The abnormal precision with which he'd moved, the way he'd effortlessly seen through all the Hydra's attacks and finally, how he'd quickly identified the Hydra's weakness. Beyond his speed and power, she was certain that he had. . . . . an exceptional mind!
'He is more dangerous than I thought!' She realized.
'Still the Hydra pressed him a little bit.'She shifted her gaze to Echidna.
'The next one will not be so easy.'
Echidna's voilet eyes had also been fixated on Adam for a very long time, but nothing could be discerned from her expression as she looked at him.
Only after receiving Athena's wordless command did she finally tear her gaze away from him. She barked out a single word. To Adam is sounded like a name, but one in a language so ancient, it predated Greek entirely.
The crack Echidna had created in space suddenly glowed a startling crimson.
A massive feline creature with fleshy bat wings and a scorpion's tail stepped out from within the spatial crack, a mass of rippling muscle with two long canines jutting out of its maw.
The creature's eyes glowed a hateful crimson and its red fur bristled menacingly around it's hulking form.
'The manticore . . .' Asteria said in a trance like state. Then panic immediately filled her eyes as she grabbed Nyx's sleeve. "Master you have to stop this fight now. If that's really the manticore form legend, no matter how amazing he is, lord Adam has no chance in this fight."
Nyx palm was balled so tightly that her nails had begun to dig into her palms. Of course she'd reached the same conclusion as Asteria. But then Adam had met her gaze, and though nothing was said between them, she could sense his thoughts very clearly:
"No matter what happens, do not interfere!
Trust me!
I will not die!"
It was the most difficult thing Nyx had ever done, but she ended up staying her hand.
Meanwhile on the amphitheater stage . . .
Adam's hands trembled faintly as he regarded the monster. His body. . His. instincts that had been honed over several thousand battles were telling him very clearly . . . that he was no match for the creature before him.
"My lord. The parameters of this monsters strength are far above yours. You would be foolish to even attempt this." Lena warned.
"Hah . . .tell me something I don't know." Adam sighed while bracing himself. Up ahead in the southern wing, Echidna gave the command for the creature to attack.
The manticores bloodthirsty gaze locked onto Adam and it immediately roared and accelerated towards him. It rushed forward before Adam could fully register its charge—with the momentum of a freight train— its maw opened wide to devour Adam whole.
Suddenly thrust into peril, Adam could only make the most deranged and yet most correct decision. Through the chaos, two dark hands rose, clamping solidly onto both its jaws as his two feet planted firmly onto the earth..
[BAANG!!]
Their collision expelled a visible Shockwave, and the force of their clash raged through Adams body like a storm, sending his blood into turmoil. From this exchange alone several of his ribs had shattered and terrifying lacerations spread over his organs.
Almost immediately, a deep, basal groan tunneled out of the manticore's throat. Muscles contracted, and claws dug into the earth as it pressed forward on Adam with a several thousand pounds of explosive force.
A web of cracks decimated the earth beneath Adam's feet as he just barely resisted the terrifying force of the manticore's charge.
"AARGH" Adam couldn't help but groan in immense pain as the flesh in between his finger completely split and his sternum slightly caved in.
He vomited out a scary amount of blood, but somehow he had forcefully held his ground.
'Hah.. to think I've fallen to the point where a mere beast threatens my life. If 'those guys' were here, they would never stop laughing at me.' He thought in a dark shade of amusement, then his expression immediately became warped and intense.
'I was a blade forged in the bowels of hell.
At the age of twelve I had become the perfect weapon. A creature ghouls and demons feared.
At the age of fourteen I had mastered every killing technique known to man and reaped millions of souls.
At the age of fifteen I could defy the natural order with only the strength of my mind. Even if you are a creature of legend, at the end of the day, your are only a mere beast!
You are far from qualified to make me surrender.
Do not even think of taking my life!"
With a powerful mental roar, Adams tiring and damaged body erupted with power. The bands of muscle under his skin strained to their absolute limit as the force he exerted increased.
Slowly the momentum with which he was being pushed back reduced, then equaled as he fought the manticore to a standstill, then he actually…..began to push the monster back.
The creature's red eyes widened in disbelief as it's claws dug deep grooves into the earth beneath it.
It called upon more of its strength, waves and waves of power exploded into torrents of sheer force.
And yet again and again. No matter how injured, this persistent human did not retreat a hair's breadth.
The manticore roared in fury, and finally gave up on devouring Adam. It thrashed and tossed its head to the side, dislodging adam and throwing him several meters into the air.
At this point not a single part of his body was not covered in a terrifying injury
Feeling victory within its grasp, the manticore charged towards Adam as he fell.
It seemed the battle was decided, however just the manticore came upon him, a decisive glint flashed through Adam's eyes. He had taken a lot of damage, but it was worth it!
He finally grasped the creature's weakness!
Whiles still falling he'd glimpsed the manticores tail. It was exactly like a scorpion's stinger, the bulb swollen with deadly poison.
Adam glanced at the tail's base, the place where chitin met delicate flesh . . .
And he moved.
Using his weight, and in a display of unsurpassed agility, he pivoted in mid air and summersaulted right over the head of the manticore as it made a grab for him, rolling down its back.
Then he stomped against the base of the maticores tail with every bit of power in his failing body.
The tails base proved to be even more delicate than he expected as it broke cleanly off. The manticore groaned, petrified by a pain it had not felt its entire life.
And that split second . . was all it took . . .
Adam drove the stinger into the manticores side with the force of battering ram. It easily pierced through its thick hide. Eliciting a mournful cry as it nestled deeply in its core.
It trembled as it's blood was corrupted by its own poison, and the light went out of its eyes in an instant.
And thus, the frightful monster: The maticore, which devastated countless mortal lives had lost in such a manner, to an insignificant human.
Adam could no longer stand as he collapsed onto one knee, bleeding so profusely that a third of the blood in his body had already pooled beneath him.
His felt as if he inhaled fire every time he breathed through his broken ribs and punctured lungs, and every inch of his body spasmed in a nightmarish pain.
But he still did not let out a single scream. This a far cry from what he had once endured.
"Dead….it's finally dead." He said in a weak voice.
"What did you say .. .Lena? . . .it would be foolish to even attempt? . . .I should have made us bet on it. . .Hisss" Adam tried to laugh, but the injuries he'd sustained caused his face to scrunch up in pain.
Nyx and Asteria were both on their feet. As were all the spirits and gods seated at their side. It was unclear when exactly they had all stood up. But at some point they had all clenched their fists tightly and followed Nyx in her unsaid plea as they watched Adam fight for their home:
Please dont die . . .
And now that Adam had miraculously won . . .
The silence broke at once, cheers erupting from the assembly of night spirits.
Asteria beamed warmly while tears streamed down her face.
Nyx, however, stood very still. Her gaze that had been fixed on Adam for the entire duration of his tumultuous battle had become misty with relief and she would not be able to move it from his body for a very long time.
Meanwhile Athena watched as Adam exhaled. It was a long and shaky breath.
The battle replayed in her mind.
He'd confronted a beast much stronger than he was. She'd watched him fight the beast to a standstill with his wits and willpower alone.
And finally, even under the the threat of death and in the heat of battle, he'd identified and exploited the manticores only weakness to bring the fight to an end.