Lightning Leonard, in 30 seconds you will die.

Jay stared at the golden rectangle of text in front of him with scepticism before another line appeared underneath.

Do you wish to enter the Second Chance Coliseum?

Thirty became twenty-nine.

The fuck?

Must’ve been some punch.

Twenty-eight.

Am I dreaming?

Jay tried to wake himself up, but nothing happened. He tried to look down at his body, yet there was nothing there.

Looking?

How could he look? He didn’t have eyes.

A floating mind, surrounded by endless darkness. Endless, apart from the golden screen of text permanently fixed to the centre of his reality.

Twenty-seven.

Jay tried to say yes, but how could he? He had no mouth.

His intent was accepted. The screen vanished, and drowning darkness made way for blinding light.

Then came pain.

Anguish ravaged Jay's soul as the very essence of his being splintered and cracked. Memories unravelled into nothingness like threads of a tapestry lost to time. Emotion came next. Seething rage faded into a hollow melancholy that soon became crushing despair.

They all left eventually.

Reason, intuition, ethics. Everything unfurled, fragments of personality flung themselves into the darkness until only consciousness remained. A fractured ego in a limitless void, deprived of everything that once made up a man.

The ache of destruction dulled until the agony of creation replaced it.

First it was identity, then came dreams and desires. Logic and emotion morphed together as the cowl of perception wrapped itself around Jay.

Jay.

A name.

Memories flooded back. Not as integral as identity, yet equally important. Complex thoughts re-introduced themselves to Jay's existence as his mind reconstructed itself. The blinding white void became a more manageable white expanse as Jay suddenly had eyes. He looked down to see bones, then muscles, then skin reforming. A man once more.

The air exploded with sound as soon as Jay could scream.

After his body came his gear. A mouthful of rubber cut Jay's scream short. His gumshield materialised in his mouth and the tense compression of handwraps clamped round his wrists.

Jay’s new body felt great. His muscles no longer ached from twelve rounds of punishment and two healthy eyes saw the world much clearer than a single bleeding one. Even if his world was currently just an endless sea of white.

Man those gloves look stupid. Now, who should we put him up against?

“What?” Jay instinctually replied. His throat felt strange but the familiar voice he’d known for 25 years came out perfectly normally.

Wait he ca-

“Wait, he can see the screens? Fuck. Can you hear me? Please don’t say yes.” An exasperated voice echoed within Jay’s mind as soon as the golden screen disappeared.

“Erm… I can hear you.” Jay said sheepishly. “Who are you? And where am I?”

“Oh for fucks sake. Is there any chance you can just… forget about this? Pretend it never happened?”

“What are you talking about?”

Maybe Jay could’ve answered the anxious voice’s request. If he had any clue what the hell was happening.

“Yeah… that was never going to work. How about I give you an easy fi- Wait wha- That guy! Why him? For fu-”

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Jay almost shouted at the frantic voice inside his head.

“I’m working on i- Ah, okay. So… bad news. I can’t get you an easy fight, you’ve already got an opponent. But how about this: I help you out in this fight and in return you don’t tell anyone about my existence? Deal?”

The white purgatory flickered, and Jay could almost make out the bobbing heads of a boundless crowd before fragments of reality washed over them. Jay mulled over the strange voice’s words, still oblivious to whatever the fuck it was talking about. His focus shifted to his surroundings, newborn eyes drinking in all the details of his new world.

He stood near the edge of a white stone cliff. A towering tree, easily fifty metres tall, loomed beside him, straddling the lip of the cliff. Half its roots shoved through the uneven rocks of the clifftop, while the rest hugged the sheer, ocean-facing cliffside.

Falling red maple leaves tumbled in the whirling wind and warm raindrops plastered Jay's hair to his forehead. Restless waves lapped at the cliff face, pushed forth by a black wall of clouds ominously churning over the ocean. The storm front hugged the horizon, but Jay could feel it advancing.

A pillar of heavenly light shone onto the cliff top twenty metres inland of Jay. He shielded his face with his arm, blinking the glowing wisps of blindness from his eyes. Fiery heat emanated from the beam, and Jay only looked back once his raised arm no longer felt its warmth.

Where the light once shone now stood a man.

