The ground exploded when Ashen's monstrous body collided with the deformed giant.
It was like a mountain of flesh and blood crashing into another, the sound of bones breaking echoing through the arena like a symphony of death.
Ashen's fangs sank into the giant's shoulder, tearing flesh, blood pouring out in black streams. But at the same moment, the pain reflected back into his own body. His shoulder burst with blood as if his own fangs had pierced it.
The deformed giant roared, grabbed Ashen's body with its massive hand, and slammed him against the ground.
The earth cracked, the dirt shattered, the arena shook as if it would collapse.
Ashen spat blood from his mouth… then laughed, a hoarse, crazed laugh, while sinking his claws into the giant's chest.
Death flowed into them both. Every wound he dealt to the enemy bled into his own body as well, but Ashen no longer knew pain as humans do. Brutality had taken full control.
Blood-red bear claws ripped open the giant's chest, black blood bursting out like a fountain.
At the same time, Ashen's chest split open with the same deep wound.
But the moment the blood spilled, his flesh healed at a terrifying speed.
"GROOOOOOH!!"
The leopard's roar burst from his throat. He lunged with savage speed, circling the giant, climbing onto its back, and sinking his teeth into its neck.
Scalding blood rushed down his throat like poison.
But instead of retreating, he swallowed it madly, gulp after gulp, as if feeding on the curse itself.
The deformed giant slammed his head against the arena wall, shattering stone. Ashen's face broke apart, his nose crushed, his jaw dislocated. But in the next moment, it all knit back together.
It was a terrifying sight… two abominations locked in combat. Every blow shattered the ground, every roar shook the air, and blood sprayed in clouds of black and red.
A bony tail erupted from the giant's back, thrusting forward like a spear and piercing through Ashen's chest.
His chest exploded in a bloody mess, his heart nearly split in two.
But Ashen didn't retreat—he grabbed the tail with his bloodstained hands and bit down until it broke.
At the same time, the giant's chest also exploded with the same wound.
Both fell to their knees, panting like torn-apart beasts, blood pouring beneath them, forming a swamp that drowned the entire arena.
And with every breath, the drums trembled.
As if celebrating the slaughter, as if demanding more.
Ashen surged forward like a storm, his right hand swelling into a massive bear's fist. He smashed it into the giant's chest.
The air ripped apart, the giant's bones shattered in a single blow.
But inside Ashen, the reflected damage detonated—his ribs shattered, his organs destroyed.
He didn't stop.
He kicked with his leg, a leopard's brutal strike, smashing through the giant's knee, bones breaking, blood pouring.
At the same time, his own knee shattered with perfect symmetry.
But his savage regeneration saved him. Flesh clotted in seconds, bone rebuilt itself grotesquely, bloody scales sprouted over the wound.
He screamed in a voice no longer human and lunged again, biting into the giant's arm until he tore it off.
Blood exploded in a black torrent, the monster's limb falling to the ground.
His own arm was torn off as well!
But it regrew, twisted and deformed, covered in scales and fangs like a mutant limb.
The massacre descended into pure hell.
Every strike was a shared death.
But Ashen had become an unstoppable killing machine, seeing nothing but the enemy, hearing nothing but the drums, knowing nothing but blood.
After hours that felt like ages of slaughter, the arena had turned into an ocean of blood.
Shreds of flesh, broken bodies, heavy breaths, endless beastly roars.
At last, Ashen the beast pounced on the deformed giant, seized its head with both hands, and crushed it.
The sound of breaking bones thundered, the giant's skull exploding like a black cloud, a death scream tearing into the sky.
But Ashen wasn't done.
He ripped open the giant's chest, shoved his hand into its ribs, and tore out a glowing black heart pulsing with cursed blood.
Without hesitation… he raised it to his mouth and devoured it.
Black blood streamed across his face and chest. His eyes burned red, his body shook violently, as if he was about to explode.
At that same moment… his own chest burst apart, his heart tore open, his head shattered, the reflected damage striking him with equal force.
His body collapsed onto the ground.
Blood flooded the dirt, his head crushed, his heart ripped apart, as if he had died alongside his enemy.
But…
Even drowned in blood, even with a body stripped of all human form, his eyes had not gone dark.
Something still flickered within them, a small spark… no one knew if it was life or a curse.