A Fair Duel

The sun had already set on the horizon. A myriad of stars and a lone moon began to rise in the boundless night sky. Their lights poorly shone on the duel taking place near the pond, where two silhouettes walked in a circle while keeping their gazes glued to each other.

A small white cloud escaped Aito's mouth as he used Pneuma to regain a slight amount of stamina. At the same time, he gauged his enemy's movement. He had thought that the monkey would jump at him on the first occasion, but it was cautiously eyeing him.

He had rarely felt such tension before entering combat because he knew that the army leader was different from other bigfoots in many ways. Smarter, stronger, and obviously bigger. It could also be hiding something else he wasn't aware of.

'Cheater.' He thought, staring at his opponent's armor. If it was crafted using iron, then he might stand a chance to pierce through it. Steel, however, was another matter altogether.

Fortunately for him, the joints had been left unprotected. Elbows, armpits, behind the knees. A small gap in between the throat and its ugly head. Unfortunately, those areas were hard to target while in combat.

With no actual plan that came to mind, Aito had no choice but to trust his own fighting skills. He chuckled, the current situation reminding him of his fight with Layehs. Who would have thought that he'd one day compare a huge red monkey to a beautiful blue-eyed woman?

'This time,' He thought, steeling his resolve. 'I will not lose.'

Aito darted towards his enemy, zigzagging along the way to spread the red bigfoot's attention on multiple places and also to make his next attack less predictable.

Before entering his enemy's range, he pretended to go left and changed direction at the last moment, escaping a deadly hit from above. The earth cracked under the double-edged ax's power as its incredibly sharp blade dug deep into the ground.

Aiming for the monkey's neck, Aito counterattacked with a large swing of his double-handed ax, backed up with every iota of strength he had in a single arm.

BAM!

Big Bad Red blocked the blow using its metallic gauntlet. The now fissured iron blade left a dent, but no holes.

'Steel. Of course.'

With a twist of the wrist, it caught the weapon and pulled. Aito released his grip, drew his ax hidden behind the shield, and tried to close the distance. But before he could go in, "Instinct" warned him of a deadly threat.

From his left, a double-edged ax dangerously headed his way. Aito knew he couldn't use the shield to block that kind of attack. At best, his arm would be sent flying with the shield's broken pieces.

During their previous fight in the cave, the monkey leader's attack strength had been lessened because of how he had handled its weapon. Now, with its hand down the shaft, coupled with its strength that rivaled its opponent, that swing could only be fatal.

Instead of stepping back, Aito went in to avoid the blade and positioned himself next to the weapon's shaft. His physical strength traveled from his toes to his left arm as he prepared a counter.

—Active skill: Shield Bash—

Pushing the shaft upward, his shield changed the huge ax's trajectory. This sudden transition shifted Big Bad Red's center of gravity, leaving it unbalanced.

Most importantly, it created an opening.

Aito seized that small window of opportunity by aiming at the exposed armpits, too high to reach effectively with a one-handed ax.

Thus, he used his active skill to hurl his weapon at almost point-blank. The short distance made it impossible to miss. His weapon's blade struck true, bitting deep enough to reach the bones, but ultimately froze.

'Is that bastard made of steel too?' He thought, stepping back to draw a new weapon.

A feeling the red bigfoot had never experienced before traveled through its entire nerve system and struck it like a truck. It had always been on top of the food chain. Having never suffered a defeat or a wound, it was the first time it felt true pain.

It released its grip on its weapon as an awful cry pushed its way out of its throat. The double-edged ax dropped to the ground, attracting Aito's attention. But before he could get to it, he noticed an anomaly. Something he had not expected.

Big Bad Red's eyes reddened as steam escaped from its pores. Its muscles increased in size, while a volcanic rage clouded its mind. Its pain disappeared, numbed by its fury. The red monkey turned a hateful gaze at the origin of its pain, roared, and charged with the doubled-handed ax he had previously snatched from its enemy.

Aito sprinted towards it, slid down to avoid being cut by his own weapon, stood up, headed for the double-edged ax, and grabbed the large weapon firmly. From top to bottom, the ax measured almost two meters and was entirely made of steel.

Holding an ax taller than him felt weird, foreign, and heavier than what he usually had in hand. But getting used to it wasn't a luxury he could currently afford.

Big Bad Red stumbled to a stop, only to turn in his direction while he was using "Weight Control" to increase the ax weight—further enhancing its destructive power.

He placed the ax on his shoulder, ready to deal with what would probably be the fight's last attack. The red bigfoot charged madly towards him, unaware that inside its body, the strain from its current form was tearing apart its muscle fibers bit by bit.

Aito slashed downward, putting all his strength and body weight into the blow. Sparks flew as the sharpened steel blades passed through the bigfoot's iron ax unhindered, then dug deep into the steel chest plate. Blood poured out from the gap in an unending stream.

However, insensitive to pain, Big Bad Red grabbed the ax and used its enhanced strength to turn it back at Aito. A double-edged weapon had blades on both sides, and in the current situation, it could prove deadly.

Aito tried to resist the giant. But its body mass, coupled with its current strength, was too much for him to handle.

But, if he failed. If he was defeated here, there would be no revival this time.

No third chance.

And no possibility of redemption.

That last thought echoed in his entire being, resonating with his very soul. A primal feeling burst out from the deepest part of himself, unleashing the monster—the killer.

—Gift: Fury—

Aito's skin glowed red as the ax's blades stopped midway in between the two opponents, who entered a contest of strength. But he soon realized that Big Bad Red had a slight advantage when the blade was slowly but surely heading his way. However, he had an advantage of his own: his clear-headedness.

Big Bad Red stared into its enemy's black eyes with undisguised hatred. Which ironically gave Aito an idea. Soon after, a radiant golden light surrounded his entire body.

—Active skill: Fearless Aura—

The sudden light pierced the night, entering the bigfoot's vision, which had grown accustomed to the darkness for too long. It wasn't enough to blind him completely, but enough to create a small window of opportunity, an opportunity Aito wouldn't miss.

Feeling his opponent's grip weakening for a moment—in the same motion—he stepped forward, swiftly shifting side and twisted his body to redirect the red bigfoot's own strength to suit his purpose.

"Have a taste of my steel."

—Active skill: Whirlwind—

The ax snapped out from the bigfoot's hands, whirled around Aito's body, and sliced through Big Bad Red's armor from one end to another. Before it could become uncontrollable, Aito released his grip. The ax flew high, brought down a small tree before lodging into another.

He then turned his attention to his opponent. Only when its corpse fell on the ground in two pieces did his "Fury" subsided.