- 10 Minutes Later -
This mall is livelier than anywhere I've ever been to, and that's saying something, because Camp Half-blood was pretty active too.
If I'm being honest I don't even know where we are. I mean, I never bothered to ask, but still.
I've seen at least 4 families that I can just tell are on a long road trip, which is kind of funny because not a single member of any of those families looked like they enjoyed it.
That being said, I guess the place is pretty nice, but I've gotta find the rest of the group. Where in the world could they be?
Taking another left turn I attempt to find an elevator but I instead, by the grace of my enhanced reflexes, move just in time to block the pouncing attempt from gigantic lion using my [Light Shield] on my left forearm.
Although due to the animal's strength and just how new the technique is, I sadly could not keep the shield up, so with a thunderous crack I was still knocked to the ground.
It seems to me that Percy failed to mention the fact that I'd be fighting what might genuinely be the lion king, but I guess I'll just roll with it.
The lion, using its weight to keep my torso and left arm pinned, attempted to bite a chunk out of my face. In preemptive retaliation, I used my conveniently free right hand to shoot a blast of starburst energy into its face.
To my shock and horror, it only disorients the lion, seeing as it's once again trying to eat my face. I
n desperation, I released an unidirectional blast from my body with enough power to push it back, before taking off in the other direction, my starburst energy being released from my legs and leaving a trail of golden light behind me.
While some would call this a weak tactic, I call it creating enough distance to actually come up with a strategy without getting mauled.
Looking around me, I see a crowd of mortals screaming and running away in fear. I'm not sure what the mist is making them see, but I know it isn't good.
I'm getting distracted.
Hearing the lion's roar snaps me back to the task at hand. It was a powerful, ancient roar, and it does nothing but give more points to my theory as to what exactly it is that I'm fighting.
Using a good five percent of my starburst energy, I shoot a barrage of light bullets at it from the tips of my pointer fingers in an attempt to test out its durability, while also zipping around the room.
At the end of my onslaught, I take a moment to gauge the amount of damage I did to the lion. To no one's surprise, it's still completely uninjured. That alone lets me know what I'm fighting.
One of the most well known mythological creatures in history, the Nemean Lion.
As far as I know, the only one to actually kill it has been Hercules, and he used his absurd strength to do so.
My problem is that I don't have that.
How am I going to kill this thing? How am I even going to survive? And where in the world are the others? They have to be hearing all of this, so why aren't they helping me?
I'm broken out of my thoughts by the sound of the lion's paws pattering against the ground as it charges me once more. Instead of running this time, I charge towards it.
Before the clash, I manage to create a shield on my left forearm once more, and using the same method I've used to create my shield, I put my hand in the shape of a high-five while forming a protrusion of light around it; making a pretty effective looking blade of light.
I dodged under the lion's pouncing attempt, my body enhanced with starburst energy, before using its very high vertical jumping ability against it as a burst of energy leaves my feet and we're thrust into the air while I'm pushing my shield against its stomach.
Afterwards, with very careful maneuvering, I changed our position in the air in such a way that we'd crash into the floor even harder.
As I'm doing this though, it's come to my attention that I never really considered the damage that this fall would do to me, so now we're both lying on the ground disoriented while scrambling to get up.
This also reminds me that the lion's durability is way above my own, so if my guess is right, I have about 4 seconds before it's done recovering, and I need to think fast.
If you haven't noticed by now, I've been stealing a lot of moves from anime. My light blade is basically a ki blade from Dragon Ball Z, and I just pulled what was essentially a bootleg Uzumaki barrage.
Now it's time to see if I can pull a move out of Pain's book. You see, I have a theory; one I plan on testing right this moment.
Turning myself over so that I'm no longer laying on my back, I wrap my arms around the Nemean Lion, and absorb the divine energy within it.
As I do so, my body gets stronger and stronger, almost to the point of bloating me with said energy, but it also gives me enough strength to keep it in place as it starts to struggle.
Eventually though, its struggles ceased as the only thing left is a nice pelt that I decide to rest on. While resting, I think back on the theory I had that let me win this fight in the first place. To explain it though, I have to go back to the basics of my powers.
My ability to absorb and manipulate light comes from my connection to my father, Apollo, but I was also banking on the small chance that demigod abilities are derived from pure divine energy. Furthermore, I theorized that our specific abilities are based upon the fact that our parents leave a large imprint on what we can do.
The basis of me absorbing divine energy from the Nemean Lion is not only because its father is Typhon, a god, but also because of what I did with my connection to Lady Artemis. If I could do that, who's to say that I can't go even further when it comes to the manipulation of divine energy?
So now we're here, with me laying in the cozy fur of a dead divine beast while contemplating my life's decisions.
[Congratulations on awakening the Divine Ascension System!]
"Huh?..."