Fists of Crimson Blaze

The loud howling of wind entered my mind as I 'opened my eyes'. The gentle yet harsh sunlight met them as I raised my hand to cover my eyes instinctively, as they gradually adjusted to the light.

My vision became focused as my once blurry view now becoming clear. Clouds of pure white, cascading gently unto the misty mountains on the horizon. Birds flying high, and the sun gently rising above it all.

And my hand… Made of pure metal, obscuring most of my vision. "Metal...?" I tilted my head towards my left to see the rest of my left arm, which was also– made of metal. Lifting my other hand, it was the same.

Looking down, torso, waist, knees, down to my feet: ALL, metal. Clad in quarts white paint with some parts in a crimson red color, further accentuating the overall look of 'my body'. "…What the hell happened?"

A cracked and distorted voice, barely even sounding that of the female gender escaped my mouth… I placed my right hand to my throat, only to be met with the feeling of cold, solid steel to where it was supposed to be.

"No…" I denied the possibility, yet still to prove that I was wrong; my hand crept up to my face where I felt the very same sensations from earlier. Cold, unbending steel, completely covering where my face should be.

My hands snaked around my head, my entire body, yet no matter how I was to deny it the proof of the fact was already confirmed; my body was completely made of steel. "Was this even my body in the first place?"

I look back towards the horizon, putting my hands down. The sun, slowly rising into the sky, whose color gradually transitions from orange to blue. A strange feeling arose inside me, a familiar feeling I had once encountered before all of this.

My left hand made its way up to my chest where my heart was supposed to be, trying to feel the sensation of beating. Au contraire, a rough and constant rhythmic beating had met my expectations, one of an engine's.

"Beauty does not come in the form of the eye sees, but it blossoms from the inside of the heart." My distorted voice crackled out, my metallic joints creaking as I forced myself– to stand up. To stand up all over again.

Dust shook off from my frame as I gradually stood up, the vibrations coming from my 'heart' growing increasingly stronger. "I may have once died, but I have obtained a new opportunity to live on another life."

I rose to a full height of 175 centi-meters tall. I placed my hand against the large rocks as support to my weight as I began to walk shortly. Seconds passed by as I was walking by myself. I didn't mind, as I continued to walk forward.

Towards a tree, to which a glaive was embedded upon it. Stopping right in front of it, my hand traced the long handle of the weapon, whose blade was stuck on a tree at the edge of the cliff I was currently on.

I tightly held onto the handle as my left hand shortly joined right after. I pulled on the weapon as hard as I could as it slid out smoothly without resistance at all. I put back my right leg as I traced my hand over the spine of the blade with sense of interest.

Whatever the weapon might have gone through before I put my hands unto it, it was still in pristine condition. I smiled. I swiped the glaive horizontally with dexterity and smoothly transition the leftover momentum to a diagonal slash with grace ever present.

I danced with the glaive for a full dozen seconds before I finished with a full power downward strike, splitting the air. I relaxed my body as I gradually returned to standing up to my full height and stature.

My 'heart' began to wildly pound inside my chest as I began to hear the rumbling of an engine coming from it. All those movements felt familiar, yet so alien at the same time. It was as if my body remembered, but my mind did not even once remember the feeling.

But before I could deepen my understanding, I heard footsteps. Loud and uncaring footsteps, the thudding and clanging of metal resonating in my 'mind'. Looking towards the direction of the sound, I met with a multitude of emotions flooding my psyche.

Among the various buildings, walking among the streets were vaguely humanoid beings. From what I could see, beings made of metal, walking straight towards me. Beings that are somewhat like me, but not at all.

They were more… irrational, wild. They were more like… "Beasts." They don't display the necessary amount of intelligence to be comparative to human comprehension. They were more akin to beasts that only seeked death.

I brandished the glaive as I stood my ground to stand against them. Behind my back was an endless fall beyond the cliff. And in front of me was a legion of metal constructs. One, assured death, the second, I'll die trying to survive against the horde.

"The choice is quite obvious; I'd rather die trying to live than give up." The closest of the 'humanoid metal beasts' lunged at me as I dodged and swung the glaive, instantly decapitating the metal beast.

I spun around and kicked it back towards another incoming metal beast, raising the glaive to the right to block a downward slam and proceeding to kick it backwards, I swung the glaive to bisect the metal beast.

Rolling forward, I lunged the glaive towards the chest of another one and ripped it out full force towards, again, another one just beside it. But just as I killed it, another metal beast lunged at me and swung at the glaive.

I watched as the glaive whose blade started to turn crimson fly in the air before embedding itself in the ground behind the crowd. Sparks flying, as I got hit while I was doing so. "Hah… that was stupid not going to lie–"

I rolled backwards as I slowly stood up again finding minor damage– a scratch on my 'face'. I looked back towards the horde and stood in amazement. "Damn, they're endless." I spoke as I lifted both of my arms.

I put my left foot forward putting my weight on it as I slammed my fist towards an incoming metal beast, followed by a left, another right, until I took off its head with an uppercut. "I can do this all day."

The 'heart' inside of my chest ignited as I swung my fist forward. Sparks from collision and friction flew everywhere as my fist hit the torso of another metal beast. Making it jerk backwards from my momentum.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Continuous sounds of clashing steel resounded as I swung my fist around in a smooth, unpredictable flow of strikes. Energy coursed throughout my entire body as my fists started to turn crimson.

It was faint, but it was there, I noticed. My movements started to get faster and faster, stronger than ever. Clang! A shrill sound resounded as I raised my right leg to block an attack. I slammed it back down with force as I pivoted and swung my right fist.

The sheer force I generated from the spin blew a hole on the torso of the one that had attacked me. Swinging my left fist forward… I took another one down. I felt it, the craving of my 'heart'.

The way it 'beats' every time I swung my fists at my target. I felt the blazing heat it was blasting right now. I turned around as I swung my blazing red fist forward, and what followed… was destruction. The moment my fist connected with the metal beast…

Its torso was gone from existence. The air rippled from the heat my fist was emanating as I stood there for a moment, trying to understand what had happened. At this moment, my 'heart', was set ablaze.

Though it was vague… I think I understood what my 'heart' seeks. I think I know on what basis does it beat so loudly, the reason why it could be so 'excited'. The loud clanging of steel as they collide still loudly resonating inside my 'mind'.

I walked towards the glaive I used earlier and took it out of the ground. My still blazing fist held the glaive up, but despite the heat, nothing was done upon the handle. But the blade, the blade glowed in bright crimson.

At this precise moment, I understood what my flaming 'heart' was telling me. It wasn't that I was weak that I had let go of my weapon, no. It was because my heart wasn't just set 'afire', it wasn't just 'hot' enough.

I looked back towards the edge of the cliff, my eyes met with the vast city just below the mountain. A sense of… desire consumes me. "The desire to fight, to resist against oppression." My distorted voice rang as I turned around.

"As my heart is beating flames, so will my Fists of Crimson Blaze." I spoke as I walked deeper into the current jungle of buildings I was in. "And never will the fire inside be ever dead. May it flicker, but not fade."

I spoke, as I delved into the dense fog that surrounded the area.

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