"Use the Lion, My Hunter ~"
The sweet voice that William heard so close to him, as if the person had whispered right into his right ear, and yet so far away that it seemed to have travelled thousands of miles to reach him.
The young hunter's initial plan shifted from using his Bellerophon shield to completely cover his body behind it, to assuming a form he had never used in combat before.
(Heart of a lion!!!)
With those words in mind and his right hand resting on his chest, right over his heart.
William's body began to change; his spine grew and curved, his skin stretched and the clothes he wore became part of him, his muscles swelling immediately.
His head stretched forward, forming a feline snout with bright golden eyes; he opened his mouth, revealing dozens of lethal, curved fangs.
*Splash*
The four massive paws of the white-coated lion sent water splashing in all directions as the five claws on each paw sank into the damp earth.
*Zsssss!!!*
Thousands of massive spears were hurled in all directions; just as they were about to strike the surrounding trees and come to a halt, the spears seemed like ghostly forms that passed right through the trees without damaging the bark.
They continued on their path until they struck every living creature in their path.
A deer bellowed in pain as dozens of these metal spears turned its body into a pin cushion, tearing its skin, shattering its bones and embedding themselves in its muscles; from tail to head, there was not a single spot without a spear buried in it.
The squirrels, birds, lynxes and foxes in the area ended up in a similar state.
Except for the enormous lion—twelve feet tall and a ton of muscle—standing in the clearing, the spears slid through its fur and thick mane.
The spears, fortified by the power of a King of Hell, were unlike any ordinary physical attack.
They would pierce through any of the mundane physical defences of the human realm—such as walls, fortresses, houses, or wherever humans hid in fear and prayed to their gods in dread.
"Seeing what it did to the wildlife and how it pierced through those trees without harming them, I will always wonder whether my armour or shield would be capable of stopping such spikes."
The words poured from William's open jaws in his white lion form as he watched a small bird fall from the sky, its tiny body covered in silver needles; the Northern Cardinal's red blood stained the silver needles a beautiful colour that matched the bird's feathers.
The Spider Queen wanted to speak; her body, scorched by the arrows of the Galadhrim bow, trembled on her bed of burnt grass.
(Let's make a deal, let me go!!!)
(Give me some lands as my prison and I shall never leave them again, just as hundreds of years ago I remained within my territory without leaving my mist, even when I suffered cold and hunger in my forest!!!)
Saenathra's broken fangs prevented her from appealing to the young hunter's human heart as he stood before her.
William walked over and placed one of his colossal paws on the head of the last wild Spider Queen.
"I don't understand what you're trying to tell me, Saenathra. And I probably wouldn't care what you said to try and save your life—I smelled the blood of at least three different people in the church."
William pressed his paw harder and harder against Saenathra's head; his five sharp claws sliced through her exoskeleton.
*Crack!!*
A crack and a squelch sounded simultaneously as all the lion's claws sank completely into the Spider Queen's head, crushing her brain. Saenathra shook violently and drew her single remaining leg closer to her body.
Spiders do not possess extensor muscles to open their legs; instead, they pump blood under pressure from their heart and open them using hydraulic pressure. Upon death, the pressure ceases and the flexor muscles contract, folding the legs close to their body.
"Nobody told me that tonight I'd be facing a mighty Nemean Lion!!!"
Clement stepped into the wall of fog; his black boots with silver-plated protection splashed through the puddles of dirty water as he announced loudly.
A pair of broad, bat-like wings unfolded from his back, the colour of cold, hard granite.
William turned his head towards Clement; he had sensed his presence since they arrived at the church, distinguishing between the two scents—one familiar, the other unknown.
"Hey, Will!!! I see you've got a new skin—amazing!!!"
Nort also crossed the barrier of mist that was gradually dispersing in the night wind; the dense, milky-white barrier tore into strips that vanished before touching the ground.
Nort waved, raising his entire right arm and moving it from side to side with a very animated expression on his face.
The Lion of Nemea, son of Orthrus, Guardian of the Cattle of the Giant Geryon and the Chimera, brother of the Sphinx of Thebes.
