The Priest of Corruption

“Whoaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!! !”

As the cheers roared around him, Bigfoot managed to suppress his surging excitement, calmly observing his opponent.

The self-proclaimed Human Butcher. A name that reeked of violence.

The man standing before him was audacious, not just in name. He wore loose black cloth pants, his upper body bare, and a mask to cover his face.

This underground arena was no playground. It was a space for bloodshed and death.

He hadn't stepped onto the stage clad in thick armor and wielding an iron club for nothing.

Once on this stage, there were only two ways to survive. Win the fight or beg for mercy from your opponent.

Every match in the underground arena was winner-takes-all. The loser faced a brutal death or crippling injuries that would prevent them from ever returning. Bigfoot let out a low roar, his yellow teeth bared.

“Bring your armor and weapons, boy.”

The Human Butcher, Marnak, quietly extended his hands, raising only the middle finger of each.

Bigfoot didn't understand the gesture, but he was certain this bastard was mocking him.

“I'll crush your limbs!''

Furious, he charged towards the Human Butcher. It was a reckless rush, but Bigfoot's eyes were sharper than ever, closely watching his opponent's movements. First, a light check.J Whoosh!

Bigfoot swung the iron club in his hand relentlessly. Marnak leapt behind him, lightly tilting his chin to dodge the attack. The Human Butcher, having widened the gap between them, flicked his index finger, signaling that this was nothing.

“Whoaaaaaaaaaaaaa! ! !''

The crowd erupted once more at the impressive maneuver. Bigfoot's face reddened. 'This bastard.' Bang!

Bigfoot, in his wild sprint, swung the iron club with his long arm, unleashing an unstoppable onslaught. He used the difference in weight and reach to his advantage. The iron club cut through the air, hurtling towards the Human Butcher.

Marnak calmly dodged the first blow. The second attack followed swiftly. Marnak evaded the continuous barrage of club swings. No, he didn't just evade them. He weaved through them, playfully poking Bigfoot's armor with his fingers.

Cheers filled the air as the crowd watched the relaxed movements.

“Whoooooah!!!"

“There must be a reason he came out naked!!!''

“He's so agile! I've never seen a battle like this!!!''

“Bigfoot, you fool!!! You can't land a single hit. What are you doing!!! I bet on you!!!''

Bigfoot was screaming internally as he swung his iron club.

'Do you think I'm missing him on purpose?!!!'

Each swing of the iron club felt empty, as if he was merely swiping at the air. The Human Butcher was clearly in front of him, yet he couldn't touch him. His arms grew weaker with each swing, his back damp with cold sweat.

He might die like this. The desire to live pushed Bigfoot to exert his muscles to their limit. He let out a desperate cry, longing to hit his target.

“Ahhhhhhh! ! !''

The iron club sliced through the air faster than ever before, rushing towards the Human Butcher. He glided and jumped over the ground. The opportunity created by the club's swing was seized by Marnak, who stretched out his hand.

“Ugh!''

Marnak's right hand gripped Bigfoot's neck. He continued running without stopping, Bigfoot's giant body suspended from his hand.

“B-Bigfoot is flying! ! !''

“Bigfoot is flying!!!'' “Flying Bigfoot!!!'' Bang!

As Marnak sprinted and jumped, Bigfoot's huge body followed, his neck still in Marnak's grip. Bigfoot tried to remove the hand from his neck, but it wouldn't budge, as if it were made of steel.

Anything that ascends without wings will naturally fall. Bigfoot felt a change in the airflow, the resistance of the air that had been supporting him from below.

If he were to be thrown headfirst onto the floor, he would surely be severely injured. He cried out in desperation.

“S-Spare me! Please spare me!!!''

“I have no intention to kill you. lust relax your muscles. This is going to hurt.” Bang!

Bigfoot hit the floor back-first, not headfirst. It happened much quicker than he expected. The Human Butcher whispered quickly.

“Pretend to be in pain as if you've been shocked. I want to live, you know.”

“Ugh! ! !”

Bigfoot let out a fake groan and writhed on the floor like a beached fish. From the stands, higher than the stadium, Bigfoot appeared to be in pain, his head on the ground, motionless.

While Bigfoot was performing, Marnak, who had risen from his seat as if bouncing, slyly walked along the stadium's outer wall, leading the crowd's cheers.

“What is this?!!! Why is he so agile?!!!”

“That's insane!!! Totally insane!!!”

“Whoaaaaaaaaaaaaa! ! !”

Marnak approached Bigfoot again and whispered, audible only to Bigfoot.

“Yeah, just do that.”

The two continued their act. Marnak gently tossed Bigfoot to the other side with a variety of arbitrary and flashy attacks, and Bigfoot became more engrossed in his performance. “Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! ! !”

“Bigfoot, he's persistent even though he knows there's no chance of winning!!! Did that guy always have such a strong will?!!! It's amazing!!!” “This is getting me fired up!!! A duel between two brave fighters!!! That's what I came for!!!” Finally, the match reached its climax, lust as the Human Butcher had instructed him to pretend to be unconscious and not move, Bigfoot lay on his back in the corner of the stadium.

“T-That's...?!”

