The howling wind of the Glacinata roared over Eden.
Burning lava spread through the fissures of the earth.
Lightning tore across the sky like devouring serpents.
The sun and the moon painted the sky purple as they bore witness to the battle.
The blood-eyed giant stared down at Ryan.
Ryan raised his axe without hesitation, facing the corrupted giant before him, his eyes sharp as a beast's as his feral body responded to his mental state, making every hair on him stand on end.
To him, some things had been obvious from the start, yet he observed with caution regardless.
Both sized each other up in silence.
"I'll give you the chance to strike first." The giant said, and even so Ryan did not react.
'He's big and strong, but at that size it's impossible to be fast.' Ryan observed carefully. 'The grey skin looks rotten and therefore vulnerable, his defense is weak there. Striking that spot would certainly deal heavy damage.'
He then glanced back. 'But if he isn't fast, I could escape easily, though nothing guarantees I'm right... I need to test the waters first.'
Ryan took a deep breath and step by step began to close the distance, his axe moving calmly alongside him. Until his movements began to accelerate explosively, he broke into a run, raising his axe for a powerful strike.
The two crimson eyes gleamed and soon the colossal sword came down upon his axe to counter, just as slow as he had expected...
'I can easily dodge or parry the attack and then deal severe damage to him.' He gritted his teeth and kept pushing forward, parrying was easy. Of that he was certain! What is large is always slow!
But abruptly, the blades clashed. One moment the sword was as slow as a turtle and out of nowhere it became as fast as lightning.
Ryan blinked and his entire body ached as he was hurled away by the superior force, within moments he slammed into the ground, his body rolling further and further away. He quickly twisted himself and was back on his feet once more.
'How the hell did he get that fast out of nowhere?!'
Ryan's eyes widened. The giant was already on top of him again with absurd speed for his size. His sword came down on Ryan once more, who countered with his axe only to be sent flying again.
'This is impossible! That bastard is a jaguar, not some damn giant!' Ryan gritted his teeth watching the giant pursue him with the same savagery as a jaguar, his blade biting against Ryan's with the same agility despite the colossal size.
'Even so, he doesn't seem as strong anymore.' Ryan clenched his teeth. 'The problem is that he shattered my stance with that suprising move and is taking advantage of it with a relentless barrage of blows. I need to regain my footing if I want any chance in this duel.'
The duel continued with the giant overpowering Ryan taking advantage of his position.
Soon, Ryan was sent flying once more, this time however, his eyes gleamed with intelligence, having drawn the fight to this area on purpose. 'He sent me to the edges of Eden. He must have thought I'd flee down the stairway and not simply throw myself into freefall like some suicidal lunatic! But he's wrong! I am indeed a suicidal lunatic!'
Immediately, Ryan ran to throw himself off the mountain, hoping the soft snow and the friction of his axe against the rock would keep him alive. This time the jaguar speed wouldn't be enough to keep up, even he had his speed limits.
Even so...
"Not so fast." Suddenly the giant lost his sword, which quickly transformed into an orb and a cloak, replacing his original equipment. His lips moved and soon a wall of wood rose before Ryan to his astonishment.
"He's... also a mage?! Oh go f—" Ryan cursed loudly and gritted his teeth without time to think, he gripped the bombs firmly and threw almost all of them, causing a large explosion. He rode through the shockwave that shook the world and threw himself into the hole that he opened up.
Cutting through the smoke, he saw the base of the mountain and prepared himself for the freefall. "This is going to hurt..." He took a deep breath without regretting his decision.
The victory was his.
"I said, not so fast champ." Suddenly, a golden rope coiled around his body and yanked him like a yo-yo away. Ryan's body shot back towards the core of Eden, completely out of control. He braced himself for the heavy impact.
The giant suddenly lost his orb, two platinum gauntlets taking its place. His body suddenly seemed to become heavier and stronger, but his movements slower. At that moment, this was perfect. The target was coming towards him, there was no need to be quick.
'He wants me alive, doesn't he?! He wouldn't kill me, right?! So why does it seems like I'm going to die?!' Ryan closed his eyes and gritted his teeth, bracing himself for the impact that would surely end his life. "Fuck!"
That was certain death.
The gauntlets came together like a hammer and collided with Ryan's bestial body.
With a thunderous crash his body was slammed into the earth, carving deep fissures from which the earth's blood, magma, poured out. His body bounced across the ground as his eyes rolled back. His consciousness flickering in the process.
Only pain filled his senses.
But the pain told him that he was still alive.
Ryan was heavily injured, but relatively intact.
'Why?!' Again, he was shocked. 'Why didn't I just die and failed the trial? How am I still alive?' He quickly stood and ran once more to reposition himself, this time however, he did it while stumbling.
'That bastard kept me alive on purpose! He must be using his powers to keep me alive and torture me.' Ryan thought quickly. 'He wants to somehow force me to sacrifice the others... he underestimates my mental fortitude.'