Even from afar, Jay could tell this guy was massive. Tree trunk legs held up an exposed torso, packed to the brim with muscle and scar tissue. The only armour shielding the man’s top half was a wooden mask, half painted blood red. Jay stared into the eyes of the strange, masked man.

Only shadows stared back.

Second Chance Coliseum.

Coliseum…

Get you an easy fight…

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Jay's stomach sank as the pieces began to click into place.

“Welcome back everyone! To our first fight of the evening!” Another voice, this one deep and booming, filled the air, the ground, and even the ocean. “Now, a fight like this would normally be in the newbie arena but you won’t want to miss this one! Tonight may mark the debut of a future legend.”

Excitement and anticipation weaved their way through the voice’s words. Slivers of curiosity tingled within Jay's mind, quickly shot down by grim realisation.

What the fuck have I gotten myself into?

“Our first fighter hails from a planet called Earth. He’s a boxer known for his speed. Named after the alacrity of his fists and the carnage they cause! Please welcome… LIGHTNING LEONARD!”

A volley of lightning cascaded from the faraway storm front. A thunderous drumroll of electricity.

Adrenaline injected itself into Jay’s bloodstream. He’d just got out of one fight, now it was time for another.

“Standing in front of him is his opponent! He fights with the signature power and persistent pressure of the Ayyuthan conquerors. He is a warrior that inspires fear in the hearts of his enemies. Before entering the coliseum, he was known as the Unkillable Tyrant, the One-Man Army, the Seventh Heir of Stormbreaker, but now we now know him as… VALORUS. THE RELENTLESS CHAMPION!”

The rumbling voice faded into a mere tremble behind the earthquake rising through the cliff. Tremors shook the rocks beneath Jay as he dropped to all fours. Valorus stood unfazed, unsheathing a sword previously hidden behind his back.

Jay looked at Valorus’ greatsword. He looked at his boxing gloves.

Fuck.

Mismatches weren’t unheard of in fighting, they were actually pretty common. Why risk a young prospect against a heavy hitter when you can feed them some bums first? The young gun gets some experience, and the old dog gets a fat paycheck in exchange for a few years’ worth of brain damage. It’s a win-win… ish.

Cannon fodder had its place in the world. Jay just didn’t want it to be him.

Not like I have much of a choice.

“Yeah… sorry. Not much I could do about that.”

Great. You can hear my thoughts too. Who even are you? And are you ever gonna tell me what the fuck is going on?

“I can’t really tell you who I am, you’re not even supposed to know I exist. I can't tell you where you are either. Come to think of it, I can't tell you that much at all. But you’re right about one thing, you’ve got to fight that guy. Winning here’ll open a bunch of new doors for you. Lose and everything else becomes a whole lot harder.”

Thanks mate. Really informative.

Jay tried to put the confusion behind him, focusing his mind on his opponent. He had a fight to win, questions could wait for later.

Easier said than done.

Whirling what if’s, punctuated by occasional What the fuck’s, spun around Jay's mind as he desperately fought to steady his nerves.

5

4

Who, or what, the hell was speaking to him? Should he trust them?

3

2

Did he even have another option?

1

Fight.

Valorus bounded towards Jay, awkwardly hopping on the rocks. Jay realised why when he tried to retreat from the cliff edge. There was less gravity here than on Earth, and Jay almost rolled his ankle as he pushed off the ground, barely moving a few feet.

A single mistake let Valorus slip into his colossal range. He wound up a slash, twisting his sword to his side. Jay planted his right foot onto the rock, determined not to slip this time. He pressed into the ground, intending to step just out of range but launching himself much further back.

Jay's floundering feet kicked rocks off the cliff edge, they clawed for grip as he desperately leaned away from the ocean.

The Relentless Champion lived up to his name. As soon as his swipe missed, the sword returned to his side and he resumed the chase.

After a few more leaps, Jay realised he had the speed advantage. He created some distance, and with distance came time to think. The mysterious voice in Jay's head obviously knew something and was probably speaking to Jay for a reason. Trust was a bit too far, but Jay could talk himself into listening.

I thought you were here to help? I’m all ears, oh strange voice. What do I need to do?

“First thing, ditch the gloves. Next, stop running away and attack.”

Wow, super helpful. How am I supposed to do that? He has a massive fucking sword!

“And? Think of something. You’re the gladiator, not me!”