“The Human Butcher!!! The Human Butcher!!! He's scaling the wall with his bare hands!!!”

Marnak ascended, digging his fingers into the stone pillar. His pace was neither too slow nor too fast, allowing the audience to marvel at his feat.

Midway up the column, Marnak dangled from a height equivalent to five or six adults stacked on top of each other, absorbing the subdued cheers.

Every day, he had to depart as if perpetually on the run. When had he ever been able to bask in cheers so comfortably?

Now was his moment to reciprocate this fervent applause.

The cheers dwindled and silence fell over the crowd as Marnak gestured slowly, embedding one hand deep into the pillar and suspending himself at the center.

In the ensuing silence, the Human Butcher launched himself off the pillar.

Rotation. Rotation. Continuous rotation. His muscles flexed more elegantly than anyone else's, revealing stunning definition.

Bigfoot watched the spectacle with narrowed eyes, a scream echoing in his heart.

'If I get hit by that, I'll surely die!!!'

Should he rise now and flee? But he was currently pretending to be unconscious.

Immersed in his role, Bigfoot clenched his eyes shut. He chose to trust his partner, his co-star in this performance.

Marnak, in mid-fall, ceased spinning. He angled his elbows into the shape of a sharp awl and plummeted straight towards Bigfoot's stomach.

Bang!

Finally, the Human Butcher, descending like a beam of light, signaled Bigfoot. Bigfoot quickly bit his lip and spat out blood. A flawless improvisation.

“Cough! ! !”

With Bigfoot finally receiving the signal behind him, Marnak lifted his right elbow, which had been damaged by the impact of the fall, and sprang up like a coil.

A wave of cheers erupted as the Human Butcher raised his left hand in the silence.

“Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! ! !”

The spectacular performances of the two fighters and the fervor ignited by their showmanship captivated the audience. The excitement was akin to a gathering of fanatics.

Once the match concluded, the host hurriedly ran out and thrust the voice-amplifying ancient artifact into the Human Butcher's mouth.

“What an exhilarating match!!! Say something, Human Butcher!!!”

Marnak attempted to grasp the voice-amplifying artifact with his right hand, but remembering his recently injured elbow, he roughly seized the artifact with his left hand. “Human Butcher! Human Butcher! Human Butcher!!!”

Seeing the audience incessantly chanting his name, Marnak quickly strategized. Crafting a persona was crucial in such situations.

“Ah.”

The audience fell silent once more, eagerly awaiting the Human Butcher's remarks.

Marnak, the Human Butcher, slowly surveyed the stands. His intense aura left the audience breathless.

The persona. Marnak had already decided on the character he would portray. He knew the persona that commanded a stronger presence than any other.

“Kill.”

In a few words, the Human Butcher spread his arms wide and bellowed, ensuring everyone heard him clearly. “I! ! ! ”

He drew his thumb across his throat, completing his sentence. “Kill them all!!! ! ! !”

The electrified crowd echoed the Human Butcher's battle cry passionately.

“Kill!!!!!!”

“Kill!!! Kill!!!”

“KIIIIIILLL!!!!”

Amid the escalating frenzy, Marnak grinned broadly. His face was concealed by a mask, so no one noticed. ***

Drip, drip.

As I removed the mask, sweat poured down my face. Lady Dachia handed me a cloth and spoke.

“I never imagined you would go to such lengths. How could you sever your own leg and arm just to demonstrate your abilities?”

I settled into a chair, accepting the cloth with my remaining hand, and wiped away the sweat.

It was invigorating, as if all the pent-up stress had been washed away.

“It was exhilarating. Did you hear it too? The crowd chanting 'Human Butcher'?” 'Kill! Kill! Kill!!!'

In my trouser pocket, Mother incessantly chanted 'Marnak the Human Butcher!' Dachia shook her head, declaring me a lost cause.

“I'm not convinced this is a healthy way to vent. However, I've made a considerable profit...” Bang, bang, bang.

Someone pounded on the door. Swiftly, I replaced my mask and beckoned them in with a hushed voice.

“Enter.”

The door creaked open, and Bigfoot, a man towering three heads above an average adult, stooped to enter my chamber.

I studied Bigfoot in silence. He returned my gaze, his eyes fixated on my mask, before he finally spoke.

“I came to express my gratitude for sparing my life.”

“No, as a gladiator, you've been 'killed' by me. Quit the arena and pursue something more worthwhile.” Bigfoot nodded silently, lowering his iron club to the floor.

“I intended to do so. I have a new dream.”

A dream? Could a match inspire such a thing?

Despite my confusion, Bigfoot continued.

“I aspire to be a theater actor. If I succeed. I'll surely invite you, Human Butcher. Until then, stay alive.”

He spat out his words as if discarding them, then departed. As the door closed, Dachia, her hood drawn tightly around her face, turned from the wall to question me.

“You didn't orchestrate this, did you?” “Absolutely not.”

“But will you approach the next match with the same flamboyance?” I shook my head.

“No.”

“Why not?”

There was no need for the next match to be so theatrical. There was no reason to spare the next opponent. I answered Dachia with a grin.

“The next one is an evil god worshipper.”