Hiro the Spider
Episode 4 — Fangs Against Steel
The courtyard burned. Towers collapsed in the distance, warriors screamed as reality folded in jagged spirals, but none of that mattered now.
Because every eye was locked on two figures.
Hiro the Spider. Level 13. Blood-streaked, hoodie torn to ribbons, grinning like a lunatic.
Gen. Level 15. Towering in black armor, blade humming with crimson aura that cracked the ground beneath his boots.
The HUD flickered above them like a referee too drunk to care:
[Special Objective: Defeat Rival Gen — Reward: +5 Levels.]
Hiro spat blood onto the cracked tiles. "Alright, big guy. Time to see if your bark matches your blade."
Gen sneered. "You're reckless trash. I'll grind you into paste."
Hiro cracked his knuckles, bouncing lightly on his heels, eyes gleaming with feral hunger. "Grind me, huh? Buy me dinner first, asshole."
Gasps rippled through the watching survivors. Gen's aura flared, red lightning tearing gouges into the courtyard. Hiro only grinned wider.
⸻
First Clash
Gen moved first—fast for his size, blade swinging like a guillotine. Hiro ducked, the steel singing past his head, close enough to split hair. Reflexes flared; the world slowed for a heartbeat. Hiro twisted, driving a fist into Gen's ribs.
CRACK.
Gen grunted but didn't stagger. He backhanded Hiro across the courtyard, sending him crashing through a row of desks. Splinters exploded around him.
Hiro coughed blood, then laughed, staggering up. "Fuck… now that's what I'm talking about."
Gen lunged again, blade aiming to split him down the middle. Hiro rolled forward, sprinted up the blade mid-swing, and drove a knee into Gen's jaw.
The clash sent both men skidding back, boots carving trenches in the tile.
"Not bad," Gen growled, wiping blood from his lip.
"Not bad?" Hiro barked, laughing wild. "That's the nicest thing anyone's said to me all day."
⸻
The Grind
The fight spiraled into chaos. Hiro's fists blurred, striking like pistons—ribs, jaw, throat, gut. Gen blocked with his blade, each strike detonating sparks.
Gen retaliated, blade slashing arcs that shredded air. Hiro ducked, flipped, twisted along walls and ceilings, spider-like, movements too sharp for human eyes to follow.
But Gen was relentless. A swing grazed Hiro's side, carving a bloody line. Hiro hissed, clutching his ribs.
"Fuck—you hit harder than my last hangover."
Gen pressed forward. "You can't match me. You're nothing but a rabid dog."
Hiro's eyes glowed white-hot, grin splitting. "Then guess what? Dogs bite."
He launched forward, slamming his forehead into Gen's nose. Bone crunched. Gen snarled, blade plunging forward. Hiro twisted, but not fast enough—the steel sliced through his shoulder. Blood poured.
For a second, the courtyard thought it was over.
But Hiro only laughed louder, blood dripping down his arm.
"Shit! That tickled!"
⸻
Level Up Through Kill
As Gen pressed the advantage, a stray villain lunged at Hiro's back, hoping to steal the kill. Hiro didn't even look—he spun, drove a fist straight through the bastard's skull, and kicked the twitching body aside.
[Kill Registered. +1 Level. Current Level: 14.]
Energy surged through him, muscles tightening, reflexes sharper still. His grin stretched wolf-like.
"Ahhh, that's the good shit."
He lunged back at Gen, fists hammering with newfound speed. Gen staggered under the onslaught, his armor denting under each strike.
"You're leveling mid-fight?!" Gen snarled.
Hiro spat in his face. "Cry harder, bitch."
⸻
The Turn
Gen roared, unleashing his aura in a wave of crimson energy that blasted Hiro across the courtyard. Stone cracked, blood sprayed from his mouth. Gen stalked forward, blade glowing like fire.
"This ends now."
Hiro wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, eyes burning with manic light. "Damn right it does."
He darted forward, dodging blade swings by inches, each slash carving buildings behind him. He weaved like smoke, then launched upward, vaulting off Gen's own blade to hammer an elbow into his temple.
Gen roared, swinging wildly. Hiro ducked, caught the blade with both hands, and shoved it sideways, the force tearing muscles in his arms but locking the weapon off balance.
With his free hand, Hiro slammed a fist into Gen's throat. Once. Twice. Thrice. Each hit sickening, each hit cracking flesh.
Gen gagged, aura sputtering. Hiro yanked the blade free and tossed it aside like trash.
Now it was just fists.
Fists of Hell
The two collided in a storm of blows. Gen's strength crushed walls with every punch, Hiro's reflexes weaving just out of reach, countering with brutal precision. Blood sprayed. Teeth cracked. The courtyard floor shattered under their feet.
Gen managed a crushing blow to Hiro's ribs, breaking bone. Hiro gasped, spat blood—and laughed through it.
"Fuck… that's gonna hurt tomorrow."
Then he drove his knee up, smashing Gen's jaw.
Gen staggered. Hiro pounced, climbing him like prey, fists raining down, each strike denting armor and splitting flesh.
Finally, Hiro's fist cracked across Gen's temple with a thunderous boom. The larger fighter crumpled to one knee.
The HUD blinked:
[Gen — Critical.]
⸻
The Finish
Hiro grabbed Gen by the face, forcing him to look up. Blood ran down both their mouths.
"You're strong," Hiro said, voice low, dark, almost admiring. "But strong isn't enough in my world."
Gen growled, eyes burning. "You think you'll survive this forever? You'll burn out—"
"Shut up." Hiro slammed his knee into Gen's skull. The man collapsed.
[Special Objective Complete. +5 Levels.]
[Current Level: 19.]
Hiro staggered back, chest heaving, body shaking with adrenaline and pain. His grin didn't fade. If anything, it grew sharper.
"Level nineteen, motherfuckers."
The courtyard was silent. Survivors stared. Some in fear. Some in awe. The crimson-armored heroine stood among them, her lips parted, eyes locked on Hiro like she couldn't decide whether to hate him or worship him.
Hiro spat blood onto Gen's broken body, then turned to the crowd.
"Who's next?"
The HUD flickered once more:
[Next Wave Approaching.]
And the campus rumbled like the dimension itself wasn't done feeding.