Omari spent half the day buried in the library, rereading every page he could find about the Majesty Lion. The more he read, the more his determination hardened. Outside, dark clouds gathered, pressing low against the horizon as if a storm was coming.
By the time he stepped out of the library, the air had grown heavy and still. He looked toward the forest.
"Majesty Lion Beast...I'm coming for you," he whispered, voice calm but cold.
He moved through the city without slowing down, his mind locked on the battle ahead. Each step echoed with quiet resolve. By the time he reached the edge of the city, the sky had darkened to a deep gray. Thunder rolled far away.
Omari dashed into the forest, leaping from branch to branch. The world blurred around him as he felt the rush of wind, the smell of rain-soaked leaves, the creak of wood beneath his boots. He moved like a shadow until something bright caught his eye.
A white glow shimmered ahead.
He stopped on a high branch and stared. The Majesty Lion Beast stood in the same place where they had once fought, tall, powerful, and unyielding. By the looks of things, it seemed as if the beast had been waiting for him.
Omari dropped to the ground, dagger drawn, his green eyes glowing faintly in the dim light. "Last time, you embarrassed me," he said, voice sharp and steady. "But this time... the outcome will be different."
The Majesty Lion's mane bristled as it released a thunderous roar. The shockwave struck Omari like a wall, forcing him back several steps. Leaves whipped past his face.
A faint tremor rippled through his body as spiritual energy stirred in his eyes. The green glow grew brighter, feral and dangerous. His lips curled into a faint grin.
He lunged forward, every muscle springing to life. The wind screamed around him as he leapt high, dagger drawn, aiming straight for the lion's head.
The Majesty Lion roared again. A shimmering white barrier wrapped around its body just before Omari's blade struck.
The impact rang like metal against stone. The shockwave flung Omari backward, air bursting from his lungs. He twisted midair and landed hard against a tree trunk, bark exploding in a shower of splinters.
He crouched, legs trembling from the impact, and pushed off again. The moment his feet left the bark, a flash of blinding white light filled his vision. He gritted his teeth, eyes snapping shut,
Then pain tore across his back.
"Nghhh!" He groaned as claws raked through flesh and cloth, throwing him to the ground. He rolled through dirt and grass, stones cutting into his palms until he stopped and forced himself up, chest heaving.
"I was right," he muttered through clenched teeth. "Its power really is that of a Spiritualist-stage cultivator."
He charged again. His dagger met the lion's paw with a violent clang! The air cracked with pressure, a wave of wind surging outward. Both were shoved back, dust and leaves spiraling between them.
Neither hesitated. They rushed in again, faster this time. The lion swung a claw wide and Omari vaulted up, flipping through the air, narrowly dodging the strike.
He came down, dagger aimed for the beast's back. But once again, that light barrier flashed into existence, solid as iron. He hit it head-on and bounced off, slamming back-first into a tree. The impact rattled his bones.
"This beast... he feels weaker than last time," he hissed, pushing himself up, hand clutching his ribs.
The Majesty Lion's growl shook the ground, small stones vibrating at its paws. Then it lunged. Omari dove and rolled, the beast's claws carving deep gouges where he'd just stood.
The lion turned sharply, eyes glowing with blinding white fury. It roared an ear-splitting, bone-shaking sound that sent a spear of pain through Omari's skull. He clutched his ears, but the force lifted him from the ground and hurled him backward.
He crashed hard, coughing, the metallic taste of blood on his tongue.
The lion lunged again, mouth open wide, fangs flashing like blades. Omari twisted aside, dirt spraying under his boots, but the beast swung its head and began charging spiritual energy in its jaws. A glowing orb of white qi gathered, pulsing, growing hotter and larger by the second.
Omari's eyes narrowed. He darted forward, sliding on the grass, and kicked upward with all his strength. His foot connected with the underside of the lion's jaw, snapping its head upward.
The orb fired harmlessly into the sky, detonating like a flash of lightning. The shockwave rippled through the clearing.
Omari landed in a crouch, panting. "Last time it didn't work well against Teacher Fang," he muttered.
He ripped a piece of cloth from his robe and grinned,tying the torn strip of his robe around his hand to strap the dagger to his knuckles. "Let's try again... the Steel Tempest Combat Arts."
He started bouncing lightly, shifting his weight from foot to foot, building rhythm and speed. Making his blood and qi move faster, rushing across his whole body.
Then he vanished in a blur.
He reappeared to the lion's right, driving a brutal punch forward, but the white barrier snapped up again, repelling him like a whip of force. He slammed into the ground, rolled, and came up with one hand pressed into the dirt, his teeth gritted in pain.
He dashed again, punching the barrier, only to be thrown back a second time. His frustration boiled.
Thick white steam began to emanate from his body the faster he moved his spiritual energy.
"This combat art is really amazing;I can feel it, I'm getting stronger... but I don't think I can use it for long; I have to finish this quick," he murmured.
He roared and charged again, each movement faster than the last. His kick smashed against the barrier and it rebounded and he went flying. He hit a tree, pushed off, and attacked again, his dagger stabbing through the light, leaving the faintest of cracks.
