Blood Awakening: The Strongest Hybrid and His Vampire Bride

"Here we are again, ladies and gentlemen! Beasts and Bastards! In the arena tonight, we have an EXCITING match-up. The young rookie, Nikolai Vooolkov in his first ranking match in the Elder bracket!"

Nikolai closed his eyes, trying to adjust his Celestial and Vermillion blood while listening to the announcer's exaggerated nonsense. Today, the female announcer appeared animated and excitable, blowing him a kiss and dancing atop the cage as she introduced him.

"...Haa...."

With a deep breath as he focused, the arena went quiet.

All sound became dull and distant.

Only her voice echoed.

"His opponent, a familiar face, familiar fist! The Elder Division's deadly disaster, Honey Bear! The brown bearskin, currently ranked 20th in the entire division with fifty bouts, twenty-nine wins, twelve losses and eight brutal knockouts, gives him a warm welcome, folks!"

"YEAH!"

"KILL HIM, HONEY B!"

"Kyaaaa Nikolai without a shirt!"

The crowd's voices rumbled with support and hatred for both sides.

Those who fight in the arena cannot please everyone, not even the current champion.

Honey Bear jumped in the arena with an impressive front flip. The moment he landed, the entire ring shook with the weight of his body, over two hundred kilograms (440lbs+). His height was over seven feet, with a body almost entirely muscle.

"Who will win!? Place your bets now for a significant boost to your odds! Treat that pretty girl beside you, and prepare yourselves!"

A small timer affixed to the ceiling started to tick down, one minute until the battle began. Honey Bear glared at Nikolai, but did nothing other than that. No taunting or insults. He just watched and nodded.

It seems most bear-types are honourable. Nikolai thought, returning the nod.

50

49...

The crowd's voices lowered, the huge screams and excitement coiling themselves like an old spring, waiting for a child to wind them up for one last game.

"Give me a chant now, will you cheer four the handsome black wolf, or the brutal brown bear!? All on three!"

Nikolai's lips unexpectedly curved into a smile.

He found the woman's methods to boost morale and excitement to be talented, beyond a small arena, which caused him to wonder about her true identity. To capture the heart of crowds like this, she must be a monster with seductive or mental powers.

Forget it...

Focus on the battle.

There wasn't an opening in the bear's current stance, his arms lifted slightly, shoulders loose, and hips lowered in a crouching stance, brutal power constantly flowing from his abdomen to both limbs.

However, Nikolai remained relaxed, his body bouncing slightly off the cage, the sharp barbed wire unable to mark his skin.... The sharp edges sinking into his skin felt more like acupuncture or a massage, helping him focus.

22

21...

The battle was about to start.

Despite Nikolai's expectations, the woman guided the entire crowd to remain silent, their excitement boiling over like a pot of noodles on high heat. Any moment now, they would explode and stain the cooker in nasty starch water.

"Phew...."

Nikolai let out a long and laboured sigh.

The breath escaped his mouth like steam, hot and filled with excess energy.

3

2

1...

"It's TIME!!

The announcer's rolling letters, like old Bruce, signalled the bell.

Ding-Ding!

Wooooosh!

Before Nikolai blinked, Honey Bear began his assault.

His huge figure shot across the arena, closing the distance in seconds, his fist hurling towards Nikolai like a comet.

Pah!

Nikolai lifted both arms, blocking the punch with a loud thud. His arms throbbed from the impact, but he countered, stepping in and throwing his knee at the bear's gut. Honey Bear staggered back, his eyes open wide after taking the sudden blow.

Pah Pah Pah!

As if a switch triggered, both men started to fight without defence, a fist to Nikolai's cheek, an elbow to the bear's throat... they exchanged dozens of blows in a few seconds, as blood and spit coated the arena floor.

After a sudden clench, the pear pushed apart, Honey Bear missing a dangerous haymaker by a fraction of a second with enough power to blow Nikolai back with just the wind pressure.

So this is an Elder's power?

"Good, you are good!" The bear spoke for the first time, his voice like dragging rocks against the ground, deep and powerful but not insulting.

"You're not too bad yourself, big guy, this is fun!"

Both fighters wiped the blood from the corners of their lips and smiled.

Nikolai's Celestial Aura pulsated, pumping into his limbs rapidly, allowing the excess energy and power to assimilate with his body. The same for his Vermillion Essence that devoured more and more of the human souls lingering in his abdomen.

Veins bulged along his arms and neck as he lowered his waist.

