Damn it!
Kayden's fists struck the concrete wall with enough force to crush bones. But of course, our former champion was far from normal. With a body that could survive lethal strikes, and strength that bordered beyond the human imagination, such mere hits barely left a scratch on his skin.
I lost again!
Fortunately, this wasn't like his previous match when he was injected with copious amounts of poison. The pain was all physical. And as for the match's outcome…
"There isn't much time left…" he muttered, falling to the ground the next moment. "This is seriously too much. It's like the more people I have to face, the harder the fights become," he ran a hand through his messy hair. "I'm still stuck at $30,000. Hell, it's a miracle I even managed to beat that guy that came after Venom. But from this point on… I don't think miracles are gonna cut it. Cales was proof of that."
There hadn't been another call from the kidnappers. Their boss's last words still rang in his ears.
Are you ordering me around, boy?
'I swear to God, if those fuckers lay even a hand on her…!' He felt his breath hitched. Shaky eyes glanced down at his hands. From the tips of his fingers, dark fur began to emerge. His transformation was triggered. Not out of command. But out of fear.
I need to calm down. Overreacting isn't going to change anything. Not the fact that Stacy's life is in danger. He placed a hand on his chest, feeling the frantic beating of his heart. No matter what, I need to do what I can to win the next matches. I can't give up!
_______
Another match was set to be underway later that night. And although Kayden had already suffered two defeats at the hands of older champions, that fact didn't help deter the crowd's investment in him.
They still saw him as their rising star. Their new champion. And if, by some miracle, he managed to win this next fight, then that would only justify the audience's persistent interest in him.
Kayden stood on one end of the Arena, his eyes narrowed as he held his opponent's gaze. On the opposite end of the Arena stood a man wearing long flowing historical garments, sharply contrasting the modernized designs that reigned nowadays. His long blue hair swayed with the gentle breeze from the ceiling fans, and his lips curled in mild disgust.
Soon enough, the signal was given, and the fight began.
Immediately, his opponent made his first move. As his eyes glowed a bright shade of blue, waves of electricity erupted from his being, filling the fighting space and rushing towards his target.
A freaking lightning user…
Kayden didn't spend much time pondering over his predicament. Instead, he willed his body to transform. And right after, fur burst out from his limbs, muscles bulged, and his nose elongated into a snout with a maw filled with sharp teeth.
"Awooo!"
A deep howl emerged from the depths of his soul, though the sound was muffled by the crackling waves of lightning.
This is really unfair. Kayden thought as he swerved through the arcs of lightning tearing through the Arena ground. All these fighters have special powers to assist them in combat. And even those without them are physically strong enough to overpower me. Meanwhile, I don't have anything special except for my transformation. Those useless claw strikes aren't gonna cut it against these guys. Really, if only I had a way to counter their powers, then maybe these fights would have been easier.
Fing, his opponent, hadn't even moved a muscle since the start of the match, allowing his powers to wreck havoc all around him.
"Fall, mangy mutt," he spat, tendrils of electricity trailing dangerously close to Kayden's body despite his efforts at evading them.
Isn't there a way I can beat this guy? Like some Achilles heel or something?
A flash of lightning zapped in front of him, but it was already too late to dodge. His body was set alight as the current coarse through his being, frying him from the inside out.
He winced in pain, fur sizzled as black smoke rose from his skin. But still, despite the pain, he knew he couldn't allow himself to slow down. The first strike was dreadful, but more we're already rapidly inching closer to him.
His muscles burned as he dodged several more attacks. The distance between himself and Fing seemed to stretch. This was the same pattern that all his previous opponents had employed. Create a physical barrier between themselves and their opponent, and when they got close, finish the job.
But this time around, Kayden was wishing, hoping, that the same outcome wouldn't occur.
He avoided another bolt of lightning, arriving just a few meters away from Fing.
And then, daring the limitations of his durability, he dived into the lightning itself, each movement drawing him closer to Fing who remained at the centre of it all.
Keep moving… I've got… to keep on moving!
His insides were being fried by the second. His mana was being overused to repair whatever damages were being made at an astonishing pace. And at the same time, his reserves of energy were being rapidly drained.
Kayden opened his maw wide, aiming to bite Fing's head. But of course, the attack was far too obvious and was predicted. Fing immediately condensed his lightning into a single point, sending it coursing through Kayden's body with more force than ever before.
Kayden's screams bordered on insanity as the brilliance of the lightning spread across the dimly-lit space. His yellow eyes went bloodshot as he struggled to bear through the maddening pain.
Fing geared his hand back, coating it in even more lighting before striking his opponent right at his exposed chest, pumping his heart with even more volts of electricity.
"It's over," Fing stated, his voice carrying a tone of finality as he applied more power behind the punch.
"No…! It's not…!" Kayden's distorted voice echoed through the deafening barrage of lightning. His body forcefully moved, defying the horrendous amount of pain he was being forced to endure. With a force that went beyond his own understanding, he reached down, and bit into Fing's clenched fist.
"This is madness!" Fing shouted, feeling a wave of pain shoot up from his arm. "I'm pouring more lightning into your body than any regular fighter should be able to handle, yet you're still able to move despite it all. How is this possible?!"
Kayden didn't respond. Instead, he added more force into the bite, feeling his skull tremble under the weight of the lightning.
"Well, no matter. You're already weakened, and I've still got a lot left to give!" Fing added, adding more lightning into his fist so his opponent would let go. But still, despite it all, Kayden's bite held firm.
Slowly, his vision started to recede. The prickling noise of lightning sparks kept on flooding his ears, dulling the demented cheers of the crowd. His eyes clamped shut, unable to bear the blinding intensity of the attack.
From the tips of his ashen fur, patches of exposed skin began to emerge, pieces that were burnt off by the rapid influx of electricity. His mana reserves were reaching dangerously low, and so was his strength.
"I told you, didn't I? It's hopeless," Fing uttered, a wide grin spreading across his face as he punched Kayden right across his forehead with his other fist.
The attack struck Kayden square in the centre of his head, the noise of bone crackling echoing faintly through the intense flash.
Finally, the beast's grip on his arm loosened.
His consciousness continued to skip away, unable to keep up with the calibre of attacks being unleashed upon him.
No…this can't… this can't end... like this…
Alas, with his reserves utterly drained, there was nothing left he could do.
His back hit the ground with a heavy thud. And his transformation receded soon after, leaving only the scorched figure of a young man panting lightly against the charred ground.
"And the winner of this match… is none other than Fing The Thunder God!" The announcer's voice boomed across the underground ring.