He didn't stop.
He bounced between trees, striking again and again, each impact louder, sharper. His fists, elbows, and knees slammed against the barrier like thunder. The cracks spread, webbing outward with every blow.
The air filled with the roar of breaking energy. Omari's breath came out in ragged gasps, but he refused to stop.
"One last strike!" he yelled, every muscle straining.
But before he could land it, the Majesty Lion let out a thunderous roar, breaking its own barrier from within. The explosion of light threw Omari through the air. He twisted midair and landed hard, sliding backward through the dirt, panting.
The lion lunged, white light streaking around its mane.
Omari stood still, calm. When it was close enough, he sidestepped, head turning slightly, eyes burning green. His killing intent burst forth.
The world around the lion vanished into darkness. It found itself standing alone in a void, cold, endless and suffocating.
Then reality snapped back.
Omari's fist crashed into its neck, the dagger tied to his hand cutting deep into flesh.
The Majesty Lion roared in agony, blood spraying. Omari didn't hesitate. He struck again. And again. Each blow cracked bone, his dagger sinking deeper into the beast's neck.
The lion swung wildly, roaring a shockwave that ripped through the trees. Omari jumped back, landing lightly before sprinting forward again. He leapt into the air, flipped, and came down hard on its back with a brutal strike, the dagger burying deep into the base of its neck.
The lion staggered, groaning, each breath weaker than the last. Its legs gave out, and with a final guttural growl, it collapsed to the ground, shaking the earth.
Omari stood atop it, panting, his body covered in sweat, blood, and steam. Slowly, he stepped down and crouched before its face.
The Majesty Lion looked up at him, its once-golden eyes dimming to gray. In its fading vision, Omari wasn't human anymore, just a dark, shadowed figure standing over it.
The light in its eyes flickered once... then went out.
Omari stayed there, breathing hard. The steam rising from his skin slowly thinned, then disappeared.
"It's done," he said quietly.
Remembering the traditions of his village, he dipped his fingers into the blood pooling beside the beast and drew a symbol on his forehead, then two more on his cheeks.
The symbols started glowing and Omari felt proud, superior. Pride burned in his chest, heavy and dangerous. He felt as if the world needed to bow to him. As if it was destined to be that way.
He stood tall over the corpse of the Majesty Lion Beast, head held high.
After a few seconds, he sat down and rested for a few minutes, watching the dead carcass of his prey.
When he was done,he crouched down and lifted the beast, placing its huge body on his shoulders. Even though it was a bit heavy, he gritted his teeth and started walking back to the city.
The guards at the city gates widened their eyes but didn't know how to react.They just watched him as he made his way into the city.
People in the city widened their eyes in shock and fear.
"Is this kid crazy?"
"This is not going to end well for him."
"Maybe he has a strong backing."
"Isn't he the kid who dared challenge the prince?"
"This kid is definitely dying after this."
"What a grave crime."
The people of the city talked.
Omari ignored them,his expression serious, and kept moving forward.
"I'll go and see him tomorrow;I'm sure he already misses me and would want me to stay with him again," Ming Yu spoke to herself while eating a fruit.
She saw a crowd forming ahead of her and rushed forward.
"What is going on there?"she pushed through the crowd, trying to see what the commotion was about.
Once in front,her fruit dropped to the ground, her eyes widening in shock. Tears started flooding her eyes and falling down her cheeks as she watched the dead corpse of the Majesty Lion beast on someone's shoulder.
Her eyes darted all over its body,and she saw all the stabbed wounds on its body.
"No,No no no no," she murmured, walking forward. Her spiritual energy flared, but she froze when she noticed who was carrying the body of the beast.
Her mind rushed to the time when Omari tried to kill her,stopping her in her tracks.
"He knew..He knew this was going to happen... that's why he wanted me to leave," she cried.
Her emotions ran wild,anger overtaking all, but she couldn't do anything. Every time she tried to take a step forward, she would remember Omari's cold eyes when he wanted to kill her. She looked down, arms slumped, tears flowing, not knowing what to do.
Raindrops started falling from the sky and Omari's face stayed serious and cold.In his village, this would have been a great feat. People would have celebrated, praising him for such a grand catch. So even though the city folk talked, slandered, and hated him, deep down he felt proud and happy. This was a great feat for him.
People talked,word spreading all around the city. Horses started leaving the city with messengers running to spread the news.
Omari walked forward and Ming Yu could only watch from behind,scared to do anything, her clothes wet from the rain.
Omari turned and walked into the Golden Treasure Pavilion.Everyone covered their mouths, eyes wide open in shock. He dropped the corpse on the counter.
"I'm so sorry,I'll call the higher-ups to help you out, young sir," the lady at the counter quickly spoke and ran up the stairs of the pavilion.
In Crescenthold,the capital city of the Iron Crescent Kingdom, in the palace, the king sat on his golden throne and his council standing in front of him.
A man ran inside the palace screaming,
"Your Majesty,Your Majesty... Bad news... truly horrible news."
The man got on his knees, head planted on the ground.
"Your Majesty Lion Beast has been killed."