Unworthy successor

At seventeen years old, Leo had already become an A rank adventurer. His party, known as the Tiger Gang, had earned a reputation of formidable proportion. Leo’s skill, Beast Heart, bore such a strong resemblance to the Lion God blessing that inheriting the skill from his father, Salam, was a guaranteed. He was the strongest A ranker, and few could dispute that fact.

“When you are ready, come for me,” his father had told him on the night of his fifth birthday.

Leo knew what that meant. The skill of the Lion God would only pass to him if he killed his father. It was something he always knew, and something he always carried. And he was ready for it. The final battle that would place him amongst the S rankers, the most powerful adventurers in the world. That was, until that day. The day Salam was killed by his unknown little brother, a ten-year-old known as Kagan. Leo was afraid of him instantly. A mere boy, and yet the god-like Salam had fallen to him.

“Kagan,” the boy told him. “My name is Kagan.”

Leo looked at the dead eyes on his father’s severed head. They were once so powerful and full of life, and now they were dull and gray, devoid of the strength they once had.

“It seems I received it,” Kagan sighed, kicking Salam’s head away like a discarded toy. “The Lion God sees me as worthy.”

Leo grit his teeth, readying his fists, but found his legs trembling.

“Beast Heart!” He yelled, activating his skill.

All at once, the world seemed to grow more vivid. The air seemed to simmer with all kinds of scents, from the blood on Salam’s body, to the faint smell of dirt on his own boots. Sounds seemed to amplify, each tiny shuffle of his feet reverberating in his ears. Kagan seemed to move in slow motion, his arms dragging in slow motion as he lifted them. This was the world of Leo’s Beast Heart, the true enhancement of every part of his body. Beastmen naturally had more sensitive senses than a normal human or other demi human, but Leo’s skill took it even further beyond, reaching the pinnacle of what living flesh was capable of. His muscles twitched faster than the eye could see, and his movements were a blur to any onlooker. It took little to move behind Kagan, and even less to reach out his claws, ready to sever his throat from behind.

“Impressive,” Kagan chuckled.

Leo found himself flying backwards into the wall. He hit it with a clang, the building supports shaking from the blow. Leo rasped in pain; with his enhanced senses, pain was more acute, amplified by skill powered nerves; a glaring weakness of Beast Heart.

“You move almost as fast as father did,” Kagan laughed as he struck Leo in the stomach.

Kagan hit him again, and again, and again, the very rooftop above them bucking from the force of each strike, kicking down dust and loose nails.

“You would have made a good inheritor,” Kagan commented. “Had I not been born into this world!”

Again he struck, and again Leo coughed up blood. He had to overcome Kagan. It was what he was born to do. He had to be the strongest. Leo mustered all his strength, rolling out of the way of the next punch, before returning with his own, aimed directly at Kagan’s face. Leo threw his everything into that punch; he had to end it here with that strike.

“Not bad,” Kagan smirked, pushing his face against Leo’s outstretched fist. “But you have to do better than that.”

“What?” Leo could barely react as Kagan hit him again.

The punch pushed him through the wall and out into the street. He collapsed onto his back, the last sliver of his will the only thing keeping him from going unconscious.

“Boring,” Kagan yawned, standing over him with bloodied fists. “I’ll make this quick.”

“Stop,” Leo croaked. “Please, let me live, I’ll do anything. Please…please don’t kill me,” he begged. It was the first time in his life he had ever lost. And it was the first time he had ever been so afraid.

Kagan smirked, stepping off him and squatting down to his side.

“I look forward to many years of servitude, brother,” Kagan laughed.

Leo quickly relinquished control of the Tiger Gang to Kagan. The boy’s first order of business was to hunt down their brothers and sisters. The pair slaughtered their siblings, almost completely eliminating any competitors vying for the Lion God skill. After this, Kagan moved to gain control of both the criminal underground and the Adventurer’s guild. Although there were many measures in play to reduce corruption, Kagan was able to gain control, especially after the death of Arthur Crestfall and the retirement of the previous High Priestess, easily leaving a power vacuum for Kagan to occupy. Ronin was absent too often to address it, and Zena didn’t care. Markus was unfamiliar with the guild workings, and the High Priestess and Blade Goddess user were both barely teenage girls.

