"Forgive me for intruding, but have you finished your conversation with the gladiator? It is time for him to take the arena."
After the brothers reached a decision, the female guide entered and reminded them.
"Yes, we have concluded our discussion." Grott approached the guide, resting his hand on her abdomen.
"Perhaps you wish to do something... I would be more than willing to cooperate, but at this moment..."
Before she could finish her sentence, a hail of laser pellets riddled her body.
Grott stepped out, followed closely by Heavy Hammer.
The guards in the corridor had already heard the commotion and raised their weapons, prepared for battle.
"Open fire!"
As Grott emerged, the captain of the guards immediately issued the command.
Blazing beams shot towards Grott, yet he remained unfazed, advancing while returning fire.
The laser blast swiftly eliminated dozens of guards in the corridor, but the battle was far from over, as more guards surged around the corner.
"For the Champion of Valor!" Heavy Hammer raised his gravity hammer and charged at the guards, his clawed arm spinning rapidly, the weapon whirring like a meat grinder, instantly shredding the guards that rushed forward.
An exhilarated smile spread across Heavy Hammer's face as he gazed upon the carnage strewn about. He felt a release of the pent-up fury within him, yet his fighting spirit remained fervent.
"Do you need this?" Grott gestured towards his arm, intending to detach the gauntlet from his power armor for Heavy Hammer's use.
"I do not require the weapons of the weak," Heavy Hammer declined, admiring his gravity hammer. "Why does it so effortlessly crush my enemies' bodies? I would prefer it to function like a proper hammer."
"High-tech weaponry is quite effective," Grott replied with a grin.
"I have no need for it," Heavy Hammer tossed the gravity hammer back to Grott and rummaged through the corpses for a more suitable weapon.
Eventually, he unearthed a battle axe.
This alloy axe, favored by the underworld gangs during shootouts, had the advantage of silent lethality, ensuring that the authorities would not be alerted by gunfire, even after slaughtering hundreds.
With a clawed grip on the axe, Heavy Hammer swung it a couple of times before pressing onward.
Grott trailed beside his brother, wary of accidentally injuring him, so he refrained from activating the gravity shield. Together, they advanced down the long corridor of the arena until they encountered another wave of foes.
Most of these guards bore a striking resemblance to their slain predecessors, except for one colossal figure towering at approximately seven feet tall.
This behemoth was an Ogryn.
Unlike the xenomorphs, the Ogryn was a subspecies of humanity, not resembling their long-legged kin at first glance, yet possessing frighteningly low intelligence coupled with immense strength.
"Ogryn want... want... want..." The Ogryn scratched his head, struggling to articulate a menacing remark, but after a long pause, he simply abandoned the effort and charged directly at Heavy Hammer.
His massive form thundered down the corridor like a tank, instilling trepidation even in Grott, clad in his elite power armor.
However, Heavy Hammer felt no fear. He brandished the battle axe and sprinted headlong towards the Ogryn.
As they closed the distance, Heavy Hammer did not evade; instead, he collided directly with the Ogryn's metallic frame.
The outcome was inevitable; Heavy Hammer was sent careening backward, crashing into the wall. The half-assembled long-blade prosthetic detached, spilling a torrent of wires and blood from his severed arm.
"For... for the Champion of Valor!" Heavy Hammer, undaunted, sprang back to his feet, his fervor ignited anew as he charged at the Ogryn once more.
Grott was about to unleash his shoulder-mounted cannon upon the Ogryn when Heavy Hammer leaped up, blocking his line of fire, compelling Grott to seize his gravity hammer and join the melee.
The Ogryn swung his oversized fist, equipped with massive knuckle dusters, directly at Heavy Hammer's face. Instead of dodging, Heavy Hammer braced himself with his metal skull while swinging the axe at the Ogryn's arm.
The Ogryn struck again, and as Heavy Hammer absorbed the blow, he retaliated with another arc of his axe.
They exchanged brutal strikes thrice until, at last, the Ogryn raised both arms, intent on crushing Heavy Hammer's head into his chest. Seizing the moment, Grott struck the Ogryn's leg with his hammer, and Heavy Hammer capitalized on the opening, leaping up to sever the Ogryn's head with his axe.
Lifting the severed head, Heavy Hammer bellowed towards the arena guards, "Long live the Champion of Valor!"
The guards stood paralyzed with shock at the sight, and after a few seconds of stunned silence, they turned and fled.
Heavy Hammer, still wielding the axe, gave chase. Though his metallic form hindered his speed, his stamina seemed boundless, and the distance between him and the fleeing guards continued to shrink.
As they retreated, the guards occasionally tripped their comrades to buy time, and Heavy Hammer would charge forward to dispatch the fallen guards before pursuing the others.
Their frantic escape propelled them out of the corridor and to the grand entrance leading to the arena's stage.
The two gatekeepers, still bewildered, stood frozen, watching as the guards and Heavy Hammer raced past them.
As Heavy Hammer sped by, he remembered something and swiftly turned back to slay the gatekeeper before dashing through the doors to continue his pursuit.
Grott struggled to find an opportunity to intervene, simply trailing his brother onto the stage.
The guards dispersed across the expansive arena, and Heavy Hammer ceased his pursuit of them, instead charging toward two gladiators engaged in combat.
The battle between the two gladiators was nearing its climax, each sinking their blades into one another's arms and thighs. When they glimpsed the oncoming Heavy Hammer, they had no time to evade, their eyes widening as the axe descended upon them.
With a sickening sound, the sharp blade pierced flesh, and two heads rolled to the ground, rolling away.
Standing amidst the pool of blood, Heavy Hammer raised his arms in triumph, calling out to the astonished crowd, "Praise the Champion of Valor!"
As the words left his lips, the statue of the Champion of Valor slipped from his grasp, standing upright amidst the crimson puddle.
The onlookers were inexplicably drawn to the statue, some even witnessing the mouth of the statue slowly parting, blood pooling towards it.
A sudden cry erupted from the crowd, prompting a stampede as the audience scrambled to escape the arena. In the chaos, people trampled over one another, etiquette forgotten; a noblewoman fell, her body crushed under the weight of countless feet.
Heavy Hammer sought to surge into the stands, but an increasing number of arena guards emerged from hidden passages to block his path.
"Enough, allow me to handle this..." Grott sensed something amiss with his brother and approached, hoping to dissuade him.
Yet, Heavy Hammer was already intoxicated by the frenzy, shouldering Grott aside.
Despite Grott's power armor, he staggered from the collision.
"Let me protect you as before." Heavy Hammer caressed the axe in his hands, a sinister smile creeping onto his face as his terrifying gaze shifted from Grott to the guards before them. "In the name of the Champion of Valor, I decree your death!"