Honey Bear followed, his arms swelling to a larger size, while his neck also thickened.

"Let's fight!"

"No problem, let's go!"

The two vanished for a second, and people in the crowd grasped.

Nikolai appeared low, his fist cutting through the air with an uppercut, while the giant bear stood above, both hands slamming down in a hammer.

Bang!

Smack—!

The bear's hammer smashed into the bridge of Nikolai's nose, causing a low crack, and blood immediately poured from the damaged bone. However, a fraction later, the bear's feet left the floor from Nikolai's counter.

A brutal uppercut shattered the jaw, his mouth dangling open as he flew back several steps, barely able to keep standing.

"!!!"

"....!"

Nikolai wiped his face, staining his arm in blood, as the bear groaned with a muffled roar, the broken jaw hanging slightly to the right.

Flash!

Both lunged again...again... and again!

Fists smashing each other like trying to crush the other's head like a melon, Nikolai's strikes focused on the bear's bones and joints, while the bear used brute strength to try to destroy Nikolai's head first.

"HOLY SHIT!" The female announcer's voice echoed as the pair locked arms, throwing knees into each other's bodies, both with a swollen right eye and bloody cuts dripping down their bodies. The bear slammed Nikolai into the cage, slicing his back open. Nikolai retaliated by tearing a chunk of flesh from the bear's neck with his fangs. "This battle is...."

"This is awesome!"

"We all love this!"

Crowd chants alternated, blood violence and pure aggression.

This sight was the reason people came to the arena.

Damn... my right eye is fucked.

Nikolai's left arm dangled, while his right remained high, covered in dark bruises from blocking the heavy haymakers that would instantly wipe him out. He gasped for air, the blows to his chest causing one side to sink slightly.

How many ribs did this bastard break? It hurts like hell!

However, despite the pain, his lips curled into a crazed, excited smile. How could he not? With each blow, his body burst with a pleasant wave of energy, and just fighting the bear helped him grow stronger... the thin bottleneck giving way each time the pair clashed.

"Come on, Honey Bear!"

"Haa.... crazy wolf.... here I come!"

The bear was in no better shape, panting and wheezing with blood pouring from his nose and torn neck. They fought without holding back, but there weren't any ill feelings. Instead, both revelled in this fight, lacking the sly and sneaky methods many used.

"HERE I COME!"

Nikolai dashed forward, jumping onto the cage, using his feet to wrap around the barbed wire, and launched a flying superman punch at the dome of the bear's face.

BANG!

The fist collided with the bear's cheekbone. Snap!

Before sending him back against the cage, Nikolai followed up with a spinning elbow. Crack!

The bear lifted off the ground, stunned, with a broken cheek and orbital bone, before Nikolai's final blow, a jumping knee collided with the bear's chest. Pop!

Honey Bear's body flew back, hitting the barbed wire, before stumbling down to the ground with a colossal thud, convulsing on the spot as his arms and body shrank back down to seven feet.

"The Bear has fallen!? What an insane upset.... Did anyone expect the rookie to win his first match in this manner!? Oh I love this arena! Don't you agree ladies and gentlemen!?"

"YEEEEAH!"

"Fight! Fight! Fight!"

Nikolai didn't hit the bear while down; he squatted and began to crack his dislocated shoulder back into place with an audible snap. He then tried regulating his breath while watching Honey Bear, who wanted to stand, his fists pressed on the arena mat, while pushing himself up.... yet he fell.

"Ohhh!? Is the Honey Bear Done, is this his first loss via Knockout!?"

The referee began counting...

I'm exhausted... please stay down, you damn bear... my arms are like lead jelly.

As heavy as lead, while floppy like jelly.

"7..."

"8....."

The count came close to ten, with Honey Bear still rolling on the ground, his head rocking around with movements as if drunk.

It was over.

Nikolai leaned back onto the sharp barbed wire, his body covered in dark bruises ranging from blue to purple, his right eye closed tight with a slight swelling.

"10!"

"Well, that's it, folks! We have our WINNER! He is the first to ever knock out the Honey Bear! A rookie to the Elder division! Let's hear your voices!"

Screams and shouts spread through the arena, while Nikolai shuffled over to the bear and helped him into the recovery position. The bear's eyes glazed over, yet filled with a strange glow of delight.

"G....good.... fight...." Honey Bear barely managed to speak.

"It was the best, Honey B."

After hearing Nikolai's response, the bear chuckled and finally lost consciousness.

"The Black wolf has won again!"