Chapter 11: Lionetta Village - Test Of Might [2]

Grendel was rather amused that in about an hour, he was suddenly taken into a mountain clearing with several pillars.

Now most of the Lionetta villagers were all surrounding the pillars while Aruru's mother was wearing a strange battle gown, a mix of animal furs and leather armour, which was rather pretty with green and blue hues.

'Not that I can comment on how it looks...'

He looked down as he wore the same outfit—the Test of Might was nothing but fighting the strongest members of the Lionetta tribe and surviving...

Because this was so rushed, and they wanted to prove something...

His opponent was the current chieftain and Queen.

Narua.

"Young man, you look at me without fear, good! I approve of you and my cute Aruru with these guts alone!"

"However! I will not hold back—this is a sacred test from my ancestors to select the most able and powerful mates!"

*Bang!*

Suddenly her body exploded with a brilliant colour of red, showing her wrath, but Grendel felt the wrath was clean...

Normally when people had sins and desires in his eyes, there were small amounts of an impurity, like a dirty pink for lust, small black dots or a sludge-like texture...

Her wrath was brilliant like the sun and completely pure...

'Beautiful...' The first colours he saw with his spirit eyes weren't stained with personal greed or impurities.

'Well... Aruru's were pure, but she has yet to develop herself and lacks much colour or desire... Although lust has been starting to grow rapidly since I played with her... Maybe I should keep an eye on that.'

Narua's body began to fill with muscle, but it didn't become bulky and ugly.

They condensed and became tighter, filled with explosive power, while her hair and body started glowing with a faint golden aura, her fangs visible as she smirked at him.

"I, Narua of the Lionetta tribe, dedicate this battle to our goddess and mother, Felima, goddess of beasts and lions!" Her voice echoed off the walls surrounding the area.

Naru then placed her thumb down, cutting it on a spike as she painted two lines across her cheek, standing with her legs waist width apart and both hands clenched and held above her hips, pointing her palms to the sky.

Beside Grendel was a similar stone spike—he mimicked her actions but didn't say the same swear.

"I, Grendel, with no clan, dedicate this battle to my beautiful mother-in-law, Narua and the Lionetta tribe! Watch my dedication and desire to win."

"What a cheeky little bastard!" Eruda complained as she began to tug on Alonis's arm, remembering how he was badly beaten by his mother during his time doing this trial... after that, she was forced...

Just remembering her humiliation to try and revive and boost the pedigree of her tribe at the cost of her own body made her feel shame...

"Let's watch this fool is weaker than me—just laugh when he fails."

An old lady stepped forward, her teeth still white, and her body was tight with nice muscles as she held a small torch—the Lionetta seemed to have great genes...

"Let this sacred duel be known that no rules apply, fight how you will and hold no shame if you do not rely on force." Her eyes were wise and seemed to penetrate his entire being as she smiled at his face.

"Fight!" Her voice echoed six times before it faded, and Narua nodded to Grendel.

"Let's fight. Show me your true colours, Grendel!"

'Forgive me; I don't even know my colours...' He thought as his body faded before rapidly leaping onto the top of the pillar to the right of Narua and looking down at her.

She stood in silence—her eyes closed while her tail swayed slowly, the gentle breeze causing her emerald feathers to sway slowly as she looked around in several directions sniffing the air.

'She's going to find me quick!'

Grendel hopped one pillar away—the next moment, her fist smashed into the pillar he stood upon, a huge explosion of dirt and stone shooting from the impact as the pillar almost crumbled from her power.

"Tsk..."

His right hand glowed with a blue light wrapping around his fingers, then his arm, as countless 40cm ice lances were slowly formed from a glistening blue luminescent dust, the sharp tip shimmering in the sunlight.

'No need to be pretentious, let's remain me... as I said... whatever that might be.'

Dropping from the pillar, he rushed forward using ⟪Dash⟫ to reach her in less than a blink—her lips smirked while his left hand flickered with a crimson light.

