The families of the Eagle and the Lion once intermarried. Among them, the Eagle was the most exceptional member of her clan, so exceptional, in fact, that she rose to the rank of Guardian. By blood, the Eagle was also the niece of the Lion. Their bond was incredibly close.
So when the Lion saw what had just happened, how could he possibly accept it?
"You bastard! You damned bastard! I'll kill you!"
Fury erupted from the Lion like a tidal wave. His bloodlust spilled out in every direction, his presence suddenly overwhelming. His fur bristled like sharpened spears.
The ground beneath him cracked open, blasting up a cloud of dust as the Lion vanished in a burst of speed that belied his size, charging straight for Aeridar.
"You can go to hell, you freakin' monster! Your fight's with me!"
Arlan had had enough. If the Lion was going to ignore him and keep targeting his captain, what did that make him? Chopped liver?
In a flash, Arlan moved to intercept the Lion, throwing a punch at his face. As his fist hurtled forward, the muscles in his arm compressed sharply, generating a surge of explosive force. The air howled like a warhammer descending from the heavens.
"Get out of my way!!"
The Lion roared like a volcano erupting. His now jet-black claws slashed through the air, only dark streaks and howling sonic tears remained in their wake.
A low, thunderous shockwave exploded outward as their attacks collided. A visible blast of force burst from the impact point, rippling outward in a dome of raw power. The earth cracked in all directions, splintering like glass beneath their feet.
"Damn, this thing..."
Arlan barely had time to think before a tidal wave of force surged up his arm. He couldn't stop it, and could only watch helplessly as the Lion's claw smashed into his face.
His body was hurled backward like a cannonball, becoming a blur of motion. Shock rings tore through the air behind him as if he'd broken the sound barrier. He crashed into the forest like a meteor, smashing through tree after tree before finally slamming into the earth, gouging out craters before all fell silent.
Arlan hadn't stopped the Lion, but he'd bought a few precious seconds.
And that was all Aeridar needed.
By then, he had already picked up the warped, golden short spear that had fallen nearby. Without hesitation, he plunged it into the Eagle's heart.
A gruesome spray of blood gushed out. In moments, it dyed the ground red.
"Even Arlan got sent flying? Not bad for a dumb beast..."
Aeridar looked at the charging Lion with a raised brow, just slightly impressed.
After all, Arlan was no pushover. A master of hand-to-hand combat, trained by Aeridar himself in three of the Six Powers. His Armament Haki and Observation Haki weren't weak, and with the power of the Bomb-Bomb Fruit, even most Supernova-class rookies couldn't beat him. Yet he'd been swatted away like a bug.
Was this Lion tapping into his inner cosmos or something?
The Lion finally reached Aeridar, stopping before him, his eyes locked onto the Eagle, now lifeless, a golden spear through her chest.
His eyes were blood-red.
"You killed her. I'll kill you."
No sooner had the words left his lips than the Lion vanished again, towering over Aeridar one moment, then slamming his claw down at him the next.
"What's with all the passion? Don't tell me she was your old flame or something?"
Aeridar sneered, meeting the blow head-on, fists tightening with a crack.
The impact unleashed a shockwave so intense the ground quaked, fracturing into deep, jagged fissures. A ripple of pressure blasted outward like a typhoon. The force at their feet exploded outward, creating a crater several meters wide. Inside, a spiderweb of cracks radiated from the epicenter.
"I'll kill you. I'll kill you. I'll kill you..."
The Lion's voice had become a manic chant, his killing intent so dense it felt tangible. He struck again, and again, every move a thunderclap of rage.
"What, the dumb lion's gone full rabid now?"
Aeridar's lips curled into a savage grin, his eyes glinting with excitement. He lifted one leg to parry his strike, then used the other to pivot mid-air and launch a vicious kick toward his jaw.
A solid hit. The Lion's head snapped back, pain lancing through his skull like fire. His jaw felt like it had shattered.
But before he could even recover, Aeridar was already there.
He slipped in close. Both fists clenched, one stacked atop the other, fists aimed squarely at his gut.
"Impact Secret Art, Mountain-Splitting Strike: Divine Spiral!!!"
A low growl echoed out, then came the blast.
The moment his body registered the contact, it was already too late. An immense wave of force detonated from Aeridar's fists. His midsection imploded inward with a sickening crunch.
The very air trembled.
With a thunderous whoosh, "Lion" was sent hurtling through the air like a black streak, moving so fast it triggered a sonic boom, leaving behind a trailing white pressure ring.
He was launched hundreds of meters before crashing down from mid-air.
His body skidded violently across the ground, smashing through boulders, gouging out deep craters, and finally slamming into the forest.
It took the collapse of several massive trees to finally bring him to a stop, kicking up clouds of dust in his wake.
"Phew... If that didn't kill him, it damn well left him half-dead."
Aeridar exhaled, retracting his fist. Through his Observation Haki, he could already sense that "Lion's" presence had weakened, severely.
Suddenly, an eagle's shriek cut through the sky, followed by a beast's furious bellow from behind.
Aeridar turned his head. Charging straight at him were the two indestructible metal monsters, Ikou and Rhein, storming forward with relentless force.
"Persistent bastards..." Aeridar muttered, a flicker of frustration crossing his brow.
These two metallic freaks were ridiculously durable. Even for him, destroying them outright was near-impossible. You couldn't kill them. You couldn't smash them. And worst of all, they never stopped coming.
"Two-Sword Style: Skybreaker Slash!!"
A sudden battle cry ripped through the air. Twin arcs of blue-white energy screamed down from above, slicing through the sky and striking Ikou and Rhein squarely.
The sheer force of the slashes sent both metal beasts flying, crashing back from the impact.
"They're even tougher than steel... What the hell are these things?"
Carrying two blades across his shoulders, Oliver approached with none of his usual laid-back air. His presence now radiated pure, concentrated killing intent.
"Perfect timing. Hold them off for me," Aeridar said, licking his lips as his sharp gaze focused on the treeline ahead.
Oliver eyed Ikou and Rhein, whose gleaming bodies bore only shallow cuts from his earlier attack. Undeterred, he nodded.
Without wasting another word, Aeridar turned and dashed into the forest, he had one goal: take down Lion, and seize that living glove.
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