Lion's Sin of Pride

On the other hand, as the Kalinga soldiers erupted into cheers, their morale soared. Paundraka's defeat marked a significant turning point in the war. The alliance of Pundra, Udra, and Vanga had lost its charismatic leader and its illusion of divine support.

With Paundraka Vasudeva's defeat, the Kalinga forces pressed their advantage, emboldened by Aryan's victory.

Unfortunately, although Paundraka was no more, Bhallabh Udrabhan, the king of Udra and Ranveer Vangam, the king of Vang didn't want to let go of this opportunity. After all, they still had two Akshuhini armies on their side while Kalinga only had one. 

Moreover they can also see that Aryan wasn't in a condition to fight any more. So thay themselves led the allied army and pressed their advantage of numbers. 

In the meantime, Aryan ordered his charioteer to retreat and after nearing the army camp, the plush bear carried him to the infirmary. 

In the infirmary, healers and medics quickly attended to Aryan's injuries. Although he had emerged victorious in his duel with Paundraka, the battle had taken a toll on his physical and spiritual energy. His wounds were tended to, and his energy was slowly being restored.

More importantly, he finally heard the system notification he had been waiting for so long. 

{ Ding! }

{ Congratulations to the host for killing the Sin of Pride, Paundraka Vasudeva. }

{ You have met all the conditions and the the ability is being transferred to you. Please check the status screen for further information. }

"Hahaha, finally, everything I did was worth it. "

Aryan laughed excitingly and mentally instructed the system. 

"System, open the status screen! "

"Ding! Opening the status screen! "

----------------------------------------

* NAME : Aryan 

* AGE : 22

* ATTRIBUTES :

 •Strength = B ( physical strength ) 

 •Agility =  C+( Speed, reaction speed, reflexes, etc.)

 •Physique = B ( Stamina, defense, healing, etc.)

* BLESSINGS / ABILITIES: 

1) Sin of sloth - Disaster

2) Sin of Pride - Sunshine

* DIVINE WEAPONS : 

1) Spirit Spear Moksha

* ASTRAS : None

----------------------------------------

Aryan remembered the information about Sunshine from the anime in his last life.

It is the Grace possessed by Mael of the Four Archangels, and later the Lion's Sin of Pride Escanor. It is a power created by the Supreme Deity herself. 

Sunshine has a very simple but divine effect. It lets Aryan's power increase as the sun goes up and decrease as the sun goes down. And his power reaches the maximum at noon. 

That's why there is an extra set of attributes shown in the brackets. The sun is has already passed the time of noon, so his attributes have also received an equivalent boost as shown in the brackets. 

More importantly, Aryan can now bless powerful heat energy to his weapons. This can increase the power of Moksha's attacks by multiple times. And even the vines that he summon have aquired a certain fire resistance. 

He can also create miniature suns and use fire energy. He can control it with hand gestures and strike his opponents with it, and it will increase in size as his power grows. 

Although there is much more, but Aryan will have to explore these abilities in combat to fully understand them. 

As Aryan lay in the infirmary, his injuries being tended to by healers, a sense of satisfaction washed over him. His victory over Paundraka Vasudeva had not only removed a formidable enemy but had also unlocked a new ability within him. Sunshine, the power of the Sin of Pride, now coursed through his veins.

Unbeknownst to Bhallabh Udrabhan and Ranveer Vangam, the enemy whom they thought couldn't fight anymore was going to return back tomorrow, even stronger than before. 

As the day turned into night, the Kalinga forces barely managed to hold their their position on the battlefield. That's still thanks to the fact that Paundraka's death had boosted their own moral while destroying the Pundra kingdom's army's moral and will to fight.

During this time, Aryan's energy continued to recover slowly. He knew that he needed to return to the fight, not only to protect Kalinga but also to fully harness the abilities of Sunshine.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

The next day. 

With a determined expression, Aryan rose from his bed in the infirmary. He had rested enough, and the battle wasn't over yet. The enemy forces of Udra and Vang were still a threat, and he couldn't afford to let Buanumati down.

Aryan's charioteer stood ready, and Moksha, his spirit spear, awaited his command. With newfound vigor and the power of Sunshine at his disposal, he was ready to rejoin the battlefield.

Moreover, it seems that Sunshine's ability has also helped to quicken Moksha's recovery. Or it might be because of his increase in attributes. Anyway, Moksha was in a much better condition than yesterday. 

Taking a deep look at the rising sun in the east, Aryan felt a strange connection with it. His power seemed to be increasing just by standing under the sun. And Aryan also that it wasn't just his illusion but the ability of 'Sunshine' at work. 

Taking a deep breath, Aryan stepped on his chariot. 

But just before he left the army camp, he was stopped by someone who shouldn't be here. 

"Princess Buanumati? What are you doing here on the battlefield? Is everything all right back in Rajapura? "

Aryan quickly got down from his chariot and approached Buanumati anxiously. 

However unlike what he expected, instead of saying anything, Buanumati took a step back from him, startling Aryan. 

"Princess Buanumati, what's going on? "

Aryan asked confused as he stopped in his tracks. 

"I should be the one asking this question instead, Prince Mahendra Bahubali. Or should I say Aryan?"

Buanumati finally raised her bowed head and Aryan saw a few tears trickle down from her eyes. 

Aryan was taken aback by Buanumati's words and the tears in her eyes. He hadn't expected this reaction from her.

The realization struck him that she might have uncovered his true identity, and the weight of his deception bore down on him.

"Princess Buanumati, I... I can explain. "

Aryan stammered, his mind racing to find the right words.

"What's there to explain? The spies sent by my mother to investigate you, returned yesterday night. They have already told me everything. "

Aryan took a deep breath and instead of saying long sentences, he only said one thing. 

"I understand if you're angry or disappointed, Princess Buanumati. But remember one thing, my feelings for you weren't false. "

Buanumati's expression softened, and she stepped closer to Aryan. "I don't doubt your intentions, Aryan. And I appreciate everything you've done for me and for Kalinga. But why didn't you trust me with the truth? Why keep your identity hidden?"

****************

Shoutout to my new Patreon Lustful-Angel96 🎉