It was one night that Leo had finally had enough. He decided to kill Kagan in his sleep. Kagan had a bad habit of drinking too much and laying with his concubines afterward. Leo decided that would be the time to strike. Kagan had gorged himself of wine, and had selected his concubine for the evening. At about one in the morning, Leo snuck into his bed chamber, a knife in his hand. Kagan’s massive form was visible even in the darkness. He slept with his woman curled underneath his muscles. Leo crept forward, sliding his blade towards Kagan’s neck.

“You think the Lion God would reward you with my skill if you kill me this way?” Kagan muttered. Leo froze, knife pressed against Kagan’s neck. All he had to do was slice. “He hates cowards,” Kagan grumbled.

Leo withdrew his knife. His legs were shaking.

“Don’t do this again,” Kagan bellowed. “This is your last warning.”

Leo exited the chamber quickly, collapsing in the hallway, the knife falling from his hands and onto the floor. He shook violently, cowering under his arms.

“You dropped this, mister,” a small voice said.

Leo looked up. The little girl was frail and weak looking. Her cheap dress barely clung onto her emancipated form. She was a cat girl, with short green hair, two little cat ears poking from the top of her head. She handed the knife to Leo, her slender fingers barely able to wrap around the hilt.

“My mommy told me to wait out her, but she’s been in the room all night,” the little cat girl said.

“You hungry, brat?” Leo asked.

Leo was Kagan’s second in command. Despite having to beckon to every single one of Kagan’s whims, he still held considerable power. Rousing the staff to cook a full-course meal for the skinny little girl was as simple as sending a strongly worded message. The culinary display consisted of high quality beef with a side of vegetables. And for dessert there was some cake. The girl’s mouth watered; this was clearly the first time she had ever seen so much food in one place.

“Go on,” Leo sighed. He was leaning back against the chair across from where the girl was sitting.

“But mother said,” She began.

“Enough, I’m in charge here, eat. That’s an order,” he growled.

The girl ignored her silverware, lunging at the large chunk of meat and taking huge bites out of it like a wild animal.

“What’s your name, brat?” Leo asked.

“Umissa,” the child gnawed.

“Don’t talk with your mouth full,” He warned.

“Sorry,” She swallowed. “It’s Anissa.”

“You one of my brother’s brats, huh?” Leo asked.

Anissa nodded.

“I’m surprised he hasn’t killed you yet, you’re so weak looking. You don’t stand a chance of inheriting the Lion God skill,” Leo said.

“Mother appeases father,” Anissa said. “So he forgets about me.”

“My brother has a bad habit of killing his lovers when he gets bored with them,” Leo explained. “And he’ll get bored with your mother sometime. When he does, he’ll kill you too.”

“I see,” Anissa nodded, before taking another bite out of the steak she was holding.

“You really should be more concerned about that, brat,” Leo said.

Anissa responded by taking a bite out of her steak, and smiling.

“My name is Anissa, not brat,” She said in between bites.

It didn’t take long for Kagan to dispose of Anissa’s mother. Rather than leaving her to die, Leo stashed her. He had her working as a pickpocket and enforcer in exchange for steak. She grew into her frame, actually looking her age. He felt sorry for her, the little weak girl that she was, and yet she was never afraid. Maybe it was because of that lack of fear that Leo was so eager to accept her.

Leo didn’t try to kill Kagan again, but he thought about it. He thought about it often. But deep down, he knew the Lion God wouldn’t approve of him unless he overpowered Kagan. He couldn’t kill him through subterfuge. And he wasn’t strong enough to beat him in combat, so Leo accepted his position. This was where he had to be. He couldn’t strike out, he couldn’t do anything. He was too weak. There was no difference between him and Anissa. He was nothing more than a frail child against the monumental beast that was Kagan.

