing," Tiamat said nonchalantly. "It doesn't even know to fear its master." She began preparing a spell to eliminate the creature entirely, her expression still amused.

Before she could cast the spell, Riser stepped forward, raising a hand. "Lady Tiamat, wait. I'd like to form a contract with this... thing."

Tiamat looked at him, her eyes narrowing. "Are you sure, Riser? This creature is an incomplete experiment. Some foolish magicians attacked my domain with it, and of course, I annihilated them. But I found this one intriguing, so I kept it. They seem to called it a Nomu."

Riser's eyes focused on the Nomu, taking in its terrifying form. Its exposed brain, its muscular frame, the scars, the grotesque but deadly structure of its body—it was a living weapon. He could see its potential.

"Let me have a chance," Riser said firmly.

Tiamat sighed, though her smile remained. She applied pressure on the Nomu with her immense power, speaking to it through telepathy. As she imprinted the information about Riser's intention and the challenge that would occur, she severed the mental link, watching as the Nomu's aggression halted.

The creature stopped clawing at the barrier, turning its soulless eyes toward Riser, seemingly understanding something had changed.

Riser raised an eyebrow. "So?"

Tiamat crossed her arms, her eyes glowing slightly. "He's not as mindless as he seems. When I imprinted the information about your intention and the challenge, he processed it and made a decision." She gave Riser a wicked smile. "He's calling you to defeat him in hand-to-hand combat. A challenge of strength, one-on-one."

Riser smiled, his excitement rising. "Then I accept the condition."

With a wave of Tiamat's hand, the barrier dissipated, and the two combatants were left standing in a barren stretch of land, facing each other. The Nomu's muscles tensed as it prepared for the fight. Riser rolled his shoulders and cracked his knuckles, ready to face the beast.

Yubellena, watching from the sidelines, leaned in toward Tiamat. "This will be interesting."

Tiamat smirked. "Indeed. Let's see if young Riser can handle this."

Riser took a deep breath, focusing his energy and centering his mind. The Nomu let out a guttural roar, charging at him with terrifying speed. The ground trembled under its massive frame as it barreled forward.

Riser remained still, calculating, before launching himself toward the Nomu, their fists meeting in a clash of raw power. The battle for the contract had begun.

As the barrier around Riser and Nomu dropped, the wind howled through the barren valley, carrying with it the tension of the upcoming clash. The ground beneath them cracked and rumbled as the massive Nomu charged forward with reckless abandon. Its hulking, black figure towered over Riser, a mindless beast whose sole purpose was destruction. The fight was about to begin.

BOOM!

Nomu lunged at Riser, its muscular frame moving faster than one might expect from a creature its size. The force of its charge sent small stones flying, but Riser dodged just in time, feeling the sheer power of the beast as it barreled past him. The Nomu's fist slammed into the ground, leaving a small crater where Riser had been standing only moments before.

Yubellena, watching from the sidelines, let out an impressed whistle. "That thing is fast. Riser-sama better keep moving."

Tiamat, standing beside her, looked on with an indifferent gaze, arms crossed. "Speed means little if it's not controlled. Nomu's just a beast right now, attacking with brute force. Let's see how long that lasts."

Riser pivoted on his heels, fluidly evading the next wild swing from Nomu, whose enormous fists created gusts of wind with every movement. He felt the pressure of the attacks, but for now, he focused on reading the beast's movements. It's big, strong, and reckless, he thought. It fights like a mindless brute... but that's its weakness.

Riser took a breath and closed the gap, his hands raised in a classic boxing stance. He had been patient long enough. Now, it was time to strike.

With precision, Riser threw a sharp jab to Nomu's jaw, followed by a right hook to the body. The punches landed cleanly, but Nomu didn't flinch. Its body absorbed the blows, the power of shock absorption making Riser's strikes feel like mere taps. Riser narrowed his eyes. Shock absorption... I expected that.

Nomu growled low, its massive hand swinging out toward Riser's side. Riser ducked under it, continuing his barrage of punches—quick jabs, hooks, and uppercuts—each one aimed at vital spots on Nomu's face and torso. Still, Nomu remained unfazed, taking each punch as if it were nothing.

Then, Nomu found an opening.

With a snarl, Nomu drove its fist into Riser's gut, sending him skidding back several feet. Riser felt the blow rattle his ribs, but he managed to stay on his feet, gritting his teeth. Nomu, emboldened by the contact, lunged again, this time striking with more accuracy. It swung down with an overhead strike, and Riser barely dodged, the wind from the punch brushing past his cheek.

Yubellena winced as she saw Riser taking hits. "Nomu might be mindless, but it packs one hell of a punch."

Riser regained his footing and adjusted his strategy. Boxing won't work alone. He wiped blood from his mouth, his gaze never leaving the Nomu. The creature was relentless, attacking again and again with wild swings and reckless aggression. Riser dodged and weaved between the attacks, searching for an opening, until finally, he saw his chance.