"You came to fight me head to head? Cute boy...."

*Woosh!*

Her fists shot forward with two fierce jabs as Grendels body exploded into a flaming shield of fire—the first time he used ⟪Fire Shield⟫

The two fists caused his body to slide back through the dirt from the power of her fists, Narua's body running up the side of the pillar and launching a powerful roundhouse at his head.

Grendel twisted his right wrist, lunging forward, his arms parallel with her kick as 12 ice lances shot into her body with a terrifying burst of shots.

Each one pierced her flesh slightly as she gritted her teeth and followed through, smashing into his head, the Fire Shield cracking from the blow as his body slammed to the ground from the impact.

'Shit... this woman is amazing!'

⟪Dash⟫

In the last moment, as her right leg adjusted into an axe kick, his figure faded into a mere afterimage.

He might not have realised, but Grendel's eyes were glowing as he began to use his Spirit Eyes at full capacity.

He was desperately looking for weakness or an opening as his left-hand flickered with flames before launching several bolts at her, each one smashed down with her flowing combo of a jab, elbow and hook.

⟪Flame Wall⟫

⟪Air Cutter⟫

His flame burst from the ground behind her while the sharp blades of wind shot at her face before her eyes narrowed, a playful... lustful colour filling her face.

Narua's lust was ravenous...

*Woosh!*

Her body moved as fast as his Dash with a mere lunge, her fist curling upwards with a slight whistle and smashing into his chest, sending his body into the air, followed by several jabs, each blow with enough power to numb his brain and keep him in the air.

Narua's body then rapidly rotated, her leg lifting as she smashed into his chest with a powerful roundhouse kick sending him flying into the distant air.

Grendel's consciousness was heavy, his body floating through the air as the world seemed to move in slow motion—he watched as the arms of Narua lowered finally an opening, as his beautiful eyes glowed like brilliant flames.

'Now! Whatever, I can use it!'

⟪Flame Wall⟫

⟪Frost Barrage⟫

⟪Air Cutter⟫

⟪Firebolt⟫

⟪Second Wind!⟫

⟪Dash!⟫

He used a flame wall to block her view while storing a frost barrage in his right hand, glowing a brilliant blue, but he felt that his mana was running lower with each rapid use spell, the tight feeling in his chest and veins, but he held the spell.

Rolling behind the pillar, the slowed time returned to normal as a fist smashed through his flame wall, extinguishing it. He cast Air Cutter in hand with beautiful icy shards collected.

Finally, his left hand glowed with a crimson flame, and the firebolts formed, but he grabbed them in his grasp, causing them to explode in his fist, burning the flesh of his palm.

Still, his Ignore Pain nullified the pain as he recovered from his wounds using ⟪Second Wind⟫ and followed up with ⟪Dash⟫ facing Narua, who looked shocked.

He smashed her chin with the flaming fist, the first direct hit causing her to step back before lunging out with her right fist.

Grendel felt the wind cutting his cheek open with a sharp lash as he tilted his head and reached out, his right hand grasping her chest as he shot the Frost Barrage and Air cutter directly at her.

*Bang!*

*Woosh!*

*Tear!*

"Haa...Haa...." Grendel's mana was empty... all he could feel was a slightly wet and soft feeling in his palm—looking up at Narua, who was now wearing nothing on her chest, and his hand was groping at her breasts covered in blood from the damage of his magic.

"Ho-ho..." The old lady mouthed with a smile.

"It looks like that girl has fallen for her daughter's man.... amusing..."

"I announce that Grendel has passed the Test of Might with the Greatest Honours!"

"Mommy... why are you not moving his hand?" Aruru's little cry, the last words Grendel heard before he collapsed, only feeling a soft warmth enveloping his tired body empty of mana...

Although he would rapidly recover his mana, he would run out like a normal person if used in rapid succession.