Second Class vs. Second Form

The beast roared, its malformed arm swept through the cavern, gouging the walls like butter. It's single spiral horn, repeatedly stabbing Reiji. 

Ducking under it, Reiji Blitz along side it, slamming a Rending Fist into it’s protruded rib cage. A loud crack rang out, black blood spilling out, the meat wriggled once, and the wound began to heal, like maggots feasting on the dead. 

“So that’s how it feels…”

“This is no time to be impressed. Use the combined Ki Skill again.”

“But that drains a lot of Ki. I don't have enough left."

“You need to awaken your second class!”

“How?!”

Reiji shouts back as he flips over the beast’s charge. Stomping into it’s back, Stunning Blow diverting it’s into the cavern wall, stalactite crushing down on it. The beast didn’t even flinch as it’s body ejected the stalactite. 

“The system automatically picks the most suitable class for you!”

"Just try look for a new skill and activate it. You've already met the level requirements." 

He stood, chest heaving, something deep inside roaring to be released. The familiar burn of ki surged in his core, but it wasn't enough. It never was. Not against this thing.

So he reached, diving deeper, into himself.  Hoping. Searching. For something that would be powerful enough to see him through. Past discipline. Past restraint. The deeper he dived, the greater the roar of his soul. 

Finally. Something answered.

A beastial roar tore out of his throat - not human, or demon, but something in between.

*New Class Unlocked: Barbarian*

His muscles swelled, veins glowing faintly with a raging Ki flow. His hair whipped back from the sheer force of the aura, his eyes burning crimson-gold. Every heartbeat thundered lik a war drum.

Activating Yin-Yang Ki, a new wave of colors engulfed him. His Ki twisted violently, black and white flames swirling around his body in a storm of opposing auras. Yin and Yang clashed, not in harmony, but in collision, feeding the furnace of his fury. 

With the new class unlocked, his HP and Ki restored to slightly over half. Activating both skills simultaneously, his powers grew exponentially.

“Let’s Rock!” 

The minotaur lunged, faster than ever, sensing the danger, from the intruder, the corruption trying to preserve itself. 

Reiji didn't dodge. He met the poisoned claw head on, his bare fist slugging into it. For the first time, the Outer Beast staggered back, it's muscles shuddering from the impact.

"Hah! That's more like it!" Reiji roars, a bloodied grin splitting his face. "Let's see who breaks first!" 

Setting his sight on his prey, Reiji launched himself at the monstrous beast. Blitzing to it's side, he knocks its malformed arm away, before landing a barrage of kicks at it's ribs. 

Swaying under it's other sweeping arm, he launches a combo of skills. Rending Strike drills into its ribcage, Stunning Blow slammed down the head, Beast Fang launches it into the air, and a barrage of Ki Bullets crushing the beast into the cieling, each strike digging it deeper.

Brute forcing lose, the beast slammed down at Reiji, adding gravity to it's power, the cavern floor splitting in half. Refusing to dodge, Reiji cancels out the attack, raining punches at the beast's claw.

The cavern shook as the two collided, again and again. First against claw. Roar against roar. Each strike of raging Ki, cracked stone and split the air, every counter from the Minotaur shredded his flesh, sapping his body of strength and Ki. 

He was holding even ground, barely. Ki Heal running overtime. But the cost was carving itself into his body with each passing second.

His vision blurred. His knees buckled. The fire of his Rage burned bright, fueled by his unyielding spirit, but his level, his body, his Ki reserves couldn't keep up. At the current pace, Reiji would run out of Ki before he could deal enough damage to the Outer Beast.

Unwilling to lose, Reiji shuts off Ki Heal. Pouring his remaining Ki into his attacks. An all or nothing gamble.

"Reiji you can't."

"This is the only way!"

It was now a contest of will. Between Reiji's and the Outer Beast, which one would give out first. A deadly game of chicken. Slowly, Reiji creeped closer. With each strike, a sliver of HP would be gone. Trading his HP for ground. 

The distance between them dissipated. He wasn't able to parry every attack. One out of five attacks would slice into him, drawing a arc of crimson. Still he kept going. Infact, the longer they went, the harder he fought, each strike, faster, stronger, sharper.

The gap that started at 10m had now reduced to half. At this point it became increasingly hard to gain ground. Gritting his teeth, Reiji pushed harder.

At 4m, the veins of the beast could be heard, pulsing sickly black blood through it's body.

At 3m, Reiji no longer knew where his hands were.

At 2m, the wriggling muscle inside the beast became visible, it's details coming through the blackened skin.

At 1m, the taste of rust and iron coated his tongue, spurts of crimson flowers bloomed from his mouth. 

At half a meter, the beast finally let up, it's deformed arms unable to move close to it's monstrous body. 

Dashing through the last gap, Reiji activated Rending Fist, a palm strike caving it's chest, crimson blood spurting from his mouth. Seizing the momentum, Reiji struck out a spear hand, stabbing through it's jugular, it's vile black blood gushing out.

But this wasn't a regular Minotaur, this was a fully corrupted Outer Beast. 

Raising it's warped horn, the beast unleashes a lightning fast strike, gouging across Reiji's chest. Wet crimson spurts out, his body embedding into the opposite wall, another scarlet flowers blooms from his mouth, the aura around him fading.

Preparing for the final strike, the Beast raises it's warped horns, thundering towards Reiji.

Steel sang.

The beast reeled back, its roar tearing through the cavern, the last horn shattered, black ichor spraying the ground.

Reiji blinked through blood in his eyes. A figure stood before him - the girl he'd saved, spear in her hand, blue mana flaring around her.