Chapter 279: Fighting at the Peak

Chapter 279: Fighting at the Peak

A lone leonine stood in the sky over a shattered land and a ruined jungle. The breeze was cool and dry, and his mane fluttered in it, each hair a proud piece of art. His face was carved of majesty, while his body, its top half bare, seemed sculpted in marble. There was not one muscle on this leonines body that wasnt well-formed.

The moment he appeared, an air of supremacy covered the land. Every surviving animal within a dozen miles bowed their heads low, disregarding their injuries. Even Jack felt inside him the urge to respect and obey this man, who had appeared in the heavens like a wild but dignified barbarian king.

Thank the System I made it, the leonine said calmly. If we let you escape, the other factions would mock our Animal Kingdom.

Maximus Lonihor, Shol replied, narrowing his eyes. Though this leonine was one person and they were three, the experienced monk seemed wary. They had you chase us personally?

There was little choice after what you did to Sapasun. You have killed two hundreds of my Kingdoms immortals, some of them at the late and peak D-Grade. The damage you have caused us is far too great to ignore. You will die here, and the Exploding Sun will answer for your actions.

We no longer belong to the Exploding Sun, Shol declared proudly. Inspect us for yourself. Jack and I have left the faction. We only answer to ourselves now.

Of course, and Hell is made of candy. The leonine laughed, a deep, booming sound. If you think its that easy to trick the factions, Shol, then youre even dumber than you look.

Should I take out the starship? Jack asked telepathically.

Only if you want it broken, the monk replied. Let me handle this, and prepare to run.

Who is this arrogant kitty? Dordok asked. His manner of speaking irritates me. Perhaps we should knock out a few of his teeth.

You sure are feisty today, captain, Jack noticed.

Look, kid, Ive been a prisoner here for months. If I dont beat up a deacon or two on my way out, Ill eat my own club.Ñøv€l-B1n was the first platform to present this chapter.

The leonine laughed again, not at all fazed by Dordoks bravado. Very well. Lets see if you can match your words, ogre.

Care Shol tried to warn him, but it was too late. The leonine winked through space to appear before Dordok, throwing a simple punch. Dordok hurried to raise his club and defend.

The impact was deafening. A crack appeared on the steel weapon, which was undoubtedly hardened by magic, and Dordok himself was blown backward with such speed that he quickly became a dot in the horizon.

Looks like you cant, the leonine said. Prepare yourse

Shol was already there. A miniature sun blossomed above the leonine as a heavy palm headed for the top of his head. The leonine blinked away, appearing behind Shol. Expecting it, the monk copied his teleportation mid-strike, still aiming for his opponents head. The leonine crossed his arms to defend, and the strike pushed him down a hundred feet.

When he raised his body to its full height again, the only visible injury was a handful of burnt hairs.

Youve gotten faster, he noticed with a smile. Good for you.

Jack, Shol said, run. He then charged again. The leonine disappeared. Jack felt space warp behind him, and he barely teleported away in time to dodge a fiery fist heading for his back. Shol appeared in his spot immediately, catching the fist and returning a backhand which slapped the leonines chest, pushing him back.

Shol did not relent. He stayed on his opponent, pummeling him with a storm of kicks, punches, and palm strikes. His orange robes fluttered wildly as Shol unleashed everything he had.

Not bad! the leonine laughed mid-battle. His limbs moved as blurs, but he still found time to speak.You can use teleportation already. Thats an excellent achievement. If you agree to receive the Wardens mark and join our Kingdom, I might let you live.

RUN! Shol roared again, doing his best to pressure the leonine so he couldnt teleport after Jack.

Run my ass! Jack shouted back. Theres no way in hell Im running. We got this.

He wasnt as strong as he appeared. Truthfully, their combined domains were stronger than his, and he didnt seem able to fight Shol and Dordok at the same time, let alone the three of them.

However, he was a master of combat, completely the opposite of what Rufus Emberheart had been. Rufus had raw power. This man excelled in technique. The odds were stacked against him, but he manipulated the battlefield in such a way that he was the one applying pressure on his opponents. Shol and Dordok were constantly one step behind. Everything they tried was countered perfectly. The leonine was in complete control of the battle.

He had come here not with extra-large muscles, but with mastery and confidence.

I need to disrupt him, Jack thought. He ducked under a knights swing, planted a fist in his armored torso, and watched the armor and knight both dissipate into motes of light. He then twisted his body to dodge two swords at the same time, grabbing one knights wrist to smash him into the other before throwing a Meteor Punch and destroying both of them.

As another knight flew at him, he disappeared.

He reappeared behind the leonine right as Shol assaulted him from the front. The monk drove a sunny palm into the others abdomen. Bright Sky! he shouted as he had against the night wizard, birthing a sun in his palm.

Meteor Punch! Jack shouted, summoning his strongest strike against the leonine, who no longer had time to teleport away.

Unbreakable Bulwark! the leonine shouted, turning sideways and stretching out both palms. One met Shols strike, burned by the sunlight and forced to buckle at the elbow. The other met Jacks meteor, enduring the explosion with only a slight bending. The momentums of the two attacks canceled each other out, and the leonines hand closed around Jacks fist. His fingers were strong and hard like steel pliers.

Shit, Jack thought.

He was pulled in faster than he could react. An elbow dug hard into his chest, shattering his ribcage and launching him high into the sky. Shol managed to sneak in a kick during this opening, cracking the leonines knee, but it was damage he could endure.

Jack! he shouted.

Jack was flying. His world alternated between black and white, and his ears screamed with the wind. When he regained himself, hellish pain filled his torso. He couldnt breathe. Thankfully, he didnt need to, but he was suffering heavy internal bleeding. He needed some time to

Lean back, a voice reached him. It was neither Shols nor Dordoks, but it was familiar, though he struggled to place it. Without the slightest hesitation, he ignored the burning pain and leaned backward. The heel of a foot crashed through the space hed just been occupying, sending Jack flying by the mere shockwave. His wounds were agitated, but it was much better than having his skull shattered.

How did you dodge that? the leonines voice came surprised as he stepped out of thin air. And you survived my direct strike, too If you keep going like this, I may not be able to kill you before reinforcements arrive.

Shol flashed before the leonine, instantly leaning into a storm of strikes. Dordok flew in as well, shooting at the leonine like a missile and keeping him occupied. Jack, he screamed in rage, fucking run already!

Both fighters fell on the leonine at once, pressuring him and forcing him on the back foot. More winged knights streamed from the sky, dogpiling on Shol and Dordok. The sun came back on. Dordok screamed, but the knights evaporated. The two of them kept pressing the leonine, unleashing their strongest strikes one after the other, and all he could do was defend.

This was their chance. If they could take him down now, they would

An explosion of golden light erupted around the leonine. Jack caught a glimpse of white wings, golden armor, and a proud helmet. In the next moment, the illusion dissipated, as did all of the winged knights, but Shol and Dordok had been pushed back.

Their opportunity was gone. The leonine grinned at them. Is that all you got?

Jack was still flying away, gritting his teeth while Neutron Star Body was working in overdrive to patch him back together. Slowly but surely, his ribs were repaired, his punctured organs were healed, and the lost blood was replaced.

But even after he fully healed, it wouldnt help much against this beast that called itself Maximus Lonihor.

Suddenly, space cracked next to Jack. A person slipped through, meeting Jacks astonished gaze with a smile. Hey Jack, he said. Missed me?

What the hell are you doing here? Jack replied.

The Sage grinned. Just hanging around.