“That skill is pretty weak,” Leo noted, watching as the nearly grown Anissa trained.

“It’s good for detecting danger,” Anissa said. “The rest is up to me.”

“A skill that doesn’t enhance your strength is worthless,” Leo huffed. “I have Beast Heart, which enhances my senses and reflexes. Kagan had Wild Strength before he got the Lion God blessing. That skill cause him to constantly accumulate power.”

Anissa dodged a blow from her training partner, Tripwire alerting her to his presence. With agile feet, she crouched down, before knocking him over.

“Uncle,” Anissa began, turning towards Leo. “I want to become an adventurer.”

“Sure. I’ll have you come along a couple dungeon runs with us,” Leo said.

“I don’t want to do it as part of the Tiger Gang,” She stated, tucking her duel daggers back into her belt. “I wanna be a real adventurer. With a real party, without shaking down everybody I come across.”

“Real adventurers don’t make it in this town without bowing to us,” Leo sighed. “You should know that very well, you shook a couple of newbies down.”

“Actually…” Anissa fidgeted her feet. “I didn’t really, truth is I went into the dungeon, and then sold some loot for cash, and I told you I robbed some chumps.”

“You’re a beastman, Anissa,” Leo scolded. “We survive by taking from others. We destroy weaklings, all in our goal to becoming the strongest. It’s in our nature to take.”

“Why did you rescue me then?” Anissa asked.

“What?” Leo scowled.

“I’m probably the weakest of father’s children. Most of my other half siblings starved to death cause they were too weak to steal food. And yet you gave me food every day. Isn’t very beastman-like.”

“You brat!” Leo growled. “Where’d you learn to talk back like that?”

“I’m just saying,” Anissa shrugged. “I’m a failure of a beastman. I stand no chance of stealing my father’s blessing. I feel bad shaking others down. I even helped someone in the dungeon once, I brought them back to the surface when they couldn’t walk.”

“What are you saying?” Leo asked.

“I don’t see the point of living like that if i’m such a failure. I think i’d rather live my own way,” she said.

“We don’t get that choice.” Leo reprimanded.

“But…” Anissa tried to protest.

“Enough!” Leo howled. “Don’t talk about it anymore.”

“Kill me then,” Anissa said.

“What?”

“If you’re a true beastman, you should kill me. I’m weak, and I’m trying to run away.”

“Brat!” Leo charged, towering over the shorter girl with rage in his eyes. Anissa looked back, defiant. She offered him her knife.

“Fine! We don’t need a weakling like you around anyway!” he grabbed the blade, before pressing it against Anissa’s throat. “We’re better off.”

Anissa closed her eyes, accepting her fate. Leo pressed harder, drawing a little blood. He realized his hand was shaking.

“Dammit…” he cursed. “Dammit.”

Anissa stood still, keeping her eyes shut. Leo screamed, screaming with all the hatred in the world he could muster. He couldn’t do it. He was too weak to kill Kagan. And he was too weak to kill Anissa.

“Get out of here,” he choked. “Don’t let me see you again.”

“Uncle…” She let out.

“Go!” Leo roared.

Anissa disappeared that night, leaving Leo all alone. The brat he couldn’t kill. The brat who challenged him at his own game and won. He was pathetic. He had no resolve. He couldn’t do a damn thing in this whole world. And yet, there were people like Will out there. People who defied their own fates, who laughed in the face of death and adversary. Leo hated himself for not being able to do that. He hated himself for being afraid. And he hated himself for driving Anissa away. He was the most pathetic beastman in the world, left all alone to swallow his sorrow.

He saw Anissa again after two years. She was seventeen now, part of a part with a half elf and a human. And she looked happier and healthier, a far cry from the frail looking little girl Leo had once known. Despite everything, she was still living. Despite not living up to the beastman standard, she continued to live her life free. Leo envied that, but he was proud. Proud of the woman she had become. And ashamed of the man he remained.