Chapter 903: A Super-sonic Chase
Chapter 903: A Super-sonic Chase
As Arad and Selena ran across the jungle, Matilda couldn't believe her eyes. The trees around them have turned into a mess blur and the massive mountains were rushing past them like trees when you ride a fast horse, and what baffled her more, is that Arad was running backward and still keeping up with that Black Jaguar.
In her whole life, this was the first time she had seen such a scene, the entire world quickly disappeared before her eyes. Being held in Arad's arms as he moved at this speed felt both horrifying and enticing. This is how he sees the world, slow, and small, even mountains were nothing but small stones that he could walk past in a heartbeat.
Trying to shake Arad off her trails, Selena shifted back into her humanoid form and slipped into a small cave. Thanks to Arad's large body, he won't fit through the tight hole. But, his training with Kayden wasn't in vain.
While accelerating in a direction is easy, it's far harder to suddenly switch direction due to the centrifugal force. To combat that, Arad had learned to teleport to the same spot but face the direction he wanted to keep moving, allowing him to change the direction of his acceleration without actually turning.
Arad instantly teleported in place, but this time appeared to stand horizontally like he was doing a flying kick, diving into the hole feet first. Matilda screamed, terrified as they flew into the tight space, for a second there, she thought they were about to crash into the stones. Her fears were just starting as Arad started chasing Selena through the caves, no matter what she did to lose him, he was always at least five meters behind her.
A super-sonic chase inside a tight and pitch-black cave, chasing a black jaguar that could easily blend into mere shadows and disappear. Matilda couldn't even begin to comprehend how Arad was keeping up with that black Jaguar.
Now that Matilda thought about it, it clicked in her mind. Arad had mentioned that the black Jaguar is a warlock patron, Maharaja. That's their goddess!
Selena looked back, "You're one insistent chaser..." Selena looked back. Even though Matilda could barely hear her due to their speed, she was quite confused at the lack of Nya. "Try and catch me if you can." Selena suddenly accelerated into the distance; her speed almost doubling.
"Don't get scared." Arad said with a stern voice, his boots disappearing as his feet turned into draconic talons. His claws dug into the ground for more traction, and a faint druidic magic gushed from his body, making Matilda think he used the druidic magic [Beastial Claws]. But what Arad had cast was something else, [Taurus] his favorite constellation after [Gemini]. Arad bolted forward at double the speed, quickly catching up to Selena as the ground around them shattered and the two burst out of the cave, destroying the exist in a blast. The two landed outside and burst running at a blinding speed, the whole around Matilda had turned to a white blur, she could barely tell if they were still in the jungle or flying through the cloud.
Looking forward, Matilda couldn't even tell Selena's legs and arms apart, all she could see was a blur around her torso as she seemed to be a few meters ahead of them. How in the hell is Arad keeping up with their goddess like this? She knew he was strong, far too strong, but this was on another level.
People shouldn't even dream of being able to stand before a god, let alone chase one like this, and Arad is easily doing it. But Arad wasn't done yet, in a fraction of a second, he pushed beyond his limit and accelerated even further, surpassing Selena and started running ahead of her. At that moment, it seemed as if she was the one chasing him.
Arad immediately turned toward Selena with a kick aimed at her face, "Halt." He wanted to smack her down and stop this meaning less chase, he was already hungry, and doing cardio on top, he wasn't looking to lose weight.
Selena dodged his kick with ease and landed behind him, pulling her fist back. He wanted to stop her, but now she'll try to stop him. "Don't die." The moment she threw her fist toward Arad, Matilda saw her death coming. There was nothing she could do but hold tightly to Arad's chest. The sheer difference in power that Selena was willing to use against Arad compared to what she used against Matilda was stunning.
Matilda was certain of one this, that the black jaguar was indeed their goddess. If she had used such power from the start, Matilda would've died without even seeing her. Arad can't be... Arad planted his left foot on the ground and threw the right one forth as a kick, clashing with Selena's fist. The power that Matilda saw as certain death; he had chosen to face head-on. When Arad and Selena's attacks clashed, the ground around them shattered and Selena used that to change the angle of her fist upward, sending both Arad and herself flying in opposite directions at a speed far surpassing their speed combined. She masterfully harnessed the full power of their clash and used it to her advantage, which shocked Arad who didn't expect to see such a refined move be used so nonchalantly, he was indeed facing a warlock patron with immense power.
In the blink of an eye, Arad got flung all the way back to the lion's village, he landed at the edge, right where Lucia and his clone were watching over Serin and Ignis. The clone instantly disappeared when arrived, and no one noticed the change except Lucia who almost screamed. Even though Arad was flying at a ridiculous speed, using the same acceleration technique that Kayden taught him in reverse to decelerate made him able to stop smoothly without blasting the whole place.
Arad looked in the direction that Selena flew into, "Next time I'll skin her alive." She had already left his detection range, it wouldn't be wise to chase her further as that would mean him leaving his wives and children unprotected which isn't something he's willing to do in a million years unless his brother is around to watch over them.
Matilda stared at Arad's face with a blank and baffled expression, that was their goddess, Maharaja. Hunters spend their whole lifetime trying to follow her way, hunt in her name and still far short of her glory. Yet he managed to chase her away.
Thinking back to how she fought him on their first day of school, how her father clashed with him, and how all the tigers of her clan worked together to try and beat him. Only now she could see how useless and foolish those actions were, even if the whole beast kingdom were to band together, they wouldn't even scratch him. Being caressed between his arms, not even the gods could reach her.
"Can you stand?" Arad asked, looking at her and she gasped with a blushing face. "Yeah, put me down!" She cried, noticing that some of the other students were coming to watch.
But when Arad put her down, she fell on her knees unable to move. All the energy was drained from her body after the long fight. He did give her a stamina potion before, but what little energy that provided was easily consumed by the healing potion he gave to her. Now, albeit unharmed and awake, Matilda couldn't move a muscle and she fell head first on the ground. Selina rushed at her, "Matilda! Where did you go?!" She rushed to check on her, "Aron, whatn/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om
did happen?"
"I don't fully understand as well, she was fighting a black jaguar woman. I chased her away so everything is fine." He replied and some of the students growled, "Black jaguars? Was it the one we saw yesterday walking around?"
"I knew she looked like troubles with all those scares, probably a bandit." One growled, "Matilda, don't worry! Next time she shows up, I'll blast her away!" One of the students said with a large smile on his face.
"No, it'll be me! I'll freeze her in place, just wait and see." Another exclaimed proudly. Most of the students adored Matilda a lot, mainly thanks to her outgoing and energetic attitude.
Matilda looked at them with one eye, and then back at Arad. None of them understood what they were talking about, what Arad faced wasn't some random black jaguar. They are clearly underestimating the gap of power between them and Arad, compared to him, there were nothing but ants walking cluelessly on the ground.
"DAAGGAAAADAA!" Serin who was playing around rushed toward Arad with a stick, swinging it at him. She hit his leg, and he fell on the ground crying and rolling dramatically. She laughed and swung again, but this time Arad gently blocked the attack with his arms and
looked at her.
Serin immediately swung again at a different angle and hit him on the head.
Arad cried and rolled back, pretending to be beaten down. Serin immediately rushed in,
jumping at him like a playful cat, trying to bite him.
Matilda could only stare in shock at how fast Arad could switch, a second ago he was fighting a
goddess toe-toe, and now he's gently playing with his daughter. From now on, she can't
judge him by how timid or gentle he looks around them.
No matter how cute a bear might look, it's still a vicious bear.