With a few big strides, Barry crossed half the classroom.
Closing in on Pyramid Head, Barry twisted his waist and swung his short-handled axe. The seemingly crude blade sliced through the air, aimed at Pyramid Head's chest and abdomen.
Thwack!
The axe bit deep, over a foot into flesh, as a trickle of dark red blood oozed out.
Barry's strike hit home. He yanked the axe free with a swift pull.
A jagged gash tore open.
Pyramid Head's massive frame swayed. His muscled arms flexed, and he swung his massive cleaver in a wide arc toward Barry.
The cleaver came with terrifying force, cutting through the air with a dull whoosh—a ferocious slash.
Having survived the hellish resurrection gauntlet and tapped into Jason's axe-wielding instincts, Barry made a split-second call. Instead of dodging, he leaned in, meeting the cleaver head-on.
Clang!
The axe blade, swung at an angle with lightning speed, collided with the cleaver before it could fully connect.
The massive cleaver struck like it hit a thick log, failing to cleave through the axe.
Pyramid Head poured all his strength into it, gripping the heavy iron cleaver with one hand, slowly pressing it toward Barry.
Barry wasn't backing down. He summoned every ounce of power and pushed back hard.
Scrape! Scrape!
The two locked in a struggle, their weapons grinding against each other. Suddenly, straw fragments sparked and flew from the point of contact—the straw binding them was giving way.
Oh crap!
Sensing trouble, the hollows under Barry's mask widened in alarm.
The next second—
Pyramid Head twisted his wrist, his bulging muscles shifting as he redirected the cleaver. With a swift upward flick, the blade flashed.
An arm went flying.
Clean as cutting grass.
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The axe snapped in two, and Barry's right arm was severed. Down to one arm, he was staring defeat in the face.
But Barry didn't panic. No biggie, just a minor adjustment.
Pyramid Head raised the cleaver again, this time turning it to smash down with the flat, brick-like side of the blade.
Is this it?
"Eat my Straw Bind!" Barry roared.
His severed arm, still airborne, suddenly unraveled into a mass of straw ropes. One end wrapped around Pyramid Head's iron helmet, the other snared the cleaver.
Pull!
Barry commanded the straw ropes he could still sense, quickly tying them into tight knots.
The wild move worked.
Pyramid Head's massive helmet became his weakness. He couldn't shake off the welded-on headgear, nor could he easily break the binding straw.
Who told you to have such a big head?!
Barry smirked inwardly, then leaped into the air, unleashing a flurry of kicks.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The kicks landed in rapid succession, Pyramid Head's helmet clanging against his own cleaver. The pointed head trembled, a deafening buzz echoing in his ears.
"Back! Back! Back!"
With each shout, Pyramid Head staggered backward, until the final kick sent him crashing into the wall.
With a thunderous crash, bricks shattered, cracks spiderwebbing across the wall. Dust and ash billowed, cloaking the scene in a hazy cloud.
Tap!
Barry landed lightly after a slick backflip, his flurry of kicks complete.
He turned to check the aftermath. As the dust settled, he saw Pyramid Head's pointed helmet embedded in the wall, stuck fast.
Victory.
Barry was about to toss out a quick one-liner when Pyramid Head struggled to his feet. His helmet scraped along the wall, grinding away the already fraying straw ropes.
With a flick of his cleaver, the scattered straw drifted to the ground. Pyramid Head didn't look too friendly.
"Oh, you want another round?" Barry taunted.
He picked up the broken axe, pressing it to his right shoulder. Strands of straw sprouted, connected, and reshaped, quickly reforming his arm and reattaching it to the stump.
The tension spiked again.
A new round was about to kick off.
Today, I'll take you down again and show you, Pyramid Head, who's the new boss of Silent Hill!
It ain't you—it's me, Barry!
"Heh heh heh!"
Barry's fighting spirit blazed like fire. Channeling some soul-reaper elder vibes, he let out a sinister chuckle.
Neither could see the other's face, but both knew their eyes were locked, waiting for the slightest opening.
I'm watching you!
As Barry stared, his vision suddenly widened, and Pyramid Head's figure seemed to grow larger.
The hulking strength of Jason, the Crystal Lake killer, faded away.
In an instant, Barry's body deflated like a punctured balloon, shrinking rapidly.
He was back to being the little straw doll.
The overwhelming power drained from his body, replaced by the hollow exhaustion of overexertion.
Transformation time's up.
Pyramid Head's pointed helmet shifted from eye level to looming above him. Recognizing Barry's familiar form, he dragged his cleaver and charged.
"Hey! Can we talk this out?" Barry pleaded.
He really didn't want to get punted like a football.
Pyramid Head didn't respond, like he didn't hear a thing. He swung the cleaver's flat side forward, striking like a golfer teeing off.
And Barry was the ball.
You dirty fighter!
The little straw doll dodged left and right, trying to evade, but his overtaxed body slowed his reactions.
Finally, after a desperate roll, the thick cleaver's flat side swept through.
Whack!
The cleaver smashed into Barry's face, sending him flying high, wedging him into a second-floor window seam, butt sticking out.
A faintly raised middle finger was Barry's last act of defiance.
He'd be back.
---
In the Otherworld once more, Barry opened his strange book, flipping to the section on Silent Hill's monsters. There, vivid as life, was Pyramid Head.
Earlier, Barry's "Straw Bind" had secretly swiped some iron fragments from Pyramid Head's helmet.
After a few direct encounters, he was close to crafting a new "skin."
Book of the Bizarre, activate!
His straw body twisted, tangled, and reshaped. Barry transformed successfully.
He slowly surveyed his surroundings, getting used to Pyramid Head's field of vision.
This time, he couldn't feel his head—it was all sharp points now.
A heavy, welded-on triangular helmet, a muscular frame rippling with strength, a filthy butcher's apron, and a knockoff cleaver in hand.
This body brimmed with endless power. Even one-handed, he could wield the massive cleaver with ease.
The only downside? Pyramid Head's body was a bit clunky and stiff, and Barry wasn't quite used to it.
No big deal. I'll get the hang of it.
"Pyramid Head, come out for a one-on-one!" Barry bellowed in the school courtyard.
Soon, the real Pyramid Head appeared.
No small talk.
The moment they locked eyes, both dragged their cleavers and charged.
The heavy iron blades clashed repeatedly, ringing out with fierce collisions.
This time, Barry's knockoff cleaver was thick enough to hold up.
Pyramid Head raised his blade overhead for a telegraphed vertical slash. Barry sidestepped, swinging his own cleaver in a counterattack. Pyramid Head parried with a horizontal slice.
Barry shifted his attack, thrusting his blade forward through an opening.
The tip pierced a black, gaping hole.
Barry pressed his advantage, piling on the damage.
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