As Nomu swung down at him again, Riser sidestepped, grabbed its wrist, and twisted its arm into a lock. With a swift motion, he drove his knee into Nomu's elbow, aiming to dislocate the joint. The creature roared in pain, but before Riser could press the advantage, Nomu's regeneration kicked in. The arm twisted back into place, healing instantly .

"Regeneration," Riser muttered under his breath. "This will be harder than I thought."

Now was the time to escalate. Riser shifted his combat style, incorporating Krav Maga into his moves—close-quarter strikes and brutal efficiency. He grabbed Nomu by the head, bringing his elbow down hard against the exposed brain on the creature's skull. Nomu snarled and twisted, swinging its arms wildly in retaliation, but Riser stayed close, throwing knees to Nomu's midsection and driving his fists into its ribs. He went for vulnerable areas—the neck, the eyes, the joints—trying to disable it, but Nomu continued to absorb the damage like a sponge.

Tiamat's eyes narrowed slightly as she watched the fight unfold. "Impressive," she muttered. "He's not just a spoiled brat after all."

Riser, despite his best efforts, was starting to take hits. Nomu, now seemingly more intelligent, began to fight with some form of technique, using its massive body to its advantage. It launched powerful knee strikes and elbows, resembling Muay Thai. Nomu's sharp elbows caught Riser across the face, drawing blood. It followed up with a knee to his ribs, making Riser stagger back. The monster was relentless.

Blow after blow landed, and Riser could feel his body giving way under the relentless attacks. Nomu's strikes came with crushing force, each one threatening to break bone. Riser coughed up blood but stayed on his feet, refusing to go down.

"Riser!" Yubellena shouted from the sidelines, her voice filled with concern, though admiration was clear in her eyes. "Don't let up! You've got him!"

Riser took a deep breath and smile, his mind racing. He had to shift the momentum. He focused, waiting for the right moment.

As Nomu came charging in again, Riser ducked low and tackled the creature, pinning it to the ground. He wrapped his legs around Nomu's torso, locking it in a grappling hold. With sheer force, Riser tore at Nomu's arm, ripping it off in one swift motion. Blood sprayed into the air, but Nomu's regeneration was near instantaneous. The arm regrew in the blink of an eye.

Nomu roared and threw Riser off of him, sending him crashing into the rocky ground. Riser winced but stood back up, gritting his teeth. This regeneration... I can't keep up with it.

Tiamat smirked. "It's not easy fighting something that won't stay down, is it?"

Nomu seeing riser state smile and lunged again, this time purposefully taking one of Riser's punches to its face, just to land a heavy blow to Riser's side. Riser felt a rib crack, but his eyes blazed with determination. He couldn't afford to hold back any longer.

"lets gooo," Riser muttered, wiping the blood from his mouth. "It's time to finish this."

Riser's body shifted into a more refined stance, air gathering around him. He was done holding back. He closed his eyes for a moment, feeling the flow of air around him, and when he opened them again, his fists were enveloped in an invisible force—air pressure condensed around them, razor-sharp and focused.

Tiamat's eyes widened in slight surprise seeing a new martial art.

yubellana "Ah, the Whirlwind Iron Cutting Fist. So, he's going all out."

Riser dashed forward, faster than before. Nomu swung wildly, but Riser dodged with precision, and then he struck. His fist connected with Nomu's chest, and the force of the blow didn't just impact Nomu—it cut. The air pressure around Riser's fist acted like a blade, slicing through Nomu's flesh.

The creature howled as chunks of its body were shredded by the invisible blades of air. Riser moved with fluidity, each punch cutting through Nomu's regeneration, forcing the creature into a state of disarray. But even as Riser tore Nomu apart, the creature's regeneration fought back. Limbs regrew, flesh reformed. It was a battle of endurance.

Yubellana watched in awe. "He's cutting through that thing like butter... but it keeps healing."

Nomu roared, its body in tatters but still functioning. It charged at Riser again, but Riser was faster. He ducked under Nomu's attack and unleashed a flurry of punches, each one slicing deeper into Nomu's body. The wind howled around them as the Whirlwind Iron Cutting Fist tore into the beast.

Nomu, despite its regeneration, was beginning to slow. The constant damage was wearing it down.

"Whirlwind Warrior " Riser shouted, driving his fist into Nomu's exposed brain with the full force of his technique. The air pressure cut through Nomu's skull, slicing the brain in half. Nomu let out one final, guttural roar before collapsing, its regeneration faltering only slowly healing his skull and brain.

Riser stood over the fallen Nomu, his chest heaving with exhaustion, but victorious. 

Yubellena rushed over, a proud grin on her face. "You did it, Riser! I knew you had it in you."

Tiamat, who had been watching with increasing interest, now uncrossed her arms, a smile playing on her lips. "Well, well, well... I must admit, Riser, I didn't expect you to hold your own against something like that. You've certainly proved you're more than just a rich brat."

Riser, bloodied but standing tall, nodded. "Thank you, Lady Tiamat."

Tiamat glanced down at the fallen Nomu. "That creature… an incomplete experiment, and yet, it was born for hand-to-hand combat. To think you bested it in such a manner. I suppose even I underestimated you."

Riser smiled, wiping the sweat from his brow.