The metallic dome clanged into place, sealing the two combatants inside, the sound reverberating through the arena. The crowd's deafening chants of "Fat Bastard!" echoed louder than ever, rattling in Kazuki's bones. His opponent, a towering behemoth of a man, stood motionless, a grotesque monument of raw muscle and fat. His belly sagged beneath his massive chest, yet his sheer size made him look unmovable—a human wall.
Kazuki took a steadying breath, wiping sweat from his brow with a bloodied sleeve. He could feel the dampness of his tracksuit clinging to his skin, the weight of exhaustion from his previous battles starting to set in. His heart pounded in his chest, but he couldn't afford to think about that.
His eyes fixed on the Fat Bastard, who was now rolling his shoulders with a loud crack, his grin stretching ear to ear. The man's booming voice finally broke through the crowd's chanting.
He chuckled, slapping his belly. "This'll be over quick."
Kazuki didn't respond. His mind raced, calculating. He knew how the Fat Bastard fought—his ability to manipulate his mass made him deadly. Speed wasn't going to win this fight alone. Kazuki needed to think.
Fat Bastard must've received a file on Kazuki too, but with only two fights under his belt, Kazuki's profile was sparse in comparison. Kazuki planned to use that lack of information to his advantage. After all Kazuki hadn't manifested Aura yet.
The whistle blew, and in an instant, the Fat Bastard lurched forward, his enormous legs propelling his body with surprising speed. Kazuki barely managed to dodge the first strike, a wide sweeping arm aimed at his head. The sheer force of the swing sent a gust of wind past him, making his hair stand on end. He rolled to the side, feeling the vibrations of the impact where the Fat Bastard's arm smashed into the ground.
The Fat Bastard turned on his heels, his massive form moving quicker than seemed possible for someone his size. He charged again, and this time Kazuki leaped back, narrowly avoiding a brutal body slam. But before he could recover, the Fat Bastard's bulk expanded, and with a sudden surge of mass, the ring beneath him groaned as he grew even larger.
Kazuki's eyes widened. The sheer size of the man now left him with almost no room to maneuver.
"C'mon, little rat!" Fat Bastard bellowed. "You can't run forever!"
Kazuki gritted his teeth, adrenaline surging through him as he felt the pressure of the arena closing in. He needed to use his Aura—he had timed it perfectly in his earlier fights, but now he had no room for error. Summoning the strength from deep within, he let out a breath and his Aura flared, strengthening his hands from within.
He dashed forward, feinting left before striking from the right. He successfully landed a punch at the Fat Bastard's side, but the blow barely made a dent. The man's thick layers of flesh absorbed most of the impact, and he retaliated with a monstrous backhanded swing.
Kazuki dodged, but not fast enough. The edge of the blow caught his shoulder, sending him spinning through the air. His body crashed against the metal cage with a sickening thud. Pain exploded in his ribs, and he gasped for breath, struggling to get back on his feet.
"Is that all you got?" the Fat Bastard taunted, stepping closer. His steps made the ground tremble, each one heavier than the last. Kazuki's vision blurred for a moment as the pain throbbed through him, but he forced himself to stand. The spark of determination still flickered inside him, even if his body was close to its limit.
Kazuki shifted his stance. He had to be smarter. The Fat Bastard was sluggish—despite his sudden bursts of speed. Kazuki knew his next move had to be decisive, or it would be the end.
As the Fat Bastard lunged again, Kazuki dropped low, sliding between the giant's legs. The sudden move caught the sumo off guard. Kazuki pushed up, Crimson Aura claws formed in his hands digging deep into the back of the Fat Bastard's knee. The man roared in pain, stumbling forward, his weight suddenly unstable.
Now! Kazuki's instincts screamed.
Before the Fat Bastard could regain his balance, Kazuki dashed forward, leaping onto his back. His Aura claws dug deep into the man's massive shoulders as he clambered up, aiming for the neck. But just as Kazuki prepared to deliver a final strike, the Fat Bastard's body shifted. His mass rapidly increased, growing larger and denser in an instant, and Kazuki felt himself being crushed under the immense weight.
The Fat Bastard fell back, collapsing onto Kazuki with all his newly gained mass. The air was knocked from Kazuki's lungs as he was pinned beneath the behemoth's body, his bones creaking under the pressure.
"Gotcha!" the Fat Bastard growled triumphantly, pressing down with his full weight. Kazuki struggled, his vision dimming, but he refused to give up. With one final push, he channeled every last bit of Aura into his claws and slashed upward with all his might.
The claws pierced through, tearing into the Fat Bastard's flesh. But, nothing happened, the sumo still was on top of Kazuki, sneering at him. Kazuki lay on the ground, gasping for breath, his body trembling from the effort.
"I didn't know you could use Aura. See, the way I control my weight shifts depending on the type of hit I'm about to take. That's the only reason you managed to mess up my leg."
The crowd erupted into cheers, not for Kazuki—but for the Fat Bastard, who, despite the injury, managed to stand tall again. The sumo looked down at Kazuki, a savage grin on his face as he sat down on his chest, pinning him to the ground completely.
The crowd's chant rang out once more. "Fat Bastard! Fat Bastard!"
Kazuki's vision blurred as darkness threatened to overtake him, the weight of defeat heavier than the giant sitting atop him.
***
Junpei stood in the crowd, his eyes locked on Kazuki as the brutal fight unfolded before him. His fists clenched tightly, knuckles white with tension. He could feel the anger bubbling inside, threatening to explode.
The sight of Kazuki being battered and thrown around by the towering Fat Bastard was too much for him. His heart pounded in his chest, every fiber of his being urging him to jump into the ring and tear the sumo apart.
"I won't stand by and let this happen," Junpei muttered under his breath, his body already leaning forward as if he were about to step forward.
Just as he was about to move, a gentle but firm hand rested on his shoulder. Rika. Her grip was light, but it carried enough strength to stop him. Junpei glanced at her, his rage momentarily cooling as he saw the calm determination in her eyes.
"Dad, wait," she whispered, her voice steady. "Not now."
Junpei's chest heaved with heavy breaths, his gaze flickering back to the ring. His heart was torn between the need to protect and the desire to trust in Kazuki's resilience.
Suddenly, a shift in the atmosphere caught his attention. Through the haze of pain and blood, Kazuki was rising again, staggering to his feet. The crowd's chants of "Fat Bastard" seemed to fade as Junpei's eyes locked on his student, standing once more despite the odds. Kazuki's body was bruised and battered, but there was a spark in his eyes—a determination that mirrored Junpei's own when he had been in battles long ago.