Chapter 75 75: The Battle for Dominance : Leo vs the Mbali Brothers (1)

[1st POV] There was no rule in nature, no laws in the wild except the law of the jungle. It was the survival of the fittest. All factors were at play in a fight. I had to learn this the hard way when I first fought Roku and I was put out of the battle because I had eaten right before the fight. That was a lesson I took to heart. Ever since that day, I was acutely aware of these factors that dicate a huge portion of my life whether I wanted it or not. I never made the same mistake again. But it didn't end there. A year later, I had learned to control these factors and turn them to my advantage. I put myself in the best situation, I was full from eating two days ago but I was not bloated, my body was cool and in perfect condition. The wetness that hung on my fur would work to cool me down if the fight went for a long stretch. On the other hand, I forced my enemies into the worst situation. They were starved for weeks, they were mentally tired from lack of proper sleep, and physically, they were exhausted from taking down a buffalo. To add to that, they were all suffering from injuries, minor or otherwise. I also came to attack them when they least expected it by hiding in the water. The scenario could not have been better for me. It was so worth it sitting there in the water for nearly two hours straight. The crocodiles were annoying but at this point, they knew who I was and knew better than to play games with me. And when I finally came out from my hiding spot, I did not waste any time speaking or taunting them otherwise. The language I spoke was straight violence. I could feel the adrenaline coursing through my veins even before the fight started. After a week of preparation, I was mentally and physically ready for this battle. My body also knew from the countless fights I had with the rogue lions when and where to switch to battle mode. I did not need to taste the start of the battle to get into that fighting mode, I ran like I was moulded for war. *ROAR!!* *ROAR!!* *ROAR!!* *ROAR!!!* Four lion kings roared at the same exact time, causing vibrations so powerful that they created a wave of sound pressure that washed over the animals in the vicinity and made their instincts go haywire. The crocodiles in the water dived deep into the lake with a splash of movement. The vultures in the sky scattered. The herds of buffalo in the distance flinched back and moved further away from the battlefield. The lionessess of the Siringet pride who were watching and baring their teeth froze and pulled back like guilty criminals. Their teeth covered, claws drawn back, and they lowered their heads. They realised they had no place in this battle. It was the battle of kings, not a place for females to interfere. The battle for dominance had existed since the first lions. This ritual was as old as the species itself. It was a system where the strongest take all and the losers die in vain. This fight was what it meant to be a lion. ... The three brothers exploded out together. They were synced in a way that could only be achieved after fighting countless battles as brothers. They were a trinity, equal in might and power, but combined, they created one absolute force of nature. On the other hand, I flood alone. I was an overwhelming force that accumulated from countless drops of rain. Storms that drowned others only feed me, and this was my outcome. The two forces collide. And the brother folded. Just like how they came together as one, they fell together as one. My body drove through their formation and splintered them asunder. Three against one and yet they fell short in numbers. Perhaps five of them could bear the force and clash as my equal. I felt a savage grin spread across my lips, it was the kind of grin that came automatically without any intention. I was a tailless lion that had to study other animals to create my own style of movement and techniques. How do you think it would change me when I hunted buffalo for half a year straight? Obviously, I picked up a thing or two from them about being an unstoppable force. The three brothers quickly got back from the ground and surrounded me from all sides. I felt myself being in the centre of attention, my body did not know which lion to face so it rotated in wary habit. "Give it your best shot. Show me why you three are kings," I taunted and then with growls that were loud enough to be roars, they charged at me from all sides. I swung my paw at the most eager lion which was Makali. The way I threw my paw was more like a slap than an attempt to tear off the face. My paw slammed against the side of his head in a deep thud of force. I did not stop there and quickly spun around using the momentum and turned just in time to meet Baraka, who had lunged at me and was now in mid-air. My hind legs explode. Muscular legs that had to make up for the lack of a tail could generate force unbelievable for a lion. I drove Baraka further into the air. Our chests collided with a force that knocked the air out of my lungs and probably cracked a rib for him. Our jaws met in a raw clash of teeth, and I felt tears and cuts in my exposed gums. The same went for him, it was a brutal exchange that painted both our white teeth red. Baraka reacted instinctively in the air, but I had long since perfected my mid-air manoeuvre, way back when I met the leopard as a cub. So when we crashed on the ground and opened up the earth, I was on top of him. His white fur got tainted by dirt and blood in his struggle. He tried getting up but my paw slammed him back on the ground and pinned him there. I pulled back my arm to throw an attack but Roku blurred behind me. His jaw caught my paw like a dog catching a Frisbee. A roar of pain erupted from my throat and I had to move along with his jump so as not to damage my arm further. After landing on the ground, Roku did not release my paw from his jaw. He continued biting and trying to damage my paw. Big mistake. I used his own bite against him by pulling him towards me. His four legs stayed straight to try and stop but I easily pulled him with raw strength. His four paws left a line as he slid towards me. What was the resistance of a lion when the resistance of a dying buffalo barely mattered to me anymore? When I pulled him close to me, my jaw opened wide and then clamped down on his skull. Unfortunately, I could not bite at the back of the skull so my jaw was not powerful enough to break it. But it was enough to earn a scream of pure agony from Roku. He tried pulling out of my jaw but I held on like a crocodile. He released the bite he had on my paw but I didn't pull it out. Instead, my claws came out and pierced his tongue and inner mouth. I then held his jaw with a vice grip and forced him to open his mouth beyond his natural limit. He struggled fiercely. His own claw came up and wrapped around my wrist. He twisted and turned under me but the bite I had on his head held him in place. I was solefy focused on my action and my arm shook as I exerted all my strength. The only thing he could do was scream and thrash around in fear and panic as he felt immense pain shoot through his nerves. I felt the two brothers move towards me as fast as they could. Yet it was already too late. A nasty crack was heard as his lower jaw snapped the wrong way. His scream stopped almost abruptly and turned into the whine of a puppy. He would never be able to close his mouth again. It was not a simple dislocation of the jaw, I broke it completely. Now it hung loosely on his face, useless and harmless. He would never bite anything ever again. Even if he survived this battle, he would die soon. I watched him moan and writhe in pain for a second before I turned towards the remaining two brothers. .. .. .. [IMAGE] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------