His current size would only guarantee half of the throat to be shredded sufficiently to cause death.
The creature was simply that massive. The troll snorted, causing Leon to freeze in place as the monster shifted in its sleep.
Too much dawdling. Leon braced himself to strike.
Bite, rip, tear, flee.
He opened his maw, nearly placing his teeth on the disgusting creature's filthy skin. He would need to wash his mouth out for days after this.
It all happened in a fraction of a second, his placement precise. Leon flexed the muscles in his jaw, puncturing the jugular around the artery, ripping away the flesh in a massive chunk.
Blood sprayed from the severed vein painting the walls of the cavern in time with the massive pulses of its heart, running in rivulets to the floor as a roar of absolute rage and terror tore itself from the monster's destroyed throat.
Leon had already leapt beyond the lip of the cave, watching from a safe distance as the creature thrashed in pain and fear.
It would still be some time before it would fall, the amount of blood in its massive body sustaining it for longer despite its inevitable demise.
The troll, in its rage, eventually managed to spot its assailant watching from a distance. It hurled itself forward attempting to grasp its now mortal enemy. If it was destined to die, it would take its killer with it.
Or at least it would try.
Leon danced away from the massive lumbering brute, dashing into the forest to hide amongst the shade of the trees.
The monster attempted to pursue, scrabbling after the tail of its murderer, roars of pain and anger announcing its plight to the entirety of the forest. It was all for naught.
Leon kept just enough of a lead to bait his prey to continue the chase, expediting the loss of blood the longer the pursuit continued.
It only took a few short minutes for the troll to succumb, blood covering its torso and face as it tripped, falling to the earth. Several times it attempted to rise, only to find it had no strength to do so.
It finally fell for the final time, its breaths heaving, blood and spit frothing from its mouth as it began choking on its own blood.
It was a long, fear filled death, evidenced by the troll's eyes as they flit about. Fear replaced rage as its inevitable demise encroached.
It was not something Leon enjoyed watching.
The hunt was not a place for torture and fear. Death was meant to be clean, free of suffering.
As the troll ceased its struggles, its energy leaving it, Leon stood vigil over it. He did not enjoy watching such suffering, but he was the cause, and therefore it was his responsibility to bear witness.
The troll's breaths became rattling gasps, its limbs twitching as nerves failed to find purchase and began firing rapidly.
Blood and oxygen started failing to reach the brain, exacerbating its condition. It was at the point that Leon finally approached, assured of his safety and the troll's complete inability to defend itself.
Standing on the monster's back, Leon placed his claws at the base of its skull just as it began seizing.
With a flex, his razor-sharp implements slid beneath the thick skin, finding purchase against his prey's spine.
With an additional flex, he severed the spinal column, instantly killing the troll, putting it out of its misery.
The influx of energy was massive, notably more than any other creature he had slain thus far.
It continued building within him, all the energy he had absorbed thus far seemingly bursting from him as the new source caused his vessel to overflow.
It was only a brief feeling, the perception of overflow transitioning from the entirety of his body to the base of his spine.
A focused point next to his first tail began itching and tingling. A whine escaped his lips at how uncomfortable the sensation became.
With a sudden burst, a second tail sprouted into existence, relieving the itch and causing a sigh to echo out into the now silent woods.
Leon still stood in his fox form, but with the addition of his second tail a surge of knowledge came with it.
Ancestral memories gave him the means to adopt a humanoid form now that he held enough power to maintain a transformation indefinitely.
However, he had other business to handle first. Namely washing the filth from his mouth and body. His fur needed cleaning and his mouth was still tainted with the taste of troll.
Inari was undoubtedly watching in some capacity and now aware of his child's success.
It was only a matter of time until he reappeared, but a bath and proper hygiene were a more prevalent concern for Leon for the moment.
Inari would show himself when he felt like it. If he was lucky, Sera and Gabby would show up too.
A bath, thorough mouth rinse, and rabbit snack later, Leon was lounging in the afternoon sun as his fur dried, the warmth lulling him into a mindless trance.
It was the whispers and giggles that gave them away, his silent meditation making it easy to hear them as they lurked at the edges of his perception.
With a grunt, he flicked one of his two tails up in the air, pointing it at them and waving.
The pair simply seemed to pop into existence next to him with how fast they approached, each woman latching onto one of his tails, stroking the soft fur as they cuddled into it.
Leon gave a soft groan accompanied with a roll of his eyes as Inari soon followed with a smile on his face.
"I'm surprised you didn't immediately transform."
Leon grunted, pointedly looking at the two women still gushing over his tails. Inari laughed.
"Yes, you have a point, they would have been rather put out if you hadn't waited."
Gently tugging his tails from their grasp, Leon gently stroked their cheeks with the tip before sitting up and facing the trio.