Again the orb took shape in the guardian's hand. And it began to shine like the cosmos. Dozens of arrows, like a starry sky, were summoned from behind the giant's cloak.
And soon, they all rained down upon Ryan.
He ran and used his axe to deflect as many as he could, but soon several of them pierced his flesh making him bleed, stumble and fall. His body resembling a porcupine due to the many arrows embedded in his flesh.
But soon they vanished, leaving only the bloody holes behind. Making Ryan scream like a wounded beast. The countless wounds making him writhe in pain so terrible it was unimaginable.
At this point, his data had been completely corrupted and of that there was no doubt anymore.
Blood ran down Ryan's face, blood poured from the countless holes that were lethal wounds. For the first time since entering the Unnamed Game, he had truly lost.
And this time, there was nothing he could do about it.
And this defeat should mean death.
His data should be about to be completely destroyed.
A bitter taste filled his mouth.
He failed.
He failed where it mattered most.
Others would suffer the price of his failure.
He shouldn't have failed.
He scratched the ground with his fingers, leaving a bloody trail. "Shit! Shit! Shit! I knew I could win! I knew It!" He clenched his bloody hands. "Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!"
"If only I had one more chance!"
He growled exactly as expected of him, just like a beast, a wolf, just like he always was, before pounding the ground with growing fury.
"FUCK IT ALL!"
He waited for death to consume his spark, a death that would never came.
Ryan knew he would be kept alive, but still, he felt hatred. It would have been preferable to die than to be part of such a hateful scheme.
"You see, I am fighting with the same amount of status as you. Even so, it is a losing battle, impossible to win. Just as you can see." He said switching weapons once more, this time opting for a spear which he drove into the ground to appear imposing. "I will win, even if we fight a thousand times."
"End this already." The guardian said once more. "I will heal you now and you will sacrifice them. That is how this ends. Sooner or later. Even if I truly need to show you this a thousand times. What is your decision? To rebel again or to accept my will."
Ryan's ears perked up when he heard that.
Ryan saw the world through the red lens of blood beneath his eyes and then turned to face the giant. "You will lose eventually." He spat the blood pooling in his mouth. "I don't just look like a wolf, I'm a real beast when put to the test. Do you want bet? Heal me and taste my indomitable spirit…."
"I was already planning on it." He laughed. "Breaking your spirit will be a fine lesson." With a snap of his fingers.
Ryan was staring at his axe once more, standing before the guardian, both of them unscathed. Both of them at their peak. Both of them at the same level of power.
'Escaping is impossible.' Ryan murmured. 'Fighting head-on is my only chance.'
He charged again with his axe, steel bit steel, and this time Ryan knew what to expect and managed to hold his ground against him. 'Fuck this damn jaguar speed, I'm a damn wolf! Feel the strength of my fangs!' He thought, half mad.
Without much delay, using his cunning he feinted and deceived the giant, opening a gap to get in close at point-blank range. And then he bit down as hard as he could, as expected of a wolf, he hurled his explosives against the colossal rotten flesh making him scream in as much pain as he had caused Ryan.
'Scream like a fucking bitch now, you wretched abomination!'
Furious, the guardian summoned a new weapon, only to be struck in the face with more explosives, destroying his jaw which soon broke free and fell from his face. The colossus's entire body began to fall apart as Ryan's axe tore flesh and blood like a bloodthirsty beast.
Ryan then moved in and bit his blade into the giant's heel, destroying his tendons and forcing him to his knees, his bestial blood screaming at him how he should act. This act exposed every weakness of the giant for Ryan to do as he pleased. He then chose to scale the colossus's back. Quickly he leapt onto the thigh and ran up the back, his axe building up for a powerful final strike.
He leapt above the nape of his neck with his blade ready to sever the giant's head. This time, he would win, this time, the giant would die. The head was mere centimeters from the killing edge.
He had won!
Ryan blinked...
...and in the next instant the slave's eyes were staring up at him above the sacrificial altar, the blade of his axe falling swiftly upon his companion who looked at him with fear and despair in the face of sudden death.
Ryan was about to sacrifice his partner at the altar.
Abruptly Ryan stopped the strike against the slave's cheek, drawing a thin line of blood that made Ryan's heart freeze.
'forced teleportation!'
"Don't just stand there!" The giant roared beside him and a punch sent Ryan crashing into the temple walls and statues, his body rolling across the ground and opening countless wounds in the process. Arrows like falling stars rained down upon him, which he swiftly dodged before closing in on the already wounded giant... who was not wounded.
His wounds had been healed...
However...
'He's weaker...' Ryan immediately noticed. 'The punch was painful and the arrows were terrible. But not as bad as before.'
'He is much weaker now.' Ryan licked the blood from his lips.'That's good. I like it.'