The Battle for Dominance : Leo vs the Mbali Brothers (2)

[1st POV]

I left Roku to writhe on the ground while I turned to focus on the other brothers.

I looked for Baraka since he was the biggest threat, and that was a miscalculation on my part.

In that moment of distraction, Makali jumped on my back as if to punish me for underestimating him. His full weight crashed against my back, his claws piercing into the thick hide of my shoulders like iron hooks, anchoring himself to me with reckless tenacity. He pulled his head back before his jaw clamped down on the back of my shoulder.

I couldn't help roaring out in pain towards the sky. The sheer volume tore through the sky like thunder, loud enough to send the vultures scrambling into the air in a panic of flapping wings and screeches.

And before I could react to the attack, a truck slammed into my side. No, not a truck, but Baraka. His giant frame had crashed into me with terrifying momentum. His jaw came flying at my face and I barely dodged him in time. His teeth clamped shut with an audible snap right below my windpipe.

Dangerous, that was too dangerous.

I bared my fangs and retaliated in kind. I lunged forward and sank my teeth into his face. I did not miss like he did. My bite crushed his mane and peeled back skin with a wet, ripping sound. He roared in pain, but even that didn't matter now.

Because what I'd feared had happened. The two brothers were on me like a swarm. They were fighting me like they fought the buffalo not too long ago.

This was where the difference in level between a rogue and prime kings really showed. Even though they were tired and injured, when push came to shove, they could really go that extra mile.

Even if it killed them, they were willing to do everything to fight back.

We thrashed around in a wild wave of violence and instinct. We were a cyclone of muscle and rage. Baraka came at me like the seasoned warrior that he was. He was strong enough to put up a decent fight as we went blow for blow.

But ultimately, I was stronger than him. Yet at the same time, with Makali latched onto my back like a persistent parasite, the clash was about equal.

They fought like the wild animals they were, feral, desperate, fast. They moved in chaos but there was a weird coordination and teamwork in their fight.

Makali shredded my back with his claws, they felt like jagged daggers stabbing into my body. His teeth dug into the muscle near my spine. His weight was a curse. He was hindering my movement and causing an imbalance. I couldn't twist. I couldn't rotate. He anchored me.

Baraka took full advantage.

He circled around me, searching for weakness and opening before he slammed into me again. We fought for one short, violent moment and before I could get the upper hand, he would always pull back and I couldn't follow him because of Makali.

He did this repeatedly, coming at me in short bursts of motion. Again and again to cause the most damage. They knew they couldn't win a straightforward fight so they were changing strategy. They were really taking me on like I was a buffalo or other giant prey.

Makali was dead tired at this point. He barely did anything else other than hang on and latch onto my back. But that alone was enough to distract me while Baraka took me on.

So he was the problem. I needed to take him out first.

After the end of another engagement with Bararak, I positioned myself forward. Then I exploded out into a jump and landed on my back with a resounding thud.

My weight crushed Makali and I heard the breaking of bones under me. But I was not done.

I thrashed around like a crocodile in a death roll. I was doing everything I could the get him off my body. And yet the bastard somehow finds a way to cling to my body. It was like he was possessed.

I roared in fury, quickly realising that I may have made a mistake. Baraka did not let go of the opportunity where I brought myself to the ground out of my own will.

He crashed into me with all the force and weight he could generate. He was on top of me in mere moments.

His head smashed against mine in a headbutt and then our jaws snapped at each other. Techniques and plans went out the window as we became monsters driven by instincts and will.

I bit at his snout. He snapped at my shoulder. Our fangs scraped, tore, and met with bone and blood. The three of us were rolling masses of fury and flesh, writhing and heaving like titans in the dirt.

We fought like we were trying to erase each other from existence.

To make matters worse, Makali returned to the fight. His jaw hung loose and his face was drenched in his own blood. But he was still there. He did not know how to get involved in the fight as the three of us rolled around in a chaotic fight but he was there, waiting and watching.

He would strike whenever he found the chance with his claws, ripping across my flanks again and again in search of vengeance.

For a moment, it would seem like the three brothers had found a way to victory against me.

But that moment would end in a heartbeat as I finally adjusted.

The initial plan was to drag the fight and overwhelm them with superior stamina. I would fight them with a clear mind and deal the finishing blows when they got tired.

But now I have a better plan.

...

*ROAR!!!*

I surged upward, lifting all three from the ground. Their collective weight could not force me down as I stood up.

I could see their eyes going wide due to the sudden explosion of strength. I was not holding back, but I was not going full throttle either to conserve energy. But now that I had a different plan, I didn't hold anything back.

I roared with everything I had. It was loud enough to stun my opponents for a moment, and that was all I needed.

There were no trees or boulders where I could slam Makali to get him off my back, so I moved towards the lake. We were fighting at the shore close to the water, so in no time, my paws stepped into the shallow parts of the lake.

Makali roared in protest, but it was too late as I jumped into the water with him on my back.

What followed next was a splash of water and an explosion of raw strength. Since I was the one who jumped into the lake, I knew to collect air in my lungs before diving and hold my breath in the water.

Makali was not the same. He was tired and panting constantly. His way of fighting which was driven by instinct, was not suited to fight underwater.

I dragged him into the deeper waters but before I could reach the appropriate depth, Makali was already drowning.

He let go of his hold on me in an attempt to move back on land but I dragged him down and never allowed him to surface.

His movement became erratic and the harder he resisted, the quicker he drowned. And then finally, I bite him on the back of his skull.

There was a flash of red in the muddy water and he trembled violently before he stilled.

..

On the other hand, the two brothers stood at the edge of the lake. They did not jump into the lake because they knew they would be helpless. Most lions were not like me, they didn't swim to clean themselves or cross rivers just to train. They hated being in the water, they'd drown easily much like Makali.

They could not even tell who was who. The only thing they saw was the chaotic splash of water that went on for a few seconds before everything went still.

....

....

*SPLASH!!!*

I emerged from the lake with a splash of water. The two brothers moved back with a snarl, a natural instinct developed to avoid ambush from crocodiles.

But their snarl quickly disappeared to make way for wide, shocked eyes and the deepest frown.

I dragged Makali's corpse out of the lake and dropped it on the shore among the mud.

My body tensed, muscles rippling beneath slicked fur. There was steam coming off my entire body as my body heat evaporated the wetness of my fur. This helped me cool down rapidly.

I must've looked like an otherworldly monster in their eyes at that moment. A beast that crawled out straight from hell.

"One down," I said.

My face twisted in fury.

"Two more."

..

..

..

[IMAGE]

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Author : Another triple chapter if y'all can reach 2000 stones again. Double chapter is certain regardless of goal tho.

Let's try to see if we can surpass this [IMAGE]

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