The One Who Won a Bet Against the Demon.

War, death, fire, famine, they all swept across the land. A young soldier was fighting with all his might against the Kingdom's soldiers. He was lieutenant-grade, he slashed through the enemies. His footwork was excellent, and his breathing was calm. Parrying every attack, dodging every spell, he slashed through the enemies like a raging storm. With his comrades fighting fiercely, they easily overpowered the enemies. Raising his bloody sword in the air, he shouted with pride.

But when he got back to camp, he noticed that all his brothers were killed. They died after a tough fight, their bodies were all bloody and torn. "I'll become much stronger, don't you Corinthians think that you could win again," the man swore in his heart. He began to train in the woods, practicing his footwork, swordskills, and he meditated oftenly. One day as he was training as usual, he felt like something was watching him. "Who's there!" he shouted, releasing his aura. A green-coated man appeared, jumping down from the trees. He had two goat horns coming out from his head, and two goat hooves. "Demon!" the man said, pulling out his sword. "Relax, I'm just offering you a deal," the man in green said. "Make a deal with a demon? Impossible!" the man said, preparing to fight the demon.

"Wait, you should hear my offer first," the demon said. "I don't need to," the man said, rushing forwards. There was a flash as he slashed down with his glistening mithril sword. "Die!" he yelled, aiming straight at the head. Looking at the human who dared to fight a real demon, the demon flicked his finger. Bam! A loud sound could be heard as a silhouette was sent slamming towards the tree. Spatting out blood, he felt like some his bones were broken. "General Graded?" the man wondered, trying to stabilize himself. With a flash, the demon appeared in front of the man.

"Now you shall reconsider my offer. I'll grant you strength that most humans could only dream of. All you need to do is to keep this on for a decade," the demon said, as a bearskin appeared in his hands. Even without hesitating, the man grabbed the bearskin. Seeing that the man accepted the contract, the demon grinned. "I'll see you in ten years," the demon said, as he disappeared without a trace. Putting on the bearskin, the man could feel his strength rise to a incredible degree. Peak lieutenant-grade! Low Colonel Grade! Mid Colonel Grade! Peak Colonel Grade! He felt the wild power of a bear course through his body, he slammed his fist into a nearby boulder. At first, nothing happened, but after a couple of seconds, the boulder shattered into dust.

With the power he gained, the man went on to defend his country from countless of invaders. He tear through the battle ground like a rampaging bear, relying on nothing but his own fists. The fireballs and arrows that were coming from the enemies just bounced of the bearskin like it was nothing. Soon, the name Bearskin spread through the country. He was deemed a hero, and enemies feared him. But because he was wearing the bearskin, he couldn't wash his hair, and his nails were covered by the long sleeves. A putrid odor began to come off him as the bearskin slowly rotted. The ones who deemed him as a hero started to call him a disgusting beast. But he didn't care a single bit, he kept on protecting the homeland he loved with his fists.

Bearskin appeared in every important battle, and he was always the first to clash with the enemies. Years passed, his punches and attacks were still as powerful as before. The smell on him was now revolting, no one dared to come near him. He still didn't care, sleeping outside the gates, drinking pond water, eating meat he hunted himself. And before he knew it, the tenth year came. A deep red array appeared in front of him as the same demon appeared. "I've come to fulfill my deal," he said, staring at Bearskin. Taking off the bearskin, the demon snapped his fingers. The dust and odors that had built up over the years disappeared, and his tattered clothes became a well ironed uniform. The power he gained was still there, but he didn't need to wear the bearskin anymore. The demon disappeared without a trace, leaving behind only a puff of smoke.

In his lair, the demon was counting the souls he earned from the deal. Every enemy that Bearskin has ever slained was absorbed by the cloak, and the demon was now reaping his yield. Counting the souls, he looked at an army. "Maybe I should find another target," he said, grinning.

The man enjoyed a couple years of peace, marrying a beautiful wife and finally gaining the glory he achieved when he was still wearing the Bearskin. He was rewarded with riches and fame, but he was still humble and kind. Until one day, he heard from a random source that the Corinth Kingdom was going to attack, and they were coming for the Holy Grail. Taking out the mithril that he haven't used in ages, he wiped off the dust. His wife, with worried eyes asked, "Do you really need to participate in the war?" They already had everything, and she was already pregnant. Putting his hand on his wife's abdomen, Bearskin lightly said, "I'll be back after I slain the Corinthians," he said, saying goodbye to his wife.