Thud!
The tremor multiplied.
Thud! Thud!
Another impact. Then another.
Each step rolled through the sand like a drumbeat struck by a giant hand.
The iron gates yawned wider. The whole crowd went silent, as if holding their collective breath.
I slowly moved backward, trying to position myself behind those "brave" gladiators. I knew something big was coming, and I had no intention of being the first one to die.
Clatter!
From the shadowed throat of the corridor, something massive moved. The clattering of heavy chains resonated in the silence of the colosseum.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The speed of the tremors intensified, something heavy bouncing on the ground. My heart thumped louder than I had ever felt it. Then suddenly—
"WOAAAAAAAAAAA!!"
With a horrifying roar, a massive beast tore through the gates before they were even fully open.
White fur brushed the stone walls as it stepped into the light. Frost clung to its shoulders like a mantle. Its breath poured from its nostrils in slow, steaming clouds.
The crowd erupted as if recognizing the nightmare before them.
"YEAAAAAAAAA!!!"
"WOAAAAAAAAAAA!!"
The massive white gorilla roared back, answering their calls.
"KORGA!! KORGA!! KORGA!!"
I felt the name vibrate in my bones. The creature's eyes were pale blue, almost luminous. Its knuckles slammed into the sand.
BOOM.
The sand rippled outward in a violent ring. A shockwave rolled through the arena and slammed into the seven of us like an invisible hammer.
I dug the end of my staff into the ground just to keep my footing.
'Five meters. Thick fur. Dense muscle. Heavy bone structure. Ice affinity?' I exhaled slowly.
'Too big to overpower. Too fast to outrun... a greater-rank monster!'
I rotated the staff and took a stance.
'A direct confrontation meant certain death, but... it might be possible to defeat it.'
I casually stepped back a little more. I just needed to wait for the right moment.
"AHHH!"
The first one to move was the man with the axe. With a desperate scream, he charged.
There was no elegance or strategy, just a burning, suicidal passion in his eyes.
Korga looked down on him with murderous intent but didn't move, as if the man wasn't worth the effort.
The axe-man reached the beast and jumped, planning to bury his blade in its head. Korga didn't even flinch. At the last second, the beast's arm blurred.
Crack!
The axe-man vanished mid-air. He was planted into the far wall like a broken doll. Whether he was alive or dead, nobody could tell.
"WOAAAAAAAAAAA!!"
The crowd went feral. "YEAAAAA! KILL! KILL!!"
I gritted my teeth. The monster was fast, almost too fast.
That meant it was likely a Grade-2, or worse, a Grade-3. For the next few seconds, nobody moved. I looked around; there were six of us left.
'What now?'
"L-Listen, I have a plan," spoke the black-haired man holding the frying pan.
I turned my head in surprise.
'What! They can actually think?'
"Speak!" said the middle-aged redhead with the knife. She was likely the oldest among us and seemed more composed than the others.
There was sweat on her forehead, but her hand was steady.
"K-Korga's weakness is its spine, joints, and eyes... a-attacking anywhere else is meaningless," the pan guy stammered.
"B-but to get to them, someone needs to distract it while others—"
"WOAAAAAAAAAAA!!"
The monster was done waiting. It charged in a frenzy.
Everyone scattered. Korga lunged toward the man with the hatchet first. Its charge split the sand like a tidal wave.
The hatchet-wielder didn't freeze; he pivoted sharply, sliding under the sweeping arm.
The gorilla's fist carved a trench where he had stood a heartbeat earlier, erupting sand into the sky.
The hatchet flashed at the monster's wrist.
Clang.
The blade struck something dense beneath the hide. It didn't cut deep, but it redirected the swing just enough for a youth with a sickle to hook Korga's ankle and yank.
A coordinated stumble.
"WOAA!!"
But the stumble failed. Korga yanked back with overwhelming force. The sickle-user flew like a discarded rag, rolling across the sand before scrambling back up.
The redheaded woman moved instantly. She darted in from Korga's blind spot and tried to bury her knife into the back of its knee.
This time, it pierced—but the cut was shallow, a mere scratch. The beast roared and backhanded blindly.
"WOAAAAA!!"
She blocked with her forearm and was thrown several meters, tumbling hard. The Korga charged toward her in a rage.
Then suddenly,
Whir!
An arrow came flying from afar and lodged itself directly into the beast's eye.
"WOAAAAA!"
A shriek tore from Korga's mouth. A young girl at the edge of the arena notched another arrow; she was the only one with a proper weapon.
Dark blood splattered the sand as Korga staggered. The hit wasn't deep, but it left him rattled.
Whir!
Another arrow flew, but this time the beast raised a hand. The arrow shattered against its hide.
Now!
I didn't waste the chance. I pushed essence into my legs, sprinting along the wall to gain height, and then I jumped.
'One. Only one shot.'
My mind sharpened until all noise ceased. My pupils dilated as the blue aura of the Korga appeared before me.
Every other thought vanished, replaced by a single intent: Strike.
I held the staff like a spear, aiming it toward that blue aura. The tip of the staff began to shine with golden sparks, as if it were tearing through reality itself.
Then, I struck.
"WOAAAAAAAAAHHH!"
Korga's roar tore through the skies, and the world began to shake.