With an invulnerable coat and divine in nature, having been raised by the Olympian goddess Hera in the fields of the gods before being released into the world of mortals.
He ravaged the cities of Thebes, Apesante and Nemea, devouring men and destroying entire cities for pleasure rather than hunger.
Slayed by Hercules during the first of his twelve labours, though not before nearly tearing off one of the Son of Zeus's arms and deflecting his arrows coated with Hydra venom, withstanding the powerful blows of the club made of olive wood that Hercules carried as his primary weapon.
The gigantic lion lowered its paw and placed it on the ground; its head bent closer to the ground and it tensed its muscles, looking like a beast ready to pounce on the Excluded standing before it.
"It's you, isn't it, Will?!!"
Nort asked as he slid and hid behind Clement, peeking out just enough to see the gigantic lion with golden eyes and sharp horns; his tone betrayed a hint of uncertainty in his assertion.
"Of course it's me," replied William as the moonlight faded, obscured by a large cloud. "Nort, I thought I'd have to wait longer for them to arrive."
William fell from high in the sky until both his feet touched the damp grass; the difference in height between his human form and his Principalis 'Lionheart' was quite significant.
"God, don't give me a fright like that, though all the work of dealing with this would fall to Clement."
Nort vanished from where he stood and reappeared right beside William, giving the young man a firm slap on the shoulder for his little joke.
(So this is William Stone, the one who helped Benett, Max and Andreus with their tasks; his Nemean Lion form alone makes him worthy of an A-Rank.)
"Clement Laurent, it's a pleasure to meet the youngest of the Stoneborn family."
"Stoneborn?"
Nort leaned on William's shoulder and gave him a questioning look.
"That's what my family was called a few centuries ago," William looked at Nort first and replied, "William Stone, the pleasure is all mine."
The two shook hands firmly; William's sharp black claws had extended as he took on the form of the Nemean lion, and it would take a while for them to return to normal.
"Nort, call the cleaning crew, and William, tell me everything that's happened here, in detail if possible. We've seen some blood in the church and, according to the relevant information, Father Augusto Blann is supposed to live there."
"We have to stay here; everything's wet and reeks of beast's blood."
William brushed his wet hair away from his face.
'Why don't we go to a restaurant? I doubt anyone will come near this place any time soon, and the police will be here to cordon off the area in no time.'
Nort kicked a squirrel covered in silver spines with her trainers; she too was curious about what had happened here.
Quickly, the trio disappeared from the forest clearing covered in silver thorns which, in no time, turned to dust, just like the body of the Spider Queen, Saenathra.
- Two hours later. - Nevermore Academy. -
"Enid, can I sleep here tonight?"
William asked softly, brushing aside a strand of blonde hair that had fallen over Enid's lips.
"You're very late…"
Enid replied without opening her eyes, her voice sleepy. She could easily distinguish her boyfriend's voice and, of course, his scent too; werewolves had a keener sense of smell than werewolves.
"I took a little detour and helped some people…"
William had entered through the spider-web-shaped window on the balcony, after changing his clothes and taking a shower in his room.
"Tell me tomorrow. Now get into bed ~."
William smiled and lifted the duvet.
"What's the matter? It's cold ~"
Enid opened one of her eyes and saw her boyfriend staring at her. She could feel his gaze on her body and, the next moment, on her face.
"What are you staring at?"
"Even without make-up, you look absolutely lovely."
William stroked Enid's cheek with the back of his fingers; she used to wear pastel eyeshadow on her eyelids, blush on her cheeks and lip gloss on her lips.
"Silly!!"
Enid threw a soft toy at him and turned over in bed, allowing William to leave his shoes on the polka-dot rug and climb into bed.
Holding Enid's waist with his right arm and pulling her closer to him, until her back rested against William's chest.
His hand rested on Enid's left thigh; William could feel her soft, warm body through her thin blouse and shorts.
"Soft, fluffy and cosy—what a lovely winter pillow!!!"
"..."
Enid didn't reply; she simply placed her hand over William's, which was holding her waist, and intertwined her fingers with his.