Valorus released a roar of anger and pointed to a spot in front of him. Holding his ground and demanding Jay to meet him in combat.

The voice asked Jay to attack. Valorus threw down the gauntlet.

Jay let his gloves fall onto the rocks. The voice was right; he wasn’t boxing anymore. No use cushioning fists in a deathmatch. Jay bounced on his feet as he gradually closed the distance, getting as used to the gravity as possible. A flash of lightning reflected off the rain-soaked sword as Jay began to learn the difference between stabbing range and punching range.

Jay kept creeping closer. He’d entered his opponent’s range, and dared the Relentless Champion to make the first move. Jay had faith in his reaction speed. As soon as his opponent attacked, he’d rush in for the counter.

A dart of lightning struck the ground beside the two fighters. The brilliant light cut through the rainfall, momentarily washing both fighters in light.

When someone’s about to attack, their eyes usually give them away. Valorus’ mask, and the shadows behind it, blocked Jay from spotting that telegraph.

Oh well.

While eyes were the easiest thing to spot, they were also the easiest thing to fake. Boxers had figured that out years ago, which was why Jay looked just below them.

The shoulders.

If you want to move your fists, you first need to move whatever connects them to your body. It’s impossible to throw a punch without first engaging your shoulders.

The split second of vision that the lightning granted him was enough for Jay to spot a twitch in Valorus’ delts.

That tiny glimpse was enough to warn Jay of the incoming attack.

Thanks, lightning.

The first strike came, a piercing thrust aimed at Jay's chest.

He leaned onto his left foot, momentum carrying the greatsword over his shoulder. Jay unfurled his body, stretching his left arm out. Familiarity drove him forward as he launched a left hook into his opponent’s body.

Jay's unpadded fist crunched into his opponent’s iron stomach. The wraps, wound tightly around his fist, barely kept Jay’s bones intact as they compressed on impact. What the fuck is this guy made of? Jay thought, twisting away after just one punch. He rushed behind Valorus to create some space.

But Jay wasn’t boxing anymore. He was allowed to use the rest of his body.

Valorus began to turn. Jay launched a kick at his opponent’s knee, not daring to aim any higher.

The Relentless Champion easily read the attack, deftly lifting his planted leg and letting Jay's foot swing by wildly. Knocked off balance by his own attack, Jay scrambled away from his opponent. Valorus stayed still, shadowed eyes locked on Jay and awaiting another attack.

“You really don’t know how to do anything other than punch, huh?”

And you don’t know how to give useful advice, apparently.

Jay gritted his teeth and matched his opponent's stare, scouring Valorus’ guard for weaknesses.

“Well, your punches aren’t that strong. Your kicks… Let’s not think about your kicks. Is there anything around you that you could use? Sticks and stones might not break this guy’s bones, but you can certainly try? Maybe snap a twig off that maple, poke it through his eye holes or something.”

Great advice. Fucking great advice! Jay thought, before realising the voice could hear him.

He was beginning to reconsider trusting the voice, but it was better than being alone. It was always nice to have someone in your corner.

The gigantic maple loomed over Jay, the closest twigs at least ten metres above him. He wasn’t jumping that high, even in this gravity.

Nice tip. Dickhead.

He didn’t mind the voice hearing that one.

The steady rain evolved into a stronger downpour. Bolts of lightning struck the water by the cliffside in their masses, driving gusts of wind towards Jay. A falling leaf tumbled onto Valorus’ mask. He clawed the leaf off before bringing both hands back to his blade. Walking far more naturally now, he marched onward.

The Relentless Champion was tired of waiting.

Valorus attacked Jay with a series of compact swipes, constantly keeping his sword in front of him. He’d gotten used to the gravity, and Jay found it hard to keep his distance. The burst of pressure forced Jay to the cliff edge.

Jay scanned for openings in his opponent’s advance, but he didn’t know what to look for. When Valorus wound up for a powerful but slow strike, Jay took the opportunity and rushed along the ridge.

The clang of metal on rock told Jay he’d been outmanoeuvred. The giant dropped his greatsword onto the rocks and leapt towards Jay's trajectory. Jay tried to slam the brakes, but he’d just floored the gas.

The calloused hands of the Relentless Champion shackled themselves around Jay's arms.