The arena trembled beneath the weight of anticipation. Every eye, every claw, every scale fixed on the central platform, waiting. Humanity was always looked down upon, hated by the supernatural beings gathered: dragons snorted disdain, elves whispered insults, and beast kin claws scraped the stone with impatience. Even the fairies perched above, wings fluttering, hearts laced with contempt.
Kaizen's boots struck the arena floor. The impact was thunder incarnate. Sand exploded outward in a wide circle. Stone cracked in spiderweb patterns beneath him. The crowd's collective gasp was swallowed by the roar of energy radiating from him.
Without pause, Kaizen tore the bindings from his spear. The black wrappings disintegrated into drifting ash. In his hands, Voultron gleamed: dark metal etched with radiant lines, humming with restrained violence. Heat and cold radiated simultaneously, warping the air.
The murmur in the stands shifted to uneasy silence. Then came Dragomof, the Proud Dragon King, wings half-spread, eyes like molten gold. His pride exuded like a storm. Behind him, other races whispered—hatred for humans evident in every glance.
King Dragomof boomed:"WELCOME TO ALL RACES OF THIS CONTINENT!"
His gaze swept the stands, listing every race, dripping with disdain:"DRAGONS. GIANTS. ORCS. ELVES. BEASTKIN. DEMONKIN. FAIRIES. HUMANS."
The word "HUMANS" landed like a blow—lowest in rank, despised. Laughter, sharp and cruel, echoed. Kaizen's eyes narrowed. He didn't flinch.
"So," Dragomof continued, "any race seeking supremacy must challenge the others—one by one. Bottom to top."
A deep rumble shook the gates. The colossal figure of Gigantose appeared.
Fifteen feet tall, golden canine teeth flashing, dark hair flowing down his scarred, muscular back. Massive arms like boulders, every movement radiating centuries of battle. His body bore scars from countless wars, each a testament to his pride.
"A child," he rumbled, eyes locking on Kaizen. "Sent to die."
He slammed his hammer, a mountain of iron, into the ground. Sparks of pure lightning arced across the arena. The floor shattered. Every step he took cracked stone, precise earth-bending movements sending fissures outward like deadly traps.
"Do you feel it?" Gigantose boomed, voice carrying through the arena. "I have toppled giants, dragons, and kings. You? Mere human! You will crumble before me!"
Kaizen's grip on Voultron tightened. His eyes glowed. Calm. Focused.
"I am the Emperor of Mankind," he said softly—but it carried across the platform.
Gigantose roared in disbelief and fury. "Emperor? Ha! You are a worm! Witness the might of lightning and stone!"
He swung his hammer in a massive arc. Lightning erupted, forming jagged spears that surged toward Kaizen. The arena shook with the thunderclap of each strike. With the tip of Voultron, Kaizen activated Absorb—the spear drank in the lightning. It coiled along the shaft, doubling in intensity, ready for Release.
Kaizen rolled forward as a fissure of earth erupted beneath him. Gigantose's foot slammed down, bending stone to spike the air. Kaizen twisted mid-roll, thrusting Voultron—Impact activated. Every strike carried forty percent more lethal than the last one.
"Come! Face me! human" Gigantose taunted, swinging lightning and hammer in precise, crushing patterns. "Your techniques won't save you from history!"
Kaizen pivoted, Shadow Step, appearing ten feet away, leaving a streak of dark energy in his wake. Blood trickled from his forehead, his stance shaken by the force of a lightning-imbued strike.
Gigantose smirked, eyes glinting. "Pathetic human! I will show you the might of the Giants' Ten Fist Smash!"
Ten massive fists of pure mana erupted around Kaizen, spinning and colliding in a precise pattern. He activated Zero Aura Domain, Crimson Dust forming around him. 40% of the incoming mana was absorbed, bolstering his own energy. He gritted his teeth as the energy slammed against him—his arms tingled, muscles screaming—but he endured.
With a cry, Kaizen launched forward, spear twisting, fist charging—Rippling Fist technique: Pressure Mountain. Kaizen shouted. His strike, carried by heaven and earth, shattered the ten mana fists in a deafening explosion. Shockwaves radiated outward, dust and debris thrown across the arena.
Gigantose staggered—but laughed. Blood on his lips, eyes glowing with fury. "Do you think that hurt me?" He slammed the ground again. Earth split in jagged spikes, lightning arcing with every tremor.
Kaizen's mind raced. He unleashed Devour, summoning the hyena battle spirit. It lunged at Gigantose's mana cores, consuming the stolen energy of the Ten Fist Smash. Kaizen felt power surge through him—his strikes would now cut through Armor like paper.
The giant swung his hammer again, lightning bolts scattering like deadly arrows, earth rising to strike Kaizen from all sides. Every move was precise, practiced, a display of centuries of battle. Yet Kaizen's spear absorbed, countered, and struck back with lethal efficiency.
"You will fall!" Gigantose roared, smashing his hammer down. The earth trembled. A bolt of lightning formed a coil around the hammer, striking Kaizen mid-air. He barely twisted Voultron, Release sending the amplified lightning back. The giant's body convulsed, smoke rising from his flesh.
Kaizen's eyes burned red. Every blow, every parry, Impact increased lethality. Blood ran from his mouth—but he didn't stagger. His focus was absolute. He saw an opening.
With a step forward, spear expanding, Expand activated, Voultron doubled in weight. Kaizen charged, fist glowing, Rippling Fist and spear combined. The punch struck Gigantose's chest with an explosion that shattered reinforced stone.
The giant's roar split into a scream as Kaizen thrust Voultron deep, Impact + Devour synergy amplifying force. Lightning still arcing over Gigantose's body, the power of absorbed and released mana smashing every rune on his skin. He spat blood, muscles torn, yet somehow clinging to consciousness.
Kaizen's final strike was a symphony of destruction. Voltron's Impact-enhanced thrust, Rippling Fist strike, and Purify-empowered mana collided. Gigantose flew thirty feet backward, crashing into the arena wall with such force that dust and stone exploded outward.
Silence. The crowd was frozen. Even the dragons' eyes widened.
Gigantose lay there, unconscious. Skin charred and burned, muscles exposed, every scar scorched deeper than before. His kinsmen rushed forward, shame heavy, dragging him away.
Kaizen stood alone, blood dripping, spear humming softly. His breathing steady. Eyes scanning the stands: Dragomof glared, proud but cautious; other kings and lords seethed; hatred for humanity stronger than ever.
And yet, Kaizen had done it. Humanity had a champion.
He was no longer just a human. He was the Emperor of Mankind.The God of Slaughter.