Survival To Godhood 133 Lion's Grace

The mermanian was granted the first move, and the game began. Each moved one p.a.w.n at a time. Soon the mermanian lost all of its pieces, and he collapsed to the ground. The giant Sphinx opened a portal behind the man and pushed him into it.

"Where did you just send him?" Someone shouted out.

"I don't have to explain myself to you," roared the ma.s.sive lion.

Just like that, the first two compet.i.tors lost. All the remaining people looked at each other like who was to be the next up.

Even though Leo scared by the previous defeats, he stepped forward. He needed strength more than anything. These techniques this sphinxes used resonated with him and his core.

"I wish to have a trial by combat," Leo said out loud. Many people around him were surprised, but the giant Sphinx smiled.

"Green Tooth, face him."

"With pleasure," responded the beast.

The game board disappeared and transformed into an arena. The two stepped forward to face each other. The lion took a deep breath, and Leo's scent caught him off guard. The sphinx beast turned his head and then said something that caught everyone off guard.

"I'm looking forward to this fight, brother."

When the lion's tone changed from arrogance to respect everyone shot look of a surprise except for Lucy and Reiner. They were already used to these surprising situations.

The two warriors auras collided, and even Leo felt a strange bond with the beast. Lowering his guard a bit, Leo grinned at the creature. He knew right away, the animal wouldn't go easy on him, but if he knew it wouldn't be a life or death battle.

The Sphinx wasted no time and leaped forward. Brandis.h.i.+ng his claw, he swiped at Leo with the laws of fire. The orange flames encircled the claw, and Leo could feel the heat coming towards him.

Leo ducked and dodged the flaming claw strike only to be kicked in the chest by its hind leg. Flying backward from the gut kick, Leo planted his feet and gained his balance. Looking up, Green Tooth was executing Lion's Grace straight towards him.

"Buffalo Wall!" Leo erected a large stone wall in front of him. The lion didn't slow down a single bit and slashed through it like b.u.t.ter melting the rocks. The explosion blew Leo a few feet back, and in the destruction, he lost sight of the beast.

The lion appeared above Leo and dropped down through the sky like a meteor. Leo sensed the heat above him. Throwing both hands into the air and used Buffalo Rock Shot! All of the earth surrounding Leo shot into the air like a hundred rockets.

The shattering missiles became dust upon impact with the beast. Each projectile did not slow him down a single bit. Green Tooth's manart called Fire Decent crashed down with a fiery explosion.

As the smoke settles, Green Tooth was sure he delivered a solid hit upon Leo, but the human was nowhere in sight. A Buffalo cage surrounded the lion and stone spikes protruded the inner walls stabbing the Sphinx.

Releasing a heatwave of fire, the beast destroyed the walls around it. In the process, it circulated his mana to seal its fresh new wounds caused by the spikes. The mana started to take on a green hue, and green flames engulfed the beast.

Only standing a few feet away, Leo taunted the cat by motioning it to come at him. The Sphinx had a bit of respect for Leo until then. Green Tooth exploded forward using Lion's Grace and slashed its flaming claw at Leo.

Brandis.h.i.+ng his mace, Leo blocked the strike, but the heat was unbearable. Leo retreated a few feet only to attacked again. A flurry of claw strikes and mace swings collided.

Green Tooth was starting to get frustrated. Using Lion's Grace and Flaming Claw, he couldn't get the upper hand.

"Why is Leo only fighting defensively?" Reiner asked. With his wealth of experience, he could tell Leo's attacks were being used solely for defense. After the cage attack, he hadn't attacked the lion again.

Leo, for the first time in a long time, put on display his body's superior strength and stamina. Utilizing little mana, he parried each attack and would retreat before Green Tooth could follow up. Throwing the Sphinx off his momentum, exhausted the creature.

Even Lucy was surprised at how much Leo's strength had increased again. Even with her being a Paragon, she wondered if she could defeat Leo.

Leo looked over at the tired beast and said, "Let us finish this with the next attack."

Green Tooth didn't say anything but nodded. "Jade Flame Twister!" This attack was Green Tooth's strongest attack. Combining Lion's Grace and Jade Flame Claw Strike, Green Tooth transformed into a spinning green tornado that drilled towards Leo.

Leo started to gather metal and yang mana into his mace. He then looked down at his feet and adjusted them differently than how he usually does when he executes Buffalo Three Step. Placing his left foot back while leaning forward, it looked like he was about to use a new technique.

The ma.s.sive Sphinx beast looked on with surprise. Then an eerie smile crept onto its face. In a soft voice, the gigantic monster said, "Green Tooth is about to lose to our own technique."

"Ascending Sun!" Swinging the mace back it and under, the weapon glowed an orange color. Blasting forward with his new movement technique, Leo's mace slammed into the Jade Flame Twister.

*Kaboom*

Green Tooth skull was bashed open, and his body flew outside of the arena. Leo won the first bout against a Sphinx.

"Human, you have won your first trial. Please step down." The Ma.s.sive Sphinx said it in an unfazed tone, but deep down, it was surprised the human drug out the fight to teach himself Lion's Grace. The amazing thing was he combined it with his technique the first time he used it.

Green Tooth finally stood up and looked at the human walking away. Then he received a message from the ma.s.sive creature.

"Green Tooth, you were never the strongest fighter. Don't fret about losing; you should feel proud that you pa.s.sed on our legacy to a fellow lion warrior."

Even though the ma.s.sive Sphinx was trying to cheer him up, he still felt regret and humiliation. Walking back over to the pack of Sphinx creatures, the strongest Core Builder of the pack walked over and said, "I will avenge you brother."

With Leo winning, the trapped warrior's moral rose a little. As Leo walked over to Lucy, he sat down to regather his mana. Lucy smiled at him and said, "My turn."